Downtown Eugene

SHOcase: A Piano Potpourri

SHOcase: Oregon Mozart Players

 Join the Oregon Mozart Players on Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 12:15 p.m. in the Hult Center lobby as orchestra members present a short program of Mozart's chamber music in celebration of his 250th birthday.

The Barber of Seville

The Barber of Seville is one of the most well-known operas. The comedic storyline and familiar music will be enjoyed by an audience of all ages. Rossini is truly the king of opera comedy!

Synopsis: Count Almaviva desires to court Rosina and marry her, but to do so he must outwit Rosina's guardian, Dr. Bartolo. He enlists the help of the barber, Figaro, a clever and roguish character with irrepressible behavior.  Together the Count and Figaro devise disguises for the Count so that he can enter the house of Rosina in search of his beloved. The journey is uproarious, the ending is happy and you will leave the theater humming the familiar and lively tunes that accompany the many incidents of farce throughout the opera.

Tickets: $20-$60. Gala Ball following is an additional $50. Call 682-5000 or see hultcenter.org for more information.

Swing Shift at John Henry's

Happy New Year Dance at Studio B

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will play the McDonald Theatre March 15, 2008

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will play the McDonald Theatre on Saturday, March 15, 2008.  Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.
Produced by Square Peg Concerts.

For more information, please visit http://www.mambazo.com/

Reserved Admission Tickets on sale at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $35 in advance. If not sold out, tickets will also be available day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $35 in advance.

If not sold out, Tickets day of show at the McDonald Theatre Box Office will cost $40 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The reserved seated concert is open to all ages.

Tickets On Sale Online for now at TicketsWest ONLY, which determines all service charges and fees.
http://www.ticketswest.com/

Hult Presents Peru Negro March 22nd 2008

Hult Presents Peru Negro Saturday, March 22nd 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this Grammy and Latin Grammy nominee coming to Eugene for the first time! The beloved 20 member troupe of versatile artists serves up a marvelous feast of music and dance. The engaging Afro-Peruvian sound includes influences from West Africa and Cuba, ranging from joyful and melancholic to delightfully sensual. You’ll be moving and shaking all the way home!

Hult Presents 4-ISH Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

Hult Presents 4-ISH Wednesday, March 12th, 2008. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

From The Netherlands. Street dance-ish, skating-ish, martial arts-ish … get ready 4-ISH! This pulse-racing production fuses the adrenaline of extreme sports with the rockin’ rhythm of hip-hop to create an all-new art form. World champion skaters soar off giant quarter-pipes with heart-stopping agility and speed, kung fu fanatics go head-to-head in a hilarious video game challenge, and in-line skaters with electrified wheels create a whirling light show on a pitch-black stage. Accompanied by a human beat-box, live DJ, and spectacular video, the daredevils of 4-ISH create a visual feast that flies by at breakneck speed!Recommended for 7 years and older.

For more information call (541) 682-5000 or visit the Hult Center website at www.HultCenter.org

Auditions for Actors Cabaret January 20th, 21st and March 9th, 2008

Auditions for Actors Cabaret of Eugene

Actors Cabaret of Eugene will hold open auditions for the following shows:

1) The Flight Of The Lawn Chairman
Book by Peter Ullian
Music and Lyrics by Robert Lindsey-Nassif
Based on a Concept by Robert Lindsey-Nassif
Auditions will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Actors Cabaret, 996 Willamette Street.

Played in last years New York Musical Theater Festival and will have its Northwest Premiere here at Actors Cabaret. A new musical about a guy with a dream, a chair, and 400 helium-filled balloons. Meet Jerry Gorman. He’s a regular guy from Passaic, New Jersey who just wants to fly. The neighbors think he’s nuts. His mother disapproves. But Gracie (Donna Lynne Champlin) believes in him. Laugh and cheer as Jerry (Christopher Sutton) soars to 16,000 feet with nothing but a lawnchair and 400 helium balloons. FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN is a new musical that reminds the world that dreams can come true if you believe in yourself.

Needed are 6 or more men and 6 or more women.

Prepare a short Broadway style song. No unaccompanied auditions will be heard.

