PORTSMOUTH — The Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association in conjunction with Shawnee State University’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts announces the lineup of entertainment for the 2009-10 season.

The season provides nine performances of music, dance and entertainment. With help from event sponsors and program advertisers, the best entertainment comes to the Portsmouth area at ticket prices well below other performing arts facilities in the tri-state area. By purchasing a season ticket, seats are guaranteed and many times the shows are sold out. The season subscription is at a discount of up to $64.

Three different series make up the season’s line up of shows – the Broadway Series, the Family Pops Series and the Fine Arts Series.

The Family Pops Series kicks off with Grammy Award-winning Doc Severinsen and the El Ritmo de la Vida. All the shows begin at 7:30 p.m. The schedule is:

Doc Severinsen and El Ritmo de la Vida, Thursday, Sept. 17;

Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Tuesday, Oct 27; and,

Groovaloo, Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The Broadway Series has three all-time favorite Broadway shows:

“A Christmas Carol,” Tuesday, Dec. 1;

“Porgy and Bess,” Tuesday, Feb. 23; and,

“Annie,” Wednesday, March 3.

The Fine Arts Series begins with The Opera Show on Thursday, Feb. 4. The schedule is:

“The Opera Show,” Thursday, Feb. 4;

The Moscow Festival Ballet in “Swan Lake,” Thursday, April 8; and,

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Saturday, May 1.

Season tickets for each series or for all nine shows are available now until Sept. 17 and individual tickets will be available after Aug. 24 at the McKinley Box Office or Ticketmaster. For complete information on the shows, visit www.vrcfa.org