Southeastern Louisiana University

Bye Bye Birdie, hello Valentine's Day entertainment

Contact: Tonya Lowentritt

1/21/09

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Captions ...

(1) PLANNING VALENTINE’S DAY TREAT - Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts’ planning committee met recently to discuss the upcoming 7:30 p.m. Valentine’s Day musical performance of “Bye Bye Birdie.” From left are Bonnie Barrileaux, Donna Gay Anderson, Columbia Theatre director, Christie Gardiner, Columbia Theatre logistics coordinator, Anne Sharp, Fay Bright, Patty Hubert, Marjorie Morrison, and Mary Jo Greaves.

(2) HAVING A MUSICAL BALL – Award winning, Grammy-nominated singer and pianist, Marcia Ball will perform at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

     While last year’s Valentine Day production was a fundraiser for the Columbia, this year’s will be a “thank you” for theater patrons, said Michelle Biggs, associate director of marketing.

     “The committee has been working very hard to make this a special Valentine’s Day celebration,” she said. “We will serve champagne and chocolates after the show in honor of Valentine’s Day and the Columbia’s generous supporters.”

     Plenty of laughs and great songs have made “Bye Bye Birdie” one of the most memorable musicals of all time. The production won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned memorable tunes such as “Put On a Happy Face,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” “One Last Kiss,” “One Boy,” and “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?”

     Tickets for “Bye Bye Birdie” are $56, Center Orchestra and Loge; $51, Left and Right Orchestra and Balcony 1; and $46, Balcony 2.

     For those who cannot wait until Feb. 14 for musical entertainment, the Columbia Theatre has a few tickets left for a performance by singer, pianist Marcia Ball on Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. 

     Ball’s exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin’s deep songwriting tradition into a sound that has been described as “a little, rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues.”

     Texas-born, Louisiana-raised Ball received a 2008 Grammy Award nomination for her critically acclaimed CD, “Peace, Love & BBQ” in the the “Best Contemporary Blues Album” category. She was also recently nominated for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year” by the 2009 Blues Music Awards.

     Tickets for Marcia Ball are $35 Orchestra 1 and Loge; $29 Orchestra 2 and Balcony 1; and $25 Balcony 2.

     Tickets can be purchased online at www.columbiatheatre.org or at the Columbia Theatre box office, 220 E. Thomas St., (985) 543-4371. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday.