The Lively Arts announced its
2015–16 Ovations! series season at the Thursday, May 21, 2015, After Hours
event organized by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and hosted by the Lively Arts. During a presentation,
nearly 100 area business and community leaders heard of what events will tour
through Indiana over the coming year.
Dean of Fine Arts Michael Hood
opened the event introducing Hank Knerr, executive director of the Lively Arts.
Knerr proceeded to unveil the season for the first time.
Starting out the year will be the
Pittsburgh Symphony on September 30, this time incorporating some IUP’s most
advanced student musicians side by side with the full orchestra. Always one of
the most popular concerts of the season, this will be the 14th season of a
close partnership with the PSO.
In November, the Lively Arts will
present a choral extravaganza by combining upwards of 120 high school and
community male singers with the world-traveled, top classical male a capella
vocal group, Cantus.
As part of National International
Education week and the end of Hispanic Heritage Month in October, the Ovations!
series will offer CALJE: the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble in concert.
With classical pianist Arnaldo
Cohen, we again celebrate both the Latin culture and IUP’s prestigious status
as an All-Steinway school, bringing this Brazilian native and Steinway Artist
in April to Gorell Recital Hall.
There is nothing like Genghis
Barbie. This brazenly brassy, all-female French horn quartet will expertly
perform in January, performing as part of the NE Horn Workshop.
Back to October and perfect for the
month of ghoul, L.A. Theatre Works, direct from Los Angeles, brings their
taunting and tasty Dracula, a play taken directly from the pages of Bram
Stoker’s classic novel.
On the heels of the highly
successful show by Yamato four seasons ago, the Lively Arts will bring Drum TAO: Seventeen Samurai (pictured above). This world
touring group is based in Japan and provides a high-energy performance that
combines music, dance, theater, humor, and a driving, seductive primal rhythm.
Every year, the Lively Arts brings
one incredibly powerful modern dance company. In February, direct from New York
City, the series will bring in RIOULT Dance NY, one of the world’s finest. They
will visit Indiana for several days, and their performance will include several
local dancers incorporated into one of their works.
It has been nearly 15 years since
IUP has brought in a major touring ballet company. Ending a two-month survey
where our audience was asked which iconic ballet they would like to see, a
winner was selected. In March 2016, the Moscow Festival Ballet will perform one
of the greatest works of all time, Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake.
American Tapestry is taking over
performing arts centers and festivals with their easy-going concerts blending
American folk music with engaging story telling. For their Indiana appearance
in April, they will pay particular tribute to the music since Indiana’s
founding 200 years ago as they help us celebrate our town’s bicentennial.
Further exploring America’s roots,
the struggles and triumphs of Americans and immigrants has no better conduit
than being told through the stories, music, and dances of this Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. With a heavy infusion of soaring ballads and choral
grandeur, direct from New York, the Ovations! series includes the return of Ragtime: The Musical.
And finally, it is difficult to
imagine that this musical, one of the world’s most popular and a long-running
past and current hit in New York, London, and on tour, has never come to
Indiana. The Lively Arts is here to correct that with this hum-along,
smile-infused, and sexy mega hit, Mamma
Mia.
Also shared at the Chamber event
were the seasons planned for other College of Fine Arts and Lively Arts event
series such as Theater-by-the-Grove, Dance Theater, Music Theater, University Museum, Kipp Gallery, and Sound
Choices.
More information about the season
and how to get tickets will be posted on the Lively Arts website over the next few weeks,
with a season brochure to be sent shortly after July 1. Donors and sponsors will
receive the first opportunity to reserve tickets, with donors at the $250 level
or higher given first priority.
In closing the presentation, Knerr
stated, “So, why Steinway artist Arnaldo Cohen? Why the Moscow Festival Ballet,
Drum TAO from Japan, and RIOULT Dance New York? Why musicals direct from
Broadway like Ragtime and Mamma Mia? Why Ghengis Barbie, CALJE, and L.A.
Theatre Works? Why Cantus and the Pittsburgh Symphony?
“Why? It is simple: because our
community and our students deserves the very best.”