A diverse, mostly music-minded lineup of entertainment is set for the Cass County Performing Arts Council’s 2008-2009 season that kicks off in October with the Elision Saxophone Quartet.

“I’m real excited about our season. We have a wonderful lineup. We have some talented artists,” said Ruth Halleck, president of the CPAC board.

Don Sanders, The Texas Gypsies, Joy Cunning-ham and Meisenbach & Golden will also appear in Cass County to entertain local arts enthusiasts.

In addition to the five performers, the artists will take part in 10 different Cass County school performances, said Halleck, increasing the educational value for local students.

“In the past we’ve only been able to do as many as five. This year we’re able to double that,” she said.

Halleck said CPAC aims to appeal to many tastes with this year’s lineup, the organization’s 8th season. All the performers are new to CPAC.

“We try to get a varied group. We try to appeal to as many people as we can. This year we’re getting some of the blues and pop, and the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s era. We’re picking up the people who like comedy and wit. We’re picking up the people who like classical and the people who like country,” she said.

Elision Saxophone Quartet kicks off the season Oct. 11, incorporating classical, pop, jazz, Latin and even doo-wop into their diverse repertoire of music. Critics have praised this foursome as impressive and passionate. They’ll play at Morris Upchurch Middle School in Queen City, Texas.

Don Sanders plays Nov. 8 at Music City Texas Theater in Linden, Texas. The Texas-based performer has taught locally as part of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s ArtsSmart program in local schools. A musician and storyteller, Sanders’ topics can include such things as cowboys and Latin American folktales.

The Texas Gypsies then come to town for a Hughes Springs High School performance on Feb. 27. They’ll bring some fun, Texas-style, acoustic swing tunes in tow, recalling those bygone days of the ‘30s and ‘40s.

Joy Cunningham brings dinner theater to the Lindsey Lane Campus at the First United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Texas, on March 20. She’s presented her fun, rollicking, family ride through the South called “Goin’ to Georgia” since 1998, and she has more than 25 years of theater experience.

Meisenbach & Golden round out the season with an April 18 performance at Nelson-Murphy Auditorium at Linden-Kildare High School. Meagan Meisenbach plays the flute and Mary Golden plays the harp for a duo that have often appeared on National Public Radio. They also placed first in the National Flute Association Chamber Music Competition and have played in cities across the country.

Tickets are $20 at the door for all shows except the dinner theater, which is $30 and requires reservations. Performances are suitable for children but CPAC requests that children under 5 not attend.

Season memberships are also available starting at $70. Students can attend free with an adult who has a ticket.

All performances start at 7:30 p.m. except for the dinner theater, which starts at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be a great lineup, and we hope we can see some new faces,” Halleck said.



(For ticket information, call 903-799-8841, e-mail casscopa@yahoo.com, or visit www.cpacsite.org.)