Cleveland
For musicians, there’s probably no thrill greater than performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
But performers don’t have to be Hall of Fame inductees in order to feel like star. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame offers a Rock Star package for youth groups that allows bands, choirs, ensembles and dance troupes to perform on one of the museum’s two stages or in the lobby beneath rock-’n’-roll memorabilia. The 40-minute performance is followed by a self-guided group tour.
Groups of 50 or fewer performers can take the museum’s main stage in the auditorium, said Jackie Spencer, communications coordinator for Destination Cleveland. Larger groups, including marching bands, can perform outside on the Collection Auto Group Plaza.
“I’ve been there multiple times where there have been groups or bands, and it just adds to the whole allure of the Rock Hall and the whole vibe there,” Spencer said.
Another popular venue is Cedar Point, the amusement park that juts into Lake Erie on the Cedar Point peninsula and is known for its crazy roller coasters. The park has a designated group performance stage that can accommodate up to 50 performers.
Cedar Point also has multiple music festivals, the two largest being Music in the Park and the Music Showcase Festival. Bands or choirs can register to perform during a festival, and the park also allows marching bands to perform on the main midway.
The city has other nonperforming music opportunities for groups. Musicians can sign up for a clinic at Cleveland State University or meet and work with members of the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall, Spencer said.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Sure, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a beach town, but it’s also a show-biz town with several theaters and theme-show venues. For performing groups, the best bet for guaranteed audiences is one of the city’s theaters — the Palace Theatre, the Alabama Theatre, the Carolina Opry or Legends in Concert — or a dinner show venue such as Medieval Times or Pirates Voyage.
“Definitely, they’re going to get the most exposure from a theater because you know you have people who are paying and who are going to be there,” said Sandy Haines, group tour sales manager for the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The 2,200-seat Carolina Opry recently opened a new show called “Thunder and Light, Featuring All That,” a five-man clogging group that was on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Groups can perform at the theater before the show, and the opry offers a “spotlight series” that gives students the opportunity to meet performers and have a question-and-answer session. Groups could even arrange to take a clogging class with a member of All That, Haines said.
The Palace Theatre is the city’s largest, with 2,700 seats, and the Alabama Theatre hosts many country music acts. Legends in Concert at Broadway on the Beach features tribute bands and artists that re-create musical legends such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Diana Ross, and offers great preshow performance opportunities for groups, Haines said.
Broadway at the Beach is a large entertainment complex surrounding a small lake that’s the site of many attractions, among them Ripley’s Aquarium, which has an outdoor stage for performances.
