A Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, the world premiere of a song cycle based on poems by Carl Reiner’s daughter, dazzling international dance ensembles, circus arts and perhaps America’s premier storyteller will highlight the 16th season of Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center.
Katharine McPhee
Also previously announced was “Rock of Ages,” the five-time Tony Award-nominated musical that features 1980s songs and was made into the recent Tom Cruise movie. It will kick off the season Sept. 8.
Tickets for individual shows, ranging from free to $ 58, go on sale at noon July 19. Season subscriptions also are available.
Among the new shows announced are jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker, who has played or recorded with Bruce Springsteen; Lou Reed; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Frank Zappa and Parliament-Funkadelic. Brecker, who will be an artist in residence at Lehigh, will play with the school’s Jazz Repertory Orchestra at 8 p.m. March 2.
Another high profile jazz artist is guitarist Larry Coryell, a pioneer of 1970s fusion, will perform jazz standards with his Larry Coryell Organ Trio on April 6.
Also announced was the world premiere of Paul Salerni’s “Generations,” a song cycle based on the poems of Annie Reiner, which will be part of the Vega String Quartet & Friends’ “Chiaroscuro” on Nov. 17. The performance will include composer Jan Jirásek’s “A Fragile Balance: Letters to Heaven.”
Art Spiegelman, who won the Pulitzer Prize for the graphic novel “MAUS,” and whose comics have been controversial, will return to the Valley with a lecture “What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?” on Nov. 8.
The groundbreaking dance company MOMIX returns Nov. 4 with “Botanica,” a new work reveling in nature's changing and beautiful imagery. The multimedia presentation has props and puppetry and a score that includes such diverse sounds as birdsong, Vivaldi and techno-rock.
Cirque Eloize: iD, described as “an energetic and breathtaking 90-minute thrill ride” that pairs stunning visuals with feats of daring by acrobats, break dancers, contortionists and stunt artists, will be presented Dec. 22 and 23.
Closing the season May 19 will be “An Evening with Garrison Keillor,” in which the best-selling author and host of NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” returns to offer thoughtful musings and whimsical conversation.
Here’s a full schedule:
GUEST ARTISTS
“Rock of Ages”
09.08 SAT | 3 & 8PM | Baker . $ 55/45/40 Season Opener!
Kicking off our 16th season is a Broadway smash that shakes, rattles and rolls its audiences with the big chords, big dreams and big hair of the 1980s featuring iconic rock music of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar and others! (Recommended for ages 14+)
Cyrille Aimée & Diego Figueiredo
09.15 SAT | 6PM dinner & show . $ 58
9PM Show only . $ 22 . Gen Adm | Cash bar (beer & wine)
Silky jazz stylist Aimée appears at NYC’s premier venues, including Joe’s Pub and Birdland, with renowned musicians Joel Frahm, Anat Cohen and others. Paired with Brazilian guitarist Figueiredo, the duo performs a wide range of jazz standards, French and Brazilian music. “…Cyrille's vocal stylings are synonymous with musical genius.” (The New York Times) For fans of Bobby McFerrin, Norah Jones and Django Reinhardt.
Ballet Folklórico de México
09.29 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 36/30
A thousand years of Mexican culture, folklore and dance collide in a colorful on-stage fiesta. The Mexican ballet company founded by the late dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernandez, and now directed and managed by her daughter Norma Lopez Hernandez, stays true to tradition by making Mexican folklore come alive with vibrant colors and dramatic movements. "Passionate…impeccable…an unequaled point of entry to the riches of a fabulous culture!" (Los Angeles Times)
Delhi 2 Dublin
10.12 FRI | 8PM | Baker . $ 15 . Gen Adm
“Delhi 2 Dublin is the United Nations of rock ‘n’ roll” (Hour magazine) playing an energetic mash-up of Bhangra, Celtic, hip hop and reggae laced with global rhythms. They reflect the cultural diversity of cities around the world and challenge the definition of urban music. For fans of Buraka Som Sistema, Enter the Haggis, Manu Chao and Coldplay.
