Celtic with a Kick with Chelsea High School Students!  The Chelsea House Orchestra consists of very talented young people from Chelsea High School, located on the east-side of Michigan.  The group performs on Celtic Festival stages and fairs throughout the region. 

Musically, Chelsea House Orchestra provides a varied and colorful performance repertoire with the majority of the music derived from traditional Celtic sources.

Past performance venues have included Alma Highland Games, St. Andrews Highland Games, Saline Celtic Festival, Scottish Society of Southwestern Michigan, Kalamazoo Irish Festival, and Edinboro, Pennsylvania Highland Games, as well as many varied festivals around the Midwest.  The group has performed on stage with Barrage, Jerry Holland, Simon Mayor and Hilary James, Bowfire, and Pub Domain.

Main stage.  Tickets $15 adult, $5 children 18 and under.  7:30 p.m.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

The Braunschweiger Blues Band is back!  Playing a little country and good old classic rock and roll with a few surprises thrown in, this band creates a fun and entertaining experience for the audience.  

This popular local group has a great sound, gets everyone up and dancing, and having fun!  Join us for a great night!

Band members include:  John Chandonnet on drums and vocals; Todd Juengel on guitar, keyboard and vocals; Wade Perkins on horns, keyboard and vocals; Randy Seabolt on bass and vocals; Doug Harmon on guitar and vocals; and Cousin Richie on vocals and sound technician.

Tickets $10.  Black Box.  7:30 p.m.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885. 

Newaygo County Community Choir presents their spring concert, Handel’s Messiah:  Lenten and Resurrection portions with “Hallelujah Chorus”.  The choir is under the direction of Joseph Jennings.

Social reception for the community following the performance.

Main Stage.  Free will offering.  3:00 p.m.

Led by guitarist/vocalist Vincent Hayes, and packing one of the tightest rhythm sections in Michigan, The Vincent Hayes Project is a high energy, experimental blues band on the rise.  These guys are a favorite at the Dogwood Center and will be performing pieces from their new CD “Reclamation”, which was released in late March! 

What makes this group unique is their raw power coupled with subtle dynamics and versatility.  The Vincent Hayes Project is founded on the Blues, but still manages to find the blues within other musical genres, drawing inspiration from a wide array of backgrounds in funk, reggae, soul, jazz, gospel, rock, Motown, and American folk, as allof these genres essentially trace their lineage to the Blues.

The Vincent Hayes Project includes:

Vincent Hayes - guitar and lead vocals.  As a 20 year veteran, Hayes has established himself as one of Michigan’s most respected blues guitarists.  With a fiery voice and lively stage presence, he delivers the blues with honesty and passion, fusing traditional blues with his own inspirations and modern influences.

David Alves - bass guitar and vocals.  A Detroit native, Alves grew up in the shadow of Motown, with music on virtually every street corner as well as studying classical music and attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as a teenager.  Half Jamaican, he was also raised with Reggae music, and become one of Detroit’s most notable working bass players during the 80’s and 90’s. 

Donny Hugley - percussion.  Donny is truly one of the most versatile and creative drummers in West Michigan.  He is an imaginative improvisationalist, while being the driving raw power of the rhythm section.

Christian VanAntwerpen - keyboards.  The newest member of the Vincent Hayes Project, Christian has honed his chops with a long list of Michigan artists.  He also recently wrote a full-length feature article for the March 2010 issue of Keyboard Magazine sharing his impeccable knowledge of using freeware to help keyboardists achieve great live sound.

Black Box.  Tickets $10.  7:30 p.m.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan’s premier contemporary dance company, will perform Motown in Motion.  Audience members will experience the best of contemporary dance in a tribute to the music of Motown. 

This visual salute to the tunes that rocked the Motor City and made Motown Records famous includes dance vignettes performed by EDE to recordings from top Motown artists, such as the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Martha and the Vendellas, and the Supremes, among others.

Playful and humorous, Motown in Motion is designed to appeal to a diverse audience of all ages, Motown fans and dance aficionados alike.  It gives an entertaining as well as historical look at Motown, a distinctly American artistic and cultural legacy.

The Eisenhower Dance Ensemble dancers will be conducting workshops and master classes for area dancers.  Dancers from the Louanne Courtright Dance Studio have been invited to perform with EDE in the dance “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. 

Also on the program will be various selections from EDE’s awe-inspiring repertory.   A professional contemporary dance company, EDE is known for its versatile and virtuosic dancers, as well as its entertaining and athletic choreography.  Since it’s founding in 1991, EDE has achieved the distinction of being Michigan’s premiere professional dance ensemble.  The Company maintains an active touring schedule, which has taken it as far as St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as throughout the United States.

This performance is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council.

Visit www.ede-dance.org.

Main Stage. Tickets $15 adults, $5 children 18 and under.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

As of 10:30 a.m. February 5, the NCCA West Michigan Luthier Concert is Sold Out!!  Thank you!

