Thursday, December 17, 2009

Carrie Underwood to return to Albany in March

CBS 6 Albany - WRGB

Country-pop singer Carrie Underwood is returning to the Capital Region for another concert show in March, the Times Union Center announced Monday.

Underwood will be performing in support of her newest album "Play On," and is expected to perform old favorites as well as new singles "Cowboy Cassanova" and "Mama's Song."

The concert is scheduled for Friday, March 12 at the Times Union Center. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. at tickets.com, timesunion.com, the Times Union Center box office and by phone at 1-800-30-EVENT.

The concert will also feature Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia.

Underwood previously performed in Albany in February 2008.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Christmas Story at the Crest

Shelley Blanton-Stroud
Sacramento Press


Downtown's Crest Theater will screen A Christmas Story, the retro comedy classic based on Jean Shepherd's novel, in the third annual Christmas Story at the Crest event Saturday, December 19. Beginning at noon, guests will enjoy several tables of home-baked sweets and hot chocolate in the lobby of the gorgeous art deco theater, while awaiting their turn to meet a real-bearded Santa, available to take gift requests and photos with hopeful children and adults. The film begins at 1 p.m. Ten dollar tickets will benefit Jesuit High School.

For the uniquely uninitiated, A Christmas Story is the campy cult classic about 1940's school kid, Ralphie Parker, who wants nothing more than for Santa to deliver an "Official Red Ryder, Carbine-Action-Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle" on Christmas morning, in spite of all the tyrannical, short-sighted adults who can only obsessively respond "You'll shoot your eye out!"

En route to this goal, of course, hilarity ensues. Ralphie is regularly chased by the neighborhood bully, watches his buddy freeze his tongue to the school flagpole, and has his own mouth washed out with soap (Lifebouy, to be exact) for uttering words he learned from his father, who "wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan."
The film, which airs on television throughout the holiday season, is only seen once a year locally on the big screen, and then at the only local theater with the proper historical street cred to do it justice. The Crest lobby and big theater set the right tone -- a little bit old fashioned, a little bit edgy, a little bit sweet, a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office or online at tickets.com.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

TESLA Members To Take Part In 'Pat Martin's All-Star Jam'

Blabbermouth.net

Frank Hannon (TESLA), Jeff Keith (TESLA), Brian Wheat (TESLA) and Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER) are among the musicians who will take part in Pat Martin's All-Star Jam to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. On Saturday, December 19, at 8:00 p.m., Pat Martin and tons of "all-stars" are taking over The Boardwalk's stage in Orangevale, California. Tickets are only $25, and can be purchased at Tickets.com, MusicToday.com and BoardwalkRocks.com.

Doors Open: 7:30 p.m.
Show Starts: 8:00 p.m.
$25.00 advance

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. There will also be items being raffled off, including two guitars signed by Ronnie Montrose and TESLA as well as many others.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Top CEOs to Speak at Keynote Session at Ticket Summit

Ticketmaster, Tickets.com, TicketFly and Veritix CEOs to Provide Insight on the Future of the Primary Ticket Market
Ticket Summit, the leading conference and trade show for ticketing and entertainment executives, today announced its notable roster of top CEOs slated to speak at the event's Keynote session. The Ticket Summit January conference -- a three-day event scheduled January 13-15, 2010 at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City -- will include a Keynote session Friday, January 15 featuring Sean Moriarty (Former CEO, Ticketmaster), Larry Witherspoon (CEO, Tickets.com), Andrew Dreskin (CEO, TicketFly), and Jeff Kline (President, Veritix).

The Ticket Summit Keynote session is scheduled to be among the culminating events of the three-day conference, following a variety of sessions ranging from ticket pricing strategies and event promotion, to brand-building, and sports and entertainment. "The Ticket Summit Keynote Session on January 15 is bound to be the conference's most paramount event yet," said Dr. Molly A. Martinez, Executive Director, Ticket Summit. "With ticketing agents, event promoters, venue managers, and primary ticket distributors all in the same room, the dialogue on the state of the industry will be extremely insightful."

More than five-hundred attendees from the United States and throughout the world are expected to attend the upcoming conference. TicketNetwork CEO Don Vaccaro observed: "Ticket Summit is by far the must-attend conference where all the key players in the ticket industry come to network. And with the addition of such a notable keynote session, attendees are going to get to be part of a dialogue that's truly one-of-a-kind."

About Ticket Summit
Ticket Summit is the world's leading conference and trade show for ticketing and entertainment. This event attracts hundreds of global business leaders, entrepreneurs, and entertainment experts in the ticket community. Past attendees and sponsors include: Billboard, eBay, Forbes, Google, Live Nation, NBA, NFL, NHL, StubHub, Ticketmaster, among others.

