The Pennyroyal Arts Council will begin its Jazz on Stage series with two holiday-themed shows at 6 and 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Alhambra Theatre.
It is the first jazz program in a four-show series that will offer seating for about 50 audience members who join the musicians on stage for an experience much like a jazz club in a large city.
“In the entertainment world, it’s about making experiences — and making it different by reimagining all the space,” said Margaret Prim, executive director of the arts council.
The stage will have a mix of table and individual seating, along with a bar, to create an intimate setting.
The holiday show will feature the Daniel Kelly Quartet with vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, a Grammy-nominated sing-songwriter, pianist and band leader based New York. She was a gold medal recipient in the 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition.
Tickets range from $35 to $50 and can be purchased online.
The arts council tested the concept of a small concert on stage in 2022, when organizers had to shift plans quickly for a small gathering. It didn’t make sense to put the audience in the auditorium, which seats about 650 people.
“We decided, let’s just make a jazz nightclub,” Prim said. “It was spectacular … it felt good, and everybody loved it.”
Prim said she hopes the jazz series will help the arts council reach new audience members who might not have been regulars for other Alhambra shows.
The next shows in the jazz series are:
- “The Sirens of Song” on Jan. 18 — A tribute to the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone featuring Annie Sellick and The Christian Tamburr Trio.
- “Too Marvelous for Words” on Feb. 23 — Celebrating the music of Richard Whiting, Johnny Mercer and “The Great American Songbook” featuring Wendy Moten and pianist Christian Tamburr.
- “Unforgettable” on March 21 — The life and music of Nat King Cole featuring Clint Holmes and the Christian Tamburr Trio.
Sponsors for the Jazz on Stage series are Planters Bank, Michael Venable’s State Farm Insurance and J. Schrecker Jewelry.
Tickets for all of the shows are available online.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
