Hylton Presents Spring 2021 Season Brochure

HyltonCenter.org

SPRING 2021

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The 10 th Anniversary Season The Hylton Performing Arts Center has a spectacular line-up of artists in the spring of 2021. We cannot wait to welcome you back into the Hylton Center soon. This year, we are celebrating the 10th Anniversary Season, the resilience of the arts, and the joy of experiencing performances together.

The most up-to-date performance information is available at HyltonCenter.org, even as changes or cancellations occur.

Your Safety is Our Priority When you attend a Hylton Performing Arts Center performance you can be assured that all necessary safety precautions are in place. From rigorous cleaning routines and physically distanced seating to mask requirements and new ticketing procedures, our safety measures allow you to relax and enjoy the in-person performances you’ve missed so much. Details about what to expect when you return to the Hylton Center are available at HyltonCenter.org/covid.

Tickets Tickets for 2021 performances go on sale later this fall.

Online:

HyltonCenter.org

Phone:

703-993-7759

In Person:

Ticket Office Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visit the website to purchase tickets and for the most up-to-date information about Ticket Office operations.

Email: hylton@gmu.edu

The Hylton Performing Arts Center is Here to Stay In its first decade, the Hylton Performing Arts Center has become a vibrant cultural hub of the community. The Hylton Center was created by the strength of our community and we will be here to serve that community for many more years to come.

2020–2021 Hylton Center Season Sponsor

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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DANCE

Pilobolus

BIG FIVE-OH! A 50th Anniversary Celebration They’ve been knocking down artistic barriers for half a century, and to celebrate the Big Five-Oh!, Pilobolus brings a program of trailblazing classics and new work to the stage. This innovative modern dance company effortlessly blends theatricality, poetic movement, and a sheer physical strength that defies gravity. In the Big FiveOh!, Pilobolus brings back the vintage classic Untitled; the electric show-stopper Megawatt; re-imaginings of signature shadow works; and a new work, Fifty in Five, that condenses the 50-year history of Pilobolus into a breathtaking five-minute

whirlwind of movement. Pilobolus has performed on Broadway, at the Oscars, and the Olympic Games, as well as on television, in movies, and in advertisements.

The company has been honored with a TED Fellowship, a Grammy® nomination, a Primetime Emmy® Award, and several Cannes Lions Awards. “If the dance world has a summer movie blockbuster equivalent, it must be Pilobolus,” (Associated Press).

Friday, February 19 at 8 p.m.

$50, $43, $30

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

Acrobuffos Air Play

Umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, giant balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage with a spectacle the whole family will enjoy! Without words, the Acrobuffos enrapture audiences with a beautiful visualization of air itself. This physical comedy troupe presents a stunning visual poem that brings to life the very air we breathe. Full of color, light, and laughter, Air Play is “a joy from start to finish,” raves the Sydney Morning Herald. “You feel you’re witnessing divine natural occurrences

rather than carefully devised circus stunts,” praises the Hartford Courant. Created by the husband and wife circus team of Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, in collaboration with kinetic sculptor Daniel Wurtzel, Air Play is a whimsical, heartfelt, and funny homage to the magic of the invisible substance all around us: air!

Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m.

$44, $37, $26

Performance Sponsor This engagement of Acrobuffos is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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DANCE

Velocity Irish Dance Get ready for Velocity Irish Dance, a highoctane celebration of the past, the present, and—most especially—the future of Irish dance. In their exhilarating performance, two dancing wunderkinds—James Devine (the Guinness World Record holder for the Fastest Feet in the World) and David Geaney (five-time World Champion Irish dancer)— are joined on stage by an incredible Celtic band, a scratch DJ, and other award-winning

hoofers. They dance at lightning-fast speeds, tackling impossible scuffles and shuffles. It’s heart-pounding entertainment, with an extra helping of soul. “A wonderfully fast-paced and utterly joyful display of Irish dance,” (The Scotsman).

Sunday, March 7 at 2 p.m.

