CapLive:
WXPN Welcomes
Keller Williams

Capitol Theatre
Sunday, September 15, 2023 | 7:30pm

The taking of photographs and videos during the performance is prohibited.

KELLER WILLIAMS released his first album in 1994, FREEK, and has since given each of his albums a single syllable title: BUZZ, SPUN, BREATHE, LOOP, LAUGH, HOME, DANCE, STAGE, GRASS, DREAM, TWELVE, LIVE, ODD, THIEF, KIDS, BASS, PICK, FUNK, VAPE, SYNC, RAW, SANS and Add, those who have followed his career will know this. Each title serves as a concise summation of the concept guiding each project. GRASS, for example, is a bluegrass recording cut with the husband-wife duo The Keels. STAGE is a live album, and DREAM is the realization of Keller’s wish to collaborate with some of his musical heroes. THIEF is a set of unexpected cover songs, KIDS offers Keller’s first children’s record, PICK presents Keller’s collaboration with royal bluegrass family The Travelin’ McCoury’s, and RAW is a solo acoustic album. Each album showcases Keller’s comprehensive and diverse musical endeavors and functions to provide another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is Keller Williams. Keller’s collaborative and solo albums reflect his pursuit to create music that sounds like nothing else. Unbeholden to conventionalism, he seamlessly crosses genre boundaries. The end product is astounding and novel music that encompasses rock, jazz, funk and bluegrass, and always keeps the audience on their feet.

Since he first appeared on the scene in the early ’90s, Williams has defined the term independent artist. And his recordings tell only half the story. Keller built his reputation initially on his engaging live performances, no two of which are ever alike. For most of his career he has performed solo. His stage shows are rooted around Keller singing his compositions and choice cover songs, while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. With the use of today’s technology, Keller creates samples on the fly in front of the audience, a technique called live phrase sampling or looping, with nothing pre-recorded. The end result often leans toward a hybrid of alternative folk and groovy electronica, a genre Keller jokingly calls “acoustic dance music” or ADM.”

That approach, Williams explains, was derived from “hours of playing solo with just a guitar and a microphone, and then wanting to go down different avenues musically. I couldn’t afford humans and didn’t want to step into the cheesy world of automated sequencers where you hit a button and the whole band starts to play, then you’ve got to solo along or sing on top of it. I wanted something more organic yet with a dance groove that I could create myself.” Williams’ solo live shows—and his ability to improvise to his determinedly quirky tunes despite the absence of an actual band—quickly became the stuff of legend, and his audience grew exponentially when word spread about this exciting, unpredictable performer. Once he began releasing recordings, starting with 1994’s FREEK, Williams was embraced by an even wider community of music fans, particularly the jam band crowd. While his live gigs have largely been solo affairs, Williams has nearly always used his albums as a forum for collaborations with fellow musicians. An alliance with The String Cheese Incident on 1999’s BREATHE marked Williams’ first release on the band’s label SCI Fidelity Records, DREAM, Keller’s 2007 release, found him in the company of such iconic musicians as the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, banjo master Béla Fleck, bass great Victor Wooten, American musician/poet Michael Franti and many others.

“That album took, from start to release time,” says Williams, “about three years. The object was to get people that I admire musically to play my stuff, so when I’m old I can crank this album in my pimped-out golf cart and have something that I’m really proud of. I was going for the historical effect for my own personal listening pleasure. 

“Each record,” he continues, “is a little snapshot of history. I like to think of it as a period piece for an artist. Each record is a little bit different but all of them have some kind of common thread, which is my musical ability as far as I can take it. I enjoy making records. In some people’s eyes, they’re a dying breed, but I’m very passionate about it. They document where my head is at that time in my career and where I am in my songwriting.”

Williams’ story begins in Fredericksburg, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C. There he was exposed to a wide variety of music at an early age, starting with country and bluegrass and working his way up through hip-hop and go-go, a brand of funk particular to that part of the country. Once he began playing guitar, Williams’ sphere expanded to what he calls “the postpseudo-skateboarder punk-rock rebellious type of thing, Black Flag and Sex Pistols and Ramones, Dead Kennedys, things like that. That slid into the more melodic college rock, like the Cure and the Cult, the Smiths, R.E.M.’s first five or six records.” 

