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Vilar’s summer music lineup in Beaver Creek

Kris SabelVail CO, Colorado
Special to the DailyArrival, an ABBA tribute band from Sweden, will perform at the Vilar Center on July 23.
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Editors note: Directors Chair is a weekly column where Kris Sabel, who is in charge of cultural programming for the Vail Valley Foundation, gives his expert take on shows not to be missed.In my last column I reviewed the first four artists of the Vilar Performing Arts Centers summer concert series. I will continue with the next three artists in this column and review the final group next week. All of this is to help you plan which shows you want to see and get you ready to purchase your tickets when they go on sale June 2 at 11 a.m. We expect most of these shows to sell out quickly so dont wait too long. On July 21 we are pleased to introduce you to an amazing talent, Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist Serena Ryder. Ranging musically between folk, roots, country and adult contemporary, Serena has a style that is appealing to a wide range of listeners. Her voice is a deep, bluesy, soulful instrument with a three octave range, and critics have compared her to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. In 2006 she released If Your Memory Serves You Well, an album covering songs of the most well-regarded Canadian artists in history including The Band, Paul Anka and Leonard Cohen. The album, which also included three original songs, cemented Serenas status as one of the hottest singer/songwriters to hit the scene since Alanis Morissette, and shes now lumped in the same category as hot Canadians artists like Feist and Tegan & Sara. This summer Serena will be performing at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the new Mile High Music Festival in Denver. We are excited to bring you this rising star who recently won the Juno (Canadian Grammy) for Best New Artist. Her latest album Heard it in a Whispered Song is an acoustic studio collection, and will give you a sneak peek into what you can expect to hear when she performs at the Vilar Center. On July 23 its time to get out your dancing shoes as we present The Music of ABBA performed by Arrival. This tribute band from Sweden is as close to the real thing as you can get. I have read numerous reviews and testimonials about the show, and they are all ecstatic as to the authenticity and musicality of the performance (there are even several members of the original band performing with the group). ABBA, one of the most successful pop bands of the 70s and 80s, was recently introduced to a whole new generation with the popular Broadway Hit Mamma Mia, which is still touring the U.S. and the world. Those of us who were around to experience the sensation of ABBA when they were performing live and commandeering the radio waves will be transported to another time at this performance. On Aug. 11, four-time Grammy Award-winning American music icon Pat Benatar will rock the Vilar Center. Benatar has six platinum and four gold albums to her credit, as well as 19 Top 40 singles and three American Music Awards. She was twice named Rolling Stones favorite female vocalist, and Billboard magazine ranks her as the most successful female rock vocalist of all time. Joining Benatar is guitarist/arranger/producer Neil Giraldo, who incidentally is also her husband. Giraldo is the distinctive lead guitarist for the band and has been the producer and musical arranger for all of Benatars albums. The power and energy of this performance is sure to rock the Vilar Center.And this is only a taste of the incredible range of talent that will be performing onstage at the Vilar Center this summer. To learn more about these artists, and to view our complete summer 2008 lineup, please visit http://www.vilarpac.org. And while you are browsing the site, we encourage you to join our e-mail list so you can be the first to hear about added performances, on-sale dates and more.I look forward to seeing you at the theater this summer!


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