The 13th season of Starlight Summer Concert Series presented by the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University kicks off June 26 featuring Star Spangled Spectacular.

The opening outdoor concert on the Campus Green beginning at 8 p.m. will showcase Broadway, Americana and patriotic favorites performed by the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, (formerly the Cobb Symphony Orchestra. The evening is capped off with a roaring fireworks display.

"There's always a feel good bend to the Star Spangled Spectacular," David Daly, director of Bailey Performance Center, said.

In addition to orchestral pieces, KSU theater students will perform the Broadway show tunes with the GSO. Theater professor Harrison Long will narrate a musical setting of the poem "Casey at the Bat."

The music in the 2011 series is top notch, said Daly, who earned his B.A. in music from University of Georgia. "All of these artists are of a high caliber," he said.

The focus of the series ,which attracts audiences from Cobb and neighboring counties, is serving the community.

"The series is really a way for the College of the Arts to provide an opportunity to welcome the greater community onto the campus," said Daly, who has worked in the arts for 11 years.

"(The series) is a community outreach initiative," he continues. "This is a time when we can focus on reaching out to the folks nearby to let them know that we provide services not only to our own students, but we want to be a resource for the greater community as well."

The musical emphasis of 2011 summer series is jazz and bluegrass.

"We look for artists that are fun, fresh, exciting," he said. "The series features the kind of music that you want to listen to while you kick back in a lawn chair with a picnic on a nice Sunday afternoon.

General admission lawn seating for Star Spangled Spectacular is free to all patrons. General admission to other concerts is $8. Guests are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnics (no tables, please). Reserved table seating is available for concerts at the Legacy Gazebo Amphitheatre.

"The setting is a nice place to experience the music. It's really a comfortable setting to sit outside and listen to some great music," Daly said.

Upcoming shows at the Legacy Gazebo Ampitheater at 7:30 p.m. are July 10 with Joey Singer and Bill Cunliffe, July 24 with Laura Coyle and Friends, and Aug. 7 with Blue Highway.

For tickets and more information, visit www.kennesaw.edu/arts/ starlight or call (770) 423-6650.