Arts on Tour 2009-2010 Season
This full season subscription includes tickets for all seven Arts on Tour 2009-10 performances: To Kill a Mockingbird, Bellydance Superstars, Montreal Guitar Trio, Improvised Shakespeare Company, Laura Love, Steve Lippia's Simply Sinatra, and The Edlos A Cappella Broadway
To Kill a Mockingbird
Winner of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is unquestionably an American classic. As moving, poignant and resonant as when it first burst upon the American literary landscape fifty years ago, this classic American tale of justice, acceptance, growing up and forgiveness continues to touch each new generation of theater goers with its power and inspiration. The story of To Kill a Mockingbird is simple, yet it speaks deeply and eloquently of human nature and of human values. The action is set in the 1930's in a sleepy Southern town, where Atticus Finch, an attorney and the widowed father of two young children, stands against his fellow townspeople by defending a young black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Through every step and with every word, Atticus instills in his children the traditional moral values of respect for others, honesty, courage, integrity, and above all, responsibility for one's actions. Without fanfare or bravado, Atticus Finch assumes prominence as a true American hero. Montana Repertory Theatre, one of the oldest and most respected touring companies in the country, has a long history of touring American classics to cities large and small. It is their passion, artistry and strong production values that have them returning to communities year after year. Montana Rep assembles principle actors, directors, and designers with prestigious credits, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours of Broadway shows, and major regional theatre credits. You can find out more about Montana Repertory Theatre by visiting their website at www.montanarep.org
Bellydance Superstars
Hailed as the next big dance show phenomenon to follow Riverdance, Bellydance Superstars is the world's premier professional bellydance troupe, featuring some of America's best-known, most sought-after bellydancers performing in luxurious colorful costumes in a full-throttle production. The ancient art of bellydance has existed for generations as part of Middle Eastern culture - sometimes celebrated, sometimes suppressed, but always a natural partner to the rich music of the region. In the late 20th century, the art spread its wings, inspired women around the world, and became a virtual craze that has evolved into the fastest growing dance form in the world today. At the forefront of this growth in popularity and respect is Bellydance Superstars, which has taken this once largely solo dance onto the main stage as a major theatrical dance extravaganza appealing to a wide spectrum of dance enthusiasts worldwide, performing a variety of bellydance styles as well as their unique fusions. Bellydance Superstars has danced with Regis and Kelly, played Lollapalooza and the famed Parisian Folies Bergere, has performed over 500 concerts in 18 countries, and has been seen on more than 60 television shows by over 100 million viewers world-wide. You can find out more about Bellydance Superstars as well as watching video clips of them visiting their website at www.bellydancesuperstars.com
Montreal Guitar Trio
Matching passionate mastery with a stealthy sense of humor, guitarists Glenn Lévesque, Marc Morin and Sébastien Dufour of Montreal Guitar Trio have consistently charmed the ears of seasoned critics and devoted fans alike. The trio’s energetic eclecticism leads listeners through the mysterious, exotic melodies of India to the hot rhythms of South America, Spain, the Balkans, the Orient, traditional Quebec and beyond. Coming from a classical background, Montreal Guitar Trio members also sing and write much of their material. Since it was founded at University of Montréal in 1998, Montreal Guitar Trio has given hundreds of concerts in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, many of which have been recorded and broadcast by national networks such as CBC, Radio-France, BRAVO and Société Radio- Canada. Described by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as "the hottest guitar ensemble in Canada", the Montreal Guitar Trio has quickly established itself as a force of rejuvenation and cross-pollenization between various musical forms. You can learn more about Montreal Guitar Trio, watch a clip of them perform, or listen to their music at www.montrealguitartrio.com.
