American Express Cardmembers can purchase tickets starting Wednesday, May 16th at 10AM – Thursday, May 17th at 10PM. Preferred Seating available to Gold Card, Platinum Card® and Centurion® members.

To purchase presale tickets use the American Express button beginning Wednesday, May 16th at 10AM.

Club Pre-Sale will be Thursday, May 17 from 10AM to 10PM

VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE
Purchase a VIP Ticket Package for Leonard Cohen at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre.

DIAMOND VIP PACKAGE* -
Each PACKAGE costs $500.00 with no additional charges. It includes:

• 1 (ONE) $500.00 Front Row Orchestra Pit Seat
• One (1) Ultra-Exclusive, Limited Edition Leonard Cohen Tour Lithograph
• Limited Edition Lithograph Created Exclusively for the "Old Ideas World Tour 2012"
• Limited Edition Lithograph Based Upon Original Artwork by Leonard Cohen
• Each Limited Edition Lithograph Individually Numbered and Features Leonard Cohen's Printed Signature
• Each Limited Edition Lithograph Includes the Specific Tour Date, City and Venue
• Each Limited Edition Lithograph Comes with an Official Certificate of Authenticity
• All Limited Edition Lithographs Printed on Heavy Weight, Acid-Free Fine Art Paper
• Exclusive Leonard Cohen VIP Merchandise item
• One (1) Exclusive Leonard Cohen Gift Bag (Gift Bag Created Exclusively for Package Purchasers)
• One (1) Souvenir Leonard Cohen tour Program
• One (1) Commemorative Leonard Cohen VIP Laminate and Matching Lanyard
• Get the DIAMOND VIP PACKAGE HERE

EMERALD VIP PACKAGE* -
Each EMERALD VIP PACKAGE costs $300.00 with no additional charges. It includes:

• 1 (ONE) Excellent Second Price Reserved Ticket
• Exclusive merchandise item
• One (1) Exclusive Leonard Cohen Gift Bag (Gift Bag Created Exclusively for Package Purchasers)
• One (1) Souvenir Leonard Cohen tour Program
• One (1) Commemorative Leonard Cohen VIP Laminate and Matching Lanyard
• Get the EMERALD VIP PACKAGE HERE

SAPPHIRE VIP PACKAGE*
Each SAPPHIRE VIP PACKAGE costs $200.00 with no additional charges. It includes:

• 1 (ONE) Excellent Third Price Reserved Ticket
• Exclusive Leonard Cohen merchandise item
• One (1) Exclusive Leonard Cohen Gift Bag (Gift Bag Created Exclusively for Package Purchasers)
• One (1) Souvenir Leonard Cohen tour Program
• One (1) Commemorative Leonard Cohen VIP Laminate and Matching Lanyard
• Get the SAPPHIRE VIP PACKAGE HERE

Legendary singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen will grace the Wang Theatre stage with a new live show on Saturday, December 15th. Cohen’s “Old Ideas World Tour 2012” follows on the heels of his previously announced European concert dates. The tour, celebrates Cohen’s highly acclaimed twelfth studio album, Old Ideas. The album debuted at #1 across the globe, making it the highest charting album of his career. For more tour information visit www.LeonardCohen.com.

The “Old Ideas World Tour 2012” follows Cohen’s triumphant 2008-2010 world tour – his first in 15 years -- which was met with overwhelming praise. The New York Times reported that “Mr. Cohen sang these words with a kind of gracious generosity…awash in wild applause,” while The San Jose Mercury News reported “The show underscored what his fans already know: Leonard Cohen is one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of popular music.” The Victoria Times Colonist reported that Cohen received “an automatic standing ovation at what was clearly the Church of Leonard.” The Vancouver Sun called the show “nothing short of a religious experience” and the Toronto Sun declared Leonard Cohen “Charming, funny, poignant, smart, sharp, sexy… he is still a ladykiller.”

In his sixth decade of producing critically acclaimed music, Leonard Cohen is arguably one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. Old Ideas, released on January 31, 2012 by Columbia Records, has earned worldwide accolades for its highly acclaimed collection of new songs. USA Today raves that "Old Ideas is the work of a master craftsman," while Rolling Stone gave the album 4 ½ stars. TIME Magazine states, “Listeners have been relying on Cohen's heartbroken yet grinning, world-weary yet hopeful voice to get through that night for decades, and this album should continue that for a whole new batch of souls." Newsday hails Old Ideas as "GRADE A... Stunningly simple, incredibly deep and destined to be a classic." The Telegraph (UK) reports that “Old Ideas is an unexpected and precious gift of new gems from an old master," and The Irish Times exclaimed that “The more you play it the better it gets." The Times (South Africa) commended it as "an album of poetic and pared-down musical genius,” and the Montreal Gazette simply states that “Lyrically, Cohen is at the top of his game."

Leonard Cohen is a master songwriter, musician and poet whose stunning body of original work has touched the lives of millions. Citing W.B Yeats, Irving Layton and Walt Whitman as literary influences, Cohen first shot to the forefront of the music industry in the 60’s and has remained an inspirational talent and contributor to the industry since he first emerged. His albums Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), I'm Your Man (1990) and Dear Heather (2004) are rightly considered classics along with the beautiful singles "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne." He has sold over 20 million albums, worldwide and published 12 books. With a career spanning five decades, Leonard Cohen has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2008), and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (2010), and is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2010).

* VIP merchandise will be shipped directly to each package purchaser at the address provided at the time of purchase; delivery may occur after event date. Please make sure to factor potential timing of merchandise delivery into your decision to purchase a VIP package. There are no refunds or exchanges for package purchases under any circumstances - all sales are final. The VIP laminate does not gain or authorize access into the venue or any backstage areas. It is for commemorative purposes only.
Packages are open to U.S and Canadian Addresses Only. Merchandise will not be shipped outside of the U.S. or Canada under any circumstances. Please note that the information provided at the time of purchase (e-mail, address) is the same information that will be utilized for shipping and individual contact requirements where applicable. Please note that the artist, tour, promoter, ticketing company, venue or any other affiliated parties are not responsible for outdated or inaccurate information provided by the consumer at the time of purchase.
For all VIP customer service inquiries please contact LeonardCohenVIP@aeglive.com.
All ticket prices include a $3.75 Facility Fee.

BOSTON (April 24, 2012) – Citi Performing Arts Center seeks youth ages 14-19, for its summer City Spotlights Leadership Program. Participants develop leadership, professional, and performance skills through a 5-week exploration of hip hop. The program takes place at Citi Performing Arts Center, July 9 through August 10. Participants receive a stipend for their work. The program culminates in a youth-created performance tour throughout Boston.

Applicants may schedule an interview by contacting Rachel Rhoades at ed1@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221. Interviews will take place weekdays beginning April 18th. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. Applicants are asked to memorize and present a 2-minute monologue from a scripted play or published poem, sing 16 bars of a song, and bring a resume if possible.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT City Spotlights Leadership Program
WHEN July 9 – August 10, Monday thru Friday full-time
WHERE Citi Performing Arts Center, 270 Tremont Street, Boston
WHO Youth ages 14-19
Previous performing arts experience not required
Stipends available.
HOW TO APPLY Contact Rachel Rhoades at ed1@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221 to schedule an interview.
ABOUT The City Spotlights Leadership Program is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s education programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any teen with an interest in developing their creative voice. More information available at citicenter.org/education.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: April 24, 2012
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

BOSTON (April 11, 2012) – Citi Performing Arts Center invites youth ages 11-19, to participate in the weeklong City Spotlights Spoken Word Project at the Dudley Branch Library during upcoming April school vacation week. In this FREE program, participants will develop spoken word, storytelling, and performing arts skills while exploring hip hop culture. The program takes place at the Dudley Branch Library in Roxbury from April 17-20, 3-5pm. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. At the end of the program, participants will present their original work during a poetry slam event held at the Dudley Branch Library.

Register online at citicenter.org/education or contact Che Madyun at cmadyun@citicenter.org or 617-532-1256. Previous performing arts experience is NOT necessary. The City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is generously supported by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund of the Boston Public Library.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project
WHEN April 17 - April 20
3 - 5pm
WHERE Dudley Library Branch, 65 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA
WHO Youth ages 11-19
Previous performing arts experience not required.
HOW TO REGISTER Online at citicenter.org/education Contact Che Madyun at cmadyun@citicenter.org or 617-532-1256 with any questions.
ABOUT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any youth with an interest in developing his/her creative voice and are FREE to all participants.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: April 11, 2012
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Surpassing sales of one million units combined, the musical phenomenon that is Celtic Thunder have just been hailed as BILLBOARD’s Top World Music Artist, along with Top World Music Imprint and Top World Album of 2011 for their album, Heritage.

Celtic Thunder begins 2012 with a new CD and DVD concert special, VOYAGE. VOYAGE the concert special began broadcasting across the U.S. on Public Television stations this past March(check local listings).

VOYAGE continues to pay homage to the musical culture of Ireland, while exploring the musical journey each soloist has undertaken since the beginning of Celtic Thunder four years ago. Former members Damian McGinty and Paul Byrom have moved on - McGinty’s star continues to rise after securing a reoccurring role on FOX’s hit show GLEE (a result of winning last year’s “The GLEE Project”), while Paul Byrom launches his own solo career as well. Keith Harkin is also working on a solo project while maintaining his integral role in Celtic Thunder. He is the first artist signed to the newly helmed David Foster Verve Music Group, and is readying his forthcoming solo debut wildly anticipated by “Thunder Heads” everywhere. The rest of the ensemble including Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne, George Donaldson and Emmet Cahill welcome 13-year-old Daniel Furlong to the fold as a guest artist on this recording. The group performances highlight the diversity of Irish music and song; from the powerful rendition of “Dulaman” to the love song “Maid of Culmore,” the collection also features a rousing performance of “Galway Girl” and beloved Irish party song “My Irish Molly-O.” To view highlights of VOYAGE click here

In addition to their impressive sales statics, their official YouTube channel, “Thunder Tube” has received over twenty five million views since its inception in 2008. Celtic Thunder’s successful resume includes performing for President Obama at The White House’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration in 2009, opening New York City’s famed St. Patrick’s Day Parade two consecutive years in a row (2008 & 2009), and most notably six hit Public Television specials and numerous sold out concerts all across America.

Like Apple’s 1999 record, When the Pawn…, the new album’s title is a poem:

THE IDLER WHEEL IS WISER
THAN THE DRIVER OF THE SCREW
AND WHIPPING CORDS WILL SERVE YOU MORE
THAN ROPES WILL EVER DO.

“Whet your appetite for a new Fiona LP (yes!) with this tasty, arresting new ballad, which she busted out during a SXSW show,” said Rolling Stone, placing the first single “Every Single Night” on the “RS Playlist” while The New York Times marveled at how it “seesawed between lullaby and vehement chantey.”

Listen to "Every Single Night"

“Every Single Night” was one of three new songs Apple introduced on her recent sold-out spring tour – her first outing in five years. New York Magazine’s Vulture.com hailed her performances as “mind-blowing” while the Village Voice called her “a lightning-rod presence” and the Philadelphia Inquirer observed: “the word performance doesn’t seem apt. There’s nothing pat about what she does.”

"Fiona Apple has control. That’s clear from the moment she took the stage,” said The New York Times. “She has always been part blues woman, part dark cabaret singer, part illicit rock confessor. Her songs limn the erotics of danger and also the pains of disappointment, drawing equal strength from both.”

You can check out Apple performing “Every Single Night” and “Anything We Want,” another track from her upcoming album, at: fiona-apple.com

Apple made her debut at age 19 with 1996’s Tidal, which is certified triple Platinum. Rolling Stone named her Artist of the Year in 1997 and in 1998 she won a GRAMMY for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for one of the album’s singles, “Criminal.” When the Pawn…followed in 1999, and was hailed by Entertainment Weekly as “the work of an original.” Extraordinary Machine debuted in the Top 10 of The Billboard 200 and appeared on numerous critics’ best-of-2005 lists.

A celebrated legacy of over four decades has produced 20 Grammy® Awards nominations with 8 wins. Earth, Wind & Fire’s music continues to be among the most plays songs in the world. The group’s new single, “Guiding Lights” (Sony/Legacy) is currently Top 30 on the Billboard Urban Adult Chart.

The signature sound of Earth, Wind & Fire is not easily categorized and since the group’s inception they have been profoundly influential to a powerhouse of music artists ranging from Prince to Beyoncé and generations of millions fans around the world. Earth, Wind & Fire as performed live to sold-audiences on every continent and is led by founding members, Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson.

Websites: earthwindandfire.com and efwfanclub.com.

American Express Cardmembers can purchase tickets starting Wednesday, April 4th at 10AM through Thursday, April 5th at 10PM. Preferred Seating available to Gold Card, Platinum Card® and Centurion® members.

To purchase presale tickets use the American Express button beginning Wednesday, April 4th at 10AM.

Club Presale will run Friday, April 6th from 10AM to 10PM

Three R&B legends, singer/pianist Donald Fagen, vocalist/keyboardist Michael McDonald and singer/guitarist Boz Scaggs make up the Dukes of September Rhythm Revue coming to the Citi Wang Theatre on August 9th for one show only.

This ensemble has taken this tour across the country performing classic rock, R&B and Motown hits from the 60s and 70s. The musicians take turns on lead vocals and even perform some of their own hits. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Fagen says that the idea behind the group “…was to play music that we all liked when we were kids — music that made us want to become musicians in the first place.”

Donald Fagen is the co-leader/founder and keyboardist for Steely Dan. Some of his hits include “Do It Again,” “Reeling in the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Dirty Work,” “Bodhisattva,” “My Old School,” “Night By Night,” “Pretzel Logic,” “Black Friday,” “Bad Sneakers,” and “Third World Man.”

Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy winning artist and songwriter who is known for his work with various charitable causes, as well as his days with The Doobie Brothers. Some hits include “What a Fool Believes,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” and his Grammy-award winning rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Boz Scaggs is a Grammy Award winning guitarist who you may recognize from his contributions to the Steve Miller Band. His hits include “Look What You’ve Done to Me,” “Lowdown,” “Isn’t It Time,” “Hard Times,” “Jojo,” and more!

Don’t miss these three musicians as they take you on a music revue of some of classic hits of the 60s and 70s this summer!

• 1 (ONE) Premium Orchestra or Orchestra Pit Seat
• Exclusive Merchandise Item
• Commemorative Tour Laminate
• Get the VIP HOT SEAT PACKAGE HERE

The CSN U.S. Summer Tour comes on the heels of their Australia/New Zealand and South American tours. Highlights for this summer's tour include the Wang Theatre on June 18th.

CSN will be donating $1 from each ticket sold on the U.S. Summer Tour to charity. In addition, special benefit seats will be available for purchase through The Guacamole Fund (www.guacfund.org). VIP packages are also available at www.crosbystillsnash.com.

The players accompanying Crosby, Stills & Nash on their 2012 tour are: Todd Caldwell (organ), Shane Fontayne (guitar), Steve DiStanislao (drums), Kevin McCormick (bass), and James Raymond (keyboards).

More than four decades since CSN first harmonized in Laurel Canyon, and played their first-ever concert as a trio at the legendary Woodstock festival, its members continue a creative partnership that is one of the most influential and enduring in music. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two times—once with Crosby, Stills & Nash, and a second time with The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies, respectively. They have also been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, with the honor recognizing both CSN as a group, and each member as individual solo artists.

