Upcoming Entertainment

DECEMBER

Camelot
NICEVILLE – Rediscover the grandeur of one of history's greatest love stories in Lerner and Loewe's timeless masterpiece, Camelot at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 on Mainstage at Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville. Tickets, $45, may be purchased through the center's online box office at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org and in-person or by phone.

Wednesday Night Concert Series
SANDESTIN – The Village of Baytowne Wharf presents a special holiday edition of concerts through the month of December from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Events Plaza. Call 267-8117.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center
NICEVILLE – The 2009-2010 season at the NWF State College’s Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center will include a Broadway season package for four shows for $165 per package or $45 per individual ticket. A six-show Broadway/Artist combo package will be $200, with $30 individual ticket prices for Artist Series shows.
Season packages are available by phone, in-person or by mail only from the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Box Office. Individual show tickets go on sale through the center's online box office at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org and in-person or by phone.
Broadway package includes:
•Dec. 1: Camelot.
•Jan. 22: The Wedding Singer.
•Feb. 17: Le Grand Cirque.
Artist Series includes:
•Feb. 6: Ed Asner as FDR.
A series of children's shows which will be matinee performances for school groups include the following. Limited seating for the public may be available for $6 each.
•Jan. 12: Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing.
•March 9: Frog and Toad.
•April 13: Click, Clack, Moo.

Coffee seminar
DESTIN – Every first Tuesday, Starbucks Destin Commons will host a coffee seminar dealing with various topics with the growing, roasting and preparing of coffee. The next seminar will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 1. Call 650-0333.

Will Bernard Trio
DESTIN – The Will Bernard Trio will perform at 10 p.m. Dec. 3 at Funky Blues Shack in Destin and at 10 p.m. Dec. 4 at Bluz in Destin. Tickets are $8.

The Swamp
OKALOOSA ISLAND – The All-American Rejects and Taking Back perform in concert Dec. 4. Admission begins at 6:30 p.m.; must be 18 to enter.
Tickets are available in advance for $37.50 or $42.50 the day of the show. Tickets are on sale now from the bartenders at The Swamp, at FYE in Santa Rosa Mall and online at EmeraldCoastTickets.com.

The Nutcracker
SANTA ROSA BEACH – The Ballet Conservatory and Destin School of Music and Dance will present its annual presentation of the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at the South Walton High School Auditorium, 645 Greenway Trail. Seating is reserved. Visit floridaballetconservatory.com or call 837-1133.

Dinner Theatre
DESTIN –  The dinner theatre production “Such a Night as This” will be presented by 2nd Acts drama group at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 and 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at Grace Lutheran Church, 4325 Commons Drive.
Tickets are $12.50 and available at Eagle's Wings Book & Gifts, 14071 F, Emerald Coast Parkway, near Office Max. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.

Choral Society of Pensacola
PENSACOLA – The Choral Society of Pensacola’s concerts for the 2009-2010 season include the following. Tickets are $15/reserved seating, $12/general admission, and $5/students. To purchase, call 484-1806 or e-mail csop1@juno.com.
•Dec. 5: Handel’s “Messiah” at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, Hyde Park Road.
•March 13: Durufle’s “Requiem” at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, Hyde Park Road.
•May 1: “Bach to Broadway” at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, Hyde Park Road.

second wednesday
Butler Organ Recital Series
FORT WALTON BEACH – The music ministry of First United Methodist Church, 103 First Street S.E., will feature Dr. David Ott for the Butler Organ Recital Series at noon Dec. 9. Call 687-0862.

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra
NICEVILLE – The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at Northwest Florida State College, under the baton of Jeffrey Rink, announces its 2009-10 concert season and the availability of season tickets. The 23rd season of the region’s professional orchestra will include five concerts, special events and new benefits for season subscribers, award-winning guest artists, the premiere of a new work written for the NFSO, collaborative performances with the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus and more.
Regular season subscriptions for the 2009-10 series of five NFSO concerts are now available for $100. NFSO season tickets are available for purchase in-person or by phone from the college’s Mattie Kelly Arts Center Box office at (850) 729-6000 or online at www.nfsymphony.org.
Conductor’s Circle memberships, for subscribers who make a tax deductible gift of at least $250 to the symphony in addition to their purchase of the $100 season subscription, are also available.
The Mattie Kelly Arts Center is on the Niceville campus of Northwest Florida State College at 100 College Blvd.
•Dec. 11: The orchestra and the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus present “Holiday Pops!”.
•Feb. 19: Annual “Stars of Tomorrow” concert featuring the winners of the  regional Concerto Competition.
•April 10: “European Masters” features the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus and orchestra.

Christmas Keepsakes
The Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus will present its 2009 Christmas concert, “Christmas Keepsakes,” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and 3 p.m. Dec. 13.
Tickets, $12/adults and $10/children and seniors, can be purchased at P.S. Gifts in Fort Walton, Connect With Flowers in Shalimar, Bayou Books in Niceville, Diamond Works in Mary Esther and Eagle's Wings Books and Gifts in Destin. Call 650-5715.

Jazzy Yuletide concert
FORT WALTON BEACH – The Playground Big Band and the Emerald Coast Community Band present “Happy Holidays ... and all that jazz,” a Yuletide concert, at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Fort Walton Beach Municipal Auditorium. Proceeds will inaugurate a scholarship fund to send promising young local musicians to band and jazz camps.
Admission is $10 and tickets are available from any band member, at Playground Music Center in Uptown Station or at the door, if any left. Seating is limited to 400. Call 420-0947.

