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Whether laughing at the hilarity of Spamalot or feeling the soul of The Temptations and Amy Grant, this season will prove unforgettable as North Iowa Area Community College proudly announces the 2010-2011 Performing Arts and Leadership Series. The entertainment lineup offers something for everyone including Grammy winning artists, comedy, Tony award-winning musicals and holiday events for the entire family. 

The 2010-2011 NIACC Performing Arts Series will feature The Little Singers of Tokyo on July 28; Water Coolers on September 10; The Temptations on September 29; Legally Blonde on October 5; Amy Grant on October 22; Professor Kubinek Meets the Symphony on November 13; Tomie DePaola’s Strega Nona, The Musical on November 19; ABBA Mania on November 21; Candlelight Christmas Festival/Night to Shine on December 11; The Ten Tenors, The Power of Ten on December 19; Spamalot on January 4; Who’s Bad, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute on January 15; Bruce In The USA, Matt Ryan and American Dream on January 29; Guys on Ice, An Ice Fishing Musical Comedy on February 19; Wizard of Oz on March 1; Mad Science Presents Star Trek Live on March 30; Franc D’Ambrosio’s Broadway on April 8; and Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping on May 1.

The Leadership Series will feature Bill Bryson, New York Times best-selling author of A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of  Nearly Everything on November 7 and Arun Gandhi – Legacy of Love on April 3.

All events will be held at the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus. Platinum sponsors for the 2010-2011 series include NIACC; the Globe Gazette; Alliant Energy; Henkel Construction; Kraft; Mason City Clinic; Principal Financial Group; and Winnebago Industries Foundation.  Gold sponsors include Dr. Dave and Cathy Beck; Community National Bank; Diamond Jo Casino; First Citizens National Bank; First State Bank of Belmond; Dr. Gary W. Swenson & Dean A. Genth; Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa; Martin, Cooney, MacNider & Cooney Financial Consultants of Raymond James & Associates, Inc.; Soener Foundation; and Sukup Manufacturing.  In kind sponsors include Country Inn and Suite and KIMT.

Performing Arts season tickets, which can be built according to the buyer, will go on sale for renewals from May 17 to June 4. New season tickets will be sold from June 14 to July 30.  Single event tickets go on sale August 9. Performing Arts and Leadership Series program books will be available to the general public the week of June 14.  All previous ticket buyers will receive a copy of the book in the mail.  Call the NIACC Box Office at 422-4188 or 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4188 or go online to www.niacc.edu/calevents/ for details.  The NIACC Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the months of May, June, July and August, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. during the months of September, October, November, December, January, February, March and April.

The Little Singers of Tokyo
July 28th
The Iowa Choral Directors Association is thrilled to welcome the Senior Choir of The Little Singers of Tokyo to perform on the NIACC stage.  The Little Singers of Tokyo was founded in 1951 by Shinichi Hasegawa, and the legacy of excellence in singing is being carried on by his daughters, Saeko and Hisae Hasegawa.  In 1964, The Little Singers of Tokyo were invited to come to America for the first time to sing at Carnegie Hall.  During that same visit, they were featured on the "Ed Sullivan Show.”   Since that first trip to America, The Little Singers of Tokyo have made nearly 30 tours to the United States, as well as international tours of many other countries.  The Little Singers of Tokyo have won numerous international singing competitions as well as having performed with famous artists, operatic theaters, and orchestras around the world.  In December 2009, they performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony conducted by Kurt Mazur, who praised them very highly.  For more information on The Little Singers of Tokyo, visit www.lsot.jp.  This event is sponsored by the Iowa Choral Directors Association.  Tickets are available for immediate purchase by calling the NIACC Box Office or they can be purchased at the door.  Call 422-4188 for tickets. Please note: this is not a season ticket event.