GALA 2012 Saturday, October 20
An Evening with Katharine McPhee
The multi-talented recording artist and actress first captured America’s attention with her beautiful singing voice and masterful interpretations of songs. Now the radiant star of NBC’s hit series SMASH brings her luminous talent to Baker Hall for an evening of new favorites and treasured standards. She has performed on two hit PBS specials, Foster and Friends and Chris Botti in Boston, alongside Sting, Andrea Bocelli and John Mayer. Her self-titled debut album exploded on the Billboard 200 and landed at #2.
GALA EVENING 10.20 SAT | 4:30 PM
Cocktail reception, dinner and concert with preferred
seating, dessert reception . $ 550 per person*
CONCERT & DESSERT RECEPTION | 8 PM
Select | Classic | Students
$ 150* $ 75 $ 50 one ticket per LU ID
*This performance is a fundraising event for Zoellner Arts Center. See Zoellner’s website for tax-deductible information.
MOMIX Botanica
The ground-breaking dance company returns with a dazzling new work reveling in nature's changing and beautiful imagery. Botanica showcases the endless renewable energy of the superb performers in a multi-media extravaganza with costumes, props and puppetry accompanied by an eclectic score ranging from birdsong to Vivaldi to techno-rock.
The Vega String Quartet Romantic Giants
11.11 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 22
Emory University's vibrant Quartet-in-Residence breathes new life into classical music with clarity and passion. Repertoire: Beethoven, String Quartet, op. 95, Serioso; Tchaikovsky, String Quartet No. 1 in D, op. 11; Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 8 in F minor, op. 80.
The Vega String Quartet & Friends Chiaroscuro
11.17 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 15
Music by composers Paul Salerni and Jan Jirásek, featuring the world premiere of Salerni’s Generation, a song cycle on poems by Annie Reiner; Jirásek’s A Fragile Balance: Letters to Heaven. Guest artists include Yunah Lee and Leslie Johnson, sopranos, with Robin Kani, flute, Oren Fader, guitar, Deborah Andrus, clarinet, Steven Reisteter, saxophone and Dominick Fiore, bass.
Cirque Eloize: iD
An energetic and breathtaking 90-minute thrill ride, iD appeals to theatergoers of all ages with stunning visuals and feats of daring, as vibrant city streets come alive with the boundless energy of acrobats, break dancers, contortionists and stunt artists who perform in a kaleidoscope of eye-popping projections.
A Chorus Line
01.12 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 50/45
In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. The singularly sensational winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama and nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is for anyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line.
Mountain Heart
02.01 FRI | 8PM | Baker . $ 20/15
Known for cutting-edge acoustic excellence, this multiple award-winning vanguard of contemporary folk musicians has shared stages with Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, George Jones and Lynyrd Skynyrd among others. Mountain Heart’s unique combination of rock, country, blues, jazz and bluegrass produces a high-energy sound that is fresh, fierce and fun.
Motionhouse Scattered
02.10 SUN | 7PM | Baker . $ 36/30
Using water as the underlying element, Motionhouse thrills with an aerial arena combining choreography with silks, harnesses and video to create a stunning visual performance experience that “…thrills the senses and tricks the eye.” (Bournemouth Daily Echo)
Beethoven Orchestra Bonn
03.08 FRI | 8PM | Baker . $ 45/36
One of Germany’s finest orchestras led by music director and conductor Stefan Blunier, performs the monumental Symphony No. 5 and the composer’s Emperor Piano Concerto No. 5 with acclaimed soloist Louis Lortie.
Les 7 Doigts de la Main PSY
03.16 SAT | 8PM 03.17 SUN | 3PM . Baker . $ 40/30
Literally translated as "the 7 fingers of the hand,” this mind-blowing circus from Montreal delves into the surreal underworld of the human psyche in PSY, a humorous odyssey through a shifting landscape of distorted visions, fading dreams and fractured memories.
