The Gatlin Brothers bring country and Christmas to the Sandler Center this December

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VIRGINIABEACH,Va Formorethan sixty-seven years the Gatlin Brothers have entertained audiences in venues and stages allovertheworld.FromtheGrandOleOpry and Carnegie Hall to the Grammy Awards and U.S. Presidential performances, Larry, Steve, and Rudy have dazzled audiences acrosstheglobe ThisDecember,theGatlin Brothers will bring their Country & Christmas tour to the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach.

The Langley Federal Credit Union Concert Series presents The Gatlin Brothers: Country & Christmas on Wednesday, December 20 at 7:30 PM at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Sandler Center box office located at 201 Market Street,VirginiaBeach,VA23462.Ticketsare priced at $34, $44, $49, and $64 plus applicablefees

The Gatlin Brothers have accrued a lifetime of noteworthy achievements in their storybook career, including a Grammy for Best Country Song (“Broken Lady”), three ACM awards for Single of the Year (“All The Gold In California”), Album of the Year (Straight Ahead) and Male Vocalist of the Year, along with five nominations for CMA Vocal Group of the Year Single and Album. The Brothers have accumulated seven#1Singles thirty-twoTop40Records twenty-four Studio Albums, and five BMI “Million-Air” Awards They have been privileged to grace the stage with legendary entertainers like Kenny Rogers, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, The Oak RidgeBoys,theGaitherVocalBand,andThe Isaacs just to name a few As a solo writer Larry ranks fourth on Billboard’s Top 40 self-penned hits His impressive song cata- log has been recorded by the “Who’s Who” of entertainers, including Elvis Presley, BarbraStreisand,JohnnyCash,RoyOrbison, GlenCampbell,KrisKristofferson,SirTom Jones, Dottie West, Charlie Rich, Johnny Mathis,andmanyothers,securinghislegacy as one of BMI’s top solo songwriters He wasmostrecentlyinductedtotheNashville SongwriterHallofFame

The Gatlin Brothers’ career began in Abilene, Texas in 1955 when Larry was seven,Stevewasfour,andRudywastwo.The brothersgrewupsinginggospelmusicwhile listeningtoJamesBlackwoodandtheBlackwoodBrothers HovieLister TheStatesmen Quartet, and other accomplished gospel artists Aschildren,thebrotherswouldsing foranyonewhowouldlisten,andsoonthey weresingingfromcoasttocoast In1964,the brothersappearedattheWorld’sFairinNew YorkCityandrecordedfourGospelrecords early in their career. In 1966, Larry went to college at the University of Houston where he studied English and Law and in 1971, he auditionedforTheImperials Elvis’backup group Although he did not get the job, he did meet Dottie West, the opening act for JimmyDean.Deanwouldlaterbecomeone of Larry’s oldest and dearest friends Dottie wasinitiallytakenwithLarry’sresemblance to Nashville songwriter Mickey Newbury. She told him one night in Las Vegas that he lookedsomuchlikeMickeythathehadtobe able to write great songs too. Encouraged, Larry returned to Houston, wrote eight songs, and sent them to Dottie She liked them so much she sent him a plane ticket toNashville

Through Dottie’s friendship, Larry met Kris Kristofferson, who championed his talents as a writer and singer Kristofferson’s introduction to Fred Foster at Monu-

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FromVirginiaZoo.org

Are you a member of The Hermitage Museum & Gardens or the Virginia Zoo – but not the other?ThroughAugust31styouhavetheopportunitytocheckoutthesemuseumsforfreeand takeadvantageofthesegreatdeals:

ZooMembersVisitingtheHermitageMuseum&Gardens:

Complimentary admission to Sunsets on the River, an outdoor concert series, on Thursday, August 17th. Zoo members are asked to present their active Zoo membership card upon check-in 10%MemberdiscountonpurchasesfromTheVault,theHermitagegiftshop.

Purchase a one-year Hermitage Museum membership of any level and receive two additional complimentary months of membership (14 months of membership!) Simply stop by theHermitageadmissionsdesktoshowyourZoomembershipcardorcontacttheHermitage DevelopmentDepartmentat757.901.4082topurchaseyourmembership Theopportunitytoviewthespecialexhibition,EchoesoftheHeart,onviewthroughOctober8th.