Scripts are available for 24-hour check out at the ACE Box Office at 996 Willamette street between 11 AM and 3 PM, Tuesday thru Saturday or call 683-4368 with questions.

Performances: March 7 – 29, 2008

2) Pigs In Love
by Dorothy Velasco
Auditions will be held on Monday, January 21, 2008 at 7:00 PM at Actors Cabaret, 996 Willamette street.

Don’t miss the world premiere of Dorothy Velasco’s smart and sassy comedy at ACE’s Annex.

Joe Zingo directs PIGS IN LOVE, a heart-felt comedy about self-awareness and the consequences of living a lie. Who do we think we are, who are we really, and does it matter at all? In case you’re wondering, the play contains two of the funniest roles for pigs ever to appear onstage, along with a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter co-existing more-or-less peacefully on a small, suburban farm.

Familiarity with the script is recommended. Scripts are available for 24-hour check out at the ACE Box Office at 996 Willamette street between 11 AM and 3 PM, Tuesday thru Saturday or call 683-4368 with questions.

Performances: February 22 – March1, 2008.

3) Rugrats The Musical
Auditions will be held on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Actors Cabaret, 996 Willamette street.

Large cast required of men and women. Prepare a short song. No unaccompanied auditions will be heard.

Call 683-4368 with questions.

The developmental production of Nickelodeon’s RUGRATS THE MUSICAL will be performed beginning May 9, 2008.

Actors Cabaret of Eugene is a proud member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.

The Emerald City Jazz Kings: Blowin’ Up A Storm! at the Shedd May 8th and May 11th, 2008

The Emerald City Jazz Kings: Blowin’ Up A Storm! at the Shedd.
with Woody Herman at The Café Rouge

May 8, 7:30 p, Shedd Institute, Eugene ($30, $26, $22)
May 11, 2:30 p, Shedd Institute, Eugene ($30, $26, $22)

Steve Stone and The Jazz Kings close out their tribute to the Swing Era with a nod to the great Woody Herman, who, while active throughout the Swing Era, catapulted to prominence in 1944.

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The Magical Moombah!: Rumbles’ River Rambles at The Shedd, Saturday, March 1st 2008

The Magical Moombah!: Rumbles’ River Rambles at The Shedd, Saturday, March 1st, 10:00 am & 1:00 pm, Shedd Institute, Eugene ($5.00)

Play Shop at 11:15-12 noon (open to all Moombah attendees!)

In his home-made boat, Rumbles follows the currents, and wrestles the rapids. Mr. Big makes waves, creating a new form of music: rock and roll. Gloria has some watery words to the wise, and the wayward Mouse gets into trouble. Some old favorite songs include: "Red River Valley", "Oh My Darling Clementine", "Rock and Roll Waltz", "Rollin' Down the River", "Down by the Riverside", "Across the Wide Missouri", "Suwannee River", "Up A Lazy River" and more!

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The Magical Moombah!: Mr. Big’s Zoo! at The Shedd May 10th, 2008

The Magical Moombah!: Mr. Big’s Zoo! at The Shedd, Saturday, May 10th, 10 am & 1 pm. 

Play Shop at 11:15-12 noon (open to all Moombah attendees!)

Even the musicians are animals! (Some sing low and some sing higher, some just clap their hands or paws.) Audience members are invited to come with ears, or tail, or any animal costume piece, and join in the square dance at the Animal Hoe-down. Featured songs include: "Molly Hare", "Horse Named Sue", "Cuckaberra", "Tie Me Kangaroo Down", "See You Later, Alligator", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah !", "Octopus' Garden", and more!

Admission: $5.00

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Shedd Presents: The Carl Woideck Jazz Heritage Project: Thelonious Monk & Charles Mingus on April 17th, 2008

Shedd Presents: The Carl Woideck Jazz Heritage Project: Thelonious Monk & Charles Mingus on Thursday, April 17th at 7:30 pm.

For its second concert, the Carl Woideck Jazz Heritage project will perform music by two of the most original and prolific composers of modern jazz, pianist Thelonious Monk and bassist Charles Mingus. Look for new arrangements of well-known Monk and Mingus music (“Round Midnight” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”) and lesser known pieces (“Epistrophy” and “Pithecanthropus Erectus”).