Indepedent Film Series
DESTIN – The Friends Guild of the Destin Library will sponsor a free movie, The Drummer (Mandarin with English subtitles), at 7 p.m. Dec. 15. Film is unrated and directed toward mature audiences. Call 837-8572.

Anime South convention
DESTIN - The fifth annual Anime South convention, celebrating Japanese animation, music and culture, will be held Dec. 18-20 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa.   
Pre-registration ends on Nov. 30, after which memberships will only be available at-the-door. Access to ticketed events, such as the Murder Mystery Ball, Maid Cafe and Tea Party, is not guaranteed without a pre-registered Bronze, Silver, or Gold membership. Call 642-6463 or e-mail press@animesouth.com.

ECCA’s 50th Concert Season
OKALOOSA COUNTY – It’s the Emerald Coast Concert Association’s 50th birthday and concert goers will be treated to several “surprises” throughout the season.
All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets for individual performances will be available at the door and at local outlets. To order season tickets call 362-9356. For a season brochure, call 837-1742. Individual tickets are available three weeks prior to performance date.
 Season includes:
•Dec. 19: Destino, a Canadian trio, takes the stage at the Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium as the final stop on their Canada/US tour.
•Jan. 9: Linda Gentille and the Linda Gentille quartet kick off 2010 with Great Balls of Fire at the Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium.
•Jan. 23: Dave Bennett’s New Orleans – A Salute to Pete Fountain, at Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center in Niceville.
•Feb. 20: The Canadian group Barrage – Animado features an international, multi-talented cast performing an eclectic mix of music, song and dance at the Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center in Niceville.
•March 6: Season finale, ABBA-Mania, musicians from Canada, at NWFSC.

Sinfonia Gulf Coast
DESTIN – The 2009-2010 season of the Sinfonia Gulf Coast will include the following events. Season subscriptions and tickets are available at www.SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or call 269-7129.
•Dec. 19: An Orchestral Christmas at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Destin featuring the music of Mannheim Steamroller and the orchestra will perform holiday favorites.
•Jan. 3: Violinist Caroline Goulding will make an appearance in a special recital at Grace Lutheran Church in Destin. This concert is free to season subscribers.
•Jan. 16: Seasons Squared at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Destin features violinist Nicholas Kendall performing Vivaldi's classic masterpiece “The Four Seasons” and the premiere of tango king Astor Piazzolla's “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.”
•Feb. 28: Time Travel at 3 p.m. at Good News United Methodist Church in Santa Rosa Beach features the Manhattan Piano Trio and Demetrius Fuller, clarinet.
•March 23: The Sinfonia Gala Event,  “An Evening in Vintage Hollywood featuring Pink Martini,” will be held at 6 p.m. at the Emerald Coat Conference Center.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra
PENSACOLA – The Winter Chamber Concert features  Handel’s Messiah with the Choral Society of Pensacola and the UWF Singers Dec. 5 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Pensacola.
Pensacola Pops! schedule includes:
•Dec. 31: Vocalist Diane Penning will be the featured guest artist in a celebration of the New Year.
•Feb. 13: Classical Mystery Tour – A Tribute to the Beatles.

JANUARY

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra
PENSACOLA – The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks Concerts are held at 8 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S Palafox Street. Saturday afternoon dress rehearsals will be at 2 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre. Admission is $5. Public is welcome.
For ticket information, call 435-2533, visit www.pensacolasymphony.com or purchase in person at 205 E. Zaragoza Street in Pensacola.
Schedule includes:
•Jan. 10: Beethoven & Blue Jeans let you get out your best blue jeans and enjoy a smorgasbord of familiar tastes and new symphonic delights.
•March 6: Maestro Rubardt conducts Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler.
•April 17: Ashley Brown – Uncommon Woman, features Gulf Breeze’s Broadway star Ashley Brown joining the PSO for a night of classical hits.
 First Arts Concert Series
FORT WALTON BEACH – The 21st season of First Arts Concerts presents   Corky Siegel Chamber Blues at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at First United Methodist Church in Fort Walton Beach.
Season and individual tickets can be purchased at www.firstartsconcerts.org or call 243-6083 for a brochure.  
Other concerts include:    
•Feb. 13: Saturday Intersection Trio
•Feb. 26: Thomas Pandolfi, piano    
•March 12: Proteus 7, brass    

Denim & Diamonds
OKALOOSA ISLAND – The annual Denim & Diamond United Way fundraiser will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Emerald Coast Conference Center.
Come dressed in your favorite denim and enjoy a relaxing evening with friends, great food, casino games and auction items. A dance contest will provide fun entertainment as several community leaders compete to see which couple can raise the most money for the United Way.
To reserve a corporate table of ten, $900 per table, to buy individual tickets, $100 per person and/or to make a donation for the silent auction, call 243-0315 or e-mail rondad@united-way.org.

Ice Skating Rink
SANDESTIN – The ice skating rink at The Village of Baytowne Wharf will be open through Jan. 31. Non-holiday hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Holiday hours Nov. 22-29 are 2 to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 12 to 8 p.m.. Sunday. Skating is $8; skates, $2. Call 267-8118.

FEBRUARY

The Wedding Singer
PENSACOLA – The Wedding Singer will bring back the 80s when it dances into the Pensacola Saenger Theatre for one performance only at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2.
Tickets, starting at $32, are on sale at the Saenger Theatre box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by calling 850-595-3880.

Vienna Boys Choir
PANAMA CITY BEACH – The Vienna Boys Choir will perform Feb. 16 at Gulf Beach Presbyterian Church. Tickets are available at 230-1991.