Then came the Grateful Dead, a seminal influence on Williams’ own music. “I studied and learned their music and went to the shows,” he says, adding that the impact of Jerry Garcia on his attitude toward music remains incalculable. Another major influence was Michael Hedges, the late virtuoso acoustic guitarist. “He was really excelling in a whole different world from what I knew,” says Williams.

After relocating to Colorado, further exposure to bluegrass music and progressive acoustic artists such as Béla Fleck and the Flecktones also had a major impression on Williams. As he began to develop his own distinctive compositional and performing style, Williams incorporated all of the lessons he’d learned from the long list of artists who’d found their way into his world, then filtered their music through his own experiences until something wholly unique emerged. The list of artists whose music he has covered either in concert or on his recordings constitutes a mind-blowing spread: songs originally performed by everyone from Pink Floyd and Ozzy Osbourne to Ani DiFranco and old-school rappers the Sugar Hill Gang! 

When he first started out, Williams played in regional bands but also performed as a solo artist, “me sitting on a stool playing covers, like a happy hour situation,” he says. “I’d get dinner and maybe tips. There were bands in high school and in college. But it turned out I could get the same money playing solo that I was getting with the band. Around that time I was also doing temporary jobs and I was making the same amount playing music as I was scraping mortar out of the cracks of cinder block walls for eight hours in the summertime at minimum wage. So it seemed like the obvious choice was to play music. I started to work and over the years I incorporated more technology. The looping thing started to happen and tickets were sold and people came to shows, so there wasn’t any reason to fix something that wasn’t broken.”

What Williams calls “the looping thing” is actually a big part of what has made him such a compelling live performer. “Basically, I have these machines that are essentially delay units,” he explains. “What I do is step on a button and sing or play something. Then I step on the same button in time and it repeats what I just played or sang. Once that initial loop is created, I can layer on a bass line or a drum line and then have this layer that I just created in front of an audience that I could sing over and solo over. Nothing is pre-recorded. Everything is created onstage in front of the audience.”

If it sounds complicated, it is: but the basic thrust is that the technology has allowed Williams to go out on tour week after week, year after year, and play music by himself—without limiting his sound to what we most often associate with the solo singer-songwriter: a guy strumming a guitar and singing. With his arsenal of tech toys, Williams can expand his reach onstage by, in essence, jamming with himself.

As years have gone by and Keller has continued to evolve he has created more and more unique projects and collaborations with fellow musicians. In 2007 Keller formed a band of his own, Keller Williams with Moseley, Droll and Sipe which featured Keller on rhythm guitar and vocals, Jeff Sipe on drums, Keith Moseley on bass and Gibb Droll on lead guitar. After touring throughout 2007 - 2008, they subsequently released a double live record with a companion DVD. In true Keller Williams fashion, it’s called LIVE.

The summer of 2010 found Keller sharing a bus with two of his biggest heroes, former Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, as a member of their powerhouse assemblage the Rhythm Devils. “That was a very surreal experience,” Williams says. “We rehearsed for a few days and then we were on a bus with 12 people, two of them being the original drummers from the Grateful Dead.” On that tour, Williams was put in the enviable position of singing many songs from the Grateful Dead catalog for audiences that loved every minute of it. Inspired by this experience and his admiration for the Grateful Dead, Keller added two Grateful Dead projects to his repertoire: Grateful Grass and Grateful Gospel. With an ever-revolving cast of jam, bluegrass, and gospel musicians, Grateful Grass and Grateful Gospel have become fan favorites and festival staples. Keller’s Grateful Grass tunes can be heard on two live digital releases, REX and DOS. Keller’s guests on these recordings include: Jeff Austin (Jeff Austin Band), Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident), Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green), The Keels and many more. Following the Grateful Dead theme, Keller also released KEYS, a digital only release on which Keller is at the piano singing a collection of Dead tunes. All three of these releases donate proceeds to the Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation.

