James Taylor Announces Tour Dates; Coming To DeVos Performance Hall

Starting February 26, 2011, James Taylor will be kicking off a series of unforgettable and intimate shows across America with special guest Ben Taylor. Ten days later, Taylor & Band perform on the DeVos Performance Hall stage in Grand Rapids on March 8th at 7:30PM.

Joining Taylor for the first time ever will be special guest, singer/songwriter, Ben Taylor. Taylor is going back on the road to embark on a whole other kind of adventure. This is your chance to see James Taylor in an intimate theater setting with very special guest, his son Ben Taylor!

Tickets are $45, $75 and $99.50. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 10 at 10AM and can be purchased at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000 or order online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets, including D&W Stores and select Family Fare locations.

Over the course of his long career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and five Grammy Awards for a catalog running from 1970's Sweet Baby James to his Grammy Award-winning efforts Hourglass (1997) and October Road (2002). Taylor's first Greatest Hits album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. As a recording and touring artist, James set a precedent for solo singer/songwriters and blazed a path to which countless numbers of earnest young musicians have since aspired. His warm baritone is among the most recognized voices in popular music and his guitar playing has established its own standard.

James Taylor is one of the few artists to ever have a US Billboard Top 10 album in each of the last five decades from 1970’s “Sweet Baby James” to 2010’s “Carole King/James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour.” Taylor’s musical contributions have earned him a place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as a place on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of “The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”

Church Girl: The Musical Coming in February!

Urban theatre enthusiasts around Grand Rapids are all abuzz about the highly anticipated arrival of Church Girl. This provocative yet profound musical stage play, based on actual true stories and testimonies, was written and produced by Angela Barrow-Dunlap and directed by Reuben Yabuku.

Church Girl tells the story of Emily Franklin, the seemingly wholesome daughter of a prominent pastor, who is seduced by the charms of a worldly life. Emily is hiding a very shocking secret and like all things evil, it is festering. Emily has been working diligently to cover up the dark choices she has made, but when her secret is exposed, events take a dramatic turn and skeletons coming crashing out of her closet. Everyone wants to know what could push a quintessential church girl to turn her back on everything she has been taught.

Church Girl infuses the magic of phenomenal music, a cast of colorful characters, and amazing dance performances to take audiences on an unforgettable ride through the pains and pleasures of tasting the "forbidden fruit" to the ultimate height of redemption.

Church Girl: The Musical will be at DeVos Performance Hall on February 14th, 2011 at 7:30pm.

Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster(http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/08004563E7D9414B?artistid=1473175&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=207) or the box office!

Need a gift idea for family and friends?

Take a look at Joe Bonamassa. He will be performing, one night only, at DeVos Performance Hall on March 21st, 2011 at 8pm.

This is a performance from the Crossroads Guitar Festival at Toyota Park near Chicago June 26, 2010.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hda3tws3Wy8&feature=related

Bill Cosby Headed To DeVos Performance Hall for LaughFest

Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids, named after late comedian Gilda Radner, will be offering the country's first community-wide festival focused on humor in Grand Rapids come this Spring. As part of the 10-day celebration, legendary comedian, director and actor Bill Cosby will bring all of his iconic expertise to DeVos Performance Hall! Cosby will take the stage on March 13.

Other entertainers participating in the festivities include Betty White, Kevin Hart, Kathleen Madigan and more among local performers as well. LaughFest will host performances, shows and films, plus a community talent showcase, in as many as 25 locations in town.

LaughFest, opening March 10, marks the 10th anniversary of Gilda's Club, which provides support for individuals and families touched by cancer.

For more information, click here to go to the official LaughFest website.

Gilda's Club LaughFest Brings GR's First Community-wide Comedy Festival

Need a chuckle when winter is coming to an end and the weather is looking bleak?

Come to the first ever Gilda’s LaughFest in downtown Grand Rapids! This is a community-wide festival with truly funny stuff happening in March. Celebrating laughter for the health of it — a festival of comedy, performance, film, and a variety of seriously funny stuff that makes us laugh.

Some of the performers include Betty White, Kevin Hart, Mike Birbiglia and Kathleen Madigan. But arguably the most recognizable name in the festival will make his stop right here at DeVos Performance Hall. Comedy legend and actor Bill Cosby will hit the DeVos Performance Hall stage on March 13 at 4:30PM and 7:30PM.

All proceeds will go to Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, the largest and busiest of the 52 affiliates in North America. Gilda's Club is a free cancer and grief support program for children, adults, family and friends. For more information and to be updated on ticket access, go to http://www.laughfestgr.org/.

Make it a Nutcracker Overnight with Amway!

Come celebrate the holidays a little early by seeing the Nutcracker and spend a magical night at the Amway Hotel!

It is just $99 per night during the Nutcracker. Enter promo code NUTCRK for the special.

Check out grballet.com for more information about the Nutcracker!

Grand Rapids Hosts National Launch of ICLEI Program to Assist Local Governments in Preparing for Climate Change

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell will be hosting the national launch of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability’s Climate Adaptation Program: Climate Resilient Communities™, the country’s first comprehensive program to assist local governments with preparing for climate change, on Thursday, November 18th, 2010, at 4:00 p.m., in the Chase Board Room of the DeVos Convention Center, located at 303 Monroe, NW in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids will be one of the first local governments in the nation to use ICLEI’s advanced tools and resources to accelerate its preparedness in the face of unavoidable, local climate change impacts—including more frequent and severe heat waves, excessive rain events that threaten the integrity of the Great Lakes, declining harvest yields, and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns that threaten people, ecosystems, and the Grand Rapids economy. ICLEI’s resources include a new beta-tool, ADAPT: the Adaptation Database and Planning Tool, which will be locally introduced for the first time, and a member networking platform so that local communities across the country can share their lessons and experience related to building resilience towards climate change.

“Grand Rapids is delighted to be hosting the national launch of ICLEI’s Climate Resilient Communities program and is looking forward to utilizing the new ADAPT tool to advance local sustainability planning,” said Grand Rapids Mayor George K. Heartwell. “Our partnership with ICLEI has been instrumental in helping Grand Rapids move forward in building a sustainable, livable community.”

As a national leader on environmental issues, Grand Rapids has been leading the charge on climate adaptation and climate mitigation for years. Grand Rapids’ leadership and innovation on sustainability—from community revitalization and smart growth to the integration of economic and environmental sustainability—has made Grand Rapids a leader in the local sustainability arena both domestically and internationally.

As the leading national and international organization committed to advancing local sustainability and climate protection, ICLEI has been actively working for over 20 years to ensure that local communities have the tools, information, resources, training, and networking opportunities they need to advance their climate and sustainability goals.

“Over the last few years, ICLEI has realized that one of the underserved areas in which local governments need assistance is around building resilience toward existing and future climate change impacts,” said Martin Chavez, Executive Director of ICLEI USA. “Recognizing this need, ICLEI has been working with local governments across the country to develop the Climate Resilient Communities™ program, and we are delighted to finally be able to unveil this program to our national membership.”