A Season Of Shows

Paramount Center’s Upcoming Season To Feature Plays, Concerts, More

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Tickets are now on sale for “Linda Lavin – Songs & Confessions of a One-time Waitress.” Tickets are $36 for adults and $32 for seniors and students.
The show, which is set for Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m., will kick off the 2008-2009 season at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tenn. The season will feature a variety of touring productions and performances.
“It’s a light-hearted, musically satisfying group of shows which our special group of supporters, The Producers Guild, has chosen for us,” says Merle Dickert, executive director of the Paramount. 
The Producers Guild is a member/support group of the center, and with membership comes the opportunity to guide the selection process for each season. 
“The Producers Guild is a valuable resource for the Paramount, not only through their support but also through the input which they share with us,” Dickert said.
Membership in the Producers Guild is open, and information on joining can be obtained by calling or stopping by the center. The Paramount’s season is as follows:

“Linda Lavin – Songs & Confessions of a One-time Waitress”: Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., musical direction by Billy Stritch; John Brown, bass; Steve Bakunas, drums. Lavin, a Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actress serves up music and fun in her autobiographical concert. Lavin’s show recalls the ups and downs of her career. In 1987, she received the Tony Award, the Helen Hayes, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards as Best Actress for her starring role in Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound.” She appeared as the iconic Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” in “The Sisters Rosenwieg,” received numerous awards for her role in “Death Defying Acts” and further Tony Award nominations for “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.”

“Nunsense,” starring Sally Struthers: Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. “Nunsense” begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show. Here we meet Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. 
Sally Struthers (Jeannette Burmeister) is a two-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner for her performance in the series “All in the Family.” 

“It’s A Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play”: Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m. This adaptation of the heartwarming favorite is performed in the style of a live studio broadcast in 1946, and pays tribute to Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Frank Capra and everyone who brought the story to life. The uplifting story of George Bailey is brought to life by five actors and live sound effects. (Note that downtown’s annual Christmas Open House will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m.)

“Christmas Pops Concert with The Carolina Brass”: Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m. With their combination of virtuosity and humor, North Carolina’s national touring brass ensemble and Summit Recording Artists, The Carolina Brass, is a favorite among audiences of all ages. Drawing from their repertoire of classical and contemporary works, Medieval and Renaissance music, and popular forms encompassing Broadway, Jazz, Dixieland and Big Band, the group creates entertaining and educational programs. The Christmas Pops will feature seasonal favorites, Christmas carols, Hanukkah suites, jokes and anecdotes.

“Puttin’ On The Hitz: The Best of the Great American Songbook”: Feb. 5,  7:30 p.m. From the timeless tunes of Tin Pan Alley to the bright lights of Broadway, all the way to the heyday of the Hollywood musical, “The Great American Songbook” is a parade of American popular music from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. From the pens of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and more, it tells the story of the first 30 years of America’s “classic” music. Go steppin’ out with a cast of eight singer/dancers and a quartet of jazz musicians. 

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”: March 19, 7:30 p.m. The play brings everything you’ve secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws but were afraid to admit, and reveals the difficulties and joys of connecting with another person, no matter what age. 

“Man 1, Bank 0”: April 24, 7:30 p.m. Patrick Combs tells the amazing-but-true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 junk-mail check marked “non-negotiable” – hoping to spread a little banking cheer to tellers – and how it erupted into a staggering and funny David versus Goliath-like adventure.
Season tickets are now on sale for all seven of the Paramount shows, at a savings of more than 10 percent. A season ticket is $186, including Tennessee sales tax, and can be purchased by calling the box office at (423) 274-8920.  Tickets for individual shows go on sale eight weeks prior to the event. Visit http://www.theparamountcenter.com.