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2012 - 2013
Reunion Season
An annual Spring
membership drive each year heralds a new programming
season for Community Concert, a traditional
association event since its inception in 1948.
The 2012-2013 season, which opens in September, has
been designated "The Reunion Season" with four
all-time favorite concerts returning with "encore
performances".
Making return-request appearances are tenor Daniel
Rodriguez, former New York City policeman, this time
with his wife, singer Marla
Kavanaugh; Michael Levine's celebrated "Dallas
Brass", the popular Jason Coleman, grandson of Floyd
Cramer and the legendary "Side Street Strutters".
The association takes great pride in bringing a
network of entertainment to South Missisippi music
lovers that is both thrilling
and innovative in keeping with its long-time
standards and those of Live on Stage in Nashville. A
Community Concert seat at the Biloxi
Saenger always awaits the arts patron in search of
an impactful theatre experience and for an
affordable price, as well.
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HOW IT
ALL BEGAN...
Coast Community Concert, as we know it
today, was established in 1948 by Biloxi
arts activists Emmett Thomas, an insurance
executive, and his wife, Catherine, for the
sole purpose of bringing entertainment
comparable to artists available in cities
like New York, Dallas, Chicago and San
Francisco.
The non-profit arts group formed with three
charter members: Frances Hunt, a Biloxi
music teacher, and the Thomases to become
Biloxi Community Concert Association.
In the early years, concert programs were
predominately classical. Coast patrons were
offered star-studded artists with
Metropolitan Opera artists, Arthur Fiedler,
conductor of the Boston Pops, Guy Lombardo,
the Dallas Symphony, the popular Fred Waring
and the Pennsylvanians and well-known
classical guitarists and pianists (Peter
Nero).
To show their newfound appreciation, the
community rallied and attended concerts in
formal attire, making the then Biloxi High
School auditorium on East Howard a
distinguised destination four times a year.
The Community Concert movement, under
Columbia Artists Management in New York
City, was borne in 1928 based on a simple,
yet novel plan of operation: 1) create an
advance audience with season ticket
memberships and 2) establish a budget
derived from membership drive funds, thus
eliminating fund-raising for the
all-volunteer board.
The plan, based on a season ticket
membership for a four-concert season, was
and remains a local success.
Those who serve with Community Concert are
faithful and dedicated and most have
specific duties. Each volunteer is required
to sell at least 15 memberships during the
month-long, annual spring membership drive.
The inner circle is also responsible for
selecting a cross-section of performing
artists to accommodate the myriad tastes of
its large membership roster a year in
advance.
Most concert archives were lost during the
1969 Hurricane Camille at the Biloxi
beachfront home of organizer Hunt. Shortly
thereafter, concerts were moved to the new
Biloxi High School on Father Ryan and
continued when the school was renamed Michel
Middle School.
In a joint decision in the 1970s, Biloxi and
Gulfport Community Concerts joined forces
for a history-making union that resulted in
the organization being renamed Coast
Community Concert Association, a sustaining
merger to date.
After 75 years, the Columbia Arts New York
headquarters closed its doors in 2002 and
Community Concert was faced with the
decision to close or continue. The Executive
Committee and board chose the latter and
joined forces with Live on Stage in
Nashville.
At this time, the Saenger Theatre for the
Performing Arts in Biloxi became its new and
current home.
Community
Concert ....
... where the good times are!
...Emily Germanis/Archivist |
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