John Tesh, Sara Evans headline Downey Theatre’s 2017-18 season

DOWNEY – The Downey Civic Theatre has released its 2017-18 season schedule, headlined by performances by Grammy-nominated pianist John Tesh and country music artist Sara Evans. 

Season tickets are now on sale at the Downey Theatre box office. Individual tickets can be purchased beginning Aug. 29.

Below is the full schedule: 

Sunday, Oct. 15: 
Vicki Lawrence & Mama:

Emmy Award- winning comedienne Vicki Lawrence is one of the most beloved television personalities of her generation. Plucked out of total obscurity as a high school senior, Vicki went on to become part of the now-legendary cast of the “Carol Burnett Show.”

In the seventh season, at the ripe old age of 24, Vicki created her most endearing character to date, Thelma Harper, or “Mama” as she is better known to her fans. 

After the Burnett Show, Vicki went on to star in “Mama’s Family,” which consistently topped the ratings for its entire six-year run of original shows.

 

Nov. 11-12
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Musical:

The beloved TV classic soars off the screen and onto the stage this holiday season. Come see all of your favorite characters from the special, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life.

Saturday, Dec. 2
Mariachi Divas:

Founded in 1999 by trumpet player Cindy Shea, the two-time Grammy Award winning Mariachi Divas is a multicultural, all-female ensemble that continues to push and expand the scope of mariachi music. Since 2003, Mariachi Divas has been the official mariachi of the Disneyland Resort where they entertain audiences of all ages and backgrounds on a year-round basis. 

In addition to performing regularly at the Disneyland Resort and when they are not busy recording albums, Mariachi Divas and their music can be found in films, music videos, Hallmark greeting cards, and movie soundtracks a well as touring across the United States and Mexico.

Saturday, Jan. 27
Blood Sweat & Tears featuring Bo Bice:

Blood Sweat & Tears has set the high water mark for the world's greatest musicians which is still true in the latest version of BS&T.  It has now been 50 years since founding member Bobby Colomby with an amazing Jazz background had a vision of fusing jazz, rock, and blues into one band.

Colomby hand picked the greatest players and Vocalist of which many have gone on to be legends themselves, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Jaco Pastorius Lew Soloff, and so many more.
Throughout the years, fans have come to love their favorite version of BS&T. Every version of the band has left its mark on the music world. The most commercially successful version was the second generation Band.

The current line up with Bo Bice at the helm on vocals is the most popular in recent years.

Saturday, Feb. 3
John Tesh:

Six music Emmys, two Grammy nominations, three gold records, seven Public Television specials and 8 million records sold. After more than three decades as an international entertainer, John Tesh’s recording and live concert career continues to thrive today.

Whether at the solo piano, with a 12-piece ‘big band’ or an 80 piece orchestra, Tesh’s ability to create a unique journey for concert fans with music and storytelling has taken him from the Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Coliseum in Rome to Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. John’s live television concerts, including the seminal ‘Live at Red Rocks,’ have raised more than $20 million for public television.

A self-proclaimed school “band geek” playing trumpet in marching and jazz bands in junior high and high school, Tesh was proficient on the trumpet and piano from the age of six. He studied privately with teachers from The Julliard School and was named to the New York State Symphonic Orchestra in high school while also playing Hammond B3 in 3 Long Island rock bands.

Sunday, March 18
Treasure Island:

Set in the eighteenth century, the original Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions.

The action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.

Friday, March 30
Animaniacs:

Animaniacs, a mix of old-fashioned wit, slapstick, pop culture and music, fueled the animation renaissance of the late 1990s, with iconic voices, characters, an original score for every cartoon and an Emmy Award-winning theme song. 

Now the hilarious ‘90s animated series starring the wacky Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister, Dot) is back in live form.

The group will perform songs from the beloved show, in addition to several numbers that didn’t make the cut the first time around.

Sunday, April 22
Sara Evans:

She’s had five No. 1 singles, sold millions of records, won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Vocalist Award and claimed a Country Music Association trophy for her signature song, “Born To Fly.” It’s tough to imagine many accomplishments Sara Evans hasn’t already checked off her bucket list.

And yet, with the release of her eighth studio album, Words demonstrates that she’s still willing to leap into the unknown, taking greater control of her career and calling the shots in a way that’s unusual in country music – particularly unusual for a woman in the genre.

Words is the first project on Evans’ own label: Born To Fly Records, appropriately named after that CMA-winning signature song, which celebrated risk and adventure.