CSN’s music first became a cornerstone of rock ‘n roll with the self-titled 1969 debut LP, one of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Ever since—through changing times, various configurations, and acclaimed solo careers—Crosby, Stills & Nash have continued to tour and record as “three together.”

Visit their site at www.crosbystillsnash.com.

*You will be contacted via e-mail a few days prior to the actual show date with additional details concerning your VIP package. Information will be sent to the e-mail address provided at the time of purchase.
All packages are Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable; No Refunds will be given under any circumstances except in the case of cancellation. No Name Changes will be permitted under any circumstances. VIP merchandise will be shipped directly to each package purchaser at the address provided at the time of purchase; delivery may occur after event date. Please allow a minimum of 30 days after the event to receive your package. Merchandise is not needed for entry into the show; the VIP laminate does not gain or authorize access into the venue or any backstage areas. It is for commemorative purposes only.

Garnering huge critical acclaim, Menzel reached superstardom on Broadway with her Tony Award-winning performance as Elphaba, the misunderstood green girl, in the blockbuster Wicked and in her Tony-nominated role as Maureen in the revolutionary Rent. This season, Menzel reprised her role on “Glee,” FOX’s smash hit television series, as Shelby Corcoran, Rachel’s biological mother.

“I am so thrilled to be going back on tour this summer. I am eager to reconnect with my audience, perform my favorite songs and explore some exciting new material,” said Menzel.

Amazing audiences with her captivating performances, Menzel has a diverse career on the stage, in film, television, and in music. On March 6th, she released a CD and DVD entitled IDINA MENZEL LIVE: BAREFOOT AT THE SYMPHONY, a special journey through a diverse repertoire of classic pop and musical theater favorites, including a fresh spin on contemporary songs, led by legendary composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch, filmed at The Royal Conservatory’s beautiful Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada. IDINA MENZEL LIVE: BAREFOOT AT THE SYMPHONY premiered on PBS stations in March.

Menzel also premiered Wicked in London’s West End to rave reviews and received a Theatergoers Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Menzel’s talents garnered a Drama Desk Award nomination, as well as a Drama League Award nomination for her role in See What I Wanna See directed by Ted Sperling at The Public Theater. Menzel also appeared in ABC’s television series “Private Practice.”

Menzel’s film credits include Disney’s romantic fable, Enchanted where she appeared opposite Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams; Rent, in which she reprised her role as Maureen; and a co-starring role in Robert Towne’s Ask the Dust, opposite Selma Hayek and Colin Farrell.

After a five-year hiatus, The Shins, an American indie rock band founded and fronted by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, James Mercer, are back with a new lineup and one of the year’s most anticipated new albums, “Port of Morrow,” released in the U.S. on March 20. The band released their first track from the new album "Simple Song" earlier this year.

The band’s fourth album, “Port of Morrow,” comes five years after The Shins’ Grammy-nominated album “Wincing the Night Away” entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2. The Wang Theatre show will feature James Mercer leading a Shins lineup of Yuuki Matthews (bass), Jessica Dobson (guitar), Richard Swift (keyboards) and Joe Plummer (drums).

JERSEY BOYS, is the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Part of the Lexus Broadway In Boston Series

Season Tickets are now on sale for the 2012/2013 Series including:

To order Season Tickets visit the Broadway In Boston website or call 866-523-7469.

The new Broadway musical TUCK EVERLASTING will have its pre-Broadway world premiere at Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center Colonial Theatre in Summer 2013. With a book by Tony Award nominee Claudia Shear, music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book Of Mormon, The Drowsy Chaperone, Monty Python’s SPAMALOT), TUCK EVERLASTING is based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt.

If you could live forever, would you? Good girl Winnie Foster’s world has been safely contained behind the picket fence that surrounds the house she shares with her mother and grandmother. Yearning to break free, Winnie runs deep into the woods behind their house where she discovers the Tuck family and the secret they’ve been keeping. That secret sets Winnie and the Tucks out on an adventure that will test what they believe and challenge them to truly be alive, now and forever.

Part of the Lexus Broadway In Boston Series

Season Tickets are now on sale for the 2012/2013 Series including:

To order Season Tickets visit the Broadway In Boston website or call 866-523-7469.

Winner of four 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, MEMPHIS features a Tony®-winning book by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change) and a Tony®-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan. Directing is Tony®nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu), and choreography is by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys). Get ready to experience Broadway’s most exciting new destination... MEMPHIS!

Part of the Lexus Broadway In Boston Series

Season Tickets are now on sale for the 2012/2013 Series including:

To order Season Tickets visit the Broadway In Boston website or call 866-523-7469.

A co-production of NPR & Chicago Public Radio, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes a fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the world, and the weird. It’s a modern, hilarious twist on the old-time radio quiz show, with featured games including the always popular “Not-My-Job,” which invites local and national personalities to answer questions that are out – way out – of their area of expertise.

It's a rare trip to Boston for this oddly informative quiz show. Don't Wait Wait to buy tickets – shows sell out fast!

With a new show designed by Creative Director Brian Burke (Artistic Director of 'La Reve' and Celine Dion's 5 year run of 'A New Day' at Caesars Palace, both in Las Vegas), and performed with the Il Divo band and famed Boston orchestra, the 2012 tour promises to incorporate a stunning visual and musical mix of fan favourites as well as premiering songs from their new album Wicked Game.

Wicked Game, the group's fifth studio album, includes the title track (a dramatic reworking of the Chris Isaak classic), an emotionally beautiful rendering of Roy Orbison's 'Crying,' a heavenly song inspired by Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' called 'Dove L'Amore' and a stunning version of the unforgettable ‘Time To Say Goodbye’.

Recently named Artist of the Decade at the Classic BRITS, Il Divo are the most successful international musical break-out story of the millennium, selling more than 25 million albums and pioneering the classical crossover genre. Their ground-breaking success has brought an entirely new sound to vocal music and the group has more than 150 gold and platinum awards in 33 countries. Their first four albums, Il Divo, Ancora, Siempre and The Promise have achieved 50 #1 album chart positions internationally. Il Divo is Carlos Marin, Sebastien Izambard, David Miller and Urs Buhler.

LIVE ON STAGE!
TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER CHITA RIVERA
PERFORMING SONGS FROM HER LEGENDARY BROADWAY CAREER IN
CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY

The Boston Youth Moves’ Producers’ Circle invites you to the 2012 Swellegance Gala Benefit will feature two-time Tony Award winner CHITA RIVERA performing songs from her legendary Broadway career in her own concert CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY at the Citi Shubert Theatre on Friday May 4th at 8pm. All proceeds will go to Boston Youth Moves.

Ms. Rivera will be accompanied by a 6-piece orchestra, led by musical director Michael Croiter, and will perform selections from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story (“America”), Sweet Charity (“Where Am I Going?” and “Big Spender”), Chicago (“All That Jazz” and “Nowadays”), Kiss of the Spider Woman,, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink, and featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman among others.

According to Boston Youth Moves Co-Director Jeanette Neill, "We are honored for the opportunity to share this living legend, Chita Rivera, with Boston. Chita's generosity and commitment to fostering the next generation of young artists has lead to this extraordinary ONE NIGHT ONLY performance to benefit Boston Youth Moves and we couldn't be more thrilled!"

Now in it’s 12th year, Swellegance is the embodiment of fun and sophistication. It’s an evening of smart cocktails, swell people and sophisticated entertainment that has rapidly become one of the major events in the city of Boston. Boston Youth Moves (BYM) is a non-profit, after-school arts education program whose mission is to encourage young people, through training in the art of dance, to explore their limitless potential for artistic expression and realize personal success. Begun in 1990 by Jim Viera and Jeannette Neill, BYM offers superlative dance training to teens in the Boston and greater Boston area and provides subsidized tuition for its students and offers scholarships and financial aid to students in need.

CHITA RIVERA is an accomplished and versatile actress, singer and dancer who has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink) and received seven additional Tony nominations. She starred in the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer’s Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele. She recreated her starring role in The Visit, the new Kander/Ebb/McNally musical at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA (originally done at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago in 2001). She also starred in the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the American School of Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita’s first appearance (age 17) was in the chorus of Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Story (1957) brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry’s Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on August 12, 2009. She received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in Washington, DC in December, 2002 and is the first Hispanic ever chosen to receive this award. Chita has recorded and released a new CD entitled And Now I Swing (Yellow Sound Label) and is on a nationwide concert tour of Chita Rivera: My Broadway. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

“Chita Rivera has a gleam in her eye, a smirk on her lips and a bounce in her step…you leave this show walking on air!” – The New York Times

“Chita Rivera is more than a musical theatre star. She’s a force of nature.” – Associated Press

“Chita Rivera is irresistible!” – Newsweek

“Shimmering show-biz perfection.” – Los Angeles Times
“Ever-riveting! Chita Rivera has the rare presence of a thoroughbred star!” – USA Today

“Chita Rivera is a wonder to behold.” – Wall Street Journal

BOSTON (January 23, 2012) – Citi Performing Arts Center invites youth ages 11-19, to participate in the weeklong City Spotlights Spoken Word Project at the Dudley Branch Library during upcoming school vacation week. In this FREE program, participants will develop spoken word, storytelling, and performing arts skills while exploring hip hop culture. The program takes place at the Dudley Branch Library in Roxbury from February 21-24, 3-5pm. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. At the end of the program, participants will present their original work during a poetry slam event held at the Dudley Branch Library.

Register online at citicenter.org/education or contact Ramona Lisa Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. The City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is generously supported by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund of the Boston Public Library.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project
WHEN February 21 - February 24
3 - 5pm
WHERE Dudley Library Branch, 65 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA
WHO Youth ages 11-19
Previous performing arts experience not required.
HOW TO REGISTER Online at citicenter.org/education Contact Siobhan Brown at sbrown@citicenter.org or 617-532-1250 with any questions.
ABOUT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any youth with an interest in developing his/her creative voice and are FREE to all participants.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: January 23, 2012
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

BOSTON (January 4, 2012) – Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to announce that during December’s 53-performance run of Radio City Christmas Spectacular, nearly 750 youth and families attended the show free of charge thanks to support from Macy’s, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, and Citi Center’s SpectrumBoston Ticket Access Fund.

On December 11, 2011, 50 teen participants from Citi Center’s arts education programs attended the holiday show with their families through generous funding from Macy’s. On December 21, 2011, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation celebrated its partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center by hosting over 100 youth from other partner organizations including Berklee College of Music, Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, Children’s Hospital Boston, Horizon’s for Homeless Children, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Mass Mentoring Partnership, and the Perkins School for the Blind. Attendees had the opportunity to attend a pre-show reception, meet the Rockettes, and take a behind the scenes tour of the production. Boston Celtics co-owner, Stephen Pagliuca, attended the event to present Citi Performing Arts Center with a check to expand its arts education programs for Boston youth and families.

In addition to the Macy’s and Shamrock Foundation events, Citi Center’s SpectrumBoston Ticket Access Fund distributed 600 tickets to community partners including Boston Centers for Youth and Families, the Boston Public Library, and Boston Public Schools teachers, students, principals, and arts specialists. The SpectrumBoston Ticket Access Fund annually distributes over 2,500 tickets and related classroom resources to schools and communities that would not otherwise have the opportunity or the funding to attend live performances. To become a Community Partner and join the Ticket Access Roster, please call 617-532-1256. To support the SpectrumBoston Access Fund, which please call 617-532-1289.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: January 4, 2012
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz is pleased to announce dates for his first American tour in five years. Set to kick off on January 27th right here in Boston, the nearly 20-city tour is happening in conjunction with the artist’s ninth studio album Black and White America.

Raphael Saadiq is set to join Lenny Kravitz as his special guest, making for what is sure to be a night of unforgettable music.

Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk. Lenny Kravitz is a four time GRAMMY Award winner and has sold over 35 million albums worldwide. The artist’s multiple talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist have resonated through eight studio albums into a timeless catalog. This fall Lenny Kravitz released his 9th studio album, Black and White America to critical acclaim. Marking his first release of new material in three years, Black and White America is a rich rock and funk-infused collection filled with Lenny’s signature guitar riffs, compelling melodies and the undeniable anthemic lyricism that has been his trademark over the course of his 20-year career. For more information please go to lennykravitz.com.

New and old fans of the Grateful Dead alike will be entranced as Phil & Bob take the musical journey “furthur”, exploring some of the Grateful Dead’s most beloved songs in a tour that promises to keep the feet stomping and the bodies shaking.

BOSTON (December 1, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center invites youth ages 11-19, to join the winter session of the City Spotlights Spoken Word Project at the Dudley Branch Library. In this FREE program, participants will develop spoken word, storytelling, and performing arts skills while exploring hip hop culture. The program takes place every Wednesday at the Dudley Branch Library in Roxbury from January 11 to February 15, 4-5:30pm. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. At the end of six weeks, participants present their original work during a poetry slam event held at the Dudley Branch Library. The fall session of the program recently completed in November with a showcase for family and friends.

Register online at citicenter.org/education. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. Contact Siobhan Brown at sbrown@citicenter.org or 617-532-1250 with any questions. The City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is generously supported by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund of the Boston Public Library.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project
WHEN January 11 - February 15
Wednesdays, 4 - 5:30pm
WHERE Dudley Library Branch, 65 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA
WHO Youth ages 11-19
Previous performing arts experience not required.
HOW TO REGISTER Online at citicenter.org/education Contact Siobhan Brown at sbrown@citicenter.org or 617-532-1250 with any questions.
ABOUT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any youth with an interest in developing his/her creative voice and are FREE to all participants.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: December 1, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

BOSTON (November 17, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center has been inducted into the international Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame for Executing Strategy, in recognition of its use of the Kaplan-Norton Balanced Scorecard to achieve exemplary performance results. The induction ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 9th in San Diego, California at the Palladium 2011 Americas Summit.

As the first non-profit arts organization to be inducted in the Hall of Fame’s history, Citi Center joins a distinguished group of organizations from across the globe and both the public and private sectors including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cisco Systems, Inc., the FBI, and the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico. As the leading strategic performance management tool, the Kaplan-Norton Balanced Scorecard is widely utilized among Fortune 500 companies but rarely applied in the non-profit sector and never in the arts. Created by Palladium Group co-founders Drs. Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, the Balanced Scorecard links strategy to operations to drive business outcomes.

“The Balanced Scorecard has been a critical factor in Citi Performing Arts Center’s dramatic five-year transformation—identifying priorities, focusing resources, improving execution, and driving results,” said Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President and CEO. “Citi Performing Arts Center considers itself an innovative model for non-profit arts organization and is proud to be recognized as the first in this esteemed international group.”

Using the Balanced Scorecard framework, Citi Center implemented a new vision and strategy in 2006—launching an innovative hybrid business model to balance its non-profit mission and operations, creating a community-based arts education program with depth, breadth, and impact, and investing in its cultural facilities and infrastructure to ensure sustainability. In the past five years, this strategy has driven breakthrough results, measured and reported through ClearPoint Strategy. Results include increasing both earned and contributed income, realigning board, staff, and volunteers, and launching a comprehensive evaluation strategy for education program impact.

Today, Citi Performing Arts Center’s Balanced Scorecard-driven turnaround has been cited as a best practice model, garnering media attention and leveraging support from the cultural and business communities. Citi Center gained recent national recognition from GuideStar and BridgeStar for its governance reform initiative, funding from The Kresge Foundation and Massachusetts Cultural Council for historic building reserves, and statewide awards from Arts/Learning for its high-impact arts education programs.