$50, $43, $30

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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BROADWAY

Broadway Princess Party Starring Susan Egan, Courtney Reed, and Christy Altomare Dust off your tiaras and head for this charming concert in which three of Broadway’s original and most beloved princesses perform their signature songs as well as many other treasured musical theater numbers. Tony nominee Susan Egan (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Courtney Reed (Broadway’s original Jasmine in Aladdin), and Christy Altomare (Broadway’s original Anastasia) join forces to host this fun-loving royal soiree alongside Benjamin Rauhala (Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof).

Perfect for grown-ups, especially those who love fairytales, this performance features three knock-out Broadway voices singing every princess song in the book while also sharing hilarious backstage tales. Bring your besties, your family, or any Broadway lover who will be tempted to sing along with the show, which critics are calling “spectacular,” “enchanting,” and “empowering.”

Friday, March 26 at 8 p.m.

$48, $41, $29

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel

The Romantic Connection– Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt This “concert with commentary” is perfect for classical music lovers and those who want to be. Virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel plays works by important piano composers of the Romantic period and shares fascinating stories about each one. This concert features the stirring Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 1 by Chopin, three of Schumann’s fiery, tender Novelettes, and the exuberant

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor

by Liszt. “An exquisite performance… superb music making,” hails The New York Times.

An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program.

Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m.

$48, $41, $29

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

The Romeros with Isabel Leonard

60th Anniversary Tour Welcome the “Royal Family of Guitar,” the Romeros, for their 60th Anniversary tour. This quartet of Spanish guitarists encompasses three generations of virtuosos in one incredible family. The world-renowned ensemble has performed with nearly every major symphony in the United States, and has played before distinguished audiences at the White House and the Vatican. Joining this veritable institution of classical guitar is multiple Grammy® Award-winning mezzosoprano Isabel Leonard, a multi-faceted artist with a honeyed voice. Leonard has

graced some of the most impressive stages in the world singing everything from opera to West Side Story. Together, Leonard and the Romeros will electrify with works by Frederico García Lorca, Lorenzo Palomo, and Manuel de Falla, and will also premiere “La Cita” by Douglas J. Cuomo. “The only classical guitar quartet of real stature in the world today; in fact, they virtually invented the format,” (The New York Times).

Saturday, April 17 at 8 p.m.

$50, $43, $30

HYLTON PRESENTS SPRING 2021

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COMEDY

The Capitol Steps Putting the “mock” in democracy for more than 30 years, Washington’s premier political satire troupe, The Capitol Steps, returns to Merchant Hall for another roasting. No one on the political spectrum is safe from their clever parodies, hilarious skits, and tonguein-cheek musical numbers. The Capitol Steps has recorded more than 40 albums, including their latest, The Lyin’ Kings. They

Performance Sponsor

have been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and can be heard twice a year on NPR stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials. “An oasis of good-natured ribbing in a fiercely partisan world,” (The Washington Post).

Sunday, April 25 at 7 p.m.

$50, $43, $30

HYLTON CENTER EXTRA!

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Hylton Center EXTRA!

BLUEGRASS

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn The Hylton Center welcomes banjo superstars Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn in a special concert sure to captivate, with their unique mix of alternative bluegrass.

The husband and wife duo are each banjo icons in their own right. Fleck rose to fame in the ’80s playing progressive bluegrass with the New Grass Revival and co-founding the Flecktones, where he broke new ground, reinventing the banjo with innovative genre crossovers into funk, hip-hop, classical, and jazz. It earned him worldwide acclaim, new artistic collaborations and 15 Grammy® Awards. Washburn is no stranger to banjo expansion collaborations herself. In addition

to playing with old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet, she is part of the experimental duo the Wu Force with Chinese zither player Wu Fei. Fleck and Washburn have released two albums together, including their Grammy® Award-winning self-titled set and Echo in the Valley.

Sunday, March 21 at 7 p.m.

$48, $41, $29

HYLTON CENTER EXTRA! SERIES SPONSORS Carol Merchant Kirby and Peter Kirby

Investing in Our Communities

Buck and Julie Waters, The Waters Foundation

HYLTON CENTER EXTRA!

YEARS

Hylton Center EXTRA!

Headlining artist for the 11 th Anniversary Gala!

