Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 101

Spoleto Festival USA Announces 2016 Program May 27 – June 12 in Charleston, South Carolina

From a media release:

Spoleto Festival USA Announces 2016 Program
40th Season of America’s Premier Performing Arts Festival Takes Place 
May 27 – June 12 in Charleston, South Carolina

• Check out the festival website
• Browse hotel and ticket packages

January 3, 2016 (CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA)—Festival General Director Nigel Redden announces the program for the 40th annual Spoleto Festival USA, taking place May 27 through June 12, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. The 2016 Festival features over 150 performances and events held in 13 venues, including the Festival’s return to the Charleston Gaillard Center that re-opened in October after an extensive three-year renovation.

“For Spoleto Festival USA’s 40th year, we wanted to make the program extraordinary,” says Redden. “Producing our first Porgy and Bess—a work based on Charleston-born DuBose Heyward’s novel, set in Charleston, and about Charleston’s people—was a celebratory choice. It is especially appropriate that this opera will be our first performance in the spectacular new Charleston Gaillard Center. A 1970 production of Porgy and Bess staged in the then-new Gaillard Auditorium is a long-remembered civic event representing unity, pride, and artistic achievement that we hope to emulate. Beyond Porgy and Bess, we celebrate the Festival’s anniversary with programming that features the signature Spoleto Festival USA blend of new works and young artists alongside established international visionaries encompassing opera, music, dance, and theater. I hope people will find many reasons to be part of this landmark 40th year.”

June 2016 will be a time of celebration for the Festival, and it will also be a time of reflection and remembrance for the city of Charleston. June 17—five days after the Festival ends—will mark the first anniversary of the murder of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Calhoun Street. Several performances will acknowledge the event and commemorate the victims. This includes the world premiere of a multi-media project conceived and directed by acclaimed visual artist Carrie Mae Weems called Grace Notes: Reflections for Now curated by Harvard professor Sarah Lewis. Originally conceived as a gift for President Obama, Grace Notes will be a provocative performance of music, song, text, spoken word, and video projection. The project poses the question “what is the role of grace in the pursuit of democracy?” and was inspired, in part, by President Obama singing “Amazing Grace” during his eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney. Weems’s project gathers a stellar group of artists including ccomposers and musicians James Newton, Geri Allen, and Craig Harris, along with poet Aja Monet, writer Carl Hancock Rux, and singers Alicia Hall Moran, Imani Uzuri, and Esai Davis. Grace Notes will be performed Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 in the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre. A concert by jazz singer René Marie in the Charleston Gaillard Center on Sunday, May 29 will also acknowledge the tragedy featuring a Spoleto Festival USA-commissioned song “Be the Change” inspired by the community’s response and show of unity.

“Spoleto Festival USA ends just days before the first anniversary of the Emanuel AME Church murders and several artists felt compelled to reflect upon the event and on the times we live in,” says Redden. “As a Festival that has proudly called Charleston home for 40 years, we wanted to provide an outlet for these reactions to demonstrate how art can help people to heal as well as provide an important voice in times when it can be difficult to find words.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, January 14 at 10:00am by phone 843.579.3100 and online at spoletousa.org. A donor pre-sale begins January 5; details can be found online at the link.

From last year's festival:



Highlights of the 2016 Festival:

