Jim Brickman performing at Renaissance Theatre on Saturday
Jim Brickman wants people to know what not to expect from one of his concerts.
"What it's not is a recital or a stuffy piano concert," he said. "It's lively, lots of storytelling. It's much more like going to see a one-man Broadway show."
The acclaimed songwriter and best-selling solo pianist will appear at the Renaissance Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Brickman will perform his hits, including "Love of My Life," "The Gift," "Angel Eyes" and "Valentine" in an intimate setting.
Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations and sold more than 8 million albums worldwide. He has collaborated with Martina McBride, Donny Osmond, Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Mathis and Kenny Loggins.
"We are ecstatic to have Grammy-nominated artist Jim Brickman grace the stage at the Renaissance," said Kara Bechstein, programming manager. "His brilliance for songwriting and piano playing has made him known all over the world. To have him performing in Mansfield is astonishing.
"It will be a memorable night."
Brickman has family ties in Mansfield
Brickman has connections to Mansfield and played the Renaissance a number of years ago. His father grew up in Mansfield, and his great-grandfather was the city's fire chief.
Brickman's Grammy nominations are for his albums "Peace" for best instrumental and "Faith" for best new age album.
"I always play a lot of the hits," he said.
A portion of Saturday's concert will be live by request.
"It's a little bit of a free-for-all, shout out your favorite song," Brickman said. "Word of mouth of my shows over the years keeps people coming back."
He has won a Canadian Country Music Award and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association. Brickman has four gold albums to his credit, and 16 of his songs have made the top 10 of the adult contemporary charts.
A native of Shaker Heights, near Cleveland, Brickman began playing piano at the age of 5. He studied composition and performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University.
While he doesn't come from a musical family, Brickman said he was drawn to the piano.
Saturday's concert will feature guest vocalists Anne Cochran and John Trones. Like Brickman, Cochran is a Cleveland native.
"When I'm in northeast Ohio, most people expect to see Anne with me," Brickman said.
Brickman touring through March
He wrapped up a Christmas tour and is hitting the road for dates through March.
"Performing live is what I love doing most," Brickman said.
In addition, since 1997, he has hosted his own radio show that is carried throughout the United States.
"What I love about the radio show is I get to talk and interview so many people I admire," Brickman said, listing Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and Dolly Parton, among others. "It shows another side of me as a personality instead of a musician."
Tickets start at $15 and are available at www.rentickets.org or by contacting the Renaissance box office at 138 Park Avenue West at 419-522-2726. It is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Renaissance Theatre hosting acclaimed songwriter Jim Brickman
