Darke County Center for the Arts’ staff and trustees work hard to fulfill the vision of that small group of visionaries who years ago envisioned an organization dedicated to enhancing cultural enrichment in our community through the arts. For the 2020 season, DCCA cleverly chose “Vision” as its theme, referring to the term for visual perfection in human eyes (20/20) that was also the number of the calendar year. However, as uncertainty swirled, DCCA’s vision was revisited and revised again and again. Now, abiding by author John Maxwell’s statement that “visions don’t change, they are only refined; be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan,” DCCA has planned its 2021-2022 season, a much-revised slate of performances for audiences to see and enjoy.
DCCA’s 2021-2022 “Re:Vision” season gets off to an exciting start tomorrow night when guitar wizard Noah Wotherspoon headlines DCCA’s “Barbecue and Blues” on the Greenville Public Library Lawn. And beginning Monday, July 26, DCCA will once again offer a week-long summer theatre residency for local students at Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall when Missoula Children’s Theatre’s little red truck pulls into town with everything needed to produce a fully-staged musical except for the actors. Then the refined, revised “Re:Vision” Artists Series season begins on Saturday, Sept. 11 with a spectacular special event when “The Hitmen” finally make their highly anticipated appearance on the Memorial Hall stage.
“The Hitmen” were set to perform in our community during DCCA’s 2019-2020 “Kaleidoscope” season, but no concerts were seen here or anywhere else in April, 2020. The group of talented musicians who played rock’s greatest hits with the likes of Journey, Styx, Cheap Trick, and Foreigner now celebrate their association with these mega-bands by performing classic hits and sharing their first-hand experiences as eyewitnesses to rock history. And that’s only the beginning of the wonderful sights that are set to appear before your very eyes at St. Clair Memorial Hall during this season.
The Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience will at last be seen live in-person at Memorial Hall on Saturday, Oct. 2! Many of you already enjoyed the joyous and energizing sound of this incredible award-winning vocalist and his backing instrumentalists when DCCA virtually presented the group’s Holiday Show last December, and therefore understand that this is a not-to-be-missed presentation. Those who did miss the Christmas show should make sure they don’t miss out again, and order their tickets now.
Another special event hits Memorial Hall Saturday, Feb. 26, when” Motones vs. Jerseys “ takes the stage in a friendly competition pitting the music of The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and other Motown greats against the captivating sounds of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the Beach Boys, and more. Be in the audience to root for your favorite sounds, then see which group is the winner — although no one really loses when the music is this vibrant and heartfelt.
You won’t believe your eyes when magician Daniel Martin performs his incredible sleight of hand and playful sleight of mind at Memorial Hall on Saturday, March 26. His “now you see it, now you don’t” tricks will thrill and amaze audiences of all ages in this out-of-the-ordinary Artists Series performance.
It has been said that Grammy Award winning vocalist Mike Farris has enough heart, soul, and power to light up a city; you can see him light up the stage at St. Clair Memorial Hall on Saturday, April 9, as he sings the songs of America with passion and conviction. You may remember him as the hard-living, hard-rocking frontman for the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies back in the 1990’s, but he now pursues a more spiritual path spreading joy through a gospel and blues sound.
DCCA’s Re:Vision season ends on Saturday, May 28, when the Toledo Symphony Orchestra brings its visionary artistic excellence to Memorial Hall. If all goes well, this much-anticipated return of the local favorite will bring to an end all the revising required to see well-laid plans finally coming to fruition! Contact DCCA at 937-547-0908 or www.DarkeCountyArts.org to discover how you can experience the excitement.
