Two Decades of Tickets

With a full-time staff of four, the successful operation of the Townsend Center is an amazing feat. From stage set ups for several departmental events each week, to booking national artists to hosting summer dance programs, the Townsend Center is rarely quiet. Walk through the halls and you may find students painting a scene for a Shakespeare play or a group of musicians tweaking the sound system.

(L-R) Robert Jennings, TCPA artistic director, Renét Jones, general manager, Lorrie Sposato-Allen, patron services manager and David Manuel, technical director (not pictured), do not have time to bask in their over-the-top season last year. The 2008-09 season is on its way to being sold out. “More shows, more stars, more workshops, more outreach,” said Robert Jennings, artistic director of the TCPA. “It’s bigger and better. Buy early and come often. This is our 20th Anniversary, so we are going all out.”

In the 20 years since it has opened, the Townsend Center has served its community well. Thousands of faculty, staff and students have walked, danced and sung on its stage to applause, and community residents have grown to love the center for its cultural events and family entertainment.

Add the community outreach programs with Destination University, Artists in Residence, Inspiration Station and Art in Education Series and its easy to see that the Center’s Mainstage Theatre and the Richard L. Dangle Theatre continue to inspire success, create opportunities, help communities and build relationships. The 2008-09 season begins this weekend with a sold out show, a sign of another successful year. Happy 20th Birthday!

Sold Out Alley Cats Kick Off  20 Years of Art and Entertainment

Mark those calendars and make plans for an exciting season at the Townsend Center as it celebrates its 20th anniversary with an unprecedented 12 shows. 

From ballet and Broadway to fiddles and fish, the Townsend Center’s 19th season offered a lineup of shows that packed the house. Seven of its nine productions sold out in the 459-seat main stage and the smaller Richard L. Dangle Theatre.

The 2008-09 season at the Townsend will outdo last year’s with a range of genres from dramatic theatre to holiday extravaganzas to award-winning jazz that will bring down the roof. A sold out season is a strong possibility and season ticket packages of three or more shows are still available at a significant discount over individual ticket purchases.

The Alley Cats open on Saturday with “At the Hop,” a perfect blend of musical talent and comic timing in a ‘50s-themed concert the entire family will enjoy.  The talented quartet has a history of crowd-pleasing performances from the White House to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to a Chubby Checker concert, and now they invite the community to travel with them back in time to the age of poodle skirts, big cars and slick hair. 

Sponsored by the University of West Georgia Foundation, Inc., the quartet mixes an a cappella Doo Wop sound all their own with hilarious comedy. To add to the ‘50s feel, an antique car exhibit in the TCPA parking lot will precede the opening show at 6 p.m., weather permitting. A ’66 pink Cadillac convertible will bring back memories of The Pink Cadillac restaurant on Maple Street and a ’65 Corvair convertible will make everyone nostalgic for fast cars and cheap gas.

The fun will continue with a pre-show party complete with prizes, refreshments and a ‘50s and ‘60s costume contest in the lobby at 6:30 p.m.  “At the Hop” begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre.

Tickets can be purchased at the Townsend Center’s Box Office.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for the season opener “At the Hop” are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for children and $7 for UWG students.

For more information, call 678-839-4722 or go to www.townsendcenter.org.