From Paragon to Piscopo, Proudly Presenting season offers music, dance, drama
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RICHMOND, Ind. — The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra on Saturday opens the 2022-23 Proudly Presenting Series season that includes a former "Saturday Night Live" cast member's tribute to Frank Sinatra.
The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra will recreate “America’s Original Music,” the syncopated sounds of early musical theater, silent cinema and vintage dance, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Richmond High School's Civic Hall Performing Arts Center, according to a news release.
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra's music is heard as the Main Street, U.S.A. theme music at Disneyland and Disney World. The group also has performed at Lincoln Center, Smithsonian Institution, Chataqua and The Kennedy Center.
The rest of the season includes shows featuring bluegrass and comedy, Irish stepdance and tap, a historic World War I drama and Joe Piscopo and his Big Band's Sinatra tribute.
Season tickets and individual-show tickets are on sale now. Season tickets cost $155 for adults, $150 for seniors 65 and older and $110 for students and active military. Individual tickets for the season’s first two shows are $38 for adults and $30 for students. Tickets for the next two shows are $40 and $32, while Joe Piscopo costs $45 and $37.
Tickets can be purchased in person at Civic Hall’s box office at Richmond High School, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, between 8 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. weekdays, or can be mailed for a $1 fee. Use of a credit/debit card is $5 additional. For more information, visit civichall.com or call 765-973-3350.
The season's second show features The Cleverlys, a comedy/music blend coming from the Ozark Mountains, on Nov. 5. The group puts a unique bluegrass spin on cover songs from any genre such as Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” a medley of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” and Flo Rida’s “Low.” The group has performed at venues and festivals including the Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach, Telluride and CMA Music Fest.
“All Is Calm, The Christmas Truce of 1914” will be performed Dec. 3. It relives Allied and German World War I soldiers putting down their weapons to celebrate Christmas together, sharing food and drink and playing soccer. The story weaves together firsthand accounts by 30 World War I soldiers and music that includes patriotic tunes, trench songs and Christmas carols.
On March 18, The StepCrew performs Ottawa Valley stepdance, Irish stepdance and tap, showing similarities and differences between the three styles. The show features three world-class fiddlers backed by a five-piece Celtic music ensemble.
Piscopo and his Big Band conclude the season May 6. Piscopo is known for his work on "Saturday Night Live" and “Law and Order.” He also was seen in commercials for Miller Lite, Ragu, GNC and Bally’s. Piscopo, who hosts a New York radio show, has performed his Sinatra tribute at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
The Proudly Presenting Series also annually hosts field trip shows for school children. This school year's shows are “The Dinosaur Quest of Dr. T-Rex” on Jan. 19 and “Professor Wow’s Fun-Believable Show” on Feb. 8. Shows will be at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. both days. Any area school or homeschool family can purchase tickets.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: From Paragon to Piscopo, Proudly Presenting offers music, dance, drama
