Lake Oconee Village and the Oconee Performing Arts Society has announced that the Village Series has some exciting changes in store for the lake area.

The originally planned Village Battle of the Bands scheduled for Sept. 12 has been postponed to a later date. Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte and internationally renowned jazz pianist Russ Kassoff will be joining the series on Friday, Sept. 11 for Broadway at The Village.

Gravitte has performed her nightclub act worldwide, from New York City’s Rainbow and Stars, to London’s Pizza on the Park, and back home again to Atlantic City, where she has performed with talents such as Jay Leno, Harry Anderson and the legendary George Burns. In 2007, Gravitte engaged the Lake Oconee audience when OPAS celebrated its first performance at the Reynolds family’s Sandy Creek Barn featuring Marvin Hamlisch. She charmed again with her delightful stage presence this past December at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge with her performance in “Fa, la, la Phantom and Friends.”

Kassoff is an accomplished jazz pianist, conductor, composer, orchestrator and arranger whose remarkable talents have touched the music world. He has played with notable performers such as Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra, Rita Moreno, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Catherine Dupuis, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Steve Allen, Paul Anka, Tony Bennet and many other artists, including the illustrious Luciano Pavarotti.

Broadway at The Village with Gravitte and Kassoff will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11. Reserved cabaret-style seating is available for $20 per chair and free lawn seating will also be available. For reserved seating tickets, please contact Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787 or www.Ticketmaster.com, or call the OPAS box office at (706) 999-1518. No ticket is required for complimentary lawn seating. The concert stage will be set up at the base of the steps in front of the Spotlight Theatre under the Miller-Brown/OPAS orchestra shell.

For more information on Broadway at the Village or other Village Series events please visit www.OPAS.org or www.LakeOconeeVillage.com.