CELEBRATING MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF ENTERTAINMENT
Columbia Basin College and the Arts and Humanities Division are proud to present another showcase season filled with theatre, art, and music! Showcase is one of the ways we continue the College's mission of cultural enrichment to the community. Although we offer countless numbers of exhibits, concerts, and plays during the year, showcase is unique in that it has added community involvement in the talent on and off the stage.

Theatre

RENT
Winner of four Tony Awards
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

July 16, 17, 18 (2 p.m.), 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31

"No Day But Today" summarizes the theme of RENT, Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical, based loosely on Puccini's opera La Boheme. The play follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village. During that year, they live "the best of times, and the worst of times," finding love and meaning in relationships and life, while experiencing fear and loss as they deal with AIDS. In addition to the primary stories of the friends, an ensemble of eight characters display other parts of city life, including the plight of the homeless and of drug users.

RENT is much more than a history piece about the late 80s and 90s in America. It is a "musical rush" – simultaneously energized, poignant, joyous, and cathartic. Through the flurry of songs and dance the messages are clear: enjoy and cherish life each day, each minute; and choose joy over fear as a state of being. It's not a wonder that RENT swept the 1996 awards, winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama, four Tonys (one for best musical), the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk awards, and Obie awards.

The cast of RENT includes Jessica Ballard, Cole Cook, Stephanie Fanning, Bryan Foley, Rob Hanson, Robbie Heegel, Michele Solano, and Ryan Thiessen as the friends, and is directed by Ginny Quinley and John Tuttle, with music direction by Justin Raffa. Scenic design is provided by Ronn Campbell.

Musical Drama - Rated R, strong language and sexual reference

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Winner of five Tony Awards
Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellarson

August 13, 14, 15 (2 p.m.), 17, 19-21, 22 (2 p.m.)

The show opens simply with a man sitting in a chair, talking to the audience about how fun musicals are. He then offers to play one of his favorites, the 1920s hit The Drowsy Chaperone. With great delight he does indeed play the record, and the characters spring to life from it. Big musical numbers from the classic musical, subtle references to many musicals written, and an interactive narrative from the "Man in Chair" make this newly released musical entertaining for all ages. Winner of six Tony awards in 2006 The Drowsy Chaperone is fresh off Broadway and full of fun, fun, fun!

The cast includes Mark Barton, Joyce Bean, Chantelle Benicki, Paul Brooks, Sergio Bueno, Eric Eberle, June Gillespie, Heather Harvey, Molly Holleran, Mindy Krejci, William Lenske, Kevin Nettleton, Colleen Roddy, Greg Rose, Jim Salaba, Sam Schick, Korry Watkins, and Richard Reuther as "Man in Chair." Directed by Ginny Quinley with music direction by Val Wenner and choreography by Diana Howard Law.

Musical Comedy - Rated G/PG

BOTH SHOWS HAVE RESERVED SEATING
$17 adults; $15 students/seniors
All shows start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Ticket Outlets: Shelby's Floral - Kennewick, Adventures Underground Bookstore - Richland, the CBC Performing Arts office on the Pasco campus, and at the door.

Music

Come enjoy music outdoors in the beautiful Tri-City weather! The Columbia Basin Concert Band will play a variety of classic and contemporary concert band literature at various locations throughout the Tri-Cities.

June 22    Charbonneau Retirement Center
                   8264 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick
June 29    Alterra Wynwood of Columbia Edgewater Retirement Center
                   1629 Geo Wash. Way,  Richland 
July 6      Hawthorne Court Retirement Center
                   524 N. Ely, Kennewick
July 13    The Manor at Canyon Lakes
                   2801 W. 35th Ave., Kennewick
July 20    Royal Columbian Retirement Inn
                   5615 West Umatilla, Kennewick

All concerts are at 7:30 p.m., are open to the public, and free of charge.

Art Exhibit

____HAS NO MERCY/____IS NOT THE ENEMY
An installation by Brian Knowles

June 28 - August 20

Brian is an installation artist from Eugene, Ore., where he recently received his Master's in Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of Oregon. His work exists at the intersection of printmaking, animation, drawing, and installation. He uses cutouts from woodblock prints, screen prints, and drawings, and collages them together in room-sized installations on pink foam insulation board that serves as am underpinning and an architectural element in its own right.

Brian will be in the Esvelt Gallery from June 28 through July 2 creating the installation from a combination of new objects made in advance specifically for the piece and materials salvaged from past works. CBC students are encouraged to interact with the artist as he is here creating this large scale work during the first week of summer classes.

Esvelt Gallery Hours
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. – noon
Saturday/Sunday:  Closed

All exhibits are open to the public and admission is free.

The Esvelt Gallery would like to thank the ASCBC for its support. These events are brought to you by the CBC Arts & Humanities Division as part of its continuing community enrichment program.