Southeastern's Columbia Theatre announces new season
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
ARTRAGEOUS – Artrageous, a troupe of artists, musicians, singers and dancers, is just one of the programs included in Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts’ 2018-19 Season. The group, scheduled to perform April 6, pays tribute to a variety of art forms, pop icons and musical genres culminating in a gallery of fabulous finished paintings.
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing
Arts recently announced its 2018-19 season, which offers everything from live music
to dance to theater.
The season also boasts entertainment from campus ensembles, said Roy Blackwood,
director of the Columbia Theatre and Fanfare, Southeastern’s annual festival of the
arts, humanities and social sciences. Performances will be scheduled throughout the
season. Dates and additional information will be available soon at columbiatheatre.org.
The Columbia Theatre curtain officially opens Sept. 27 with Southeastern Opera/Theatre
Workshop’s presentation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”
The production is scheduled Sept. 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $21
for adults; $16 for seniors, Southeastern faculty/staff and non-Southeastern students
and $8 for children twelve and younger. Southeastern students are admitted free of
charge with their ID.
Tickets are available at the Columbia Theatre box office, located at 220 E. Thomas
Street in Hammond, or by calling 985-543-4371.
Next on tap is a concert from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, which begins
its series of performances at Columbia Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m., with “Beethoven and Blue
Jeans: Beethoven’s Fifth.” The concert is the first of three LPO performances and
features Beethoven’s Overture to “Fidelio,” Symphony No. 5, and selections from Edvard
Grieg’s “Peer Gynt.”
Additional LPO concerts include the Yuletide Celebration, a fun program of holiday
musical favorites for the entire family featuring local student choirs, on Dec. 14
and “L’Amour!” on March 8. Both concerts are scheduled at 7:30 p.m.
Next on tap is “Lonesome Traveler: The Concert with Peter Yarrow” on Oct. 12
at 7:30 p.m. Blackwood said the stirring concert version of the acclaimed Off-Broadway
musical presents a revealing perspective of the roots forever embedded in our culture,
bringing together audiences of all ages.
“The show celebrates the music of great folk artists including Woody Guthrie,
Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, The Limeliters, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob
Dylan, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell,
and Simon & Garfunkel, with a special tribute to Leonard Cohen,” Blackwood said.
On Oct. 25, Columbia Theatre presents “Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook.”
“’Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook’ with Suzanne O. Davis is North America’s
premiere musical tribute to Carole King,” Blackwood said. “Suzanne O. Davis gives
an energetic and heartfelt performance along with the Tapestry band and takes the
audience on a journey into those great recordings.”
Back by popular demand, Missoula Children’s Theatre will return the week of Nov.
3 with a production of “Alice in Wonderland” for area youth. Upon their arrival Oct.
29, Missoula will hold auditions and cast approximately 50 to 60 area children. Rehearsals
will begin that day, and a full-scale production will be presented Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.
For additional information, contact the Columbia Theatre administrative office at
985-543-4366.
On Dec. 7 and 8 at 7 p.m., Columbia Theatre will present Hammond Ballet Company’s
“The Nutcracker.” The classic holiday ballet features professional guest artists and
excellent all-star local dancers.
Aquila Theatre will bring its production of “Frankenstein” to Columbia on Feb.23.
“Aquila Theatre’s presentation of this timeless classic will be bold and thrilling,
while paying homage to the original, frightening writing of Mary Shelly,” Blackwood
said.
Rounding out the season is a performance by Artrageous, a troupe of artists,
musicians, singers and dancers on April 6 at 7:30 p.m. Blackwood said the group pays
tribute to a variety of art forms, pop icons and musical genres culminating in a gallery
of fabulous finished paintings.
Pajamas and Play makes a return to Columbia on April 13 at 2 p.m. with “Toying with
Science.” Blackwood said Pajamas and Play presentations are designed to make theater
performances especially accessible and appealing for children. Kids are invited to
wear their pajamas, robes and slippers to the 60-minute performances, no matter the
time, and will be given cookies and milk as an added treat.
“Toying with Science is a fast-paced, varied and dynamic program,” Blackwood
said. “It combines circus skills, mime, original music, and audience involvement in
the exploration of the scientific principles of gravity, leverage, fulcrums and simple
machines.”
A compliment to the Columbia Theatre season, Fanfare will feature many “home-grown”
artists. Fanfare will once again showcase music, theater, dance, lectures, children’s
events, and art exhibits, highlighting the myriad of talent university faculty and
students have to offer in Fanfare’s 33rd season. The complete Fanfare schedule will
be posted soon and updated regularly at southeastern.edu/fanfare.
For Columbia Theatre season or individual ticket information, contact the administrative
office at 985-543-4366 or log on to columbiatheatre.org.