Larry Coryell Organ Trio
04.06 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 35/25
The legendary jazz guitarist and pioneer of 70s fusion performs jazz standards imbued with “entrancing melodies, lightning fast phrases and spectacular solos.” (All Music Guide) His acclaimed trio features Pat Bianchi, organ, and Carmen Intorre, drums.
On-Stage Cabaret
Héctor Del Curto Tango Quintet
05.04 SAT | 6PM dinner & show . $ 58
9pm Show only, $ 22 . Gen Adm | Cash bar (beer & wine)
Praised by the New York Times as a "splendid player" Argentinean bandoneónist Héctor Del Curto has shared the stage with world–renowned tango legends Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Pugliese. His quintet performs passionate “…music that begins with the frenzied rhythms of tango slowly devolving into jazz improvisations.” (Savannah Morning News)
An Evening with Garrison Keillor
05.19 SUN | 7:30PM | Baker . $ 75/55/46
America’s premier storyteller, best-selling author and beloved host of A Prairie Home Companion returns to Baker stage for thoughtful musings and whimsical conversation.
NOTATIONS
Chard deNiord
10.01 MON | 7PM | Lower Gallery
The author of four poetry books discusses his work including The Double Truth named by The Boston Globe as a top ten poetry book and Sad Friends, Drowned Lovers, Stapled Songs, Conversations and Reflections on Twentieth Century American Poets about seven senior poets including Galway Kinnell, Ruth Stone and Maxine Kumin.
Art Spiegelman What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?
11.08 THU | 7PM | Baker
Spiegelman is a Pulitzer Prize winner for the graphic novel MAUS. His comics are best known for their scratch-board, illustrative style and controversial content. In this lecture with images, he takes the audience on a chronological tour of the evolution of comics and explains the value of the medium and why it should not be ignored.
Stephanie Powell Watts
11.15 THU | 7PM | Lower Gallery
Watts’s debut collection of short stories was a PEN Hemingway finalist, a finalist for the Chautauqua prize, a finalist for the USA Book News prize, a finalist for the ForeWord Reviews Prize and on the list for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Prize. She will read from her short fiction.
Sigrid Nunez
03.05 TUE | 7PM | Lower Gallery
Nunez has published six novels including A Feather on the Breath of God and Salvation City, and the highly acclaimed Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. She has contributed to The New York Times, Harper’s, The Believer, Tin House and O. Her honors include three Pushcart Prizes, a Whiting Writer’s Award and a Berlin Prize Fellowship.
Marjorie Hudson
03.28 THU | 7PM | Lower Gallery
Hudson is the author of Accidental Birds of the Carolinas, a PEN/Hemingway Honorable Mention and Searching for Virginia Dare, an exploration of American and personal history. She holds a BS from American University and an MFA from Warren Wilson College and teaches creative writing at Central Carolina Community College.
Honor Molloy
04.03 Wed | 7PM | Lower Gallery
Honor Molloy has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. She will read from her autobiographical novel Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra A Tribute to the Big Bands
09.22 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
Comprised of NYC-based jazz and studio musicians, the orchestra is dedicated to the recreation of classics, as well as the creation of new jazz, funk and Latin music. Bill Warfield, director.
Emi Kagawa, Piano
09.23 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 10
Repertoire: Mendelssohn, Songs Without Words; Liszt, Grandes etudes de Paganini; Chopin,
Sonata in B- flat minor, op.35.
LU Jazz Fusion Hollywood Jazz
10.13 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 15
Lehigh students and faculty present movie music from Hollywood’s heyday of the 40s, 50s and 60s. For fans of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers. Bill Warfield, director.
Eugene Albulescu & Friends
10.14 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 15
Repertoire: Haydn, Piano Trio No. 3 in G, Gypsy; Dvořák, Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor,
Dumky; Brahms, Piano Trio in C, op. 87. The popular trio returns for a spirited concert.
LU Choral Arts The Jewel at the Center of the World
10.26, 27 FRI, SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
Lehigh Choral Arts explores the unique confluence of Arabic, Christian and Jewish cultures in 9th-15th century Andalusia. Guest artists include the Arabic takht ensemble Al-Bustan and composer-in-residence Emmy-nominated Kareem Roustom. Steven Sametz, director.
