Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Announces 'Superstar' Events for February

February is "superstar" month at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, with tributes to Elvis and the Beatles-and big-name stars Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Joan Rivers, Gladys Knight and Patti LuPone among the luminaries onstage.

In addition to music and comedy, February also features Broadway shows, diverse dance performances from the United States and Israel, Big Band swing, comedy great Tim Conway, and a rollicking evening with The Irish Rovers.

The month gets underway on Feb. 1 with Girls Night: The Musical, a wild and hilarious look at the lives of five friends out at karaoke night. The funfest includes the songs Girls Just Want to Have Fun, I Will Survive, Lady Marmalade, It's Raining Men and virtually every top female anthem of recent years.

The Aluminum Show, Israel's hottest dance theater creation, is a dazzling world of illusion and fantasy for the entire family. Reminiscent of Blue Man Group, Mummenschanz and Cirque du Soleil, The Aluminum Show-onstage Feb. 2-boasts special effects, creative mechanisms and acrobatic dance that make inanimate objects come alive with the energy, emotion and personality of human beings. Critics call it "incredible," "unforgettable," "pure pleasure" and "one of the most innovative events of modern times."

The Dance Series continues on Feb. 3, with the Martha Graham Dance Company-the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in the world. The evening's program is scheduled to include: Prelude and Revolt, Lamentation Variations, Errand Into the Maze and Appalachian Spring. Dance pioneer Martha Graham, who Time magazine named "Dancer of the Century" and one of the most important people of the 20th century, developed an original technique involving the expression of primal emotions through stylized bodily movement of great intensity. Her company has provided inspiration to some of modern dance's most illustrious performers including Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris.

On Feb. 4, the talents of Diane "Deedles" Schuur and Bobby Caldwell combine to bring Van Wezel audiences back to the Swing Era with "The Sing in Swing." Revisiting the hits of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and other greats, this powerhouse duo refreshes classic tunes of the Big Band era. Grammy Award-winning Schuur supplements her haunting voice with piano prowess to remain a jazz/pop force, while Caldwell's versatile style makes him a smooth performer and songwriter whose music continues to influence today's young artists.

Comedy is center stage on Feb. 5, when Tim Conway & Friends (featuring Chuck McCann and Louise DuArt) comes to Sarasota. Conway's often-improvised humor, razor-sharp timing and hilarious characters have made him one of the funniest performers of the last 40 years. He became best known from his 11 years co-starring on TV's classic Carol Burnett Show, which garnered him five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. McCann, a comedy giant to a generation of children who grew up watching his children's shows in the New York metropolitan area during the 1960s, has had a successful career in sketch comedy, acting and voice-overs. Comedic impressionist Louise DuArt's more than 100 characters range from Barbara Walters to Judge Judy, Joan Rivers to Fran Drescher, and Hillary Clinton to George Burns.

Elvis lives in Blue Suede Shoes: The Ultimate Elvis Bash, an exuberant tribute to The King on Feb. 6. The uncanny theatrical tribute stars two of the world's most acclaimed Elvis impressionists on one stage. From his sexy sneer to his gyrating guitar playing, Scot Bruce appears as the teen-sensation Elvis, while Mike Albert presents a stunningly accurate and respectful portrayal of the latter-day Vegas Elvis. Backed by the Big E Band, the spectacle features the King's greatest hits, such as Heartbreak Hotel, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up and Jailhouse Rock.

The high-spirited fun continues on Feb. 9 with Hairspray, Broadway's musical-comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight Tony® Awards, including Best Musical. It's 1962, and pleasantly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire - to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin and integrate a TV network - all without denting her 'do! The New York Times wrote, "If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray. It's irresistible!"

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, on Feb. 10, is "the next best thing to seeing The Beatles," raves the Denver Post. The show covers the Fab Four from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late '60s and their long-haired hippie, hard rocking days. Rain is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience that The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls "a thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia...Boomer Heaven!" The Boston Herald adds, "Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right...as The Beatles, they triumph!"

Touring the United States for the first time in 25 years, The Israel Ballet performs Marius Petipa's Don Quixote on Feb. 11. The story of the knight-errant who fought windmills during his quest to find the lady of his dreams, Don Quixote features invigorating classical dance, accompanied by rousing music and colorful costumes set against a video-enhanced backdrop.

Pop music icons Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, one of the most successful and durable rock & roll hit-making groups of all time, perform a multitude of blockbusters such as Walk Like A Man, Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry and Rag Doll at their Feb. 12 concert. Valli, the original Jersey Boy, also sings some of his top solo hits, including My Eyes Adored You, Grease and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.

Internationally renowned Maestro Leonard Slatkin raises his baton as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra tunes up on Feb. 13. The scheduled program includes Berlioz, Le Corsaire Overture, Op. 21; Barber, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 22 (featuring celloist Sol Gabetta); and Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27. Founded in 1914, the DSO is one of the oldest and most prominent orchestras worldwide, having performed with guest artists including Enrico Caruso, Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, Marian Anderson, Sergei Rachmaninov, Isadora Duncan, Anna Pavlova, Jascha Heifetz, Pablo Casals and others.

Legendary soul singer Gladys Knight sings her greatest hits-with a full orchestra-on Feb. 14, a perfect valentine gift for Van Wezel audiences. The concert by the multiple Grammy® Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee also is the highlight of the 9th Annual Van Wezel Foundation Gala, a ticket that includes a dinner party, preferred concert seating and after-party. Knight's Top 10 hits include Midnight Train to Georgia, Neither One of Us, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, If I Were Your Woman and Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.

Comedy legend Joan Rivers, "queen of the barbed one-liners," guarantees an evening of hilarity on Feb. 16. Rivers is a comedienne; Tony® nominated actress, best-selling author; Emmy Award® winning television talk-show host; playwright; screenwriter; motion picture director, jewelry designer and columnist. Joining her is Broadway headliner and two-time Tony Award® winner James Naughton, noted for his roles in Chicago and City of Angels. "Listen to James Naughton croon and you know. This cat's cool," says The Los Angeles Times.

Another evening of good cheer is slated for Feb. 18, when The Irish Rovers take the stage with their joyous music. One of the more popular folk-based singing groups to come out of Ireland in the mid-'60, The Irish Rovers have endured as the international ambassadors of Irish music for some 36 years.

Best known for their signature song The Unicorn, The Irish Rovers are rollicking, rousing performers of good-time songs for all audiences.

When it comes to exciting performers, Broadway superstar Patti LuPone is at the top of the list. Her Feb. 19 show-Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda-features songs from musicals which she could have played, should have played, did play and will play. LuPone swept the 2008 theatre awards, winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for her performance as Rose in the critically-acclaimed Broadway production of Gypsy. She also has won accolades and a large fan base for her leading roles in Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Oliver! and many other shows. Van Wezel audiences can expect to hear tunes from Hair, Bye Bye Birdie; Funny Girl, West Side Story, Peter Pan, Evita; and Anything Goes, just to name a few.

Fans of Broadway, ABBA songs and just great theatrical entertainment will be drawn to Mamma Mia! - the smash hit musical that caps off the month with eight performances from Feb. 23-28. Mamma Mia is the ultimate feel-good show with infectious music like Honey, Honey; Dancing Queen; Super Trouper; Voulez-Vous; the title song Mamma Mia and many more that literally have audiences dancing in the aisles. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the Greek island paradise they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.

For more information, please visit http://www.vanwezel.org/