Tickets are: $18, $22, $26

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Shedd Presents: The Best of Swang on April 17th, 2008

Shedd Presents: The Best of Swang on Thursday, April 17th at 7:30 pm.

The Shedd welcomes back Swang for the 6th time! As a way of celebrating their special relationship with its audience, they have created a “Best Of” show reprising the audience favorites from the previous concerts. The show will include material from their Irving Berlin and Silver Screen Cowboy concerts, as well as tunes from their That Thang CD.

Tickets are: $18, $22, $26

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Oregon Festival Of American Music 2008: July 25-August 16

For the 18th annual Oregon Festival of American Music, jazz advisor Ken Peplowski and gang offer up a delightful yet thought-provoking series of concerts, musicals, films, and lectures celebrating the popular music of America during the Great Depression and World War II. The 2 musicals this summer will be the RSC stage adaptation of Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg’s 1939 WIZARD OF OZ and Lerner & Loewe’s 1947 BRIGADOON. Guest artists include Wycliff Gordon, Byron Stripling, Clairdee, Bucky Pizzarelli, Derek Smith, and Chuck Redd among others.

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Brazilian Guitar Festival with Sérgio & Odair Assad, Romero Lubambo, Badi Assad & Celso Machado will be at The Shedd, February 9th, 2008

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Brazilian Guitar Festival with Sérgio & Odair Assad, Romero Lubambo, Badi Assad & Celso Machado will be at The Shedd on Saturday, February 9th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Shedd regulars will remember 3 absolutely brilliant evenings of Brazilian guitar over the past couple of years: Sergio & Odair Assad, Romero Lubambo, and Badi Assad. All 3 return together to The Shedd February 9th joined by guitarist-percussionist-composer Celso Machado for an extraordinary evening of Brazilian guitar.

Tickets: $36, $ 42, $ 48

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The Bad Plus will perform at The Shedd, February 14th, 2008

The Bad Plus will perform at The Shedd on Thursday, February 14th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Known for its trademark of complementing original repertoire with their takes on mainstream pop "standards" including ABBA, Black Sabbath, the Bee Gees, Queen, Blondie, Aphex Twin, Neil Young, and Bjork, The Bad Plus was championed by mainstream rock press, reviled by jazz purists, hailed by others as music's great hope.

Tickets: $19, $23, $27

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Cadillac Sky will perform at The Shedd February 24th, 2008

Cadillac Sky will perform at The Shedd on Sunday, February 24th. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

The members of Cadillac Sky were raised and steeped in the staunch, honest sounds of Bluegrass stalwarts such as Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs, all the while keeping a curious ear and an open mind, and consistently sneaking out from under the watchful eyes of their elders to discover the groundbreaking sounds of New Grass Revival, The David Grisman Quintet, and other genres.

Tickets: $20,$ 24, $28

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Jazz Party at The Shedd 2008 Mar 7th -9th, 2008

Jazz Party at The Shedd 2008 Mar 7th -9th, 2008

Take in one session or an entire weekend of Jazz Party at The Shedd 2008! Directed by internationally-renowned clarinetist Ken Peplowski, the annual Shedd Jazz Party features jazz masters from around the country in 3 jam-packed days (5 sessions) of improv that you won't want to miss.

Packages are $191 & 157; Single tickets and youth tickets also available.

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Carolina Chocolate Drops perform at The Shedd February 20th, 2008

Carolina Chocolate Drops perform at The Shedd on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Shedd Institute proudly presents Carolina Chocolate Drops, a group of young African-American string band musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolina’s Piedmont.

Tickets: $20, $24, $28

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Balkan Beat Box will perform at The Shedd March 4th, 2008

Balkan Beat Box will perform at The Shedd on Tuesday March 4th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Blending electronic music, hip hop beats, and hard-edged folk music from the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East, internationally acclaimed collective Balkan Beat Box is out to prove that the entire world is, indeed, a stage—and that we are all gypsies.