• First Spoleto Festival USA production of opera Porgy and Bess, directed by David Herskovits with visual design by artist Jonathan Green, featuring Alyson Cambridge and Lester Lynch in the title roles, conducted by Stefan Asbury
• City-wide activities planned around Porgy and Bess to celebrate the production’s origins and history in Charleston including daily walking tours throughout the Festival
• World premiere of Grace Notes: Reflections for Now directed by visual artist Carrie Mae Weems featuring music, spoken word, and video projections reflecting on grace and democracy
• World premiere of “African romance” Afram ou La Belle Swita by Charleston-born composer Edmund Thornton Jenkins with stage direction by David Herskovits and performed by cast members from Porgy and Bess
• US premiere of opera The Little Match Girl by contemporary German composer Helmut Lachenmann, co-directed by Mark Down and Phelim McDermott, featuring sopranos Heather Buck and Yuko Kakuta, and conducted by John Kennedy
• US premiere of comic baroque opera La Double Coquette by Antoine Dauvergne with revisions by contemporary composer Gérard Pesson performed by early music specialists Ensemble Amarillis
• US premiere of a new production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest by Dublin’s Gate Theatre, directed by Patrick Mason
• US premiere of Golem, the latest work combining animation and live performance created by innovative theater company 1927
• 40th-Season Celebration Concert featuring the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, Westminster Choir, artists from the Bank of America Chamber Music series and Wells Fargo Jazz series, and special guests to be held in the newly renovated Charleston Gaillard Center conducted by former Festival Music Director Steven Sloane
• Bank of America Chamber Music series led by Geoff Nuttall to feature the St. Lawrence String Quartet in residence for the duration of the Festival and works by 2016 composer-in-residence Osvaldo Golijov
• The Westminster Choir, Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, and members of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus to perform Beethoven’s Mass in C Major and Choral Fantasy in the new Charleston Gaillard Center conducted by Joe Miller
• Members of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra to perform a 40th-anniversary performance of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, a chamber orchestra program, and Music in Time concerts in addition to performing in Porgy and Bess, The Little Match Girl, and two Charleston Gaillard Center concerts
• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company returns to the Festival, and the Aakash Odedra Company (UK), L.A. Dance Project, Sadler’s Wells’s Havana Rakatan, and choreographer Amy O’Neal’s hip hop work Opposing Forces make their Spoleto Festival USA debuts in the 2016 dance series
• Randy Weston African Rhythms Sextet and René Marie to perform Wells Fargo Jazz series concerts in the Charleston Gaillard Center; jazz series also features singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, pianist Jason Moran and his Fats Waller Dance Party, and The Freddy Cole Quartet
• Cuban culture celebrated with performances of Havana Rakatan showcasing Cuban dance, and Wells Fargo jazz series concerts by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and the Bohemian Trio featuring saxophonist Yosvany Terry
• Special Festival-eve and opening-night concerts by bluegrass luminaries Old Crow Medicine Show in the College of Charleston Cistern Yard on May 26 and 27
• Three critically acclaimed theater productions: Ada/Ava by Manual Cinema, The Gambler’s Guide to Dying with Gary McNair and Every Brilliant Thing starring Jonny Donahoe to be performed in Charleston following international festival appearances
• Wells Fargo Festival Finale held at Middleton Place to feature eight-piece soul band Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats on June 12

Winter Woollen Blues: An original song for all of us Northern people

Winter Woollen Blues
An original song for all of us Northern people

I use this blog to review and post material to help promote so many other artists - now it's my turn.

I started to sing seriously - and by that I mean, actually learn how to sing - about four years ago, the spark ignited by my involvement with the Toronto Complaints Choir; I'm the blonde in pink btw. After being convinced my entire life that I couldn't sing... all of a sudden I could hear myself amidst the other voices and I realized that I could.

Image by Colin S Carlton 2015©I had studied guitar - briefly - as a preteen and young teenager and even written songs. I have tiny, crooked fingers however and I found guitar excruciating - and of course, I couldn't sing, so I dropped it, only to take up the flute in high school (back when they still had instrumental music in high school...) I got as far as the Royal Conservatory grade 10 but ultimately was dissuaded from pursuing music in any way, shape or form. I have to say, I was easily dissuaded in those days. An unsupportive environment and rent to pay were enough to silence all that. But, it turns out, that kind of thing doesn't go away. It just hibernates. Sometimes for 35 years.

Flash forward: Nowadays I sing in a small band. We've played at a few local gigs with a view to expand bit by bit, and I have started to write songs again.

