PBS 45 & 49 and The Kent Stage to host
“ A Doo Wop Celebration II!”

The Coasters, The Chiffons and The Reflections
to perform at The Kent Stage on May 10

KENT, Ohio — April 23, 2008 — The groups who immortalized songs including “Yakety Yak,” “He’s So Fine” and “Just Like Romeo and Juliet” will perform at The Kent Stage on Saturday, May 10. Carl Gardner’s Coasters, The Chiffons and The Reflections will perform their classic hits for two benefit concerts at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Reserved-seating tickets, previously offered to station members, are now on sale to the general public for $30. Gold Circle tickets, which include a meet-and-greet reception with members of the band, have already sold out.

	The Carl Gardner Coasters The “clown princes of rock ‘n’ roll” are one of the few groups in rock history to successfully straddle the line between music and comedy. Their undeniably funny lyrics and on-stage antics might have suggested a simple troupe of clowns, but The Coasters’ records are no mere novelties — their material is too witty, their arrangements too well-crafted and the group itself too musically proficient. In 1987, The Coasters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original lead singer Carl Gardner and The Coasters will perform their popular hits, including “Poison Ivy,” “Charlie Brown” and “Yakety Yak.”
	The Chiffons The Chiffons formed while the girls were high school students in the Bronx section of New York City. Their first hit came in 1960 with “Tonight’s the Night.” In 1963, “He’s So Fine” reached the number one position on both the R&B and pop charts. More great hits followed, including “One Fine Day,” “A Love So Fine” and “Sweet Talkin’ Guy.” The group today tours internationally and includes Judy Craig, the original lead singer.
	The Reflections During the British Invasion of the 1960s, few American groups were successful in their attempts to land a record at the top of the national charts. The Reflections beat the odds with a string of highly acclaimed hits. Their first hit, “Just Like Romeo and Juliet,” was a multimillion seller, and in quick succession came “Shabby Little Hut,” “Poor Man’s Son” and “Like Columbus Did.” The Reflections achieved success purely on the strength of their well-crafted harmonies and cool professionalism. It’s no wonder that four decades later, they are still heralded as one of the finest vocal groups of the ‘60s pop and doo wop music era.

“Our first local doo wop production in 2007 was a sell-out and we’re happy to sponsor such a fun event again,” said Lisa Martinez, vice president of marketing and development at PBS 45 & 49. “This year’s program features an outstanding line-up of artists performing in the intimate setting of The Kent Stage. It promises to be a fantastic show!”

The Kent Stage, located at 175 E. Main St., has 600 seats and offers an intimate venue for this event. Proceeds from the concert will benefit PBS 45 & 49 and the Kent Stage, both nonprofit organizations. Tickets can be purchased at The Kent Stage Web site, www.kentstage.org; Woodsy’s Music at 135 S. Water St. in Kent; Spin More Records at 165 E. Main St. in Kent; or by calling The Kent Stage at 1-800-595-4849.

 

About the Kent Stage
Constructed as the Flannigan and Steele Theater in 1927, the Kent Stage is the only remaining downtown theater of its kind in Portage County. The building opened as a vaudeville and movie theater and has entertained audiences in Kent for 80 years. The Western Reserve Folk Arts Association opened up the Kent Stage in 2002, continuing a tradition of providing quality entertainment in downtown Kent. More information is available at www.kentstage.org.

About PBS 45 & 49
PBS 45 & 49 is owned and operated by Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation and consortium of Kent State University, The University of Akron and Youngstown State University. A trusted community resource, PBS 45 & 49 uses the power of commercial-free television and related services to enrich the lives of people through high-quality programming and educational services that teach, illuminate and inspire. The only broadcast television service that reaches all of northeast Ohio, PBS 45 & 49 is available to 1.8 million households and 4.6 million people in the Cleveland and Youngstown designated market areas. In an average week, over 530,000 households (about 30 percent in the region) tune in. Through funding from eTech Ohio, the organization provides K-12 educational technology training and instructional television programming to 21,500 educators and 257,400 students in eight Ohio counties. For more information about PBS 45 & 49, visit www.pbs4549.org or call 1-800-554-4549.