The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Beginnings to a new Niswonger season

The context of this column tells it all in the title, “Beginnings to a new Niswonger season.”  It may not be exactly as you were thinking.  It actually has a double meaning.  You see, this week in Fountain Park, the band Beginnings is performing on Friday night.  But we also just announced a new season at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center: Ten Years of Wow!

We’ll start with Beginnings — the Ultimate Tribute to Chicago.  It seems today that just about every band is the ultimate tribute to whomever. In this case, Beginnings has been around since 2002 and is filled with outstanding New York musicians who love the music of the band Chicago and have had a great deal of success since giving tribute concerts.

This is not the same Chicago tribute band we have had in the past. Their name is Brass Transit and they are an outstanding band too. So many of you enjoyed them a few years back and they are still one of my all-time favorites. Beginnings is a group I heard showcased in New York City this past January. Some showcases I attend, I listen and move on; however, in this case, I didn’t want these guys to stop playing. They went on for about 30 minutes and obviously, I just didn’t get enough of them. I felt you might think the same way, so here they are this Friday night in Fountain Park. To be quite honest, I felt the horn section with this band was one of the best I have heard.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. and the First United Methodist Women will be serving up some delicious food out of the Rotary Concession Booth beginning around 5:30 that evening. The weather should be great and the music will be filled with tunes nearly everyone will know, recognize and love. Spread the word, this band is worth hearing. Invite your friends to a fun-filled family evening in Fountain Park this Friday night.

Now to the new season at the Niswonger.  We had a tremendous unveiling event last week to announce the 2016-17 season at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.  It is filled with 28 performances and events throughout the upcoming year.  When a season offers everything from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to REO Speedwagon, you can truly say it offers something for everyone.

It’s not just the two extreme concerts I just mentioned, but it’s really everything in between. You really need to check it out.  Go to our website at NPACVW.ORG or take a look at our catalog (which can also be viewed on the website) and see what hidden gems might be in the middle of this season: Ten Years of Wow!

And if you aren’t yet wowed enough, we have planned a Ten Year Gala Celebration concert featuring Bernadette Peters and the Boston Pops Orchestra. This is literally more than I could have even imagined, but sometimes the stars just line up. The Boston Pops just happened to be touring the Midwest this spring and I just happened to call at the exact right time. They had just performed with Bernadette Peters twice the previous year, opening the Tanglewood season as well as the Pops’ own season. Keith Lockhart, director of The Pops, will be conducting and loves working with Bernadette. Thanks to the Big Three: Scott Niswonger, Central Insurance, and The Van Wert County Foundation, along with support from The Kenn-Feld Group, we have been able to put this truly once-in-a-lifetime concert event together for Van Wert, Ohio.

The Niswonger Box Office is currently accepting memberships that allow early purchase options to the season. Check with the box office to see how you can be included in the Season of Wow! at the Niswonger. All sale dates are listed on the website and in the catalog. We mailed nearly 15,000 copies to past ticket buyers and they are being delivered in the mail as we speak.

When you attend the concert in Fountain Park this Friday, we will have an information table and people who can answer questions and distribute materials.  I look forward to seeing you in the park as we celebrate Beginnings to a new season!

FINÉ.

POSTED: 06/22/16 at 5:56 am. FILED UNDER: News