The Troy Arts Council Patrons’ drive is underway and the TAC’s season ticket packages are billed as the best tickets in town.

Elaine Blair, Patrons’ chair, said that season tickets are the way to go for those who enjoy the performing arts.

Season ticket levels begin at $75 with the highest level beginning at $401.

“One season ticket comes with the $75 level and six season tickets come with the highest level, with two to five season tickets depending on the level,” Blair said. “Ticket prices at the door are $20 so it’s easy to see that season tickets are the best ticket in town.”

The TAC 2013-2014 Fine Arts Season will get underway with noted guitarist Michael Kelsey at the Claudia Crosby Theater on Sept. 10.

“The TAC has an impressive lineup of performing arts programs including ‘Riders in the

Sky’ in October,” Blair said. “Everybody knows them from the Yella wood ads. If Riders in the Sky don’t appeals to a mass crowd, I don’t know what will.”

Other performances presented by the TAC include “Amahl and the Night Visitors/Hansel and Gretel, the Shelia Jackson and Company Holiday Concert and the Minetti String Quartet.

“The Kremlin Chamber Orchestra will be back by popular demand in March,” Blair said. “The Kremlin Chamber Orchestra is one of the top touring string orchestras in the world. Also back by popular demand will be Peter Oprisko. He did the Frank Sinatra show that was so well received. This time he will do ‘Songs from the Silver Screen’ and it should be equally popular.”

The TAC’s 2013-2014 season will close in May with the Southeast Alabama Community Band Concert and TAC Awards night.

“We are excited about our season and look forward to another very successful calendar of events,” Blair said.

But a fantastic, yearlong calendar of performing arts is not the only benefit of being a Patron of the arts and a season ticket holder. The benefits are far reaching because several of the artists perform at city and county schools or conduct workshops for the students.

Blair said the TAC is dedicated to providing arts opportunities for children throughout Pike County.

“We have a grant program and invite schools in the county to apply,” she said. “The performing arts are important and we want to expose the students to a variety of performing arts forms. We believe that those experiences will greatly enhance the quality of their lives.”

TAC season beginning ticket levels are $75, one ticket; $126, two tickets; $176, three tickets; $251, four tickets; and $401, six tickets. Corporate tickets begin at $100.

Ticket orders may be mailed to TAC, P.O. Box 606, Troy, AL 36081.

To offer support to the TAC as a patron or to purchase tickets by phone, call Blair at 566-0834 or TAC President Ruth Walker at 334-484-3542.