Turlock Community Theatre will be bringing to town a line-up for the 2023-2024 season that includes Grammy award-winning artists, popular comedy shows and sought after tribute performers.
Additionally, this summer TCT will be showcasing some classic Alfred Hitchcock films and some family-fun movies.
“A little bit comedy, a little bit country, and a little bit rock n’ roll,” said TCT Managing Director Kit Casey. “These are really the three primary genres of performances that the Central Valley leans towards. Most of the artists booked so far are here for the first time at the Turlock Community Theatre, with a couple returning shows from Los Lonely Boys and James Garner’s Tribute to Johnny Cash.”
The season of live performances gets underway on Aug. 6 with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band with special guest Ally Venable Band.
Guitarist and songsmith Shepherd found success by making his own twist on the blues of the past. Shepherd has established himself as an immensely popular recording artist, a consistently in-demand live act and an influential force in a resurgence of interest in the blues. Tickets are $39, $59, $69, and $99.
John Ondrasik III, also known as by his stage name Five for Fighting, is best known for his piano-based soft rock sentimental ballads, such as “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” “100 Years,” and “The Riddle.”
Five for Fighting will be performing on Sept. 10 with a string quartet. Tickets are $29, $39, $49, and $59.
Rumours, the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show, will perform Sept. 16. Rumours has meticulously put together a show that spares no detail. Recreating the band's legendary persona, in their youthful glory from 1975-1987. From period accurate equipment and costumes to spot on characterizations and musical performances, Rumours takes the audience back to a time when music was still an unbridled cultural experience and bands put on a show.
Tickets for Rumours are $22, $29, $39, and $49.
Piff the Magic Dragon: 50 percent comedian; 50 percent magician; and 100 percent dragon. Piff the Magic Dragon broke on to the scene in 2015 on “America’s Got Talent” and since then has been delighting audiences at his Las Vegas residency at the iconic Flamingo Hotel and Casino. In 2019, he was voted one of Variety’s Top Ten Comics to Watch and scooped Best Comedian, Best Magician and Best Headliner at the Best of Las Vegas Awards. In 2020, Piff was crowned the winner of TBS’ Tournament of Laughs, triumphing over his heroes Jeff Ross, Natasha Leggero and Judah Friedlander. Piff the Magic Dragon hits the road with a brand-new show for 2023 with Mr. Piffles, the World's Only Magic Performing Chihuahua, and Jade Simone.
The show is set for Sept. 22. Tickets are $29, $44, $55, and $65.
Los Lonely Boys will be returning to TCT for a show on Oct. 5. Family has always been at the center of things for Los Lonely Boys. Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Three years ago, they decided to take a break to focus on their own growing families. But summer 2022 saw them back at it again, returning to life on the road alongside The Who. The Boys have been making music together for 17 years now, and they show no signs of slowing down.
Tickets are $39, $49, $59, and $69.
Comedian Paula Poundstone has gained a reputation for her smart, observational humor and legendary spontaneous wit. She is the star of multiple HBO specials including “Cats,” “Cops and Stuff,” and “Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard.” She is a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” She is heard weekly on her successful comedy podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.”
Also, an author, her second book, “The Totally Unscientific Study of The Search for Human Happiness” was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists in all genres for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award.
Her show is set for Oct. 19 and tickets are $29, $39, $49, and $69.
Christopher Cross took the 1980s music scene by storm with his self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time in Grammy history—the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Cross has sold over 10 million albums. His music has garnered five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and five Top 10 singles.
Cross will come to town on Oct. 22. Tickets are $39, $49, $59, and $69.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives will perform on Oct. 28. Stuart is a five-time Grammy-winner, Country Music Hall of Famer, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Americana Music Association, Grand Ole Opry star, country music archivist, photographer, musician, and songwriter. Since starting out singing gospel as a child, Stuart has spent over four decades celebrating American roots music. His teenage years on tour with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt in the ’70s were followed by six years in Johnny Cash’s band in the ’80s, and a chart-topping tenure as a solo artist in the ’90s. Recently, The Country Music Association announced the induction of Marty Stuart into the Country Music Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 in the Modern Era Artist category. In addition, Stuart is raising awareness for The Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music in Philadelphia, Mississippi which will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of country music through live musical performance and educational programming.
This show has a country music VIP package for $200. Other tickets are $29, $39, $49, and $59.
James Garner’s Tribute to Johnny Cash, a popular show in previous years, will be taking the stage on May 18, 2024. His tribute to Johnny Cash celebrates the life and music of the legendary 'Man in Black' with strong conviction and stunning accuracy. Garner and his band faithfully recreate Cash's biggest hits, including stories and personal anecdotes about America's most beloved singing storyteller. A fun, toe-tapping trip down memory lane honoring Johnny Cash's life and music, and the boom-chicka-boom sound of his longtime backing band, the Tennessee Three.
“And these are just the first set of shows booked so far,” Casey said. “We will most certainly have more performances to come as the season progresses.”
All concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m.
New this season will be a selection of films shown at TCT in August.
“For many years the Board of Directors for the Turlock Community Theatre has had the idea of showing classic movies in our historic venue,” Casey said. “It is a timeless experience to watch great movies of the past in the setting of a theater originally built in the 1920s and restored in 1999. It took many years for us to raise the funds to purchase a digital projector worthy of showing great movies, and thanks to the donations and support of so many in our community, we have recently acquired that projector.”
TCT will start their film run with A Summer of Hitchcock. They’ll be showing “North by Northwest” on Aug. 4; “Rear Window” on Aug. 11; and “Vertigo” on Aug. 11; and “Psycho” on Aug. 25. All shows start at 7 p.m.
Family Fun Movies will kick-off with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” on Aug. 12 and “Mulan” on Aug. 26. Both movies start at 2 p.m.
All movie tickets are $5
“I should also say we are not limiting it to just old classic films,” Casey said. “We will be running fun family films and other themed sets of movies periodically throughout the year.”
TCT also has made some adjustments to their season tickets. Previously, the purchase of season tickets required guests to buy tickets for a certain number of shows, which was typically more than half the season’s line-up, in order for them to have the benefit of picking specific seats and keep first right of refusal on them. Now, this benefit is part of TCT’s On Stage Sponsorship.
“We felt that we would be offering more freedom of choice to patrons with this particular benefit by folding it into our On Stage Sponsorship program at a donation of $250 or more,” Casey said. “With the donation to our 501c(3) non-profit organization patrons are getting a tax write-off and the option to choose their specific seats, with first right of refusal for those seats, with no minimum requirement on the purchase of shows.
“Our other motivation for making the change has to do with changes to the industry itself with regards to booking shows for a set season,” Casey said. “Without having the season ticket requirement, and thus a series of shows for the entire season all booked at the same time, which more often than not limited our choices and ability to acquire specific performers, we now have the flexibility to book the shows as the season progresses. This is something that more and more venues around the country are opting to do.”
For tickets to any of the shows visit www.turlocktheatre.org.
