EPIC TO OPEN COLLEGE'S ARTS CENTER READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

VALENCIA - The long-awaited EPIC Center for the Performing Arts at College of the Canyons will open Friday with a gala ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a student production of the Tony Award-winning musical ``Big River.''

EPIC, which stands for Educating, Performing, Informing and Communicating, went from the drawing board to fruition in three years. Part of the college's master plan from the beginning, it was a creative match of state and city money that made it all come together.

The newest and largest performing arts center in northern Los Angeles County, it joins a network of arts complexes that includes the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, which seats 758, and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, with a main stage theater seating 1,800.

``We dreamed big and worked together; the state gave us $15.9 million and the city gave us $2.4 million to add the balcony - and here we are,'' said college President Dianne Van Hook.

The main stage theater seats as many as 559 in the orchestra section and 327 in the balcony, and an adjacent black box theater has flexible seating that can accommodate up to 125.

The grand opening celebration will start at 7 p.m. at the center, on the east side of the college campus, 26433 Rockwell Canyon Road.

The 7,500-square-foot, full proscenium stage is augmented by a full construction shop, fly space for scenery and backdrops as well as wardrobe and prop construction and storage on the second floor of the complex.

A second building is being constructed behind the main theater for music and dance and is scheduled for completion in early 2005.

Of note is the center's specialized acoustics control system, one of only three in the United States. The system augments traditional speakers with sound coming from spots on the wall designed to reflect sound waves. The system is designed to electronically adapt the sound for varying types of performances that have different requirements - greater reverberation for orchestral concerts, more clarity for chamber music, and other special requirements for choral music, opera, spoken word and ballet.

Center manager Karen Schmidt, who came to the college from the Music Center of Los Angeles, said that the box office software is affiliated with Seat Advisor, which allows guests to check out the best available seating as well as the view from those seats, on their home computers prior to making their purchase.

``Online will be the quickest, most efficient way to purchase tickets,'' she said. ``You won't have to leave your seat to pick your seat.'' Seat Advisor is accessible through the center's Web site at www.epiccenteronline.com.

Along with the full schedule of professional, college and community performances, the center will be available to groups on days when the theater is dark. Rules and fee schedules are available by contacting the theater at [phone].

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

EPIC CENTER: SCHEDULE

MAIN STAGE

--COC Theatre presents ``Big River''

Oct. 15, 8 p.m.

Oct. 16, 22, 23, 8 p.m.

Oct. 17, 2 p.m.

$12 ($18 opening night) general admission; $10 students, staff and seniors; $8 children under 12. An epic tale of courage and friendship on the Mississippi River based on Mark Twain's ``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.''

--Santa Clarita Master Chorale ``A Choral Sampler''

Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m.

$15 general admission/$10 students and seniors.

Call [phone] for tickets

The Chorale offers an afternoon of singing to commemorate the opening of the EPIC center; featured performances by the choirs of Canyon and Valencia high schools and tenor Steve Amerson.

--Jim Gamble's Puppets in ``The Witch's Brew''

Oct. 27, 28, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

$5 general admission

A marionette variety show featuring Wisteria the Witch and her repertoire of friendly ghosts and laughable goblins.

--Paul Anka

Oct. 29, 8 p.m.

$95/$80/$75/$60

One of the most prolific, successful songwriters in history, Anka will perform many of his familiar compositions, marking his 45th year in show business.

--COC Music presents the College of the Canyons Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble

Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.

$7 general admission/$6 students

This opening concert for the two ensembles is under the direction of KC Manji and renowned jazz composer/arranger Dirk Fischer.

--Santa Clarita Symphony presents ``Russian Masters''

Nov. 6, 8 p.m.

$38/$30/$25/$18

A professional orchestra under the direction of Robert E. Lawson, it will perform Mussorgsky's ``Night on Bald Mountain,'' Prokofiev's ``Piano Concerto No. 3'' and Tchaikovsky's ``Symphony No. 5.''

--Three Irish Tenors in ``Christmas From Dublin''

Nov. 19, 8 p.m.

$50/$40/$30/$20

Celebrate the holidays with songs of the season full of the charm and flavor of the Emerald Isle.

--Melissa Manchester

Dec. 4, 8 p.m.

$95/$80/$75/$60

The Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter will perform a combination of classics and material from her new album.

--COC Dance presents ``A Dance Retrospective''

Dec. 9, 10, 8 p.m.

$10 general admission/$8 students

--COC Music presents a Holiday Choral Concert

Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

The opening concert of the COC Choral program features The Voices of the Canyons, Les Chanteuses, the Chamber Singers and Just Jazz.

--COC Music presents the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra

Dec. 12, 2:30 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

The Santa Clarita Youth Philharmonic, the Santa Clarita Youth Symphony and the Prelude Strings combine efforts under the direction of Julissa Bozman, Robert Lawson and Paul Sherman.

--COC Music presents the Jazz, Clarinet and Flute Choirs

Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.

$7 general admission/$6 students

Directed by Dirk Fischer, the jazz ensemble will perform many standards, joined by singer Alice Aguiar. The clarinet and flute choir are directed by Billy Kerr and will perform a variety of styles from classical to jazz.

--Santa Clarita Ballet presents ``The Nutcracker''

Dec. 18, 2 and 8 p.m.; Dec. 19, 2 and 7 p.m.