Tickets: $22, $28, $32

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán will perform at The Hult March 14th, 2008

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán will perform at The Hult on Friday, March 14th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

The Shedd Institute is extremely pleased to bring to Eugene’s Silva Concert Hall, direct from Mexico City, the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. The world’s foremost Mariachi band, Mariachi Vargas was founded in 1898 by Gaspar Vargas and Manuel Mendoza of Tecalitalan, Mexico and has thrived for over 100 years and five generations of musicians. Led by Jose “Pepe” Martinez, the current band boasts 12-member playing violin, trumpet, vihuela, guitarron, harp and guitar

Tickets: $16, $22, $28, $36, $60

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Gabriela Montero will perform at The Shedd March 18th, 2008

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Gabriela Montero will perform at The Shedd on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Venezuelan Gabriela Montero has taken the world of classical music by storm, lending her remarkable improvisational skills to the work of Johann Sebastian Bach and others. The Shedd is pleased to host her first Oregon appearance.

Tickets: $24, $28, $32

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas will perform at The Shedd March 20th, 2008

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas will perform at The Shedd on Thursday, March 20th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

The Shedd is pleased to welcome back two of its favorite performers, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, in their 4th appearance together at The Shedd. Alasdair Fraser is recognized throughout the world as one of the finest fiddle players Scotland has ever produced. Performing with his frequent collaborator, cellist Natalie Haas, Fraser weaves through their performances a warm and witty narrative, drawing from a deep well of stories and lore surrounding Scotland's musical heritage.

Tickets: $22, $26, $30

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill will perform at The Shedd April 11th, 2008

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill will perform at The Shedd on Friday, April 11th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes and American guitarist Dennis Cahill have garnered international renown for taking traditional music to the very edge of the genre, and holding listeners spellbound with their slow-building, fiery performances.

Tickets: $22, $26, $30

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The Waifs perform at The Shedd April 15th, 2008

The Waifs perform at The Shedd on Tuesday April 15th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

After a two year hiatus, the Australian folk rock phenomenon, The Waifs return to the US this March in support of their new release, sun dirt water, their fifth studio album and the follow up to their triple platinum, multi ARIA Award winning record Up All Night. The album rocketed into the ARIA charts at #2 the week of release and every show they played sold out. This will be their first Eugene appearance.

Tickets: $20, $25, $29

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The American Symphonia: The Discreet Nightingale: Songs of Edvard Grieg at The Shedd April 25th, 2008

The American Symphonia: The Discreet Nightingale: Songs of Edvard Grieg at The Shedd on Friday, April 25th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Soprano Maria Jette and pianist Sonja Thompson return to The Shedd with a new batch of oft-neglected but absolutely beautiful art songs. This evening’s program is entirely dedicated to Edvard Grieg, whose own songs are rarely heard outside his native Norway. His masterpiece, Haugtussa, is a cycle drawn from Arne Garborg’s 1895 poem cycle about a magical girl who lives in the mountains and can communicate with the supernatural creatures all around her which only she can see.

Tickets: $20, $24, $30

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Dave Brubeck & Ramsey Lewis will perform at the Hult April 27th, 2008

Dave Brubeck & Ramsey Lewis will perform at the Hult on Sunday April 27th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Back in 2004 when we brought Dave Brubeck back to Eugene for the first time in half a century, we promised that we wouldn’t wait another 50 years to bring him again. This evening we’re pleased to make good on that promise, in a shared bill with the nonpareil Ramsey Lewis.

Tickets: $35, $45, $55, $65

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Audra McDonald at The Shedd May 28th, 2008

The American Symphonia/Now Hear This: Audra McDonald at The Shedd on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

Earning an unprecedented three Tony Awards before the age of 30 (Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime) and a fourth in 2004 (A Raisin in the Sun), singer and actress Audra McDonald is in a class all her own. Like all great artists, she is a unique force, blending a luscious, classically-trained soprano with an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. The Shedd hosted McDonald’s first Eugene—and Oregon—appearance at The Hult Center in 2004. She returns to the intimacy and sonic vibrance of the Jaqua Concert Hall.

Tickets: $45, $55, $65

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Brad Mehldau Trio will perform at The Shedd June 5th, 2008

Brad Mehldau Trio will perform at The Shedd on Thursday, June 5th, 2008. Show begins at 7:30 pm.

