Eighth LVPAC Presents Season at Bankhead Theater

The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center announced the 2014-2015 LVPAC Presents season, which opens on Friday, September 12, 2014 with a spectacular performance of “Cirque Peking” by the National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China. Now in its eighth season since the opening of the Bankhead Theater, LVPAC Presents offers nearly 50 shows covering a breadth of musical styles from rock, jazz, and pop, to country and doo wop, plus dance, comedy, and entertainment from around the world. 

New this year will be seven Subscription Series packages combining three to four shows grouped by genre and offered at a price 10 to 15 percent less than individual single tickets.

The Bankhead Theater will welcome the return of some local favorites whose previous appearances have sold out, providing audiences with another opportunity to enjoy such artists as ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, the Kingston Trio, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. 

A beloved holiday tradition continues when the crystalline voices of Chanticleer join in a joyous celebration of holiday song in December. Two popular music tribute groups, “Almost Elton John” and “Music of ABBA: Arrival from Sweden,” bring back their high-energy shows, and Chicago’s comedy powerhouse returns in a show with a very local spin, “The Second City Hits Home.”

Among the artists making their first appearance at the Bankhead this season will be Grammy Award-winning vocal group The Manhattan Transfer, and actress, singer and author Molly Ringwald. Although best known for her roles in 1980s films such as Pretty in Pink, Ringwald has been singing with her jazz pianist father since the age of three and will treat audiences to an evening of American songbook standards.

Click here for full list of LVPAC PRESENTS 2013-2014 SEASON

Retro rock will fill the theater with Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam and Classic Albums Live performances of note-for-note, cut-for-cut renditions of the Beatle’s “Abbey Road” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” The Bankhead will also host such unique and imaginative entertainment as “Intergalactic Nemesis: Target Earth,” an innovative live-action graphic novel, Mark Nizer’s “Live in 3D” comedy and juggling show, and “LUMA: Art in Darkness,” a dazzling extravaganza of light and motion.

The new LVPAC Presents subscription series offers seven packages that span entertainment genres from an “Acoustic Guitar” series, featuring Leo Kottke, Ottmar Liebert, and YouTube guitar phenomenon Andy McKee, to a “World Stage” series with Tango Buenos Aires, Russian National Ballet Theatre, Women of Ireland, and the return of Mariachi Sol de Mexico. 

Subscription packages, which are priced at least 10 percent less than the combined individual tickets would cost, are also available earlier than single tickets, allowing purchasers to secure the same seats for each performance. Members of LVPAC, or donors at the $125 level or above, may combine any five or more shows into a personalized “Quintet” package at an even greater savings over individual ticket prices. 

Buoyed by the recent agreement on a plan to resolve the outstanding debt on the Bankhead Theater, LVPAC sees the launch of the new season bringing renewed energy to its efforts to create a vibrant future for both the Bankhead and the Bothwell Arts Center. 

Related article: Joint Proposal to Resolve Debt on Bankhead Theater Approved by City of Livermore

“Providing exceptional performing and visual arts experiences is at the core of our mission,” said David Hyslop, consulting theater manager for LVPAC. “While there are still many challenges ahead, including a significant fundraising goal of more than $1.6 million before the end of the year, LVPAC and the community are united in working to secure a thriving home for the arts in the heart of downtown Livermore.” 

LVPAC Presents subscription packages will be available to the general public beginning July 8, 2014, and single tickets after July 22nd  through the Bankhead Theater ticket office. Members of LVPAC may place advance subscription package or single ticket orders beginning Thursday, June 26, 2014. Members are eligible for a 10 percent discount on any LVPAC Presents tickets purchased during the year. 

Additional benefits including concession vouchers, access to the Scott Haggerty Founder’s Room during intermission, and exclusive meet and greets are available at higher membership levels. Contact (925) 583-2305 for more information.

—Information submitted by Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center