I do understand - from a historical and geographical point of view - why the Blues is so closely associated with the South. But surely, we northerners have a lot to be bluesy about, and many long, dark, cold months in which to ruminate, brood and stew over our blues,

I wrote this song on March 10, 2015 in a vintage blues/roots style - a significant day in my part of the world. It's that day anyone who has ever lived in or stayed in a northern climate during a too-late spring will understand. March 10, 2015 was the first day that winter broke its cruel, sub-zero stranglehold on our weather and you could go outside in a t-shirt and a blazer without freezing to death. With many thanks to Rob Leonard (sitting off stage playing guitar in the vid) for helping to put this arrangement together.

Here's a casual version of Winter Woollen Blues - an original song by Anya M Wassenberg 2015© - arrangement by Rob Leonard - performed by A.R.T. (Anya Wassenberg - vocals, Rob Leonard - guitar, Tom Finochio - guitar) with Keith Richards helping out on percussion. Performed during the Sunday jam at Rebels Rock Irish Pub (Hamilton, Ontario) on December 27, 2015

Cuban Piano Legend Hilario Duran - Solo Concert 21 January 2016 at Lula Lounge - Toronto

From a release:

Hilario Duran - Solo Piano Concert
Thursday, 21 January 2016 
at Lula Lounge - Toronto

• Tickets

TORONTO - Chucho Valdés has declared Hilario Durán to be one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century, calling the Grammy-nominated and JUNO-award winner “an unparalleled pianist and a composer and arranger of the first order.”

Musician of the Year by the Toronto Musicians Association; Vision Award Winner “Premio a la Trayectoria” - Hilario’s formal music training, combined with a deep understanding of traditional Cuban music, as well as a love for jazz, allowed him to play a key role in the integration of Afro-Cuban music and jazz.

Hilario Durán’s original compositions reflect a wide range of influences from jazz (Stan Kenton, Quincy Jones), Latin jazz (Perez Prado, Dizzy Gillespie, Mario Bauzá, Tito Puente, Chico O’Farrill, Chucho Valdés), traditional and modern Cuban melodies and rhythms, Afro-Cuban prayers influenced by gospel harmonies, Latin-American standards, Spanish styles, Flamenco-influenced melodies and Argentinean traditions. In 2005, Hilario formed his explosive Big Band Orchestra with top Canadian and Cuban musicians in Toronto. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear this living legend of Latin jazz performing solo in an intimate setting.

Event Details
Doors Open: 7:00PM / Show Starts: 8:00PM
Admission: $15 advance $20 at the door
Presented By: Lula Music and Arts Centre

Theatre20 Presents The Songs of Leonard Cohen February 3 – 21, 2016 in Toronto

From a media release:

Theatre20 Presents
The Songs of Leonard Cohen
February 3 – 21, 2016 in Toronto

“It’s written on the walls of this hotel, you go to heaven, once you’ve been to hell”
– Leonard Cohen 

• Get Tickets

Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen comes to Toronto fresh from sold-out national tour

December 28, 2015. Toronto, Ontario… Chelsea Hotel: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen is coming to Toronto. Presented by Theatre 20, with the support of Theatre Passe Muraille, the Firehall Arts Centre production will make its Toronto premiere at Theatre Passe Muraille from February 3-21, 2016.

Fresh from a sold-out national tour, Leonard Cohen’s powerful and inspirational music is the heartbeat of this eclectic cabaret of loves won and lost. With extraordinary arrangements, six performers play seventeen instruments in this rollicking tribute to the remarkable writer. Through Cohen’s transcendent songs and lyrical honesty, you will be transported to New York’s infamous hotel – a place full of music and enchantment, desire and passion.

The show originated in Vancouver:



Chelsea Hotel is directed and conceived by Tracey Power with musical direction and arrangements by Steven Charles.

A recipient of the Sterling Haynes and Jessie Richardson awards for her work, Tracy Power’s work has played in theatres across Canada and Internationally. She recently premiered a new musical Miss Shakespeare at Performance Works in Vancouver, and workshopped a new play, Glory based on the Canadian Women's hockey team, the Preston Rivulettes at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. Tracy also works as an actor, director and choreographer. She recently directed and choreographed Singin' in the Rain for the Chemainus Theatre Festival and choreographed Les Misérables for Western Canada Theatre.

