That’s the Ticket!

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center presents the 2011-2012 Spotlight Series beginning in September.

Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis will perform at the ­Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center in September.

It will be a season of living ­legends, Broadway, big band and “The King” as the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center (BAPAC) presents “That’s The Ticket!,” the 2011-2012 Spotlight Series, presented by AVB Bank and the Broken Arrow Convention & Visitors Bureau. With six shows on the docket (plus a bonus show), there will be something for everyone to see.

“We want to make sure we are bringing the utmost in quality performances to Broken Arrow,” said Mark Frie, executive director of the BAPAC. “And with a ­lineup like this, we know you’ll find many tastes to satisfy your performing arts palette.”

The season kicks off September 29, 2011, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, featuring living jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. Jazz musician, trumpeter, ­composer, bandleader, advocate for the arts, and educator, Wynton Marsalis has helped ­propel jazz to the forefront of American culture. His prominent position in American culture was solidified in April, 1997, when he became the first jazz artist to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for his work “Blood on the Fields,” which was commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center.

A world of acrobatics and incredible machinery will open up on October 27, with Cirque Mechanics Boom Town. Be transported to the 1860’s small frontier town of Rosebud, where two ambitious saloon owners have set up shop in the hopes of cashing in on the town’s gold rush frenzy. The circus that ensues when they begin to feud for the townsfolk patronage leads to a series of explosive events, exciting brawls, an ­unexpected romance and a ­lucrative discovery.

Celebrate the magic of the season on December 17, with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. Combining 21st century ideas with the timeless quality of great quartets from the 1950s, Grammy-nominated Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (EHSS) has broken the traditional mold of gospel quartets. Their unconventional approach to ­communicating the Good News with groundbreaking originality has blazed a trail that will go down in gospel music history.

Elvis will not be leaving the building on January 31, 2012, as “Elvis Lives” comes to Broken Arrow, honoring “The King” during his birthday month. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Tour is a multimedia extravaganza that pays homage to Elvis Presley during various stages of his career. The performers were previously selected as finalists at worldwide preliminary ­competitions for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition, held annually by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. The Elvis ­tribute artists will be joined by a live band, back-up singers, dancers, and an Ann-Margret tribute artist, as well as iconic imagery made available from the Graceland archives.

Want energy and ­excitement? Look no further than BLAST!, coming February 26, 2012. BLAST!, winner of the 2001 Tony Award for “Best Special Theatrical Event” and the 2001 Emmy Award for “Best Choreography,” is comprised of 35 brass, percussion and visual performers brought together in a unique explosion of music and theatre. Born on ­athletic fields across the nation, BLAST! is a novel art form evolved from the showmanship of outdoor pageantry.

Broadway comes back to town on March 10, 2012, with two performances (and the Oklahoma debut) of “In The Heights,” winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album. “In The Heights” tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood that is on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be ­deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

A special bonus show comes in April of 2012 with “In The Mood,” a big band musical revue. Swing aficionados, especially ­seniors who heard the music first hand, adore this show. But this family show is for all ages – even the young kids who love to swing dance flock to see “In The Mood.” The show features the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Erskine Hawkins, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and other greats of the 1940’s.

Season ticket renewals ­happen between July 1 and 14 for previous subscribers. New season ticket subscriptions begin July 15. Season ticket packages are as low as $96. 

For more information, contact

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center

(918) 259-5778