February is a busy month at M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center with 3 great shows for you to see!

First up is the award-winner songwriter and singer Kat Edmonson on February 10. Raised on the music and film of the early-to-mid-twentieth century, Kat is a rare artist who embodies the spirit of the past while remaining resolutely au courant. She performs original songs and familiar classics in her live show, interweaving humorous anecdotes, philosophical musings, and her love of film with disarming candor and vulnerability. The Texas native began crafting her signature sound while performing in Austin’s local club circuit for years before releasing her debut LP Take To The Sky in 2009. In 2013, The Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Kat the Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Excellence in Songwriting. “Intuitive about melody and handy with a turn of phrase (The New York Times), the songsmith has been writing ever since she was a little girl, having published over 40 songs to date.

Kat is equally comfortable on the stage, in the recording studio, and on a movie set. In 2016, she appeared in Woody Allen’s Cafe Society as a 1930s jazz singer and was highlighted on the official soundtrack performing her version of “Mountain Greenery.” Her experience in Allen’s film inspired the artist to study the craft of acting. She subsequently spent two years in conservatory at The William Esper Studio in New York City. More recently, in the winter of 2022, Kat made her theatrical debut in “The Hang”: a new jazz opera by Taylor Mac and Matt Ray. Upon its opening, the off-off Broadway show received “Critic’s Pick” in The New York Times highlighting Kat’s “extraordinary artistry.”

Next up, coming directly from the Living Room to the stage, 16-time Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, Katharine McPhee are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road. Their show An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee is on February 17.

Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan.

Katharine McPhee can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series COUNTRY COMFORT. Previously she starred as ‘Paige Dineen’ on the CBS’ spy drama SCORPION and was featured in NBC’s award-winning musical series SMASH, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Katharine appeared on the big screen in Columbia’s romantic comedy THE HOUSE BUNNY. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on Season 5 of AMERICAN IDOL. Katharine’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008. Katharine also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of ‘Waitress’.

This intimate show with the powerhouse duo will be packed with David‘s hits from Chicago, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé etc. and Kat’s biggest songs from American Idol, Smash, and Waitress. Plus some of their favorites that they just love!

Finishing out the month, is NBC’s America’s Got Talent finalist Daniel Emmet on February 25. He is best known for taking on the “impossible challenge” levied by Simon Cowell; to learn a brand-new song in Italian, in one hour, and then perform it live on national television! It was a spellbinding moment that, as in all of Daniel’s AGT performances, brought the judges and America to their feet in fervent applause. Since his 2018 appearances on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Daniel has released his acclaimed single “True Reflection” which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Classical Chart, and in addition, Daniel debuted on the Las Vegas strip as a headliner at Caesars Palace for the exclusive run of his show  “All That I Am”.