Steven Charles is a musician, composer and performer from Vancouver. He has performed at the Firehall Arts Centre and Arts Club, along with many Folk, Fringe, and Jazz Festivals across Canada, the U.S, and Europe.  With the Escape Artists, Steven co-produced Miss Shakespeare and J. Caesar and he continues to perform in productions of Chelsea Hotel in theatres across Canada. He tours internationally with bands Viper Central, and The Fugitives and is very active in Vancouver's music scene.

The cast will feature Rachel Aberle, Sean Cronin, Christina Cuglietta, Benjamin Elliot, Jonathan Gould, and Tracey Power. The team also includes Marshall McMahen (Set Design), Ted Roberts (Lighting Design), Barbara Clayden (Costume Design), Xavier Berbudeau (Sound Design), James MacDonald (Dramaturg), and Donna Spencer (Artistic Producer).

SHOW DETAILSRuns: February 3 – 21, 2016Opening: February 4, 2016Schedule: Tues-Sat @ 7:30 pm; Sat-Sun @ 2:00 pmTickets: $35-$55
Discounted Tickets:Artsworker with valid I.D. – $30Under 30 with valid I.D. – $25
Location: Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Ave, TorontoBox Office: www.theatre20.com or 416-504-7529In person: The Arts Box Office, Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue,Toronto

Aboriginal Travel: Discover Canada's aboriginal roots

With material from a release:

Aboriginal Travel:
Discover Canada's aboriginal roots

Aboriginal travel is a growing industry - comprising travel destinations owned and operated by people of the First Nations, Inuit or Métis - that aims to offer a taste of authentic aboriginal Canada. You can learn traditional fishing methods, go bear watching, shop for unique artisan gifts and items and of course ooh and aaah at countless museum exhibits in stunning surroundings.

Torngat Mountain National Park, LabradorAboriginal travel gives you an opportunity to learn, yes, but also to discover the true natural beauty of the land. You'll find everything from museums for an afternoon's exploration to full service resorts - all of them committed to sustainable tourism.

• Explore all the options at the link

Here's a small sampling of what is available.

Destination Déline and the Grey Goose Lodge
Filled with crafts from local artisans, a spectacular view from the restaurant and deck - just steps from Great Bear Lake - the Grey Goose Lodge offers a unique getaway spot for small groups and adventurous individuals.

Explore:
Ice fishingGuided excursionsInterpretive toursSport fishingCultural immersion Destination Déline and the Grey Goose LodgeThe Details:
Location: Deline, Northwest Territories
Website: destinationdeline.com
Call: +1-867-589-5500
Email: info@destinationdeline.com

Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations
The Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations is a place where history and Aboriginal traditions blend in with modern times. Succumb to the charms of a contemporary hotel whose remarkable architecture harmonizes with nature.

Explore:
MuseumSpaRestaurantThe Details:
Located in Wendake, Québec
Website: www.hotelpremieresnations.com
Call: +1-418-847-2222 /1-866-551-9222
Email: info@hotelpremieresnation.com



Sea Wolf Adventures
Sea Wolf Adventures connects travellers to destinations in the Great Bear Rain Forest and Broughton Archipelago areas for grizzly bear viewing, whale watching, and local First Nations cultural tours. Safe. True. Educational.

Morraine Lake, AlbertaExplore:
Bear WatchingMarine Wildlife ViewingWhale WatchingCultural Boat ToursThe Details:
Located iin Port McNeill, British Columbia
Website: http://seawolfadventures.ca
Call: +1-250-902-9653
Email: Info@SeaWolfAdventures.ca

Eskasoni Cultural Journeys
Eskasoni First Nation and the Highland Village Museum have collaborated to develop unique multi-cultural tour packages. Learn about the Mi'kmaq culture and heritage, experience storytelling and music or enjoy a traditional feast with cultural performances. Learn traditional fishing aboard a vessel on the beautiful Brs d'Or Lakes. Join us today for an unforgettable cultural experience.

