The Center in Coral Springs to present A ROCKAPELLA CHRISTMAS

THE CENTER, formerly known as the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, today confirmed that it is presenting a very special holiday show for the whole family:

December 22 at 7 pm (Friday)

A Rockapella Christmas **

Rockapella's Christmas show is a "must see" event. With their completely original take on the holidays, Rockapella creates a light-hearted and unforgettable holiday experience as they travel the country spreading musical holiday cheer. From unique spins on classic favorites, to brand new originals destined to become classics, audiences of all ages can expect to be charmed by a holiday performance by this awe-inspiring, five-man powerhouse of vocal talent.

This is the second holiday season featuring the newest Rockapella lineup. A Rockapella Christmas features thunderous Bass-man Bryant Vance - one of those rare truly "basso profundo" voices, and his smooth grooviness is a deliciously fresh foundation for the classic Rockapella sound. Newcomer Mitchell Rains brings a new dynamic energy and all-around talent that rounds out the new Rockapella experience. The soulful voice of Calvin Jones continues to wow audiences. "Something special happens when Calvin sings. We're so lucky to have his magic voice in the Rockapella sound," says Scott Leonard, Rockapella's primary songwriter and arranger, who joins longtime powerhouse mouth drummer Jeff Thacher onstage. "Our success is in the art of it - it's not what you do, but how you do it," says Thacher. Add Leonard, "The tightness and energy and fun of this New Group makes me wanna kiss somebody."

This holiday show will feature the a cappella debuts of "Little Drummer Boy" (featuring Rockapella's full-sized drummer boy, Jeff Thacher), "O Little Town of Bethlehem", and a Scott Leonard/Masahiro Ikumi original, "Christmas Altogether". Audiences can expect the classic, Rockapella-fied versions of favorites like "Silver Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "The Chipmunk Song", "Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer", "Glowworm", "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", as well as newer Rockapella holiday hits like "Wonderful Christmastime", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Matunda Ya Kwanzaa", and "Angels We Have Heard On High". Also rumor has it A Rockapella Christmas will somehow involve sombreros.

Many of the songs from the tour are on Rockapella's albums "Comfort & Joy," "Christmas," and their most recent, "A Rockapella Holiday." The albums are available through www.rockapella.com.

Tickets start at $32

How to Get Tickets:

Tickets to A Rockapella Christmas are available for purchase by calling THE CENTER's Box Office at 954-344-5990 or by going online to www.TheCenterCS.com.

** The Level3 experience includes exclusive access to private bars with specialty drinks and music before and during the main event.

About Rockapella

They've become one of the world's most sophisticated, lasting, and imitated vocal groups around today. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more influential group out there in this new era of movies like Pitch Perfect, network television a cappella shows, and innumerable college vocal groups that own the corner of cool on campuses everywhere.

Since the early '90's when they first achieved national television fame on PBS's Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, they've toured the globe and provided a funky powerful soundtrack to several generations of vocal music fans, while keeping it all fresh along the way. With buckets of catchy original pop songs, and complete contemporary revisions of sparkling pop, Motown, and soul classics, this group has always been the one to watch. "Often imitated - never duplicated" applies here. Now they're better than ever.

As one of the progenitors of the astonishing full-band sound of "contemporary" a cappella, Rockapella has shown every audience the raw power of pure vocal talent and originality. "There's nothing in the way between us and the audience; it's very human music," says Rockapella's human beatbox Jeff Thacher. No instruments, no tracks, no mirrors...but never lame.

"We make it rock and make it interesting," explains Scott Leonard, the group's chief songwriter, arranger, and an architect of their ever evolving and imitated dynamic sound. USA Today summed up their lasting appeal: "The best musical instrument of all is the human voice - if you've seen Rockapella you know that's the truth." The New York Times agrees; they're "Pure entertainment"!

All of Rockapella's members are accomplished musicians. New bass, Bryant Vance, is a veteran singer from the casts of the touring sensations Vocalosity and VocaPeople. His enormous bass "pipes" are in high demand, and we're thrilled to have him join us! New dynamic tenor, Mitchell Rains, lights up the stage in 2017. You may have spotted him before, storming the stages of Busch Gardens, touring the country with The Cat's Pajamas, or M.C.ing a Monster Trucks live show! (really!) Scott Leonard leads the group musically, shaping Rockapella's characteristic sound by writing, arranging and producing most of the group's material. Calvin Jones' extraordinary voice was discovered within his group Men of Note on the streets of East St. Louis and the stages of Busch Gardens, Tampa, and from there, Scott happily brought Calvin in to Rockapella. The group boasts the jaw-dropping, unique, and powerful talents of Jeff Thacher, a pioneer and leader in the mouth percussion world, who anchors the group's instrument-less sound.

For more information on Rockapella, tour dates and ticket sales, visit www.ROCKAPELLA.com.

About THE CENTER:

THE CENTER (formerly known as the Coral Springs Center for the Arts) brings the finest in music, dance, comedy and more to the community; offering a variety of entertainment and artistic events for all ages and interests. From the best of Broadway, to top comedians, jazz and pop concerts, and a diverse selection of family productions, the theater has something for every taste. THE CENTER is the cultural lifeblood of the community, with approximately 200,000 people visiting the facility yearly.

In addition to the intimate 1,471-seat theater, THE CENTER houses a dramatic dance studio, a variety of meeting rooms for corporate and private events and the elegant Coral Springs Museum of Art. Along with the museum's Permanent Collection, every three months they offer new exhibits for the enjoyment of its patrons.

THE CENTER/Coral Springs Center for the Arts is truly unique in all that it offers as a cultural resource for North Broward and South Palm Beach Counties. Easily accessible from the Sample Road exits off I-95, the Florida Turnpike and the Sawgrass Expressway, THE CENTER draws audiences preferring an intimate theater experience and museum visit closer to home. For more information, please call 954-344-5990 or visit the official website at www.TheCenterCS.com.

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