Nazareth College Arts Center delighted to host Doug & Gary the Happy Pirates' reunion concert on December 13

ROCHESTER, NY (11/17/2014)(readMedia)-- Nazareth College Arts Center is pleased to present Doug & Gary's 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert on Saturday, December 13, 2014, at 2 p.m. in the Callahan Theater. The award-winning Happy Pirates will reunite for one day only at the Arts Center-where they also shot their critically acclaimed 1991 concert video-to celebrate 25 years of performing

The 60-minute performance will run without an intermission and is recommended for children of all ages and their families. Ticket holders may also participate in a pre-performance pirate party in the Arts Center lobby at 1 p.m. The pre-performance activity is free; however, pre-registration through the Box Office is required (585-389-2170).

Visit http://artscenter.naz.edu/newsroom/media-resources for photos.

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE

Award-winning hometown kid-rockers Doug & Gary, the Happy Pirates, will reunite at Nazareth College Arts Center for one day to celebrate 25 years of performing (after having performed together in the early 1990s, the duo disbanded.) Although one is now a grandfather who runs a charity and the other is a photographer, the pair is excited to don their Zubaz and pirate personas, and get back on stage.

"People ask all the time when we'll play together again," said Gary Smith, now performing solo as "Gary the Happy Pirate" and executive director of the Pirate Toy Fund, which distributes toys to hospitalized and needy children throughout Rochester. "It's been 25 years since our first show so now seemed like the perfect time. What's especially exciting about performing now is that kids who were at our shows 25 years ago are now parents bringing their own kids. It's great to be able to share our music with the next generation!"

As pioneers in kids' rock during the early 1990s, Doug & Gary became household names among the 10-and-under set after performing hundreds of shows each year (sometimes more than 350 during their heyday!) to thousands of "happy pirates" across the country, including two stops at the White House. The duo delighted audiences with their original pop/rock tunes (co-written by Gary's wife Kathryn), such as "Popcorn," "Surfin'," and their signature anthem, "I'm a Happy Pirate. They released four albums, the second of which-The Mega Pegga Legga Dinosaurus-won two Parents' Choice gold awards for Best Audio Recording and Classic Audio. Clips from their critically acclaimed 1991 concert video The Adventures of Doug & Gary: The Happy Pirates (filmed at the Nazareth College Arts Center) aired regularly on Nickelodeon. In 1992, Billboard magazine named them among the country's top 10 children's entertainers.

"Since we shot our video at Nazareth College Arts Center, we thought it was the perfect place to hold our reunion concert," explained Doug Ladd, now photographer manager at Colorgraphics, a company that specializes in youth sports photography. "It's going to be a blast to look out from the stage and see a theater full of families singing, dancing, and laughing again. I can't wait!"

TICKETS

Tickets to Doug & Gary's 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert are $17 and $20. For tickets, call – or visit – the Box Office: 585-389-2170; or order tickets online: artscenter.naz.edu.

Subscriptions to the Nazareth College Arts Center's 2014-2015 Season are still available through the Box Office; subscribers receive a 20% discount off single ticket prices and additional benefits when purchasing tickets to five or more different shows.

The Nazareth College Arts Center Box Office is located on campus, at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14618. Regular box office hours are Monday- Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m. until curtain time on performance days.

SPONSOR INFORMATION

The Nazareth College Arts Center's 2014-2015 subscription series is sponsored by M&T Bank; Wendy's Restaurants of Rochester; and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

ABOUT THE NAZARETH COLLEGE ARTS CENTER

Since 1967, the Nazareth College Arts Center has served as a venue and educational resource for students, educators, artists, and audiences of all ages to create, study, and experience the visual and performing arts. These cultural programs support the College's curriculum in music, art, and theatre arts, and provide area residents with opportunities to experience exceptional dance, international entertainment, family programming, music, musical theatre, and special events.

The Nazareth College Arts Center

• is a nonprofit institution.
• is the premier presenter of world-class dance, children's theatre, and international entertainment in Rochester.
• attracts approximately 70,000 adults and children annually.
• houses the Nazareth College departments of art, music, and theatre arts, which present exceptional theatre productions, musicals, recitals, and art exhibitions each year (events are open to the public), while preparing students for successful careers in fields such as art, music, and drama education; visual communication design; studio art; film; creative arts therapy; acting; musical theatre; dance; technical theatre and design; music performance; and music business.
• serves as a venue for auditions, art classes, music lessons, recitals, fundraisers, lectures, community theater productions, camps, workshops, and graduations.
• offers a School Performance Series, which serves thousands of area K-12 students/teachers each year.
• is the performance home of Rochester City Ballet and world-renowned Garth Fagan Dance, as well as the home of the Bach Children's Chorus.
• is the only area performing Arts Center located on a College campus.

For more information, visit artscenter.naz.edu.

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