BIG ARTS 2024 Performing Arts Brochure

BIG ARTS Forum 2024

BIG ARTS 2024

Performing Arts 1

WELCOME

2023-2024 SEASON

Be Inspired!

BIG ARTS, and our entire community, has been challenged beyond measure. In the wake of Hurricane Ian, we all have had to gather the strength and courage to rise above a cataclysmic event that has forever changed our Island home -- and changed many communities beyond the Sanibel Causeway.

For the second time in three years, BIG ARTS was forced to cancel all programming – more than 200 classes, events, performances, workshops, gallery shows, lectures and films. We sustained not insignificant damage, but it paled in comparison to our neighbors and friends who weathered far worse. When the water receded, the beautiful building, finished in 2020, was still standing, thanks to the generosity of the community that built it. BIG ARTS was created more than 40 years ago, by, and for, the community. We had a responsibility to carry that torch forward as never before.

We recommitted ourselves to be a warm and welcoming gathering place that celebrates the artist in all of us and reminds us of our shared humanity. Once the dozens of trucks and first responders left our parking lot, we got to work. We opened our doors and hearts and created five free gatherings, complete with entertainment, food, beverages, art demonstrations, gallery shows and activities for children and adults alike. It was a joy to watch the happiness of the more than 1,550 people who walked through BIG ARTS doors. As one person commented, “For a moment, the world seemed normal again.”

Now, we begin anew with hope, determination and, yes, happiness. We have created a bright new BIG ARTS season brimming with music, theater, dance, films, fine arts, learning experiences and, most of all, a place to share the sheer joy of being together again.

Enjoy the BIG ARTS 2023/2024 season program guide and join us as we experience the power of the arts to inspire, enrich and enhance our lives and our community. We can’t wait to see you at BIG ARTS!

Lee Ellen Harder Executive Director 2

Don Rice Chairman of the Board

BIG ARTS Forum 2024

“Square Wave” by artist Jonas Stirner

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BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

2024 SERIES

Performing ARTS

Come experience some of the most gifted artists performing in the world today. Sit back and relax in the stunning Christensen Performance Hall and let the power of these extraordinary performances fill your heart and renew your spirit.

January JANUARY 13

THE GREATEST PIANO MEN JANUARY 18

JEREMY DENK JANUARY 25

PHILLIPS, MCGILL & HUANG

THE GREATEST PIANO MEN

JANUARY 27

JUDITH HILL JANUARY 30

BODYTRAFFIC

JANUARY 13 8:00 PM

This electrifying production celebrates the world’s greatest pianists and showmen including Elton John, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and all the way to Beethoven and Liberace.

What more can be said except, the greatest piano men, really were the greatest. Not only did the performers show spectacular skills on the grand pianos, but they vocally honored each nuance of every famous singer with greatest respect.”

— Boston Globe We are deeply grateful to the BIG ARTS Performing Arts Platinum Club exclusive co-sponsors: 4

BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

JEREMY DENK JANUARY 18 7:30 PM

2024 Classical Series Presenting Sponsor Ed and Virginia Stringer

Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists. He was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Returning frequently to Carnegie Hall, Denk has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra and toured with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.

. . . an unerring sense of the music’s dramatic structure and a great actor’s intuition for timing.”

— Boston Globe

ANTHONY MCGILL, CLARINET, SUSANNA PHILLIPS, SOPRANO, & MYRA HUANG, PIANO JANUARY 25 7:30 PM

2024 Classical Series Presenting Sponsor Ed and Virginia Stringer

Metropolitan Opera star and New York Philharmonic clarinet and piano virtuosos will dazzle and delight us with their artistry.

This concert showcases this rare and gorgeous combination of musical voices.

ANTHONY MCGILL is “…a captivating virtuoso on the stage, and a longtime advocate for social change extending beyond it.”

SUSANNA PHILLIPS “…has the purity and bloom of a Mozart lyric soprano.

Yet her voice can lift phrases with penetrating sound and deep richness.”

Acclaimed by Opera News “…as being among the top accompanists of her generation,” MYRA HUANG is “…a coloristic tour de force.”

-The New York Times 5

BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

JUDITH HILL JANUARY 27 8:00 PM

GRAMMY award-winning vocalist Judith Hill brings her dazzling talent to Sanibel!

Come see what drew artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, Spike Lee and George Benson to her. She has toured with Ringo Starr, Elton John and Stevie Wonder, and was featured in the GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning film, “20 Feet from Stardom.”

Sponsored by

… wowed the [Staples Center] crowd and the millions watching around the world … ” — Rolling Stone

BODYTRAFFIC JANUARY 30 7:30 PM

Led by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC has conquered the contemporary dance world with its stunning performers, technical mastery, and commitment to the most challenging repertoire. Bursting with cutting-edge “vivid theatricality,” BODYTRAFFIC takes the stage with compelling works that embody the company’s energy, sophistication, and sheer joy in dancing.

Sponsored by James and Susen Berg & Dorothy and Seth Hemming

Absolutely joyous and oh-so-entertaining!”

— Broadway World 6

BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

TWISTED PINE FEBRUARY 3 8:00 PM Rooted in bluegrass, their music has garnered widespread critical acclaim for its boundary-defying virtuosity that draws from jazz, pop, indie folk and funk. Twisted Pine features Kathleen Parks on fiddle and lead vocals, Dan Bui on mandolin, Chris Sartori on bass and Anh Phung on flute.

