Mannheim Steamroller Hits the Road for 38-City Tour

AURORA, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Christmas, no matter where and how it is celebrated, finds its heart and soul in holiday music. International favorite Mannheim Steamroller (www.mannheimsteamroller.com) perfectly captures the spirit of the season this year with a 38-city tour produced by Chip Davis’ Sound Track Inc. and Magic Arts & Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tix Corporation (Nasdaq:TIXC). “The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis,” will feature the band’s unmistakable sound in an extravagant multi-media show.

“We’ll play songs from our new CD, but we’ll also take plenty of time to showcase many favorites from our previous [multi-platinum] Christmas albums,” said Mannheim founder and composer Chip Davis. “The music, along with our state of the art multimedia production, is meant to make this an experience for the whole family.”

"Chip Davis has created a touring blockbuster with Mannheim Streamroller," says Lee Marshall of Magic Arts and Entertainment. "The show is a holiday tradition for families and we are thrilled to bring it back to cities across the country."

Known for its now classic arrangements of “Silent Night,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Angels We Have Heard On High,” the latest Mannheim holiday albums, “Christmas Song” and “Christmasville,” marks Mannheim Steamroller’s eighth and ninth Christmas titles. Total album sales for the Christmas series have exceeded 35 million copies worldwide thus far, surpassing that of industry icons and solidifying the band’s place in music history as the largest selling Christmas artist of all time.

Said Davis, “We want to give all our fans the chance to see the band live. There's something that is even more moving and meaningful when you share in the creative exchange.”

That same flow of creativity is what led to Davis’ breakthrough of Mannheim’s sound, best described as “18^th Century classical rock,” a convergence of analog, acoustic, electronic and digital music. The band first burst on the scene with their “Fresh Aire” series. In 1990, Davis received a Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording for the seventh in the series.

Davis promises that upcoming holiday tour dates will showcase the band’s ability to break new musical ground. “Christmas music should touch people in a way that is familiar. Yet by giving the songs a 21^st Century perspective, a door opens deep inside. In an instant, the season’s message of hope and miracles comes alive.”

For more information about the band’s national tour, or to sample Mannheim Steamroller albums, visit www.mannheimsteamroller.com.

About Mannheim Steamroller/Chip Davis’ Sound Track Inc.

Founded by Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller is a musical fusion of acoustic, analog, digital and electronic sounds. Named after an 18^th 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. In addition, the band has also recorded nine Christmas albums, which have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. The group is also active in environmental issues. After fire devastated Yellowstone National Park in 1988, 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, select food items and clothing—to complement the musical experience.

About Magic Arts & Entertainment

Magic Arts & Entertainment, headed by Lee Marshall and Joe Marsh, is one of the foremost tour producing companies in the United States. In addition to Mannheim Steamroller, the company is also currently producing 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, A Tribute to The Beatles.” They are also producing the upcoming tours of “Bob The Builder Live” and “101 Dalmatians! The Musical!” As former owners of Magicworks Entertainment, Marshall and Marsh produced and promoted some of the world's most successful concerts, theatricals and family shows.

About TIX Corporation

Tix Corporation is an integrated entertainment organization offering ticketing services, event merchandising and concert and theatrical productions. It currently operates five prime locations in Las Vegas under the Tix4Tonight marquee, offering up to a 50 percent discount for same-day shows, concerts, attractions and sporting events. It also offers discount golf and dining through its sales locations in Las Vegas. The company sells premium tickets to concerts, theater and sporting events throughout the United States. Its Exhibit Merchandising operation is engaged in branding, product merchandise development and sales activities related to museum exhibitions and other events -- including the King Tutankhamen and Real Pirates tours, selling themed souvenir memorabilia and collector's items in specialty stores in conjunction with the specific events and venues. The company's newest division, Tix Productions, is dedicated to concert and live theatrical promotion and production of events throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Tour dates for Mannheim Steamroller below:
Tour ONE
Date					City					Venue
November 1-30					Branson, MO					Grand Palace Theatre
December 2-3					Kansas City, MO					Midland Theatre
December 5-6					St. Louis, MO					Fox Theatre
December 12-13					Des Moines, IA					Civic Center
December 16-17					Wichita, KS					Century II
December 19-20					Minneapolis, MN					Orpheum Theatre
December 22-23					Omaha, NE					Orpheum Theater
December 26-27					Rosemont, IL					Rosemont Theatre
Tour TWO
Date					City					Venue
November 13					Gainesville, FL					Phillips Center
November 14-15					Ft. Lauderdale, FL					Broward Center
November 16					Sarasota, FL					Van Wezel
November 17					Lakeland, FL					Youkey Theatre
November 19					Melbourne, FL					King Center
November 20					Naples, FL					Philharmonic Cntr for Arts
November 21					Jacksonville, FL					Times Union Center
November 22					Columbus, GA					RiverCenter PAC
November 23					Huntsville, AL					Von Braun Center
November 25					Memphis, TN					Orpheum Theatre
November 26					Louisville, KY					Palace Theatre
November 28					Atlanta, GA					Fox Theatre
November 29					Greenville, SC					Peace Center
November 30					Charlotte, NC					Blumenthal PAC
December 1					Raleigh, NC					Memorial Auditorium
December 3					Providence, RI					Vets Memorial Auditorium
December 4					Hershey, PA					Hershey Theatre
December 5					Newark, NJ					NJPAC
December 6					Atlantic City, NJ					Harrah's
December 7					Lowell, MA					Memorial Auditorium
December 9					Columbia, MO					Jesse Auditorium
December 11					Baltimore, MD					Lyric Opera House
December 12					New Brunswick, NJ					State Theatre
December 13					Mashantucket, CT					Foxwoods
December 14					Altoona, PA					Jaffa Shrine Center
December 16-17					Pittsburgh, PA					Benedum Center for PA
December 18-19					Detroit, MI					Masonic Temple
December 20-21					Cleveland, OH					Playhouse Square
December 23					Milwaukee, WI					Milwaukee Theatre
December 26-27					Dallas, TX					Meyerson Symphony

Except for the historical information contained herein, certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in the company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.