Season Tickets Events:
Water Coolers
September 10th
Conceived by one of the creators of the long-running New York hit Tony n' Tina's Wedding, The Water Coolers blend original music and parodies of familiar songs.  Written and performed by Broadway seasoned writers, comics and singers, the show celebrates the crazy, funny, maddening and yet somehow universally comforting insanity of everyday life.  From pretending you understand what the IT guy is saying ("The IT Cowboy") to fending off a relentless sales parent ("Who Will Buy This Crap For My Kid's School"), the Water Coolers are making audiences howl at the experiences people face just making it through the week.  Honored with the 2009 “Ensemble Entertainer of the Year Award” by the events industry’s prestigious Spotlight Awards and acclaimed by E! Entertainment Television and reviewers across the country, the Water Coolers pioneered workplace humor long before television’s The Office - and they do it with song and dance.  For more information about this show, visit www.seethewatercoolers.com.  This event is sponsored by Diamond Jo Casino.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

The Temptations
September 29th
Get ready to spend an evening grooving to the unique and classic Motown hits of this legendary group, songs like "My Girl," "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "Just My Imagination," "Papa Was A Rolling Stone” and more!  One of the most successful soul acts of the ‘60s, The Temptations epitomize classic soul at its most urbane and graceful level. Stop-on-a-dime choreography and classy elegance make the group a hit on stage; in the studio, their harmonies benefited from Motown's best songwriters and producers. The presence of several talented lead vocalists with distinct styles mean that they can play it both smooth and sweaty, and enable them to deliver an unforgettable evening of their illustrious hits!  For more information about this show, visit www.thetemptations.com.  This event is sponsored by Winnebago Industries Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Legally Blonde
October 5th
It's here, and it's "AN ELLE OF A SHOW" (TIME Magazine). The hilarious MGM film is Broadway's new smash hit musical, and now Legally Blonde: The Musical is coming to North Iowa. Legally Blonde follows sorority star Elle Woods, an underestimated blonde who doesn't take no for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to oneself never goes out of style. After turning Broadway and MTV hot pink, this "Feel-Good Song and Dance Juggernaut" (New York Magazine), is coming to North Iowa.  For more information about this show, visit www.legallyblondethemusical.com.  This event is sponsored by Mason City Clinic and Kraft.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Amy Grant
October 22nd
Conventional wisdom has it that Amy Grant put Contemporary Christian music on the map. She surely did that, achieving such breakthroughs as being the first Contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit #1 on the pop chart, and the first to perform at the Grammy Awards. Yet perhaps her greatest accomplishment was to open the door for a flood of other artists in pop as well as rock to sing about faith and soul and family and still grasp stardom. With that, she has solidified her legacy as one of the most influential artists of the past few decades.  For more information about this show, visit www.amygrant.com.  This event is sponsored by the Globe Gazette and Sukup Manufacturing.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Professor Kubinek Meets the Symphony
November 13th
Self-proclaimed 'Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible,' the one and only Dr. Tomáš Kubínek has traveled the globe playing his exuberant solo-shows to sold-out theaters around the world.  With award-winning performances that are equal parts comic brilliance and virtuosic vaudeville The New York Times has hailed his work, "Absolutely expert and consistently charming!"  This autumn, NIACC holds the distinction of being one of four select theaters to present an exciting world-premiere of an artistic collaboration between Tomáš Kubínek, Orchestra Iowa and The University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium.  Under the musical direction of Maestro Timothy Hankewich, Professor Kubínek is joined onstage by all 83 musicians of Orchestra Iowa to present an astounding extravaganza of monumental proportions!  Bombastic, beautiful, heartfelt and hilarious! A profoundly entertaining evening of grand music, madcap brilliance, absurd invention and old-world charm, with enormous audience appeal will satisfy symphonic newcomers and seasoned aficionados alike.  A new way to see orchestral music and a rare concert event, this show will leave Beethoven, Dvoøák, Strauss and Bach, amused, bewildered and proud.  The NIACC Performing Arts Series is excited to welcome Professor Kubínek and all of the members of Orchestra Iowa and is honored to be included in this amazing new work produced and presented by Iowa's internationally acclaimed Hancher Auditorium.  This event is sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, Hancher Auditorium Event Partners, Iowa West Foundation and Rockwell Collins.  Call 422-4188 for tickets and Overture Dinner reservations.