“...Upbeat, poppy vibe; energetic, driving rhythms; and virtuoso solos.

— National Public Radio (NPR)

February FEBRUARY 3

TWISTED PINE FEBRUARY 4

YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS ON TOUR FEBRUARY 8

YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS ON TOUR FEBRUARY 4 3:30 PM YCA is a dynamic chamber ensemble made up of some of the most gifted classical artists in the world playing fabulous repertories in cities all over North America! This season’s tour offers a special program of chamber music and song, featuring rarely-heard instrumentation combining voices with violin, cello, and piano.

2024 Classical Series Presenting Sponsor Ed and Virginia Stringer

ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS WIND ENSEMBLE FEBRUARY 17

ALAN BIBEY & GRASSTOWNE FEBRUARY 29

SO GOOD! THE NEIL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE 7

BIG ARTS Performing 2024

ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS WIND ENSEMBLE FEBRUARY 8 7:30 PM

2024 Classical Series Presenting Sponsor Ed and Virginia Stringer

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras, renowned for fresh, brilliant interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music.

The wind ensemble is drawn from the principal players in the orchestra and was formed to perform exciting, larger scale chamber music.

ALAN BIBEY & GRASSTOWNE FEBRUARY 17 8:00 PM

Sponsored by Tom and Barb Dunham

Alan Bibey & Grasstowne features highly respected veterans, as well as rising stars, of bluegrass. Led by GRAMMYnominated mandolin player Alan Bibey, the bandincludes two-time SPBGMA Bass Player of the Year Zak McLamb, banjo player Justin Jenkins, flat picker and rhythm guitarist Tony Watt, and vocalist and fiddle player Kati Penn.

SO GOOD! THE NEIL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE FEBRUARY 29 8:00 PM

Sponsored by Gustav and Vibeke Christensen 8

This tribute show to Neil Diamond is unlike anything you have seen or heard before.

You will swear you are hearing the master himself. Broadway, television and film star Robert Neary creates a one-of-a-kind tribute to one of the greatest recording artists in history.

BIG ARTS Performing 2024

March MARCH 2

SISTER’S SUMMER SCHOOL CATECHISM MARCH 9

SING & SWINGJAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER PRESENTS MARCH 15

THE HIT MEN: CLASSIC ROCK SUPERGROUP MARCH 22

LATE NITE CATECHISM – SISTER’S SUMMER SCHOOL CATECHISM

ANNUAL BENEFIT: THE DOO WOP PROJECT

MARCH 2 8:00 PM

Time to laugh your sins away! Part catechism class, part stand-up routine, this interactive comedy is one of the longestrunning shows in Chicago and U.S. theater history. You, the audience member, are part of Sister’s class. She’ll take you back to the days of the Latin Mass and meatless Fridays—and remind you about that good old ruler across the knuckles!

... refreshingly different ... top-notch comedy ... gloriously funny.”

— Chicago Reader

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BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

SING AND SWING – A JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER PRESENTS PRODUCTION MARCH 9 8:00 PM

Two of New York’s brightest stars, and a quartet of jazz all-stars, reimagine some of the classic partnerships in jazz and popular song, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee; featuring songs

by Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Ellington and Cole Porter.

Sponsored by Mike and Marilee Wood

“Celebrate the Great American Songbook in all of its playful — and sophisticated — glory brought to life by two of this generation’s brightest stars.

— The Society of the Four Arts

THE HIT MEN: CLASSIC ROCK SUPERGROUP MARCH 15 8:00 PM

JASPER Sponsored by Bob and Kathy Wiesemann & Charles and Gail Sheetz

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Relive rock’s greatest hits with the real guys who performed with legendary artists, including members of Foreigner, Journey, Styx, Steely Dan, Cheap Trick, Alan Parsons, Cream, Grand Funk and The Who. In their exciting multi-media concert, The Hit Men celebrate their associations with these mega-stars, share their first-hand experiences as eyewitnesses to rock history and perform classic hits you know and love— “Layla,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Eye in the Sky” and many more— just the way you remember them!

BIG ARTS Performing Arts 2024

BIG ARTS ANNUAL BENEFIT THE DOO WOP PROJECT MARCH 22 6:00 PM

Presenting Sponsors Gustav and Vibeke Christensen & Jim and Gaye Pigott

Fun, food, and fabulous music are the hallmarks of the always memorable BIG ARTS annual benefit. The 2024 benefit concert is the Doo Wop Project featuring stars of Broadway’s smash hits Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical. The Doo Wop Project brings unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate— and in some cases entirely reimagine— some of the greatest music in American pop and rock history!

STACEY KENT

April

APRIL 6 8:00 PM

She has charm to burn, a smile that could give you hope in February, and sings like nobody’s business.”

— The Wall Street Journal

Previously recognized as “Jazz Vocalist of the Year” at the BBC Jazz Awards, GRAMMY-nominated singer, Stacey Kent, has ventured beyond the Great American Songbook to develop a highly distinctive and personal repertoire, including songs written for her by Jim Tomlinson with various lyricists, Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro among them. Her I Know I Dream album has had more than 40 million streams, won “Album of the Year” in the vocal category at the Jazz Japan Awards and received glowing reviews, including a five-star rating in Downbeat.

Sponsored by Tom and Linda Uhler 11