HermitageMuseum&GardensMembersvisitingtheZoo:

Members of Hermitage Museum & Gardens will enjoy free admission when they visit the VirginiaZooduringthemonthofAugust.ThisincludesadmissiontotheTeddyBearClinicon Saturday August12 Notvalidforeducationprograms

Hermitage Museum & Gardens members will also have 10% discounts in the gift shop and foodservicelocations

Hermitage Museum & Gardens members who join the Virginia Zoo during the month of AugustcantakeadvantageoftwoextramonthsfreeonaVirginiaZoomembership

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Y: Eventually you moved and taught in Norfolkandofcourseyoutaughttheatre

HC:Yes,Iheadedanafternooncity-wide programthatwashousedatBookerT.Washington High School. Students from all five high schools could audition and come to Booker T. in the afternoon. It was basically theforerunneroftheGovernor’sSchoolfor theArts.

Y:WhatpromptedyoutostarttheHurrah Players?

HC:In1984withalotofsupportfromthe community and Paul Dicklin, who started the career theater program at ODU, I was encouraged to branch out and serve more children of all ages and that’s when Hurrah was incorporated and Hurrah Players became a not for profit theatre company. We started with 9 students in the lobby of the Riverview Theater on Granby St and afterseveralotherlocationsandmuchwork bytheBoardofDirectors,wenowhavetwo locations; 485 St Paul’s Blvd. Norfolk, VA 23510 a beautiful building that was built in 1840 and also in the Neon District, the Hugh R. Copeland Center 112 West Wilson Avenue Norfolk VA 23510 We have plenty ofrehearsalspace,anincrediblesceneshop andasmallblackboxthatholds130

Y: You have some exciting news about your expansion campaign Can you tell us about Hurrah’s recent purchase of an additional building in the new Arts District of Norfolk and the current Capital Campaign goingon

HC: Yes, very exciting news indeed. We have purchased the Glass Wheel building acrossthestreetandthatwillbeturnedinto studios. The first top floor will be a state of the art TV and film academy. One of our instructors has won an Emmy and is super excited to come on board. The students there will learn how to work, operate and beoncamera.Fromeditingtobringingitall together,wewillteachthemthatandmore

We are so excited that Hurrah is growing and expanding and offering new opportunities such as these as well as providing companies the opportunity to film what they need there. People can contribute to ourCapitalCampaignFundbygoingtoour siteathttp://hurrahplayers.com/

Y: You have molded the young careers of somanystarsnowonBroadway moviesand TV Can you share some of their names and accomplishments?

HC: I have been very honored to work with so many talented people I apologize inadvancebecauseIamsureIwillinevitably leavesomeoneout.Someofthemare:

Adrienne Warren who in 1997 was our blackAnnieandIamsadtosayitgotnational attentionthataregionaltheatrehadablack

Announcing the Teddy Bear Clinic at the Virginia Zoo

FromVirginiaZoo.org

Beatthoseback-to-schoolbluesbybringingyourlittleoneandtheirfavorite stuffedanimaltotheZooforacheck-upAugust12from9:30am 2:00pm.

Our educators, volunteers, and community partners will help to demystify visiting the doctor’s office while showing the importance of regular medical careforpeopleandanimals.

This is a family-friendly event and free with your regular Zoo admission

Eventbeginswhengatesopenat9:30AMandendsat2PM

Limited giveaway gifts while supplies last! The Teddy Bear Clinic is sponsoredbyTowneBankandOptimaHealth varioustelevisionshows.

DerrickWigginswasoneofthefirstblack princesinWicked,hewasalsoinLionKing and was on Broadway as one of the leads in BookofMormon.

There are so many, I can go on and on.

Derrick Williams was one of the leads on Broadway now in Book of Mormon; Max ChuckerwasinWestsideStory,andFiddler on the Roof; Dustin Elsea for at least 8th years was in Stomp; Anthony Wayne was onBroadwayinAnythingGoes andPippin; JayPharoahwasoneofthecastmembersof SaturdayNightLive,continuestotourwith his stand up comedy show and has guest roles in various television shows; Tiffany Howard was on Broadway in Motown; Anthony Wayne was in Anything Goes, Pricilla and Pippin on Broadway; Rashidra ScottwascurrentlyonBroadwayinBeautiful,theCaroleKingMusicalandalsowasin SisterAct,HairandAvenueQ.amongothers

Y: Where are some of the more interesting locations that the Hurrah players have performedthroughtheyears?

