The Central Performing Arts Center (CPAC) in DeWitt, in cooperation with the Missoula Children's Theater (MCT), is sponsoring a children's theater workshop July 7-11 as well as two performances of "Treasure Island" at the CPAC Saturday, July 12.

Area youngsters in grades 1-12 are invited to sign up for the workshop Tuesday, April 1, through Thursday, May 1. Registration forms and permission slips are available at www.centralperformingartscenter.org. Completed registration forms, permission slips and payment may be mailed to or dropped off at the DeWitt Fitness Center, 900 14th St.

Organizers are looking for a maximum of 60 cast members plus four assistant directors. Any additional children will be placed on a waiting list. Participants will be placed in their appropriate age groups ? those entering first grade through age 7, ages 8-12 and 13-18.

Auditions will be held Monday, July 7, 10 a.m.-noon. Rehearsals tentatively are scheduled 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily throughout the week.  Performances are Saturday, July 12, at 3:00 and 5:30 p.m. at the CPAC.

Optional workshops will be available after the rehearsals, with time and topics yet to be determined.

Missoula Children's Theatre is the nation's largest touring children's theatre. For the past 40 years, teams of tour actors/directors have visited up to 1,200 communities each year to produce adaptations of familiar children's classics and fairytales performed by local children. Creativity, social and communications skills, goal achievement and self esteem all are potential results of participation in the cultural/educational experience for youngsters.  In MCT's inaugural visit to CPAC last summer, more than 50 area children participated in the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Anyone who has questions may contact Vanessa McNeely, CPAC event coordinator, by calling 563-249-8541 or via e-mail at vanessa.mcneely@centralperformingartscenter.org.

Home Free, the vocal band that won "The Sing-Off" a capella group competition on NBC TV last month, has added a second show for its Valentine's Day performance at the Central Performing Arts Center (CPAC) in DeWitt.

The CPAC board has been successful in booking Home Free for a second show, which will be presented at 3 p.m. in the auditorium at Central Community High School.

Tickets went on sale at DeWitt City Hall and <www.midwestix.com> Friday, Jan. 10. They are $23 for adults and $5 for students. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $25, adults, and $5, students.

A limited number of tickets for Valentine's Day dinner is available for $12.50 per person. The meal, featuring cheesy ravioli, chicken Alfredo, salad, bread sticks, red velvet cake and chocolate covered strawberries, tea and coffee, will be served in the atrium at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the Feb. 14, 7:30 performance sold out before Christmas as the five-man vocal group, which sings without instrumental accompaniment, using only their voices and microphones, moved steadily through the competition toward the show's finale Dec. 23.

"Although it is a good thing for CPAC performances to sell out, we know a lot of people were disappointed the tickets went so fast," said Vanessa McNeely, CPAC events coordinator.

"We hope the additional show will help accommodate many of the center's regular attendees."

The award-winning "Home Free" is a distinctive combination of comedy and music featuring five male vocalists with extensive theatrical and musical training. They made their mark as "The Sing-Off's" first country music competitor, winning a Sony Music recording contract and $100,000. They will begin a national 35-city tour with other "Sing-Off" contestants shortly after the DeWitt appearance.

Central Community High School alum Elliott Beenk and his band, Chasing Shade, return to his alma mater Friday, Aug.16, to present a back-to-school concert at 7 p.m. at the Central Performing Arts Center at the high school in DeWitt.

This indie-beach-blues group based in Iowa City has shared the stage with some of the top acts in the country including Bon Jovi, Pepper, G. Love & Special Sauce, Rusted Root, Lissie and Mason Jennings.

The band is made up of University of Iowa graduates and a current student. Griffen Harris is the lead vocalist and plays drums and acoustic guitar; Beenk plays lead guitar and is backup vocalist; Trent Harrison plays trumpet; and Jonathan Birdsall, saxophone. The band also will have a bass player, to be named, for the DeWitt concert.

Chasing Shade is not a typical college rock band. Its members create a sound that digs deeper than the usual Iowa City rock group.

"I think we identify as indie folk rock," Harris says. "We definitely have rock, we definitely have folk, but we also have a lot of blues influences, harmonies, and we dig jazz drumming."

Chasing Shade recently completed a solar-powered tour across Iowa via bicycles during RAGBRAI (The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). The band was self-contained, transporting all of its instruments via bicycle trailers and generating sustainable power from active solar panels on their trailers. The tour included impromptu shows during the ride in addition to nightly shows at overnight stops. The goal of the tour was to promote the harmony of cycling, music and the environment.

Chasing Shade also is committed to giving back to the community and promoting sustainability. The band has contributed to and performed at fundraisers benefiting Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity and Engineers for a Sustainable World. In addition, Chasing Shade tries to be environmentally conscious with everything it does. The band recently led the "greening" of a music festival called Camp Euphoria.

 

The future of Chasing Shade is exciting. Soon the group plans to leave Iowa City, Beenk says. "We will move to Colorado or California or Europe or anywhere

. . . just somewhere we can grow and expand as musicians."

"We're going to chase the dream," Harris adds.

Tickets are $5 each and will be available at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m.

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The Chordbusters Chorus will be performing at the Central Performing Arts Center in DeWitt Iowa on Mar 23, 2013  7:00 pm.

The Chordbusters Chorus of Davenport are a group of men who love to sing and entertain audiences with their four-part barbershop harmony. Their motto is: "Keep the Whole World Singing."

Happy Joe's will be providing root beer floats at this performance!

All tickets: $10

You can get tickets for upcoming events one of three ways:

Purchase them at DeWitt City Hall
510 9th St, DeWitt IA 52742 (Google Map)
(563) 659-3811
Visit our page on MidwesTix.com
At the door, one hour before showtime.