The 2023 Enrich Series Breaks Loose!
The ENRICH Community Concert Series has a rich heritage in Van Wert County dating back to 1953. A group of local music lovers teamed with Columbia Artists of New York City to form the Van Wert County Community Concert Association. Over the years, the association presented seasons of three to five concerts a year with most of them being performed in the Lincoln School Auditorium and eventually the Marsh School Auditorium.
Over the years, attendance grew and many national and international performers graced the Community Concert stages across the country and in Van Wert. The motto was, “A Carnegie Hall in Every Town.” By the time the plans for the Niswonger Performing Arts Center began to take shape in 2005, Community Concert memberships were at an all-time high of over 700. The capacity of the Marsh Auditorium was around 530. It became obvious that the community of Van Wert could and would support a much larger performance hall.
In March of 2007, the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio opened with a capacity of 1200 seats. It was natural for the Community Concert Series to morph into the operations of the newly formed non-profit extension of the Van Wert County Foundation, the Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation. In 2017, the series was named ENRICH and despite taking a two-year respite during the pandemic, returned successfully in 2022.
The 2023 Enrich Series, presented by Roger & Kay Okuley and Ken & Marilyn Merkle, is no different as four masterful performances were packaged together at a 20% discount to make art and entertainment accessible, affordable, and inspire wonder! Still available as a package with 20% savings for as low as $80 or now available for individual sale at regular ticket prices, the 2023 shows put iconic Americana and artistry into the Niswonger roster.
It all begins with the rhythmic dancing sensation, The Step Crew. This unbelievable new show brings together three styles of exhilarating dance forms – Ottawa Valley stepdance, Irish stepdance, and Tap. With virtuosic dancers and musicians, this cast of outstanding talent takes the audience on a dance journey. As if dancing weren’t enough, The StepCrew boasts three world-class fiddlers backed by an amazing five-piece ensemble comprised of some of the most talented and respected musicians in the Celtic music scene today.
Adding pizazz to the series is a tribute to one of the most dazzling iconic divas of the 20th century, Cher. Lisa McClowry uncannily and perfectly captures Cher in a Broadway-style live stage show, The Beat Goes On Tribute To Cher. Cher parlayed her music stardom into success on movie screens and television and became a living legend. Having sold 100 million records to date, she is one of the world's best-selling music artists. Her achievements include a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, the Billboard Icon Award, and awards from the Kennedy Center Honors and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s. This theatrical extravaganza incorporates dynamic dialogue, humor, seriously fun audience participation, eight costume changes, and video projection with amazing visuals and animations. Experience Cher’s hits with a live band spanning from the 60’s to now including, I Got You Babe, Gypsies Tramp, and Thieves, I Found Someone, The Way of Love, Dark Lady, If I Could Turn Back Time and more.
The music of The Eagles has commanded a following by nearly every generation since 1971. Their distinctive songs that transport us back to a carefree day will be featured on The Niswonger stage. Hotel California's “A Salute to the Eagles” has risen to a level of recognition normally reserved for Gold and Platinum recording artists. By respectfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy award-winning sounds of our generation’s Greatest American Songbook, this legendary Southern California group, has touched the hearts of fans all over the world. Hotel California's “A Salute to the Eagles” is the only tribute show to have ever received “Official Authorization” to perform the Eagle's catalog of music. No need to travel down a dark desert highway to experience the songs you love.
There's no illusion that throwing some tricks in the mix makes for a compelling series! The grand finale is the REZA: Edge Of Illusion Tour, recognized as one of today’s most highly sought-after entertainers in the touring illusion industry, delivering innovative, engaging, and spectacular performances worldwide. Reza’s recent tour and television appearances have astounded over 30 million viewers from across the World. Reza's Edge Of Illusion Tour is a ground-breaking grand-scale production that was designed specifically to engage with the audience in a memorable and mystifying way.
Van Wert Live believes in putting purchasing power in the hands of our patrons. The Enrich Series is now available in many ways with value being top of mind. Purchase all four concerts at a 20% savings, purchase individually, or bundle together with other shows on the roster to create your own package and receive a 20% discount. It's entertainment how you want it and when you want it in Van Wert!
