Bowie Center for the Performing Arts Announces Opening Gala Week, August 14-21, 2004

Tony and Emmy Award Winner Leslie Uggams Among Featured Performers As Bowie Celebrates A Dream More Than A Decade In the Making

Bowie, Maryland, June 14, 2004 ­ The long-anticipated gala opening of the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA), a state-of-the-art facility located adjacent to Bowie High School, takes place August 14 - 21, 2004. The announcement was made today by representatives of the Bowie Regional Arts Vision Association (BRAVA).

The gala week of programming will feature a diverse mix that begins with the Taste of Bowie and concludes with a star-studded Gala celebration featuring performances by notable Bowie High School alumni and entertainer Leslie Uggams, of Broadway¹s Thoroughly Modern Millie.

The BCPA, located on Annapolis Road (RT. 450), has been developed over the past decade and funded by a variety of sources. The City of Bowie was the first to provide funding in 1995. Additional funding was provided by the State of Maryland, Prince George¹s County, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, private donations, and the Federal Government, for a total of $13.6 million to build the 800-seat facility.

In 1995, the Bowie Regional Arts Vision Association, Inc. (BRAVA) was created to promote the design, development, funding and creation of a regional arts facility. BRAVA¹s vision of a world-class facility that would be the hub for performing arts, not just for Bowie, but for the entire region has finally become a reality. The opening gala week will be a celebration of the efforts and dedication of the many individuals who have labored over the past decade to make this dream a reality.

The Gala Week Celebration is a showcase of the arts as well as a time for the community to rejoice and explore this wonderful new jewel that is the BCPA. Volunteer committees are expending thousands of hours in pulling together the best and most diverse lineup of performers possible that truly celebrate the best artists that the Bowie region has to offer.

Rental requests for the BCPA should be made in writing to BRAVA, P.O. Box 1044, Bowie, MD, 20718.

About Bowie Regional Arts Vision Association, Inc. (BRAVA)
BRAVA was created to promote the design, development, funding and creation of a regional arts facility in Bowie, Maryland, for use by children, families, and adults in classes, stage crafts, workshops, concerts, creative arts, theatre programs, musical performances, drama therapy and other therapy groups, providing functional space for large group assemblies, instructional lectures, performances, demonstrations and forum discussions.

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