Marshall Artists Series Announces Its 75th Anniversary Lineup!

It's always fun to see the new lineup for the Marshall Artists Series, and for the group's 75th birthday they've lined up some terrific shows, including the touring shows for In the Heights and Young Frankenstein!

I'm especially happy to see Elvis Costello and Glen Campbell on the list!

You can see a photo gallery of some of the featured stars right here.

Here's the story from today's Herald-Dispatch, as written by my pal Dave Lavender:

Don’t tell Morgan Spurlock, but for its 75th anniversary, the Marshall Artists Series is ordering up its entertainment — Super Sized.

To celebrate in style, the historic Artists Series — the second oldest town and gown artist series in the nation — has jumped from an average of about 10 season shows to a calendar-busting 18 blockbuster events.

The season, which kicks off with a Sept. 8 special event with red-hot Grammy Award winning pop artist, Cee Lo Green, features a stacked, eclectic mix of top-shelf entertainment including rare performances here by Larry King (on his first stand up tour), Glen Campbell (on his last tour), Jack Hanna, Michael McDonald and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello.

Tossed onto that heap is among other things — a unique Mountain Stage-made spring show, two new Broadway shows (Young Frankenstein and In the Heights), a Comedy Central new comics show, a talk by Pulitzer-Prize writer Lawrence Wright, and a talk and screening with Morgan Spurlock, a Beckley native who is one of the top documentary filmmakers of his generation.

New season subscription orders and season ticket orders are now on sale, and the deadline for season ticket renewal is Monday, Aug. 8. After that day, all orders will be processed in order of date and time received.

Individual tickets go on sale, Monday, Aug. 22.

"Marshall University's Marshall Artists Series will celebrate its 75th Anniversary this season by taking our patrons on an artistic and intellectual journey filled with many varied excursions along the way,” said Penny Watkins, executive director of the Marshall Artists Series in a release. “We are so very proud of our unique history (the second oldest "town & gown" arts organization in the Country) and are excited about the future."

This year, the Mount and the Baxter Series will both feature five events each with Super ticket-holders (who buy both series) also getting to pick either the Morgan Spurlock or the Jack Hanna show.

The Baxter Series features Broadway's Young Frankenstein at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10; “13 Most Beautiful... Songs For Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29; Glen Campbell: The Goodbye Tour at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11; “100 Years of Broadway,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 2; and “Larry King: Standing Up,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1.

The Mount Series includes: “Lawrence Wright — The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29; Elvis Costello & The Imposters at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; An Evening With Michael McDonald at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17; In The Heights at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21; and Mountain Stage Salutes 75 Years of the Marshall Artists Series at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

The Superticket events include: “Jungle Jack Hanna: Into the Wild Live!” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11; and “An Evening with Morgan Spurlock” on 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16.

Spurlock’s appearance will kick off the Fall International Film Festival that runs Monday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 23. The Spring International Film Festival will run Feb. 3 to 9, 2012.

In addition to the Cee Lo Green special event - tickets on sale 10 a.m. Aug. 1 at $40 - other special events for the Artists Series this year includes two intimate cabaret shows with the artists and patrons all on stage at the Keith, a World Music Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, and OH! What A Piano Can Do at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Friday, April 13, with master pianist, Duke Thompson.

During MU Homecoming weekend in the fall, the fifth annual Comedy Central on Campus tour will be in Huntington at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.

The Marshall Artists Series accepts all major credit cards. Season tickets may be ordered via telephone by calling 304-696-3326. Orders may also be mailed in to Marshall Artists Series, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755-2210, be faxed to 304-696-6658 or emailed to artistsseries@marshall.edu.

The Marshall Artists Series office is located in the Jomie Jazz Center on 5th Avenue across from Marshall University's Student Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Go online at www.marshallartistsseries.org for more info and read The Herald-Dispatch Life section on Sunday July 31, as Artist Series Marketing Director Angela Jones talks about some of the details about the new series.