BROADWAY

Leslie Odom, Jr. The Hylton Center 11th Anniversary Gala presents Broadway superstar Leslie Odom, Jr. for a sensational benefit performance in Merchant Hall.

Odom is a multifaceted Tony and Grammy® Award-winning performer, best known for his breakout role as Aaron Burr in the Broadway phenomenon Hamilton. Odom’s self-titled debut album charted at #1 on the Billboard jazz chart and in winter 2017, he topped the charts again with the re-release of Simply Christmas as a deluxe edition with new arrangements and new songs. His extensive acting career also encompasses film and television roles including Murder on the Orient Express, Red Tails, and Smash. In 2018, he added author to his resume with the release of his book, Failing Up: How to Rise Above, Do Better, and Never Stop Learning. In November 2019, he starred alongside Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monae in Harriet, a biopic about the extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman, and he will be in next year’s highly anticipated film The Many Saints of Newark. Odom released his third full-length album and first of original material, entitled Mr in November 2019. “His seasoned but smooth tenor provided many soulful, swinging, and—assisted by a touch of reverb—soaring moments that showed he’s an artist and entertainer who respects musical traditions as well as recent innovations,” (Portland Press Herald).

Sunday, May 2 at 7 p.m.

$100, $75, $60

HYLTON CENTER EXTRA! SERIES SPONSORS Carol Merchant Kirby and Peter Kirby

Investing in Our Communities

Buck and Julie Waters, The Waters Foundation

SPRING 2021

GREAT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT AT AFFORDABLE FAMILY PRICES

An Inspiring Series with Children in Mind

PADDINGTON GETS IN A JAM Paddington is in the kitchen cooking up a batch of his favorite jam, when he runs out of sugar!

He goes next door to borrow a cup from his neighbor, Mr. Curry, who is frantically preparing for a visitor. Paddington volunteers to help, leading to hilarious chaos. Will Paddington be able to fix everything before Mr. Curry’s visitor arrives? With his duffle coat and battered hat, the ever-polite Paddington Bear has delighted audiences for more than six decades with his

HYLTONCENTER.ORG/FAMILY

well-intended misadventures in storybooks, on television, and on the big screen. Now is your chance to see the marmalade-loving bear onstage in his newest escapade Paddington Gets in a Jam. A sweet comedy from the creator of the hit production The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show.

Recommended for ages 3 to 9 Sunday, February 21 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. $15 adults; $10 children

All patrons must have a ticket. For Hylton Family Series only: children under the age of two who are held by an adult and do not occupy a seat may receive a lap ticket free of charge.

SPRING 2021

GREAT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT AT AFFORDABLE FAMILY PRICES

An Inspiring Series with Children in Mind

GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE Gerald the Giraffe loves to dance, but he is awkward and clumsy on his spindly legs, and the other animals in the jungle laugh at him! What’s a giraffe to do? Enlist the help of a violin-playing cricket, of course, until he finds a tune he can groove to with joyful abandon. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the beloved storybook Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, comes a richly imaginative musical adaptation told with puppets, African rhythms, and of course—dancing! Giraffes Can’t Dance encourages Gerald, and audience members of all ages, to dance to the beat of their own unique drums. Carrying a universal message of the

HYLTONCENTER.ORG/FAMILY

power of self-assurance and acceptance, Giraffes Can’t Dance will have everyone in the audience on their feet, confidently showing off their moves and grooves. Recommended for ages 3 to 8 Saturday, April 10 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. $15 adults; $10 children The 2 p.m. performance of Giraffes Can’t Dance will be sensory-friendly.

All patrons must have a ticket. For Hylton Family Series only: children under the age of two who are held by an adult and do not occupy a seat may receive a lap ticket free of charge.

Matinee Idylls presents a fantastic “menu” of distinguished musicians presenting a colorful variety of chamber music. This season, these concerts will be at 1:30 p.m. in Merchant Hall. Due to health and safety concerns, no food will be served.

