CPAC Presents One Night Only Benefit Concert 6/5, Showcases Local Musicans

Friends of the Davis, a non-profit, volunteer group created to support the Davis Performing Arts Programs for Youth at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (CPAC), will present a one night only benefit concert on Friday, June 5, showcasing a trio of local talent-jazz pianist Bradley Sowash, Throat Culture - A Mouth Band, and the D3 Musical Theatre Ensemble. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Davis Performing Arts Programs for Youth, a series of classes, workshops, and productions for central Ohio youth aged 4-18 that teaches skills in theatre, music, and dance.

The Phoenix Theatre for Children recently assumed management of the previously city-funded CPAC and the Davis Programs.

"We are grateful for the generosity of the featured performers and to have the leadership and expertise of the Phoenix on board," stated Friends of the Davis Board President Brenda Bruce-Tuch. "Now more than ever, we need to assure the funding is in place to enable them to continue the amazing work the Davis Programs have produced for the past 20 years."

The Friends of the Davis benefit concert will be presented Friday, June 5, at 7:30pm in the Shedd Theatre of the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave.). Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.) or by phone at (614) 469-0939. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the night of the show with cash or check only.

Featured performers (in order of appearance):

Bradley Sowash

Acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, author, and educator Bradley Sowash has delighted listeners of all ages in concert halls and churches throughout the US and Europe for over two decades. His emotional style and formidable technique have prompted favorable reviews in national publications including The Village Voice and Billboard Magazine. As a sideman, he has played with such luminaries as The Cab Calloway Orchestra and The Mills Brothers. Broadcast credits include NPR's "Morning Edition," and he has been a regular guest on the PBS series, The Piano Guy, since its inception. His publications include several volumes of jazz hymn arrangements and educational jazz piano books. www.bradleysowash.com

D3 Musical Theater Ensemble

D3 is the Davis Programs' innovative youth ensemble dedicated to fostering the triple threat skills of dancing, singing, and acting in young people aged 9-18 that are highly motivated about theater arts. A 10-month schedule of rehearsals and performances leads each cast member on a journey of enrichment led by artistic director and choreographer Billy Bruce and music director Pam Welsh-Huggins.

Throat Culture - A Mouth Band

Columbus-based a cappella ensemble Throat Culture's material is an exercise in diversity and the unexpected, taking the tradition and culture of pop music and turning it on its ear-"Sixteen Tons" as tango and AC/DC as doo-wop, as well as homages to Jimi Hendrix, Tommy James, and James Brown. Their original material springs from mundane delights like toast for breakfast and are peopled with edgy characters that often just don't fit in. With surprising arrangements, body percussion, and liberal doses of vocalese, Throat Culture engages and delights. Since their humble beginnings on a Short North street corner, they have released two CDs, A Cappella Head and Up with Angst!, and generated a loyal cult following throughout central Ohio and beyond. www.throatzilla.com

Friends of the Davis (FOD) is a non-profit, volunteer organization created to support the Davis Performing Arts Programs for Youth. In cooperation with the Phoenix Theater and Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, FOD works to increase access to quality theater arts experiences for the youth of central Ohio. Through volunteerism, fundraising, special events, programming, and promotion, FOD currently sustains D3, the Davis Programs' Musical Theater Ensemble, and supports productions, classes, workshops, and summer camp after-care. For more information, visit www.davisprograms.com.

Established in 1992, The Phoenix Theatre for Children is a collective of artists who create and present original productions, as well as some well known works with a Phoenix twist, for young audiences. Phoenix produces a full season of plays each year which are presented in the Riffe Center's Studio One and Studio Two theatres (77 S. High St.), and manages the programming and rental of the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave.). For more information, visit www.phoenix4kids.org.