Tomie DePaola’s Strega Nona, The Musical
November 19th
Based on the beloved children's books by Tomie dePaola, Strega Nona, The Musical is the tale of a friendly, magical witch who strives to cure the everyday ills of the tiny Italian town of Calabria. The town faces real problems when a local lug, Big Anthony, sneaks a peek at Strega Nona's magic book and uses Strega Nona’s magical ways for selfish means. When Anthony fools with the magic pasta pot, and can't figure out how to turn it off, pasta threatens to engulf the whole town – unless Strega Nona can save the day. Featuring an energetic score by composer Aron Accurso, the use of traditional Commedia dell’arte and a set design inspired by the Strega Nona pop-up book; this enchanting production illustrates the importance of the adage “be careful what you wish for, lest it come true” and that you can’t judge a pot by its pasta! Pre-K to 4th grade, ages 4 to 9.  This event is sponsored by Alliant Energy Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

ABBA Mania
November 21
ABBA Mania has been delighting audiences of all ages since 1999, touring the world in its quest to bring the music of the Swedish super group to their millions of fans, old and new! In 2002, ABBA Mania played 18 weeks in the Strand Theatre, London re-creating the ABBA phenomenon for fans from all over the world, as far afield as Tahiti. ABBA’s timeless songs were written to be enjoyed live and ABBA Mania gives audiences exactly that: two hours of uplifting, dance-inducing and sometimes heart-breaking songs, fully live with fantastic staging, lighting and effects. The show recreates ABBA’s sound not only perfectly, but respectfully, too, earning them the coveted Radio Regernbogen Best Musical award in Germany following a sell-out run at the Deutsches Theater Munich. ABBA Mania is not only for life long, die hard ABBA fans but for the new generation of fans, who never had the opportunity to see ABBA live.  For more information about this show, visit www.abbamania.com.  This event is sponsored by Community National Bank.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Candlelight Christmas Festival/NIACC’s Night to Shine
December 11th
Get filled with the spirit of Christmas as the NIACC Concert Choir, NIACC Singers, River City Barbershop Chorus and North Iowa Choral Society, along with area instrumentalists, take the stage to present North Iowa's finest musical collaboration.   Themed music to touch the heart, kindle the spirit and awaken the inner child of people from all generations.  In conjunction with the Candlelight Christmas Festival, the NIACC Foundation is proud to present the fourth NIACC's Night to Shine event.  Attend the gourmet dinner at 5:00 p.m. to celebrate the season and the community spirit of the College, and then plan to attend the spectacular Candlelight Christmas Choral event at 7:30 p.m.  This grand evening will include the presentation of the prestigious NIACC Shining Star Awards.  Contact the NIACC Foundation to make reservations for the Night to Shine dinner (641-422-4386).  This event is sponsored by Martin, Cooney, MacNider & Cooney Financial Consultants of Raymond James & Associates, Inc.  Call 422-4188 for Candlelight Christmas Festival tickets.  Call 422-4386 for Night to Shine dinner tickets.

The Ten Tenors: The Power of Ten
December 19th
After the worldwide success of Here’s to the Heroes and Nostalgica, the platinum-record-selling, billboard-record-breaking road warriors, The Ten Tenors, are about to blow the roof off all expectations with the most explosive show in The Ten Tenors’ history.  With a unique blend of high-octane arias and kick-driven rock classics, punctuated by moments of divine tenderness, The Ten Tenors deliver in a way unlike any other vocal group in the world.  When these ten ruggedly handsome Australian men take to the stage en masse, their voices will excite and electrify the audience with a contrast of raw power and soothing beauty.  This show will culturally enrich and uplift the audience and, more importantly, leave them having rocked like they haven’t rocked in years!   Just try to resist driving home with windows down, and car-stereo blasting a choice of The Ten Tenors’ version of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die, Simon and Garfunkel’s classic The Boxer or any of the other incredible musical moments that fill this stunning show.  Come feel alive, electrified by The Ten Tenors.  The Power of Ten…The storm is coming!  For more information about this show, visit www.thetentenors.com.  This event is sponsored by First State Bank of Belmond.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Spamalot
January 4th
Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Monty Python's Spamalot is the outrageous new musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic "Monty Python and The Holy Grail." With a book by Eric Idle and music and lyrics by the Grammy Award winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical numbers are just a few of the reasons audiences everywhere are eating up Spamalot.  Don't miss your chance to see Spamalot!  For more information about this show, visit www.montypythonsspamalot.com.  This event is sponsored by Henkel Construction and Dr. Dave and Cathy Beck.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Who’s Bad, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute
January 15th
In glitzy jackets, glittering gloves and ‘80s regalia, Who's Bad, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band, is an infectious party production that takes audiences on a musical expedition spanning three decades of Michael Jackson's chart-cresting music. From “ABC” to “You Rock My World,” no song is forgotten in this electrifying revival of Pop Music's Royal Highness. Founded in 2004 by Vamsi Tadepalli and spearheaded by some of North Carolina's optimum musicians, Who's Bad has crafted an intricate performance complete with synchronized dance routines, blaring horn section and down-deep rhythms – each delivered with a precision that could only be superseded by the King himself. Since their first standing-room only concert, audiences have crowned them must-see entertainment singing along as if the moves, the music and the memories belong to us all.  For more information about this show, visit www.whosbadmusic.com.  This event is sponsored by Winnebago Industries Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets and Overture Dinner reservations.

