Why You Should See Him:
At 83, The King of the Blues still wears his crown well, singing and playing with relentless passion. This living legend’s performance in the intimate atmosphere of a restored Mississippi landmark is one that will be remembered forever.

Why You Should See Her:
For three decades, her tender voice and delicate phrasing have mirrored the heartache and intimacy found in her lyrics. The Grammy Award-winning singer-guitarist has released 19 albums and has collaborated with a long line of monumental artists, such as Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, John Prine and Willie Nelson.

Fun Fact:
Bob Dylan specifically asked Nanci to sing her rendition of his song “Boots of Spanish Leather” at his historic 1992 Madison Square Garden anniversary concert.

For Fans of:
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, John Prine

E.B. White’s Newbery Honor-winning children’s novel is expressed on stage. The 16-year-running play is the most popular performance of Theatreworks USA, America's largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences. With a six-person cast consisting of stage veterans and novices, the story of selfless love, bravery and pure friendship comes alive in front of your eyes.

Why You Should See Her:
Her 2001 debut single, “Video,” and her debut album, Acoustic Soul, showcased her guitar playing and confident vocals. With nearly eight million albums sold and Grammys for Best R&B Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance, she has established herself as an artist of substance. This year, she released Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, a follow-up to her 2006 chart-topping album Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.

What Critics Say:
"One of the most determindedly virtuous songwriters in R&B or pop, India.Arie strives to make faith, goodness and positive thinking seductive." – The New York Times

For Fans of:
Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill

Why You Should See Her:
The All American Bluegrass Girl has recorded 24 albums, won the International Bluegrass Music Association Vocalist of the Year Award seven times and worked with the likes of Dolly Parton, George Jones, Faith Hill and Keith Urban. Deemed “The New Queen of Bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal, Rhonda has a firm grasp on traditional bluegrass music and a and a distinctive, hard-driving, high-energy sound.

Fun Facts:
Rhonda started singing with her family’s band, The Vincent Family Band, at three years old after her parents noticed in amazement that she spontaneously harmonized to "Happy Birthday."

Why You Should See Them: 
How often do you have the chance to see four young, incredibly talented jazz musicians perform all the standards you know and love?  Enjoy the group’s beautiful harmony along with the stand-up bass, trumpet, guitar and drums on numbers such as “Day In, Day Out,” “Skylark” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

For Fans of:
Take 6, The Manhattan Transfer, hits by the original Four Freshmen

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird is considered hands down one of the best quintessential Southern novels of all time. The stage adaptation has enthralled viewers worldwide with its warmth, wit and wisdom. Witness this classic tale and its dynamic characters develop and unfold as 15 actors, whose credits have included Broadway runs and national tours, major motion pictures and the Grand Ole Opry, deliver a gripping performance. Montana Repertory presented a beautifully executed performance of Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers during MSU Riley Center’s opening season.

Why You Should See Them:
This high-octane fiddle-fest features an international, multi-talented cast performing an eclectic mix of music, song and dance. Barrage has entertained millions of people around the globe. Fans in Europe, Asia and North America have enjoyed Barrage at festivals, concerts and TV performances. 

What Critics Say:
“Barrage is too Wow for Words !” – Denver Post

For Fans of:
The Chieftains, Bowfire, Seven Nations, Riverdance, Leahy, Trinity Irish Dance Company

Why You Should See Him: 
Four-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett is at his best when he’s on stage mixing Big Band styles with elements of jazz, folk and country. Taking an entirely different approach from his first appearance at the MSU Riley Center, he will be backed by his Large Band, which delivers horn-driven swing mixed with more traditional country folk songs.

Fun Facts:
Married to movie star Julia Roberts for a nanosecond in the ’90s, he also played small roles in Robert Altman films The Player, Short Cuts and Cookie’s Fortune and did songs for Mumford and Dr. T and the Women.”

For Fans of:
John Prine, Chris Isaak, Randy Newman, Guy Clark, Elvis Costello

Why You Should See Them:  
The adventurous Béla Fleck & The Flecktones fuse bluegrass, jazz and funk to form a critically acclaimed, wildly popular sound unlike any other. Featuring songs from the band’s Grammy-winning album Jingle All The Way, the group will perform favorites such as “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night” and “The Christmas Song” as they have never been heard before. The band also pays tribute to Vince Guaraldi with funk-filled versions of two songs from his A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Fun Fact:
Fleck has been nominated in more diverse categories than any other artist in Grammy history.

For Fans of:
Yonder Mountain String Band, Larry Sparks, David Grisman

Based on four volumes in Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones book series, this new musical is produced by America's largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater company for young and family audiences. Follow the precocious first-grader through significant experiences of meeting a new teacher and a whole new group of friends, adjusting to wearing glasses, participating in the annual kickball tournament and other anxious childhood moments. 

Why You Should See Them:
One of America's musical treasures is back on the road playing "no-two-alike" acoustic shows. Part rock, part blues and part soul, Los Lobos incorporates folk, Americana, jazz, traditional Mexican music, Spanish music and other Latin American styles into its sound. Over the last 35 years the five-piece band has assembled an astonishingly diverse body of work. The band’s version of “La Bamba” was released on the 1987 La Bamba soundtrack and hit No. 1 on Billboard charts.

