December 17, 2003

BYU-Idaho Center Stage Series to feature everyone from Kathy Mattea to Jon Schmidt

 

 

            The Center Stage Performing Arts Series at Brigham Young University-Idaho will include a wide variety of entertainment during the Winter Semester.

            Performers will include country singer Kathy Mattea, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance from Denver, the joint men’s choirs from BYU and BYU-Idaho, three prominent pianists and an organist and several theatrical productions.

            Tickets generally go on sale three weeks prior to a performance. For tickets and other information, call the BYU-Idaho Ticket Office at 496-2230. A free magazine listing all performing arts events at BYU-Idaho is available at both the ticket office or the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce.

            The ticket office is open weekdays when school is in session from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (except on Tuesdays when the office closes at 2 p.m). Tickets may also be ordered over the Internet at www.byui.edu/tickets.

            The following shows and concerts will be presented this year at 7:30 p.m.:

            Tonic Sol-fa will be featured at the Welcome Back Concert and Dance Jan. 10 in the Hart Auditorium. The contemporary a cappella group has been named one of the top five “must see” groups in the United States by Campus Activities Today Magazine, has won numerous original song and album awards, and was nominated multiple times for the prestigious “Entertainer of the Year” award by the National Association of Campus Activities. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $4 for BYU-Idaho students and a dance will follow.

            Alexander String Quartet will perform different programs on Jan. 14 and 15 in the Barrus Concert Hall. Since 1981 the quartet from San Francisco has performed in the major music capitals of four continents, securing its standing among the premier ensembles of its kind. Widely admired for its interpretations of Beethoven and Bartók, the quartet has also established itself as an important advocate of new music. The quartet’s international career was assured in 1985 when it won both first prize and the audience prize at the London International String Quartet competition. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            The Theatre Department will perform “spinning into butter” Jan. 28-31 and Feb. 3-7 in the Kirkham Arena Theatre. When one of the few African-American students at a small liberal-arts campus in Vermont receives hate mail, a campus controversy erupts. At the center of the problem is the dean of students Sarah Daniels. Her self-examination of racial tolerance leads to surprising discoveries and painful insights – the consequences of which even she cannot predict. This BYU-Idaho theatrical production is directed by Hyrum Conrad. Tickets are $6 for the general public and $1 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Cleo Parker Robinson Dance from Denver will dance Jan. 29-30 in the Kirkham Auditorium. The dance company began as a grassroots organization in 1970 and developed into one of the great dance companies in the United States. Founded with the belief that the language of dance transcends the boundaries of culture, class and age, the group is committed to bringing dance into the lives of many diverse people. The predominately African-American dance ensemble comes from a rich tradition and the dancers honor that tradition through preserving their heritage, providing role models for youth, and ensuring that the arts are carried on by those who come after. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Paul Roberts, a pianist and lecturer, will perform February 4 in the Barrus Concert Hall. He is particularly in demand in the United States, where he is a regular guest of the Julliard School and New York and Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He is author of a celebrated book on pianist Claude Debussy. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Kathy Mattea, who was named Country Music Association’s top female vocalist in 1989 and 1990, will perform in the Hart Auditorium Feb. 7. She has scored 16 Top 10 hits during her career, including two Grammy awards. From leaving her native West Virginia for Nashville at 19 through the musical journey to her new album, “Roses,” she has followed a path of discovery that has never led her astray. “I’ve always thought that if I can learn to listen to my heart and make music from there, everything else will take care of itself,” she says. Tickets are $12 and $10 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Charles Holt will present a one-man stage performance of  Black Boy,” which tells the story of Richard Wright, America’s foremost black writer in the 1940s. Holt portrays 20 different characters during the show. He currently is performing in “The Lion King” on Broadway. The performance will be Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Drama Theatre. Cost is $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Felix Hell, who is only 18 years old, has already achieved great recognition in the world of organ and piano performance. The German native has won many first-place prizes for his playing and already studied at the Julliard School and The Curtis Institute of Music. Now living in the United States, he has performed more than 300 solo recitals around the world. Felix will perform Feb. 21 on the 65-rank Ruffatti organ in the Barrus Concert Hall. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            The Marvin Stamm Quartet will be featured at the sixth annual BYU-Idaho Jazz Festival March 6 in the Hart Auditorium. The quartet includes Marvin Stamm on trumpet, Bill Mays on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Ed Soph on drums. Jazz Improv magazine writes: “If truth is what jazz is all about, I think it is essential that we include Marvin Stamm whenever there is discussion of today’s leading jazz trumpet players.” Tickets are $8 and $6 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            The Idaho Falls Symphony will perform March 10 in the Barrus Concert Hall. The symphony will present a program with works by Rossini, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart. Featured soloist for the concert will be Rick Hansen of Rexburg, an accomplished violinist who also directs the Madison School District orchestra program. The symphony, which was formed in 1949, is directed by Dr. George Adams. Over the years this fine volunteer orchestra has brought the finest in symphonic music to Idaho Falls and the eastern Idaho area. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Tellers and Troubadours is a BYU-Idaho theatre troupe dedicated to presenting on stage stories, folktales, myths, legends, literature and history that have important meaning in our lives. This year the troupe will present a night of magic, folktales, folk songs and storytelling that reminds us all of the child in us all. Directed by J. Omar Hansen, the group will perform March 17-20 and 23-27 in the Kirkham Arena Theater. Tickets are $6 for the general public and $1 for BYU-Idaho students.

