Kent Spotlight Series releases 2024-2025 concert lineup

Seven performances are in the lineup for the 2024-2025 Kent Spotlight Series.

Tickets are on sale for the concert season that begins Sept. 20 and runs through March 21, 2025.

Spotlight Series is presented by the Kent Arts Commission and Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services and partially funded by 4Culture, Western States Arts Federation, National Endowment for the Arts, and a variety of business and individual sponsors.

For tickets, call 253-856-5051 or visit kentarts.com.

Schedule

All performances are at the Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St.

Ann Hampton Callaway sings the ‘70s

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20

• Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $20 youth

Don’t miss an evening with this Tony nominated Broadway star and platinum selling singer/songwriter. Callaway covers hits from the great songwriters of the time, including Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, John Lennon and more. Sponsored by Pete and Pat Curran through the Kent Community Foundation

Some Enchanted Evening

• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5

• Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $20 youth

Led by Emmy-nominated crooner Benny Benack III and social media sensation Stella Katherine Cole, Some Enchanted Evening leads audiences on a jazz-inspired journey through Broadway’s greatest hits from the Golden Age of yesterday to the freshest hits of today. This multi-disciplinary musical mashup also showcases Jabu Graybeal, a one-of-a-kind talent and tap-dancing star.

Magical Strings 38th Annual Celtic Yuletide Concert

• 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8

• Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $20 youth

The Boulding Family’s musical celebration of the holiday season is a festive and memorable tradition.

Jazz at Lincoln Center presents New Orleans Songbook

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24

• Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $20 youth

Jazz at Lincoln Center brings the soul of New Orleans and the spirit of Mardi Gras to this amazing evening, celebrating the composers and inspired songs of the Crescent City, the historic epicenter of jazz. New Orleans Songbook immerses audiences in the captivating and timeless spirit of this vibrant city. Sponsored by Pete and Pat Curran through the Kent Community Foundation, and co-sponsored by Judy Woods

International Guitar Night

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7

• Tickets: $32 general, $30 senior $20 youth

International Guitar Night is North America’s premier traveling guitar festival, highlighting the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. For the tour’s 25th year, the lineup includes, Latin Swing phenomenon Lulo Reinhardt (Germany), the dynamic classical artistry of Alexandra Whittingham (England), leading contemporary fingerstyle guitarist Soenke Meinen (Germany), and Niwel Tsumbu (Ireland) who has kept his unique Congolese percussive style alive over the past 25 years living in Ireland. Sponsored by Pete and Pat Curran through the Kent Community Foundation, and co-sponsored by Curran Law Firm

Karla Bonoff

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14

• Tickets: $32 general, $30 senior, $20 youth

Karla Bonoff is described as one of the finest singer/songwriters of her generation. She has enjoyed critical acclaim, commercial success, enduring popularity, and the unwavering respect of her peers. Her songs have been hits for Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd, and Linda Ronstadt and many of Bonoff’s ballads are classics.

Lúnasa

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21

• Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $20 youth

Lúnasa has long been one of contemporary Irish music’s leading voices, with Folk Roots magazine calling them an “Irish music dream team.” The group was formed from members of some of Ireland’s greatest bands and over the years has proven its mettle time and again, having sold over a quarter of a million records, and collaborated with notable artists outside the tradition such as Natalie Merchant and Mary-Chapin Carpenter. Sponsored by The Pete and Pat Curran Family, and co-sponsored by The Haffner Family