Phish not the only highlight of fall lineup

After a almost half a decade, loyal Phish-heads who've had to cope with symptoms of withdrawal after the group went on hiatus, will be rewarded for their devotion with the rock band's performances at the North Charleston Coliseum on Oct. 15-16.

It will be the first time the band has played in the Charleston area since 1996.

If a famed grassroots rock group isn't your cup of tea, don't despair. The North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center have stacked their fall lineup with a mix of major acts, including Broadway's Spamalot, Disney on Ice, celebrated chef and "No Reservations" TV host Anthony Bourdain and Grammy-winning jazz musician and prolific producer George Duke.

"We are excited about this fall and what we have coming," said Alan Coker, marketing manager for the coliseum and the performing arts center, and himself a dedicated Phish fan.

"We're expecting that Phish will sell out both shows and we have some first time performers here like Jason Aldean and some shows that are fresh from their run on Broadway," he says. "This fall, we were looking to bring an eclectic mix so there would be something for everyone."

The fall season starts this weekend with comedian and syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley at 8 p.m. Friday at the performing arts center.

Smiley, a former host of BET's Comic View, is best known for his stable of alter egos such as Bernice Jenkins, a church announcement-reading, organ-playing Grandma. Smiley, brands himself a "clean" comic, keeping vulgarity out of his act. Tickets range from $25 to $55.

Smiley will be followed by the Low Country Jazz Festival Saturday at the PAC featuring legendary contemporary jazz band Spyro Gyra; jazz saxophonist Euge Groove, former leader of the funk/jazz band Down to the Bone, saxophonist Shilts, aka Paul Weimar, and Charleston's own Charlton Singleton.

Tickets are $45 and $55.

Other highlights for the upcoming season include:

--The 12th annual Best of Broadway series begins this fall with contemporary shows and classic musicals geared toward attracting a young audience and other lovers of the Great White Way.

First to be cast under the spotlight at the Performing Arts Center is "Legally Blonde," based on the popular movie. It will run Nov. 2-3 at PAC followed by "A Chorus Line" on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

Some edgier fare later this year includes Monty Python-inspired Spamalot, a comedic take on King Arthur's Camelot and the coming of age rock and roll musical Spring Awakening.

--Jeff Dunham, comic and famed ventriloquist, will be putting his hand up the shirts of Walter, the grumpy retiree; Bubba J., a proud red-neck who loves NASCAR; and Jose Jalapeno, the mustachioed Mexican "On a steek" on Oct. 9 at the coliseum as part of his "Identity Crisis Tour." Dunham who most recently appeared in the film "Dinner for Schmucks," is expected to introduce the new female character Diane during the show.

--Charleston-based indie rock group Band of Horses will be performing Oct. 29. The band is auctioning off the first two rows of seats to benefit Charleston Waterkeeper, whose mission is to preserve and protect Charleston's waterways.