This year the NCCA - Artsplace West Michigan Luthier Concert includes performers Ralston Bowles, Bill Degenarro, Robert Sayers, The 13th Hour, Dan Yother, Isaac Smith, and Donald Benson.  Instrument luthiers include Degennaro, Sayers, Mark Swanson, Elon Howe, Yother, Lew Fowler, and Benson. 

WGVU radio host Shelly Irwin conducted an interview with Ralston Bowles, Mark Swanson, and Faune Benson, concert coordinator and exhibit photographer.   Go to  WGVU radio 95.3 FM website to listen to an archive of the interview or click http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/index.cfm?id=tmsarc&list=yes

NCCA is also proud to welcome Steve Albert, the host of Michigan Saturday Night on Blue Lake Public Radio, as the emcee for the concert!

During Feburary the photography exhibit “West Michigan Luthiers” by Faune Benson will be on display in the Dogwood Lobby Gallery.  The beautiful photographs are of handmade instruments that were made by local luthiers, the talented craftsmen who make and repair stringed instruments.  The photographs include ukuleles, cello, bouzouki (octave mandolin), violins, and electric bass, electric guitars and acoustic guitars.

Black Box. 7:30 p.m.  Sold Out!

Fremont High School Theater invites you to join them for “The Distaff Side” written by John Van Druten.  “The Distaff Side” is an engaging story that will offer some light hearted moments as well as those that will challenge the audience to consider their views of marriage and happiness.

Three generations of women confront the issues that come with life and living while attempting to find personal satisfaction in 1933 England.  The cast is a seasoned crew led by seniors Emily Zahrt and Tonya Pell as Mrs. Venables and Eve;  senior Sarah Smith as Venables’ devoted companion Mrs. Spicer, and senior Cassondra Murphy as Nellie. 

Juniors Connor Caplis and Beth Wilcox play Alex and Liz while seniors Matt Cummings and Trevor Bacon portray Alex’s director boyfreind Toby Chegwidden and her brother Roland while Zach Francis makes a cameo turn as Liz’s ex, gillie.

Six additional actors round out the cast under the stage management of junior Kaylah Berndt.  Tim Bitson and Briana Jones offer technical support and the production is managed by senior Anna Deur.

7:30 p.m. Main Stage.  Tickets available from the Dogwood Box Office beginning Monday, January 25.  Adults $10 in advance, $12 evening of performance; students $5.

Nominated in 2009 for a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Country Recording and having just signed a production deal with fame Nashville producers Ed Seay and Russ Zavitson, David Shelby is a hot up and coming country performer! 

David sings, writes, and performs his material with a lot of heart and total conviction.  His songs reflect his love for Nashville, the history of country music, and his gritty “Rock On!” sensibilities.  He explains, “I want my music to reflect where I come from.  I grew up on equal parts Country, Motown, and Rock.”

Writing from the heart and performing energy packed shows with his band, is quickly becoming his trademark.

The David Shelby Band includes:  Steve Byrnes, Brian White, Nick Byrnes, Bernie Palo, Mitch Sheirr, James Morris.

Check out  http://www.myspace.com/davidshelbymusic

Tickets $15.  Main Stage.  7:30 p.m.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

An evening not to be missed!  Soulful blues with West Michigan’s own Jimmie Stagger, Kathy Lamar, and pianist Bob VanStee.  They are sure to provide a vibrant and energetic show!

Jimmie Stagger has a big rich voice and makes you feel his pain and share his joy through his music.  His growing list of accomplishments includes receiving the “Jammie” award for “The Triumphant Return of Slim Jim” as the Best Local Blues CD from Grand Rapids WYCE public radio in 2002.  As a community leader, Stagger contributes much of his time honoring his commitment to support several charities in the West Michigan area.

LaMar has displayed her vocal talents from Vegas to Shang-hi for the past 20 years.  As a background vocalist, she has performed with Gladys Knight, The Four Tops, and Lola Falana.

Her style ranges from Billy Holiday, Nancy Wilson, Anita Baker, Tina Turner, Sade and Ella Fitzgerald with her sultry Jazz, R/B, and Blues sound.  Kathy sings with Ronald McNeir, of the legendary Motown group the Four Tops, on his CD “Ronnie Mac & Company”. 

With a smoky evocative voice, she has mesmerized audiences and captured the hearts of Jazz and R/B lovers around the globe.  She was born and raised in Grand Rapids and is back in Michigan for a short time only!

Accomplished accompianist Bob Van Stee started playing piano by ear at the age of 7.  Some of the bands he has worked with are The New World Singers during the 1960’s, Kenny Gordon & the Sound Gathering and Checkers Morton during the 1970’s,   Turning Point in the 1980’s, and Madhouse in the 1990’s.  For the last year he has been a part of the piano vocal duo with Tony Reynolds, who is the vocalist with The Tom Jones Band.

Tickets $10. 7:30 p.m. Black Box.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.