Harris Center for the Arts to Present NAT GEO LIVE! and VICKI LAWRENCE AND MAMA

HARRIS CENTER FOR THE ARTS will present two exceptional entertainment events: National Geographic Live! Brian Skerry - Secrets of the Whales at 7:30 PM on Thursday, March 30, and Vicki Lawrence and Mama - A Two-Woman Show, at 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 1.

National Geographic Live! Brian Skerry - Secrets of the Whales

Celebrated National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry has spent nearly four decades exploring and documenting the world's oceans. For his latest project, he turns his lens to one of the world's most beloved animals to illuminate groundbreaking new insights into their lives and culture. Skerry spent more than two years in 24 locations around the world capturing remarkable images and video for a landmark National Geographic book, magazine story, and television series, Secrets of the Whales.

Hear his behind-the-scenes stories straight from the field and get an inside look at the groundbreaking science of whale culture-and its startlingly human parallels-across four different species. Discover the hunting techniques and international cuisines of orca pods and the multi-generational childcare systems and female-led families of sperm whales. Explore the culture of singing competitions among humpback whales and meet charming beluga whales in Canada that journey each summer to their "vacation resort." Through Skerry's mesmerizing work, uncover what these majestic creatures can teach us about ourselves and our planet.

Vicki Lawrence and Mama:

Emmy Award winning comedienne Vicki Lawrence is one of the most beloved television personalities of her generation. Plucked out of total obscurity as a high school senior, Vicki went on to become part of the now-legendary cast of "The Carol Burnett Show."

In the seventh season, and hundreds of hilarious sketches later, at the ripe, old age of 24, Vicki created her most endearing character to date, Thelma Harper, or "Mama" as she is better known to her fans. After the Burnett Show, Vicki went on to star in "Mama's Family," which consistently topped the ratings for its entire six-year run of original shows.

The unprecedented ratings for the "Carol Burnett Showstopper Special," which delighted more than 50 million viewers, convinced Ms. Lawrence that the time is right to take Mama out of the closet, dust off her sensible shoes, and hit the road with her new touring production. Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show, "is a mixture of stand-up comedy, music, and my observations about real life," she explains.

The multi-talented entertainer is mostly known for her acting and comedic talents, but she also earned a gold record for the 1973 hit, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."

Individual tickets range from $37-$52 for National Geographic Live! and $52-$87 for Vicki Lawrence and Mama. On sale now at the Box Office at (916) 608-6888, or online at HarrisCenter.net. Box Office hours are Tuesday-Friday from 12:00pm-5:00pm, and one hour before showtime.

About Harris Center for the Arts

Long envisioned as a critically important element for Folsom Lake College, the visual and performing arts center was initially conceived as a facility to instruct, develop, and guide talented students to become actors, musicians, dancers, visual artists, and behind-the-curtain technicians. The scope and size of the Center expanded significantly with a 2003 feasibility study which validated the need for a facility that could also serve as a regional arts center for the greater community.

In 2004, the project proposal approved by the Los Rios Board of Trustees was submitted to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office for final funding approval in the 2005-06 budget year. Construction of the $50 million project began in July 2008, supported by a State Educational Facilities General Obligation Bond, Local Measure A Bond, other District resources, and donations to the Folsom Lake College Foundation.

In February, 2011, the Center opened as "Three Stages at Folsom Lake College" and by the end of its second full season it had already attracted over 300,000 patrons to its offerings. In August, 2012, the Los Rios District Board of Directors announced the renaming of the facility to the "Harris Center for the Arts," honoring Chancellor Emeritus Brice Harris who, during his tenure, oversaw a doubling of the size of the District, including the development of Folsom Lake College. He, together with then President of the College Thelma Scott-Skillman, was perhaps most responsible for seeing the vision of a Regional Performing Arts Center for the community realized.

The 80,000-square-foot center includes three stages and is located at Folsom Lake College. Before Covid-19, it hosted more than 400 events per year. The venue, initially called Three Stages at Folsom Lake College, opened in 2011. It temporarily closed in July 2020, as the pandemic disrupted entertainment venues nationwide.

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