The Webb Center held auditions for the production of “The Wizard of Oz” on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11.  Twenty-two students auditioned for lead roles in the Camp Imagination musical; two casts of nine students each were chosen for the two sessions of camp.  The first session of Camp Imagination runs from June 3– 14; second session runs June 17-28.

Auditions were open to all students enrolled in this year’s Camp Imagination entering the sixth grade or higher.  “It is wonderful to cast a show when so much great talent is available. It is also difficult when you don’t have a part for every talented student.” commented Cathy Weiss, Executive Director of the Webb Center. “For the students that auditioned and didn’t receive a part- keep trying. An audition experience can be scary, but the more you participate the better you perform. We saw a lot of growth and improvement over the past year.”

The students chosen for main roles will spend the two weeks of Camp learning the show as an ensemble and depending on each other for success.

It’s not too late to register campers in the 7^th – 12^th grade range: the Webb Center is still looking for students interested in performing “The Wizard of Oz” and participating in classes like aerial dance, comedy improv, music and more! Registration materials are posted on the Webb Center’s website, www.dewpac.org, or for more information call the Box Office (928)684-6624.

To kick off the month leading up to Camp, here are some interesting trivia facts about the making of the movie, released in 1939:

• The name for Oz was thought up when author Frank L. Baum looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence “Oz.”
• The film started shooting on 13 October 1938 and was completed on 16 March 1939 at a then-unheard-of cost of $2,777,000. It earned only $3,000,000 on its initial release.
• The “tornado” was a 35-foot-long muslin stocking, spun around among miniatures of a Kansas farm and fields in a dusty atmosphere.
• The song “Over the Rainbow” was ranked #1 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list.
• Dorothy’s iconic red slippers now live at the Smithsonian Institution, and are so popular that the carpet in front of the attraction has had to be replaced numerous times due to wear and tear.

UPDATE: Congratulations to The Tenors, who took home a JUNO Award in the Adult Contemporary Album of the Year category, for their new album “Lead With Your Heart.”

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It’s Awards season! The nominees for the 2013 JUNO Awards were recently announced, and several artists that have performed on the Webb Center stage this season and in the past were recognized for their contributions to music.

We’ll be watching for the following familiar names to take home a trophy during the 2013 Juno Awards on April 21st:

•  Emerson Drive, nominated for Country Album of the Year for “Roll”
• Canadian Brass, nominated for Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble for “Canadian Brass Takes Flight”
• Michael Kaeshammer, with Tim Martin and Tom Berry, nominated for Music DVD of the Year for “KAESHAMMERLIVE!”
• The Tenors (formerly the Canadian Tenors), nominated for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year for “Lead With Your Heart”

Registration for Camp Imagination is this Saturday, April 27! Camp Imagination is a two-week summer arts camp for 1^st – 12^th graders, produced by the Webb Center.  

This year Camp Imagination has expanded to two separate sessions of 80 campers each to include more children in two smaller camps.  The first session of Camp Imagination will run June 3 – 14; the second session will run June 17 – 28. Both sessions will perform a musical on the last night of camp; this year’s selection is The Wizard of Oz.

Our new registration process is designed to give Camp Imagination volunteers the first chance to register their students.  Adults must volunteer a minimum of 8 hours per week or 16 hours total per session to qualify for early registration.  Volunteers may register their campers on Friday, April 26 in the Webb Center Box Office, beginning at 9:00 am.

Registration will open to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at the Webb Center Box Office on the 2nd floor of Meridian Bank at 10:00 am and will continue until the maximum number of 80 campers per session has been reached.  

To audition for lead roles in The Wizard of Oz, students must already be registered in Camp and entering 6-12^th grade.  Auditions will be held on Friday, May 10 at 1:00 pm and Saturday, May 11 at 10:00 am in the WHS Choir/Band room.  Students should prepare a vocal sampling and either a monologue, poem or reading. Recommendations for auditioning and forms can be found here.

Camp runs weekdays from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, and the cost is $100 for the first student in the family and $80 for each additional sibling.  Scholarships are available at many levels for any camper that would like to participate and might need financial assistance. For more information on Camp Imagination, contact the Webb Center Box Office at (928)684-6624 or visit www.dewpac.org.

