MERIDIAN, MS – Rising musical stars, longtime chart-topping artists and the funniest interpretation of Shakespeare ever highlight the 2019 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series at the MSU Riley Center.

Since it opened in 2006, Meridian’s lovingly restored Victorian gem of a theater has presented a carefully curated selection of performing artists from a variety of genres. All Spring/Summer Series shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

The series opens on Saturday, April 6, with a Meridian favorite: The Heart Behind the Music Songwriter’s Showcase. Each Heart Behind the Music tour features a different group of singer-songwriters on a bare stage. The artists sing favorite songs and swap stories – some hilarious, some poignant.

This tour spotlights 1970s and ’80s balladeer Melissa Manchester, country star Darryl Worley, up-and-coming country singer Mo Pitney and soft-rock legend John Ford Coley, formerly of England Dan & John Ford Coley.

“An Acoustic Evening with Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit” on Thursday, April 11, presents Isbell and his band, winners of three 2018 Americana Music Association awards, in an acoustic format that highlights the emotional impact of both his lyrics and his vocal harmonizing.

Fifty years after The Allman Brothers Band debuted, a new generation is putting its own stamp on Southern rock music. The Allman Betts Band will perform on Thursday, April 25. The lineup features the sons of three Allman Brothers founders, Devon Allman (son of Gregg), Duane Betts (son of Dickie) and Berry Oakley Jr.

Celebrating 49 years of making music, the band America and founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell perform on Thursday, May 23. America established itself with six gold albums in the 1970s. Its sunny, uplifting sound continues to inspire audiences today: Eight America songs have received more than 2 million streams on Spotify.

On Thursday, May 30, The Reduced Shakespeare Company^® brings hilarious theatrical mayhem to the MSU Riley Center in the form of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised].” Three actors perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays – very freely adapted – in 97 minutes of fast-paced farce.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo The Righteous Brothers topped the charts in four decades. Now, Bill Medley joins forces with one of the most versatile vocalists in America, Bucky Heard, to bring the Righteous Brothers back to the stage on Tuesday, June 4.

The Spring/Summer Series concludes on Friday, August 23, with a concert by one of the biggest bands of the past two decades in country music: Lonestar. Lead singer Richie McDonald played the MSU Riley Center two years ago as part of a Heart Behind the Music Songwriter’s Showcase. Now he’ll show off the tight vocal harmonies and stellar musicianship of his full band.

Ticket prices vary per show. The series offers a range of season-ticket options that include discounted prices and other perks. If subscribers lose or forget their tickets, the Box Office will issue duplicates on the spot. With a simple phone call, subscribers can also arrange to leave their tickets at the Box Office for friends, family members or clients.

The MSU Riley Center thanks The Riley Foundation and Mississippi State University for their continuing support which makes these shows possible.

On Sale ticket dates:

Current Season Ticket Holders renew no later than 2/22.

New Season Ticket Buyers: 3/04

Build Your Own Package: 3/11

Individual Tickets: 3/18

Tickets and information are available by phone or in person at the MSU Riley Center Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and starting one hour before showtime on the day of a show. The telephone number is 601-696-2200, the address is 2200 Fifth Street in downtown Meridian, and the website is www.msurileycenter.com.