Tonic Sol Fa's concert Sept. 9 at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center kicks off the 2010-11 season.
Besides the a capella group, the season will feature two children's shows, a science show and a play about soldiers fighting in the Middle East.
"I just want the community to know we have some really cool family programs at the high school and they are professional," said Assistant Principal Jennifer Shepherd.
Zimmer is sponsoring Tonic Sol Fa, Teachers Credit Union is sponsoring "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and "Charlotte's Web", and the Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation is sponsoring Freddy Fusion.
Shepherd said the sponsors are supporting the professional shows at the WCHS PAC with the intent of providing quality professional entertainment to the community at a reasonable price.
Tickets for Tonic Sol Fa on Sept. 9 are $20. All other shows are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
"We've been trying to balance out what we offer with what is already offered in Warsaw, and trying to find our niche," Shepherd said.
People need to realize the PAC is a community facility that can be rented out at a reasonable price, she said. The community needs to make use of what's available in its own back yard.
Emmy-nominated and Grammy award-winning a capella group Tonic Sol Fa has spent the past decade on the road carving their niche as one of the nation's top vocal groups. They have appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and in many publications like Newsweek. They've had outings with Jay Leno, Shawn Colvin, Lonestar and many others.
Tonic Sol-Fa will give a one-hour workshop to about 80 high school choir students the day of their performance.
"We have found out our children's programming has been top quality that we've offered here," said Shepherd.
Because of that, the PAC is again offering two children's programs this season.
"Between the two children's shows TCU is sponsoring, every kid in first through fifth grade will be here," said Shepherd.
Each children's show also came with a curriculum, which Shepherd sent to all the elementary schools to use in conjunction with the shows.
The first children's program is "Charlotte's Web", which will be presented Oct. 29.
E.B. White's loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte comes to life in "Charlotte's Web".
Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up in the slaughterhouse. Enter Charlotte, a fine writer and a true friend, who assures Wilbur she will save him. Charlotte hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman - she will create a "miracle".
This is a 60 minute play recommended for audiences 5 years old and up.
The second children's program will be "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" April 12.
Nine-year-old Peter Hatcher's life would be sweet if it weren't for Fudge, his toddler terror of a brother. Fudge seems to get away with everything, whether he's throwing a tantrum at the shoe store, acting like a bird on the jungle gym and knocking out his two front teeth, or scribbling all over Peter's homework.
Peter struggles with an end-of-the-year assignment to write about the most important thing that happened to him during fourth grade. This is a daunting task given how much took place that year.
Two Beans Productions captures all the humor, sibling rivalry and elementary school angst of Judy Blume's book in their play "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing".
For older audiences, there's "Letters Home".
"Letters Home" puts the current war front and center by bring to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East.
The production is inspired by the New York Times op-ed article, "The Things They Wrote" and the subsequent HBO documentary, "Last Letters Home. Additionally, it uses letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer's books "Voices From the Front", "Letters Home From America's Military Family", "Faith of Our Sons" and "Keeping Faith". The play, without politicizing, gives audiences a powerful portrait of the soldier experience in the ongoing war.
"Letters Home" will be at the WCHS PAC Oct. 18.
The initial production last winter was critically acclaimed and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for "Outstanding New Play."
All WCHS students will see a shortened version of the play prior to the public performance that night. Middle school students will see a presentation of Freddy Fusion.
Part author, inventor, speaker, performer, TV personality, Freddy Fusion is quickly becoming a dominant force in the science community. Freddy Fusion is deploying his lab crew and heading to Warsaw Feb. 24.
With its side-splitting humor, audience participation and ability to educate while entertain, the Freddy Fusion show is already a popular program in television, schools, fairs, theaters and cruise ships He continues to make regular appearances on Disney Cruise Line and the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas.Of the shows this season, Shepherd said, "We're offering some really cool things for families at a reasonable price. They don't have to drive to Fort Wayne, South Bend or Wabash. To offer some more really cool things in the future, we have to see people make use of them."
Besides the professional shows, the WCHS PAC also offers some high-quality student productions, Shepherd said. That ranges from choir and band performances to a variety show, a fall musical and a spring play.
Tickets for the professional shows may be purchased by calling 574-371-5040. Master Card and Visa are accepted. No refunds or exchanges.
"I'm just excited about the possibilities and I want people to be excited about what is going on here," said Shepherd.
