choose YOUR OWN
SERIES
Like to save money?
Subscribers save up to 25%!
THE
TAMING OF THE SHREW w William
SHAKESPEARE Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel
Spellbinding Bach SUN / SEPT 23 / 7 PM $19, $30, $38† ff KC
Sutton Foster SAT / SEPT 29 / 8 PM $40, $55, $70 †
Celebrating 20 years of bringing his beloved Keyboard Conversations series to the Center for the Arts, virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel returns this year with a thrilling program honoring the grand master of Baroque music, Johann Sebastian Bach. Mr. Siegel has captivated both piano aficionados and neophytes alike with his “concerts with commentary” series, in which he illuminates the lives and works of the most famous composers of all time. In this concert, he spotlights this preeminent German composer, performing dramatic, poetic, virtuoso works that Bach wrote to “wow” his listeners. The evening includes the famous Italian Concerto, the awe inspiring Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, the scintillating Toccata in D Major, and the lively G Major Partita.
This luminous ingénue presents an unforgettable evening of Broadway showstoppers and tender cabaret-style ballads that showcase her powerful soprano, fantastic footwork, and dazzling stage presence. Actress, singer, and dancer Sutton Foster has drawn comparisons to Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, and Julia Roberts for her Tony Award-winning roles on Broadway as evangelistturned-nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes and her breakout performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has appeared in Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, and Shrek the Musical and is the star of the brand new television series, Bunheads. Don’t miss this incredible vocal powerhouse that has taken the musical theater world by storm! “Ms. Foster has the voice of a trumpet and a big, gleaming presence that floods the house.” (The New York Times)
Subscription Series Key
This concert is part of the ARTS by George! benefit. See page 28 for details.
Magnificent Music................................................................... MM Dynamic Dance.. ...................................................................... DD Global View.. ............................................................................ GV American Echoes..................................................................... AE Enthralling Theater.................................................................. ET Virginia Opera.. ........................................................................ VO Keyboard Conversations........................................................... KC All Music.. ................................................................................. AM All Dance.................................................................................. AD 4 George Mason University’s Center for the Arts
Aquila Theatre
Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi FRI / OCT 5 / 8 PM SAT / OCT 6 / 8 PM $23, $38, $46† ff
GV
AD
From a tiny country in Central Africa comes one of the most gifted and celebrated percussion ensembles in the world — Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi. Their dance and drumming performances are based on ancient sacred traditions that have been passed down from father to son for centuries, yet these distinctive early rhythms sound as modern as any contemporary beat. The thunderous drum sound — the “Burundi beat”— has gained the rapt attention of audiences worldwide and influenced popular Western contemporary artists like Joni Mitchell, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow. Originally used exclusively for ceremonial occasions, the distinctive drums are made from hollowed tree trunks and animal skins. Come witness ancient Burundi culture with its thunderous percussive rhythms and mesmerizing movements!
† Individual tickets for these events on sale August 1.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
The Taming of the Shrew SUN / OCT 7 / 4 PM $20, $32, $40† ET One of Shakespeare’s most adored comedies is brought to the stage by this outstanding BritishAmerican touring company. Set in Northern Italy, this enduring tale is the classic battle for power between the sexes. Bianca, the beautiful youngest child of a lord, cannot marry until her elder sister, Katherina, finds a husband. The older girl’s fierce temper and caustic wit frightens away every prospective suitor, until she meets her match in Petruchio, a newcomer who is hired to seduce and tame her. This timeless play with its controversial depiction of marriage told in Shakespeare’s sharp, witty language, has inspired countless imitations from Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, to the modern retelling, 10 Things I Hate About You. This superb production is presented by Aquila Theatre, the theater company described by The New York Times as “extraordinarily inventive and disciplined.”
Virginia Opera
The Pearl Fishers FRI / OCT 12 / 8 PM SUN / OCT 14 / 2 PM Friday – $44, $72, $86 Sunday – $48, $80, $98
Cirque Chinois Direct from Beijing, The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China
VO
Bizet’s dazzling opera is the spellbinding tale of friendship, jealousy, loyalty, love, and religious duty. Premiering as one of his first works more than a decade before Carmen, this captivating opera is evidence of his great musical gifts and serves as a prelude to the brilliant work that followed. Set in a fishing village in ancient Ceylon, two pearl fishermen, Zurga and Nadir, whose friendship was tested years earlier over their romantic obsession with the same beautiful stranger, declare their brotherly bond in one of Bizet’s best-loved duets, Au fond du temple saint. But their long lost love, Leila, soon returns as a mysterious priestess, and when her true identity is revealed their deadly rivalry is, quite literally, reignited. Sung in French with English supertitles.
FRI / OCT 19 / 8 PM SAT / OCT 20 / 2 PM & 8 PM $24, $40, $48 ff GV AD One of China’s most acclaimed and influential circus troupes introduces a spectacular new production for its inaugural North American tour — Cirque Chinois. Audiences of all ages will marvel at the extraordinary feats of these talented artists. Their signature acts, such as the Great Teeterboard, Grand Flying Trapeze, and Group Contortion, have earned them numerous international awards and worldwide acclaim. For nearly six decades, Direct from Beijing, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China has been performing its unique style of circus and influencing circuses the world over, including Cirque du Soleil, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey. Come enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience filled with juggling, flying trapeze, contortions, and more that will mesmerize and astound the entire family!
Family Friendly Performances Half price tickets are available for youth through grade 12 when accompanied by an adult for events identified in the brochure with this icon ff .
call 703-993-2787 or visit cfa.gmu.edu
2012/2013 Great performances at mason 5