The Clark State Performing Arts Center will host a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with special guests Danú on Saturday, March 11.
“Danú is one of the best Irish bands around, and it was perfect timing to bring them right before St. Patrick’s Day,” said Adele Adkins, executive director of the Clark State Performing Arts Center. “The price of the ticket includes food and one beer tasting from Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company.”
Danú is a leading traditional Irish ensemble. Their concerts throughout Ireland feature high-energy performances and a mix of ancient Irish music and new repertoire.
The Circle of Friends committee organized the event which will begin at 6 p.m. with appetizers and the beer tasting. Danú will take the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 and can purchased by calling (937) 328-3874 or online at ticketmaster.com.
Circle of Friends is the community support organization for the Clark State Performing Arts Center and assists the center in providing quality performances to a regional audience, while helping to preserve the area's cultural heritage. Membership is open to everyone.
In addition to the Irish sounds of Danú, the month of March will bring the National Broadway Tour of Once to the Clark State Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 5. Once is co-presented with the Springfield Arts Council.
Once is the winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards® including Best Musical. It features an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage. Once tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights, but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance.
STOMP will return to the Clark State Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 9. STOMP’s matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and more will fill the stage of the Kuss Auditorium with energizing beats. The inventive and invigorating stage show encompasses dance, music and theatrical performance together in one electrifying rhythm.
“STOMP hasn’t been here for a number of years, and it was always a fan favorite, so it was time to bring them back,” said Adkins.
Ragtime pianist Scott Kirby is no stranger to Springfield, Ohio. He will perform at the Clark State Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 24 as part of the Club Kuss series.
A native of Ohio, Kirby began his study of music at the age of six and continued formal piano instruction for 17 years. He worked under Robert Howat of Wittenberg University and Sylvia Zaremba at The Ohio State University. Kirby recorded the complete rags of Scott Joplin and made his debut at all of the major ragtime festivals.
Kirby will showcase 150 Years of Americana, performing works of Joplin and others during the multi-media Main Street Souvenirs show; a musical and cinematic celebration of "Classic Americana." The audience will explore 150 years of music through Kirby's live piano performances of some of America's greats - including Stephen Foster, John Philip Sousa and the ragtime of Scott Joplin.
The Clark State Performing Arts Center is located at 300 South Fountain Avenue in Springfield. Event tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com.