Bruce In The USA Matt Ryan and American Dream
World’s #1 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Tribute Show
January 29th
Bruce In The USA is much more than just another tribute…this high-energy musical experience is a note-perfect and visually accurate recreation of a Bruce Springsteen & The E. St. Band show.  Matt Ryan, from the World Famous “Legends In Concert” cast, played the Springsteen character for eight years, in their “full scale” Las Vegas show. The great success with “Legends” evolved his character into the Bruce In The USA show. His amazing portrayal of “The Boss” (not to mention his jaw-dropping resemblance) is as close as audiences can get to see the real thing in concert. Backed by a strong, powerful Clarence “The Big Man” Clemons…and a smokin’ handed “Little Stevie,” Bruce In The USA takes this genre of performance art to a whole new level making it the World’s #1 Tribute to the E. St. Band’s legacy.  They’ve been met with critical acclaim by even the toughest skeptics, from the Stone Pony, Asbury Park to House Of Blues’ and large theatres across the country, where sellout crowds are on their feet from the first song to the last.  For more information about this show, visit www.bruceintheusa.com.  This event is sponsored by the Soener Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets and Overture Dinner reservations.

Guys on Ice: An Ice Fishing Musical Comedy
February 19th
“An avalanche of jokes about fishing, bait and cooking fish!” — The Boston Globe
“Laughs rang throughout the audience!” — Akron Beacon Journal
Set in an ice shanty, Lloyd and Marvin keep warm with a mutual appreciation for good bait, cold beer and the Packers. As Marvin anxiously awaits his opportunity to appear on a TV fishing show, both pals scramble to protect their cold ones from Ernie the Moocher.  With musical numbers like “The Wishing Hole,” “Ode to a Snowmobile Suit,” “Fish is the Miracle Food” and “The One That Got Away,” Guys on Ice lets the audience experience the joys and adventures of a day out ice fishing…only without having to freeze their socks off.  For more information about this show, visit www.guysonice.com.  This event is sponsored by Henkel Construction.  Call 422-4188 for tickets and Overture Dinner reservations.

