By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
As the St. Joseph Performing Arts Association announces a new season of entertainment acts coming to town, they are also announcing a new stage name.
The name of the association will not change, but when it comes to performances it will be known as 816 Live!
Executive Director Paul Storiale says the stage name is designed to reflect the associations vision for the future and a renewed commitment to make live performances more accessible and recognizable
“You know we’re not getting rid of our history, we’re going to remain the Performing Arts Association as the organization, but the 816 Live is about embracing the future, kind of bringing more people into our world,” Storiale tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Storiale says a hope with the new name is to be recognizable and for people to group the name and what they do in the same moment
“We want them immediately when they see our name, they know exactly what we do,” Storiale explains. “We have known for a long time that people don’t know the difference between us and other arts organizations, and this kind of differentiates us from others, and immediately they know what we’re going to be doing when they see our name, they know what they’re going to be seeing.”
Storiale says the goal of changing the name is to attract people outside of St. Joseph, from areas such as Kansas City
“And so why not show them hey we’re the same, come on up here and see a show, you don’t only have to go to Kansas City,” Storiale says. “You can drive a little while, take a quick road trip and see some top tier entertainment.”
The new season for 816 Live kicks off in September with Randy Travis at the Missouri Theatre. The Performing Arts Association will be announcing several other acts coming today.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.