HC: Our students have been invited to perform in Washington, D.C., Nags Head, NorthCarolina,TheHomestead,NewYork City, four times in Disney World, twice in Pearl Harbor and also at the American EmbassyinLondontomentionjustafew andtelevision

Y:Canyoushareafunroadstorywithus?

HC: This is our 33rd year that we will be going to New York, perform in Macy’s ThanksgivingParadeandseeformerHurrah players who are on Broadway now. Here is a fun road story about one time when we were in Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and theyaresoparticularwiththecostumes we had to send them a picture in advance of us dressedastoysoldierswithwhitegloveson. We got to New York and there were 60 of us,onlytorealizethatwehadleftthegloves backinVirginia SoIwentandboughtwhite socks and instructed the group that when they inspected us to have our hands closed like a fist and from a distance the Macy’s people could not tell the difference. We did the whole parade waving with white socks onourhandsinsteadofgloves.

Y: A wow, pinch me moment or two that you can’t believe this little boy from BelvedereNCgottoexperience?

Van Hughes has had several lead and supporting roles on Broadway such as American Idiot, Spring Awakening, 9 to 5, Hairspray and many Television shows and movies

Annie. Adrienne went on to star on Broadway in Bring it On, and in other Broadway shows such as The Wiz, Dreamgirls Shuffle Along, she won the Tony Award as best Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for outstanding Actress in a Musical, both for portraying Tina Turner in the Broadway show Tina and has done movies

Gatlin Brothers

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GrantGustinjustcompletedtheninthand finalseasonoftheTVshowTheFlashwhere he starred as The Flash Barry Allen, he had a recurring role on Glee, was in a Lifetime movieandonBroadwayinWestSideStory, andseveralothertelevisionshows TiffanyHaaswasinWickedasGlindathe

Good Witch on Broadway and the National Tour of Wicked and is a talented vocalist, choreographer,authorandentrepreneur Emmy Raver-Lampman was part of the original ensemble cast of Hamilton and starred as Angelica in Hamilton’s first National Tour Emmy was Alphaba in the touringBroadwayproductionofWickedand has performed in other various Broadway and national touring productions of Hair, Jekyll & Hyde and more. She has played AllisonHargreevesintheNetflixseriesThe Umbrella Academy and has guest roles in

HC:IwassurprisedthisyearwhenIwas awardedtheHumanitarianAwardforworkingwithallstudents.Myotherwowmoment is that I can’t believe it when I look around and remember that the Hurrah Players started with 12 students and we now have nearly 300 registered and we continued to grow I am grateful for all the people who work hardto makethis happen It’snotme, it’s the whole Hurrah volunteer organization,talentedstaffandstudents,alltogether whohelpeddevelopitintowhattheHurrah Playersistoday.

In 1976, the Gatlin Brothers were on the fasttrackmusicallythankstothechart-topping success of their single “Broken Lady.” The hits continued throughout the decade with their signature song “All the Gold in California” followed by “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer To You).” The next decade brought number one songs with “I Don’t Wanna Cry”, “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love,” “Statues Without Hearts, “LoveIsJustAGame”,and“Night Time Magic.”

TheGatlinBrothersstillperformapproximatelyfiftyshowsperyear,aswellasmany performancesatthefamedGrandOleOpry Larry has written and produced a musical, “Quanah”, which was performed in April 2017 to rave reviews and has plans for another run in 2023 The brothers are also in the planning stages of recording some new music. “We are blessed that fans still loveourmusicandattendourshows,”says Steve,“Wehopetocontinueaslongasthat’s the case.” About the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts: The Sandler Center opened on November 3, 2007 and is managed by Oak View Group (OVG360).

With1,308seatsandasoaringglassfaçade, the building is located in the heart of Virginia Beach’s Town Center, a hub for cultural entertainment With local and international talent visiting the Sandler Center, performances are perfect for audiences of all ages Patrons will experience an intimate environment when visiting the Sandler Center as no seat is further than 100 ft. from the stage Learn more at SandlerCenter.org and Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Yiorgo is an arts entertainment and sports writer A stage TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist ment Records resulted in a recording contractwith the label. Larry’s first album, The Pilgrim, was released later that year Johnny Cash wrote the liner notes for the album and dubbed Larry “The Pilgrim,” a name he called him for the rest of his life At this time Steve and Rudy were still in college at Texas Tech University, but by 1975 they moved to Nashville to join Larry to form the group as we know it today.