Explore:
Learn about Mi'kmaq culture and heritageExperience storytelling and musicEnjoy a traditional feastLearn traditional fishingThe Details:
Located in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia
Website: http://eskasoniculturaljourneys.ca/
Call: +1-855-376-2422
Email: info@eskasoniculturaljourneys.ca

Aurora VillageAurora Village
Open from August to April
The destination of choice for world class aurora-viewing, based in Yellowknife, Canada. Traditional Aboriginal culture blends together with modern amenities for the utmost in comfort, service and a one-of-a kind experience.

Explore:
Aurora-viewing toursDog sleddingSnowshoe tours; SnowmobilingCity ToursOutdoor Tours - Boat tours, HikingThe Details:
Open from August to April
Located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Website: www.auroravillage.com
Call: +1-867-669-0006
Email: info@auroravillage.com

About ATAC
The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC) is a non-profit organization that is committed to growing and promoting a sustainable, culturally rich Aboriginal tourism industry in Canada.

Harbourfront Centre Toronto presents World Stage 2016 GERMINAL January 20 – 23 2016

From a media release:

Harbourfront Centre presents
World Stage 2016 
GERMINAL
January 20 – 23, 2016 at Fleck Dance Theatre

• Buy tickets

TORONTO - Harbourfront Centre will launch World Stage 2016 with Germinal, one of the most talked-about pieces in the international performance circuit in recent years. Performing January 20 – 23 at the Fleck Dance Theatre, this unique production from France straddles the playful and the profound.

Using the theatre as a whimsical metaphor for human civilization, Germinal begins with a bare stage and four intrepid adventurers who set out to imagine how they would remake the universe from the beginning. With an approach both giddily charming and deeply philosophical, the performers construct and deconstruct the history of science, technology and societal structures in an experimental way.

“Germinal is a funny, charming, intelligent work that ingeniously holds the mirror up to us by employing the making of theatre as a metaphor for the construction of civilization,” explains Artistic Director Tina Rasmussen. “With World Stage, I always want to provoke a conversation about our active role as citizens of the world and Germinal does indeed do just that.”

Germinal creators Halory Goerger and Antoine Defoort are part of L’amicale de production, a French “project cooperative” established in 2010. Taking broad aim at authorship and aesthetics, they move freely between visual art, music and interactive performance, combining their varied interests to create constantly shifting visions of theatre.

Since its 2012 premiere, Germinal has received critical acclaim through its performances across Europe and select North America cities. Special discussions will complement these Germinal performances (free with ticket purchase):

January 20: Pre-show Tea on Opening Night with World Stage’s Scholars-in-Residence from the University of Toronto, Denise Cruz and Matthew Sergi.January 21: Post-show “Talkshow” invites the audience to connect with the artists who will answer questions about the performance.
Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2016
presents
GERMINAL
by Halory Goerger and Antoine Defoort
Performed in French with English surtitles
Fleck Dance Theatre
Wednesday, January 20 – Saturday, January 23, 2016
All performances at 8PM
Tickets: $15 for Youth (up to 29 years) and full-time students / $54 for Adults

To Purchase Tickets:
Phone: 416-973-4000
Online: harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage        
Box Office: 235 Queens Quay West

World Stage Season Pass: Access to all productions including the World Stage Mirror Ball.
Three-Show Flex Pass: Three transferable tickets for any performances during the season.
Both passes provide savings of up to 45%.
The Season Pass is available until January 23 and the Flex Pass is available until February 20.

@WorldStageTO

Jazz CD Release: Aruán Ortiz - Hidden Voices (January 29, 2016 - Intakt Records)

From a media release:

Jazz CD Release:
Aruán Ortiz - Hidden Voices
(January 29, 2016 - Intakt Records)
featuring Eric Revis and Gerald Cleaver

The Cuban-American pianist and composer Aruán Ortiz has finally arrived on the international jazz scene, following a few earlier releases. His excellent new album "Hidden Voices" recorded as a trio with bass player Eric Revis and drummer Gerald Cleaver is the proof.

