A NIGHT IN OLD NEW ORLEANS Set for State Theatre's Acopian Ballroom, 2/13

Orange Kellin's A Night In Old New Orleans featuring Vernel Bagneris brings talent fresh from Broadway and sounds straight from New Orleans. These seasoned performers will thrill listeners in the Acopian Ballroom of the State Theatre on Friday, February 13th.

Show time is 7:30 PM. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132 or online at www.statetheatre.org. Sponsored by WDIY 88.1 FM. The show will be held in the Acopian Ballroom with the bar and concessions available.

From the Broadway production of One Mo' Time, music arranger and clarinetist Orange Kellin brings a trio of hot New Orleans musicians - piano, clarinet and percussion - to play the elegant, thrilling and undeniably infectious Big Easy sounds. Joining Orange and his trio is the creator and director of One Mo' Time, Vernel Bagneris, acting, singing and dancing the irresistible, dazzling, show-stopping numbers from that show plus many more.

Since his 1966 arrival in New Orleans, Orange Kellin has been overwhelming musicians and audiences with his original style. In addition to keeping a regular performing schedule in local dance halls, kitty halls, Bourbon Street clubs and parade bands plus international jazz festivals and concerts, he co-founded the much recorded and highly respected New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra in 1967. He has recorded with New Orleans jazz pioneers DeDe Pierce, Kid Thomas Valentine, Percy Humphrey and Jim Robinson. A highlight for Orange was accompanying Louis Armstrong at "Satchmo's 70th Birthday Concert at the Newport Jazz Festival" in 1970. Since then, Orange has again gone international with his band The New Orleans Joymakers, played the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Louis Malle's Pretty Baby, and played a Royal Command performance of One Mo' Time for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Orange has also toured frequently as a guest soloist with the Preservation Hall Band.

Vernel Bagneris has acquired a number of awards during a career which included work in Broadway, film, television and radio. He received an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Lucille Lortel Award as author and performer, as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination. Vernel wrote, directed, and starred in the original off-Broadway production as well as the recent Broadway production of One Mo' Time, its critically acclaimed sequel Further Mo', the musical fable Staggerlee, and Jelly Roll!. In film, he has appeared in Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law and had a starring role in Herbert Ross' Pennies From Heaven with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. For PBS American Playhouse, he performed in A Marriage: Georgia O'Keefe and Alfred Steiglitz. On PRI (Public Radio International), Mr. Bagneris continues to serve as narrator and performer with the Riverwalk - Live from the Landing program, where he has brought to life the work and memories of over a dozen early jazz pioneers. More recently, he choreographed Taylor Hackford's critically acclaimed film, Ray, the sensational biopic on Ray Charles, starring Jamie Fox.

Joining Mr. Kellin and Mr. Bagneris will be ragtime pianist and singer Conal Fowkes and drummer, vocalist, Chris Tyle, both veterans of the Broadway production of One Mo' Time and countless appearances with New Orleans bands and singers.

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