The Beach Boys perform at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Apr 28th
The live concert at
the St. Augustine Amphitheatre 
marks the popular rock band’s 50th anniversary tour to film.
2012 has been a busy year for the St. Johns County Cultural Events Division. In addition to a first class lineup at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall including visits from legendary artists, national touring acts, community events and a speech by a former President, filming location can now be added to the list.
The Beach Boys and their management have selected the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and the St. Johns County community as the location for their upcoming concert special. The “Live from the St. Augustine Amphitheatre” footage will be part of the Beach Boys special, planned to be nationally syndicated and aired on PBS as part of the new series entitled “Front Row Center” presented by WNET in New York.
Film scouts toured various locations ranging from the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre, the Chicago Theatre, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and many more, to find the perfect filming locations for their special. After narrowing it down to the top 4, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre was chosen as one of the two venues used for filming.
A full 12-piece camera crew will be present next week to document The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks) around town and at the Amphitheatre.
For five decades, America’s first pop band to reach the 50-year milestone has recorded and performed the music that has become the world’s favorite soundtrack to summer. The Beach Boys continue to hold Billboard / Nielsen SoundScan’s record as the top-selling American band for albums and singles, and they are also the American group with the most Billboard Top 40 chart hits with 36. Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys is fast approaching triple-Platinum sales status, and The SMiLE Sessions, released to worldwide critical acclaim in November, has been heralded as 2011’s #1 Reissue of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and recipients of The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY Award, The Beach Boys are an American institution that is iconic around the world.
A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase to this monumental event.
**Please note that due to the filming, no personal cameras will be permitted inside the venue.
Show: The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour
Venue: St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Time: Doors 6:00pm / Show 7:00pm
Think Like a Man – Movie Trailer
Apr 26th
Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, Think Like a Man follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.
State Grants Recognize Henry Flagler’s Legacy — Will Help Complete Restoration of Ponce De Leon Hall’s Solarium
Apr 24th
With the adoption of the state budget, Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature recognized the importance of Henry M. Flagler to the state of Florida. The budget included a grant of $350,000 awarded to Flagler College to benefit the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, now known as Ponce de Leon Hall and the centerpiece of the Flagler campus. The Ponce is a National Historical Landmark.
These funds will be used as part of the $2 million project, A Crowning Achievement: The Campaign for Restoration of the Solarium.
“Flagler College is grateful for the recognition and is pleased to be the recipient of these funds, which will assist in completing the restoration of the building for the 125th Anniversary celebration of the opening of the former resort hotel in 1888,” said Flagler President Dr. William T. Abare, Jr. “The celebration and dedication of the Solarium are scheduled to take place in 2013.”
The renovation of the Solarium and the fourth floor of Ponce de Leon Hall will complete the building’s full return to active use.
Historically, the Solarium served as an area where guests could gather for conversation, enjoy entertainment, or watch activities taking place in town or along the bay front. Rehabilitation of this room and the fourth floor will permit similar activities, as well as provide for an exceptional event venue. The Solarium remains as the last significant space to be restored in the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, and the room is quite different than any other.
The fundraising campaign began in 2009, and since that time the college has secured more than $1.5 million from private sources for the project. In honor of their lead gift, the Solarium will be renamed to recognize historic preservation supporters and philanthropists Allen and Delores Lastinger. Mrs. Lastinger is a member of the college’s Board of Trustees.
The Solarium project was selected from a recommended list of ranked Special Category projects in the Department of State budget. In addition, Flagler received first place rankings for a $50,000 small matching grant for the Solarium and a $25,000 exhibition grant as part of the 125th Anniversary program. Restoration work is expected to begin this summer with an anticipated completion date in January or February of 2013.
For more information contact: Brian Thompson, 904-819-6249, bthompson@flagler.edu