Grammy-winning songstress Lila Downs is
making her Webb Center debut on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 pm.  For over a decade, Downs has traveled the world with a dramatic and unique reinvention of traditional ranchera ballads and modernized folk tunes fused with blues, jazz, and soul.

Lila Downs is known for her ability to mix Mexican folk music with contemporary sounds, all supporting her soaring voice. Joined by a full band, the singer/songwriter performs her own compositions as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. Downs’ performances are riveting, full of energy and the kind that makes you want to get up and dance.  

In addition to traditional songs such as “La Bamba” and “Viborita,” Downs has released sultry versions of “Black Magic Woman” and “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.” Downs also incorporates indigenous Mexican influences and has recorded songs in five languages. In 2002, she performed on the soundtrack for the film Frida singing the song “Burn It Blue” which was nominated in the 75th Academy Awards in the category of Best Original Song.

Born in Oaxaco, Mexico, to a singer from the country’s Mixtec region, and an American art professor, Downs grew up in California and in Minnesota where she graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in voice and anthropology.

Tickets for this performance range from $28-$48 for adults and $5 for 18 and under. For ticket availability, call the Webb Center Box Office at (928) 684-6624 or click here to visit the event page. 

Miss Beth volunteering in Arts & Crafts during Camp last year.

The Webb Center is now looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with the eleventh annual Camp Imagination. 

This June, there with be two sessions of camp, each with 80 1^st -12^th graders: Session 1 runs June 3 – 14, and Session 2 runs June 17 – 28. Volunteers are needed weekdays from 8:15 am – 1 pm; and beginning at 5:00 pm on the last Friday of each session for the final performance.

“Camp Imagination could not be a success without our volunteers,” stated Cathy Weiss, Webb Center Director.  “They make sure camp runs smoothly so everyone has a safe and fun experience.” 

This year, volunteers have the first chance to register their children or grandchildren for Camp Imagination before registration is opened to the general public.  Adults must volunteer a minimum of 8 hours per week or 16 hours total per session to qualify for early registration.  Volunteers may register their campers on Friday, April 26.

  All volunteers need to attend a mandatory training meeting in the Webb Center theater. Volunteers for Session 1 will meet Sunday, June 2 at 6:00 pm; the meeting for Session 2 will be Sunday, June 16 at 6:00 pm. 

Volunteers are needed to assist with all of Camp’s operational aspects, ranging from overseeing campers to assisting teaching artists in the classroom.  They do not need to have prior experience in the arts or with camp, but must to be physically able to care for children and eager to participate in camp events. Duties will be assigned based on the volunteer’s preference, availability and staffing needs.

The Webb Center requests that interested individuals register in advance to ensure the proper number of volunteers are available each day for the safety of the campers.

Camp registration will open to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at 10:00 am at the Webb Center’s Box Office on the 2nd floor of Meridian Bank.  

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should contact the Webb Center Box Office at (928) 684-6624 for volunteer forms or click here for more information.

Her musical vision is anthropological in nature and as varied as the ancient and earthy cultures that continue to nurture and inspire her. Embracing and highlighting indigenous origins, whether in the U.S. or Mexico, has always been an important aspect of her music, as well as the topics of political and social justice, immigration, and transformation, all rooted in the human condition. She strives to make a meaningful connection with her diverse audiences through her music and performances. “I’m so lucky,” remarks Downs. “People who follow our music are from all walks of life, and they want to scratch the surface to know the whys and hows. Every day we get to connect in so many ways.”

For over a decade, Lila Downs has traversed the planet, bringing her dramatic and highly unique reinvention of traditional Mexican music and original compositions fused with blues, jazz, soul, African root, and even klezmer music, all supporting her soaring voice. Some would classify Lila as a Mexican artist, but there is no real way to categorize her music except to say that it is a unique and exciting fusion of international sounds. A musical journey with Lila Downs is always a fascinating one, simultaneously edgy and powerful, yet sumptuous and graceful.

Lila Downs has long been recognized by the music industry, receiving a Latin Grammy for the 2004 release “Una Sangre” and a Grammy nomination for 2008’s “Shake Away,” and most recently Lila received a Grammy in 2013 for her latest record PECADOS Y MILAGROS (Sins and Miracles).

Lila Downs will be performing on the Webb Center stage on Saturday, April 13 – find more information here.

