FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Media – Leading Edges, 601.483.9810, [email protected] Performance – MSU Riley Center Box Office, 601.696.2200, [email protected]

MSU Riley Center Announces Fall/Winter Performing Arts Series

MERIDIAN, MS – The MSU Riley Center’s 2018-2019 Fall/Winter Performing Arts Series will feature country, folk, soul, funk, rock, and pop music as well as children’s theater, Christmas songs, an imaginative staging of a classic horror/science fiction story and electrifying Latin dance.

“We’re really excited about this upcoming series because it shows how committed we are to ‘entertain and enrich’ all of the people of Mississippi and West Alabama,” said Dennis Sankovich, executive director of the Riley Center. “That phrase comes from our mission statement, and we take it to heart.

“Our Fall/Winter Series encompasses a truly broad range of the performing arts – including longtime stars and fresh young talents just starting to attract attention. We’ll present just about every musical genre there is, along with theater for both adults and children and a really amazing dance company. All of the performers are exceptional artists. And they all put on a great show. Experiencing them live and in person is going to be so much fun.”

The series of 12 musical, theatrical and dance presentations begins with a concert on September 27, 2018, featuring three big names in country music. It ends on March 29, 2019, with performances by a collection of emerging young jazz artists. The MSU Riley Center’s elegantly restored Victorian theater, with its crystalline acoustics, provides the perfect setting. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. except for three Family Shows, which begin at 7:00 p.m.

Chicks with Hits kicks off the series with an intimate concert experience on Thursday, September 27. The “chicks” are Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss. Each has indeed notched fistfuls of hit country recordings. They will perform acoustically, “guitar pull” style – sitting on stage, telling stories and singing those hits.

On Saturday, October 13, “Lonesome Traveler: The Concert” brings back the idealism and optimism of the 1950s and ’60s folk music revival. It tells the story of folk music legends from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and features a special guest appearance by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary.

“Take Me to the River New Orleans Live!” explores the musical heritage of one of America’s funkiest cities. The concert, on Friday, October 19, features the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, members of the legendary Neville music family and many other New Orleans musicians.

John Prine, writer and singer of perfectly crafted songs about the kind of people you actually know, performs on Friday, October 26. His new album, “The Tree of Forgiveness,” has become the highest-charting recording of his nearly 50-year career.

Another singer-songwriter, Ray LaMontagne, appears on Tuesday, November 6. In contrast to Prine’s laid-back style, LaMontagne sings with passion and intensity. His own new album, “Part of the Light,” has also been a chart success.

Diamond Rio spent last year’s holiday season performing in residence at the Opryland Resort in Nashville. This year, the country supergroup, known for its shimmering vocal harmonies, is spreading the holiday spirit across the country on tour. “Diamond Rio Holiday & Hits” visits the Riley Center on Thursday, December 6.

Modern dance from Latin choreographers, full of fire and sensuality, comes to the stage when Ballet Hispánico performs on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. On Thursday, February 7, 2019, the endlessly inventive Aquila Theatre brings to life “Frankenstein,” the tale of a scientist’s creation of a living creature and the terrible consequences of that rash act.

The Fall/Winter Series concludes on Friday, March 29, 2019, with “Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour,” featuring Grammy Award-winning singer Cécile McLorin Salvant and five other young jazz virtuosos: Bria Skonberg, Melissa Aldana, Christian Sands, Yasushi Nakamura and Jamison Ross.

The Fall/Winter Series also includes three Family Shows – fast-paced hourlong plays, all based on cherished children’s books, that captivate youngsters and amuse adults. On Friday, November 2, 2018, “The Magic School Bus” takes the audience on a wild ride when a school field trip turns into a space voyage full of energetic songs and dance routines.

On Friday, January 11, 2019, another musical, “Diary of a Worm, a Spider & a Fly,” shows how bugs’ lives have quite a lot in common with kids’ lives. Puppets, masks and original music will bring the Kingdom of Wisdom to enchanting life when “The Phantom Tollbooth” hits the stage on Friday, February 15, 2019.