Williams has also toured as part of a string trio with fellow Virginians, singer/guitarist Larry Keel and his wife, singer/bassist Jenny Keel, dubbed Keller and the Keels. You can find them hitting key stops on the bluegrass festival circuit playing songs from their two previous releases GRASS and THIEF, and soon from their upcoming album, SPEED.

If it seems as if this is a man who never stops, that would be about right. Keller released the amusingly titled THIEF—his all-covers project with the Keels—early in 2010, and KIDS, his sixteenth album, in the fall of that same year. A father of two himself, Williams was, of course, inspired by his own offspring but, he says, some of the songs were written before his children were born. “When Not For Kids Only by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman came out, I knew that there was hope for me with kids music,” he says. “I was really attached to that record.” The songwriting for KIDS, Keller says, “was not necessarily singing to the kids. A lot of it was me singing from the perspective of the kids. That was my plan, to get on their wavelength, on their level, and be one of them, so it’s kind of like one of their friends singing to them.”

In 2011, BASS found the multi-instrumentalist only playing bass guitar. BASS was also the first album to be recorded with Keller’s live reggae-funk band Kdubalicious, which in addition to Keller on bass and vocals, features Jay Starling on keyboards and Mark D on drums. On the other end of the spectrum – but just as tasty – is Keller’s 2012 release PICK. This collaboration featuring Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys is a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts—although the parts are rather massive on their own, to be sure. “Performing with The Travelin’ McCourys is one of my favorite things to do in the world,” Keller explains. “This project has struck a special chord with me [pun intended]. It is very addictive.”

Indeed, Keller always enjoys working with a band. For 2013 he stepped out with a new muse, a 6-piece funk band dubbed More Than A Little. Williams drew from the Richmond, VA R&B/gospel scene including a pair of show stealing female singers. FUNK – a sexy live recording that pays deep homage to the genre’s roots, Keller style – hit the streets in November 2013 and More Than A Little made its way around the country becoming a festival staple all their own. Early 2015 found Keller back in the studio working on his 20th release, VAPE. While mainly a solo endeavor, it does feature a few special guests such as Sampson Grisman, John Kadlecik and a track with the Travelin’ McCourys. In Keller’s own words “Imagine taking these songs and blowing high pressured life through them in a low pressured atmosphere. Out comes highly concentrated music that can be heated up and inhaled through your ears...Vape”.

In 2016, Keller assembled yet another band, Keller Williams’ KWahtro. KWahtro, featuring Gibb Droll, Danton Boller and Rodney Holmes, toured the country throughout the winter and fall of 2016. The first KWahtro album, SYNC was released in 2017. According to Keller, SYNC began as acoustic dance music but with the help of Droll, Boller and Holmes and special guests Mike Dillon and The Accidentals, the album “morphed into a type of acoustic acid jazz that draws on imagery in both the lyrics and the music.”

As if one album release wasn’t enough, Keller’s first all solo acoustic album, RAW, also released simultaneously with SYNC in 2017. Keller started working on RAW in 2011 but got sidetracked by a number of other projects that began to take form. It was when Keller’s 2017 winter tour, Shut the Folk Up and Listen with Leo Kottke started to take form, that he jumped back into it and completed the album. For Keller the album and tour represented his roots; all solo acoustic guitar and vocals, no looping, pedals or bands.

Keller’s 2018 release, and first ever entirely-instrumental album, SANS (as in without), found him breathing new life into some of his favorite songs that were once presented as solo acoustic guitar pieces, enhancing them with bold acoustic bass and live and sampled drums, looped through futuristic soundscapes. The follow up, ADD (2019), saw Williams simply adding vocals back into both new and previously unrecorded songs, as well as his own versions of “Brave Captain” by Firehose and Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want.”

Williams is set to release his 25th studio album, SPEED, in the Fall of 2019, which sees him reunited with his Bluegrass outfit, Keller & The Keels, as they reinterpret popular songs by celebrated artists including The Doors, Kacey Musgraves, Fiona Apple, Weezer and more. SPEED is the trio’s third collaboration together and features a combination of originals and covers, performed in their trademark psychedelic Appalachian bluegrass style. Once again showcasing Williams’ masterful penchant for collaboration and innovation, SPEED proves he’s not planning to slow down any time soon.