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

About Palladium Group, Inc.
Palladium Group is the global leader in helping organizations solve their most pressing strategy execution challenges. We provide our clients with an integrated set of services—strategy and technology consulting, education, training, and certification—that deliver tangible results and enduring internal capabilities. The benefits of our approach are demonstrated through the Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame for Executing Strategy® which recognizes organizations that have achieved premium returns through outstanding execution. Visit ThePalladiumGroup.com.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: November 17, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

The album, Stronger, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the Digital Albums Chart. All 5 of Kelly’s albums have debuted in the Top 3. The first single, “Mr. Know It All” has reached #4 on the iTunes Singles Chart and marks Kelly’s 9th Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Kelly recently won a Country Music Association award for Musical Event of the Year with Jason Aldean, for their hit single “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”

Entertainment Weekly calls Stronger, “a breakup album for the ages” while Billboard states, “she’s in her strongest form yet on fifth album Stronger.” The New York Times claims, “Ms. Clarkson is turning into the Mary J. Blige of pop,” while USA Today says “vocally, Clarkson has never sounded better.” Rolling Stone states Kelly has, “one of music’s most remarkable voices.”

Since bursting onto the music scene 10 years ago, Kelly Clarkson has released 5 studio albums (Thankful, Breakaway, My December, All I Ever Wanted, Stronger), sold over 20 million albums worldwide, 10 million albums in the US and has had 9 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. She is the recipient of 2 Grammy Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 2 MTV Awards, 1 Country Music Award and 11 Billboard Awards.

Visit Kelly's website.

“Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to accept The Kresge Foundation’s grant which will enable urgent facilities improvements,” said Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President and CEO. “For nearly a century, our landmark theatres have served as cultural icons in Boston. The Kresge Foundation’s support will ensure that they remain accessible and valued community assets for many years to come.”

In addition to facilities improvements, the Kresge Foundation grant will enable Citi Center to establish a Building Reserves Fund to ensure that the organization is well-capitalized into the future. The fund will help the organization guarantee continuity in the provision of programs and services, take advantage of opportunities to innovate, and provide for the inevitable need to reinvest in our facilities years from now.

“The Kresge Foundation believes that well-capitalized arts and cultural organizations are better able to execute their missions and provide effective and relevant programming,” said Alice L. Carle, Program Director for Arts and Culture. ”By supporting Citi Performing Arts Center, The Kresge Foundation seeks to contribute to the vitality of the Boston community."

Citi Performing Arts Center’s historic venues have long anchored Boston's downtown Theater District, attracting New England audiences with outstanding arts and entertainment and stimulating $56 million to the local economy. Two decades ago, the Wang Center for the Performing Arts, today known as Citi Performing Arts Center, completed a 10 year, $9.8M restoration campaign. The Kresge Foundation played a significant role in this initiative, awarding the Center $750,000 to restore the Wang Theatre to its original 1925 glory. Since then 12.2 million visitors from around the world have attended world-class performances in Citi Center’s theatres, and Citi Center’s education program has reached 200,000 children in all Boston neighborhoods.

In the past year, Citi Performing Arts Center has been recognized by local and international press for the essential role it plays in the city’s cultural community. Leading music industry magazine, Billboard ranked the Citi Wang Theatre #7 in the Top 10 Grossing Venues around the globe with capacities of 5,000 or less in its 2011 mid-year charts.

Today Citi Performing Arts Center faces the critical task of preserving the theatres’ spectacular architecture and adapting them for the 21st century. The Kresge Foundation’s Challenge Grant will support Citi Performing Arts Center’s ongoing investment in their upkeep, technical capacity, and restoration. In the coming months, Citi Center will be working to leverage public support to satisfy the grant’s matching requirement.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: October 21, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

BOSTON (October 5, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center invites youth ages 11-19, to join its fall City Spotlights Spoken Word Project at the Dudley Library Branch. In this FREE program, participants develop spoken word, storytelling, and performing arts skills while exploring hip hop culture. The program takes place at the Dudley Branch Library in Roxbury from October 12 to November 16, from 4-5:30pm every Wednesday. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. At the end of six weeks, participants present their original work during a poetry slam event held at the Dudley Branch Library.

Register online at citicenter.org/education. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. Contact Siobhan Brown at sbrown@citicenter.org or 617-532-1250 with any questions. The City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is generously supported by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund of the Boston Public Library.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project
WHEN October 12 - November 16
Wednesdays, 4 - 5:30pm
WHERE Dudley Library Branch, 65 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA
WHO Youth ages 11-19
Previous performing arts experience not required.
HOW TO REGISTER Online at citicenter.org/education Contact Siobhan Brown at sbrown@citicenter.org or 617-532-1250 with any questions.
ABOUT City Spotlights Spoken Word Project is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any youth with an interest in developing his/her creative voice and are FREE to all participants.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: October 5, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

No Peace for the Restless as DJ Ms. Thang spins the night away in The Addams Family honor Dance the night away onstage at the legendary Wang Theatre with ghosts of performers past! The evening includes a lively night of specialty cocktails, toxically cruel treats and dancing on graves. Dress to impress in creepy couture.

Proceeds from the evening benefit our award-winning arts education programs, the preservation of our historic theatres, and reserves for mission sustainability.

Want to attend our 85th Anniversary Gala Dinner before The Graveyard Shift? Learn more here.

The Addams Family – A New Musical Comedy runs from February 7-19, 2012 at the Citi Shubert Theatre.

Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre welcomes LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Winner of three Tony Awards® including the award for BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, this hilarious new production was the biggest hit of the 2010 Broadway season, leaving audiences in stitches night after night!

Starring George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber, LA CAGE tells the story of Georges (George Hamilton), the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin (Christopher Sieber), who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges' son brings his fiancée's conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! LA CAGE is a tuneful and touching tale of one family's struggle to stay together... stay fabulous... and above all else, stay true to themselves!

With a glorious score of hummable melodies and a dynamite cast featuring the "notorious and dangerous Cagelles," LA CAGE is an indisputable musical comedy classic... and this extraordinary new version shows you why!

Part of the Lexus Broadway In Boston Series

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

In support of his forthcoming box set collection Sting: 25 Years, slated for release on September 27, the tour features Sting backed by a 5-piece band in an intimate theatre setting.

Back to Bass finds Sting performing songs spanning his dynamic and enduring solo career, from his 1985 debut The Dream Of The Blue Turtles to his latest release, Live in Berlin, plus a selection of The Police’s greatest hits. Highlights include the Grammy® winners “Brand New Day” and “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You” plus fan-favorites “Englishman In New York,” “Desert Rose” and “Roxanne.” Sting will be joined by a band including his longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, Rufus Miller (guitarist), Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer), Peter Tickell (electric fiddle), and Jo Lawry(vocalist).

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sting's solo career, the definitive box set Sting: 25 Years, will be released on September 27, 2011. This collection captures for the first time both the highlights and rarities of Sting’s enduring solo career and contains three CDs, all re-mastered exclusively for this set and personally curated by Sting, as well as a previously unreleased live DVD, Rough, Raw & Unreleased, filmed at New York City’s Irving Plaza. The discs are housed in a hardcover book featuring rare photos, complete lyrics, and newly written commentary by Sting. In addition, Sting: The Best of 25 Years (single disc) will be released on October 18, 2011.

For more information please visit: sting.com

The Australian Pink Floyd Show is unquestionably one of the world's top classic rock tribute acts today. Floyd drummer Nick Mason has praised TAPFS as, “very good, probably better than we are,” while the group was even engaged by Floyd guitarist David Gilmour to perform at his 50th birthday celebration!

The upcoming tour will be TAPFS's most ambitious and spectacular ever as they debut a new quadraphonic sound system and state-of-the-art 3D stereographic technology. Don't miss the awe-inspiring Floyd-ian style laser and light show and host of over-sized inflatables - including a gigantic pink kangaroo!

Comprised of band members Steve Mac (vocals/guitar), Colin Wilson (bass and vocals), Jason Sawford (keyboards), David Domminney Fowler (guitar/vocals), Alex McNamara (vocals), Mike Kidson (saxophone), Paul Bonney (drums), Bianca Glynn (vocals), Emily Lynn (vocals), and Lara Smiles (vocals), TAPFS was originally formed in 1988. Over the years, the group has played to wildly enthusiastic audiences worldwide, paying tribute to the group that issued such all-time classic albums as "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here," and "The Wall," as well as the rock radio standards "Money," "Wish You Were Here," "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" and "Comfortably Numb."

The Australian Pink Floyd Show continues to rack up accolades, including being described as "setting the gold standard" and being praised as "The best tribute band in the world" (Sunday Times) and "The living embodiment of a Floyd show. If you love the Floyd, you’ll love this" (Liverpool Echo).

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, the debut album, is available November 8 on Sour Mash Records. Pre-order yours now at noelgallagher.com. The first single "The Death of You and Me" is available now.

BOSTON (August 23, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center seeks youth ages 14-19, for its fall City Spotlights Leadership Program. Participants develop leadership, professional skills, and performance training in music and spoken word through an 8-week program – this fall’s session will be an exploration of hip hop culture. The program takes place at Citi Performing Arts Center from September 27th through November 18th, afterschool every Tuesday and Thursday. Participants receive a stipend for their work and must be able to attend all sessions. The program culminates in a performance tour throughout Boston. Read more about this past summer’s session here: citicenter.org/about/blogs/.

Applicants may schedule an interview by contacting Ramona Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221. Interviews will take place weekdays from 3-5pm, beginning August 29th. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. Applicants are asked to memorize and present a 2-minute monologue from a scripted play or published poem, sing 16 bars of a song, and bring a resume if possible.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT: City Spotlights Leadership Program
WHEN: September 27 – November 18
Tuesday and Thursdays, afterschool
WHERE: Citi Performing Arts Center, 270 Tremont Street, Boston
WHO: Youth ages 14-19
Previous performing arts experience not required
Stipends available
HOW TO APPLY Contact Ramona Lisa Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221

ABOUT: The City Spotlights Leadership Program is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education Programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any teen with an interest in developing their creative voice. More information available at citicenter.org/education.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: August 18, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

BOSTON (August 18, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center announces that its landmark historic Wang Theatre has received international and local recognition as a top performing arts venue. Leading music business magazine, Billboard ranked the Citi Wang Theatre #7 in the Top 10 Grossing Venues around the globe with capacities of 5,000 or less in its 2011 mid-year charts. This honor acknowledges the Citi Wang Theatre‘s excellence in providing New England audiences with access to world-class arts and entertainment.

At the local level, the Improper Bostonian, metro Boston‘s guide to culture and entertainment, crowned the Citi Wang Theatre as Boston’s Best Venue, and for the second year, Citi Center was named to Boston.com’s A-List as Best Performing Arts Venue, thanks to hundreds of Boston.com voters. Together these honors recognize the essential role the historic theatre plays in the city‘s cultural life.

"As an iconic Boston landmark and nonprofit community arts center, Citi Performing Arts Center’s Wang Theatre has long been considered the ‘People’s Palace’” said Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President and CEO. “Today our historic theatre is attracting more diverse audiences than ever thanks to our programming partner Madison Square Garden Entertainment and the wide-range of performances offered on our stages—including sold-out performances of legendary artists like Neil Young, Eddie Vedder, and Paul Simon, to popular family fare including Cirque Eloize and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. We thank MSG Entertainment for their commitment as our booking partner in making the Wang Theatre the world-class destination it is today."

Celebrated for its beauty and architectural significance to the City of Boston, the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since opening to audiences in 1925 as the Metropolitan Theatre, it has developed from a movie “cathedral” and home to vaudeville musicals and big bands to today’s role as an impressive venue, hosting outstanding, diverse, culturally relevant performing arts and entertainment. In the 1980s, the then-called Music Hall fell into disrepair, yet through the generosity of Dr. An and Lorraine Wang, the theatre was restored to its former glory and renamed in their honor. Through innovative partnerships with Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Citibank, the 3,600 seat Citi Wang Theatre welcomes hundreds of thousands of people throughout the year. Today, with one of the five largest stages in the country, it offers popular music, theatre, Broadway, dance and family programming to New England audiences of all ages and cultures.

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

The result: Macbeth- bold, terrifying, hypnotic, gripping.

Music Director David Angus will lead BLO’s esteemed orchestra and chorus while David Schweizer returns to BLO after last season’s highly successful The Emperor of Atlantis. American soprano Carter Scott, fresh from The Lyric Opera of Chicago, debuts as Lady Macbeth. The cast features Metropolitan Opera baritone Daniel Sutin, making his BLO debut as Macbeth, bass-baritone Darren K. Stokes as Banquo (Carmen, 2009; Midsummer, 2011), and celebrated Met tenor Richard Crawley as Macduff. With David Cushing, John Irvin and Michelle Trainor.

Sung in Italian

New Production

Half-Off Student Tickets for the Opera may be purchased in advance at the Citi Performing Arts Center Box Office. 2 tickets per valid student ID.

The Inspector, John Musto’s witty comic gem boasts a melodic score and features a large and talented cast of established and versatile American dramatic singers. Basing the work loosely on Gogol’s 19th century farce, The Government Inspector, Musto once again teams up with librettist Mark Campbell to create a swaggeringly funny tale of bribery, fraud, corruption (and a little discreet pimping) in 1930s Sicily.

Jake Gardner, BLO’s Music Master in 2010’s Ariadne auf Naxos, stars as Mayor Fazzobaldi and joins internationally renowned Metropolitan Opera star and Grammy nominee Victoria Livengood as Sarelda. Boston-based soprano Meredith Hansen and tenor Neal Ferreira sing the young lovers Beatrice and Tancredi in a cast conducted by David Agnus. With Julius Ahn, Dorothy Byrne, David Cushing, David Kravitz, Nicole Rodin, Kathryn Skemp, and Michelle Trainor.

Half-Off Student Tickets for the Opera may be purchased in advance at the Citi Performing Arts Center Box Office. 2 tickets per valid student ID.

Mellencamp’s critically acclaimed No Better Than This album recording session began at Savannah’s First African Baptist Church. Mellencamp and producer T Bone Burnett would go on to record the rest of the album at Sun Studio in Memphis and in Room 414 of San Antonio's Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936. The sessions were documented on a 55-year-old mono tape recorder using just one vintage microphone at each location.

As a reflection of the diversity of styles and material that have been a hallmark of Mellencamp's eclectic career, the No Better Than This concerts are formatted into three segments. These showcase John Mellencamp in an acoustic context, fronting a small combo recalling blues/country and rockabilly roots and with his full rock band. Musicians backing Mellencamp include Michael Wanchic (guitar), Andy York (guitar), Miriam Sturm (violin), John Gunnell (electric and upright bass), Dane Clark (drums and percussion) and Troye Kinnett (accordion/keyboards).

Each of the No Better Than This tour dates will be preceded by a screening of It’s About You, the documentary by filmmakers Kurt and Ian Markus, shot on Super 8, over the course of 2009’s Bob Dylan-John Mellencamp-Willie Nelson tour of minor league baseball stadiums. The hour-long film, both a SXSW Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival selection, chronicles the creation of the No Better Than This album that was recorded on that tour’s off days. The film will be shown at 7 PM at each of the No Better Than This Tour venues so ticket holders are advised to arrive in time to see it.

As was the case with its album namesake, No Better Than This concerts have been the subject of an impressive number of laudatory reviews. A selection of excerpts from those follows.

