Performing Series
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2015–2016 FALL/WINTER PerformingARTS series For more information about the performances, scan the QR codes seen throughout this brochure. If you don't have a QR reader on your smartphone, free apps are available to download. Get Ready for Another EXCITING Season At the MSU Riley Center, we love the shows we present just as much as you do. We feel the thrill of anticipation waiting for the curtain to rise. We get caught up in the magic as the performers take the stage. So we’re eager to see the stars who will perform during our Fall/Winter Series. Our beautiful restored Victorian theater, with its exceptional acoustics and sight lines, makes the experience even more special. We always recommend becoming a Series subscriber. You get a discount on every show, and if you lose or forget your tickets, no problem. We’ll issue duplicates at the Box Office. To give your subscription seats to friends, family, or clients, just call us. We’ll leave duplicate tickets in their names at Will Call. Thank you for your tremendous support. We’ll see you at the shows! Grammy winner MICHAEL BOLTON Monday, August 24, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show 6:00 p.m. | $69, $63 With a powerfully soulful voice and more than 55 million records sold worldwide, GRAMMY® Award winning singer/ songwriter Michael Bolton has a catalog of hits that have made up the soundtrack of our lives. His first songwriting success came as co-writer of the 1983 Laura Branigan hit “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.” Bolton’s own version in 1989 became his first of nine number-one hits. Other hit singles include "Said I Loved You ... But I Lied," "Time, Love & Tenderness," “Soul Provider,” "How Can We Be Lovers," and “When a Man Loves a Woman." Bolton has written hits for Kiss, Cher, and Barbra Streisand, worked with Lady Gaga and Bob Dylan, and performed with Luciano Pavarotti, Ray Charles, and B.B. King. People magazine has acknowledged Michael as one of the “Sexiest Men Alive.” His collaboration on Saturday Night Live's Lonely Island video "Jack Sparrow" has racked up 140 million YouTube views. Bolton has long been recognized for his humanitarian efforts. His foundation, the Michael Bolton Charities, advocates on behalf of women and children at risk. For fans of: Lionel Richie, Peter Cetera, James Ingram Sponsored by Los Lonely FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 7:30 p.m. | $43, $37 B OYS Three brothers who have been making music together all their lives will bring their “Texican rock ’n’ roll” to the MSU Riley Center. The Garzas – Henry on guitar, Jojo on bass, and Ringo Jr. on drums – became stars in 2004 when their infectiously melodic single “Heaven” hit number-one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and won them a GRAMMY® Award. Bluesy rock and Latin-influenced soul form the bedrock of the Los Lonely Boys sound. Most important is the family bond, made even stronger after Henry suffered serious injuries in a 2013 fall from a stage. “The main thing is that we stick together,” says Jojo, “and that we’re trying to pass on that feeling of brotherhood, of familia, in the music that we make.” For Fans of: Los Lobos, Tedeschi Trucks Band, North Mississippi Allstars Sara EVANS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show 6:00 p.m. | $65, $59 Sara Evans pours her heart into her music. Lyrics about love and heartache fill her latest album, Slow Me Down, including the yearning title song. She says strong emotions inspire her: “I try to give my fans a little bit of everything that I am and everything that I like, but nothing is ever contrived.” The 1998 album, No Place That Far, launched Evans to Sponsored by stardom. The title single became her first number-one hit. Four others (so far) have followed: “Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “A Real Fine Place to Start,” and “A Little Bit Stronger.” In concert, Evans showcases country-girl charm (she grew up on a Missouri farm), her powerhouse voice – and a lot of heart. For Fans of: Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Martina McBride Grammy winner PETER FRAMPTON An Acoustic TourRAW Friday, October 9, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show 6:00 p.m. | $65, $59 One of rock’s most charismatic concert performers is bringing an acoustic show to the MSU Riley Center. Peter Frampton came to fame singing and playing guitar with Humble Pie, the British band he co-founded in 1969 at age 18. In 1976, his solo live album Frampton Comes Alive! made him a superstar. It has sold more than 8 million copies in the United States alone. Frampton remains restlessly creative. His most recent album, Hummingbird in a Box, features music he composed for the Cincinnati Ballet. And he still brings audiences alive performing such classic