Celebrate New Concord, the free summer entertainment series now in its 8^th year, today announced its 2008 performance schedule and the second year of its patronage program.

Each performance is held the first and third Tuesday of June through August, plus the first Tuesday in September, at 7:00 p.m. in Village Park in downtown New Concord. In the event of rain, performances will be moved into the fire house at Village Park, and visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating.

The 2008 season is as follows:

June 3 will present an evening of big band favorites with The Dick Simcox Big Band.

June 17 will showcase an evening of classical and contemporary music with “The Alato Trio”

July 1 will see the reprise of The Actors’ Theatre of Columbus production of

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” This production is appearing this year by popular demand.

July 15 presents The Legendary Illusions of Tim Angeloni, appearing for the first time with Celebrate New Concord. Angeloni is a nationally recognized illusionist and magician who performs for audiences of all ages and sizes.

August 5 will feature the return of The Northwest Territory, one of Celebrate New Concord’s most popular attractions, with a evening of country, bluegrass and popular music.

August 19 presents “An American Family in World War II,” by Dr. Sandra O’Connell. Presented as a radio play, it is the true story of Ralph Lee Minker, Jr.’s experiences as a World War II bomber pilot, as told by letters to and from his family. This is one of first productions of this original script.

September 2 will present the Celebrate New Concord premiere of “Heather Garner and Friends from the New Albany Symphony,” with an evening of classical and contemporary string music.

Celebrate New Concord chairman Dr. William Schlacks said, “This is an especially exciting season, and we’re anxious to see the audience response. With the mix of reprised and premiere performances, we’ve got something to offer everyone this year.”

Schlacks went on to say that the continued expansion of the 2008 season is a credit to Celebrate New Concord’s sponsors and patrons. “The Village of New Concord, the New Concord Board of Trade, RENEW and Muskingum College, along with the Ohio Arts Council, are invaluable in their support. But, our patronage program was a tremendous success in 2007, and the committee is hoping for even better result in 2008.”

The Celebrate New Concord Patronage Program, begun last year, allows individuals, businesses and organizations to support the entertainment series with financial contributions. Last year, the program garnered $3,000 in contributions and, according to Schlacks, is off to a strong start for 2008.

“Our first contact with our inaugural donors from 2007 has nearly met last year’s support, and we’re hoping to surpass last year’s total. Frankly, we need to surpass last year’s total to keep bringing this high-caliber entertainment to the area.”

Anyone interested in joining the Celebrate New Concord Patronage Program can do so by picking up enrollment materials at Village Hall during regular business hours.

“We’ve set the bar very high for 2008,” Schlacks said. “Last year, we set an all-time attendance record and exceeded our expectations on the patronage program. Whether or not we can do that again this year is really up to the community, so we’re looking forward to lots of audience support and strong financial support.”

For updates on upcoming performances, or to request a patronage program enrollment form, call the Celebrate New Concord Information Line at 740-826-6392. Other questions or comments can be directed to Schlacks at 740-826-8182.