The timeless hits of country music legend Johnny Cash will take Center Stage at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset on Saturday, Feb. 11, in a live performance by renowned tribute artist Philip Bauer.
Bauer, who has been recreating the music and live performance of Cash since 1985, stars in “The Legend of Johnny Cash,” a musical tribute to one of the greatest country music entertainers of all time.
The show—the next performance in the Center Stage performing arts series—opens at 7:30 p.m. in the theatre and is part of an evening of live country music entertainment, also featuring Pulaski County’s own Doug Holsomback and Friends, from 6-7 p.m. at a Pre-Show Event in The Center’s front lobby.
“You will not want to miss this Center Stage performance presented by Lake Cumberland Performing Arts in partnership with The Center for Rural Development,” said Dianna Winstead, associate director of arts, culture, and events. “If you close your eyes, you’ll think the real Johnny Cash is on stage!”
For a chance to win free tickets and exclusive meet-and-greet and autograph opportunities with the show’s star Philip Bauer, visit and like The Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/centercrd. Instructions for the video contest are located on The Center’s Facebook page, and First, Second, and Third Place winners will be chosen by Feb. 10.
Bauer’s uncanny look and stage presence take his audience back to the good old days, when Cash was “King of Country Music” and dominated the Billboard charts. “The Legend of Johnny Cash” show includes top hits “Ring of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Man in Black,” “I Walk the Line,” and many more, along with pop-country classics and a dead-on impersonation of Cash himself.
An established singer and songwriter in his own right, Bauer has taken his tribute show on the road performing the music of Johnny Cash all over the United States and abroad.
To purchase tickets for “The Legend of Johnny Cash,” contact The Center for Rural Development at 606-677-6000 or visit the Box Office from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 2292 South U.S. 27 (at Traffic Light 15) in Somerset.
During the Pre-Show Event, Doug Holsomback and Friends, featuring Beth Of Bass on bass guitar, Randall Marler on drums, and Ron Bradley on lead guitar will be performing a selection of classic country music, and guests are invited to join Sully’s for an optional dinner with Salisbury steak, au gratin potatoes, green beans, tossed salad and iced tea as the main menu.
The cost of the meal is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and younger.
The Pre-Show Event is sponsored by Clear Channel Lake Cumberland and Sully’s.
A reception also will be held during the Pre-Show Event for artists Sue Burkett, Cece Butcher, Megan Leong, Shannon Maisel, and Darlene Hensley-Libbey whose work is on display in the latest visual arts exhibit at The Center. The exhibit, entitled “Four,” is a culmination of the pieces created primarily at Burkett’s 2011 Faubush Artist Residency.
The exhibit, which will remain on display through March 28, may be viewed by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours and extended evening and weekend hours when The Center is open for special events.
Children’s Prime Time Theatre performances in February
For the younger audience, “The Three Little Pigs,” a popular children’s fairy tale, comes to stage Friday, Feb. 10, and “Four Score and Seven Years Ago,” a musical set to a story about two men on opposite sides of the American Civil War, is presented on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at The Center in the next Children’s Prime Time Theatre performances.
A Pre-Show Event, held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for both performances, will include craft activities for children and an optional child-friendly dinner. Children and their families can enjoy an early dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and cookies presented by Somerset Community College Culinary Program and Clear Channel Lake Cumberland.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to Lake Cumberland Performing Arts with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Three Little Pigs Photo by Robyn ONeill
Four Score and Seven Years Ago
