More shows must go on! Lyric adds numerous acts

By Shelley Koppel
St. Lucie Voice
Sept. 16, 2016


The Lyric Theatre has announced several additional shows to its 2016-2017 season.

The first, DeadPhish Orchestra, is new to me. It appears to be what you’d get if the Grateful Dead and Phish had a love child, a jam band weaving the music of the two great bands together. They take the bluesy sound of the Dead and the edgy funk of Phish and blend it together. The band, which started as a group of Colorado friends playing Phish songs, has become a popular band around the country, playing favorites like “Bertha,” to “Harry Hood” and more. They hit town Oct. 7.

A dream band would have Eric Clapton, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. John Mayall, the “Godfather of British Blues,” was able to assemble these and other great rockers in the Bluesbreakers, a band that put the blues on the map in Britain. John Mayall has championed the blues for more than 50 years and is still touring and recording. This year, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He’ll come to the Lyric Oct. 14.

Decades Rewind take its audience on a trip back in time with hits from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. The Nov. 16-17 concert includes an eight-piece band and six vocalists who cover more than 60 songs from ABBA to Led Zeppelin. The show is enhanced with videos and more than 100 costume changes.

It’s the week of St. Patrick’s Day, and flautist Gary Arbuthnot brings his “Celtic Connections” show to the Lyric March 12. Arbuthnot returns to the Lyric with a new spin on Celtic classics and beloved Irish melodies. The show will feature music made famous by Sir James Galway, with whom he studied, the Chieftains, the Dubliners, Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Arbuthnot has won numerous musical competitions and worked with a number of international symphonies including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Opera de Lyon. He also appears on cruise lines and was voted Entertainer of the Year by Crystal Cruises.

Country music superstar Clint Black returns to the Lyric March 8-9. The singer-songwriter has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and is known for his skills as a singer, guitarist, drummer and harmonica player. He founded Equity Music Group to help young musicians succeed and launched the career of Little Big Town.

A Lyric favorite, Nestor Torres, returns March 31 for a show “Havana and Buenos Aires.” The Grammy- winning flute player will explore the music of Latin America, with a special nod to the sounds of Cuba and Argentina.

Torres was born in Puerto Rico and began playing the flute at the age of 12. He came to New York City as a teen, and attended the Mannes School of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. He moved to Miami and began to improvise using a Cuban dance style called “Charanga,” playing with artists including Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri.

Torres has dedicated his life to promoting peace and education around the world, and has received many awards for his humanitarian work. He developed the Nestor Torres Foundation, an organization designed to inspire social change through music and education in south Florida. In 2012, he worked with the Educational Foundation of Martin County to conduct master classes with talented area high school musicians.

The Pants Down Circus troupe comes to town April 2 and goes rock ’n roll. The act is part circus act and part rock concert, and is inspired by everyone from Aerosmith to Joan Jett to AC/DC.

The group was founded in 2011 and is made up of Joshua Phillips, the acrobat; Hannah Cryle, the strong woman; Idris Stanton, the clown; and Caz Walsh, the aerialist. You’ll see the fun of the circus, set to great music. The show is at 5 p.m. and is ideal entertainment for the family.

The Lyric Theatre is located at 59 S.W. Flagler Ave., Stuart. For ticket information, call (772) 286-7827 or order online at www.lyrictheatre.com.