It’s been decades since 1970s music icon Richard Carpenter has been on stage at his namesake theater. But this month he’s picking up the mic again and stepping on to the stage to perform a duet in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach on Saturday, April 26.
“People always go out of their way to let me know how much this center means to them and the city, so I think it’s it terrific and I’m very proud of it”, said Carpenter, who along with his late sister Karen, topped the charts in the ’70s with hits like “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and “Superstar.”
The 1,054-seat Carpenter Center is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach and was named after Richard and Karen Carpenter of the pop music duo the Carpenters, who both attended the university. It attracts about 150,000 people every year with dozens of performances that include musicians, dancers, actors, speakers, comedians and other artists.
“It’s been a mighty quick 30 years. We made the founding gift, gathered what was needed to get it going and to me it’s been one of the major things in my life and I think Karen would feel the same way,” Carpenter said.
Richard Carpenter, shown in his Thousand Oaks home in 2021, will make a rare performance Saturday, April 26 during a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)Past performers include musicians such as Brian Eno and the late Lou Reed, comedian Lily Tomlin and singer, dancer and theater star Shirley MacLaine as well as TV personality Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”).
The anniversary will be marked with an April 26 performance by the Tony and Grammy Award-winning star of “Hamilton,” Renée Elise Goldsberry, and her show will open with a one-song duet with Carpenter who will perform his hit “Rainy Days and Mondays.”
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“We want to bring arts education to our campus, we want to inspire people and we want to spark joy,” she said.
Carpenter meanwhile is excited about getting back on the stage to celebrate the venue that carries the family name.
“It has to be over 20 years since I was on that stage. I’m very proud to take part in this celebration and we’re going to do the one song and I’m very excited. It’ll be a very nice experience, it’s been a while since I’ve been on stage,” he said.
Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center 30th Anniversary Concert
When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26
Where: Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach
Tickets: Pre-show party tickets start at $500, concert-only tickets start at $75
Information: carpenterarts.org
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