“EISEMANN CENTER PRESENTS” FIRST ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL,
“COWBOY SONGS” STARRING MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY
WITH THE ACCLAIMED BRUCE WOOD DANCE COMPANY

RICHARDSON, TX – Cowboy Songs is a new, original musical conceived of and created by Fort Worth’s Bruce Wood. The two-hour musical (including one intermission) scheduled for Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 pm in the Hill Performance Hall is a celebratory look at cowboy life from the mid 1800s to present day. Wood says, “We have turned the cowboy into an icon, a mythic hero that is larger than life. But I see real cowboys all the time. You don’t have to ride a horse and herd cattle all day to be a cowboy. Then what is a cowboy? Being a cowboy is an attitude. Being a cowboy is a way of being in the world. It’s a simple and honest way of living in a complicated time. It’s a way to get things done, a way to look at life and nature, a way to deal with others. It’s dreaming big and living simply.”

This exciting new musical stars Michael Martin Murphey, the award-winning and highly popular country music star. A six-member band accompanies Mr. Murphey throughout, as they and a corps of 12 professional dancers take the audience on a panoramic journey exploring and celebrating our great American hero, the cowboy. A native of Dallas, Texas, educated at UNT and UCLA, Michael began his career in California then later returned to Austin, Texas, contributing to the national prominence of the music scene there. His first album, Geronimo’s Cadillac was recognized by Rolling Stone as a classic, when Chet Flippo pronounced him "the best new singer-songwriter in America.” Michael Martin Murphey is the best-selling singer of cowboy music in the world today.

More than 30 musical numbers include hits by such esteemed artists as Lyle Lovett, Patsy Montana, Sons of the San Joaquin, Wylie and the Wild West and other great cowboy/cowgirl and country and western artists. Authentic costumes and lively, engaging music and dancing make this show a family-friendly experience which is sure to have the audience singing and clapping along with the performers on stage.

Fort Worth’s Bruce Wood Dance Company, widely praised as the crown jewel of Fort Worth’s performing arts scene, provides the athletic energy for the show. The company formerly made its home at Bass Performance Hall and has scheduled upcoming season performances at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth, and has performed seven gloriously successful seasons since arriving in Fort Worth in 1997.

A raised set enables Mr. Murphey and the band to be featured above the dancers below, while magnificent lighting by the world-famous lighting designer Tony Tucci creates dramatic illusion and spectacle.

Tickets for Cowboy Songs go on sale August 18th. and range from $15 to $55. For more information, to request a season brochure, or place an order, please call the Eisemann Center Ticket Office at 972-744-4650. Tickets are also available online at www.eisemanncenter.com. The Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm and one hour prior to performances. Sponsors for the 2003-2004 season include The Dallas Morning News/WFAA-TV, AT&T Wireless and 2003-2004 ticket sponsor, KRLD-1080AM.

The Eisemann Center is a City of Richardson facility and is located in the Galatyn Park Urban Center at 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson, Texas. The Eisemann Center is easily accessible from Highway 75 North taking the Galatyn Parkway/Renner Road exit going north and the Galatyn Parkway/Campbell Road exit going south or from the DART light rail station at Galatyn Park.

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