The Brad Mehldau Trio has become one of the most in-demand trios in modern jazz. First and foremost an improviser, Brad Mehldau loves the surprise and wonder that can occur from a spontaneous, directly expressed musical idea. But he also has a deep fascination for the formal architecture of music, which informs everything he plays.

Tickets: $28, $32, $38

Dinner: 6:00 pm, Shedd Great Hall ($18.75, by reservation)

For more information please visit The Shedd's website.

Benefit for Habitat For Humanity featuring Satin Love Orchestra at the McDonald Theatre March 14, 2008

Benefit for Habitat For Humanity featuring Satin Love Orchestra at the McDonald Theatre on Friday, March 14, 2008.

Tickets on sale online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $15 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $15.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $17 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Ani DiFranco will play the McDonald Theatre April 16th, 2008

Ani DiFranco will play the McDonald Theatre on Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $32 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $32.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $37 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Dark Star Orchestra will play the McDonald Theatre May 4th, 2008

Dark Star Orchestra will play the McDonald Theatre on Sunday, May 4, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and Saturday, January 12 at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $22 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $22.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $24 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Buckethead will play the McDonald Theatre on March 22, 2008

Buckethead with That One Guy opening will play the McDonald Theatre on Saturday, March 22, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $20 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $20.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $25 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

General Admission WILL CALL Tickets On Sale now at McDonald Theatre Ticketing http://cart.mcdonaldtheatre.com/customer/home.php

Doors open at 8 p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Produced by WOW Hall for the Performing Arts.

Hawk Nelson will play the McDonald Theatre on March 13, 2008

Hawk Nelson will play the McDonald Theatre on Thursday, March 13, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $15 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $15.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $20 beginning at 4:30 p.m. The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

General Admission WILL CALL Tickets On Sale now at McDonald Theatre Ticketing  http://cart.mcdonaldtheatre.com/customer/home.php

Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.

Produced by Lowell MacGregor Group.

Bone Thugs -N- Harmony will play the McDonald Theatre on February 17, 2008

Bone Thugs -N- Harmony will play the McDonald Theatre on Sunday, February 17, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $20 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $20.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $25 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

General Admission WILL CALL Tickets On Sale now at McDonald Theatre Ticketing http://cart.mcdonaldtheatre.com/customer/home.php

Doors open at 8 p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Produced by Mike Thrasher Presents.

The Starting Line will play the McDonald Theatre on Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The Starting Line will play the McDonald Theatre on Wednesday, April 2, 2008

In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e-mail from guitarist Matt Watts to vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the then fourteen-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read. Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future bandmates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. Initially, the band had another guitarist named Ryan Altmiller, who played with them for only two weeks and later went on to play in bands such as Racing Daylight and Shadows in Lakeland.

Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home- made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette titled Four Songs. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, released on KickStart Audio in 2000.

Following the lead of one their musical heroes, Jimmy Eat World, the suburban Pennsylvania quartet have survived such a music industry foul up to record Direction, the most triumphant album of their career. “This new record is definitely something we are all very proud of,” says bassist and lead singer Kenny Vasoli, who originally formed the Starting Line, along with guitarists Matt Watts, Mike Golla, and drummer Tom Gryskewicz, some eight years ago. “Just the thought of what could happen with this is making us really excited. We really hope that it can reach all sorts of new people.”

With infectious songs like “What You Want” and instantly memorable tracks like “Island,” Direction unquestionably sounds like the type of record that could introduce the Starting Line to a whole new audience. But, as Vasoli and his bandmates will readily admit, getting to this place has hardly been easy. The road that has lead the Starting Line to Direction has rarely been a smooth one, as it stretches back to the spring of 2005, a rocky period in which the band were preparing to release their second album, Based On A True Story.

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $15 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $15.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $18 beginning at 5 p.m. The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

General Admission WILL CALL Tickets On Sale now at McDonald Theatre Ticketing http://cart.mcdonaldtheatre.com/customer/home.php

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Produced by Kesey Enterprises and Double Tee Concerts.