Ticket Summit was founded in 2006 by host company TicketNetwork, Inc. The upcoming Ticket Summit conference and trade show is scheduled to take place at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York, NY, January 13-15. For information, visit www.TicketSummit.org.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Xanadu On Sale at The Paramount

Zee Grega
Seattle MetBlogs


Despite the fact that Xanadu, the 1980 movie musical starring Olivia Newton-John as a roller-skating muse to struggling artist Michael Beck and the legendary Gene Kelly in a reprisal of sorts of his role in 1944’s Cover Girl. is a seriously bad movie, I’ve always liked it. Not because of its badness, but in spite of it. Most people who like it–and there are quite a few, despite barely breaking even at the box office and being soundly panned by critics, Xanadu later went on to cult film popularity–see it the other way around, which is totally understandable to anyone who has ever seen it. Still, I wasn’t the only one to see some potential in it; Douglas Carter Beane (whose playwriting credits include The Country Club, 2007 Tony Award for Best Play nominee The Little Dog Laughed and As Bees in Honey Drown) wrote Xanadu into a stage musical which went on to be a big hit on Broadway, earning Tony nominations and winning Outer Circle Critics and Drama Desk awards as well as selling out show after show after show.

The show plays up the campy and ridiculous aspects of the movie, but it’s not all snark–it’s a colorful spectacle of story, song and skating. The play includes the ELO and Olivia Newton John songs that made the original film soundtrack a smash hit and throws in a couple extra by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar.

Xanadu hits the stage at Seattle’s Paramount Theater for a week in January, opening January 19 and closing January 24 as part of the ongoing Broadway Across America series. Tickets are going to be a hot commodity, so you’ll want to get yours as early as you can.

Tickets are available at the Paramount box office, by phone at 877.STG.4TIX (4849) or online at Tickets.com, STG Presents or Broadway Across America. Ticket prices range from $20 to $60.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Larry Witherspoon to Speak on Panel at 2010 Ticket Summit

Come see Tickets.com, CEO, Larry Witherspoon at the Ticket Summit – New York City! Larry is currently one of four executive panelists participating in the ‘Then & Now: The Primary Market’ panel on January 15, 2010 at the famous Waldorf – Astoria, NYC. For more information on this conference visit http://www.ticketsummit.org

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Eric Clapton to play Tulsa's BOK Center

BOK Center officials announced that Eric Clapton and special guest Roger Daltrey will perform at the downtown arena.

The concert is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2nd. Tickets go on sale Saturday, December 12th at 10 a.m. Prices are $57, $77 and $97.

Tickets will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, Arby’s Box Office, Tickets.com, or by calling 1-866-7-BOKCTR.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Globetrotters, Tay Fisher Coming to Times Union Center

Pete Iorizzo
TimesUnion.com


Tay Fisher will be playing with the Harlem Globetrotters on Feb. 7 at Times Union Center.

Tickets for the event start at $16.00 and are available at select Price Chopper outlets or online at www.tickets.com or www.timesunioncenter-albany.com. Individual ticket information can also be found on the Harlem Globetrotters’ official Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Hello, Technology Calling

Tulsa Performing Arts Center Newsletter - Dec 2009
Nancy Hermann


Life used to be much simpler, in some ways, before we were all a-Twitter — Facebooking our every move, getting Google alerts galore, texting votes, or timing to the second a strategic buy on eBay. While technology might, on the surface, seem to complicate things, it can make life easier overall, and has certainly revolutionized marketing and customer service.

On the Cutting Edge Then and Now
The Performing Arts Center has been at the forefront of advancing technology for years. Did you know that TulsaPAC.com was among the first 20 performing arts center websites in the country? And when some people suggested that no one would divulge their credit card number to purchase via computer, the PAC was using the magic of the “Ticket Wizard” to sell tix in “real-time.” We are still the only performing arts center in the country running a regional ticketing operation (MyTicketOffice.com), launched in 2006.

Print Your Own — Tickets@Home
Two years ago the PAC added Tickets@Home to its ticketing options. You’ll see it listed when you’re buying tickets online. For an additional $2 per order charge, you can opt to have a link that contains a printout with a barcode e-mailed to your computer. Our ushers scan this printout in the same way they scan traditional tickets.

Website Wherever — TulsaPAC.mobi
Last year we became one of the first performing arts centers to have what is known as .mobi. This means that we have formatted our website so when it is viewed on a cell phone, the information we provide fits the phone’s space parameters. Recently, our ticketing partner, Tickets.com, has given our .mobi visitors the ability to buy tickets on that site. With this enhancement, the PAC will once again be ticketing technology pioneers.

Your Phone is Your Ticket — Tickets@Phone
We hope you’ll try purchasing tickets through your cell phone, especially now that we have Tickets@Phone. If you choose this option during the final phase of buying an online ticket, you will receive a text message that contains ticket information. When the text message is scanned by one of our ushers, a printer on the usher’s belt then creates your ticket. This option also costs $2 per order.