WXPN: The Home of Music Discovery.

WXPN is a nationally recognized leader in Triple A programming and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots, and folk. As the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania offers handcrafted curation of broadcast and digital programming, events, and local music journalism. WXPN’s mission is to connect artists and audiences, and build, serve, and engage community.

Welcome to another exhilarating season in our historic theatres, filled with the sounds, sights and excitement of the live performing arts. We have so much planned so far this season—rock, pop, folk/Americana, Broadway, jazz, comedy, films, variety shows, family programs and more—and we are continuing to add even more stellar events to the schedule. I hope you will spend some time in our digital playbill and discover all we have going on at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts.

Something for Everyone

This spring we announced the first shows in our 2024-25 season roster. Mark your calendar, or better yet, click HERE or tap into our Season At A Glance in the menu and get your tickets today! 

 As always, the best way to get first access to the best available seats and our new show announcements is to become a Member. Membership starts at just $75 for a full year of amazing benefts for everyone in the household!

A very big THANK YOU to our current Appell Center Members ~ you play a crucial role in our sustainability! It is Membership support that makes it possible for us to foster and inspire the artists of tomorrow, unite friends and loved ones in shared experiences, and cultivate a bustling downtown, while attracting the hottest concerts and theatrical productions for your enjoyment, expanding our education programs and community outreach, boosting York city tourism and nightlife, and preserving our historic facilities. 

Community Focus

In addition to the shows on our stages, the Appell Center is committed to recognizing and celebrating the talent and knowledge found in our community. Our team is involving our community partners and residents to broaden our focus and ensure that everyone has access and is welcome to experience the arts and create art as well. Tap into the menu and read all about it in our Learning & Engagement story. Then think about how you can become involved or have an impact on this work.

Again, welcome to the Appell Center and enjoy the show!

Todd Fogdall
President & CEO

The Strand and Capitol Theatres at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts feature the very best artists and stories from around the region and across the country. We are excited to welcome you to experience the joy and inspiration that can only come from the live performing arts! 

The 2024-25 season is here! We know you will have an amazing experience at this performance, and welcome you to click through all the pages to see all that we have coming this season... You won't want to miss it!

Tickets and Appell Center Memberships can be purchased online at appellcenter.org, in person at 50 N. George Street, York, or by calling the Box Office at 717-846-1111.

COMING SOON

BEN FOLDS (11/15) Widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation, Ben Folds returns to the Strand Theatre following a sold-out performance in 2022! Opening the show is multi-faceted actress, singer and composer Lindsey Kraft. 

CHICAGO THE MUSICAL (11/27) is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.

TOM PAPA (12/5), one of the top comedic voices in the country, this accomplished actor, host, author and stand-up comic makes his Strand Theatre debut with all new material. Don’t miss it!

MANDY GONZALEZ ~ Home for the Holidays (12/7), one of the most powerful and versatile Broadway voices of our time, makes her Appell Center debut with a very special program to kick off the holiday season! She's been in HAMILTON, WICKED and the original Broadway cast of IN THE HEIGHTS, and she is currently performing on Tuesday nights on Broadway as ‘Norma Desmond’ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of SUNSET BLVD. There is no denying she is a star on the rise, and she will be here for one night only!

... there are simply too many shows to list, including COLD CASE LIVE, JEFF BOYER'S BIG BUBBLE BONANZA, comedian EARL DAVID REED, and so much more. Join our email list and get all the news as it happens!

FILM

CAPFILM continues to provide unique opportunities for moviegoers of all ages and styles... 

Click HERE for a full schedule of upcoming CapFilms... including our Art House series, December Holiday films and classic family movies... new titles are being added all the time!

These are just the FALL HIGHLIGHTS ... New events are being added to the calendar all the time, so visit appellcenter.org for the most updated schedule or click on SEASON AT A GLANCE in the menu… and be sure you are on our email list for announcements.

We look forward to welcoming you through our doors often!