iO - Improvised Shakespeare Company
Based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) The Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a fully improvised Elizabethan two-act play using the style, language, and themes of the immortal Bard, William Shakespeare. Each of the players has brushed up on his "thee's" and "thou's" to bring you an evening of off-the-cuff comedy. Any show could be filled with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, sprites, kings, queens, princesses, sword-play, rhyming couplets, asides, insults, persons in disguise, and all that we've come to expect from the pen of the Great Bard. The night could reveal a tragedy, comedy, or history. Nothing is planned-out. Each play is completely improvised, so each play is entirely new! For twenty-five years, iO Theater, the birthplace of long-form improvisation, has been providing Chicago with groundbreaking, star-making, world class improvisational comedy and turning out such alumni as Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Vince Vaughn, Amy Poehler, Neil Flynn, Adam McKay, Rachel Dratch and many more. You can find out more about the iO Theatre Improvised Shakespeare Company at http://improvisedshakespeare.com
Laura Love
Singer, songwriter, bassist, and published author Laura Love has thousands of fans throughout North America, Australia and Europe. Billboard Magazine continually includes her CDs on their annual top ten lists, and the first time she performed on the East Coast was at Carnegie Hall. Laura is a rare recording artist - authentic and deeply rooted, with an extremely diverse appeal. She is an African-American funk bassist with an astonishing voice, who is equally influenced by blues and bluegrass, jazz, folk, gospel, reggae and country. Laura has spent her career hitching rides at the intersection of folk melodies from the British Isles and the rhythms of Africa. With her band, HarpersFerry, she sharpens her point that African-Americans were often part of the mÈlange that has come to be known as American Folk Music. In concert, Laura plays tunes that roam from her heartfelt originals to traditional spirituals to Civil Rights anthems to revved up bluegrass tunes. Regardless of how she is described, Laura has an uncanny ability to get her audience to listen beyond their own musical boundaries. Expect to hear everything from Laura’s soulful “Saskatchewan,” an intimate account of what life might have been like for her great-grandmother as she was being released from slavery, to Mollie’s barn-burning rendition of Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally.” If you have an appreciation for folk, jazz, R&B, bluegrass, and country, if you love superb vocals, if you can’t get enough of excellent guitar picking, and if you love to laugh, you can’t miss this not-likely-to-be-repeated anytime soon show! You can watch or listen to Laura and learn more about her at www.lauralove.net or www.tg2artists.com
Steve Lippia - Simply Sinatra
Sit back and close your eyes…imagine yourself at the Coconut Grove in the heyday of the Rat Pack…out comes Ol’ Blue Eyes. That’s the experience you’ll have when Steve Lippia takes the Fine Arts stage in his show “Simply Sinatra”. Lippia has quickly become one of the country’s most prominent vocalists and interpreters of classic pop music. His show, Simply Sinatra, is a rich, powerful celebration of some of the greatest music this country has known with a hot, driving 10-piece band behind him. His natural sound and style is a remarkable combination of his own honest musical interpretation, combined with influences from some of the best singers of this era. It is immediately apparent that Lippia’s sound is reminiscent of the young Frank Sinatra combined with that of Harry Connick, Jr. and Bobby Darin. Steve Lippia brings to life the music and lyrics of our greatest composers like Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, and Rodgers and Hart. His repertoire includes such great standards as: I’ve Got You Under My Skin, The Lady is a Tramp, Mack the Knife, Just the Way You Are, and That’s Life, just to name a few. You can learn more about Steve Lippia on his website at www.stevelippia.com.
The Edlos A Cappella Broadway
The Edlos are one the best-known groups in contemporary a cappella. The group consists of four classically-trained vocalists who continually break new ground in their never ending pursuit of a cappella diversity and originality. Described as an “a cappella quartet supreme . . . splendid. . . magnificent. . .” and “on the verge of world fame” by The San Francisco Chronicle, they are remembered equally for their musicianship and their infectiously funny and entertaining stage presence. Whatever songs are being presented, the EDLOS always include comedy in their stage show. When the EDLOS put on a show, they do way more than stand on the stage and sing the tunes. There are lights, smoke, costumery, tomfoolery, wigs, and assorted mayhem, that all combine to make a unforgettable performance! The Edlos’ A Cappella Broadway is a revue comprised entirely of original a cappella arrangements by The Edlos themselves. It presents a full evening of the best-known and best-loved hit songs from Broadway’s finest productions, all delivered with the unique brand of costumery and humor that has come to define every EDLOS performance. Representative shows include The Music Man, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, West Side Story, The Fantastiks, Hair, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, and many more. If you’re a fan of a cappella or the music of Broadway -- or just a fan of entertainment that makes you laugh and feel good -- then, The Edlos’ A Cappella Broadway is a must-see show you won’t want to miss! Visit The Edlos website at www.theedlos.com
