Season tickets on sale July 6
The Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications announces its 2011-2012 Performing Arts Series season. The season features professional musicians, dancers and theatre-makers from as far as China and Russia and as close as Salt Lake City.
Most performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets will be available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322 or at byuarts.com. Season ticket packages will be available for purchase July 6.
Fall 2011
To begin the season, Lea Salonga, Tony Award-winning Broadway star of “Miss Saigon” and “Les Misérables,” will perform her Utah debut with an evening of Broadway and contemporary standards Friday, Sept. 2, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Salonga is most recognized as the singing voice for Disney’s heroines Jasmine and Mulan. Single ticket sales begin July 11.
New England’s premier touring marionette theatre, Tanglewood Marrionettes, presents two classic tales, “The Dragon King” and “Perseus and Medusa,” Thursday and Friday, Sept. 15 and 16, with two matinee performances Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Pardoe Theatre. The company’s 36-inch tall marionettes are handled by skilled puppeteers who will present the Chinese folktale and ancient Greek myth using its trademark visual splendor. There will be a question-and-answer session after each performance. Single ticket sales begin Aug. 15.
The Chinese Opera Orchestra of Shanghai will perform on traditional instruments for the BYU community Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Directed and conducted by Wang Yongji, the orchestra strives to preserve and renew the traditions that represented Chinese musical culture for centuries. Single ticket sales begin Aug. 15.
Grammy Award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw will perform Thursday, Nov. 3, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Upshaw has achieved worldwide celebrity as a singer of opera and concert repertoire ranging from the sacred works of Bach to the freshest sounds of today. The Boston Globe named her “one of the most significant and dramatically moving singers before the public today.” Single ticket sales begin Oct. 3.
The Utah Symphony will perform Thursday, Nov. 10, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Conducted by Thierry Fischer with percussionist Colin Currie, the symphony will play Ludwig Von Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”; Richard Wagner’s prelude to act I of “Lohengrin” and “Ride of the Valkyries”; and Christopher Rouse’s “Alberich Saved.” Single ticket sales begin Oct. 10.
Tony Award-winning tap virtuoso Savion Glover will perform Bare Soundz, a homage to legendary jazz greats and tappers Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Glover is credited with revolutionizing tap dance. Actor, dancer and choreographer Gregory Hines, said about Glover, “Possibly the best tap dancer that ever lived.” Single ticket sales begin Oct. 10.
Winter 2012
The winter season begins with another performance by the Utah Symphony Thursday, Jan. 5, in the de Jong Concert Hall. With conductor Peter Flor and pianist Conrad Tao, the symphony will play two Russian pieces: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 5.
Selected from the finest acrobatic schools in China, the Peking Acrobats will juggle and tumble to transform this ancient athletic discipline into a show for all ages Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4, with a matinee show Saturday, Feb. 4, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 5.
America’s foremost radio theatre, L.A. Theatre Works, will present “The Rivalry,” depicting the Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debates for the Senate seat of Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Corwin’s depiction of the Lincoln-Douglas debates uses dialogue from the original debate transcripts to present the fierce competition between the future President and the Senator as they tackled the day’s most controversial issues — slavery and the American concept of freedom. Single ticket sales begin Jan. 30.
Seventy Russian dancers, singers and musicians will perform in the Red Star Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble Thursday, March 8, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Directed and conducted by Nikolai Rabovsky, the ensemble will highlight Russian music, folk songs and dances. Single ticket sales begin Feb. 6.
Simon Shaheen, one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation, will perform Thursday, March 15, in the de Jong Concert Hall. With his ‘oud and violin, Shaheen has earned international acclaim. He reflects a legacy of Arabic music while forging new frontiers and embracing many different styles in the process. Single ticket sales begin Feb. 13.
Principal New York Philharmonic trombonist Joseph Alessi will join with the BYU Philharmonic Friday, April 6, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Their performance will feature the world premiere of a new BYU Barlow Endowment composition. Single ticket sales begin March 7.
Spring 2012
The Performing Arts Series will conclude the season with Theatreworks USA’s “Fancy Nancy and Other Story Books,” a musical journey based on several best-selling children’s books, Friday, May 11, with a matinee performance Saturday, May 12, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Children’s books such as “Duck for President,” “I Have to Go!” and “Pirates Don’t Change Diapers” will be featured in the imaginative performance. Single ticket sales begin April 2.
For more information on ticket sales, contact Jeff Martin at (801) 422-6340 or email jeff_martin@byu.edu.
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Writer: Mel Gardner
