SensationalSecondSeason at the SandlerCenter!

SC E N T E R T A G EWinter2009

After opening to acclaim and bringingextraordinary performances to more than140,000 patrons in its inaugural season, theSandler Center had a spectacular start to itssecond season. Opening night with thelegendary R&B group, The Commodores,welcomed diverse backgrounds and had theaudience on their feet for hit after hit! In thesecond month of the season, the Center hadtwo sold-out performances – Capitol Stepsand the performance of singer-songwritersLyle Lovett and John Hiatt, whocomplimented the management staff saying,“The Sandler Center should write a ‘How-To’book for operating venues, because you allhave it down!”

And that’s not all…in November, blueslegend Buddy Guy and country musicstar Vince Gill gave memorableperformances to sell out crowds. In fact,the audience had the chance to spend anup close and personal evening with VinceGill. “The Sandler Center creates such awarm and inviting atmosphere. I reallyhad the opportunity to make this eveningspecial, like I was actually visiting in theirliving rooms,” Vince Gill mentioned lateras he posed for pictures and signed

autographs for adoring fans.And, indeed he did.

The holidays were also joyous

as the Center was filled with the sounds ofcelebration with a trio of concerts thatbrightened the season including Big BadVoodoo Daddy’s Wild & Swingin’ HolidayParty and the legendary King’s Singers.Pianist Jim Brickman brought his heartfeltholiday celebration to the Center December 22.

Now is the best time to make plans forspectacular performances of dance, music,and family fare at the Sandler Center in theNew Year. Just take a look at the pleasuresthat await you in 2009:

Be sure to take your children or grandchildrenon a magical adventure with a show thatbrings beloved books to life on stage; ordernow for The Magic Treehouse, January 13.

There’s music for every taste, too. A must forjazz lovers, the brilliant Jazz at LincolnCenter Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis,performs January 17. Blues buffs will lovethe authentic, extraordinary playing of guitarlegends Jorma Kaukonen and Robben Ford,performing with the great vocalist RuthieFoster in Guitar Blues, February 10.Broadway fans will enjoy a feast of favorites,from classics like The Phantom of the Opera,Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and many more,in 100 Years of Broadway, February 11.Rocker Jonny Lang fires up a sizzling set ofsongs February 15. Saxophonist DavidSanborn and Tower of Power blaze throughjazz, rock, R&B and power pop in anunforgettable concert March 29. And onApril 16, the great Art Garfunkel sings thesongs that have made him an icon and afriend for more than four decades.

The Sandler Center offers a beautiful settingfor dance, and the New Year brings adazzlingly diverse pair of dance events. Thehilarious Les Ballets Trockadero de MonteCarlo perform their laugh-out-loud send-upsof classic ballets January 29, and the superbyoung dancers of Trinity Irish Dance performMarch 13.

Tickets for all performances are on sale now! Call 1-888-326-9849 or order online at CoxTix.com. Tickets also available at the SandlerCenter box office.

I N S I D E

p.2 Message fromthe President

p.2 Teaching,Reaching YoungAudiences

p.3 Donor Profile:Dominion VirginiaPower

p.3 Going Green

p.4 Help Us Pave a Path tothe Future

Newsletter for theSandlerCenter for thePerformingArtsFoundation

◗ JanuaryVirginia Symphony, Ride of theValkyries, Jan.11Magic Treehouse, Jan.13Virginia Beach Forum, Dave Barry Jan.14Jazz at Lincoln Center withWynton Marsalis, Jan.17Les Ballets Trockadero, Jan. 29

◗UpcomingEvents

As we begin the joyous New Year, we have

much to celebrate here at the Sandler Center.

Our second season is off to a spectacular start,

as we welcome patrons to great performances

of music, dance, theater, and family fare.

With help from our corporate sponsor Dominion

Virginia Power, plans are underway for the

newest physical addition to the Sandler Center

Plaza: our new sleek and attractive digital

marquee will offer performance previews via

video, and an updated listing of events to enjoy.

And our Education programs, which have already

welcomed hundreds of area school children so

far this season, are geared to offer exciting

performances, master classes and residencies

to hundreds more in the upcoming year.

The arts offer us so many opportunities to

explore, dream, and discover. They enrich our

lives and bring us together. To you and all our

friends: We thank you for your patronage and

your support, and we invite you to join us

during the New Year and beyond as we

continue to bring the best of the arts to the

Virginia Beach community.

Linwood O. Branch, III

President

Message from the President

Teaching, Reaching Young AudiencesThe arts play a vital role in education, and

the Sandler Center is proud to play an

important role in bringing engaging,

meaningful arts experiences to young

people in our communities. Already this

season, hundreds of students have attended

performances—at special student prices of

$10 per ticket—and shared in learning

experiences with guest artists. Here’s a

scrapbook of this season’s adventures in

learning through the arts:

• In October, more than 250 elementary

school children saw a

favorite story leap to

life in The Phantom

Tollbooth.

• For middle school

and high school musicians, the opportunity

to watch and learn from a world-renowned

virtuoso is a dream come true. In

November, string students from Virginia

Beach Public Schools joined area

professional

musicians from

Symphonicity

and the

Virginia

Symphony Orchestra for a question and

answer session with the internationally

acclaimed violinist, Midori—and that

evening, more than 100 students were in

the audience as Midori performed on the

Sandler Center stage.

