Monroe Area Council for the Arts (MACA) announces its 2008-2009 Performance Season which kicks off with “the world’s best young Elvis,” Travis LeDoyt, who is back by popular demand!  MACA is especially pleased to also bring two-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Kathy Mattea, to grace the stage at Butcher Auditorium with her Grammy–winning vocals later in the season.

“Elvis” opens the MACA season on Sept. 25, expertly portrayed by Travis LeDoyt, who takes the stage as the King in every sense of the word. To those people who think they have seen it all when it comes to “Tribute to the King” acts, this is the one that makes them do a double-take. According to D.J. Fonatana, drummer for Elvis Presley, a performance by Travis LeDoyt “is as close as you’re going to get to seeing an Elvis concert in the ‘50’s!” 

On Oct. 23, MACA presents bluegrass at its roots with musicians, Dailey & Vincent, who will introduce a powerful new ensemble steeped in country music tradition. Even before one note of their stunning debut record had been heard, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent earned a standing ovation at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association convention. These two performers have already had a profound impact on much of the best modern bluegrass via their contributions to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. 

Chris Brubeck & Triple Play will take the stage on Nov. 11, performing everything from jazz, to folk, to blues, to classics. When Chris Brubeck, Peter Madcat Ruth, and Joel Brown perform together, it’s always an event to remember. Chris Brubeck, son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck who played with The Brubeck Quartet for 10 years, is a composer, orchestral arranger, lyricist as well as performer who plays four instruments. 

MACA brings to the stage Ace Cannon, “The Godfather of the Sax,” on Saturday, March 21, 2009. Ace Cannon has been inducted into the Smithsonian Rock and Soul Hall of Fame, the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Starting his career in Memphis he was recorded on many of the 1950’s hits on Sun Records. Says Sam Phillips, quote: “Ace Cannon is the greatest saxophone player who ever lived, but then he came out of the same stables as Carl Perkins, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Justice, etc.” 

April 27, 2008, Kathy Mattea, the beloved Grammy-winning singer of such classics as “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” “Where You’ve Been,” and many other hits, says that her new album, “Coal,” offered her a re-education in singing. The songs on the new album, which topped Billboard Magazines Bluegrass Music chart at #1 in May, 2008, are more than just mining songs. Mattea says she wanted to pay tribute to “my place and my people” on a record that is as much a textured novel as it is an album. 

In addition, Missoula Children’s Theater presents “The Little Mermaid,” starring 60 local children, on Jan. 31, 2009.

All performances are staged at Butcher Auditorium, located on the campus of Hiwassee College, in Madisonville. MACA’s 2008-2009 Performance Season is sponsored by, Citizens National Bank, Peoples Bank of East Tennessee, Tennessee Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and the Southern Arts Federation. Season tickets are $95/family; $80/couple; and $45/individual. At the time of purchase, MACA season ticket subscribers can also buy the Athens Area Council for the Arts season ticket at a discount. For additional ticket information, call (423) 442-3210 or check online at www.monroearts.com. Tickets are also available with cash or check at all Citizens National Banks in Monroe County.