Displaying items by tag: Ruth Eckerd Hall

Grammy® nominee Ottmar Liebert and his band Luna Negra will perform at the historic Capitol Theatre in the Cleveland Street District in Downtown Clearwater on Sunday, January 10 at 6 & 8:30 pm.  Tickets are on sale now.

Halloween will be celebrated at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st at 7:30 pm with a Halloween double feature celebrating the 200th birthday of the master of mystery and the macabre: Edgar Allan Poe.

Legendary artists B.B. King and Buddy Guy return to Ruth Eckerd Hall for the first time since their sold out performance earlier this year on Friday, February 5 at 8 pm. 

His reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on earth.  Yet B. B. King continues to wear his crown well.  At age 84, he is still light on his feet, singing and playing the blues with relentless passion.  Time has no apparent effect on B.B., other than to make him more popular, more cherished, more relevant than ever.  Don’t look for him in some kind of semi-retirement, look for him out on the road, playing for people, popping up in a myriad of TV commercials, or laying down tracks for his next album.  B.B. King is as alive as the music he plays, and a grateful world can’t get enough of him. 

Five-time Emmy® winner comedian and actor Tim Conway will bring his friends Chuck McCann and Louise DuArt for one incredible night of classic stories and sketches to Ruth Eckerd Hall on Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 pm.  The production will include video screens for easy viewing. 

Academy Award-winning, Grammy® nominated comedian, actor and writer Steven Wright will bring his distinctly deadpan delivery of ironic, witty philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners to the historical Capitol Theatre in the Cleveland Street District in Downtown Clearwater on Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8 pm. 

While performing the Boston area comedy circuit, Steven was first noticed by the producer of The Tonight Show and was invited to appear in 1982.  He so impressed host Johnny Carson and the studio audience that Wright was brought back less than a week later.  In 1985 Wright released his first comedy album I Have A Pony, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.  In 1989, he and fellow producer Dean Parisot won an Academy Award for their 30-minute short film The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, directed by Parisot and written by Mike Armstrong and Wright.  He has also starred in a reoccurring role the television sitcom Mad About You and in 1990 his comedy special Wicker Chairs and Gravity aired. 

The return of 4th Friday in Downtown Clearwater is getting more exciting. In addition to performances by Level 10 and Jose Valentino, Tampa Bay’s popular jazz radio station Smooth Jazz 98.7 in conjunction with Ruth Eckerd Hall will be on location providing entertainment prizes with drawings held throughout the night.

It has been announced that the unveiling of Ruth Eckerd Hall’s Commemorative Painting by nationally acclaimed artist Christopher M. Still will be Sunday, November 8, from 10 am to 2 pm.  This open house event is free to the public. 

The painting celebrates how the community came together to create what is considered to be one of the finest performing arts centers in the country.  The painting depicts many longtime Ruth Eckerd Hall supporters as audience members, as students from The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute bring the Hall’s logo to life on stage, while founders Jack and Ruth Eckerd look on from behind the curtain. 

“What an experience, to portray the warmth of this community and the history behind this very special center for the arts,” commented Christopher Still. 

“We look forward to the entire community joining us as we celebrate this masterpiece,” said Robert A. Freedman, President and CEO of Ruth Eckerd Hall, “this signature artwork is akin to the Chagall paintings that adorn the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.”

The event is sponsored by Progress Energy.

Nine-time Grammy® Award winner Natalie Cole returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for the first time since her sold out performance earlier this year on Valentine’s Day with her Holiday and Hits show on Monday, December 21 at 8 pm.  Tickets go on sale Friday, September 18 at noon.

Natalie Cole has enjoyed success singing R&B, traditional pop and jazz during her incredible thirty-year career.  Unforgettable, her duet with her famous father, won a Grammy® for “Record of the Year.”  Miss You Like Crazy and When I Fall in Love were also big hits.  During her long career she has released more than 20 albums and has had numerous hit singles.  In September 2008, Ms. Cole released Still Unforgettable which included the timeless standards Walkin’ My Baby Back Home (duet with Nat King Cole), The Best Is Yet To Come and Something’s Gotta Give. The album reached #8 on the U.S. R&B album charts and #1 on the U.S. Jazz charts.  She was awarded her ninth Grammy® in 2009 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal album.

Last night was the first night of Clearwater Fashion week and it was fabulous! I have been excited about this event since I first got the press release, but the opening night was beyond my expectations. What’s not to love about it? Designer clothes for sample sale prices, good food catered by the Belleair Country Club, and a runway fashion show featuring Gioffre, Roberto Cavalli, Whitley Kros and Craig Taylor!

The event was full of “who’s who” in Clearwater, and then some! Actor Jason Dohring stopped by, as well as Paul Wilson and designer Craig Taylor, who was instrumental in making this fantastic event possible. I even had to brush past the mayor to get my hands on my 45% off Rebecca Minkoff handbag! A percentage of the sales benefitted Ruth Eckerd Hall, so really it was a donation…