2005 Starlight Series Announced

	The John Pizzarelli Trio performs the Starlight 5 Highlight concert on Sept. 11.
	The Sauce Boss serves gumbo with his blues on Aug. 14.
	The Star Spangled Spectacular lights up the sky with a free concert on June 26.

ust off those lawn chairs, the Starlight Summer Concert Series is scheduled to return to the Legacy Gazebo Amphitheater on June 12 with a performance by the KSU Jazz Ensemble. The later start date this year reflects concerns about poor weather that plagued the series last year.

“We hope the weather will be nicer to us this summer,” said Melanie Dobbins, who coordinates the series for the College of the Arts. “Last year’s first concert was postponed. We hope that by starting in June, we will avoid the less reliable May weather.”

Nevertheless, the college is offering yet another stellar array of events this summer, including return performance by the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, KSU Jazz Ensemble and the Army Ground Forces Band. New artists this year include the Sauce Boss (aka Bill Wharton), who cooks up a pot of gumbo while performing Florida Blues, and the South Hampton Youth Pops Orchestra.

“The pops concerts have been very popular in recent years, so we decided to expand those offerings,” Dobbins said.

The Starlight Highlight for 2005 is guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, who won over local audiences when he accompanied Maureen McGovern on the Premiere Series a few years ago. Pizzarelli has more than a dozen solo albums to his credit, including homages to the Beatles and Nat King Cole. In addition to the Starlight Series, his summer schedule includes performances at Birdland in New York (where he recorded one of his live CDs), the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. The son of renowned guitarist, Bucky Pizzarelli, he has swing in his blood. He will close the Starlight Series on Sept. 11.

This summer also features a new picnic option for guests: catering. As always, guests are welcome to bring their own food, but this year Sodexho will offer a variety of catering options from light snacks to complete meals, that may be ordered in advance.

“The new catering selections are an exciting addition, especially for guests who choose to reserve a table,” Dobbins said.

Ground seating for Starlight events are $5, except for the Star Spangled Spectacular concert on June 26, which is free. Table reservations are $50 and include admission for six and reserved parking. For more information about catering and table reservations, call Melanie Dobbins at 770-420-4750 or e-mail arts@kennesaw.edu.

All Starlight events begin at 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

To view the full schedule of events, visit the online calendar.