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AMERICUS — The Friends of the Rylander Theatre board of directors and Rylander Managing Director, Heather Stanley, announce the 2019-2020 Presenter Series Season. The Presenter Series is made up of professional, national, and international touring artists, musicians, and performers of all kinds. These performances are one-night engagements with complimentary tickets available at certain levels of membership in the Friends of the Rylander.

This season kicks off with the music of Motown and Soul on Friday, Sept. 20 with Cruising Steady: The Music & Friendship of Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson. This musical event features Broadway stars Patrice Covington (The Color Purple, Dreamgirls) and Jesse Nager (Motown the Musical, Mary Poppins) as the musical icons. Audiences will be treated to stories of Franklin and Robinson’s lifelong friendship and the music that made them famous.

Just in time to kick off the holiday season, Lightwire Theatre returns on Friday, Nov. 22 with their heartwarming and visually stunning production of A Very Electric Christmas. This tale for the whole family involves Santa’s helpers, Nutcracker soldiers, a Rat King, and dancing flowers. Lightwire was a popular finalist on “America’s Got Talent” known for their use of electroluminescent wiring for a glow-in-the-dark show experience.

Belting into the new year, the 3 Redneck Tenors: Broadway Bound mixes down home laughs with big city music on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. This musical comedy featuring classically trained tenor vocalists is part Duck Dynasty and part Broadway. Audiences will also recognize this group as top finalists from “America’s Got Talent.”

The Force is strong in February as the whole family is accepted into the Star Force Academy. On Thursday, Feb. 6, your Darth Vader or Princess Leia will be delighted and entertained in this one-man parody that combines comedy, physical challenges, and a little magic.

When the Malpass Brothers performed at the Rylander last season, the demand was so great Stanley decided to bring them back for an encore presentation on March 20. The authentic country duo are regulars on “Larry’s Country Diner” and the Grand Ole Opry.

Closing out the 2019-2020 season is a band straight from Ireland. JigJam are an award-winning quartet that blend traditional Irish music with Bluegrass and Americana. Having performed at the 2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival and touring through the US and the UK, they will make their Rylander debut on Friday, April 3.

Early bird memberships to the Friends of the Rylander will be on sale from Sept. 3-13. Individual tickets will go on sale at the same time. For more information, call the Box Office between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday at 229-931-0001.