"Mellencamp's goal in reconfiguring these songs was clear: to establish that underneath the pop-radio polish lurked deep truths about American life. ..he went about his business without abandoning his natural animal magnetism, Mellencamp succeeded." - Los Angeles Times

"Mellencamp gloriously proved that not only is he one of America’s treasures, an incredible singer-songwriter and guitarist, he’s also a master at putting together a set." - Dallas Morning News

"..a concert that seesawed between facing mortality — full of songs about death — and a stubborn determination to live fully." - New York Times "..he maintains remarkable vocal strength. It's an instrument that's perfectly suited to a catalogue of songs that aim to provide a voice to a cast of uncelebrated working-class figures." - Richmond Times-Dispatch

"His voice, grainy and loaded with gravitas, remains as compelling and as affective as it was the day he recorded ‘Pink Houses’ in 1983. It’s a voice that’s as distinctive as any of his arguably more famous peers, from Dylan to Springsteen to Petty, and like those artists, it’s attached to a man who has kept integrity high on his priority list. Johnny Cash once referred to him as one of the ten best songwriters, and Mellencamp’s newer material didn’t disappoint in a live setting." - American Songwriter

"..it was a generous show, giving the fans what they wanted, but also allowing the leader to indulge in a more old-school style." - St Paul Pioneer Press

"This concert was superb from beginning to end, with Mellencamp and his crack band taking a stripped down, neo-folk approach until the last quarter, when he unleashed his rock 'n' roll persona. I'm loath to call anything the best, but if I have to choose, this was the concert of the year in Pittsburgh." - Pittsburgh Tribune

*Please note you will be contacted via e-mail a few days prior to the actual show date with additional details concerning your VIP package. Information will be sent to the e-mail address provided at the time of purchase.
All packages are non-transferable; no will-call name changes will be permitted under any circumstances. The person who purchases the tickets must be the same person who claims the tickets at will-call with a valid photo identification. VIP merchandise will be shipped directly to each package purchaser at the address provided at the time of purchase; delivery may occur after event date. The VIP laminate does not gain or authorize access into the venue or any backstage areas. It is for commemorative purposes only.
Packages are open to U.S and Canadian Addresses Only.
For all customer service inquiries please contact tickets@fanfire.com.
All ticket prices include a $3.00 Facility Fee.

Early in his stand-up career, Tucker gained a reputation as one of the leading comics on the Los Angeles circuit and was invited to participate in hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy All-Star Jam on HBO.

As an actor, high energy Tucker paired up with one of rap’s greatest, Ice Cube, in the 1995 cult classic, Friday. As “Smokey”, Tucker utilized his keen since of comedy and acting while developing a signature silver screen persona that would gain him international fame and recognition. He then gave a notable performance alongside veteran actor Lorenz Tate in Dead Presidents and landed co-starring roles in memorable films such as Money Talks, with actor Charlie Sheen; The Fifth Element, partnered with action hero Bruce Willis; and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.

Beyond the popularity and notoriety of the previous years’ films, it was the 1998 blockbuster hit Rush Hour that amassed a global following to catapult Tucker to international stardom. The action comedy, starring Tucker and martial artist Jackie Chan, would transfix audiences and surpass box office records, making the feature length film a certified success. The widely popular movie spawned an even more popular sequel further establishing Tucker as one of the highest paid actors in history. The third installment of the mega hit went on to debut as the number one movie in America.

Picking Up Your Tickets:

• Tickets will be available for ADVANCE PICK-UP at the box office beginning at 12:15pm on the day of the show. Your entire party must be present at the time of pick-up (i.e., if you bought four tickets, all four of you must be there). *No tickets will be issued to incomplete parties.*

• Guests choosing ADVANCE PICK-UP will be issued a wristband, and only those wristbanded guests (with their tickets in hand) will be able to enter the venue through a priority entrance any time after doors open.

• Valid photo ID and credit card used to purchase the tickets are required for ticket pick-up.

• Tickets are non-transferable, and name changes on ticket orders are not permitted under any circumstances. If your photo ID does not match the name on your ticket order, you will be denied entry to the venue.

• Doors open at 6:15pm. The show is scheduled to begin at 8:00pm. • All guests picking up tickets after doors open are required to immediately enter the venue. Exit and re-entry will not be permitted. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding, and we look forward to a great night with Wilco! If you have any questions about your ticket order, please call 866-348-9738.

Wilco performs live at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre on September 20th in support of their new album,“The Whole Love”, available September 27. Special Guest Nick Lowe.

Wilco release their eighth studio album - The Whole Love - through their newly launched dBpm Records. It follows the band’s 2009 Grammy-nominated Wilco (The Album) and was recorded at the band’s Chicago recording studio The Loft. The Whole Love features 12 new original tunes and is produced by Jeff Tweedy with Patrick Sansone and Tom Schick.

The Whole Love is a veritable sonic stew, showcasing Wilco’s far-reaching musical prowess (multiple guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and percussion plus Mellotron, strings, loops and more) perfectly accompanying Jeff Tweedy’s provocative and insightful lyrics. The Whole Love opens with the seven-minute "Art of Almost" and concludes with the twelve-minute "One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)." In between: 10 adventurous tunes (each clocking in at four minutes or less) including the current single, "I Might".

For more info about Wilco, visit wilcoworld.net.

BOSTON (June 23, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center has received a $8,500 grant from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Expansion Fund by EdVestors to fund a year-long play-writing residency at Madison Park High School in Roxbury. Citi Performing Arts Center is one of 48 recipients of $825,000 in grants by the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative which will go to support arts education programs in 50 Boston Public Schools.

According to the 2010-11 BPS Arts Inventory, only 15% of students at Madison Park High School received any arts instruction; an increase of 10% since 2008-2009, when the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative was founded. Citi Performing Arts Center’s EdVestors Arts Program will build on past work at Madison Park in Fall 2010, when it offered a 6 week artist residency to twelfth grade students. The 2011-2012 program will supplement current creative writing offerings at the school, serving 25 students in grade 12 with weekly instruction in play-writing and culminating in the creation of original performance pieces. The residency will be taught by a professional Teaching Artist, and include an in-school performance by local guest artists and ticket access to professional productions in Boston’s Theatre District.

"Citi Performing Arts Center and the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative agree that it is a right for every youth to have a creative life, to experience art, and to express themselves creatively," said Josiah A. Spaulding, President and CEO of Citi Performing Arts Center. "Citi Center is proud to be part of this initiative and will continue providing meaningful arts experiences for Boston’s youth."

As a partner in Boston’s Community Learning Initiative, Citi Performing Arts Center is committed to a collaborative model of implementing arts education programming in underserved schools. Since 2009, through support from Target Corporation and EdVestors, Citi Center has served more than 6,000 students at 25 Boston Public Schools with artist residencies, “Meet the Performing Artist” workshops, and ticket access to world-class arts performances. The 2011-2012 EdVestors Arts Program at Madison Park High School builds on the success of Citi Center’s 2010-2011 EdVestors Arts Program which served 100 students at Snowden International High School in Back Bay and Odyssey High School in South Boston with high-quality, year-long arts exposure. Learn more directly from the students who participated on our blog: citicenter.org/education/blogs.

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About the Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion Initiative

Launched in February 2009, the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative is a three year effort to expand arts education within BPS.  Focused on providing equity and access to quality arts learning experiences to every BPS student, the Initiative seeks to expand arts instruction, build the capacity of the system to support school-based arts programs, and to enhance partnerships between schools, arts and cultural groups, and higher educational institutions.

The BPS arts expansion effort is a key piece of Superintendent Carol R. Johnson's Acceleration Agenda, a five-year strategic direction (2009-2014) that outlines goals and priorities for transforming the Boston Public Schools. The Initiative is supported by several collaborating donors, including the Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, EdVestors, Hunt Alternatives Fund, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Linde Family Foundation, and other foundations and individual donors. The Initiative is based on a report, The Arts Advantage: Expanding Arts Education in the Boston Public Schools, released in February of 2009. For more details on the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative, please visit www.edvestors.org.

 About EdVestors

EdVestors is an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization dedicated to driving change in urban schools through smart, strategic private investment.  EdVestors seeks to close the opportunity gap for children by identifying and shaping the most effective school improvement initiatives and partnering with donors to invest in those efforts while supporting the project leaders with hands-on expertise.  Launched in 2002 by a group of philanthropists, educators and business leaders, EdVestors has raised and directed more than $9 million to strategic school improvement efforts in Boston.  For more information about EdVestors, visit www.edvestors.org or call 617.585.5740.

About Citi Performing Arts Center

Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions.  As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience.  For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: June 23, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Mayor Thomas M. Menino dedicates Mural while surrounded by teen artists from Mural Crew

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ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: June 8, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Steely Dan comes to the Citi Performing Arts Center for three shows on Wednesday, September 28th, Friday, September 30th and Saturday, October 1st. Each show will feature a different setlist.

Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, September 28 – “Dawn of the Dan” (songs from their first 3 albums + greatest hits)

Friday, September 30 – “Takin’ It To the Seats” (request night + greatest hits)
Request your favorite Steely Dan song and help decide the set list.
Place your song request here!

Saturday, October 1 – “The Royal Scam” (complete album + greatest hits)

BOSTON (May 24, 2011) – Citi Performing Arts Center seeks youth ages 14-19, for its summer City Spotlights Leadership Program. Participants develop leadership, professional skills, and performance training in dance, music, spoken word and acting through a 5-week program – this summer’s session will be an exploration of hip hop culture. The program takes place at Citi Performing Arts Center from July 11th to August 12th, daily from 9am-4pm. Participants receive a stipend for their work and must be able to attend all sessions. The program culminates in a performance tour throughout Boston.

Applicants may schedule an interview by contacting Ramona Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221. Interviews will take place weekdays from 3-6pm, beginning May 23rd. Previous performing arts experience is not necessary. Applicants are asked to memorize and present a 2-minute monologue from a scripted play or published poem and bring a resume if possible.

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT: City Spotlights Leadership Program
WHEN: July 11 – August 12
Monday through Friday, 9am – 4pm
WHERE: Citi Performing Arts Center, 270 Tremont Street, Boston
WHO: Youth ages 14-19
Previous performing arts experience not required
Stipends available
HOW TO APPLY Contact Ramona Lisa Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org or 617-532-1221

ABOUT: The City Spotlights Leadership Program is part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education Programming. Programs enable every youth to explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists and peer leader trainers from the community. Programs are open to any teen with an interest in developing their creative voice. More information available at citicenter.org/education.

# # #

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: May 23, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Get a sneak peek in this video.

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

Enjoy a full service catered event before being swept away by the dazzling performance. Click here to learn more.

Experience the convenience of pre-ordering specially prepared meals and snacks for your enjoyment prior to seeing the show. Click here to learn more about prepared meals.

The all-new tour comes on the heels of his sold out "Tosh Tour Twenty Ten" smash tour, which ran 3 short months from September – December 2010, with over 75 shows drawing more than 175,000 fans.

Host of the super successful Comedy Central series, Tosh.0, Tosh was named as one of the "10 comics to watch" by Daily Variety. Tosh is currently one of the most requested headliners in the country. He has also quickly evolved into one of the most successful acts, having performed more than seven hundred shows in his career. Tosh’s casual style and sharp material have proven to be greatly appreciated by his audiences, young and old.

BOSTON (April 25, 2011) - Target Corporation has been selected by Arts|Learning to receive the 2011 Arts|Learning Corporate Support of Arts Education Award. The award recognizes Target’s commitment to arts education in Massachusetts through its support of the Target Arts Program, a partnership between Citi Performing Arts Center and Boston Public Schools (BPS) to provide free in-school arts learning opportunities for students in grades K-12. Since 2010, Target Arts Program has served 17 Boston Public Schools and more than 6,700 students. Target Corporation will be honored at the 25th Annual Champions of the Arts Award Ceremony at the State House on May 25th.

"Like Citi Performing Arts Center, Target believes that every youth has a right to have a creative life, experience art, and express themselves creatively," said Josiah Spaulding, President and CEO of Citi Performing Arts Center. "This award recognizes Target’s efforts to ensure that this vision is realized in the Boston community. We look forward to continuing to work together toward this future."

Boston Public Schools Superintendent, Carol R. Johnson adds, "We are pleased that Target has chosen to invest in our efforts to expand arts enrichment programs and engage students in creative skills building that can enhance and sometimes accelerate their core academic learning experience. This recognition of Target’s commitment to expanding access to arts experiences and education for our students is well-deserved."

As a unique city-wide partnership between Boston Public Schools, Target, and Citi Performing Arts Center, the Target Arts Program fills a critical need for performing arts programs in Boston’s public schools, providing opportunities for students to see, learn, and participate in the performing arts, both in the classroom and in the theatre. Since January 2010, the Target Arts Program has invested more than $150,000 in Boston’s youth, serving 17 Boston public schools, including 7 of the 12 Turnaround Schools, and reaching more than 6,700 K-12 students through artist residencies, in-school performance assemblies, and free tickets to local professional productions in Boston’s historic Theatre District.

For more about the Target Arts Program and see video and photos, visit Citi Performing Arts Center’s media gallery (citicenter.org/gallery/). For more information about Citi Performing Arts Center’s arts education programs, call (617) 532-1256 or visit citicenter.org/education.

# # #

ABOUT TARGET ARTS PROGRAM
The Target Arts program is a unique city-wide collaboration among Boston’s fine arts, cultural, and municipal organizations. The program aims to improve school success, engage families, and strengthen community by giving access to Boston’s rich offerings of music, dance, visual arts, theater and cultural events to students and families who typically have no opportunity to engage in the professional performing arts. Arts and cultural enrichment celebrations will develop diverse audiences by bringing information to the community through school-based development, community outreach, and citywide collaboration. The BPS Arts Office in partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center coordinates Target Arts programming. This programming includes in-school residencies and special guest artist visits and an invitation to view professional performances at Citi Performing Arts Center and other Boston Theatre District venues.

ABOUT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Boston Public Schools serves more than 56,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 135 schools, and in 2006 won the Broad Prize for Urban Education as the top city school district in the country. Superintendent Carol R. Johnson has made expansion of arts education one of the cornerstones of the Acceleration Agenda for the Boston Public Schools (BPS). In partnership with community organizations, Dr. Johnson has committed to giving students of all ages greater access to the arts – including music, dance, theater, visual arts, and more – during and after the school day. In 2008, Dr. Johnson convened an Arts Advisory Group and commissioned a study to assess the state of arts education in the district. Following the release of the study in February 2009, BPS, in collaboration with EdVestors and other organizations, announced the creation of a $1.5 million Arts Expansion Fund to support school-based arts programs, expand district capacity to coordinate arts education initiatives, and support research and planning efforts in support of the expansion initiative. New arts investments over the past year include the creation of a citywide marching band and high school choir, among others. In October 2009, BPS was awarded a $750,000 “Arts for Young People” planning grant from the Wallace Foundation to build on the work underway and to develop a long-term sustainability plan for expanded arts in schools across the system. For more information, visit bostonpublicschools.org.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

ABOUT TARGET
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at more than 1,600 stores nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: April 25, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org
Matthew Wilder | Boston Public Schools (617) 635-9494 | mwilder2@bostonpublicschools.org
Target Communications (612) 696-3400

"Heritage" is the all-new Celtic Thunder Release that focuses entirely on their Celtic and Irish roots. Featuring traditional standards such as "Whiskey in the Jar," "Black is the Color," "Skye Boat Song" and "Red, Red Rose" as well as a few beautiful love songs such as, "The Dutchman", "Noreen" and "Just a Song at Twilight." Celtic Thunder Fan Favorites such as "Heartland" and "Ireland’s Call", and the new song "A Voice in the Choir".

