Ethan Bortnick show to feature local kids

Van Wert joins with the likes of Detroit, Columbus and Cincinnati to present one of the biggest PBS stars of all-time, Ethan Bortnick.  This young entertainer and amazing musician will bring his blockbuster show, “The Power of Music” to the Niswonger on Sunday, November 1, for a 3 p.m. matinee performance.

Appearing on stage with Ethan will be over 100 kids from Lincolnview and Crestview schools. It will be a huge concert celebration of the power of music.  For a small clip of what you might be in store for, go to our website NPACVW.ORG and click on events and then video under Ethan Bortnick. You won’t want to miss this concert event!

Mrs. Hancock of Crestview and Mrs. Korte of Lincolnview have been preparing their kids to join Ethan on four special musical arrangements that will certainly inspire, entertain and thrill the audience.  Be ready for some surprises!

I imagine the kids are getting excited to join this 14-year-old musical prodigy. He visited the Niswonger back in 2010 at the age of 9. Now, five years later, he returns, only to be more popular than before!  I really expected his popularity to wane as he got older, but he returned to record a second PBS special in 2014 and made it even better and more successful.  This past summer, WBGU aired “The Power of Music” to rave reviews!

Reviews have come from all over the country: “This kid is amazing.”-– Jay Leno, “The Tonight Show”;  “Ethan’s imagination and ability to create music from stories is unbelievable.”– QUINCY JONES; and “Ethan Bortnick’s show at the Las Vegas Hilton … was history-making. It was a sold-out crowd, and there was so much heart and soul, plus energy felt from the audience. It was a spectacular night, 90 minutes of pure entertainment.”-– Las Vegas Sun.

This is the type of entertainer our kids from Crestview and Lincolnview Schools will have the opportunity to share the stage and perform with.  What an amazing opportunity — all because someone had a dream to build a performing arts center in Van Wert, Ohio.  Dreams do come true!

There are still a few tickets remaining for this show.  Call the box office at 419.238.1743 (Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.) or go online for your purchase at NPACVW.ORG.

This Saturday, Broadway returns to Van Wert in Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  There are two shows, one at 2 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.  I talked about this show in last week’s column and mentioned how it is one of my all-time favorite shows.  It not only depicts a wonderful and enriching story, but does it in a very entertaining way of storytelling, acting and, of course, music.  With two shows, we can accommodate well over 2,000 people. Get your tickets now and you will thank me.  It’s a great show!

Some have asked if that was a real car on stage with illusionist Mike Super last Saturday night.  I can assure you that the Ford Fusion was real and it came right off the lot of StateWide Ford, who along with Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, are our season sponsors at the Niswonger.  Thanks Andy C. and Steve Munroe.  We promise to return the car … once Mike Super finds it!

FINÉ.