The Riley Center offers a range of season-ticket options that include discounted prices and other perks. If subscribers lose or forget their tickets, the Box Office will issue duplicates on the spot. With a simple phone call, subscribers can also arrange to leave their tickets at the Box Office for friends, family members or clients.

The MSU Riley Center thanks The Riley Foundation and Mississippi State University. Their continuing support makes these shows possible.

On sale ticket dates are: Current Season-Ticket Holders: Renew by Friday, August 17, 2018

New Season-Ticket Buyers: On-Sale Date: Monday, August 27, 2018.

Build Your Own Package: On-Sale Date: Tuesday, September 4, 2018.

Individual Tickets: On-Sale Date: Monday, September 10, 2018.

MSU Riley Center 2018-2019 Fall/Winter Season

Chicks with Hits featuring Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Three top country music stars sit on stage with acoustic guitars, making you feel like you just dropped by their house for a little music, a few stories, and a lot of fun. That’s Chicks with Hits: Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, and Suzy Bogguss. And boy, do they have hits: “If I Were You” and “You’re Easy on the Eyes” by Clark, “When You Walk in the Room” and “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)” by Tillis, “Drive South” and “Hey Cinderella” by Bogguss, and so many more. Get ready for an intimate, emotional, exhilarating, hilarious, and absolutely unforgettable evening.

Lonesome Traveler: The Concert with Special Guest Peter Yarrow Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Come and celebrate the story of an ever-changing America! This concert version of an acclaimed off-Broadway musical tells the story of folk music pioneers from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and beyond. Special guest star and folk legend Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary joins a cast of charismatic young singers and multi- instrumentalists. You’ll also hear the music of Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and other stars, plus a special tribute to Leonard Cohen. This inspiring evening of great music features multimedia projections and lots of singalongs. It provides rousing entertainment for audiences of all ages.

Take Me to the River New Orleans LIVE! Friday, October 19, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and cousins Ivan and Ian Neville of the band Dumpstaphunk (and of the legendary Neville music family) head an infectiously funky lineup. The concert springs from the Take Me to the River project, which celebrated the musical heritage of Memphis and now looks downriver to New Orleans. Other performers are George Porter Jr., bassist for 1960s and ’70s funk pioneers The Meters; Big Chief Monk Boudreaux of the Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indian tribe; Cajun music’s Lost Bayou Ramblers Duo (brothers Andre and Louis Michot); 79rs Gang, featuring Mardi Gras Indian leaders Jermaine Bossier and Romeo Bougere; and drummer Terence Higgins. Prepare to get down.

John Prine Friday, October 26, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. John Prine, affectionately wry observer of the human condition, will bring new songs and old favorites from his 50-year catalog to the Riley Center. Prine delivers sharply sympathetic, humorous insights in a voice as authentic as a weathered old Midwestern barn. This tour debuts music from his first album of new songs in 13 years, The Tree of Forgiveness . It has unexpectedly become the 71-year-old singer-songwriter’s most commercially successful recording. As always, Prine packs his deceptively simple lyrics with tart observations (as in “Caravan of Fools”) tempered with empathy. He reassures us in “Summer’s End,” “No you don’t have to be alone. Just come on home.”

The Magic School Bus - Lost in the Solar System TheatreWorks USA Family Show / Friday, November 2, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. Get set for the wildest school field trip ever. Eccentric teacher Ms. Frizzle plans to take her class to a planetarium, but the magic school bus rockets into space to visit the actual planets themselves. When Ms. Frizzle gets stranded outside the bus, rivalries threaten to tear the students apart. The young heroes must learn to pull together to save their teacher and themselves. This musical adaptation stays grounded in science, like the wildly popular children’s book on which it’s based. The cheerful songs, energetic dance routines, and colorful scenery will keep everyone from preschoolers to fifth graders (and their parents) happy.