Ortiz, who grew up in Santiago de Cuba, has been called the latest Cuban prodigy to arrive in the US. His carefully structured music is an exciting mix of contemporary classical sounds, afro-cuban rhythms and powerful jazz improvi-sation. All these elements are fused to make a very individual sound.

“I was thinking about this album as a circle with no beginning and no end,” says Aruán Ortiz.
After working with seven original works as well as tunes by Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk, the 42-year-old has turned to a traditional song “Uno, Dos y Tres, Que Paso Más Chevere,” that “everybody in Cuba knows from festivities and carnivals."

Open and Close & The Sphinx - from the upcoming album:



In naming his exceptional new album Hidden Voices Aruán Oritz, an avatar of creative and progressive improvisation, is referring first and foremost to the sounds that permeated his consciousness during formative years.  "Within a radius of two square miles," the 42-year-old Brooklyn-based pianist-composer recalls of the working-class neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba where he grew up, "anybody could walk on the street and hear groups playing popular music, folkloric dance companies, bembés, comparsas such as 'Los Hoyos' rehearsing their procession, random amateur guitar players and singers jamming and singing old trova songs, choirs performing liturgical songs, rumba percussion groups, Cuban-Haitian folkloric groups playing Tumba Francesa, and so on.  At the same time I was exposed to European classical music from a very early age at the Conservatory of Music. Being exposed to this compilation of styles every day nurtured my ears, and forged a very personal and eclectic understanding of the music."

Ortiz convenes bassist Eric Revis and drummer Gerald Cleaver, who operate synchronously and creatively throughout Hidden Voices. The album comprises seven Ortiz originals, Ornette Coleman's "The Sphinx" and "Open and Close," Thelonious Monk's "Skippy" and, to conclude, a traditional song called "Uno, Dos y Tres, Que Paso Más Chevere" that, Ortiz remarks, "everybody in Cuba knows from festivities and carnivals and so on." In contrast to the bright tempo heard on three separate versions of the song available on YouTube, Ortiz sustains each of the "very recognizable first notes" with calibrated touch and judicious pedaling, transforming it into a stark, legato miniature in the manner of Federico Mompou.

A taste of Aruán Ortiz - live from October 2014:

Holidays at the Apollo Theater NYC: KWANZAA CELEBRATION: REGENERATION NIGHT Dec 27 2015

From a media release:

Holidays at the Apollo Theater New York City:
KWANZAA CELEBRATION: REGENERATION NIGHT
Two performances: Sunday, Dec 27 at 2PM & 7:30PM 
Featuring Abel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre
With Special Guests Raul Midón and Foday Musa Suso 

• BUY TICKETS 

A favorite with New York audiences, the Apollo’s annual Kwanzaa Celebration returns with the renowned and energetic New York-based dance company, Abdel Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre.  It is an evening of joyful dance and music, hosted by WBLS personality Imhotep Gary Byrd, that honors the principles of Kwanzaa – family, community and culture. “A fun and affordable Apollo tradition for the entire family,” exclaims Examiner.com.



About Abel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre
Choreographer Abdel Salaam and executive director Dele Husbands founded the FORCES OF NATURE DANCE THEATER COMPANY in 1981. For over twenty years, Forces has produced high quality ballets,conducted dance classes and presented concerts and educational programs in the united States and throughout the world. FORCES' cultural matrix is centered in an African intelligence that is global,ecological and universal in its artistic perspective,empowering and enlightening in its educational mission,visceral and though provoking in its creative context. FORCES' utilizes a unique blend of performing arts, which includes contemporary modern dance,traditional West African dance forms,Ballet,House forms as well as live and recorded music.

Forces of nature's mission is threefold:

1) To develop a choreographic "language" that educates as well as empowers the viewer with a synthetis of the image of the african diasporaand american culture

2) To strive through the creative arts the importance of living with respect and in harmony with nature

3) To use the arts and culture as tools for enhancing human services and social reform.