Cast from Camp Imagination 2012

Registration for Camp Imagination will begin this month! Camp Imagination is a two-week summer arts camp for 1^st – 12^th graders, produced by the Webb Center.

This year Camp Imagination has expanded to two separate sessions of 80 campers each to include more children in two smaller camps.  Each session of Camp Imagination will be two weeks long with the musical being performed on the last night. The first session of Camp Imagination will run June 3 – 14; the second session will run June 17 – 28.

Registration will be designed this year to first allow volunteers to register their campers on Friday, April 26. Adults must volunteer a minimum of 8 hours per week or 16 hours total to qualify for early registration.

Registration will open to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at the Webb Center Box Office (2nd Floor Meridian Bank) at 10:00 am and will continue until the maximum number of 80 campers per session has been reached.

Camp runs weekdays from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, and the cost is $100 for the first student in the family and $80 for each additional sibling.  Scholarships are available at many levels for any camper that would like to participate and might need financial assistance.

All students participate in the creation of a musical; this year’s selection is “The Wizard of Oz”– adapted from the classic movie, this musical includes all the favorite songs and characters. Campers also take classes in a variety of performing arts areas, including comedy, dance and instrumental music. The Webb Center will once again collaborate with the Desert Caballeros Western Museum to offer visual arts classes and the Wickenburg Unified School District for use of its high school facility.

For information on volunteering, registration or scholarship applications, contact the Webb Center Box Office at (928)684-6624 or visit www.dewpac.org.

Camp Imagination is a two-week summer arts camp for 1^st – 12^th graders, produced by the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts.  Students participate in classes covering all genres of the arts as well as play a role in a full production of a musical.

“Last year we had 120 students in Camp, and we still had to turn children away,” stated Cathy Weiss, Executive Director at the Center.  “This year we had to find a way to include more children and heighten the experience for the kids.  So we have decided to hold two separate session of Camp.”

Doubling Camp Imagination is a way of accommodating more kids in two smaller camps.  Each session will be designed for 80 students with a total reach of 160 children.  Making the individual camps a bit smaller will allow the teaching artists more one-on-one-time with every student.

Each session of Camp Imagination will be two weeks long with the musical being performed on the last night. The first session of Camp Imagination will run June 3 – 14, with the final performance on June 14; the second session will run June 17 – 28, with the final performance on June 28.

A timeless classic “The Wizard of Oz” has been selected as the musical for both sessions. Specially adapted from the beloved film, it includes all the memorable songs, such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” and your favorite characters like Dorothy, the Tin Man, and Toto too!

With challenging roles for the lead characters, the musical is an entertaining show that’s appealing for all ages.

The key to a successful Camp Imagination always depends on volunteers.  Registration will be designed this year to first allow volunteers to get their children/grandchildren into their favorite classes, and then registration will be opened to the general public.  Adults must volunteer a minimum of 8 hours per week or 16 hours total to qualify for early registration.  Volunteers may register their children on Friday, April 26.

“We still anticipate that the camp will fill quickly,” stated Weiss.  “Registration will open to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at 10:00 am in the Webb Center Box Office.”

Stay tuned for more details registration and auditions. To learn more about Camp Imagination, contact the Webb Center Box Office at (928)684-6624 or visit www.dewpac.org.

The Toronto-based artist studied classical guitar techniques but always immersed himself in other musical styles, discovering a passion early for the drama of the flamenco style. Cook’s 1995 debut album “Tempest” launched him to the forefront of the world music scene and he developed an irresistible signature style, fusing diverse musical influences with traditional flamenco rhythms and his classical training.

Cook released his eighth studio album, “The Blue Guitar Sessions,” late last year. Inspired by Adele’s Grammy-Award winning album “21,” it blends his virtuoso guitar work with music that is somewhat melancholy but highly lyrical and moving.

Now on his U.S. tour, Cook performs elements from the new album as well as music from his past work. Traveling with a full band, the tour comes on the heels of last year’s PBS broadcast of the TV special, “Jesse Cook: Live in Concert.”

Tickets for this performance range from $25-$45 for adults and $5 for 18 and under. Seating is limited; for ticket availability, call the Webb Center Box Office at (928) 684-6624 or visit the event page here.