Wizard of Oz
March 1st
There truly is no place like home as the wonderful Wizard of Oz twists its way into North Iowa! The entire family will be captivated as they travel down the Yellow Brick Road and beyond with Dorothy, Toto and their friends in this lavish production featuring breathtaking special effects, dazzling choreography and classic songs. A spectacular celebration of the iconic 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz will blow audiences away from the moment the tornado touches down and transports them to a dazzling art deco Oz, complete with munchkins and flying monkeys. Don't miss this chance to travel Over the Rainbow and experience The Wizard of Oz on stage.  For more information about this show, visit www.wizardofozontour.com.  This event is sponsored by First Citizens National Bank and The Alliant Energy Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Mad Science Presents Star Trek Live
March 30th
Eager to learn from Starfleet’s best and brightest, our cadets assemble, anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy.  As we are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of our cadets.  Our cadets will have to quickly learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology as they draw on the achievements of science in the 21st century.  It will require all our knowledge, ingenuity, logic and an exploration of science to discover what is happening and how to set things right before it’s too late!  Star Trek Live is a thrilling, 60-minute journey for audiences of all ages! Awesome special effects, unrivaled audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology takes everyone on an unforgettable journey through the Star Trek universe. Join Star Trek Live and boldly go where no one has gone before!  For more information about this show, visit www.madscience.org.  This event is sponsored by Kraft.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Franc D'Ambrosio’s Broadway
April 8th
Franc D'Ambrosio is best known as the "Phantom" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award winning musical, The Phantom Of The Opera.  Affectionately known as Phantom's "The Iron Man of The Mask," Franc D'Ambrosio was awarded the distinction of the "World’s Longest Running Phantom." This accomplishment was immortalized in a cemented hand ceremony and Franc retained this title for over a decade.  D'Ambrosio's resume also includes an Academy Award nominated film, an Emmy Award nominated television show, a four-time Tony Award nominated Broadway show, two Grammy Award considerations and a National Theatre Award nomination.  Franc will be joined on the stage for several numbers by the Mason City High School Concert Choir.  For more information about this show, visit www.francdambrosio.com.  This event is sponsored by Dean Genth and Dr. Gary Swenson.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping
May 1st
They’re servin' it up again at the North Iowa Community Auditorium.   This time around, the year is 1969 and the world is a changin'. As folks protest the Vietnam War and women are demanding equal pay for equal work, in their small rural Minnesota community the ladies of the Lutheran church basement kitchen are dealing with changes of their own. With their heartwarming humor and hilarious antics, Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping! takes the audience from serving the high school students at the Luther League Banquet to a church sponsored Missionary Night and the rise and fall of a Viking's Super Bowl Sunday. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young mom-to-be, these women find strength in each other as they deal with the joys and upheavals from below the "House of God!" This is most certainly true.  This event is sponsored by Mason City Clinic.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Leadership Series Speakers:
Bill Bryson
New York Times Best-Selling Author of A Walk in the Woods and
A Short History of Nearly Everything
November 7th
“Bryson is...equal parts Garrison Keillor, Michael Kinsley, and Dave Barry.” - New York Times
Multiple best-selling author Bill Bryson has become one of the world's most beloved and prolific commentators, finding delight in the minutiae of travel and the subtleties of culture. He has chronicled everything from hiking the Appalachian Trail in the immensely popular A Walk in the Woods to his return to the US from the UK in I'm a Stranger Here Myself.  With a unique comic sensibility, "Bryson could write an essay about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud," says the Chicago Sun Times of the man known for his quirky observations.  For all the acclaim, the award-winning Bryson is as unassuming as any Iowa-born, British citizen can be. He charms audiences with the same warmth, goofy wit and dry, self-effacing humor that has made his work so universally appealing.  His newest book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, has a 2010 release date.  For more information about this presentation, visit www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson.  This event is sponsored by Globe Gazette - Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund, Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa, Principal Financial Group, and Winnebago Industries Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

Arun Gandhi
Legacy of Love
April 3rd
“Be the Change you want to see in the world.”  MOHANDAS GANDHI 1869 - 1948
Activist and diversity speaker Arun Gandhi is the founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and the grandson of the legendary peace fighter and spiritual leader, Mohandas Gandhi. Born and raised in apartheid-era South Africa, Gandhi was sent to India when he was 12 to live with his grandfather, where he observed firsthand the profound national campaign for liberation through nonviolent means.  Following his visit to India, Arun Gandhi went on to lead successful economic and social reforms in India. He then came to the United States, where he and his late wife Sunanda founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. The Institute's goals are to further the study and practice of nonviolence while also providing a unique source of information about Mohandas Gandhi and his work. By continuing his grandfather's legacy, Arun Gandhi has been able to provide insight into one of history's most influential leaders and has continued to stress the importance of nonviolence across the globe.  For more information about this presentation, visit www.arungandhi.org.  This event is sponsored by Globe Gazette - Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund, Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa, Principal Financial Group, and Winnebago Industries Foundation.  Call 422-4188 for tickets.

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