Supported by the Center for Global Islamic Studies and Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture.
LU Philharmonic Old World England & Russia
11.02, 03 FRI, SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
Repertoire: Walton, Viola Concerto; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op. 74, Pathétique.
Cynthia Phelps, acclaimed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic, joins the orchestra to perform this major solo work for viola, and Tchaikovsky’s dark, iconic romantic masterpiece is featured. Eugene Albulescu conducts.
LU Jazz Ensembles
12.01 SAT| 8PM | Baker $ 15
The LU Jazz Combo, Funk Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Lehigh Valley Jazz Repertory Orchestra perform traditional and contemporary jazz. Bill Warfield, director.
LU Wind Ensemble 60!
12.02 SUN | 3PM | Baker $ 15
A 60th-birthday celebration of the wind ensemble idea, created in 1952 by Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music. Early and recently composed works are featured. David Diggs, director.
LU Philharmonic Worlds of Wonder
12.07 FRI . 8PM | 12.08 SAT . 3PM | Baker . $ 18
Repertoire: Leopold Mozart, Toy Symphony; Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf; Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker Suite. This family-friendly concert celebrates the holidays with the return of the orchestra’s magical multi-media Nutcracker Suite. Eugene Albulescu conducts.
LU Choral Arts Christmas Vespers
12.09 SUN | 4 & 8PM | Packer Memorial Church. Free; No Tickets Req’d, Early Arrival Suggested
Lehigh University Choral Arts presents its annual holiday gift to the community. Steven Sametz, director.
Helen Beedle, Piano with Sam & Denise Miller
01.20 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 10
World Champion dancers Sam & Denise Miller interlace delightful movements throughout Beedle’s program of classical and contemporary works.
New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra The Music of Jimi Hendrix
02.02 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
The group provides a jazz-filled experience of the electrifying icon’s music. Bill Warfield, director.
LU Philharmonic Concerto Marathon Worlds of Fire
02.15, 16 FRI, SAT | 8 pm | Baker . Free, No Tickets Req’d
The annual concert features student soloists performing classical concerti, including Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No. 1 and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. Eugene Albulescu, conducts.
LU Jazz Faculty The Music of Herbie Hancock
02.17 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 12
Lehigh University jazz faculty performs the legendary music of Herbie Hancock. Bill Warfield, director.
East Winds Quintet All American
02.24 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 12
The ensemble presents a program of music by American composers including works by Elliot Carter, Vincent Persichetti and Alec Wilder.
LU Glee Club & Dolce The Light Fantastic
03.01 FRI | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
The men and women ensembles team up for choral music of the past 500 years to delight the ear. Steven Sametz and Sun Min Lee, directors.
LU Jazz Repertory Orchestra & Randy Brecker
03.02 | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
Featuring Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and Weinstock Artist-in-Residence Randy Brecker, the group performs a variety of music and premieres a trumpet concerto by director Bill Warfield.
Timothy Schwarz, violin
Two Views, One Region
03.03 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 10
Schwarz joins the Intercultural Journeys Ensemble and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra for this ground-breaking concert exploring the complex musical history of Arab and Israeli cultures. The program features works by Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom and Israeli composer Avner Dorman, as well as traditional folk music from the region.
LU Choir, Dolce and Glee Club Hot Dates
03.22, 23 FRI, SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 18
Music of Poulenc, Hindemith, Dowland, Britten and the crown prince of murder and music, Don Carlo di Gesualdo. Steven Sametz and Deborah Fields, directors.
LU Jazz Program Spring Concert
04.13 SAT | 8PM | Baker . $ 15
The annual spring concert features contemporary and traditional jazz performed by the ensemble, band, combo and funk groups. Bill Warfield, director.
LU Symphonic Band
04.14 SUN | 2PM | Baker . Gen Adm . Free, No Tickets Req’d
Albert Neumeyer, director.