hits as “Show Me the Way,” “I’m in You,” and “Do You Feel Like We Do.” For Fans of: Joe Walsh, Steve Miller Band, Fleetwood Mac Family Show (BIGTHE Friendly BFG GIANT) Adapted for the stage by David Wood From the book by Roald Dahl Friday, October 16, 2015, 7:00 p.m. | $18, $10 Fright turns to whizz-cracking wonder for Sophie the orphan after she sees a giant outside her window. He turns out to be a Big Friendly Giant who warns her about a horrible plot against British children. Together, they save the day with a little help from the Queen of England and the Royal Air Force. Beloved children’s author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox) originated the story in his 1982 book The BFG. David Wood, Britain’s most popular children’s playwright, created this delightful stage adaptation. The rollicking adventure involves actors, gigantic puppets, special effects, and hilarious dialogue featuring some gloriumptiously creative words. The show is recommended for children age 7 or older (and definitely for their parents). For Fans of: Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, Madeleine L’Engle Sponsored by Thodos Dance Chicago FEATURING “A LIGHT IN THE DARK,” JOHNNY The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan This performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. RIVERS Thursday, October 29, 2015, 7:30 p.m. | $30, $24 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Thodos Dance Chicago, a dynamic contemporary dance company praised for its athleticism and Pre-Show 6:00 p.m. | $43, $37 distinctive choreographic voice, interprets an inspiring American story through movement and music. A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan explores how a caring teacher helped With a string of hit songs that started in 1964 with “Memphis” and continued guide a blind and deaf girl into a career as an internationally acclaimed writer and political activist. through the 1970s with “Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and Company founder Melissa Thodos and Broadway legend Ann Reinking co-choreographed the “Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancin’),” Johnny Rivers stayed on the charts for piece to a score created by composer Bruce Wolosoff. The program will also feature other most of two decades. The versatile Rivers proved himself equally adept at rock works from the company’s award-winning repertoire. Thodos gives its dancers complete and roll (“Secret Agent Man,” “Midnight Special”), rhythm and blues (“Mountain of freedom to create their own work with wildly creative results. Expect a magical evening. Love,” “Seventh Son”), and ballads (“Poor Side of Town”). He’s a New York City native, but his Southern upbringing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, strongly influenced his bluesy For Fans of: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Pilobolus guitar playing and his soulful singing. Rivers still loves to tour, charming crowds with his THE easygoing stage presence – and stirring lots of happy memories. ANDREW W. MELLON For Fans of: The Righteous Brothers, The Grass Roots, Chuck Berry FOUNDATION Theatre IV, a division of Virginia Repertory Theatre, presents SLEEPING Family Show BEAUTYBook, Music, and Lyrics by Richard R. Giersch Thursday, November 5, 2015, 7:00 p.m. | $18, $10 A disgruntled fairy, upset at not being invited to the christening of a princess, casts a sleeping spell that will take effect on the eve of the girl’s 17th birthday. Can the king save her, or will he run away and join the circus instead? Will the good fairies’ gifts counteract the spell? Is a palace servant hiding a princely secret? This musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, aimed at grades K–5, explores themes of greed, jealousy, responsibility, and love. It features plenty of humor, singing, and dancing – and even some royal juggling! For Fans of: Fairy tales, Disney movies, princesses JJ GREY & MOFRO Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show 6:00 p.m. | $35, $29 The passion that infuses the music of JJ Grey & Mofro on records truly explodes in live performances. Grey and his bandmates mix Southern rock, soul, country, funk, gospel, and blues, drawing on Grey’s deep roots in the rural, blue-collar area around Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, he still lives and works on the family farm. On stage, Grey is mesmerizing, crooning with eyes closed or shouting hoarsely as the spirit moves. He sings with a fierceness that reflects his love of the land and the people he writes about. They’re flawed, but genuine. And sometimes, as he says in “Everything Is a Song” from his latest album, Ol’ Glory, they bring him “the joy with no opposite.” For Fans of: North Mississippi Allstars, Anders Osborne, The Dirty Guv’nahs KATHY MATTEASongs and the season Thursday, DECEMBER 10, 2015, 7:30 p.m.