The Highlands Performing Arts center has canceled its series of September concerts due to restrictions from the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The notice on its website stated the situation succinctly and bluntly with little fanfare other than the marquee scroll across the center of the screen.
The three concerts were scheduled for Sept. 5, 19 and 27 respectively and featured the acts Neil Zirconia, Bravo Amici and Fleetwood Mask.
According to Executive Director Mary Adair Trumbly, after considering a moving the concerts outdoors to Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, the PAC decided to pull the plug on the concerts altogether.
“I held out hope for the September 27 concert with Fleetwood Mask, but with the band having to secure travel arrangements from California, it was too much to accomplish in such a short window of time,” Trumbly said by phone on Aug. 6.
Zirconia and Fleetwood Mask are tribute bands, and Bravo Amici is the world’s first opera band.
Zirconia performs the hits of Neil Diamond and Fleetwood Mask plays the Fleetwood Mac tunes.
Zirconia is billed as “a true faux Diamond,” according to his website.
According to the Highlands PAC website, “Neil Zirconia will take you on an exciting journey down memory lane that only Neil Diamond himself can inspire. He will hold your attention with an onstage presence and charisma that is pure Neil. Not to mention his unique baritone voice and singing ability that so amazingly resembles Neil Diamond, you won’t believe your ears.”
Fleetwood Mask even received an endorsement from drummer Mick Fleetwood, saying the band not only sounded like Fleetwood Mac, but looked like them too.
Bravo Amici is the next incarnation of the world’s first opera band, Amici Forever, co-founded by Geoff Sewell and Simone Lanham in 2002, which sold over 3.5 million albums worldwide, two of which shot to number one. Bravo Amici was formed in 2010, which includes Sewell, an original cast member and tenor.
Trumbly said while it was a shame the PAC had to cancel the three September concerts, all three acts are slated to return in 2021.
“They all want to come back and will be back next year,” she said.