The Appell Center is committed to making the performing arts available to everyone in York County. Our Community ConnectTix program expands access to free and discounted ticket to those for whom the price of a ticket is a barrier.

Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for blocks of tickets (up to 20) for select events so the groups they serve can experience the wonder and thrill of live performance. 

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

	WALTON & COMPANY

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

HOSPICE & COMMUNITY CARE

Look around. Here you are, seated in this beautiful, historic theatre about to enjoy a professional, live show right here in York’s downtown! What could be more exciting? This would not be possible without the support of our members.

We are humbled by the generosity of individuals across the county who make it all happen, Appell Center membership support allows us to make a significant impact in York. Members are the reason we have been able to continue entertaining the community for nearly 100 years and maintain these two historic theatres. Their support has allowed us to provide free uplifting experiences to our neighbors for whom the price of a ticket is a barrier and provide free educational programming for a generation of children in school districts throughout York County.

Members have helped us stay the course. Because of them, we remain focused on our mission and are able to throw our doors open for another season full of inspiring entertainment for you!

Our members are passionate about the performing arts. Aren’t you? Make a lasting impact right now by becoming a member of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts. 

For information on the levels and benefits of membership, visit appellcenter.org or contact Kimberly Soderberg, Development Manager, at 717-825-2236 or ksoderberg@appellcenter.org

In August 2022, the Appell Center wrapped up its Centennial Capital Campaign, raising over $7,500,000 to support vital infrastructure improvements and establish a Facility Endowment Fund for much needed improvements to our facility, which will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2025. The summers of 2023 and 2024 saw the completion of many of these improvements, including ADA compliant doors and into the Strand Theatre lobby, highly efficient concessions areas and a brand new HVAC system throughout the facility roof-top units, interior air management devices and system controls, which improves the efficiency and comfort of the building, reduces energy costs and provides cleaner and healthier air. 

We would like to recognize the many loyal and generous community members, foundations and businesses that helped us reach our goal and invested in the future of the performing arts in York County. They deserve a standing ovation!

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• Powder Mill Foundation
• Anonymous
• J. William Warehime Foundation
• W. Dale Brougher Foundation
• Kinsley Foundation
• Helen Appell
• Chandra & Lou Appell
• Arthur J. & Lee R. Glatfelter Foundation
• Glatfelter Insurance Group
• Giambalvo Family Foundation
• The Graham Foundation
• Shipley Family Foundation

• Stephen & Jenn Tansey
• Meg & Peter Brubaker
• New Standard Corporation
• PeoplesBank Charitable Foundation
• Jolene & Julian Tolbert
• Carl & Brenda Vizzi
• Dr. Vincent & Kathryn A. Butera
• Tony & Stef Campisi
• Jane G. Davis
• Hodges Family Foundation
• Dr. Benjamin & Anne Hoover
• Elizabeth M. Imboden MD
• Loren & Faye Kroh
• Lee Fence & Outdoor
• Menchey Music Service, Inc.
• Susanne Motter & Edward Motter
• Ruby & Mark Schmidt
• Bill & Sue Scott
• M&T Bank
• Traditions Bank
• The York Water Company

• Mr. & Mrs. Fred C. Fay
• Kenneth E. Hickman
• Wellspan York Hospital Medical Staff
• Collin Holder
• Kendall & Eric Menzer
• Judith V. Blakey
• Robert A. Bowen
• John & Cappy Bush
• Erda Erdos
• John & Denise Gilliland
• William R. Hartman
• James D. Isett, DMD, MS
• John Schmidt Foundation
• Fran Polk
• Bob & Donna Pullo
• Vance & Suzanne McConkey
• Kris & Tom O'Shea
• Todd & Elaine Fogdall
• Tony & Amy Doll
• Eugene J. Draganosky
• Michael & Melanie Hady
• Sean Gormley
• Debbie Simon & Tim Grumbacher
• Mike & Vicky Kochenour
• Stan & Jane Lebouitz
• Judy Simpson
• Shawn & Chrysta Stine
• Kurt & Barb Thomas
• Todd & Delaine Toerper
• Kira & Jan Wagner
• William & Kimberly Yanavitch II
• Jack Kay
• Joe & Susan Wagman
• RKL
• Doug & Kristin Berman
• Elliot & Krista Gardner
• Rob & Becky Gratalo
• John & Jan Klinedinst
• Erin McGlaughlin
• Katie & Rob Berkebile
• Nate & Sandra Sterner
• The Tolerico Family
• Graham & Elizabeth Zifferer
• Z. D. Bauer
• Don & Jane Dellinger
• Reed & Natalee Gunderson
• Duane & Kristin Moyer
• David & Linda Davidson
• Charles & Holly Wise
• Robert Gantz
• Betsy Keefer
• Stephanie Kessler
• Miodrag Kukrika
• John & Wendy Lakatosh
• Hunter & Emily Mink
• Mike & Jackie Summers
• Jerry Caslow & Dr. Jane S. Sutton
• Robert Godfrey
• Dennis R. Kohler
• Joan & David Stauffer
• Krista & Mike Darr

