2nd show added for ‘I Am, He Said’ concert

VW independent/submitted information

The Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, along with Enrich Series Presenting Sponsors Unverferth Family Dentistry and Roger and Kay Okuley, announce the addition of a second show for the vastly popular “I am, He Said-Celebrate the Music of Neil Diamond” concert on March 21, 2020.

With the 7:30 p.m. show officially sold out, a 2 p.m. show has been added on March 21. Both performances will feature select choirs from Coldwater High School, directed by Cindy Wendel; Parkway High School, directed by Leslie Baltzell; and Wayne Trace High School, directed by Joni Wenning. More than 50 vocalists will provide back-up choir vocals for five popular Neil Diamond hits and close out each show with special fanfare.

Presenters and audience members are raving about the show:

“This show was a lot more than a tribute. Instead it was an authentic presentation of the Neil Diamond hit list with stories of the man and his compositions interspersed. Our audiences were on their feet from the start… . Nobody could do it better. One of the best shows we’ve had this year,” said Bob Johnson of Paramount Theater in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, after selling out four shows.

“We are saying what ‘he’ said,” said Matt Vee with a laugh, referring to the one and only Neil Diamond. Vee, along with cousins Jeff and Tommy Vee, local music scene veterans and sons of the legendary Bobby Vee, join forces with their family and friends as The Killer Vees to celebrate the music from a timeless catalog. With songs like “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” and “Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond sold more than 100 million records worldwide — music that became the soundtrack to one generation after another, with hits spanning five decades.  

As a Tin Pan Alley songwriter in the mid-‘60s, Diamond penned songs recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Deep Purple and, of course, the Monkees’ classic “I’m A Believer.”

“This is not a tribute show,” says Tommy Vee. “This is a celebration of an amazing musical icon, one we all love and respect. We have been fans since we were in grade school and first learning our respective instruments and played many of these tunes over the years in various bands. 

“We have recruited an incredible group of singers and players and have gone back to the original records,” he added. “It is all about the vocals and Matt nails it. It’s a rockin’ show!”

Supporting Sponsors of the Enrich Community Concert Series at the Niswonger are State Farm Agent Tisha Fast, Gary Taylor of Taylor Auto Sales Inc., Van Wert Health, E&R Trailer, Putman Law Offices, and First Financial Bank. The Niswonger Performing Arts Center is powered by the Van Wert County Foundation.

Tickets for the 2 p.m. show range from $25 to $45 and are now available by contacting the Box Office by phone at 419.238.6722, in person at 10700 Ohio 118 in Van Wert, or online at NPACVW.ORG.