EAA presents ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ on Oct. 7

CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER

EAST ALABAMA — East Alabama Arts will present “Some Enchanted Evening” at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts for one performance on Monday, Oct. 7.

Some Enchanted Evening, produced and managed by IGM Artists, brings together music and dance in a way that resonates with audiences of all ages. The show stars a trio of fast-rising gifted artists, all veterans of the popular musical collective Postmodern Jukebox.

Emmy nominated trumpeter Benny Benack III and internet sensation vocalist Stella Cole share top-billing in Some Enchanted Evening, a jazz-steeped sojourn exploring some of The Great American Songbook’s most enduring hits from the Golden Age of Broadway to today. The two exceptionally talented artists will be joined by tap dance phenom Jabu Graybeal, as well as a five-piece band.

The concert program includes selections from many shows from Broadway and the Silver Screen including The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Guys & Dolls, Hamilton, Oliver! and South Pacific. Some Enchanted Evening celebrates a century of music, seamlessly blending timeless music and dance, with jazzy takes on beloved classics (“Over the Rainbow”) to contemporary hits (“My Shot”).

“Our concert is the perfect marriage between the majesty of musical theatre with the spontaneity of Swing,” Benack said. “Stella Cole is a modern-day starlet of stage and screen, and Jabu is the most exciting and show-stopping tap dancer in the world right now. Combining all of these talents together feels like we just assembled the Avengers of showbiz — get your popcorn ready!”

The stop in Opelika is part of a nation-wide tour. For more information, visit www.someenchantedconcert.com. Tickets are on sale now at www.eastalabamaarts.org/tickets.

About IMG Artists: mother simply picked up the tomato slice, dusted it off, and placed it back on my sandwich. “A little dirt never hurt anyone,” she clarified.

The Performing Arts are essential part of the human experience. IMG Artists is dedicated to connecting artists, creators and organizations with new, emerging and loyal audiences. For forty years, IMG Artists’ team across three continents has provided the expertise, direction and support needed to develop artistically, commercially and strategically successful careers for an illustrious roster of artists and projects.

When I was finished with the sandwich, I was wearing most of it. Tiny seeds clung to my shirt, blood-red juice stains ran down my chest, mayonnaise globs covered my chin, my neck, and hands.

Whereupon my mother took me to the nearest hosepipe, jutting from beneath the nearby farmhouse. She rinsed me off in the yard while the farmer, an old man in overalls, just watched. Periodically spitting. My mother stripped me and gave me a bath, right there.

And when I was finally clean, my red hair, curly and damp. My chubby white torso, bulging from the waistband of my miniature Levi’s. The farmer looked at me and said something I’ll never forget: “Tomato sandwiches are supposed to be eaten over the sink.”

And on the eve of Labor Day, the unofficial last day of summer, I am trying to live my life by that rule.

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored 15 books.

AUG. 29 — THIRD THURSDAY POETRY SERIES