Featuring dozens of pop standards, ‘Smokey Joe’s Café’ will stage Jan. 26, 2014 as part of the 2013-14 Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University. (WCU photos)
CULLOWHEE – The Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University celebrates its ninth season with a lineup that will take audience members from the Beatles’ 1964 U.S. invasion to “Smokey Joe’s Café” and many points between.
An April 27, 2014 performance of ‘The Fantasticks,’ a universal story of love, will cap the 2013-14 Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University.
The only professional entertainment series in Jackson County, the Galaxy of Stars Series debuted in 2005, with all performances taking place in the 900-seat John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Series subscriptions are now available at a substantial savings over individual ticket prices. Patrons can enjoy all six shows in the season for $100 for adults and $25 for students and children. Subscriptions allow patrons to select and keep preferred seats and also are an affordable way for families to enjoy live entertainment.
The 2013-14 lineup is as follows:
– Brass Transit, 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. A dynamic, crowd-pleasing unit from Toronto, Brass Transit plays the music of Chicago from the band’s “golden age” of the late ’60s to the early ’70s with a world-class horn section, a rocking rhythm section and tight vocals. The playlist includes “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,” “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “You’re the Inspiration.”
– “Ring of Fire – The Music of Johnny Cash,” 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. Touching on the life and times of one of the world’s most legendary artists, “Ring of Fire” is a top-notch “jukebox musical” revue. A company of performers, rather than impersonate Cash, guides the audience on a journey through Cash’s storied life and celebrated music with more than 35 of Cash’s hits.
– “Smokey Joe’s Café,” 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller virtually invented rock ’n’ roll, and their songs provide the basis for entertainment that illuminates a golden age of American culture. “Smokey Joe’s Café” features 39 pop standards, including “Hound Dog,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown” and “Jailhouse Rock.”
– 1964, 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014. An authentic, endearing musical tribute that has marked nearly 3,000 performances over 30 years, the band 1964 has been called “the best Beatles tribute on Earth” by Rolling Stone magazine. The year 2014 marks 50 years since the Beatles first appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
– The Squirm Burpee Circus, 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2, 2014. An exhilarating, fantastical adventure of classic slapstick comedy, high-skill circus acts and a classic melodrama plot, the Squirm Burpee Circus explodes with high-energy acts such as the Human Cannon, the Ladder of Love and chainsaw juggling, not to mention classic Vaudeville comedy routines, romantic antics and more.
– “The Fantasticks,” 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27, 2014. Billed as “the world’s longest-running musical,” “The Fantasticks” transcends cultural barriers with its story of love both nostalgic and universal. The story centers on two neighboring fathers who trick their children into falling in love and what happens when the children discover the ruse. The performance is scheduled to star Peter O’Neal, a 2013 graduate of the WCU theater program.
The Galaxy of Stars Series is presented by the WCU College of Fine and Performing Arts and with support from the WCU Friends of the Arts organization. Single tickets for the 2013-14 series go on sale Aug. 6. Those prices are $20 for adults; $15 for WCU faculty and staff; and $5 for students and children. Ticket prices are $15 per person for groups of 20 or more and $10 per person for groups of 50 or more.
For tickets or more information about Galaxy of Stars events, contact the Bardo Arts Center box office at 828-227-2479 or go online to bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
– WCU
