Kevin Costner Coming to Rock Cranston in April

The Park Theatre in January announced that it was revitalizing and reinventing itself as a premiere performing arts center. After an extensive renovation, there's a bigger stage, 1,000 new plush seats and an emphasis on attracting big names to Cranston.

One of the highlights coming up is an appearance by Kevin Costner, who'll be in town April 7 with his band, Modern West.

Although Costner is famous for his movie career, which includes the Academy Award winning Dances with Wolves and the critically-panned Waterworld, Costner's true first love has been music.

About 20 years ago, he met John Coinman in Los Angeles at an acting workshop. They, along with Blair Forward, played and wrote music together. They formed Roving Boy, a rock band that scored a record deal in Japan and got to the top of the charts with the single "Simple Truth."

The band kept playing and recording in the background as Costner's career in Hollywood took up most of his limelight. In 2005, they met Teddy Morgan, a guitarist and producer and Larry Cobb, forming Kevin Costner and Modern West.

According to a release, "Kevin Costner and Modern West draw their influences from a broad tapestry of American music and beyond. The show itself flows from original material penned by the band to cover songs written by some of music’s giants."

Tickets went on sale Feb. 6 and range from $35 to $55. For $25 more, you can dine pre-performance in the Stage Door Restaurant and Lounge adjacent to the theatre.

For tickets, visit www.parktheatreri.com or call 401-467-7275.