The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Music brings people together, at NPAC

As I watched Rain — A Tribute to The Beatles Monday night at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, the enjoyment I was experiencing watching a packed house on a Monday night brought this thought to me: Music brings people together and reaches them like perhaps nothing else.

I saw people tapping their toes, clapping their hands, standing and whistling for more. Now, tapping one’s toes to music is hardly an over the top reaction, but in the case of one person I have seen on many occasions, this was the first time I have witnessed such a reaction, subtle as it may be.

Rain was an outstanding show and worthy of all the accolades we spoke of leading up to the show. The Beatles music is universal and quite varied. From the early Beatles music to their later years and finally their last recording, Abbey Road, their music reached nearly everyone … and it still does today. It’s really amazing that music written and recorded 50 years ago speaks to so many across generations.

I don’t know if I have ever witnessed an audience enjoy a concert more at the Niswonger in our 10 years. The production was amazing and wasn’t it fun to see some of those old commercials many of us grew up with in the ‘60s?

The memories continue to be made at the Niswonger as we zoom through a season of outstanding performances leading right up to our Ten Year Gala Celebration with Bernadette Peters and The Boston Pops on April 1. Every day we are selling tickets to the concert and After Glow reception at Wassenberg Art Center. Get yours today. Some good seats still remain for this once-in-a-decade concert. April 1 is just 3½ weeks away!  Don’t miss out on this one. The Niswonger will be all decked out like never before and the finale of the concert will be amazing fun!

Before the gala, we have two other outstanding concerts for you to enjoy in the month of March. This Saturday, Artrageous takes the stage in a one-of-a-kind concert event. It may be the most fun you will have in some time. I see this concert being very interactive and fun for kids and adults. I understand we will create waves throughout the audience and create our own light show. Sound like fun?  I’ll see you there! Tickets for Artrageous begin at just $15.

And if you care to try your hand at painting, stop by Wassenberg Art Center this Saturday afternoon before the concert. They will have tables set up and ready for you to try creating your very own painting. They also have a nice art display for you to enjoy. We appreciate their partnership in this event, as well as our Afterglow reception following our gala concert.

We follow Artrageous with our Broadway & Beyond concert, featuring J. Mark McVey and Heartland Sings from Fort Wayne. This is a Community Concert show that will feature all the Broadway and American favorite classics you love. A chorus will back up soloists and J. Mark McVey, an amazing singer who is best known as Jean Valjean from the Broadway sensation Les Miserables. The concert will be worth it just to hear Mark sing, but you will also experience great instrumentalists accompanying these wonderful arrangements created just for our show. Broadway & Beyond is Saturday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. — the same start time as Artrageous this Saturday.

Not to push you too far out, but we are looking for food vendors for Fountain Park summer music concerts. Contact The Van Wert County Foundation to include your non-profit organization in the lottery to choose food servers. More on Fountain Park to come once Mother Nature decides it’s time to get warm and stay warm!

Finally, congratulations to the Lincolnview H.S. Choir, Van Wert Women’s Chorus and Freshmen Chorus, and the VWHS Band on receiving superior ratings at district contest this past weekend. The Crestview and Lincolnview bands should also be commended on fine performances.  Those receiving superior ratings now qualify for state competition this spring.

FINÉ.

POSTED: 03/08/17 at 7:17 am. FILED UNDER: News