Louisiana Saturday Night: LC Symphony Welcomes Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul for Family Fun Night – American Press

The Lake Charles Symphony will celebrate the resilience and culture of Southwest Louisiana with the 2023 summer pop concert “Louisiana Saturday Night.”

Beth Dawdy, executive director of the Lake Charles Symphony, said it is an annual symphony event that combines contemporary music and orchestral composition. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, July 8 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

This year, they team up with Sean Ardoin and Kreole Rock and Soul for “All About Louisiana.”

This art direction was a first for all parties involved. “We decided to keep it local because Lake Charles needs to be local,” she said. “We’ve never done zydeco or zydecajun before, and Sean has never put his music in an orchestra before.”

Lake Charles’ rich arts community is an inspiration. “The Symphony wants to highlight our diverse music and talented artists.”

The Ardoin will perform 10 songs with the orchestra.

The 45-member orchestra is led by renowned conductor Chelsea Tipton III.

The Symphony Orchestra dedicates this performance to their home. “We’re very proud that Southwest Louisiana is back on its feet, and it’s a true tribute to our community,” Dowdy said. “We should revel in our efforts to rebuild.”

Dowdy said the orchestra is culturally balanced and that those who hear the orchestra’s music should reflect the diversity of Lake Charles.

A major goal is to build a regular audience, and Summer Pops has curated “Orchestral Excitement” specifically for a wider audience.

“Music crosses a lot of barriers,” she said. “We’re always trying to reach new listeners and bring symphony to the masses.” Familiarity with Ardoin records will make orchestral music more accessible to locals. “They will hear Sean’s music on violin, oboe or cello, not just accordion or guitar.”

Incoming Symphony Board Chair Beverly Jones for the 2024-2026 season said their mission is to connect and enrich SWLA through musical performance. “Summer Pops have always been a way to reach a broad audience through music and create a beautiful shared experience,” she explains. “Sean Ardoin and the musicians of our exceptional ensemble hail from southwestern Louisiana. The connection with our audience promises to be especially deep and meaningful.”

“Saturday Night Louisiana” will be hosted in partnership with First Commonwealth Bank of Louisiana, which has pledged $15,000 in sponsorship for the event. According to Erica McCreedy, Marketing Manager at First Federal, they share a common goal: “to improve the quality of life in Southwest Louisiana.”

She believes that providing support for local arts supports this shared mission. “Summer Pops are a great way to show the community that their symphonies are creative, talented and bring the unexpected to our region.”

“The Estuary Has a Chance” Wins Alligator at Geaux

Symphony Orchestra presents “Gator Raffle” concurrently with “Louisiana Saturday Night.”

Residents are encouraged to “Bayou a chance” to win “Rise”, the first hand-painted crocodile on Geaux for the 2022-2023 season.

A sweepstakes is held to ensure everyone in the community has a chance to win a piece of culturally appropriate theme, Dawdy said.

This crocodile was painted by Candice Alexander, a local award-winning artist and owner of Candice Alexander Art Studio.

“Rising” premieres in September 2022. On the night of the unveiling, Alexander explained that she designed the film with the second anniversary of Hurricane Laura in mind.

The alligator features iconic symbols of Lake Charles and Louisiana, such as the shard of glass commonly known as Capital One and the state bird, the pelican. This is the final and fourth entry in the Hurricane Alexander series, which also includes “Faith”, “Hope” and “Love”.

Dawdy says the crocodile theme serves a purpose. “We feel our inaugural Gator should represent the rebirth of Lake Charles.”

“Gators on the Geaux and ‘Rise’ are an important pairing because they both represent the next steps in SWLA’s restoration for community, the arts and the beautification of our city,” said Alexander.

Raffle tickets are available on the Symphony website for $20 each.The winner of the raffle will be announced

Rise is currently located in the lobby of the historic Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.

After the lottery draw, it will move to its new home.

Dawdy says that while it’s a coincidence, Ardoin joining the summer pop ensemble in the same season as the Gators re-release on Geaux is a beautiful synchrony. At the same event where “Rise” was unveiled, the symphony received their public art exhibition and fundraiser, “Gators on the Geaux,” two decades later.

In addition to the symphony’s programs and events, efforts like “Gators on the Geaux” support them financially. “Fundraising, patronage and membership are essential to symphony orchestras and to all the arts,” Dowdy said. “It allows us to bring quality symphonic music and programming to our community.”

She said it was important because the symphony was “the sound of art”.

“We draw through the imagination of our audience. Having a strong cultural foundation in our community is critical to the future of SWLA.”

Summer Pops is the Symphony Orchestra’s biggest fundraiser of the season. Dowdy said the goal is for the civic center to hold 800 to 1,000 people.

To facilitate accessibility, a variety of tickets are offered to the public. “There’s one price point for everyone to participate in.”

Tickets and Tables

General admission for riser seats is $45 per person. Tickets for children 12 and under are $25.

There are 40 tables (8 seats) for an even better experience. There are three tiers of table seating: Bronze Reserved, Silver Premium and Gold VIP.

Bronze reserved tables are $600, or $75 each; food and beverages may be purchased separately.

The Silver Premium table includes pepperoni and vegetarian pizza from Mr. Gatti’s, as well as soda, water, wine or beer. Selections must be picked up by attendees. These tables are $1000.

With Gold VIP, concert goers will have access to the same food and drink options and recognition on event table signage. A gold watch can be purchased for $1250.

Table seating can also be reserved individually for $95.

Doors open at 6pm, concert starts at 7pm

Tickets are available at www.lcsymphony.com.