The Chocolate Church Arts Center, located at 804 Washington Street in Bath, announces the September 2018 – June 2019 performance schedule. For 41 years, the Chocolate Church has presented music, theatre and dance on the main stage and in the annex. Most recently the programming focus has been on highlighting local, regional, national and international musicians, producing community theatre, and offering family entertainment. This season is highlighted by iconic performers, eclectic theatre, outstanding holiday themed shows and a celebration of the American piano.

Accomplished American singer-songwriter Dar Williams will perform on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

In November, founding member of the classic rock band Youngbloods, Jesse Colin Young will perform solo on Saturday, Nov. 10.

 The Chocolate Church Arts Center’s 2018-19 season has a strong line up of theater productions. “Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opens the season in September. The Studio Theatre of Bath will present “The Assassins” musical by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman in October. The New Repertory Theatre will present “Animal Farm,” the play based on the 1945 acclaimed novel by George Orwell, that explores themes of power, politics and propaganda on Friday, Nov. 2. The Chocolate Church will produce “Santa Diaries” as a holiday gift to the community on the weekend of Dec. 14-16.  And in 2019, Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” will be staged in the Annex  Feb. 22-24, March 1-3. And, in partnership with Shakespeare on the Kennebec, the season will conclude with a Shakespearean classic in June 2019.

The Christmas season at the Chocolate Church offers holiday music with something for everyone. On Nov. 24, Pat Colwell & the Soul Sensations kick off the season with dancing in the aisles to Motown Christmas.  The Campbell Brothers’ Sacred Steel Christmas on November 30 presents a compelling, rich variety of material from the African-American Holiness-Pentecostal repertoire with a new twist. On Sunday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., Cape Breton’s COIG returns for Celtic Christmas. Each musician of this talented quartet brings something more to foot-tapping, knee slapping renditions of holiday classics.  The Carpenters’ Christmas is a tribute band that plays Carpenters’ classic Christmas repertoire with a full complement of their biggest hits guaranteed to put everyone in the Holiday spirit on Dec. 7.  Livingston Taylor returns to the Chocolate Church main stage with a special afternoon show at 2pm on Sunday, Dec. 9. Liv adds his unique pop, folk, gospel, jazz style to seasonal favorites.

In the spring, the master of physical comedy Avner the Eccentric brings his Defying Gravity show to the main stage on Saturday, March 23. The audience will experience a rare form of entertainment that is reminiscent of the past but perfectly timely now because we all want to laugh and marvel at the intricacy of comedy.

American piano music will be showcased in the spring of 2019.  George Winston performs his “rural folk piano”on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. In April, Ivory and Gold featuring Anne Barnhart on flute and vocals with Jeff Barnhart on piano and vocals perform on Saturday, April 13. This duo celebrates the greatest examples of American jazz, blues, ragtime, Broadway and hits from the Great American Songbook. Again to showcase classic forms of entertainment on Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m., pianist Jeff Barnhart plays along to silent movies. This experience is not to be missed as a vintage form of entertainment is brought back to life.

The Chocolate Church Art Center season typically involves over 50 performances of more than 30 shows within 41 weeks. All of these shows are available for ticketing at www.chocolatechurcharts.org or for assistance by calling the box office at 207-442-8455.  The Chocolate Church is located at 804 Washington St., in Bath.