The Virginia Arts Festival Celebrates Its 10th Season in the Nation's First Capital City

The Virginia Arts Festival Celebrates Its 10th Season in the Nation's First Capital City

NORFOLK, Va., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Arts Festival and the City of Williamsburg, in cooperation with the College of William and Mary, present three nights of music billed as "Stars Under the Stars" beginning May 19 through May 21. These performances take place in the Sunken Garden on the campus of William and Mary, the second oldest university in America.

For lovers of show tunes, Norfolk native Rob Fisher returns to conduct the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in memorable hits from the Great White Way, accompanied by Broadway vocalists/actors Debbie Gravitte and Ron Raines on Friday, May 19, at 8 p.m.

Fisher is music director and conductor of City Center's "Encores!" Series in New York. Gravitte won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in Jerome Robbins' "Broadway" and also starred in CBS's "Trial and Error."

Daytime TV fans will recognize Raines, who plays Alan Spaulding in CBS TV's "Guiding Light." He is also a leading man on stage appearing as Billy Flynn in Broadway's "Chicago," and in four PBS "Great Performances."

Violinist Cho-Liang Lin and Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Andre-Michel Schub will perform in the Chamber Music concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. The program includes Mozart, Walton, and the Virginia premiere of a newly commissioned piece by Bright Sheng.

The performers are again paired Sunday at 7 p.m. for two jewels of the classical repertoire, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Mozart's "Piano Concerto in A Major." Lin will be both conducting the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as well as playing and will be joined by Schub at the piano.

Joanne Shenandoah, the Grammy Award-winning Native American composer, vocalist, and performer, opens the Festival's Williamsburg celebration at Phi Beta Kappa Hall on the campus of William and Mary on May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

These events take place in the world's largest interactive history museum -- the city that bore witness to the American Revolution. The famed historic area and the Festival venues are merged, thus allowing dining, lodging and entertainment within a short walk of one another. Call the Festival at 757-282-2800 or toll-free 877-741-ARTS (2787) for ticket information, travel packages and performance schedules.

About Virginia Arts Festival

Virginia Arts Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary season of world-class arts, April 26-June 4, 2006. It premiered in coastal Virginia in spring 1997. Twenty-one venues in nine cities from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach host 52 performances by the world's top-flight artists in classical music, dance, theatre, and jazz. Visit http://www.vafest.com/.

Photos available at http://www.vafest.com/ - Media, call 757-282-2820 for password.

Media Contact: Julie Murphy, 757-282-2804 or 757-328-8508, jmurphy@virginiaartsfest.com

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

Source: Virginia Arts Festival

CONTACT: Julie Murphy, +1-757-282-2804 or +1-757-328-8508,
jmurphy@virginiaartsfest.com, for Virginia Arts Festival

Web site: http://www.vafest.com/

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