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Home > Archive > Mar 13, 2008

Star-Studded Concert Season
By Cami Cox
Staff Writer
Some big names in music will bring their talents to Tuacahn this spring, just ahead of the summer theater season, “Broadway in the Desert,” for the amphitheater’s biggest concert season ever.
“Tuacahn is a great setting for a concert, and all the artists who come here say that about it,” Tuacahn CEO Kevin Smith said. “They come and they just can't believe this beautiful setting, and they also feel very connected to the audience the way the amphitheater is designed.”
The majestic setting of Tuacahn has been sufficient to attract the likes of superstar Kenny Loggins, country star Deana Carter and rising pop sensation Colbie Callait this year, for a short list.
There will be 14 concerts in all this season – more than Tuacahn has ever had before, Smith said – and the theater's growing renown promises to keep 'em coming in the seasons to come.
“We've proved that we can put on good shows now, and we're bringing in some big concerts,” Smith said. “When you have successful concerts, it makes it easier to get others to come and perform.”
Tuacahn is a relatively small venue compared with other concert locales (there are 1,920 seats in the amphitheater in all), so it can be more difficult to book big acts at such a small theater, Smith said, but Southern Utah's theater in the desert is steadily gaining prowess as an entertainment destination, drawing the attention of more well-known artists each year.
Leading out Tuacahn's concerts in 2008, Diamond Rio's Dan Truman – originally from the St. George area – will head up back-to-back shows of “Joseph: A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet” on March 21 and “Trek: A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers” on March 22. Following that show will be a concert by pianist Jon Schmidt, teamed with the BYU male a cappella group Vocal Point and Provo-based female group Noteworthy. Then following that concert, some of the biggest names ever at Tuacahn will start rolling in.
On April 4, pop sensation Colbie Callait will bring her mellow voice and acoustic styling to the Tuacahn amphitheater.
Young 20-something Callait burst onto the popular music scene in 2007 with her now platinum album “Coco,” featuring the smash hit song “Bubbly.” Both that song and Caillat's new single “Realize” can be heard on radio stations throughout the country.
“She's just about sold out,” Smith said. “She catches that younger audience that we don't necessarily always hit with our concerts every year, and they all communicate by text messages and MySpace and by whatever technical means, and so when one friend finds out about it, she shares it.”
Word spread fast about Caillat's concert among local teens, he said, so time is short to get tickets for that show.
Following Caillat, country star Deana Carter will bring her talents to Tuacahn on April 11. Best known for such chart-toppers as “Strawberry Wine” and “Did I Shave My Legs for This?” Carter entered the country music scene in 1996. This will be her first performance at Tuacahn.
Following Carter, Grammy Award-winning artist Kenny Loggins will fire up the Tuacahn amphitheater on April 30.
Loggins made his mark on the American music scene in the 1970s as part of the group Loggins and Messina. As a solo artist, he has scored hits with such songs as “Footloose” and “Danger Zone” from the Tom Cruise film “Top Gun.” His Tuacahn debut is much anticipated, Smith said.
Also performing at Tuacahn this spring will be Sheena Easton, David Cassidy, The Osmond Brothers, and The Beach Boys, back by popular demand.
In addition to Tuacahn's impressive concert lineup this year, the theater has also been favored as one of only a handful of professional theater venues in the United States to be granted 2008 performance rights for “Les Misérables.”
“In addition to having these concerts that are terrific, we also have 'Les Mis,' and that's huge. We're one of only eight professional regional theaters in the country to be given the rights to do 'Les Mis,'” Smith said. “It's a big deal.”
When Broadway in the Desert touches off in June, “Les Misérables” and “The Sound of Music” will be the featured musical theater productions, and “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” will follow in August. In the meantime, Tuacahn's star-studded concert series will run throughout the spring to keep Southern Utah's residents entertained.
“It'll just keep getting better,” Smith said. “We'll keep attracting the big names as we have more and as we're supported by the community, which so far we have been.”
This year, Tuacahn is offering a special season package, with a discount of more than 30 percent for those who take part in it. Patrons can select their own ticket packages by picking eight of the 14 concerts they'd like to see, and tickets to each of the musical theater productions will be included. For more information or for details about any of Tuacahn's upcoming shows, call 652-3300 or visit www.tuacahn.org.

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