WELLSBORO, PA – At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, Moondance: The Ultimate Van Morrison Tribute Concert will take the stage in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.
This marks the fourth time Moondance has performed in October at the Deane Center. The first time was eight years ago in 2018; the second was five years ago in 2021; the third was two years ago in 2024; and the fourth will be on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.
“We put this show together fourteen years ago in 2013 because Van Morrison is a popular singer/songwriter who rarely performs in our country,” said Vinnie Brandi of Galaxy Entertainment, producer of the Moondance tribute concert. “When he does, it’s usually a short run,” Brandi added. “People don’t get to see ‘Van the Man’ in person much anymore compared to other performers who are constantly on tour.”
Born on Aug. 31, 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the now 81-year-old Grammy Award-winning Morrison released both his 39th studio album “You’re Driving Me Crazy” and his 40th, “The Prophet Speaks” in 2018.
In 2019, he released his 41st studio album, “Three Chords and the Truth”; in 2021, his 42nd, the 28-track “Latest Record Project, Volume 1; in 2022, his 43rd, “What’s It Gonna Take? and in 2023, his 44th studio album, “Moving On Skiffle and his 45th, “Accentuate the Positive.”
In 2024, Morrison released his 46th studio album, “New Arrangements and Duets” featuring big band arrangements and re-recordings of his past material alongside duets with artists like Willie Nelson and Joss Stone.
His most recent is his 47th studio album, “Remembering Now.” This 14-track record was released on June 13, 2025 and marked Morrison’s return to original songwriting. It features the single “Down to Joy,” which originally debuted in the soundtrack to Kenneth Branagh’s 2021 film “Belfast”.
A professional musician since the late 1950s, Morrison plays guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums and saxophone. Before going solo, he first gained national attention as the lead singer for the band Them formed in 1964.
This Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has never failed to impress music lovers around the globe. “Rock and roll doesn’t get any better than Van Morrison,” said Brandi.
During the Oct. 23 concert, the audience will hear Morrison’s classic rock songs like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Domino,” legendary tunes like “Tupelo Honey” and “Into The Mystic” and others, such as “Moondance,” “It Stoned Me,” “Wild Night,” and “Caravan.”
Peter Fitzsimmons, the lead singer, portrays Van Morrison. He is backed by a five-piece band who play the same instruments as Morrison. Members are: Joseph Torra on keyboards; Dana Welts on guitar; Vinnie Brandi on drums; Dan Broad on bass guitar and Aaron Dean on saxophone. Welts and Broad are Fitzsimmons’s backing vocalists.
“The audience can count on hearing little tidbits during the performance, such as the stories behind some of the songs,” Brandi noted.
Sponsors for this concert are: Dunham Family Foundation, Seneca Resources, & Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, Chateau de Foi, Partners in Progress, and North Penn Comprehensive Health Services.
Per person admission is $30 for a tabled ticket and $30 for theatre seating with no table. With a tabled ticket, it’s $10 to reserve a small table that seats four and $20 to reserve a large table that seats eight. There is a 3 percent online transaction fee for tickets and tables. Call the Deane Center at 570-724-6220 or visit deanecenter.com for more information.
