A new season of concerts at Backus Community Center is set to kick off Sept. 26.
The 2015-16 Backus Performing Arts Series lineup features the Rose Ensemble, The Borealis Bards, Chris Koza, the Baby Boomer Comedy Show, Sister, Teague Alexy and Bill and Kate Isles.
After surveying audiences, Backus put together this season’s performing arts shows with the attendees in mind, according to a news release.
“People were asking for comedy and something new, we think we’ve got some high-quality artists lined up,” said Backus Executive Director, Ward Merrill.
Merrill added community center officials want to keep audiences in mind when booking shows.
“We want to appeal to those who have attended for years, but we also want to bring in the younger audience as well,” he said.
Rose Ensemble: Performances begin Sept. 26 with a free, multi-generational community event in the morning where the Rose Ensemble will offer four workshops: ukulele music, traditional Hawaiian chants and seated hula, lei making, and history/culture of Hawaii. Lunch will be included with the workshops.
The Rose Ensemble ends the day at 7 p.m. with a performance of The Last Queen of Hawaii: Music from the Soul of the Hawaiian Saga in the Backus auditorium.
The Borealis Bards: The local theater group will perform a full-scale production of “Alice in Wonderland” at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17 with a 2 p.m. matinee Oct. 18.
The year 2015 is the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and The Borealis Bards will share the story in an adaptation to be enjoyed by adults and kids alike, the release said.
The performance features a multi-generational cast as Alice’s magical, and sometimes mad, adventure comes alive on the Backus stage.
Chris Koza: Koza and his band, Rogue Valley, take the Backus stage at 7 p.m. Oct. 23.
Koza is a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter who has been recording and releasing albums since 2004. His song-writing carries a strong emphasis on the lyrical and poetic elements, with stylings and textures rooted in folk and Americana traditions.
The Baby Boomer Comedy Show: Based on request from Backus patrons, the Baby Boomer Comedy Show will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Feb. 19, 2016.
Fellow baby boomer and veteran comedians, Jan McInnis and Kent Rader have developed this 90-minute theater event that is filled with clean humor on topics the boomer generation can relate to — family, kids, work, do-it-yourself projects, dieting, aging, grandchildren, and is perfect for boomers everywhere.
Sister: In partnership with the Sons of Norway, Sister will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 5.
These three women are a sample of all that is great about the Midwest, the release said. Their regional humor is coupled with a universal sense of family that is captivating to all kinds of audiences. Their sense of hospitality goes beyond “Minnesota nice” and is a genuine expression of life in the heartland. Hometown harmony, Scandinavian humor, and familiar music. This is world class regional entertainment built on a pattern of Midwestern quality.
Teague Alexy: On March 5,, Backus brings Teague Alexy’s music, deeply rooted in Americana after touring the country a few times with brother Ian in their foot-stomping band Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank. It is a toe-tapping backdrop for a profound American writer and storyteller, the release said.
Bill and Kate Isles: Bill and Kate Isles finish off the Backus Concert Series season April 16.
Bill and Kate are an acoustic singer/songwriter duo based in Duluth. Using a wide variety of musical styles, their performances carry audiences through a broad landscape of experiences from metaphorical worlds to small town family stories and to zany comedy, the release said.
Season tickets for the Backus Performing Arts Series are available at the Backus office. The cost is $55 for Backus Community Center members and $65 for non-members. “Pick 5” tickets to allow guests to pick five of the seven shows are available for $45 for members and $50 for non-members.
Individual show tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for students, $25 for a family of four with children under 5 admitted free. Show tickets will be sold at Backus Community Center, City Drug and Betty’s in Fort Frances.
For more information, visit www.backusab.org, find the organization on Facebook or call the office at 218-285-7225.
In order to fund the performances for the community, the release said Backus partnered with David McKee and Lynn Naeckel, Boise Paper, Lucachick Architecture, Solutions Insurance Agencies, Stewart’s Super One, Wagner Construction, Ballan Furniture, Ward and Linda Merrill, Days Inn and Cynthia Jaksa.
