Freeman Stage Announces 10th Anniversary Lineup

Freeman Stage Announces 10th Anniversary Lineup
03 17 Color Page 31

SELBYVILLE- An acclaimed comedian, a Tony Award winner and several singers and musicians are among the 14 headliners and more than 50 performers that will grace the Freeman Stage at Bayside this summer.

The growing number of performers, as well as the evolving venue that accommodates them, will mark the Freeman Stage’s 10th anniversary.

In a press conference Wednesday, Michelle Freeman, chairperson and president of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, revealed this season’s “Star Series” lineup and introduced a wide array of singers, musicians, speakers, actors and comedians.

“For the first time we will have a real comedian on our stage, other than me,” she joked.

The 14 headliners are the Tedeschi Trucks Band on June 17, Jay Leno on June 30, The O’Jays on July 1, Dustin Lynch and Granger Smith on July 6, the Blues Traveler on July 11, The Wallflowers and Better than Ezra on July 12, Gary Clark, Jr. on July 17, Hunter Hayes on July 28, Michael Franti and Spearhead on July 29, Sutton Foster on July 30, Chicago on August 1, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue on Aug. 3, Mary Chapin Carpenter on August 8 and Joey Alexander Trio on August 12.

Other notable acts include the Stray Cat Lee Rocker on June 24 and speaker Justin Tucker, a Baltimore Ravens kicker and notable opera singer, on June 18.

“Our 10th season will continue to showcase diversity of the arts,” Freeman said.

As the 10th season commences in May, Freeman added that patrons will also notice a change in the venue, most notably a new 40-foot by-40-foot mobile stage and additional gathering space along Arts Alley.

“We hope this year in our 10th season patrons experience a sense of nostalgia,” she said, “even though the visible space may look a bit different this year.”

The changes, she added, celebrate the growth of the Freeman Stage since its first start in 2008.

In 2007, Freeman formed the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation in her late husband’s honor. Since that time, the foundation has formed multiple programs including the Freeman Stage, an arts in education program, and a volunteer program.

Officials with the Freeman Stage said these programs have amassed 322,000 visitors, 223 volunteers, more than 80,000 students, as well as a multitude of performing artists.

Freeman, a Wilmington, Del., native, said the goal was for children, through the programs, to have the same artistic experiences she had when visiting the DuPont Theatre as a child.

“The arts gave me hope, and the arts brought me joy” she said, “and the arts reminded me that the world was bigger than Wilmington, Delaware. I would like to think that some of those 80,000 children leave feeling the way I felt leaving the DuPont Theatre.”

Delaware Gov. John Carney, a speaker at the press conference, told the audience the Freeman Stage holds a key role in the future of the state’s economy, which often looks to start-ups and small businesses.

“What’s important to that is innovation and creativity,” he said, “and the arts help cultivate that in our young people.”

In addition to this year’s headliners, the Freeman Stage will continue to host a Saturday children’s series and performances from a variety of artists.

Tickets for headliner shows will go on sale April 3 at 10 a.m. For a full list of performers, show times and ticket prices, visit freemanstage.org.

“This is the beginning of a great season,” Freeman said, “one of the best, we think.”

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.