Lied Center announces 2009-10 schedule
The Lied Center of Kansas has announced its schedule for 2009-10.
Highlights include the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Cypress String Quartet performing “A Celebration of Mendelssohn,” the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medal winner, Broadway’s “Avenue Q” and more.
Families are welcome to hear the Cajun-influenced jazz/blues fiddle of violin prodigy Amanda Shaw at the free outdoor concert and Family Arts Festival, a glow-in-the-dark adventure with Darwin the Dinosaur and the a cappella sounds of the holidays with Straight No Chaser.
“Next season features some incredible shows from across the globe,” said Lied Center Executive Director Tim Van Leer. “From the passionate Orquestra de São Paulo with guest percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie to the traditional Japanese taiko drumming of SHIDARA, the 2009-10 season offers excellent performing arts experiences for everyone.”
In addition to the 19 announced performances, there will be a number of special events revealed over the coming months, available to Friends of the Lied before they go on sale to the public.
In consideration of the economic pinch, most of the 2009-10 performances are less expensive than last season’s were. Also, almost all performances feature student and youth prices that are half the price of, or less than half the price of, adult tickets.
2009-10 event tickets are available in “create your own” packages as well as single-event tickets and are on sale now.
The Lied Center Ticket Office can be reached at 864-2787 or 864-2777/TDD.
Online ticket sales begin today.
The 2009-10 Lied Center season is:
Amanda Shaw SPECIAL EVENT
Cajun jazz-blues fiddler Amanda Shaw will perform Aug. 21.
Cajun-rooted, jazz-blues fiddler
Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
Free Outdoor Concert and Family Arts Festival – 6 p.m.
New Orleans-based singer, songwriter, fiddler and actress Amanda Shaw is poised on the precipice of international stardom.
Among her many accomplishments, Shaw recently released her album Pretty Runs Out, and starred in the 2006 IMAX film Hurricane on the Bayou.
Darwin The Dinosaur FAMILY EVENT
Darwin the Dinosaur will take the stage Oct. 3
A glow-in-the-dark adventure
Oct. 3, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
CORBIAN Visual Arts and Dance presents Darwin The Dinosaur, featuring larger-than-life, glow-in-the-dark characters that light up the stage.
Using electroluminescent, crayon drawing-like creatures and an irresistible and expressive soundtrack, Darwin The Dinosaur is an imaginative spectacle for kids of all ages.
Glenn Miller Orchestra SPECIAL EVENT
World-famous big band
Oct. 4, 3 p.m.
For more than 50 years, the Glenn Miller Orchestra has been at the pinnacle of big band and swing performance, with popular hits including Moonlight Serenade, In the Mood, Tuxedo Junction and Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Considered the greatest big band of all time, the orchestra’s unique jazzy compositions have been delighting and entertaining audiences for decades.
Orquestra de São Paulo with percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie CONCERT EVENT
Maestro Kazem Abdullah
Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.
The program includes: Camargo Guarnieri Encantamento, Marlos Nobre Concerto No. 2 for percussion and orchestra
Evelyn Glennie, percussion soloist
Camargo Guarnieri 3 Dancas Brasileiras para Orquestra (3 Brazilian Dances for Orchestra)
Heitor Villa-Lobos Chôros No. 6 for Orchestra 2
Trey McIntyre Project NEW DIRECTIONS EVENT
The Sun Road – a multimedia dance performance
Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Using classical ballet as a point of departure, the Trey McIntyre Project (TMP) presents emotionally charged dance performances that defy categorization.
Cypress String Quartet SWARTHOUT MUSIC EVENT
The Cypress String Quartet returns to the Lied Center Oct. 28.
A Celebration of Mendelssohn
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.
Commemorating the 200th birthday of Felix Mendelssohn, the Cypress String Quartet returns to the Lied Center to present A Celebration of Mendelssohn.
The program features Lento Assai, a new work by emerging young composer Kevin Puts.
The new piece, co-commissioned by the Lied Center of Kansas, the Library of Congress, Cypress String Quartet and the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, is an inspired “response” to Mendelssohn’s first and Beethoven’s last string quartets.
Ferocious Beauty: Genome NEW DIRECTIONS EVENT
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange
Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
In Ferocious Beauty: Genome, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange investigates the impact of genetic research through groundbreaking movement and theatre.
