The SPAC is Back!

Sanford Performing Arts Center Director Brett Williams has announced the lineup for this season’s Partners Bank Spotlight Series of performances, including several smashing holiday shows and a world premiere dance musical bound for Broadway.

On Saturday, November 13 at 3:00 p.m. the series kicks off with Buddy: The Buddy Holly Show, stopping in Sanford on its North American tour. This showcase of ‘50s rock and roll has been seen by over 22 million people worldwide. Get tickets here: https://sanfordpac.org/.

Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook will come to SPAC on November 20 at 7:00 p.m. This show was scheduled for March of last year, and had to be cancelled at the last minute due to the pandemic.

Saturday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m., the Strafford Wind Symphony will perform its Holiday Pops show. They were last here in 2019.

The Portland Ballet will perform outside of Cumberland County for the first time, when it brings two shows of the full-length Victorian Nutcracker ballet to the SPAC on Saturday, December 11, at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Classical Uprising’s Sing We Noël will return to Sanford for a 3:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday, December 19. This is a more intimate holiday music experience, with choral and classical brass selections.

On December 31, Joe Boucher and his Band and Orchestra will rock in the New Year with classic rock selections from the likes of Pat Benatar and Queen. The show starts at 7:00 p.m.

The three-day Maine Piano Festival will take over the SPAC from January 21-23. Mr. Williams called the venue’s Steinway the finest grand piano in Maine. On Friday evening, the Portland Piano Trio will take the stage. The Hanna Powell Memorial Piano Competition is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. World-class pianist Daniel Hsu, bronze medalist in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, will perform a program of well-known classical selections on Sunday afternoon.

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical comes back to the SPAC on Valentine’s weekend, with a hilarious Saturday date-night comedy/improv show on February 12.

On March 26, The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass will play a show of Dixieland, classical, Broadway and more at 7:00 p.m.

The season will be capped off in the spring by an amazing world premiere event. Tap superstar and Tony Award winning choreographer Savion Glover and poet/composer Reg E. Gaines will be workshopping their new show during April vacation week, culminating in a performance on April 23. This will be the very first performance of this show, whose producers have their eyes set on Broadway. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Mr. Williams.

Tickets for most of the shows are not available yet, but will be soon. Visit the SPAC website at https://sanfordpac.org/ for more info and to purchase tickets.

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