Watch Celtic Thunder's version of "Whiskey in the Jar"

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

It has been several years since Alison Krauss along with Union Station band members Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals) toured together. Their last go around saw raves from critics who witnessed "Krauss and Union Station induce awe with their musical virtuosity...pangs of heartache with their ballads of disillusionment and, most significantly, the giddiness that results from hearing a familiar tune played well." (Chicago Sun Times) It is with great pleasure that they announce their live return with a nationwide tour, set to kick off in Louisville, KY on June 4th.

Alison Krauss and her band discuss the making of their latest album, 'Paper Airplane'. 'Paper Airplane' is out April 12, 2011, on Rounder Records

City Spotlights is a free cultural talent event featuring performing arts groups and individual performers from the Boston neighborhoods of Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan. In this special performance, performers portray the identities of Boston neighborhoods through dance, music, theatre and song, creating a story honoring the uniqueness and richness of Boston. The event brings youth and adults from across the city together with local performing arts groups and individual performers. Special Guest Artists include: Breje (R&B and hip hop vocalist), Velma Dupont (opera vocalist), The Eliot School Before School Rock Band, The Gentleman Outfit (acoustic musicians), Herb Jackson & The Exterminators (rap group), Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts (lyrical jazz dance troupe), Thee Slap Bracelets (hip-hop dance troupe).

"City Spotlights is an opportunity to see Boston through the eyes of our neighbors.” Ruth Mercado-Zizzo, Director of Education at Citi Performing Arts Center said. “Created for members of our community by members of our community, the event celebrates what makes each Boston neighborhood unique and what unites them all."

Citi Performing Arts Center created City Spotlights in 2006 to engage Boston communities in an exploration and celebration of their individual neighborhoods through the performing arts. Preparations for this year’s event began in Fall 2010 in “spotlighted neighborhoods, with performing arts workshops at Boston Centers for Youth and Families sites including Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Hennigan Community Center in Jamaica Plain, Leahy-Holloran Community Center in Dorchester, and Mildred Avenue Community Center in Mattapan. In January 2011, teaching artists continued guiding participants to create neighborhood ensembles and an original performance that was performed for local audiences at the community centers. In March 2011, ensemble members along with local guest artists came together at Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre to create a unified piece honoring all of the "spotlighted" neighborhoods, and titled "City Movement: Comings and Goings of Boston." The City Spotlights event will showcase this performance and the participants’ yearlong effort.

Josiah A. Spaulding, President and CEO, adds: “City Spotlights is an annual reminder of the profound importance of the arts in our city. Despite differences in age, neighborhood, and experience, youth and adults alike come together to create a truly unique expression of community. Programs like City Spotlights make Citi Performing Arts Center proud to call ourselves a true community arts center.

City Spotlights is a part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Community Learning programming in Boston Centers for Youth and Families sites across Boston. Citi Performing Arts Center’s Arts Education programs are committed to helping every youth explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists from the community. Programs are open to anyone with an interest in creative programs and are FREE to all participants. Visit citicenter.org/education for more information.

WHAT 5th Annual City Spotlights Performance

WHEN Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 7pm

WHERE Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, Grand Lobby, 270 Tremont St, Boston

WHO Intergenerational ensemble bringing together participants from Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Mattapan, and special guest artists including:

• Breje - R&B and hip hop vocalist
• Velma Dupont - opera vocalist
• The Eliot School Before School Rock Band
• The Gentleman Outfit - acoustic musicians
• Herb Jackson & The Exterminators - rap group
• Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts - lyrical jazz dance troupe
• Thee Slap Bracelets - hip-hop dance troupe

TICKETS Admission is FREE | General Admission Seating
Reservation limit: 4 per household,10 per organization
• Call 617-532-1265 to make reservations before Friday, April 15, at 12pm Seating available on first come, first served basis. Remaining reservation holders will be accommodated via standing room.

ABOUT City Spotlights is a free cultural event spotlighting the talent of Boston neighborhoods (Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan), featuring local performing arts groups and individual neighborhood performers. In this special performance, performers portray the identities of Boston neighborhoods through dance, music, theatre and song, creating a story honoring and celebrating the uniqueness and richness of Boston.

**Photos available upon request**

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: April 5, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Throughout its career, DEEP PURPLE -- who formed in England in 1968 and released their debut album that year--has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Iconic hits include "Smoke On The Water," "Highway Star," "Space Truckin’," "Hush" and "My Woman From Tokyo."

Deep Purple Official Website

Opening for Deep Purple is Boston's own Ernie and the Automatics featuring Ernie Boch, Barry Goudreau and Sib Hashian of Boston, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame sax icon Michael "Tunes" Antunes (John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, among others) members of Peter Wolf's House Party 5. Check out Ernie and the Automatics.

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

Vedder's solo album, Ukulele Songs, will be released on Tuesday, May 31st through Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench Records. Ukulele Songs is a collection of original songs and covers performed by Vedder on ukulele. The first single from the album, "Longing to Belong," is available now digitally.

Citi Performing Arts Center welcomes award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa and his ace touring band to Boston at the Wang Theatre on November 3rd. The one-night-only show is in support of his upcoming full-length solo album, Dust Bowl. This is Bonamassa’s ninth studio release on his own J&R Adventures label, which he created with longtime manager and business partner Roy Weisman.

Get a free download of Joe's new single at www.jbonamassa.com

• March 21 – Derrick Ashong will lead high school interns in leadership training at Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, challenging the youth to serve as community advocates.


• March 21, 22 & 23 – Ashong will participate in student assemblies at the Snowden International High School in Back Bay and Odyssey High School in South Boston as part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Edvestors Arts Program, which provides yearlong artist residencies to Boston Public Schools. Derrick will also speak to theatre students at Boston Arts Academy in the Fenway. During a “Meet the Performer” session at each school, he will discuss social change through art with the students.


• March 23 – Ashong will return to Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre to take part in a City Spotlights rehearsal with youth and adults from Boston, including Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Mattapan. Participants are in the process of creating an original performance piece to be presented at the fifth annual City Spotlights event.

PREVIOUS VISIT: In November, Ashong made youth civic engagement the focus of his first visit. At Citi Performing Arts Center, Derrick helped high school interns voice their plan for a safer and better community. Inspired by Election Day, the interns created a video-letter to the Governor expressing their civic concerns and proposing a unique solution. The video was later produced in partnership with teens at the Arts High School in Newark and it premiered on Inauguration Day in January (view the video here: youtube.com/citicenter). Ashong also made stops to at Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester and Madison Park High School in Roxbury, where he challenged youth to use the arts and their voices to speak up for their beliefs. At the Mildred Avenue Community Center in Mattapan, Ashong led a how-to session in the center’s recording studio, encouraging youth to use creative channels to share their concerns for the community.

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ABOUT DERRICK ASHONG Derrick N. Ashong - or DNA as he is sometimes known - is literally the voice of a new generation. Whether heard in the eloquent expression of his thoughts on then Senator Barack Obama (as seen in one of the most viewed videos of 2008 on YouTube), in his music (as leader of the emerging band Soulfège, more information: soulfege.com) in his songwriting (as winner of the 2007 Billboard Songwriting Contest for Best Hip Hop song) or in his acting ability, the Harvard educated talent has found myriad ways to inspire, engage and activate young people with positive messages for social change.
DNA is the host of "The Derrick Ashong Experience" on SIRIUS XM's Oprah Radio. The show airs Saturdays from 12:00 - 3:00 pm ET on Oprah Radio, XM channel 156 and SIRIUS channel 195 and is streamed live on OprahRadio.com. "The Derrick Ashong Experience" is a mash-up of politics, pop-culture, social media, music and the arts, informed by Derrick's experiences and travels across the globe. DNA offers inspiration, wisdom and an open mic to listeners of all ages and welcomes a wide variety of guests from the worlds of politics, new media, entertainment, and beyond. He recently participated in the United Nations Summit and was the Keynote Speaker at the Americans in the Arts Conference. For further information, please go to derrickashong.com.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: March 18, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Featuring:
Composer: Georgi Andreev
Lyricist: Scott Cairns
Contributing Author: Aryeh Finklestein
Motet Composer: Charles Osborne
Conductor: Henry H Leck

Boston Modern Orchestra Project

The Indianapolis Children’s Choir
Conductor Henry Leck

The National Folklore Ensemble "Philip Kutev"
Artistic Director: Georgi Andreev

KHORIKOS
Director Jesse Mark Peckham

Victor Valley College Singers and Master Arts Chorale
Conductor Thomas Miller

Learn more about Songs of Life

• 1 (ONE) $115.00 Front Row Orchestra Pit Seat
• Exclusive merchandise item
• Collectible laminate
• Get the FRONT ROW PACKAGE HERE

Gold Hot Seat Package* - SOLD OUT!
Each GOLD HOT SEAT PACKAGE costs $265.00 with no additional charges. It includes:

• 1 (ONE) $115.00 Premium Orchestra or Orchestra Pit Seat
• Exclusive merchandise item
• Collectible laminate
• Get the GOLD HOT SEAT PACKAGE HERE

Silver Hot Seat Package* - SOLD OUT!
Each SILVER HOT SEAT PACKAGE costs $200.00 with no additional charges. It includes:

• 1 (ONE) $75.00 Premium Price Level 2 Orchestra Seat
• Exclusive merchandise item
• Collectible laminate
• Get the SILVER HOT SEAT PACKAGE HERE

To celebrate the release of his first new record in five years, legendary artist Paul Simon has announced a very special North American tour including a date at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre in Boston, MA on June 1.

The set list will draw from his iconic career, including several songs that haven’t been performed live in many years. Also included will be songs from So Beautiful or So What, his brand new album set for release by Hear Music/Concord Music Group on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Before hitting the road, Simon will appear two consecutive nights, April 6th and 7th on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Produced by Phil Ramone and Paul Simon, with liner notes written by Elvis Costello, So Beautiful or So What is one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. Rolling Stone magazine recently declared it, "His best since Graceland," and National Public Radio affirmed, '…his new music balances great poetry and pop. Paul Simon is a national treasure." In their current issue, Filter Magazine calls the new album, "…a new masterpiece from the Picasso of music."

Joining Paul for this tour is a stellar band of musicians including Cameroonian guitarist Vincent Nguini, drummer Jim Oblon, pianist Mick Rossi, saxophonist/keyboardist Andrew Snitzer, bassist Bakithi Kumalo, guitarist Mark Stewart, master percussionist Jamey Haddad and multi-instrumentalist Tony Cedras.

*Please note that you will be contacted via email approximately one week prior to show date with instructions for your package elements.
All packages are NON-TRANSFERRABLE: NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted under any circumstances. At packagers discretion, exclusive merchandise item will either be shipped directly to the address provided at purchase (alternate shipping addresses are not permitted) or available for pick-up the night of the show. If shipped, delivery of merchandise could occur after the event date. Merchandise is not needed for entry to the show. Collectible laminate is commemorative only and does not gain or authorize access into the venue or backstage areas. Offer is limited to US and Canadian Addresses only. Packager is unable to ship outside of the US, Canada or to PO boxes.

Described by The Montreal Gazette as "West Side Story gone hip-hop circus," Cirque Éloize iD will play eight performances at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre from May 10 to 15.

Cirque Éloize iD transports the audience into the vibrant streets at the heart of a big city. The stage comes alive with the boundless energy of acrobats, break dancers, contortionists and a fearless stunt biker who perform against a kaleidoscope of eye-popping video projections drawn from science-fiction films, comic books and graffiti.

Learn more about Cirque Éloize on Facebook, Twitter or at cirque-eloize.com

Watch Cirque Éloize's latest creation, written and directed by Jeannot Painchaud, the encounter of the world of circus arts and the universe of urban dances.

Just as The Addams Family Musical has brought the original black-and-white cartoon to life in brilliant color, this anniversary affair celebrates Citi Performing Arts Center’s mission of Keeping Life Colorful for New England through the performing arts. Proceeds from the evening benefit Citi Center’s award-winning arts education and public programs—initiatives include artist residencies for youth in Boston Public Schools, community-based outreach, and the development of original American theatrical productions.

Gala tickets are available for purchase online at www.citicenter.org/gala. Please call 617-532-1220 or email rsvp@citicenter.org for more information.

Leading the Gala preparations are the ghastly Gala Co-Chairs, Betsy and Patrick Canning of Cumberland, Rhode Island, Stacey and David E. Goel of Weston, Patricia and Louis Imbriano of Stoneham, Madge and John MacNeil of Lincoln, Karen and Carmen Monks of Concord, Delphine and David J. Morton of Dover, Lauren Page and Scott McEwan of Charlestown, Sylvie Hardy and Nathan Pusey of Beverly, Aimee Empey and Chip Rives of Charlestown, Joyce and Josiah Spaulding of Charlestown, and Laurene and Scott Sperling of Wayland.

Additional committee members as of March 2nd, include Frances Andahazy and Michael Nedeau of Hull, Elizabeth Chiquoine and Joseph Moore of Cambridge, Mary Cashman and Rich Doucette of Swampscott, Julie Donahue of Andover, Kimberly and Jeff Dziama of Wellesley, Esta Gordon Epstein and Robert Epstein of Boston, Paul Guzzi of Newton, Lynne Kortenhaus of Charlestown, Christine and Jeff McCormick of Boston, Frances and Monroe Moseley of Boston, Elizabeth Nichols and George Lee of Wellesley Hills, Martha and Charley Polachi of Sherborn, Holly Safford and Charles J. Weilbrenner of Duxbury, Louis Sawyer and Michael Elefante of Winchester, and Courtney Wang of Dallas, Texas.

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: March 2, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Boston, MA (February 25, 2011) – Thanks to support from the Target Corporation 64 Boston public school students from the Trotter Elementary School in Dorchester and Hale Elementary School in Roxbury attended a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts. All the students had also participated in six-week residencies with Citi Performing Arts Center teaching artists. The fourth grade participants explored multicultural folktales and legends through music, dance, and theatre and then performed themselves for almost 100 classmates. Annawon Weeden of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe also performed traditional American Indian songs and dances, and answered student questions.

At a special Community Performance on February 12th, 221 students and teachers from the Trotter Elementary, Hale Elementary, and Snowden International High School in Back Bay (where Citi Center is delivering year-long EdVestors Arts Program residencies, more information available here) received free tickets to Shen Yun Performing Arts at Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. This opportunity was funded through the Target Arts Program and SpectrumBoston Access Fund.

Citi Performing Arts Center’s access initiatives, including the SpectrumBoston Access Fund, annually distribute over 2,500 tickets to recipients from communities that would not otherwise have the opportunity or the funding to attend live performances. To become a Community Partner and join the Ticket Access Roster, please call 617-532-1256. To support the SpectrumBoston Access Fund, which please call 617-532-1289.

# # #

ABOUT TARGET ARTS PROGRAM
The Target Arts program is an in-school artist residency program funded by Target Corporation in partnership with Boston Public Schools. The program includes teaching artist residencies, special guest artist assemblies, and attending professional performances at Citi Performing Arts Center and other Boston Theatre District venues. For the 2010-2011 school year, Target Arts will partner with eight Boston Public Schools basing residencies on four professional performances, including Wicked, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Shen Yun Performing Arts, and Antony and Cleopatra.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: February 25, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Visit Janet's website to learn more about the tour.

Special guests Mindless Behavior

For the first time in 25 years, Costello will let his set-list be chosen by ”The Spectacular Spinning Songbook”, a monumental game-show wheel that features 40 song-titles, including hits, rarities and very unexpected covers.

