CLOSE TO YOU: THE MUSIC OF THE CARPENTERS Comes to Kalamazoo's Miller Auditorium

Part of the 2016-17 Lake Michigan Mailers Spotlight Series, Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters comes to Kalamazoo's Miller Auditorium on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office, by phone at (800) 228-9858 or (269) 387-2300 and online at www.millerauditorium.com.

Considered one of the best vocalists of all time, Karen Carpenter captured the attention of a generation with her unabashedly catchy pop music. The Carpenters'

beautiful, memorable love songs topped the Billboard charts with more than a dozen number one hits. Now singer Lisa Rock and her 6-piece band are bringing

the music of The Carpenters back to the stage with their spot-on renditions of Carpenters classics with Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters.

Lisa Rock, a singer as well as a playwright, has been performing to sold-out crowds for

years. She's written more than 15 original concerts and cabarets that have been seen across the country. Now, Rock has arranged a 6-piece band, complete with back-up singers, and together they are dedicated to creating a Carpenters experience like no other. Rock's amazing four octave range allows her to sing the hits like "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays" in their original key, keeping the songs genuine and more recognizable for the audience. "When she hits the lower range of her marvelous voice," notes Chicago critic Alan Bresloff, "if you close your eyes, you can see Karen Carpenter's face."

But Rock goes beyond the music in her concert. She draws the crowd in with anecdotes about Karen and Richard Carpenter, their lives and how some of the songs originated. Like the story of "We've Only Just Begun." It turns out, Richard Carpenter heard the song on a TV commercial, recognized the singers' voices and called to see if there was a full version of the song. Indeed there was, and Richard turned that commercial jingle into a Billboard chart-topper and timeless love song. Through stories such as these, Rock engages the audience to the point where they can't help but sing along with her and share the memories of The Carpenters and their music.

Part of the Lake Michigan Mailers Spotlight Series, Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters is welcomed by Meijer, Zhang Financial, Pepsi and Seat n Sleep. Tickets are on sale now by phone at (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at www.millerauditorium.com or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office. Groups of 10 or more can call (269) 387-2312 now for special discounts.

To learn more about Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters, visit their website at http://closetoyouonline.com/.

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