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Westminster College Announces 2016 – 2017 Celebrity Series Season

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Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Featuring magic, music, and Broadway hits, the Celebrity Series at Westminster College announces its performances for the 2016 – 2017 season.

Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the William W. Orr Auditorium unless otherwise indicated. 

Adam Trent: The Futurist, sponsored by First National Bank, will kick off the season on Sept. 24. Trent is the star of the Broadway hit show, “The Illusionists,” and the #1 selling magic show in the world. Trent, who has appeared on America’s Got Talent, the Disney Channel, Rachel Ray, the Travel Channel, and more, is one of the most in-demand illusionists working today. Described as Justin Timberlake meets David Copperfield, his interactive performances are part magic, part concert and part stand-up comedy.

Defying Gravity, the Music of Stephen Schwartz, sponsored by Huntington Bank, will take center stage on Oct. 6. Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz, composer of Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, will be joined on the Orr stage by Tony®-award winner Debbie Gravitte and rising star Scott Coulter. The crew will perform selections from the animated films “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and “The Prince of Egypt” and from Swartz’s musicals, including “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “The Magic Show,” “The Baker’s Wife,” “Working,” “Rags,” “Children of Eden,” and favorites from the Broadway sensation “Wicked.”

The Piano Guys, sponsored by UPMC Jameson, will perform on Nov. 30. Hailing from Utah, The Piano Guys are four dads who became an Internet sensation by way of their immensely successful series of original self-made music videos. Since 2011, the group has produced over 50 videos, reaching over 50 million YouTube views. Their most popular videos include an innovative multi-handed version of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” and a reinvention of the hit song “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.”

Sandi Patty Christmas Blessings Tour, sponsored by Giant Eagle, will debut on Dec. 6. The most awarded female vocalist in Gospel music history with 40 Dove Awards and 5 Grammy Awards, Patty will sing her most beloved tunes in this Christmas leg of her “Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour.”

The John Denver Musical Tribute starring Ted Vigil is scheduled for April 1, 2017. Ted Vigil, one of America's greatest John Denver tribute artists, plays homage to all the great John Denver songs, including "Annie's Song," "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Calypso," and more.

The Doo Wop Project, sponsored by the Springfield Restaurant Group, will take place on May 6, 2017. Backed by a full band, the Doo Wop Project takes audiences on a journey from tunes of groups like the Crests, Belmonts, and Flamingos through influences of the sounds of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Seasons, featuring the songs and the stories of the great vocal groups of the 1950s.

The Celebrity Series for Kids will present The Enchantment Theatre Company's The Peter Rabbit Tales, sponsored by Dr. Richard Ribarevski, D.M.D., M.D.S.; Dr. Pek C. Teh,  F.A.C.O.G. and PCT Health Network, Pizza Joe’s, New Wilmington Family Medicine Associates, P.C., Anthony F. Uberti, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., Kary J. Schroyer D.O., Margaret Zachewicz PA-C, Angela Nicastro PA-C; and the Hoyt Center for the Arts. Two performances will take place at 10:30 a.m. for schools and a public show at 6:30 p.m. on May 16, 2017. In celebration of Beatrix Potter’s 150th birthday anniversary, Enchantment Theatre brings her captivating stories to life using fantastic masks, whimsical puppets, gorgeous scenery and delightful music.

“Our 2016-17 Season is without a doubt our biggest and most exciting season ever,” said Connie McGinnis, director of the Celebrity Series. “Three of this season’s shows bring talent direct from Broadway to the Orr stage. We are saving everyone a trip to New York.”

Visit www.westminster.edu/celebrity or contact Georgene Gib, box office manager, at 724-946-7354 to purchase tickets.