Music and comedy shows coming to CPAC

Mike Yarema is the lead singer of Down on the Corner: Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival. He said when they decided to put this tribute concert together eight years ago, they were motivated by pure love for the material written by the original CCR's lead man.

“There were four members of the original band. Our tribute concert group has five—four musicians and me as the lead singer,” Yarema said.

Some memorable songs the band will perform include “Bad Moon Rising,” “Looking Out My Backdoor” and “As long As I Can See the Light.” 

Embracing the music and history of centuries-old Middle Eastern, African and European cultures, an semble group called Seffarine will offer two concerts combining original Moroccan-Flamenco fusion with Arabic and Andalusian music for a delightfully-different musical afternoon or evening.

“Seffarine is the name of the metalworkers’ square in (band member) Lamiae’s hometown of Fes, Morocco. Her family are master metalworkers and the complex rhythms that ring out from the blacksmith’s hammers was a musical connection for us, too,” said Nat Hulskamp.

Hulskamp plays in the band alongside his wife, Lamiae Naki. “Arabic and Persian culture are at the core of our project. On stage we have musicians from four continents and widely varying cultures."

The quintet also includes Bobak Salehi, who plays several Persian instruments; versatile bassist Damian Erskine; and flamenco dancer and percussionist Manuel Gutierrez, who is originally from Spain. Hulskamp and Naki write their own music, blending the diverse backgrounds of the group.

In addition to live music, the long-running musical comedy "Nunsense" will come to CPAC with the Southern Arizona Performing Arts Company. The show, which has more than 5,000 productions worldwide, is a comical parody of five nuns who plan a talent-show fundraiser to raise funds needed to bury the last four nuns.

General Director Dennis Tamblyn said the idea of nuns being a little "naughty" is appealing to the public.

“Nuns are such pious and holy figures, so when they move outside of that generalization, people enjoy their antics. I think ‘Nunsense’ takes it to the extreme and the product is quite hilarious,” he said.

As times and society aren’t the same since "Nunsense" premiered in December 1985 in New York City—and ran for 10 years—there have been changes to the show over the years.

“We had to change a few lyrics that were not appropriate by today’s standards,” Tamblyn said.

Asked how "Nunsense" successfully makes humor out of burying four nuns who died of food poisoning, Tamblyn said “I always struggle with this subject matter, but for some reason it works. I think it’s because the idea is so ridiculous and extreme that audiences don’t actually take it seriously."

Catch one of these shows and enjoy a couple of hours of witty comedy, catchy songs and pure laughter. CPAC also offers other great shows featuring additional tribute bands, a piano virtuoso, mariachi bands, storytellers, and more. For more information, visit their website at www.performingartscenter.org.