Bill Hughes.
SkyBest Mainstage Event:
The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 · 8pm
Farthing Auditorium[ Map ]
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
$25 / $18 / $15 / $10 / $5
"The band is still purring one moment and roaring the next... Whispering swing rhythms and shouting horns [are] often abruptly juxtaposed, triggering a series of dramatic shifts in dynamics that never fail to get a rise out of the audience." - The Washington Post
The Count Basie Orchestra of today is eighteen performers committed to upholding and advancing the American institution that is jazz. Some members are new, yet the core of the sound still swings from musicians hand-picked by Count Basie himself. They are in demand for world tours and recordings, including Royal Command performances and presidential and gubernatorial inaugural events. The band has won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once - including 18 Grammys - and continues to accumulate awards and special recognitions.
The band is led by the legendary Bill Hughes, or "Mr. B," as he's affectionately called by the "younger members" of the band. Hughes joined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1953, playing the tenor trombone in a three-man section, which included Henry Coker and Benny Powell. This section was acclaimed as the best trombone section in jazz and their names appeared in several jazz magazine polls in the 50s and 60s. During this period, Hughes traveled the world with Basie, joining the orchestra on its very first trip to Europe and recording with Basie several of his timeless hits, including "Shiny Stockings," "Corner Pocket" and the band's famous rendition of the classic "April in Paris."
In addition to the numerous recordings with Count Basie and The Count Basie Orchestra - including 15 of the band's 18 Grammy-winning recordings - Hughes has appeared with the Count Basie Orchestra in two separate Royal Command performances for the Queen of England, one performance for Prince Albert of Monaco and one performance for the King of Thailand. He also appeared in two movies with The Count, Cinderfella with Jerry Lewis, Sex And The Single Girl with Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall and the biography Last of the Blue Devils.
This performance received generous support from Bonnie & Jamie Schaefer.
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Sec. A
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Sec. B
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Adults
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$25
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$18
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Students
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$15
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$10
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Kids 12 & under
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$10
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$5
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[ Save 25% with a Festival Pass ][ 
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Buy one ticket to each performance and get 25% off!
With the Festival Pass, you get a ticket to EVERY performance - there are no add-ons to worry about. The Festival Pass offers a 25% discount - making one ticket to each performance during the entire season available to you for only $326.40. This includes all eleven (11) Skybest Mainstage events in Farthing Auditorium, all five (5) Broyhill Chamber Ensemble performances, the Valborg theatre event, two (2) Patagonia Film Series events AND the Finale Fireworks Concert!
Festival Passes are available at the Farthing Auditorium box office, or they may be ordered by telephone at (800) 841-2787 or (828) 262-4046.
* Please note that "Dinner & a Show at Westglow" is excluded from our subscription packages. Tickets are $95 each and seating is very limited.
[ Save 15% with a "Pick 5" Pass ][ ][ ]
Buy any five (5) tickets and get a 15% discount!
The "Pick 5" Pass lets you choose any five tickets at a 15% discount - regardless of the venue or combination of shows. Choose all five Broyhill Chamber Ensemble performances, your five favorite SkyBest Mainstage events in Farthing Auditorium, five tickets to the Finale Fireworks show or any combination of five tickets. For every five tickets you purchase, you will get 15% off the total price.
"Pick 5" Passes are available at the Farthing Auditorium box office, or they may be ordered by telephone at (800) 841-2787 or (828) 262-4046.
* Please note that "Dinner & a Show at Westglow" is excluded from our subscription packages. Tickets are $95 each and seating is very limited.
[ Farthing Auditorium Seating Chart ][ ][ ]
[ Park & Ride Shuttle Service ][ ][ ]
Finding a parking space for festival performances in Farthing Auditorium can now become a thing of the past - simply by taking advantage of the festival's Park & Ride shuttle service. Simply park at the Broyhill Inn, and a comfortable bus will take you directly to the door of Farthing Auditorium and back to your car following the performance. Each round-trip fare is $5 per person, payable at the door of the bus, which departs from the Inn at 7:30pm. Season passes for all 11 performance nights are $40 per person, and may be purchased at the Box Office. Park & Ride Shuttle bus service is available for the SkyBest Mainstage performances:
- Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, June 28
- Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops, July 1
- Reduced Shakespeare Company: "The Complete History of America (Abridged)", July 5
- Eastern Festival Orchestra, July 6
- Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, July 8
- Phoebe Snow in Concert, July 10
- Cherish the Ladies, July 12
- Doug Varone & Dancers, July 18
- An Evening with Judy Collins, July 19
- Eastern Festival Orchestra, July 20
- Count Basie Orchestra, July 23
[ Fine Arts & Great Food ][ ][ ]
The High Country features some of the best dining available in the Southeast, with casual, sophisticated and fine dining options to suit any palate. An Appalachian Summer Festival recommends:
- The Best Cellar
- The Bistro
- Dominic's Table at Crestwood
- Gamekeeper
- Jackson Dining Room at Broyhill Inn *
- Louisiana Purchase *
- Makoto's Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
- The Manor House at Chetola
- Pepper's
- The Red Onion Café
- Rowland's - The Restaurant at Westglow Resort and Spa
Dine at any of these restaurants (Monday through Thursday) and receive a 10% discount for the meal of anyone in your party who presents a festival ticket for that evening's performance!
NOTE: Participants are required to make their own reservations (if applicable) and to inquire about each restaurant's hours. (Some are not open every day). Festival tickets must be presented to restaurant personnel upon arrival in order to receive the discount. Tickets may be picked up from the Farthing Auditorium Box Office (Monday - Friday, 10am to 5pm) or mailed to participants in advance, if time permits.
* Louisiana Purchase and Broyhill Inn diners may use a ticket for any 2008 performance to qualify for discount. On SkyBest Mainstage Series performance nights, Broyhill Inn diners will receive a complimentary Park & Ride pass for festival events.
[ Seating for Patrons with Disabilities ][ ][ ]
Seating for patrons with disabilities is available at all festival venues. In most venues, including Farthing Auditorium, this seating is only available on the main floor. The Box Office staff is available to assist you in making seating arrangements for you or someone in your party. For personalized customer service, call (800) 841-ARTS or email us at boxoffice@appstate.edu.
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