Paco Pema Flamenco Dance Company will perform at the McDonald Theatre on February 14, 2008

Paco Pema Flamenco Dance Company will perform at the McDonald Theatre on Thursday, February 14, 2008

Reserved Admission Tickets on sale NOW at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets in advance for from $20 to $25 for the general public, and $15 for students. If not sold out, tickets will also be available day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets and the McDonald Theatre Box Office (after 5:30 pm) for from $20 to $25 for the general public, and $15 for students.

The reserved seated performance is open to all ages.

Tickets On Sale Online for now at TicketsWest ONLY, which determines all service charges and fees.  http://www.ticketswest.com/

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Slightly Stoopid will play the McDonald Theatre onFebruary 16, 2008

Slightly Stoopid will play the McDonald Theatre on Saturday, February 16, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW online at McDonald Theatre Will Call Ticketing and at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $20 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $20.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $25 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The general admission limited seating dance hall concert is open to all ages.

General Admission WILL CALL Tickets On Sale now at McDonald Theatre Ticketing http://cart.mcdonaldtheatre.com/customer/home.php

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Produced by Mike Thrasher Presents.

Henry Rollins Provoked Tour will play the McDonald Theatre on March 23, 2008

Henry Rollins Provoked Tour will play the McDonald Theatre on Sunday, March 23, 2008

Tickets on sale NOW at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets for $20 in advance. Advance tickets day of show at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets will cost $20.

If not sold out, tickets will also be available at the McDonald Theatre Box Office day of show for $23 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets On Sale Online for now at TicketsWest ONLY, which determines all service charges and fees.  http://www.ticketswest.com/

The reserved seated spoken word concert is open to all ages.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Produced by Mike Thrasher Presents.

Lord Leebrick Theatre Company presents The Busy World is Hushed from March 14th through April 6th, 2008

Lord Leebrick Theatre Company presents the Northwest Premiere of Keith Bunin's The Busy World is Hushed from March 14th through April 6th, 2008

A deft mix of comedy and drama, The Busy World is Hushed is a tale of a loving mother, a troubled son, and the man who may be able to heal the breach between them. Hannah, a widowed Episcopal minister, is hoping to translate a long-lost gospel when she is challenged by both her scholarly assistant and her wayward gay son. The intricacies of faith – as well as issues of sexuality, love, and loss – are explored in this provocative and moving new play. Joseph Gilg, who directed Lord Leebrick Theatre Company's production of True West, directs the Northwest Premiere of this play that Variety hailed as "dramatically and emotionally absorbing" and that the Arizona Republic described as "a beautiful play that provokes and entertains in equal measure."

The cast features two Lord Leebrick newcomers Tom Wilson as Brandt and Derek Johnson as Thomas. Rebecca Nachison, previously seen at Lord Leebrick in Mother Courage, plays Hannah. Joseph Gilg serves as both director and lighting designer. Gilg is joined by assistant director Kathy Thomas , set designer Steen Mitchell, costume designer Amy Odean, sound designer Danny Thomas, and props designer Jacs Bruscato. Kimberly Putnam is the stage manager.

Previews:
Wednesday March 12, 8pm $8 General or $5 reduced admission*
Thursday March 13, 8pm $8 General or $5 reduced admission*
*Reduced admission available to people under age 25 or with an annual income less than $20,000.

Gala Opening:
Friday March 14, 8pm $25 General

Run:
Saturday March 15, 8pm $18 General
Thursday March 20, 8pm $14 General or $10 Students
Friday March 21, 8pm $18 General
Saturday March 22, 8pm $18 General
Thursday March 27, 8pm $14 General or $10 Students
Friday March 28, 8pm $18 General
Saturday March 29, 8pm $18 General
Sunday March 30, 2pm $14 General or $12 Seniors
Thursday April 3, 8pm $14 General or $10 Students
Friday April 4, 8pm $18 General
Saturday April 5, 8pm $18 General
Sunday April 6, 2pm $14 General or $12 Seniors

For tickets call (541) 465-1506 or visit http://www.lordleebrick.com/.  The Lord Leebrick Theatre, located at 540 Charnelton Street in downtown Eugene.