What Critics Say:
"With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos." – Rolling Stone magazine (2006)

For Fans of:
Los Lonely Boys, Little Feat, Latin Playboys

Why You Should See Them: 
Some of today’s finest vocalists will be performing a broad repertoire of spirituals, classical pieces and Broadway music. The group, founded in 1995 by Everett McCorvey, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, performs in theaters and opera houses across Europe, South Africa and the United States.

What to Expect:
Classic spirituals such as “The Battle of Jericho” and “We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace,” and hits from Show Boat, Big River, The Wizard of Oz and The Lion King.

What Critics Say:
One of the most inspiring, intense, heartfelt collections of spirituals to come along in many a year.” – Classics Today magazine

Why You Should See Them:
With about 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14 divided into four touring groups, the four choirs give close to 300 concerts each year in front of almost half a million people. This performance marks the choir’s second visit to Meridian. The four choirs also visit virtually all European countries and are frequent guests in Asia, Australia and the Americas.

What to Expect:
The 24-member choir’s repertoire includes everything from medieval to contemporary and experimental music. European romantic melodies for boys choir form the core, as do the choir’s own arrangements of quintessentially Viennese music, including waltzes and polkas by Strauss, Lanner and Lehar.

Why You Should See Him: 
A three-time Grammy winner, Keb’ Mo’ has a unique style that embraces multiple eras by combining Robert Johnson’s weathered blues with touches of contemporary soul and folksy storytelling. Whether he packages his rich vocals with his earthy acoustic, electric and slide guitar skills or in a fully arranged, bluesy pop, the resulting sound is warm and polished.

What Critics Say:
Guitarist Keb’ Mo’ channels the spirit of the earliest
blues legends into a modern feel and context.” – NPR World Cafe

For Fans of:
Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Ruthie Foster

Why You Should See Her:
This emerging jazz vocalist’s driving renditions of popular songs such as Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” take listeners on an emotional ride with varying styles and tempos. Inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole mixed with Milman’s creativity resulted in her selling more than 100,000 records before she turned 26. Winning a Juno award (Canadian equivalent to a Grammy) for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2008, she had the No. 1 downloaded album in the jazz vocals category on iTunes in 2009.

What Critics Say:
 “Classic jazz voice that evokes smoky lounges, softly clinking glasses and the cool of the night."
– NPR’s Weekend Edition

Why You Should See Her:
This Mississippi-born vocalist/songwriter/producer has been twisting her honey-velvet voice into self-written jazz compositions and classic favorites from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald to Joni Mitchell since the ’70s. Whether she performs solo, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, or she stands with a large funk band behind her, multi-Grammy winner Cassandra Wilson has made an impact in the music industry, leading Time magazine to call her “America’s Best Singer.”

What Critics Say:
“She sings the body eclectic: Billie Holiday, The Monkees, U2. But better than anyone, Cassandra Wilson fuses blues and roots music with jazz.” – People magazine

For Fans of:
Diana Krall, Nina Simone, Victor Davies

Why You Should See Him:
Barry Scott’s Ain’t Got Long to Stay Here is based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and dramatizes one of America’s most violent and inspiring times. In this 90-minute, one-man play, Scott re-creates numerous figures from the Civil Rights era, presenting differing opinions and personalities capturing what King actually faced.

Why You Should See Him: 
With great stage presence, charm and ease, Steve Lippia pulls you back to a time when Ol’ Blue Eyes was at his best. Relive the standards permanently engraved in the American history of music, such as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “The Lady Is a Tramp” and “Just the Way You Are.” With a hot, driving 10-piece band behind him, Lippia impeccably interprets the best repertoire of the Big Band era and classic pop as a modern Sinatra and gifted performer.

What Critics Say: 
“From the moment Steve Lippia starts singing ‘Come Fly With Me,’ you would swear that Frank Sinatra has been resurrected.” – New York Daily News

Taken from the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, Little Mermaid tells the story of Mera, a young mermaid who believes there’s more to life above the sea. It’s perfect for families. American Family Theater produces musical theater that adults can enjoy, and the running time of 70 minutes is just right for children.

What Critics Say:
“American Family Theater proves how strong it is in creating original, contemporary theater.”
– The New York Times

Saturday, May 8, 2010 – 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $59, $53 >> Buy Tickets Now
Pre-show Social - Saturday night only.

Why You Should See Them:
Longtime performers revered in both the gospel and country music categories and with multiple Grammys and CMA awards to their credit, the Oak Ridge Boys are back on the road promoting their 2009 album, aptly named The Boys Are Back. Get ready to enjoy their traditional four-part harmonies on rootsy versions of songs written by Jack White, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Neil Young and John Lee Hooker. Even with all the crossovers into various genres, their sound remains deeply rooted in country gospel harmony.

What Critics Say:
“The pop-country and former gospel aggregation demonstrated yet again that it has more lives than a yard full of cats.” – Chicago Tribune

Why You Should See Them:
The Spinners first hit the charts in 1961 with "That's What Girls Are Made For," then began stupendously turning out hits, putting a dozen  songs in the Top 40 from 1972 through 1976. Their place in pop music history was cemented with the release of songs like "I'll Be Around,” "The Rubberband Man,” “One Of A Kind (Love Affair)" and "Then Came You" (with Dionne Warwick).

Fun Fact:
The Spinners chose their name after looking at popular car hubcaps and noting how they spun around on a car's wheel.