            The combined Men’s Choirs of BYU and BYU-Idaho will present the Mothers’ Weekend Concert March 20 at both 3 and 7:30 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium. The 230-voice BYU Men’s Chorus directed by Rosalind Hall and the 110-voice BYU-Idaho Men’s Choir directed by Randall Kempton are sure to be a highlight of a busy weekend. The choirs will perform a multi-faceted program of classical pieces, hymns, spirituals and popular arrangements. As a result of hours of dedicated rehearsal and a powerful style all their own, the choirs enjoy great popularity on their respective campuses. Tickets are $10 and $8 for the general public and $2 by BYU-Idaho students.

            Maxim Philippov, the silver medalist in the 2001 Van Cliburn Piano Competition, will perform an all-Rachmaninoff program March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrus Concert Hall. The Moscow-born pianist is one of today’s most engaging interpreters of Rachmaninoff. He now resides in Moscow where he is assistant professor of piano at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $2 for BYU-Idaho students.

            “Into The Woods” will be performed April 8-10 and 13-17 in the Snow Drama Theatre.  A bewitching crew of classic fairy tale characters romp through a “happily ever after” kingdom in James Lapine’s and Stephen Sondheim’s musical fairy tale “Into The Woods.” Interweaving a hilarious mix of Cinderella, Little Red Riding hood, The Baker’s Wife, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel (with cameo appearances by Sleeping Beauty and Snow White) in a multi-layered plot that ends happily in Act One, the musical then explores “happily ever after” in Act Two as previous actions come home to roost – with a vengeance. With wit, melody and sentiment, “Into The Woods” celebrates choices, companionship and the magical company of special characters, as appealing to adults as to children. This BYU-Idaho theatrical production is directed by John Bidwell. Tickets are $6 for the general public and $1 for BYU-Idaho students.

            Jon Schmidt will be the featured guest artist at the annual Big Band Cabaret April 16 and 17 in the Hart Auditorium. The third annual “community cabaret” will be held Friday and the “student cabaret” will follow on Saturday. After dinner, a one-hour show will be presented by piano entertainer Jon Schmidt, who consistently performs to sold-out audiences throughout the West. Schmidt will be followed by dancing to popular big band music provided by the BYU-Idaho jazz band, Sound Alliance, until 11:30. Tickets are $30 for the Friday buffet, concert and dance or $10 for the concert and dance only.

 

 

  


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