Ray LaMontagne Just Passing Through Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Ray LaMontagne’s performing style is, to borrow the title of his recent hit single, such a simple thing: He pours his energy, all of the meaning and feeling behind the lyrics and music, into his voice. That ringing, raspy tenor carries an incredible emotional charge. You feel as if he’s singing to you alone, cutting straight to your heart. LaMontagne has a Grammy Award (for the 2010 album God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise ) and such hit singles as “Beg Steal or Borrow” and “You Are the Best Thing.” His latest studio album, Part of the Light , continues his explorations of honest intimacy.

Diamond Rio Holiday & Hits Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Diamond Rio mixes traditional country, country pop, bluegrass, rock, contemporary Christian, and gospel music influences to flavor its signature vocal harmonies. Since “Meet in the Middle,” its 1991 debut single, shot to No. 1 on the country charts, the band has won a Grammy Award and multiple Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards. For its Christmas show, Diamond Rio draws from its 2007 album A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines as well as other secular and religious songs. Its easygoing stage presence, stellar musicianship, and heartfelt sincerity will make this a very special show.

Diary of a Worm, a Spider & a Fly Dallas Children’s Theater Family Show / Friday, January 11, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. This energetic rock ’n’ roll musical captures the droll humor and whimsy of the wildly popular Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Fly children’s books. It follows the adventures of three unlikely best friends. Worm eats his homework. Fly believes she has superpowers. Spider can’t wait to grow up and molt. The musical, written by Joan Cushing and performed by Dallas Children’s Theater, promotes eco- consciousness, earth science, and tolerance of others. Kids from age 5 through fifth grade will love it. They may just find that bugs' lives are not that much different from their own.

Ballet Hispánico Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s premier Latino dance organization, brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative productions, transformative dance training, and community engagement. The Company is a group of fifteen highly trained professionals who perform the works of Latino choreographers for audiences around the world. Ballet Hispánico’s repertory explores the diversity of Latino cultures and brings innovative ways of experiencing and sharing a cultural dialogue. Representing a multitude of nationalities, their artists reflect the ever-changing face of our nation.

Frankenstein Aquila Theatre Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The most inventive, audacious theater company in America returns to the Riley Center with its reimagined version of Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror/science fiction novel, Frankenstein . As Aquila’s website explains, the company strives “to create bold reinterpretations of classical plays for contemporary audiences that free the spirit of the original work and recreate the excitement of the live performance.” Riley Center audiences have delighted in Aquila’s Romeo and Juliet, Cyrano: The Musical , The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Murder on the Nile , and Sense & Sensibility . Frankenstein will be a thrilling addition to that list of masterful, memorable performances.

Enchantment Theatre Company Presents The Phantom Tollbooth

Adapted by Jennifer Blatchley Smith, Leslie Reidel and Landis Smith Music by Charles Gilbert Based on The Phantom Tollbooth By Norton Juster With Illustrations by Jules Feiffer By Arrangement with Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer Family Show / Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Enchantment Theatre Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, uses puppets, masks, inventive scenic effects, and original music to create a unique, captivating style of children’s theater. It has applied its magic to creating an entirely new production of the legendary 1961 children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth . Kids devour the story of a bored boy who drives his toy car though a magical tollbooth into a strange land that teaches him about friendship, curiosity, and the endless possibilities of life. Adults relish the puns and wordplay about such characters as Princesses Rhyme and Reason and Tock, a “watchdog” with a clock in his side.

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour Featuring Cécile Mclorin Salvant, Bria Skonberg, Melissa Aldana, Christian Sands, Yasushi Nakamura & Jamison Ross Friday, March 29, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the revered Monterey Jazz Festival presents a stage full of young talent. Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant grew up in a French-Haitian household in Miami, listening to everything from classical music to hip-hop. She won the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and has earned two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Joining her are singer and trumpeter Bria Skonberg, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, pianist and music director Christian Sands, drummer and vocalist Jamison Ross, and bassist Yasushi Nakamura. These all-stars perform beloved standards as well as their own original music. Together, they make magic.

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