The Appell Center continues its focus on bringing the very best entertainment to diverse audiences of all ages... but wait, there's more!

In addition to planning the shows on our stages, the entire organization is committed to recognizing and celebrating the artistic talent of our community in many ways. 

Learning Workshops for All Ages

Acting... dance... singing... storytelling... jazz... improvisation... even circus arts! These are just a few of the focus areas that are available for students age 3 and up to explore. PLUS, we have added Tot Rock, an early learning program for our youngest friends age 0-2!

FAMILY WORKSHOP - Theater Games for the Whole Family
Saturday, September 21 • Ages 4 - 10 and their families | 10:00am
Price: Pick Your Price (recommended $15 per Family)

Enjoy a mix of fun theatre games and imaginative storytelling for the whole family that will spark creativity and build confidence through the powerful play of acting and theatre. Family fun is guaranteed, along with great ideas for games and activities to take home for your next family game night.

Taught by Ángel Nuñez, Executive Director of OrangeMite Studios Theater Company.

PRE-TEEN WORKSHOP - Intro to Shakespeare
Saturday, September 21 • Ages 8 - 13 |1:00pm
Price: Pick Your Price (recommended $15 per student)

Step into the world of Shakespeare as this workshop explores scenes from some of the Bard’s classic works. Participants will not only explore the language but build their confidence and enhance their acting skills as they discover the joys and thrills of Shakespearean theatre.

Taught by Ángel Nuñez, Executive Director of OrangeMite Studios Theater Company, York County’s premier Shakespeare-focused theater company.

TOT ROCK RETURNS! 
October 5, 19; November 2; December 7 | 10:00am
Ages: 0-5 and their adults
Price: Pick Your Price (recommended $15 per family)

This early childhood music learning program shares a well-rounded musical experience with infants, toddlers, and their families—an experience rooted in melody, rhythm, repetition and collaboration. Even more important than these musical concepts is the quality time Tot Rock will provide you and your children in a safe, fun, positive space full of music, laughter, and shared experiences. Music can be a foundation of family learning, so let’s make some joyful noise here at the Appell Center!

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV CLASS with Chris Myers 
Mondays, October 14 – November 18 
All Ages
Price: $130

Come ready to laugh the day away with local actress and improv comedy wiz Chris Myers while learning classic and new wave improv games that will jostle your brain and tickle your funny bone! The six-week session ends with a performance open to the public on the Capitol Theatre stage.

Ages 8 – 12: 6:00 – 7:00pm
Ages 13 – 18: 7:00 – 8:00pm
Ages 18+: 8:00 – 9:00pm
Performance Date: Monday, November 18 at 7:00pm

JUGGLING & OTHER FUN STUFF with Antonio Briley, Jr.
Saturdays, October 19 - November 9 |10:00am
Ages 8+
Price: $80

Have you ever wanted to learn how to juggle? Balance a bowling pin on your chin? Other things? Taught by local phenomenon and man of many talents Antonio Briley, Jr. (you may know him as Bananaman), this four-week class will give you the opportunity to learn and master all the quirky, interesting, and fun skills you’ve ever imagined... and some you haven’t.

