‘Christmas’ Kicks Off Civic’s In-House Series

“The Colors of Christmas” show at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium today and Saturday will mark two returns to action.

Most dramatic will be the appearance of singer-dancer Ben Vereen, his first performance since being critically injured when hit by a car on Pacific Coast Highway near his Malibu apartment last June.

Vereen will sing and narrate a presentation of a Christmas story as part of a variety show also featuring performances by Patti Austin, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Michael McDonald and a special appearance by Barry Manilow. The shows will, in part, benefit UNICEF’s effort to aid the children of Somalia.

The shows will also inaugurate an ongoing series of events for the ornate, 60-year-old theater. Throughout its existence, the Pasadena Civic has been used primarily for shows brought in by outside producers and organizations, including the Pasadena Symphony, the Ambassador Foundation and the Los Angeles Classical Ballet, which is currently presenting “The Nutcracker” in Pasadena and at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre.

Beginning with the Christmas shows, the Civic will host special events developed in-house by the facility’s new manager, Rick Barr, and producer Stig Edgren, who oversaw such major events as Pope John Paul II’s Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles Coliseum visits. They also hope to attract touring Broadway musicals to Pasadena.

“I’m out to change the image of the Civic,” says Barr, who took his job three months ago after a stint as the Los Angeles Music Center’s production manager.

Next is a Jan. 29 concert by Liza Minnelli, part of a weeklong series of Pasadena events leading up to the Jan. 31 Super Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Among planned shows is one tied to the World Cup soccer matches that will be at the Rose Bowl in June, 1994.