AURORA, OH. (Top40 Charts/ Magic Arts & Entertainment) - Magic Arts and & Entertainment and
Mannheim Steamroller today announced a two-year touring producing partnership. The agreement will cover the 2008 and 2009 U.S. tours. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis, the creator of Mannheim Steamroller, will continue as the director and co-producer of the live show.
Mannheim Steamroller is the largest selling Christmas artist of all time and is a holiday tradition for many families. The group has recorded seven Christmas albums, which have sold more than 35 million copies.
In announcing the deal, Lee Marshall of Magic Arts & Entertainment says, "Chip Davis has built an incredible brand with the most loyal fans. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the entire Mannheim Steamroller team."
"Lee Marshall and Joe Marsh produce the highest quality touring productions on the road," say Chip Davis, creator of Mannheim Steamroller. "We are excited to partner with them and look forward to bringing the show to our fans later this year."
In addition to Mannheim Steamroller, Magic Arts & Entertainment currently produces the North American tours of "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance", "The Magic of David Copperfield," "Jesus Christ Superstar" starring Ted Neeley and "Rain, The Beatles Experience." The company is also producing the upcoming tours of "Bob The Builder Live" and "101 Dalmatians! The Musical!" As former owners of Magicworks Entertainment, Lee Marshall and Joe Marsh produced and promoted some of the world's most successful concerts, theatricals and family shows.
Founded by Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller is a musical fusion of acoustic, analog, digital and electronic sounds. Named after an 18th Century musical term that now translates as "crescendo," the group first exploded on the scene with their album Fresh Aire. Davis went on to produce seven more in the Fresh Aire series, culminating in a Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording for the seventh in the series. The group is also active in environmental issues. After fire devastated Yellowstone National Park in 1998, Davis created a two-hour concert tour, a gold album Yellowstone: The Music of Nature and raised more than half a million dollars for park rebuilding projects. The Mannheim name extends out from music to include a collection of products-bath and body, home, selected food items and clothing-to complement the musical experience.
Magic Arts & Entertainment is a part of Tix Corporation (NASDAQ: TIXC), with Marshall and Marsh assuming the roles of Co-CEO of Tix Productions, a newly-formed subsidiary of Tix Corporation. The Magic office is run out of Cleveland, OH and Salt Lake City, UT.