Click HERE to register today for one or more of these amazing and unique workshops they will only experience at the Appell Center! 

Community Engagement 

In July 2022 the Appell Center began a collaboration with Creative Generation, a group committed to pioneering projects in the arts and cultural, education and social change fields to support those organizations driving systemic change in their communities. This work produced an actionable plan elevating knowledge within our community to help inform a set of tools to create a societal hub for arts and cultural education in York County, PA. Listening sessions with key partners and their constituents were conducted, and information gathered from those sessions has helped inform the next steps of our strategic plan in this area.

At the completion of the active phase of this collaboration, the following statement was crafted and made public on our website:

The Appell Center for the Performing Arts seeks to be a cultural hub for the community in York.

We play a vital role in the local ecosystem, collaborating with educational, civic and other cultural organizations, informal networks, and individual artists to create experiences as outlets for healthy, creative expression.

Together, we believe in connecting the arts with education, personal wellbeing and family life.

We seek to build meaningful pathways in arts, cultural and creative learning for the York community through consistent, reliable opportunities which provide

• engagement with a diversity of artistic and cultural forms;
• multi-generational creative participation; and
• transformative experiences for creative youth.

We strive to be a relationship-builder, convener and host.

PARTNER WITH THE APPELL CENTER

There are many ways to join us in partnership, but here are some common starting points:

• Attend a free or low-cost workshop and event. We have workshops and classes where you can pick a price that feels right for you and your family.
• Host an event or program at the Appell Center. Our Community Support Fund helps support local non-profits and mission-aligned projects with reduced rental fees.
  
• Bring a group to one of our performances. The Community ConnecTix program offers complimentary tickets to local nonprofit groups every season.
  
• Invite us to support an event or program. Our team can host tables at your events to promote performing arts opportunities in the community.

Click HERE to learn more about our Discovery Sessions and Community Engagement initiatives, and how you might work with us in partnership to bring one of your ideas to the community at large!

Your health and safety are our priority
The Appell Center will continually monitor all health related concerns with guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. All are encouraged to regularly visit our website or call the Box Office for up-to-date information, a list of Frequently Asked Questions and any specific instructions for your scheduled performance.

Bag check
It is recommended that you do not bring any bags with you in order to expedite entry. Bag checks are mandatory and conducted by our security team. Metal (or wooden) rods will be used to search each bag. Guests will be asked to open and hold their own bags while they are being searched for any items not permitted in the building.

Concessions
Concessions are available at both the Capitol and Strand Theatres. All alcoholic beverages are sold in reusable cups which must be purchased with your first drink. Guests are encouraged to bring their cups back to our concessions stands during future visits to purchase drinks at the refill price. Non-Appell Center cups will not be eligible for refills.

Restrooms
Restrooms are located on both levels of the Strand Theatre and on the first floor of the Capitol Theatre. Accessible restrooms are available in both theatres.

Accessible Services
ADA-compliant seating is offered in several locations. Assistive-listening devices are available for all Strand Theatre shows and select films. These devices can be requested from a member of our Front of House staff when you arrive or by calling the Box Office in advance at 717-846-1111. We also offer audio description and closed captioning for some films. Sign language interpretation may be available when requested at least two weeks in advance. Notify the Box Office of any needs when purchasing tickets. We’re happy to arrange the perfect seats and services for you.

Smoking
The Appell Center is a non-smoking facility, including e-cigarettes and vape pens.

Child booster seats
Complimentary booster seats are only available in the Strand Theatre on a first-come, first-served basis. Please see one of our Ushers when you arrive for assistance. 

Electronic devices
We appreciate your cooperation in silencing all electronic devices before the performance begins.

Photo/recording policy
For most events, photography/recording of any type is prohibited. However, for some events, non-professional, non-flash, photography is permitted. Any adjusted policy will be advertised on signs at the entrance to the venue. The Appell Center reserves the right to confiscate any photo or recording device if policies are ignored. Patrons found possessing professional equipment not expressly authorized will be asked to leave their cameras in their vehicles or will otherwise be escorted from the venue.

Click HERE to learn more about our policies.