Under the artistic direction of award-winning choreographer Liz Lerman, this multimedia work integrates dance, recorded and live-feed video and a multichannel soundscape.
Tap Dogs BROADWAY EVENT
High voltage tap dance
Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Tap Dogs, the international dance phenomenon, is a Broadway hit.
Sparks will fly on the construction-site-like set when six athletic dancers create mesmerizing rhythms and stomp and tap to the vibrant music.
Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca WORLD EVENT
Nov 14, 7:30 p.m.
Celebrated for its transcendent and deeply emotional performances, Spain’s Noche Flamenca is recognized as the most authentic flamenco touring company in the field today.
Under the direction of Martín Santangelo, the company stages performances with the essence, purity and integrity of one of the world’s most complex and mysterious art forms.
With co-founder, Bessie Award-winning Soledad Barrio, Noche Flamenca creates a true communal spirit in its performances—a robust program of engaging dance, song and music.
Straight No Chaser FAMILY EVENT
A vocal celebration of the season
Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Not your average a cappella group, Straight No Chaser is neither straight-laced nor straight-faced.
Originally an a cappella group at Indiana University, the guys were signed to a record deal after a video of The 12 Days of Christmas became a YouTube phenomenon and received almost 8 million views.
At the Lied Center holiday concert, Straight No Chaser will perform interpretations of Christmas classics from their 2008 album, Holiday Spirits.
Sasha Cooke SWARTHOUT MUSIC EVENT
Mezzo-soprano
Jan. 24, 2 p.m.
American mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke is a fast-rising star of opera and concert.
Cooke sang the role of Kitty Oppenheimer in Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams’ Doctor Atomic at the Metropolitan Opera premiere in New York City. She reprised the role with the English National Opera in her European debut.
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández CONCERT EVENT
Rich, cultural music and dance
Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.
Simultaneously honoring and recounting the histories of Mexico’s ancient civilizations and indigenous cultures, Ballet Folklórico de México is the pre-eminent folkloric music and dance company in the genre.
This internationally renowned folkloric company celebrates the diversity of Mexico’s rich cultural legacy.
Founded in 1952 by Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico de México has preserved the traditional folk dances of Mexico and generously shares them with the world.
The Drowsy Chaperone BROADWAY EVENT
A Broadway musical inside a comedy
Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m.
This Tony Award-winning show is full of singing, dancing, comedy and more.
Full of producers, gangsters, butlers and flappers, The Drowsy Chaperone tells the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet trying to give up show business.
Pilobolus Dance Theatre NEW DIRECTIONS EVENT
Creative collaboration in modern dance
Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Making its highly anticipated return to the Lied Center, this inventive modern dance company is renowned for its mix of innovation, humor and drama in movement.
Drawing inspiration from biology, Pilobolus combines athleticism, grace and ingenuity with a profound sense of unity among its members.
Gold Medalist CONCERT EVENT
13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner
Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Once every four years, the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition invites a select few young musicians to compete for significant awards.
Among other honors, the prizes include three years of international concert engagements.
The Aluminum Show FAMILY EVENT
Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
The Aluminum Show features an accomplished cast of athletic dancers and performance artists fusing industrial materials and movement to make a luminous and reflective extravaganza.
Artistic Director Ilan Azriel created The Aluminum Show after mastering new and innovative techniques to manipulate different kinds of metal.
The Albers Trio SWARTHOUT MUSIC EVENT
The Albers Trio will play the Lied Center March 7.
Sisters and strings
March 7, 2 p.m.
Accomplished soloists and ensemble musicians in their own right, the Albers sisters have a lifelong relationship with string instruments.
At the Lied Center, the Trio will perform a noble Divertimento by Mozart, a departure piece by Beethoven and an expressive contemporary work by composer Ross Bauer.
SHIDARA WORLD EVENT
Japanese taiko drumming
March 10, 7:30 p.m.
With deep roots in its remote Japanese village, Shidara’s taiko drumming performances are entrenched in the 700-year-old harvest festival of its home.
Avenue Q BROADWAY EVENT
PG-13 Broadway musical comedy
March 24, 7:30 p.m.
Avenue Q is the Tony Award-winning musical about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Struggling to find jobs, significant others and their reason for living, the characters in Avenue Q collaborate and commiserate over life’s stumbling blocks.
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