Audience members will be invited onstage where they may spin "The Wheel" and then be offered a chance to enter the "Hostage to Fortune Go-Go Cage", while their selection is performed. Alternatively, they may choose to take a seat in the on-stage “Society Lounge”, where light refreshments will be served, during what promises to be a splendid and surprising evening.

The original Wheel was famously donated to the Hartlepool Museum Of Showbusiness Machinery but it has been meticulously reconstructed from the original blueprints.

The Imposters are: Steve Nieve (keyboards); Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragher (bass).

"The 'Lost and Found' tour embodies more than just an opportunity to play some of the quieter, more intimate songs, not only from 'Foundling' but from across my catalogue." said David. "It will provide a long anticipated platform for a completely different approach. In terms of the way that the sound of the music is captured and presented, it will be more like a recording session than a gig in many ways. Acoustic instruments will be mic’d up for their real sound, rather than going for the usual pick-up sound, and as a result volume levels both for the band and the audience will have to be kept much lower than at your average 'rock' show. Hopefully the sonic results will be more than worth the sacrifice of a few decibels. Essentially the 'Lost and Found' show will be a listening experience."

Visit the David Gray website.

Visit David's YouTube Channel to learn more about the making of his album Foundling.

Learn more about Lisa O'Neill on her myspace page.

Running Times:
Lisa O'Neill - 8:00 - 8:30
Intermission - 8:30 - 8:50
David Gray - 8:50 - 10:50

Visit the official Bryan Adams site to learn more about the tour.

Check out Bryan's latest video.

BOSTON (January 5, 2011) – City Spotlights, a year-long initiative of Citi Performing Arts Center Arts Education program, is now accepting Registration Forms for City Spotlights Workshops Session II for participants ages 11 to adult. The FREE workshops will take place in four featured Boston neighborhoods (Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Mattapan) in January and February. Participants will create an original performance based on an examination of individual and community identities, and perform during final showcases at select Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) Community Centers. This program is suitable for participants of all levels, including beginners, and does not require any previous training. Workshop dates and locations are listed below.

City Spotlights Workshops Session II are part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Community Learning Initiative Programming in Boston Public Library branches and BCYF sites across the city. Citi Performing Arts Center’s Art Education programs are committed to helping every youth explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists from the community. Programs are open to anyone with an interest in creative programs and are FREE to all participants. More information about the partnership available here: citicenter.org/news.

To register for City Spotlights Workshops Session II, please sign up online at citicenter.org/education, or contact Ramona Alexander at ralexander@citicenter.org / 617-532-1221. Participants need not be residents of featured neighborhoods to take part.

WORKSHOP DATES AND LOCATIONS:

•Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
38 Ash Street, Boston
January 10 - February 4
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 3:30-5:30pm

•Leahy–Holloran Community Center (formerly the Murphy Community Center)
1 Worrell Street, Dorchester
January 11 - February 4
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays from 4:30pm-6:30pm

•Hennigan Community Center
100 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain
January 11 – February 4
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 3pm-5pm

•Mildred Avenue Community Center
5 Mildred Ave., Mattapan
January 11 - February 4
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2:30pm-5:30pm

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please visit citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: January 5, 2011
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Boston, MA (December 23, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to announce that during December’s 53-performance run of Radio City Christmas Spectacular, over 1,500 youth and families will attend shows free of charge.

During several community nights, 56 community groups across Boston including 4 Boston Centers for Youth and Families community centers, 8 Boston Public Schools and 7 Boys and Girls Clubs attended the holiday show. Citi Performing Arts Center is a Community Learning Initiative Institutional Partner—a collaboration which connects Citi Center’s arts and cultural opportunities with Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the Boston Public Library, and the Boston Public Schools (BPS).

At a special Boston Public Schools night on December 14th, 300 teachers, students and their families attended Radio City Christmas Spectacular through the Target Arts and EdVestors Arts Expansion Programs, which link weekly in-school artist residencies to professional performances. Schools that participated in the BPS Night include: Madison Park HS in Roxbury, Odyssey HS in South Boston, Snowden International HS in Back Bay, Jeremiah Burke HS and Lee Academy in Dorchester, and Ellison/Parks Early Education School in Mattapan.

After 20 students and their families attended the BPS night, Patricia Bonarrigo, Program Director of English Language Arts at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, acknowledged: "Thank you once again for the opportunities for our students and their families. It was moving to see the students with their families—aunts, mothers, grandmothers, nieces—at the performance at the Wang, something that many could never afford to do."

Before the performance, students from Snowden and Odyssey High Schools had the opportunity to meet the world-famous Rockettes during a question and answer session with several cast members. Youth asked the Rockettes about how they got their start in the performing arts, and for advice about translating that passion into a career.

The SpectrumBoston Access Fund annually distributes over 2,500 tickets to recipients from communities that would not otherwise have the opportunity or the funding to attend live performances. To become a Community Partner and join the Ticket Access Roster, please call 617-532-1256. To support the SpectrumBoston Access Fund, which please call 617-532-1289.

# # #

ABOUT TARGET ARTS PROGRAM The Target Arts program is a unique city-wide collaboration among Boston’s fine arts, cultural, and municipal organizations. The program aims to improve school success, engage families, and strengthen community by giving access to Boston’s rich offerings of music, dance, visual arts, theater and cultural events to students and families who typically have no opportunity to engage in the professional performing arts. Arts and cultural enrichment celebrations will develop diverse audiences by bringing information to the community through school-based development, community outreach, and citywide collaboration. The BPS Arts Office in partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center coordinates Target Arts programming. This programming includes in-school residencies and special guest artist visits and an invitation to view professional performances at Citi Performing Arts Center and other Boston Theatre District venues.

ABOUT EDVESTORS ARTS EXPANSION PROGRAM The EdVestors Arts Expansion program is a year-long Musical Theatre Residency supported by a grant from Boston Public Schools Art Expansion Fund by EdVestors. For the 2010-2011 school year, Citi Performing Arts Center will be working with students and teachers at Snowden International High School in Back Bay and Odyssey High School in South Boson. The program serves students in grades 9-12. Weekly instruction in theatre arts, through the concepts of song, dance, movement, and acting, culminates in the creation of original performance pieces. Residencies are taught by Teaching Artists, and include an in-school performance by local guest artists and ticket access to professional performances.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

Boston, MA (November 18, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center, in collaboration with the Boston Public Library, presents FREE musical theatre themed Story Saturday Workshops for children ages 7-11. Inspired by upcoming performances of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, these FREE workshops focus on storytelling, creative costume-making, visual art, movement, improvisation, and acting. The workshops will be held on Saturdays, December 4th, 11th, & 18th from 1-3pm, and take place at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Branch. Participants are encouraged to attend all three workshops. Contact Ramona Lisa Alexander or 617-532-1221 for more information and registration forms. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will be presented at Citi Performing Arts Center’s Wang Theatre December 3 – 29, 2010. For ticket information, visit citicenter.org.

Story Saturday Workshops are part of Citi Performing Arts Center’s Community Learning Initiative programming in Boston Public Library branches and Boston Centers for Youth and Families sites across the city. Citi Performing Arts Center’s Art Education programs are committed to helping every youth explore his/her own creativity, through instruction and mentorship by professional teaching artists from the community. Programs are open to anyone with an interest in creative programs and are FREE to all participants. For complete program listings, visit citicenter.org/education.

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: November 18, 2010
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Boston, MA (October 28, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center has been named the first Institutional Partner for the City of Boston’s Community Learning Initiative (CLI). The goal of the partnership is to provide in-school and out-of-school opportunities for arts learning within Boston’s neighborhoods. Since beginning in Spring 2010, the Community Learning Initiative, in partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center, has given nearly 700 youth greater exposure to the performing arts and access to performances at venues in Boston’s theater district. In 2010-2011, the project plans to reach over 1,000 youth through single and multi-session performing arts workshops held at Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) community centers and Boston Public Library branches.

Announced by Mayor Menino in November 2008, the Community Learning Initiative was established as a cohesive programming platform for youth services throughout Boston. The initiative brings together the resources of Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the Boston Public Library, and the Boston Public Schools, to connect learning in the classroom with community-based organizations. Citi Performing Arts Center was selected as an Institutional Partner based on its award-winning record of community collaboration, highlighted in 2009’s citywide public programming and education outreach initiative, SpectrumBoston. Since the partnership began, Citi Performing Arts Center has implemented musical theatre programming at CLI sites, including multi-session workshops for middle school students in Allston, East Boston, Mattapan, and Roslindale, and single-session workshops for children in the Back Bay and Chinatown. Fall plans are underway for continued programming in Mattapan and Chinatown, as well as Dorchester and Jamaica Plain.

“This institutional partnership with the Citi Performing Arts Center will allow our BCYF community centers to provide high-quality performing arts programs and activities to engage children and youth, giving them an outlet to express their creativity and celebrate the neighborhoods in which they live,” said Daphne Griffin, Executive Director of Boston Centers for Youth & Families.

“This partnership brings the performing arts into the heart of Boston’s communities—its schools, libraries, and community centers,” said Ruth Mercado-Zizzo, Director of Education at Citi Performing Arts Center. “Our goal is to provide youth with interconnected opportunities for performing arts learning and creative expression both during in- and out-of-school time. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to empower youth throughout the city.”

Upcoming Arts Education Programs
Current and upcoming Citi Performing Arts Center Arts Education programs in CLI sites include FREE City Spotlights Workshops for ages 11+. Dates and locations are below:

• Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
38 Ash Street, Boston
Tuesdays, 5– 6pm
Through November 23

• Leahy–Holloran Community Center (formerly the Murphy Community Center)
1 Worrell Street, Dorchester
Fridays, 4 – 5pm
November 5 – December 17 (no workshop Nov. 26)

• Hennigan Community Center
100 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain
Fridays, 4:30 – 5:30pm
November 5 – December 17 (no workshop Nov. 26)

• Mildred Ave. Community Center
5 Mildred Ave., Mattapan
Wednesdays, 2 – 3pm
Through November 17

For a comprehensive schedule of Citi Performing Arts Center’s FREE Art Education programming visit: citicenter.org/education/programs/.

# # #

ABOUT BCYF Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF)
Administrative Offices are located at 1483 Tremont Street in Mission Hill. BCYF is Boston’s largest youth and human service agency with 38 facilities. BCYF community centers are “hubs of neighborhoods,” where Boston residents can access a wide array of programs, important information and assistance. The mission of BCYF is to enhance the quality of life for Boston residents by partnering with community center councils, agencies and businesses to support children, youth, individuals and families through a wide range of comprehensive programs and services according to neighborhood needs.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE
Release Date: October 28, 2010

Contacts:
Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center
(617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org

Sandy Holden | Boston Centers for Youth & Families
(617)-635-4920 x2213 | sandy.holden@cityofboston.gov

Koren Stembridge | Boston Public Library
(617) 859-2320 | kstembridge@bpl.org

Boston, MA (October 26, 2010) – For the second year, Citi Performing Arts Center and Boston Public Schools (BPS) have partnered in the Target Arts Program, thanks to support from the Target Corporation. Launched in spring 2010, the Target Arts Program continues its multi-faceted approach by extending arts exposure opportunities to eight Boston public schools during the 2010-2011 academic year. The BPS Arts Department in partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education Department will give more than 4,000 students access to Boston’s rich arts offerings, through artist residencies, in-school performance assemblies, and free tickets to local professional productions.

The Target Arts Program will focus on eight Boston public schools this year. The program offers in-school residencies by Citi Performing Arts Center’s teaching artists, free tickets and a transportation stipend to attend one of four theatre productions, and a “Meet the Performers” visit during which recognized local artists will perform for the entire school. The four anchor productions are: Wicked at the Opera House, Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, and a production to be determined in Boston’s Theatre District.

“The Target Arts Program continues to fill a critical need for performing arts programs in our City’s schools,” said Ruth Mercado-Zizzo, Director of Education at Citi Performing Arts Center. “Citi Performing Arts Center’s partnership with Boston Public Schools provides opportunities for students to see, learn, and participate in the performing arts, both in the classroom and in the theatre.”

Residencies have already begun at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester and Madison Park High School in Roxbury, focusing on the theme of individuality. On October 14th as part of the program, 337 students attended Wicked at the Opera House as part of this overall program. The residencies will conclude in November with a visit from SpectrumBoston Artist Fellow and celebrated arts advocate, Derrick N. Ashong (DNA).

Program Details

Wicked
In September-November, tenth graders at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester and twelfth graders Madison Park High School in Roxbury are participating in six-week artist residencies with Citi Performing Arts Center teaching artists Claudy Paul and Magalie Neff. Using the Broadway production of Wicked as a starting point, students explore the concept of individuality through the performing arts. The residency culminates in a showcase by the students for their peers at school. In November, SpectrumBoston Artist Fellow and musician, social entrepreneur, arts advocate and Oprah Radio host, Derrick N. Ashong, will visit each school to perform followed by a question and answer session. On October 14th, 337 BPS students participating in the residency as well as those from Dorchester Academy in Dorchester, English High School in Jamaica Plain, and Odyssey High School in South Boston, attended Wicked at the Opera House as part of the Target Arts Program.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
In November-December, students will participate in six-week artist residencies with Citi Performing Arts Center teaching artists; schools are being confirmed. Content will focus on dance practices from various cultures and explore how holiday traditions are expressed through movement. The residency culminates in a showcase by the students for their peers at school. Over 300 students participating in the residency as well as other Boston Public Schools will attend the Tuesday, December 14th matinee performance at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. Additional details are being confirmed.

Shen Yun Performing Arts
In January-February, students at two Boston Public Schools will participate in six-week artist residencies with Citi Performing Arts Center teaching artists. Content will explore multicultural folktales and legends through performance art forms that include music, dance, and theatre. The residency culminates in a showcase by the students for their peers at school. Guest artists connected to this theme will visit each school to perform, followed by a question and answer session. Over 200 students participating in the residency as well as other Boston Public Schools will attend the Saturday, February 12th evening performance at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. Additional details are being confirmed, including school sites and guest artists.

TBD: Final Residency and Production Spring 2011

# # #

ABOUT TARGET ARTS PROGRAM
The Target Arts program is a unique city-wide collaboration among Boston’s fine arts, cultural, and municipal organizations. The program aims to improve school success, engage families, and strengthen community by giving access to Boston’s rich offerings of music, dance, visual arts, theater and cultural events to students and families who typically have no opportunity to engage in the professional performing arts. Arts and cultural enrichment celebrations will develop diverse audiences by bringing information to the community through school-based development, community outreach, and citywide collaboration. The BPS Arts Office in partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center coordinates Target Arts programming. This programming includes in-school residencies and special guest artist visits and an invitation to view professional performances at Citi Performing Arts Center and other Boston Theatre District venues.

ABOUT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Boston Public Schools serves more than 56,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 135 schools, and in 2006 won the Broad Prize for Urban Education as the top city school district in the country. Superintendent Carol R. Johnson has made expansion of arts education one of the cornerstones of the Acceleration Agenda for the Boston Public Schools (BPS). In partnership with community organizations, Dr. Johnson has committed to giving students of all ages greater access to the arts – including music, dance, theater, visual arts, and more – during and after the school day. In 2008, Dr. Johnson convened an Arts Advisory Group and commissioned a study to assess the state of arts education in the district. Following the release of the study in February 2009, BPS, in collaboration with EdVestors and other organizations, announced the creation of a $1.5 million Arts Expansion Fund to support school-based arts programs, expand district capacity to coordinate arts education initiatives, and support research and planning efforts in support of the expansion initiative. New arts investments over the past year include the creation of a citywide marching band and high school choir, among others. In October 2009, BPS was awarded a $750,000 “Arts for Young People” planning grant from the Wallace Foundation to build on the work underway and to develop a long-term sustainability plan for expanded arts in schools across the system. For more information, visit bostonpublicschools.org.

