(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University, which will include a concert hall and education center, will open its doors on Monday, Sept. 12, 2005 with a performance by internationally successful British stage performer Michael Crawford, with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops.
In its first season, the $55 million Ferguson Center will host more than 40 performances by internationally renowned acts including Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Williamsburg native Bruce Hornsby, blues icon B.B. King, revered trio The Irish Tenors, country singer Vince Gill, Britain's Royal Philharmonic, and the spectacular Opera Verdi Europa.
William "Bill" Biddle, executive director of the Ferguson Center, has been building a season of artists and attractions over the past two years
"World-class means different things to different people," said Biddle in a statement. "We've placed considerable weight on tailoring our events to the diversity of our community so that the Ferguson Center will offer world-class attractions that appeal to a variety of individual tastes."
Nearly 10 years in the making, the Ferguson Center is a result of a community partnership between local government, higher-education and private industry. CNU President and former U.S. Senator and Congressman Paul Trible, Newport News Mayor Joe Frank, and Ferguson Enterprises President and Chief Executive Officer Chip Hornsby all worked to bring the project to fruition. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
