Arts in the Ballpark

Country Hits: Songs From Nashville

"Everybody¡¯s life is a country western song,¡± says the legendary Dolly Parton. American country music has won hearts worldwide with stories spun from heartbreak, hope, and a whole lot of humor. At this symphonic revue of country¡¯s cream of the crop, dynamic vocalists belt out anthems of unsung heroes and underdogs, from Martina McBride¡¯s ¡°Independence Day¡± to Johnny Cash¡¯s ¡°Folsom Prison Blues,¡± while Sarasota Orchestra supplies the silky orchestrations that define the Nashville sound. Kick up your heels to country classics that crossed over to hits we all know and love, including Willie Nelson¡¯s ¡°Always on My Mind,¡± The Chicks¡¯ ¡°Wide Open Spaces,¡± Charlie Daniels¡¯ ¡°Devil Went Down to Georgia,¡± and Lee Ann Womack¡¯s ¡°I Hope You Dance¡± - plus ¡°I Will Always Love You¡± and other Dolly Parton favorites! A spectacular fireworks display concludes this evening of hits and home runs.

Back to the 80¡¯s

Back to the ¡®80s is a power-packed evening of the decade¡¯s number-one songs, including Madonna¡¯s ¡°Material Girl,¡± Cyndi Lauper¡¯s first smash hit, ¡°Time After Time,¡± and ¡°The Power of Love¡± by Huey Lewis & the News. Featuring the music of a multitude of iconic ¡®80s stars¡ªsuch as Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Elton John, and Heart ¡ª Back to the ¡®80s contains all-new arrangements by GRAMMY-winner Jeff Tyzik belted out by three incredible vocalists. Experience your Sarasota Orchestra, amped up on the field at the Orioles¡¯ Ed Smith Stadium, in an evening of hits and home runs that concludes with a dazzling fireworks display.

Iconic Songs of the '70s

Grab your bell bottoms and come out to the Orioles' Ed Smith Stadium for a night of music from a time when "catch you on the flip side" referred to vinyl records. Sarasota Orchestra backs the powerful vocals of Nashville-based duo Swearingen & Kelli, who faithfully recreate the magic of '70s singer-songwriters such as James Taylor, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, and more.

The hits kept on coming as Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe partnered with the Orioles to present the '70s Soul Party. The event featured WBTT's Soul Crooners and sizzling band performing nearly two hours of music -- featuring the chart-topping soul hits of the 1970s -- under the direction of WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs. The Crooners knocked '70s favorites out of the park, with selections including "Superstition," "Let's Get It On," "I Want You Back," "Brick House," "September," and many, many more. The concert concluded with a dazzling fireworks display.

?The Orchestra's sixth annual concert at the ballpark was a tribute to the role of women in the creation and performance of popular music. It featured classic favorites such as Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,"?Tina Turner's?"Proud Mary" and Joan Jett's?"I Love Rock n' Roll."?Guest vocalists also saluted the music of Carole King, Janis Joplin, Minnie Riperton and Heart. Vocalists included Grammy-nominated Cassidy Catanzaro, The Voice contestant Katrina Rose, and Broadway and jazz vocalist Shayna Steele.?A spectacular fireworks display closed out an evening of hits and home runs.?

Broadway stars Deedee Magno Hall and Cliffton Hall headlined?as the musicians of the Sarasota Orchestra played a wide range of audience favorites from a stage on the outfield grass. Performances ended with a fireworks display.

The Orioles presented a special end-of-season charity concert featuring the award-winning country duo LOCASH to benefit the Sarasota Academy of the Arts Musical Theater Program.

The Orioles' third annual "Nashville's Music Row Comes to the Ballpark" weekend brought Orioles athletes and country music artists together to benefit local Sarasota and Nashville charities in support of young women and the arts.

Winning Pops selections, vocals by fan favorites, and a spectacular fireworks display all contributed to an unforgettable evening at the ballpark.

The Sarasota Orchestra brought exciting live music to the Orioles' Ed Smith Stadium for the third-annual outdoor Pops. The concert, called Triple Play, covered the bases in three genres -- jazz, rock 'n' roll and Broadway. A tribute to American Divas, the vocalists who performed with the Sarasota Orchestra included Carol McCartney, Amy Whitcomb and Maria Wirries.

The Jazz Club of Sarasota and the Orioles teamed up for the first time to bring live, big band jazz to the Left Field Pavilion at Ed Smith Stadium on April 9. The event featured "The Music of Sinatra and Friends" with vocalists Lisanne Lyons and George McLain.

For the second year in a row, the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Sarasota Orchestra in a sold-out pops performance on the diamond at Ed Smith Stadium. The "Orchestra in the Outfield" program on May 9 paid tribute to a variety of American idols and featured a vocal performance by American Idol finalist Syesha Mercado, who was raised in the Sarasota area.

A day of free activities designed for the whole family to honor returning military veterans. The festivities began with a ceremony honoring veterans, then attendees enjoyed hands-on activities for the whole family. An exhibition softball game took place on the Ed Smith Stadium main field featuring local veterans squaring off against Sarasota celebrities. Free concerts by Grammy Award-winning "America" and New York-based singer-songwriter Margaret Valentine from the Ed Smith Stadium field capped off the day.

In a first for Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles presented world-class skaters in "Ice on the Diamond - A Holiday Celebration," a dazzling, holiday-themed show on a specially engineered ice stage on the ballpark's main field. The stadium was decked out for the holidays, creating a festive backdrop to this family-friendly event featuring top skaters and comedic actors who have performed for audiences around the world.