ABOUT CITI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, international ballet, contemporary dance, one-night engagements, and Broadway musicals. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops, lectures, and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

ABOUT TARGET
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at more than 1,600 stores nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.

PRESS RELEASE Release Date: October 26, 2010
Contacts: Julie Banks | Citi Performing Arts Center (617) 532-1247 | jbanks@citicenter.org
Matthew Wilder | Boston Public Schools (617) 635-9494 | mwilder2@bostonpublicschools.org
Target Communications (612) 696-3400

The concert will be presented in a revue format with a house band consisting of the players featured on numerous Burnett-produced recordings. It is being presented in association with Participant Media and Forthcoming Waiting for "Superman" documentary film. The concert will benefit Music and Arts Education in Public Schools.

With a marriage on the rocks, Christina Jones is a devoted and loving wife, who has lost all sense of what’s real and what’s not in her relationship and home. If she doesn’t find her way soon, she just might lose her husband for good. Lady Jasmine Jones went half on a baby, but now can’t get her ex 47-year-old wannabe rapper boyfriend, Scooter, to pay half on “the baby.” And a recently engaged Paula Jones has always relied on her looks to get everything she ever wanted in this world. But, will looks alone finally lead her to true love and down the aisle?

Bringing JD Lawrence presents "Me & Mrs. Jones" storyline to life, alongside JD Lawrence, is legendary TV actress Jackee Harry from "227" and "Sister Sister" fame, award winning actor Darrin Dewitt Henson from "Soul Food" and the hit movie "Stomp The Yard," model and actress Eva (Pigford) Marcille, winner of "America’s Next Top Model" Cycle 3, R&B singer Dave Hollister, gospel singer Tammy Turner of BET’s "Sunday Best" and comedian Red Grant.

One minute, Cavaradossi is musing on his latest painting—and the diva Tosca, his beautiful, jealous lover. The next, he’s in prison with someone’s jackboot on his neck. Tosca’s options? Betrayal or rape. There are no good choices. Puccini storms the darkest of subjects with music passionate and lyrical.

Run time - 2 hours 45 minutes with two 20 minute intermissions.

BOSTON (August 18, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to announce that Citibank has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal as “Partner of the Year” in the field of the Arts. The award recognizes Citibank’s commitment to providing broad-based access to quality arts programming for youth and families in Boston’s neighborhoods and throughout New England. Citibank will be honored at the Boston Business Journal’s 2010 Corporate Citizenship Summit on September 10, 2010.

In 2006, Citibank demonstrated its philanthropic force to the Boston community and the nonprofit arts sector through a 15-year sponsorship agreement with the Wang Center for the Performing Arts (now called the Citi Performing Arts Center). Since its first Boston branches opened in 2006, despite a challenging economy, Citibank has remained steadfast in its commitment to Massachusetts and in supporting youth and families through this partnership. In the past four years, the bank’s sponsorship of Citi Performing Arts Center has provided financial resources and stability, allowing the Center to grow its award-winning education program, to reach over 27,500 youth and families through its city-wide outreach initiative SpectrumBoston, and to bring shows like White Christmas, The Color Purple and Jersey Boys to Boston-area audiences.

“Citi Performing Arts Center applauds Citibank for this well-deserved recognition as a leader in corporate philanthropy,” said Josiah A. Spaulding, President and CEO. “Citibank is a passionate partner who shares our commitment to the community by Keeping Life Colorful for Boston’s youth and families, onstage and off. While new to the Boston market only four years ago, the bank’s 15-year partnership with Citi Performing Arts Center underscored their long-term commitment to making a difference in Boston. ”

In addition to Citibank’s support of Citi Performing Arts Center, Citi and the Citi Foundation have supported hundreds of Massachusetts nonprofits since 2006, with a focus on helping organizations that serve low-to moderate-income individuals, families, and neighborhoods in the Boston area. Through these partnerships, Citi has spurred the development of affordable housing, small business education and technical assistance, asset building and financial education, access programs for higher education, foreclosure prevention, and neighborhood revitalization. Most recently, Citibank's "Our Promise" initiative included a partnership with the Camp Harbor View Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, hosting 60 at-risk Boston children at Citi Performing Arts Center's presentation of Nick Storytime Live!.

# # #

About Citi Performing Arts

Center Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to citicenter.org.

About Citi:

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

Boston area teens, ages 14-18 and interested in learning more about journalism, film, and broadcasting, and issues such as social justice, conservation, education, health and poverty, are encouraged to apply.

BOSTON (August 3, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center is eager to share an opportunity for teens in the Boston area. Image of Change’s Covering the Mic Youth Leadership Network is taking applications for youth reporters (age 14-18) in LA, Bay Area, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta areas now through Friday, August 20th.

In an effort to inspire youth to use their voice and make a positive difference, Covering The Mic encourages and supports youth to become leaders in their own community and around the world. This interactive platform provides youth an opportunity to learn about, report on and discuss a multitude of issues such as social justice, conservation, education, health and poverty. Covering The Mic youth reporters are paired with mentors that meet at least once a month to develop a story/interview about another youth making a difference in the world and creating social change. Each reporter works with their mentor to conduct an interview (live or virtual) and to create a featured piece while learning the in/outs of the mentors professional career-such as video/film production; journalism, broadcasting and spoken word performance.

Stories by Youth Reporters will be featured and promoted on a monthly basis through the Covering the Mic websites and social media platforms. Citi Performing Arts Center will be partnering with Covering the Mic to provide Boston’s youth reporter full access for a featured story on its first SpectrumBoston Artist Fellow Derrick N. Ashong (known as “DNA”). Besides covering DNA, a musician, Social Entrepreneur, Arts Advocate, Oprah Radio Host and New York Times’ dubbed “YouTube phenom,” the story will also feature his work with local area teens to produce a video letter to the Massachusetts Governor-elect and use this creative platform to voice their perspective during the upcoming election year.

To learn more about the Youth Reporter program and download an application, you may contact Image of Change at jodie@imageofchange.org or (415) 571-8975. To see past stories produced by Youth Reporters, please visit: imageofchange.com.

###

About Citi Performing Arts Center Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience. For further information, please go to: citicenter.org.

The fan favorite cast of the America’s Got Talent Live tour will feature: WINNER Michael Grimm the multi-talented singer/songwriter/guitarist; RUNNER UP Jackie Evancho the jaw-dropping 10-year-old classical singing sensation from Pittsburgh, PA; 12-year-old ballroom dancing partners Anna and Patryk from New York; inspirational singing sisters Christina & Ali of Idaho Falls, ID; spectacular black-light illusion performance troupe Fighting Gravity from Blacksburg, VA; death-defying championship stunt bike rider Jeremy VanSchoonhoven of Talent, OR; mystifying magician/illusionist Michael Grasso of Cape May, NJ; glamorous baroque opera singer Prince Poppycock of Los Angeles, CA; young and energetic dance troupe Studio One Young Beast Society of Orlando, FL; and 18-year-old teen pop singer/musician Taylor Mathews of Alexandria, LA. Artist line-up scheduled to change.

America's Got Talent returned this summer with the hottest performers from across the country competing in the blockbuster reality show's fifth season. Bringing the variety show format back to the forefront of American culture each week, the show features a colorful array of hopeful future stars -- singers, dancers, comedic performers and unique acts of all ages. While each contestant has the chance to strut and perform in front of a panel of celebrity judges including Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan, the eventual winner was chosen by the television viewing audience.

BOSTON (June 9, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to name Derrick N. Ashong (or DNA as he is also known) as its first SpectrumBoston Artist Fellow. Working with Citi Center’s Education Department and its award winning SpectrumBoston programs, he will connect with hundreds of Boston youth through collaborations with the Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Library, and Boston Centers for Youth and Families.

“The value of an arts education lies in its gift to expand not only a person’s ability to communicate about the world around them but their capacity for interpreting it,” says Derrick Ashong, “The purpose of an education in the arts is not to generate better artists, it is to cultivate better people.”

Host of “The Derrick Ashong Experience” on SIRIUS XM’s Oprah Radio, the New York Times dubbed him a “YouTube phenom” during the 2008 Presidential Election. Leader of the emerging band Soulfège, and winner of the 2007 Billboard World Songwriting Contest for Best Hip Hop Song, Harvard-educated DNA is an international inspiration for social change through the arts and youth involvement. His “Take Back the Mic” campaign, a youth-centered movement based on the principle of an “open-source culture” that leverages technology and community networks to empower young people, will also launch during his fellowship with Citi Center.

“Citi Performing Arts Center is excited to welcome Derrick Ashong as our first SpectrumBoston Artist Fellow,” said Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr., President and CEO of Citi Performing Arts Center. “His ability to empower youth to make a positive impact in their communities and his passionate commitment to the arts, makes Derrick an ideal partner as we continue to expand our arts education programs and community outreach efforts.”

Since its launch in 2009, Citi Performing Arts Center’s award winning SpectrumBoston program has expanded with key city-wide partnerships including the Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Library, and Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Most recently in May 2010, SpectrumBoston was honored at the State House with the 2010 Arts|Learning Outstanding Arts Collaborative Award in the field of Performing Arts. Over the past 20 years, Citi Performing Arts Center’s Education Programs have reached 180,000 youth and 10,000 teachers making the institution a leader in providing, supporting, and advocating for quality arts education in Massachusetts.

# # #

About Derrick Ashong

Derrick N. Ashong - or DNA as he is sometimes known - is literally the voice of a new generation. Whether heard in the eloquent expression of his thoughts on then Senator Barack Obama (as seen in one of the most viewed videos of 2008 on YouTube), in his music (as leader of the emerging band Soulfège) in his songwriting (as winner of the 2007 Billboard Songwriting Contest for Best Hip Hop song) or in his acting ability, the Harvard educated talent has found myriad ways to inspire, engage and activate young people with positive messages for social change.

DNA is the host of "The Derrick Ashong Experience" on SIRIUS XM's Oprah Radio. The show airs Saturdays from 12:00 - 3:00 pm ET on Oprah Radio, XM channel 156 and SIRIUS channel 195 and is streamed live on www.OprahRadio.com. "The Derrick Ashong Experience" is a mash-up of politics, pop-culture, social media, music and the arts, informed by Derrick's experiences and travels across the globe. DNA offers inspiration, wisdom and an open mic to listeners of all ages and welcomes a wide variety of guests from the worlds of politics, new media, entertainment, and beyond.

Dubbed a “YouTube phenom” by the New York Times, the Ghana, West Africa native has dedicated his life to building bridges between the fields of business, media, technology, youth culture, pop culture and politics.

A true Renaissance man, DNA has lived in such locations as Brooklyn, New York, Voorhees, New Jersey and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and currently resides in Los Angeles. Trained in classical piano, he is also a self-taught guitarist, a natural performer and a songwriter who was involved in theater throughout primary and secondary school while learning to communicate his thoughts through poetry. After he enrolled at Harvard, Ashong met his current band members while performing in the Kuumba Singers, a university choir. Then, just before completing his studies, he was cast in Stephen Spielberg’s 1997 film, Amistad. He returned to Cambridge to finish his degree requirements before pursuing a Ph.D. in African-American Studies and Ethnomusicology, later leaving the doctoral program to pursue his artistry and advocacy full-time.

Ashong has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Mo’Nique Show, and lectured on five continents on the use of media as a tool for human development, including recent talks at the London School of Economics, King's College (Cambridge), the Reconciliation Forum in Washington, D.C., the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and before UK Parliament on the subject of "The Obama Generation." He is a member of the internationally recognized Americas Business Council Fellowship and a participant in the Arts & Entertainment task force of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum. He is the founder of Take Back the Mic, a youth-centered cultural movement that leverages innovative uses of technology and community networks to empower young people to make a positive impact in their local communities. DNA is also on the Board of Directors for Children Mending Hearts, an organization dedicated to the global arts exchange between at-risk children in the United States and children living in conflict zones around the world.

www.derrickashong.com

www.takebackthemic.com

About Citi Performing Arts Center

Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions. As New England’s largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston’s historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community’s collective, daily experience.

Citi Performing Arts Center will host 25 City Spotlights Theatre Workshops April school vacation week, adding 9 sites based on the success of last year’s vacation programs. Youth and adults, ages 9 and up, will enjoy an hour of performing arts and fun including theatre games and improvisations focusing on their personal stories and the stories of their neighborhood. The workshops will be led by City Spotlights high school interns. The free events will be held at the Boston Public Library branches and Boston Centers for Youth and Families Community Centers listed below. To register, call the branch library or community center directly, or for more information, call (617) 532-1256.

TUESDAY, APRIL 20

11 amParis Street Community Center
112 Paris Street, East Boston, MA, (617) 635-5125

o11 amJackson-Mann Community Center
500 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA (617) 635-5153

o1 pm Dudley Branch Library
65 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA, (617) 442-6186

o2pm Mattapan Branch Library

1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA, (617) 298-9218 ext. 1508

o3pmGrove Hall Branch Library

41 Geneva Avenue, Dorchester, MA (617) 427-3337

o3pm Tobin Community Center

1481 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA (617) 635-5216

o4pmLeahy-Holloran Community Center

1 Worrell Street, Dorchester, MA, (617) 635-5150

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21

o1pmArchdale Community Center

125 Brookway Road, Roslindale, MA, (617) 635-5256

o1pm Kent Community Center

50 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, MA, (617) 635-5169 or (617) 635-5177

o1pm Perkins Community Center

155 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester, MA, (617) 635-5146

1pm Shelburne Community Center

2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA, (617) 635-5213

o2pm Cloud Foundation

647 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, (617) 262-2949

o2pm Roslindale Community Center

6 Cummings Highway, Roslindale, MA, (617) 635-5185

o3pm West Roxbury Community Center

1205 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA (617) 635-5066

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

o11am Connolly Branch Library

433 Center Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, (617) 522-1960

o11am Mildred Avenue Community Center

1-5 Mildred Avenue, Mattapan, MA, (617) 635-1328

o1pm Agassiz Community Center

20 Child Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, (617) 635-5191

o1pm Honan-Allston Branch Library

200 N. Harvard Street, Allston, MA, (617) 787-6313

o2pm Curtis Hall Community Center

20 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, (617) 635-5244

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

o11am Field’s Corner Branch Library

1520 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA, (617) 436-2155

o11am Ohrenberger Community Center

175 West Roxbury Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, (617) 635-5183

o2pm Egleston Square Branch Library

2044 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury, MA, (617) 445-4340

o2pm Hyde Park Community Center

1179 River Street, Hyde Park, MA, (617) 635-5178

o3pm Cleveland Community Center

11 Charles Street, Dorchester, MA, (617) 635-5141

o4pm Nazzaro Community Center

30 N. Bennet Street, Boston, MA, (617) 635-5166

City Spotlights is an education and cultural program for youth exploring and celebrating four Boston neighborhoods through the performing arts (Beacon Hill and Back Bay, Fenway, the North End and Mission Hill/Roxbury). The program consists of high school internships, community performance workshops, intergenerational neighborhood ensembles, and culminates in a community event featuring local artists at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre on May 15. Past performances highlighted themes important to our City’s teens: heroes, cultural identity, violence and education.Participants also talked about their dreams, aspirations, and hopes for the future. The identities of Boston neighborhoods are portrayed through original dance, spoken word, theatre, song and multimedia, creating a story honoring the uniqueness and richness of Boston.

