Tickets for Bill Cosby at the Coronado on sale June 10

Staff Report

Tickets for comedian Bill Cosby’s Saturday, Nov. 5, performance at the Coronado Performing Arts Center go on sale at noon, Friday, June 10. Prices range from $37.50 to $57.50.

Cosby’s performance will begin at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5. Tickets are available at the Coronado Box Office, Coronadopac.org or charge by phone at (815) 968-0595.

One of America’s most beloved comedians of all time, Cosby has captivated generations of fans with his comedy routines, iconic albums, the groundbreaking series The Cosby Show, and bestselling books such as Fatherhood. His comedy transcends age, gender, and cultural barriers.

Cosby broke television’s racial barrier with a role in I Spy, becoming the first African-American to costar on a television series and win three consecutive Emmys for “Outstanding Lead Actor” in the dramatic series.

The veteran comic created and produced the Emmy-winning cartoon Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which began airing in the 1970s and was made into a film in 2004. The show, based on Cosby’s childhood in Philadelphia, was designed to educate and entertain.

The former Navy serviceman’s illustrious list of accomplishments includes roles on the children’s educational show Electric Company, and creating and producing the Emmy Award-winning Little Bill, which is based on his bestselling book series. Perhaps Cosby’s greatest contribution to American entertainment and culture is The Cosby Show, about a close-knit, upper class black family. Cosby said his intent was to portray an American family. Time magazine called the show “an encouraging sign of maturity in matters of race.”

The Cosby Show dominated the No. 1 spot for years, earning nearly unanimous critical praise. Life magazine described the program as “a gentle, whimsical, warmhearted” show whose “delicious ordinariness of its pleasures and tribulations has given millions a fresh, laughter-splashed perspective on their own domestic lives.”

For his philanthropic efforts and positive influence as a performer and author, Cosby was honored with a 1998 Kennedy Center Honors Award. In 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, and was the 2009 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and the Marian Anderson Award in 2010.

From the June 8-14, 2011 issue