'David Archuleta to share his kind of Christmas in Cedar City'

The Spectrum:

David Archuleta to share his kind of Christmas in Cedar City

When David Archuleta fans learned of his upcoming performance at the Heritage Center in Cedar City, it didn't take long for the word to spread and it didn't take long for the show to sell out - less than two weeks according to the Heritage Center Box Office.

"I don't know that we've ever had one that's sold out that quickly, that I'm aware of," Byron Linford, event coordinator for Cedar City and executive director for the Heritage Center, said of Saturday's concert.

When Archuleta heard the news he was surprised and flattered.

"I was never one to buy tickets in advance really, so it's kind of interesting for me to think that people would be looking that forward to seeing me perform," he said. "I'm always very appreciative of it. ... It makes me hope to give a better show for everybody."

Archuleta's Cedar City performance is one of several stops on his My Kind of Christmas tour that will take the former "American Idol" contestant and Utah-native from New York to California to spread his favorite kind of music and celebrate his favorite time of year.

"It really makes me think about what Christmas means to me and what it's about and what the songs are really saying," Archuleta said.

For him, a Christmas tour is the best kind of tour.

"My last Christmas tour was a few years ago and it was my favorite tour I ever got to do," he said. "This (year's tour) absolutely confirms why I loved it."

As a child, Archuleta's Christmases didn't include a national tour but music still played a key role.

"We would get together as a family and have Christmas dinner and a nativity story with the kids and a talent show," he said of some of his favorite holiday traditions. "On my mom's side we usually just party until midnight because she's Latin."

This year, in addition to sharing his versions of traditional and original Christmas melodies on tour, Archuleta is also featured on the recently released Mormon Tabernacle Choir album and DVD, "Glad Christmas Tidings."

Outside of Christmas tunes, Archuleta is known for his first lead single "Crush," as well as his performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" on season 7 of "American Idol."

Many of his songs delve into the complexities of being in love, something he admits he has not yet experienced first-hand.

"That's what I love about being a singer is you can put yourself in anyone's shoes," Archuleta said. "I think it's important to try to be as understanding to others as you can, especially when it comes to singing."

He tries to carry that understanding over to everyday life by being kind and gracious, not only to the media during his interviews, but to people in general - an attitude that is not always reciprocated when you're in the spotlight in the music business.

"I have had to acquire thick skin," he said. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to be respectful of people there are still people who hate your guts."

He said it's unfortunate but the negative in life is often louder than the positive, but if you stay calm and pay attention you can focus on the good in life.

"For the most part it's been such a blessing to have such great people coming to the shows and to hear their stories about how much they appreciate the music," he said.

At the Cedar City show, those fans appreciating his music will not only be from the area, but many are traveling from as far as Texas to attend.

Other fans who are unable to travel to one of his Christmas shows are pleading with him via Twitter and comments on a variety of websites to have Archuleta visit their corner of the world.

"I don't think of it as pressure," Archuleta said in response to pleas for his presence in Asia, Latin America, the Northwestern United States and more. "Something I love to do is travel. I love experiencing people's lifestyles and cultures."

Right now, Archuleta said he is on the road more than he is home, but he enjoys it.

"I'd love to be able to sing for whoever is willing to listen. That's why it means so much to me to see that fans are so supportive," he said.

Archuleta's performance at the Heritage Center is a bit of a departure from the venue's previous offerings, something Linford said is part of the new administration's plan to "broaden our base a little bit" in terms of demographics.

"We want to keep the older demographic," Linford said, speaking positively of the previous director's success with the Cedar City Music Arts Program. "We just want to expand what we do. We want to bring quality entertainment to the citizens."

Since the Heritage Center is a taxpayer funded venue, every time a show breaks even or makes money, it saves the taxpayers money.

"It's a win-win," Linford said. "Off-setting the costs of operation and bringing quality entertainment."

David Archuleta will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Heritage Center, 105 N. 100 East, Cedar City. As of press time a few VIP tickets had been returned to the Heritage Center and were available for sale, however Linford anticipated that any remaining tickets would be sold by today. For more information, contact 865-2882 or log onto www.heritagectr.org.