Grove City series presents music, ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Royal Family’

Staff report

grove city, pa.

The 2010-2011 Grove City College Showcase Series features four varied performances.

Two shows will be at theaters in Pittsburgh with bus transportation available to and from Grove City. The other two performances will be in the Ketler Auditorium of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus.

The series begins with George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s play, “The Royal Family,” at Pittsburgh Public Theater at 8 p.m. Thursday. The play captures the lives of the Cavendish clan, fabulous stars of 1920s Broadway, based on the Barrymore family.

Written in 1927 when Ethel and John Barrymore were at the height of their stardom, the play brings a comic perspective to actors’ lives and egos and celebrates the golden age of the American stage. Tickets are $15 for Grove City College students (limit one per student) and $25.75 for general admission. Bus transportation is free for Grove City College students and — as a special introductory offer — free to general-admission ticket holders.

The B.E. Taylor Christmas Concert is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 on campus. Taylor is a nationally recognized artist who has performed to sold-out crowds across western Pennsylvania and the Midwest.

The Aliquippa, Pa., native is known for his powerful voice and has been influenced by Motown and The Beatles. Tickets are $10 for Grove City College students (limit one per student), $15 for college employees (limit two per employee) and $20 for general admission.

The world’s most famous nanny is flying into Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center at 2 p.m. Jan. 22, The Tony Award-winning musical “Mary Poppins” combines the best of the original stories by P.L. Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film, including the songs “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Tickets are $50, $69 and $79. Bus transportation is free for Grove City College students and $10 for general admission.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Players will close the series with “Russian Musical Treasures” at 7:30 p.m. April 11 on campus.

The small, critically acclaimed group of Pittsburgh Symphony members performs traditional chamber pieces, rarely-heard works and new compositions.

Their performances often involve audience participation as the group takes chamber music back to its roots as an evening among friends.

Tickets are $5 for Grove City College students (limit one per student) and college employees (limit two per employee) or $10 for general admission.

Tickets purchased by students and staff are distributed at the Alumni Relations Office, Carnegie Alumni Center. General admission tickets will be mailed unless otherwise specified. For more information, contact showcase@gcc.edu or 888-422-4723 (GCC-GRAD).