clayton center opening to shine with celebrities

     A leading senator, a star of country and pop, internationally renowned opera singers and concert pianists, faces familiar on television and film, and David Keith, movie star,  these are the personages who bring celebrity to the grand opening of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the extended weekend of March 25 through 29.
     Keith, Knoxville native, UT theatre alum, and film and television star for three decades, will play one more leading role at the opening weekend gala on March 27 in the main theatre of the Clayton Center.
      He is serving as emcee for the event, which will feature among others that evening, Senator Lamar Alexander, opera stars Delores Ziegler and John Wesley Wright, and film and television actors David Dwyer and Bruce McKinnon, all with claims to fame in their different fields.
     Among Keith’s better known films are An Officer and a Gentleman, The Lords of Discipline, Heartbreak Hotel, and Independence Day. He is based in Knoxville, but frequently travels to far flung locations to do film and television work.  However, he can often be seen on local stages.  
     At UT, he has appeared professionally in Bus Stop, Catfish Moon, and The Rainmaker.  And only days ago, starred in the Knoxville Opera Company’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.
     Keith grew up in South Knoxville, graduated from Young High School, and entered the University of Tennessee, where he majored in theatre. His experience ranged from student productions to professional Shakespeare to summer stock to assistant to 50’s television personality Joe E. (Oooh! Oooh!) Ross.
      His first professional experiences included numerous television pilots and a country and western musical. However, he became a favorite of film critics in such films as The Rose with Bette Midler, The Great Santini with Robert Duvall, and Brubaker with Robert Redford.  Full-fledged stardom came with the hit romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman with Richard Gere and Debra Winger. His scene-stealing success in that led to films that rested on his star power alone.
     Keith is a board member and spokesperson for PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children, and frequently goes to Washington to advocate for that organization.
     He is also well-known as perhaps the most famous—and possibly the most avid—fan of UT football.  In 1989, he sang Elvis songs at half-time accompanied by the UT Marching Band.
     Keith’s Clayton Center performance is yet another contribution to the artistic enrichment and cultural life of his home.  
     To learn more about the Clayton Center for the Arts, visit www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com.