Arts center announces ’13-’14 season

LUDINGTON – Ludington Area Center for the Arts has announced its 2013-2014 Main Stage Series. Each event in this series will take place in the Performance Hall of the Arts Center at 107 S. Harrison Street. The series of five events includes music, theater, comedy and dance.

Kicking off the Main Stage Series is a jazz/new age group called Checkers Morton on Friday, October 11. Checkers Morton is a five-piece ensemble of world-class musicians from the greater West Michigan area; Dave Collee on bass, Jim Beegle on trumpet, flugelhorn, congas, and flute, Bob “Gus” Van Stee on keys, Tim Froncek on drums, and Dan Giacobassi on saxes, flute and shakuhachi. Checkers Morton came together in the early autumn of 1972 on the shores of Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Michigan. The power of the lake and the power of Free Music forged a bond that is still strong today. Though decades and members have come and gone, these musicians still deliver music from the heart and soul.

Second in the series is An Evening of Shakespeare Scenes with Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company on Saturday, November 16. This group, based in Grand Haven, strives to explore the original theatrical practices of the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time. This evening of selected scenes from popular Shakespeare plays serves as an introduction to the works of The Bard and as an appetizer for Pigeon Creek’s return to LACA next April to present a full staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Singer/Songwriter/Funnyman Tommy Foster will be returning to the LACA stage as the third installment of the Main Stage Series on Saturday, January 18. Tommy was well received during his 2012 Sweet Summer appearance and looks forward to performing in Ludington again. He is a regular at several venues around the Muskegon/Grand Haven area as well as in Lansing. Tommy’s unique ability to deconstruct popular songs and reassemble them into seamless montages creates an enjoyable evening of unforgettable entertainment.

Fantasia Ballet Folklorico, a troupe of 50 young dancers ranging in age from 3 to 25, will perform traditional Latino folk dance on the main stage, Saturday, March 1. Fantasia Ballet Folklorico has provided ethnic and folk dance instruction in the Lansing area as a non-profit organization since 1996. The mission of the group is to “increase the social conscience of audiences with respect to cultural contributions by Hispanics through the fine art of dance, music and costume. Fantasia Ballet Folklorico aims to motivate young children, teenage dancers and young adults to develop discipline, self-esteem, respect, and an understanding of Hispanic culture.”

Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company returns Saturday, April 12 to present A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Believed by many to be Shakespeare’s best comedy, Midsummer portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies that inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.

Each event in the Main Stage Series performs at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to each event are $12, $10 for LACA members. For a limited time, LACA members may also purchase a Member Pass for just $45. This pass is valid for one ticket to each event and offers a 10% savings off the already reduced member price.

For a full calendar of LACA events, call 231-845-2787 or visit www.ludingtonartscenter.org. The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is located at 107 S. Harrison Street in Ludington.