What’s Next? — Text!
Coming right up is our ability to send text messages to your cell phone. In the future, we’ll let you know about special deals, insider news and advance ticket on-sale dates —all through your cell phone. If you are not currently receiving our half-price offers and monthly news bulletin through an e-mail broadcast, please sign up on our homepage at TulsaPAC.com. And if you’d like to provide your cell phone number to receive text messages, please share that with us too. We will safeguard your information and we won’t bombard you either.

If you need anything from the PAC, please e-mail us at tulsapac@cityoftulsa.org. We’ll answer you by the next business day. In addition, sign up to follow the PAC on Facebook and Twitter. We’re here to help you enjoy the many events at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. We want you to have the best possible experience, from obtaining information, to buying a ticket, to your comfort and enjoyment in our theaters. Just make sure to turn off everything but your enthusiasm once you’re inside!

Nancy Hermann is Director of Marketing for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Tulsa Performing Arts Center Goes Live With ProVenueMobile™ from Tickets.com

ProVenueMobile Now Available for December 7 On-Sale Date for January 2010 Run of Legally Blonde–The Musical.

Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has added its proprietary mobile platform ProVenueMobile™ to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (TPAC). TPAC’s decision to offer ProVenueMobile differentiates them by allowing patrons to complete a ticket transaction on any Internet enabled mobile phone with the option of Tickets@Phone® delivery. TPAC patrons can utilize ProVenueMobile to purchase tickets for Legally Blonde—The Musical; on-sale December 7, 2009.

ProVenueMobile™ allows full-circle ticket purchases to be made 24/7 from any Internet-enabled mobile phone, directly through a client’s branded, mobilized website. The mobile platform set a new standard in the ticketing industry in early 2009 by being the first technology to allow real-time ticket transactions from a mobile phone that also offers Tickets@Phone; the delivery of a digital, bar-coded ticket via MMS or picture message.

Mobile ticketing has arrived and we are delighted to be one of the first organizations to offer the user-friendly ProVenueMobile to our customers,” said John Scott, director, TPAC.

TPAC presents outstanding cultural events and performances spotlighting artists—ranging from international stars to local favorites—touring shows, arts organizations, and community-based programming. In addition to Legally Blonde, other shows on sale include The Nutcracker, performed by the Tulsa Ballet, David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries and Tony Award winner August: Osage County.

“We’re thrilled that TPAC has embraced ProVenueMobile,” said Larry Witherspoon, chief executive officer, Tickets.com. “It’s so gratifying to work with clients that integrate new technologies into their ticketing services portfolio.”

Tickets can also be purchased through the venue’s website (http://www.tulsapac.com) or box office.

The national U.S. touring company of Legally Blonde runs January 5 – 10, 2010 at TPAC’s Chapman Music Hall, the largest of the Tulsa, OK-based Center’s four theaters.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

"The Wizard of Oz" Tickets On Sale Now

Tickets go on sale Monday for “The Wizard of Oz,” which is headed to Memorial Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18. NETworks Presenta­tions brings this national touring production to the auditorium.

It is based on the Royal Shakespeare Co.’s celebration of the 1939 MGM movie.

It is di­rected by director Nigel West, choreographed by Leigh Constantine and includes sets and cos­tumes by Tim McQuillen-Wright. Local talent will have a chance to audition for Munchkin roles, with de­tails forthcoming.

Tickets are $45 and $36.50 and are available online at www.tickets.com and www.wfmpec.com; charge by phone at 940-716-5555; or stop by the Kay Yeager Coliseum Box Office or the Shep­pard Air Force Base ITT Office.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

CSUS choirs celebrate 25th year of 'Procession of Carols'

Bill Lindelof
The Sacramento Bee


CSUS choirs will be celebrating their 25th year of presenting the "Procession of Carols," an event that usually sells out fast.

The silver anniversary of the program of familiar and new carols, brass and organ music, and candlelight procession will be presented three times: 8 p.m. Dec. 5 and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 6. All performances will be at Sacred Heart Church, 39th and J streets in east Sacramento.

The choirs will be led by conductor Donald Kendrick. Selections include David Child's "O Magnum Mysterium," Robert Shaw's arrangement of "The Holly and the Ivy" and William Mathias' "Alleluia."

Tickets to the California State University, Sacramento performances are $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the CSUS ticket office, (916) 278-4323, or www.tickets.com.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Webinar: Mobile Commerce for the Holidays

Yankee Group recently organized a Webinar around the impending holiday m-commerce activity. According to one of their surveys, approximately 41% of participants claim they will purchase a smartphone as their next device, a statistic that renders mobile commerce increasingly significant. Another survey reveals that 14% of consumers are interested in mobile transactions and an additional 18% "may be interested." Yankee Group predicts that by 2013, 2.5 million U.S. consumers will participate in the mobile coupon market, generating $2.3 billion.

View the Webinar >