The revised East Providence Heritage Arts Inc. (formerly East Providence Heritage Days Inc.) is sponsoring a special Christmas performance by the world-famous Motown recording group the Platters®. The 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM show will be on December 20, 2024, at the Elmasian Auditorium in East Providence High School. General admission tickets are only $25. Similar shows have brought rave reviews from everyone in attendance.
“The Platters® ("Only You," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "The Great Pretender”) will be gracing the stage of the Elmasian Auditorium to present you a Motown holiday show like no other,” said Clarence Butler, Jr., Chairman and Alba Curti, Secretary/Treasurer of EP Heritage Arts. “The Platters® vocal evolution continues to this day through the crisp, vocal stylings of members Wayne Miller, Adele Galinda Martin, Lance Bernard Bryant, and Kenny Williams, all under the musical direction of Michael Larson. In addition to MD Larson on the keyboard, the bands' rhythm section consists of Norwood Pearson (lead guitar), Dave Clark (bass) and Sergio Bellotti (drums).”
The Platters' recently released LP, Back to Basics with The Platters® LIVE! Captures the blueprint of the sounds made famous by The Platters. Today the group continues to open the hearts and minds of new generations of music consumers to the rich vocal and historical tradition, that is The Platters making their timeless melodies relevant to all ages of fans worldwide. This Rock & Roll, Vocal, and GRAMMY® Hall of Fame group captures the rock, R&B, and soulful stylings of its timeless music. There’s something for the whole family in this Christmas performance that captures the spirit of the holiday season!
The Reporter recently met with Jr. Butler and Alba Curti in a discussion of the new direction EP Heritage Arts has taken. “After 40 years are producing low-cost and free Heritage Days programming at Pierce Stadium and other venues, it was time to change directions,” said Butler. “Everything has a shelve life and we’re (the committee) excited about the changes we made a couple years ago,” agreed Alba Curti.
“It is with a grateful heart that the Board of East Providence Heritage Days Inc. announces the conclusion of our flagship event, The Annual Heritage Festival.” And with that message in February 2023, over 40 years of a popular summer festival changed. The announcement came as a mild surprise to those who followed the event closely. “We’re thinking out our mission,” long time Heritage Chairman Clarence “Junior” Butler told the Reporter in 2023. “It has been extremely difficult to keep this going at a level that people have come to know,” said Butler. EP Heritage Arts is now a 501c3 non-profit corporation. The organization plans and administers many culture-centric events whose goal is to raise public awareness of the Arts and their importance and value to the quality of life in a community.
“It is our goal to foster understanding of and pride in our collective aesthetic, intellectual and social origins and to transmit in tangible fashion a sense of that pride, knowledge, and appreciation to succeeding generations. Proceeds from these activities are used to sustain the corporation's work as well as to benefit other non-profits,” said Butler and Curti. The changeover has been a success. Community coffee hours, special events and a series of shows at the beautiful new high school auditorium have been well-received by the public.
The Platters Christmas show will not disappoint. Order your tickets at https://www.epheritagearts.org/. Similar shows in New York City and other professional venues can cost two to three times the $25 ticket price for the December 20th show.
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