{"id":191300,"date":"2025-03-31T10:01:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T15:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=191300"},"modified":"2025-03-31T10:01:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T15:01:30","slug":"r-e-s-p-e-c-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2025\/03\/31\/r-e-s-p-e-c-t\/","title":{"rendered":"R.E.S.P.E.C.T."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>By Quincy Thompson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Queen of Soul lives on when&nbsp;<em>RESPECT: The Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin<\/em>&nbsp;takes the stage at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. This high-energy Broadway-style show will light up the theater with soul, rhythm, and timeless hits on Saturday, April 19, promising an unforgettable night of music and celebration. The evening of powerful theatre is presented by OhioHealth and Supported by Roger &amp; Kay Okuley.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Respect_Vincentbao-028.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-191303\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Queen of Soul will live on Saturday, April 19. <em>Photos submitted<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This theatrical concert experience tells the story of Aretha Franklin\u2019s rise to fame through her iconic music, powerful vocals, and undeniable influence on American music and culture. With a live band, vocalists, and dazzling visuals,&nbsp;<em>R.E.S.P.E.C.T.<\/em>&nbsp;takes audiences on a journey through the singer\u2019s life\u2014from her humble beginnings in a gospel choir to becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Expect to hear hits like \u201cNatural Woman,\u201d \u201cChain of Fools,\u201d \u201cThink,\u201d and of course, \u201cRespect.\u201d&nbsp;Her music transcended genres, blending soul, R&amp;B, gospel, and pop, and her influence extended far beyond the music industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aretha Franklin\u2019s legacy spans decades and genres. With 18 Grammy Awards and more than 75 million records sold worldwide, her voice became the soundtrack of a generation. She was a civil rights activist, a trailblazer for women in music, and a force of vocal power and emotional storytelling. Her impact still resonates today, and&nbsp;<em>R.E.S.P.E.C.T.<\/em>&nbsp;captures both the triumphs and challenges she faced as an artist and woman of color in the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis show is more than a concert\u2014it\u2019s a celebration of one of the most powerful voices in history,\u201d said Jarin Hart, Executive Director of Van Wert Live. \u201cWe\u2019re honored to bring a Broadway production like this to the region, and I truly believe audiences will leave feeling inspired, uplifted, and connected to the timeless message of Aretha\u2019s music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you grew up dancing to Aretha\u2019s records or are just discovering her genius, this is a night of music you don\u2019t want to miss. Come celebrate the voice, the story, and the soul of a true legend\u2014Aretha Franklin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is an&nbsp; opportunity that evening for a fine dining experience at Willow Bend, as a part of our Buffet Dinner &amp; A Show partnership. For only $25 you can have a variety of flavors sure to be prepared with perfection. Willow Bend County Club is only a short four minute car ride away from the Niswonger. You will be sure to arrive on time after you enjoy this great buffet, open from 5-7 p.m. Call today to make your reservations at 419.23.-0111.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information and to purchase tickets to any upcoming Niswonger events, visit the box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,&nbsp; call 419.238.6722, or get your tickets 24\/7 at<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=http-3A__vanwertlive.com&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=FC13PzDbVZ8qhVsUeHYgLJLYUVcrkfTA5q3JvQduqoI&amp;m=_8xXEnGNrGYL_UtFBDNqNZpGyaMxcgn8AM2zU5UMjtnBQJ2vdcum9cv3JZ1R-4n1&amp;s=_xk08CXJU4z42KCESOG93tnrdKOZOGqjFjm4FD1LaWQ&amp;e=\">&nbsp;vanwertlive.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Respect_Vincentbao-048-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-191304\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Quincy Thompson The Queen of Soul lives on when&nbsp;RESPECT: The Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin&nbsp;takes the stage at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. This high-energy Broadway-style show will light up the theater with soul, rhythm, and timeless hits on Saturday, April 19, promising an unforgettable night of music and celebration. The evening [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 13:44:30","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191300"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191305,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191300\/revisions\/191305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}