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A season to be amazed

As a lynchpin of downtown Williamsport, the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St., aims to bring top-notch entertainment every season – and the recently announced 2016-17 season is no exception.

“The 2016-17 season is here, and this year there is something for everyone, with thrilling shows from the beginning to the end of the season, including award-winning Broadway shows, family entertainment from tigers to dinosaurs and all the music and dance that will keep your spirit lifted all season long,” Carla Fisher, director of marketing and creative design, said. “Nothing beats the excitement of a live show.”

That excitement will start with a show by Newsboys on Sept. 15. Founded across the world in Australia in 1985, the Christian music group has released 17 studio albums – with six of them certified gold – and sold more than 8 million albums. The group also has earned 33 No. 1 hits, four Grammy Award nominations and two American Music Award nominations, and has taken home multiple Dove Awards, the Christian music industry’s version of the Grammys.

While Cirque du Soleil may be the best known of the “nouveau cirque,” or contemporary circus, genre that has exploded in popularity in the last two decades, Quebec-based Cirque Eloize is not far behind. Its show “Saloon” is inspired by the rich, tumultuous legacy of the American Wild West – a piano tuner at a saloon falls for the beautiful Belle and the two set off on an adventure, displayed with breathtaking acrobatic performances. A family-friendly show that will delight young and old alike, “Saloon” promises to be a unique show for everyone in late September.

Starting out by playing on street corners in New York and Canada, Old Crow Medicine Show got their big break when they were spotted by folk music icon Doc Waters in 2000, who invited them to play at his own MerleFest, which helped to launch their careeer. Since then, in addition to touring the world and bringing their distinct Americana sound to legions of fans, the group – who will perform in September at the CAC – has been honored with induction into the Grand Ole Opry and has won two Grammy Awards, and their single “Wagon Wheel” was certified platinum in 2013 for selling more than 1 million copies.

Thirty years together hasn’t slowed down 38 Special, who will perform in October, a group known for its distinct brand of Southern rock. Still touring and visiting more than 100 cities every year, the band continues to amaze audiences with high-energy performances.

A highly anticipated show will be comedian Tracy Morgan, also performing in October. Now on his “Picking Up The Pieces” tour, Morgan is doing just that: picking up where he left off in his career, following a horrific traffic accident in 2014 that took the life of his friend and resulted in serious injuries for Morgan. However, he has thrown himself wholeheartedly back into the world he knows so well, and it shows.

Morgan gained fame as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” where he was a regular from 1996 to 2003. He also has performed numerous stand-up comedy specials and appeared in film, but it was his role as Tracy Jordan on “30 Rock” from 2006-13 that was his biggest success.

“A Christmas Carol” will be featured in early December, just in time for the holidays. One of the most beloved Christmas traditions of all time, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has graced thousands of stages – and even the screen, big and small – around the world for decades.

The State Ballet Theater of Russia will return to Williamsport in January, with its beautiful rendition of “Cinderella,” itself one of the most iconic fairytales of all time. Set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev, the full-scale production is choreographed by a former principle dancer of the famous Bolshoi Theater Ballet, Vladmir Vasiliev.

Also featured in February will be iLUMINATE, a visually dazzling combination of music, art and technology. Fusing various dance styles ranging from contemporary to breakdance to hip-hop with specially-designed suits that glow in the dark, the troupe – who took home third place on “America’s Got Talent” in 2013 – performs its show entirely in the dark, so that their story of adventure and romance can be told at its best.

The Community Arts Center also has included plenty of children’s programming in its newest season, including “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which continues the legacy of the beloved “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.”

The show follows the adventures of Daniel Tiger, one of the inhabitants of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and his friends. One of the original creations of the neighborhood featured on “Mr. Roger’s,” Daniel Tiger is a character loved by both children and their parents, who may fondly remember watching the smiling, gentle, red-sweater-clad Fred Rogers when they were children themselves. In a touching nod to Fred Rogers, Daniel Tiger wears a red hooded sweatshirt on his adventures.

Tickets go on sale for the 2016-17 season on Aug. 1, with a series member pre-sale available from July 25-29.

“CAC series members will have an early crack at tickets from July 25-29,” Fisher said. “To become a series member, theatergoers must order five or more shows from the season.”

For more information, visit www.caclive.com.

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