How to get tickets for City Spotlights: Thanks to the support of the Atlantic Charter Insurance Company, Citi Performing Arts Center is able to offer complimentary tickets. Call 617-532-1265 to reserve tickets.

Citi Performing Arts Center will be honored on May 26th

At 24th Annual Champions of the Arts Awards Ceremony at State House

BOSTON (May 3, 2010) – Citi Performing Arts Center has been selected by Arts|Learning to receive the 2010 Arts|Learning Outstanding Arts Collaborative Award in the field of Performing Arts. As the Massachusetts representative of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, Arts|Learning recognizes Citi Performing Arts Center as a leader in providing, supporting, and advocating for quality arts education in Massachusetts, through the 2009 SpectrumBoston program. Citi Performing Arts Center will be honored at the 24th Annual Champions of the Arts Award Ceremony at the State House on May 26th.

"Citi Performing Arts Center believes every youth has a right to a creative life, to experience art, and to express themselves creatively" said Josiah Spaulding, President and CEO of Citi Performing Arts Center. "The SpectrumBoston Education Program is a model for leveraging the resources of citywide partners and the power of community collaboration to increase the depth, breadth, and impact of arts education programs."

Citi Performing Arts Center launched SpectrumBoston in 2009, to deliver 5 months of integrated programming and arts education opportunities throughout Boston. Partner institutions included the Boston Public Library, Boston Public Schools, City of Boston, Museum of African American History, and WGBH. From February to June 2009, Citi Performing Arts Center presented Ain't Misbehavin' at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester and The Color Purple at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. The collaborative delivered in-school and out-of-school time education programs linked to onstage programming, and increased access for diverse audiences through discounted, subsidized, and free performance tickets.

In total, SpectrumBoston's 5 months of performances, events, and workshops attracted over 27,500 participants. Education programming alone reached 7 community centers, 11 library branches, and 12 schools in 18 Boston neighborhoods. Over 420 students were served through in-school residencies, artist-meet-and-greets, and library workshops; 1,500 students, teachers, families, and community groups received complimentary tickets to performances of Ain't Misbehavin' and The Color Purple. Audience diversity was achieved with African American attendance 18 times greater than traditional Broadway attendance benchmarks.

In 2010, Citi Performing Arts Center built on the success of SpectrumBoston to become a leading contributor to two of Boston's priority education reform plans: the Superintendent's Five-Year Acceleration Agenda and the Mayor's Community Learning Initiative. The Boston Public Schools and Citi Performing Arts Center were awarded a grant from Target Corporation to work with eight underperforming schools utilizing artist residences and ticket access (more information about the program available here). Citi Performing Arts Center has also become the first institutional partner of the City's Community Learning Initiative working with Boston Center for Youth and Families, Boston Public Libraries and Boston Public Schools. Through these partnerships, Citi Performing Arts Center continues to provide youth with arts education and opportunities for creative development in-school and in their communities.

For more information about the 2010 Champions of the Arts Award Ceremony and to view the complete list of winners, visit the Arts|Learning website.

For more information about Citi Performing Arts Center's Education programs, call (617) 532-1256 or visit www.citicenter.org/education.

According to the 2008-2009 BPS Arts Inventory, included in The Boston Foundation's report on Arts Education in Boston Public Schools, 22% of students at Snowden International High School and 0% at Odyssey High School receive arts instruction. The Citi Performing Arts Center program will serve 120 students in grades 9-12.  Weekly instruction in theatre arts, through the concepts of song, dance, movement, and acting, culminate in the creation of original performance pieces.  Residencies will be taught by Teaching Artists, and include an in-school performance by local guest artists and ticket access to professional productions.

"Having worked in 24 Boston Public Schools since 2003, Citi Performing Arts Center is proud to provide arts education to the schools that need it most," said Josiah A. Spaulding, President and CEO of Citi Performing Arts Center. "We are grateful to the BPS Arts Expansion Fund by EdVestors for its vision to expose all of Boston's students to the arts and for its support of arts programming."

Citi Performing Arts Center has a strong record of collaboration with Boston Public Schools. In 2009, through the city-wide initiative, SpectrumBoston, Citi Performing Arts Center offered artist residencies and "Meet the Musicians" workshops at six Boston Public Schools including Snowden International High School. In Spring 2010, Citi Performing Arts Center partnered with nine "turnaround" schools, including Odyssey High School.  Funded by Target Corporation, the Target Arts Program provided artist residencies, in-school performances, and ticket access to world-class theatre reaching over 2,800 students. The EdVestors Residencies build on the Target Arts Program with an expanded format that adapts the short-term exposure model to a full-year, once-weekly residency.

# # #

About the Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion Initiative

Launched in February 2009, the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative is a three year effort to expand arts education within BPS.  Focused on providing equity and access to quality arts learning experiences to every BPS student, the Initiative seeks to expand arts instruction, build the capacity of the system to support school-based arts programs, and to enhance partnerships between schools, arts and cultural groups, and higher educational institutions.

The BPS arts expansion effort is a key piece of Superintendent Carol R. Johnson's Acceleration Agenda, a five-year strategic direction (2009-2014) that outlines goals and priorities for transforming the Boston Public Schools. The Initiative is supported by several collaborating donors, including the Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, EdVestors, Hunt Alternatives Fund, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Linde Family Foundation, and other foundations and individual donors. The Initiative is based on a report, The Arts Advantage: Expanding Arts Education in the Boston Public Schools, released in February of 2009. For more details on the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative, please visit www.edvestors.org.

 About EdVestors

EdVestors is an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization dedicated to driving change in urban schools through smart, strategic private investment.  EdVestors seeks to close the opportunity gap for children by identifying and shaping the most effective school improvement initiatives and partnering with donors to invest in those efforts while supporting the project leaders with hands-on expertise.  Launched in 2002 by a group of philanthropists, educators and business leaders, EdVestors has raised and directed more than $9 million to strategic school improvement efforts in Boston.  For more information about EdVestors, visit www.edvestors.org or call 617.585.5740.

About Citi Performing Arts Center

Citi Performing Arts Center [formerly The Wang Center for the Performing Arts], which includes both the Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, is one of the nation's foremost not-for-profit performing arts institutions.  As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, one-night engagements, international sporting events, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiative presents City Spotlights and SpectrumBoston. As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historical Theater District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities through its education department; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations, and acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience.  For further information, please go to www.citicenter.org.

Over the past three decades, he has recorded and performed with the best in music; including Frank Sinatra, Sting, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell and Aerosmith's own Steven Tyler.

Chris Botti in Boston was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Emmanuel" arranged by Jeremy Lubbock and Best Long Form Music Video. The concert was recorded in Boston Symphony Hall in September 2009.

While word on the new album remains hushed, loyal fans wait with bated breath for their first full-length, non-compilation album since 2006. Their most recent album, The Life Pursuit, became the band's highest charting release to date and was praised by critics, including influential UK online music zine Drowned in Sound, who picked the album as one of their Top 10 Best Albums of the Year. Belle & Sebastian will celebrate their return to the studio with a select handful of tour dates, including their first ever appearances in Mexico and Singapore. Additionally, the group is busy curating Bowlie 2 — the follow-up to the ATP Presented Bowlie Weekender in 1999. This one-night-only opportunity to see the legendary performers at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre is not to be missed!

With special guest Brandi Carlile.

Fresh off a triumphant sold-out tour debut, a headlining performance at The White House, a critically-acclaimed, chart-topping album, and an appearance at Coachella that garnered rave reviews from spectators and media alike, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of YO GABBA GABBA! are heading back on the road with YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY! to play to enthusiastic fans in Boston.

And they're bringing some SUPER MUSIC FRIENDS to the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre! Indie rock duo Mates of State will be stopping by Saturday, September 25. Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls, American Repertory Theater's Cabaret) and Jason Webley, who together form the musical duo Evelyn Evelyn, join the Gabbas September 26. Don't miss out on the fun!

Direct from New York, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the world-famous Rockettes, makes a triumphant return to The Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre! Most famous for their eye high kicks and precision dancing, the Radio City Rockettes thrilled over 350,000 Bostonians in 2004 and 2006. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this glamorous production. In addition the Rockette showstopper, “Twelve Days of Christmas,” this magical production features such legendary favorites “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and the awe-inspiring “Living Nativity.” Experience the magic of Christmas, this year in Boston. It is the perfect gift for your whole family.

Run Time
Act I - 47 minutes
Intermission - 15 minutes
Act II - 50 min

Group Sales Information

Visit Amy and Michael's official websites at amygrant.com and michaelwsmith.com

Conducted by BLO Music Director David Angus and featuring a cast led by soprano Sarah Coburn, who has sung on the stages of Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Opera, and recently made her Vienna Staatsoper debut, is making her BLO debut as the quick-witted Rosina. Jonathan Beyer debuts as Figaro and Canadian tenor John Tessier as Count Almaviva. American opera favorite Judith Christin brings her renowned portrayal of Berta to Boston for the first time. With Steven Condy, David Cushing and Gregory Gerbrandt.

Sung in Italian

Half-Off Student Tickets for the Opera may be purchased in advance at the Citi Performing Arts Center Box Office. 2 tickets per valid student ID.

Visit their website at celticwoman.com.

Check out the USA Today interview with Jeff Beck on his other passion - American muscle cars

Check out this special sneak preview of Jeff Beck & Imelda May performing "How High the Moon" at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City on what would have been Les Paul's 95th birthday.

Initially, the Reyes and Baliardos busked on the streets of Cannes, played weddings and parties, young men flavouring flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms. When an American admirer told the band their name Los Reyes meant “The Kings” in English they realised they were born to be Gipsy Kings. In 1987 The Gipsy Kings’ self-titled debut album introduced the world to ‘rumba Gitano’ – the sound of South America’s rumba rhythm married to flamenco guitars – and with ‘Bamboleo’ the Gipsy Kings scored a huge international hit. Since then the Kings have never stopped singing to the world. Today the Gipsy Kings still live with their families in the south of France. Life may have changed for them – they no longer busk on streets or pick crops when times are hard or travel in caravans – but still, at heart, they remain Gypsies, the proud descendants of an ancient people who seduced the world with music and dance. On Pasajero, the Gipsy Kings continue their epic musical journey.

Running Times:
Act 1 - 8:00 - 8:50
Intermission
Act 2 - 9:10 - 10:00

Visit his official website at tonybennett.net

Ah, the thrill of the chase. Over hill, over dale, girdling the Earth in forty minutes—when the words are mostly Shakespeare, even the libretto sings. Britten gives us a stageful of sprites and mortals in a touching and very funny take: a dreamscape. Or is it a nightmare? Depends on how you feel about unrequited love, and donkeys.

Boston Lyric Opera's Agrippina - March 11 - 22 - Shubert Theatre

Internationally acclaimed vocal phenomenon Celtic Woman has announced their brand-new North American tour in support of their new CD/DVD release, BELIEVE. The tour kicks off February 3rd in Nashville, TN with performances lined up in nearly 60 cities including Boston. Tickets go on-sale to the public December 16th. For complete tour schedule and ticket information, visit celticwoman.com.

Celtic Woman’s breathtaking new show, BELIEVE, features the all-female singing sensation performing classic Irish tunes, such as ‘The Water Is Wide,’ ‘Green Grow the Rushes,’ ‘A Woman’s Heart,’ and ‘The Parting Glass,’ timeless pop anthems such as ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and ‘Sailing,’ and inspirational songs including ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Ave Maria,’ with their signature Celtic Woman twist, under the distinct musical direction of Emmy-nominated music producer, David Downes. Celtic Woman’s awe-inspiring vocalists and mesmerizing violinist will be backed by a dazzling six-piece band, the Aontas Choir, and renowned championship Irish dancer.

Celtic Woman’s newest studio CD and companion DVD, BELIEVE, will be available in stores January 24 through Manhattan Records. Filmed for the first time in America in front of some of their most loyal fans at The Fox Theatre (Atlanta, GA) in September, 2011, BELIEVE: LIVE began airing December 3rd on Public Television stations around the country as part of the network’s quarterly pledge drive.

Since their March 2005 American debut on Public Television, Celtic Woman quickly emerged as a spectacular commercial success, selling more than six million CDs/DVDs and over two million concert tickets worldwide! Their genre-defining, multi-Platinum-selling projects have each held #1 positions on the Billboard World Music Charts: Celtic Woman (CD/DVD 2005), A Christmas Celebration (CD/DVD 2006), A New Journey (CD/DVD 2007), The Greatest Journey (CD/DVD 2008), and Songs From The Heart (CD/DVD 2010).

Celtic Woman’s signature sound has emerged as a transcendent force and their spectacular live shows embody a radiance and purity that connects powerfully with their adoring fan base. Celtic Woman’s all-new production, BELIEVE, marks the pinnacle of their illustrious career, a celebration of musical enchantment to be enjoyed by the entire family!

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. “A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia…Boomer Heaven!” raves The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as The Beatles, they triumph!” cheers the Boston Herald. “An adoring Valentine to The Beatles,” declares the Washington Post. Sing along with your family and friends to such Beatlemaniac favorites as "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Come Together" and "Can’t Buy Me Love."

Running Times:
Act 1 - 60 minutes
Intermission - 20 minutes
Act 2 - 60 minutes

Founded in 1992 and reaching worldwide attention on the strength of their platinum albums Fashion Nugget and Prolonging The Magic, CAKE have been cited by Rolling Stone as creators of “a modern pop that is both mechanized and organic...highly developed and virtually unique.” Highlights in recent years range from raves for their latest studio album Pressure Chief (2004), and a subsequent compilation of unreleased tracks B-sides and Rarities (2007), to major success in concert, including multiple runs of their self-founded ‘Unlimited Sunshine’ tour and solo dates in large theaters and arenas worldwide.

Visit the band's website CAKEMUSIC.COM.

Check out CAKE's new song - Federal Funding - the opening track from their new album Showroom of Compassion

Showroom of Compassion (in stores January 11; pre-order on iTunes now), Cake's first album since 2004, is about as groovy as a song can possibly get with lyrics that seem as though they were lifted from an internal memo written by middle management at a government contractor. Singer John McCrea is as droll as ever, somehow merging his incredibly dry subject matter with a strange parody of detached rock swagger. In director Owen Cook's video for the song, animated construction workers build an empty coliseum on a grim, earth-toned landscape. The mood of the clip matches the sound of the tune perfectly. - Rolling Stone Magazine

Girl Scout Information click here

The annual April visit to Boston by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has long been one of the city’s celebrated seasonal traditions. The stunningly gifted and gorgeous Ailey dancers bring fire and passion to programs of classics and exciting new works alike. Following the successful transition to new artistic director Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues its triumphant journey as America’s leading modern dance company.

The 2011-2012 Dance Series is sponsored by
THE LITTLE FAMILY FOUNDATION and the JOHN S. and CYNTHIA REED FOUNDATION
with additional support from the Celebrity Series Friends of Dance.

Student Rush:$20.00 tickets available 1 ½ hours prior to performance time at the Box Office only. 2 tickets per valid student ID. Cash Only.

Visit the Group Sales page for information on purchasing 10+ tickets.

Boston Lyric Opera's Midsummer's Night Dream - April 29 - May 10 - Shubert Theatre