Tickets: $20; Premium $35
Apollo Advantage: $14
In person at the Apollo Theater Box Office / By phone call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 /
Online at Ticketmaster.com
For Groups Call (212) 531-5355

BUY TICKETS
Customers who purchase tickets to 2 or more more events for the 2015-16 season as part of the Apollo Advantage loyalty program receive 30% discount off of each show ticket.
From last year's celebrations:

Off Broadway: Maurice Hines TAPPIN' THRU LIFE A Song and Dance Musical - Previews Begin December 23 2015

From a media release:

Off Broadway:
Maurice Hines
TAPPIN' THRU LIFE
A Song and Dance Musical
Directed by Jeff Calhoun

Previews begin December 23, 2015 - Twelve Weeks Only

Get the Deals:
• The discount code TLMPW15 has been extended!
• You can now use the code to purchase tickets at $49 for all performances until Jan. 31.
• The price goes up to $79 with the same code on Feb. 1. In other words, buy early and save more. The regular ticket price is $95.
• Group tickets are just $35 if you book and pay for your group by Jan. 31. The price increases to $49 on Feb. 1.

• Get Your Tix

NEW YORK CITY - He's going to put a smile on your face and song in your heart.

Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life is a swinging, song and dance musical that celebrates the astonishing showmanship of one of the last great tap dancers of a bygone era still working today and whose collaborators were a jaw-dropping, who's who of theatre, music, film and television. Co-starring the fierce tap dancing Manzari brothers and the all female vivacious Diva Jazz Orchestra, the show is directed by Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West’s Big River, Grease).

• Performances begin Wednesday, December 23rd at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street), and opening night is Monday, January 11th.

Maurice began working when he was five years old and his brother Gregory was three. He shares funny and heartbreaking experiences about his life with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Judy Garland and many others. The show is a tribute to his loving family, both on stage and off. “My interest is in the today and tomorrow of life and popular culture. I love discovering and mentoring new talent as well as performing and telling stories about the greats,"
said Hines.

Maurice Hines with John and Leo Manzari. Photo by Tony PowellMaurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life has set design by Tobin Ost (Newsies, Jekyll and Hyde), sound design by Michael Hahn (Two Gentleman of Verona, Hamlet), lighting design by Michael Gilliam (Bonnie and Clyde, Brooklyn), and projection design by Darrel Maloney (Allegiance, On Your Feet!).

Co-starring in the show are two of Maurice's discoveries, John and Leo Manzari, a pair of tap dancing siblings reminiscent of a young Maurice and his brother Gregory. The Diva Jazz Orchestra is led by drummer Sherrie Maricle.

MAURICE HINES 
Star of stage, screen, and television, Maurice Hines commenced his acclaimed career at the age of five, studying tap at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in New York City. Mr. LeTang recognized his extraordinary talents and was soon choreographing numbers specifically for Maurice and his brother Gregory. Soon the brothers were appearing on  Broadway and touring as the opening act for such headliners as Lionel Hampton and Gypsy Rose Lee.Their father then joined the act and shortly thereafter, "Hines, Hines, & Dad" was performing to rave reviews in New York, Las Vegas and Europe. Mr. Hines has made 35 appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

Image by Tony PowellMr. Hines pursued a solo career and success soon followed when he was chosen to star as Nathan Detroit in the National Touring Company of Guys and Dolls. After his thrilling performance, Broadway beckoned, and Mr. Hines created a sensation during the 1978-79 season with his singing and dancing in the hit musical Eubie! He followed this performance with celebrated roles co-starring in Bring Back Birdie with Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor and starring in Charles Randolph Wright’s Sophisticated Ladies.

