Patrons of the arts, please do not despair; although the official fall 2020 season of the Clark State Performing Arts Center (PAC) has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAC will continue to bring live entertainment to the area.
“The arts and entertainment business is amazingly resilient; even in economic downturns, people look to music to make them feel better,” said Adele Adkins, executive director of the Clark State Performing Arts Center. “It’s a communal and shared happiness that people seek out. Everyone is feeling that absence so much now, and it is our mission to help fill this absence.”
The Close to Home Series of outdoor concert events will continue into September with performances slated for September 4, 11, 18 and 25 beginning at 5 p.m. Performances will take place in the courtyard outside of the PAC, 300 South Fountain Avenue, to allow for social distancing.
Food trucks will be on site and a full-service bar will be available. No tickets are required for the Close to Home concert events.
“This continues to help fill voids in the community where all of the traditional music and entertainment has been canceled,” said Adkins. “People can come out with their family, their friends, their coworkers and enjoy music on a beautiful Friday evening. More than ever, people are craving human interaction the longer the pandemic continues. These concerts allow for people to safely be together and also give the opportunity for performers to perform. As much as we are missing live performance, performers need to perform, it is their life’s blood.”
Musician Andy Fox will donate his time and talent on September 4. Known for an eclectic range of fingerstyle pieces in a variety of genres, featuring old blues, classic and contemporary roots music, pop and rock.
DJ Chill – Christopher Chilton – will present a night of dancing and fun with a silent disco on September 11; and Springfield Arts Council’s Youth Arts Ambassadors will display their multitude of talents on September 18. Youth Arts Ambassadors are the heartbeat of the next generation of arts appreciation and participation in Springfield. Young people from across Clark County participate in performing arts workshops and special events, getting hands-on experience in everything the performing arts offers.
September 25 patrons of the Close to Home concert will enjoy an acoustic evening with Gene Bowshier, Billy Hall and Casey Motschman performing country and southern rock.
The live performance experience doesn’t end in September though, Adkins said the PAC is excited to announce: “The Show Must Go On!” a Cabaret Series scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, October 30 and Saturday, December 12. Two additional performances are expected to be added.
Adkins said the Cabaret Series will feature an evening of songs - some familiar and maybe some not - from a multitude of genres and performers.
“Each evening a new cast takes the stage with new performances to make you smile or touch your heart,” she said.
The Cabaret Series of shows will take place in the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, 275 South Limestone Street.
“The shows are being curated and directed by the Performing Arts Center’s very own Dan Hunt and Jimmy Straley,” said Adkins. “The concerts will have up to eight singers accompanied by a live band and tickets are $25.”
Patrons attending the Cabaret Series will have their own table and all tables will be spaced 8-feet apart. Groups of up to 10 are allowed and tickets must be purchased in one transaction for the group.
“If a party is two people, they will be at a small table of their own,” said Adkins. “If a party is six people, they will be at a larger table of their own. The stage will be 20 feet from the first set of tables, exceeding the current recommendations of 12 feet.”
Adkins said all safety measures will be in place and masks are required. Tables will include a dessert tray and drinks may be preordered and available at a person’s table. There will also be a cash bar and servers.
Following the successful Wyatt McCubbin drive-in concert in June, additional drive-In concerts are expected to be announced in the upcoming weeks, as well.
“In the middle of a pandemic, we will again host live concerts in a new way,” said Adkins. “The music will not be transmitted through car radios, but speakers will be set up throughout the parking lot. The sound and vibrations from the speakers will create the ‘live’ experience.”
Patrons will be asked to remain in their vehicles, provide their own concessions and adhere to social distances measures in place to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Adkins said this concert series is another way to keep live music available to the community while being safe and allowing people to feel like they are at a real concert. “The difference is they are in their car with their friends and family,” she said. “It’s going to mimic the live concert and create the live concert energy.”
Tickets for the drive-in concerts – to be announced - will go on sale at the beginning of September.