For tickets, call [phone]

Classical ballet featuring choreography by artistic director Carol Guidry, the dancers of the company will be joined by Russian artists in this timeless holiday piece.

--John Amos in ``Halley's Comet''

Feb. 5, 8 p.m.

$40/$30/$20

In this one-man show, Amos portrays an 87-year-old man sharing his memories of a lifetime with the famous comet he saw as an 11-year-old boy.

--COC Music presents the Annual RK Downs Jazz Festival 

Feb. 12, 10 a.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students.

This annual jazz festival attracts musicians from local high schools and colleges. The daylong event culminates in an evening performance by the COC Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dirk Fischer and highlights a special guest artist.

--``Best of Broadway''

Feb. 14, 8 p.m.

$55/$45/$30

A musical journey through Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest hits, featuring Webber musical veterans Raymond Saar, Diane Ketchie and Valeris Perri.

--``Forbidden Hollywood''

Feb. 17, 8 p.m.

$40/$30/$20

This show cuts through Tinseltown's bombast and star power with surgical precision. Creator Gerard Alessandrini keeps the show topical by constantly updating his material, leaving no film - brand-new or classic- safe from his pen.

--The Vienna Choir Boys 

March 3, 7:30 p.m.

$40

This Austrian singing group, formed by royal decree in 1498 to provide special choristers to the Imperial Chapel, continues a time-honored tradition of classical choral music.

--COC Music presents the Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble

March 11, 7:30 p.m.

$7 general admission/$6 students

--COC Music presents a Youth Symphony Program

March 13, 2:30 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

--COC Theatre presents ``Rumors'' by Neil Simon 

March 18, 19, 25, 26, 8 p.m.

March 20, 27, 2 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students, staff, seniors/$8 children under 12

In this comic farce, four couples gather to celebrate a 10th wedding anniversary only to find their politician host injured - and no one can get their stories straight or remember what's been told to whom.

--``Robin Hood''

March 21 and 22, 9 and 11 a.m.

$5 general admission

SIGNSTAGE Theatre will present this classic tale in spoken word and American Sign Language by deaf and hearing actors.

--Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band presents the fourth annual ``It's Swingtime In Santa Clarita''

April 9, 8 p.m.

For tickets, call [phone]

Guest vocalists and dancers will be featured along with the band's 50 musicians performing music from the Big Band era, Broadway and pop charts.

--The Santa Clarita Symphony presents ``The First Viennese School''

April 16, 8 p.m.

$38/$30/$25/$18

--The Acting Company presents ``Turn of the Screw''

April 17, 6 p.m.

$40/$30/$20

--COC 35th Anniversary Celebration-Faculty Artist Evening

April 22, 8 p.m.

$10 general admission/$8 students

This evening will feature the faculty artists from the school's performing arts departments.

--COC Dance Department/California State University, Los Angeles, Department of Theatre Arts and Dance present ``An Evening of Jazz Dance''

April 29 and 30, 8 p.m.

$10 general admission/$8 students

The show explores classical jazz dance through the works of jazz masters such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and David Sanborn, with performances by students from both campuses, as well as guest artists.

--COC Music presents the Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble

May 13, 7:30 p.m.

$7 general admission/$6 students

--COC Music presents a choral performance

May 14, 7:30 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

Julie Lawson will conduct the four choral ensembles, joined by a jazz combo and accompanist Lorna Edder.

--COC Music presents the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra

May 15, 2:30 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

BLACK BOX THEATRE

--COC Dance presents ``Works In Progress''

Nov. 20 at 8 p.m.

$5 general admission/$4 students

--COC Theatre presents ``The Best of Holiday Voices''

Dec. 3,10,11 at 8 p.m.

Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.

Dec. 5 and 12 at 7 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students

A celebration of the holidays featuring storytelling, music and dance, touching on themes of faith, peace, good will, family and community.

--COC Theatre presents the New Works Festival

April 7, 8, 9, 8 p.m., April 10, 2 p.m.

Admission free

New plays written and performed by students.

--COC Theatre presents ``The Glass Menagerie'' by Tennessee Williams

May 6, 7, 13, 14, 8 p.m.

May 8 and 15, 2 p.m.

$12 general admission/$10 students, staff and seniors/$8 children under 12

In this autobiographical play, Tom Wingfield wants nothing more than to escape his dead-end job and his overbearing mother, but life's twists and turns make him question his actions.

BOX OFFICE OPTIONS

Tickets can be purchased for EPIC Center performances in a variety of ways.

--On campus: In advance, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the college's Community Extension office, Room TY-102; day of performance, two hours prior to each show from the EPIC Center box office.

--By phone: Call [phone]. Ticket purchases made seven or more days prior to any event will be mailed. Ticket purchases made less than seven days in advance will be held at the Will Call window to be picked up the day of the event.

--By Internet: Visit www.epiccenteronline.com. Ticket purchases made seven or more days before any event will be mailed. Ticket purchases made less than seven days in advance will be held at the Will Call window to be picked up the day of the event.

A $2 service and handling fee will be added per ticket for collegiate productions. A $3 service and handling fee will be added per ticket for all other productions.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

(color) Manager Karen Schmidt is preparing for the EPIC Center's opening Firday at College of the Canyons.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) EPIC CENTER: SCHEDULE (see text)

(2) BOX OFFICE OPTIONS (see text)

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(4) ANOTHER FACT OR 2 OR 3...