Next, Mr. Hines made his big screen debut in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Cotton Club." As the film hit theaters across the country, so did Ballet USA, a dance company created by Mr. Hines and Mercedes Ellington. Mr. Hines then conceived, directed, and choreographed the musical Uptown…It’s Hot! which played for 17 sold-out weeks in Atlantic City. He joined the cast when the show moved to Broadway and received a 1986 Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. He followed this achievement by codirecting and choreographing the National Tour of the musical Satchmo produced by Kenneth Feld. As one of the few stars who truly loves the road, Mr. Hines then directed, choreographed and starred in the National Tour of the musical Harlem Suite with successive leading ladies Jennifer Holliday, Stephanie Mills and Melba Moore.

With Gregory in Cotton Club:



Mr. Hines turned his attention to direction and choreographing music videos, including “I’ll Be Good To You”, the first release off of Quincy Jones' “Back On The Block” album. Mr. Hines has directed The Radio City Spectacular (the first African-American director for Radio City Music Hall). In the 1994-1995 season, Mr. Hines starred as Jelly Roll Morton in the forty city first-class National Tour of the musical Jelly’s Last Jam.

In 2006, Mr. Hines, collaborating with Maurice White, choreographed and directed the Hip-Hop Broadway musical Hot Feet featuring the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Mr. Hines’s latest album on Arbor Records, “To Nat ‘King’ Cole, With Love”, was released to critical acclaim. Recently, Mr. Hines choreographed productions of Hairspray in Santo Domingo, Sophisticated Ladies at The Lincoln Theatre, as well as a new show called Dance, Dance, Dance, Snap. Mr. Hines is the recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography for Cool Papa’s Party at MetroStage.

Trailer from a previous performance in DC (dates don't apply):

Kitchenband and The Theatre Centre present The Music of BOBLO December 23, 2015 in Toronto

From a media release:

Kitchenband and
The Theatre Centre present
The Music of BOBLO
Concert and Album Release Party • One Night Only!
December 23, 2015

• Tickets
• Download/buy the album

TORONTO - Kitchenband and The Theatre Centre are proud to celebrate the music from the Dora Award-winning production of BOBLO, with a new album release and concert. The Music of BOBLO concert will include music and visuals from the acclaimed 2012 production of BOBLO. Select original cast members and musicians will return for this one-night-only event at The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen Street West.

Image by Abishek Chandra"Penner's moving folk- and rock-inspired songs are another highlight. Ranging from haunting ballads to feel-good foot-stompers, they wonderfully evoke the raucous energy of the massive dance hall, the nervous thrill of the flume ride and the bittersweet feeling that comes at the end of a summer day trip (or an era). If the soundtrack were available, I'd have snapped it up on the spot." ~ NOW Magazine, 2012 Critics Pick

The Music of BOBLO album will be available for purchase for $10 at the event, and is also available for download here: www.kitchenband.bandcamp.com/album/boblo

BOBLO was inspired by personal memories and collected stories about Boblo Island Amusement Park, located on an island in the middle of the Detroit River, which operated from 1898-1993. Kitchenband, a collective of theatre creators and musicians, pays a stirring tribute to Boblo, riding the Boblo-Boat ferry one final time to relive the excitement and the danger the theme park once offered. Field recordings, songs, radio waves, family photos, souvenirs and keepsakes fuel this ghost-story-meets-rock-concert celebration of a former childhood destination that now lies in ruins.

Andrew Penner by Abishek ChandraThe Music of BOBLO will feature performances by Andrew Penner (The Sunparlour Players), Anna Atkinson, Gordon Bolan, Erin Brandenburg (Petrichor, Reesor, and Pelee), Steven McCarthy (The ElastoCitizens, Bliss), George Meanwell, Alan Penner, Michael Rosenthal, and Sophia Walker, with text by Erin Brandenburg, and video by multi-media visual artist Elysha Poirier (Seeds).



Kitchenband andThe Theatre Centre presentThe Music of BOBLOWednesday, December 23, 20158pm • Tickets $15The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. WestTickets can be purchased online at www.theatrecentre.org/?p=6502or by calling 416.538.0988, or in person at The Theatre Centre Box Office
For more information visit The Theatre Centre or KitchenbandFB/TheTheatreCentre • @TheatreCentre • FB/Kitchenband • @Kitchnband