WPAA
Hard to believe that the golden anniversary is here. Western Plains Arts Association board members representing large and small northwest Kansas communities hope you will join in an all-year celebration of the organization’s 50th Season.
As usual WPAA offers a large number of quality programs — a whopping 20 for the 2019-2020 season. An adult season ticket is still a great value of just $50. Student tickets, high school senior or younger, are just $15 a season. Family memberships are $110; families receive two adult tickets plus one student ticket for each child in the family who is high school senior age or under. Adult tickets for many of the individual programs are $20, while student tickets are as much as $10.
Special to the season is the “Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration Show,” Feb. 16. At this free show we will take a stroll down memory lane of several of the highlights since the debut season of 1969-1970. We will also feature WPAA board member and affiliate local talent, and host a reception, all at the cultural arts center in Colby.
With so many season programs, WPAA is sure to have several you and your family will not want to miss. Still trying to graduate since the 1950s, The Four Freshmen will open the season Sept 8 at the Oakley High School Auditorium.
Hear one of the best traditional and Dixieland jazz groups in the Rocky Mountain region as Denver’s Queen City Jazz Band comes to Goodland High School Auditorium Sept. 15. The band also features jazz-blues singer Wende Harston.
Enjoy some of the greatest Big Band music of all time as The Glenn Miller Orchestra rounds out the first month Sept. 29 at Colby’s Cultural Arts Center.
Here is a look at the rest of the tentative schedule for 2019-2020.
* Jana Jae, fiddler, with her western swing band, Oct. 13, Colby.
* Wichita Chidren’s Theatre, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Oct. 14-16, area schools: Hoxie, Atwood, Winona, Sharon Springs and Colby.
* Backtrack, New York City vocal ensemble, Oct. 20, Colby.
* Duane Laflin of Branson’s Grand Magic Show, Nov. 3, Hoxie.
* Adam Gardino, guitarist and fiddle, Nov. 10, Bird City.
* Derik Nelson and Family present Seasons, Nov. 17, Colby.
* Take Three Christmas show, Dec 1, Colby.
* Shades of Buble, tribute to Michael Buble, Jan. 19, Oakley.
* Acoustic Eidolon, Celtic, folk & classic duo, Jan. 26, Sharon Springs.
* Mollie O’Brien, folk singer, Feb. 9, St. Francis.
* 50th Anniversary Celebration Show, Feb. 16, Colby.
* Jay & Leslie Cady, juggling & other nonsense, March 1, Quinter.
* Forever Young musical theater production, March 8, Oakley.
* Marimba Sol de Chiapas, marimba ensemble, Hoxie.
* Nashville Legacy, March 27, Oakley.
* Ball in the House, a cappella, April 19, Oakley.
* Lezlee & Paul, formerly called En Power & Light, April 26, Atwood.
Please contact any local board member for season tickets. Contact information is at the organization’s website: wpaa.us. Season tickets may also be purchased upon arrival to any of the early season program, or on-line with PayPal. Single program tickets are always available at the door. All Sunday show times begin at 3 p.m. Central, irregardless of the local time zone of the host community. Further information about each program will generally appear a full one-to-weeks in advance. Most area newspapers and radio stations partner with WPAA to provide media releases in advance of each program. Western Plains programing is only possible through a number of generous grants, business sponsors and private supporters of arts programming.