• The student matinee performance of

The American Shakespeare Center on Tour’s

Hamlet created so

much interest that a

second student

matinee was added

to accommodate

more than 200

additional students. Following the added

matinee, three members of the troupe

headed to Salem High School’s Academy for

the Visual and Performing Arts to work with

theater students on ways to bring

Shakespeare’s word from the page to the

stage. Teachers and students alike offered

glowing praise for the experience.

There’s more to come. Student matinee

performances of The Magic Treehouse and

Trinity Irish Dance will give school groups

vivid memories—and give area educators

innovative ways to enhance classroom

learning in language arts, social studies,

music, and more. And young musicians,

dancers, and singers will have the

opportunity to work with the artists of the

New England Conservatory Emerging

Masters Jazz Vocal Quartet, Trinity Irish

Dance, the Richmond Ballet, the gifted stage

performers of 100 Years of Broadway, and

the accomplished musicians of Guitar Blues.

For more information on Sandler Center

Education events, or to book outreach

events at your school, contact Megan

DiPaolo at (757) 282-2817 or

MDiPaolo@vafest.org.

◗ FebruaryVirginia Musical Theatre, Ballroom, Feb.2-6Guitar Blues, Feb.10100 Years of Broadway, Feb.11Jonny Lang, Feb.15Symphonicity, Durufle Requiem, Feb.22

◗ MarchTrinity Irish Dance, Mar.13Virginia Musical Theatre, Always…Patsy Cline, Mar.20-22David Sanborn with Tower of Power,Mar.29

Award-winning performances fill our stages, but recently the Sandler Center received its own award—

a Certificate of Environmental Commitment, presented by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The Sandler Center is proud to join the growing list of museums, performance venues and attractions designated

“Virginia Green.”

The process of “going green” involves providing highly visible recycling opportunities for staff and patrons, the

reduction of styrofoam and other disposable materials, implementation of a plan for water efficiency, and the use

of energy-saving lighting and equipment throughout the Center.

As you enjoy spectacular performances here, we invite you to join the Sandler Center

in its campaign to keep green: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Soon the Sandler Center will have an

attractive new addition: a sleek, contemporary

styled digital kiosk that will serve as a striking

marquee for this beautiful performing arts

center. With a kinetic, engaging display, the

kiosk will offer Sandler Center visitors and

passersby up-to-the-minute information on

performances and events.

This vital complement to the Sandler Center’s

streetscape is sponsored by the Center’s

generous corporate sponsor, Dominion Virginia

Power. The company has a proud history of

giving back to the communities it serves,

focusing on investing in organizations and

programs that improve the quality of life for its

customers. In all, Dominion Virginia Power

contributes more than $20 million annually to

non-profit organizations in Virginia, North

Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,

Connecticut and Wisconsin. Here in the

Hampton Roads area, Dominion Virginia

Power is an active supporter of many

community projects, from Energy Share, the

company’s year-round energy assistance

program for individuals and families in need,

to its grants programs that support math,

science and technology programs in area

schools. The company was recently named the

2008 Outstanding Corporation by the

Hampton Roads chapter of the

National Association of

Fundraising Professionals.

“The Sandler Center brings so

much to the people of Virginia

Beach and surrounding

communities,” said Dominion

Virginia Power Senior External

Affairs Manager Max

Bartholomew. “Dominion is proud

to support the Center in its

mission to share the best of the arts with the

broadest possible audience.”

The support of sponsors like Dominion

Virginia Power is vital to the Sandler Center’s

mission of presenting quality performances

and arts education to Hampton Roads. To find

out how you can help, please contact Michele

Catalano, Development Specialist at (757)

385-0227 or mcatalan@vbgov.com.

Donor Profile: Dominion Virginia Power

Going Green!

By purchasing a brick paver for the

Sandler Center outdoor plaza, you are not

only giving a gift that will last forever, but

you are also giving the gift of education to

all area school children for generations to

come. Each dollar you give for this

meaningful gift goes directly to the

Sandler Center Foundation’s Education

Endowment to support performances for

school groups, opportunities for area

music, dance and drama students to work

with internationally-renowned artists, in-

school seminars and guest lectures, and

resources such as teacher guides that

directly link the performance experience

to Virginia Standards of Learning

(SOL) guidelines.

Brick pavers are available with a

contribution of $200 or $300 to the

Sandler Center Foundation and can be

personalized with the engraving of your

choice. Your brick will be laid in the

Sandler Center Plaza, paving the path to

the Center for many years to come.

To purchase a paver or for additional

opportunities for support, contact

Michele Catalano at (757) 385-0227 or

visit www.sandlercenter.org.

Our goal is to share the joy of the

performing arts with every school-aged

child in Virginia Beach- not just this year,

but every year. Help us pave the path for

the future by buying your brick today!

SC E N T E R T A G ENewsletter for theSandlerCenter for the PerformingArts Foundation

P.O. Box 66129

Virginia Beach, VA 23466-6129

757-385-0227 phone

757-493-5450 fax

www.sandlercenter.org

FOUNDATION MEMBERSLinwood O. Branch, III, PresidentDorothy L. Wood, Vice PresidentThomas A. Rucker, TreasurerKenneth V. GeroeWilliam W. Harrison, Jr.Glen A. HuffCheryl P. McLeskeyLaura M. MillerAnnie L. SandlerArthur B. SandlerSteven B.SandlerToni R. Sandler

FOUNDATION STAFFEmily Spruill, DirectorMichele Catalano, Development Specialist

ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOWFOR UPCOMING SANDLERCENTER PERFORMANCES!

See calendar inside for details or visit sandlercenter.org

Help Us Pave a Path forthe Future!

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAIDPermit No. 292Virginia Beach, VA