LU Philharmonic From the New World
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World. Eugene Albulescu, conductor and piano.
The orchestra caps off its Worlds of Wonder season with a performance of the quintessentially American favorite Rhapsody in Blue, with soloist and director Eugene Albulescu leading the group from the piano. Dvořák’s stirring New World Symphony No. 9 concludes the program.
LU Choral Arts Wagner & Verdi
A tribute to the bicentennial birthdays of two titans of the operatic world includes choruses
from Meistersinger, Aïda and much more! Steven Sametz, director.
LU Wind Ensemble Wind Spectacular
04.28 SUN | 3PM | Baker . $ 15
The ensemble dazzles with a concert of favorite and fabulous works by Alfred Reed, John Philip Sousa and others. David Diggs, director.
LUVME Student Compositions
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE
OLEANNA
By David Mamet
FRI, SAT 09.28, 29 | WED, THU, FRI 10.03, 04, 05 | 8PM
SUN 09.30 | 2PM . Diamond . $ 12
Fast, Funny and Ferocious…Carol is a first-year college student who is frustrated in class. She visits her professor, John, in his office for help. What happens next behind closed doors will explore the limits of power, gender conflict, political correctness and the wonders of higher education. “OLEANNA is likely to provoke more arguments than any play this year.” (The New York Times) Augustine Ripa, director.
The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
FRI, SAT 11.09, 10 | WED, THU, FRI, SAT 11.14, 15, 16, 17 | 8 pm
In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, Miller's searing portrait of a community engulfed by superstition, madness, paranoia and malice remains one of his most produced plays. Kashi Johnson, director. A Virginia M. & Bernard R. Hale ’30 Production
URINETOWN
FRI, SAT 02.22, 23 | WED-SAT 02.27, 28, 03.01, 02 | 8 pm
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, no one is safe from scrutiny in this irreverently humorous satire. A terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has crippled a Gotham-like industrial city. In a mad attempt to regulate water consumption, the government has outlawed the use of private toilets! “Praised for…outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit, and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.” – (Music Theatre International) Pam Pepper, director; Bill Whitney, music director.
The Laramie Project
By Moisés Kaufman & Tectonic Theater Project members
FRI, SAT 04.05, 06 | WED-SAT 10, 11, 12, 13 . 8PM
SUN 04.07 | 2PM . Diamond . $ 12
In 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Soon after his death, playwright Kaufman and his colleagues began interviews with 200 town residents. The openly gay college student’s murder sparked a dialogue about hate crimes that rocked the nation and continues to this day. Andrew Chupa ’13, director.
Lehigh University Art Galleries
2012
08.29 – 12.09
AFRICAN VISIONS OF BARACK OBAMA
Folk and popular images of America's 44th President
Presented in conjunction with the South Mountain College Seminar Fall 2012.
Curated by Norman Girardot and Ricardo Viera. All works are courtesy of Material Culture, Philadelphia.
NOT WANTING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT JOHN CAGE
An installation of works on paper derived from a selection of John Cage’s composition notes (1933-1963). Arranged, scored and orchestrated by chance operations.
NOT WANTING TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT JOHN CAGE
This installation engages the experience of sonic multiplicity through the acoustic blending of three different aural spaces.
08.29 – 10.28
PEDRO FARIAS-NARDI
3 Videos from the Dominican Republic:
El Otro, portraits of Haitian migrant workers from the Northeastern border
Equivalencias, landscapes of San Cristobal Quarry
Les presento a…, the photographic memory of those not present
10.31 – 12.09
4 ARTIST-PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lydia Panas, Daniel Paashus, Janice Lipzin, Vicki DaSilva
Documentation, stop-motion animation, and the paradoxical relationship between photography and video are represented in this invitational exhibition of regional artist-photographers.
In conjunction with ArtsQuest's INVISION: Photo Fest and Lehigh Valley Photography Month.
2013
01.16 – 03.24
JOAN MITCHELL (1925 – 1992)
Paintings and works-on-paper
On loan from the Joan Mitchell Foundation