Virginia Opera

A Taste of Opera Virginia Opera returns with a passion-infused afternoon filled with drama, poetry, history, and romance. An ensemble of opera singers perform beloved arias, duets, and ensembles selected from recent and upcoming Virginia Opera productions, including Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Experience rising opera stars performing highlights from Virginia Opera’s vibrant season.

Tuesday, February 16 Tickets: $29

Lena Seikaly Trio Called “one of Washington’s preeminent jazz singers” (The Washington Post), Washington, D.C.-area native Lena Seikaly performs sumptuous jazz standards with her rich mezzosoprano voice. She also has a growing following outside the Beltway. She was a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition in L.A., and has headlined at Jazz At Lincoln Center Shanghai, and DC Jazz Festival among others.

Additionally, she has released three albums under her name, and a fourth album with guitarist Steve Herberman entitled A Little Closer.

Tuesday, May 4 Tickets: $29

Matinee Idylls Series Sponsor

Up-close, down-home concerts with the best of bluegrass, country, blues, and more. Enjoy a casual setting in the Gregory Family Theater.

Due to health and safety concerns, no food or beverage will be served.

DuoDuo

Maeve Gilchrist & Nic Gareiss and Natalie Haas & Yann Falquet This vibrant quartet playfully blends acoustic guitar, cello, harp, and percussive dancing for an infectiously delightful night of music and dance! The foursome comprises two innovative duos: harpist Maeve Gilchrist and percussive-dancer Nic Gareiss, plus the husband and wife team of cellist Natalie Haas and acoustic guitarist Yann Falquet.

Gilchrist and Gareiss offer an unusual combination of percussive footwork and melody while Haas and Falquet perform a mix of Québécois traditional songs and new takes on folk music from Western Europe. Don’t miss this night of invigorating music and dance! $30 Saturday, May 15 at 8 p.m.

Tickets: $30

Randall and Anna Edwards

Investing in Our Communities

The Community Bank of the Nation’s Capital.

American Roots Series Sponsors

2020-2021 Season

Hylton Center Arts Partners Music, Dance, and Theater Presented

by Local Arts Organizations Each year, these local arts organizations present a vibrant program of performing arts on the stages of the Hylton Center. Officially known as Arts Partners, these outstanding organizations are based here in Prince William County and the City of Manassas and are evidence of the extraordinary talents and resources that exist in our area.

Manassas Symphony Orchestra James Villani, Music Director

Asaph Dance Ensemble Daniel Faudree, Artistic Director

Prince William Little Theatre Manassas Ballet Theatre Amy Grant Wolfe, Artistic Director

Youth Orchestras of Prince William

Learn more and view upcoming performances at HyltonCenter.org/ programs/arts-partners

Manassas Chorale Becky Verner, Music Director

The Creative and Performing Arts Center Denise McPhail, Founder

JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE HYLTON CENTER Support from the Friends of the Hylton Center brings first-class performance art from around the world and around the corner to the Northern Virginia region.

Over the past year, Friends have: n Ensured that Hylton Presents, Hylton Family Series, American Roots Series, and Matinee Idylls provide an unbeatable showcase of talent from renowned national and international artists n

Introduced the arts to more than 17,000 local school children through field trips

n

Provided programs for Veterans, Servicemembers, their families, and caregivers through the Veterans and the Arts Initiative

Support these vital programs and more at the Hylton Center by joining the Friends now.

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE Choose the ease of monthly payments so your membership automatically renews and never expires!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR GIFT If you work for, or are retired from, one of the many companies with a matching gift plan, your Friends gift can have twice the impact. Your employer will match your gift dollar for dollar and some companies even double or triple the amount of your gift—at no cost to you.

Friends of the Hylton Performing Arts Center

Online: HyltonCenter.org/Give Phone: 703-993-7150

2020–2021 SPONSORS The Hylton Performing Arts Center wishes to thank the following corporations, organizations, and foundations for their generous support this season. $25,000+

Carol Merchant Kirby and Peter Kirby $10,000 – $24,999+

Julie and Buck Waters $2,500 – $9,999 Randall and Anna Edwards

Investing in Our Communities

Reconnect with the arts through Hylton at Home—a digital platform featuring curated arts experiences from the artists you love. Programming features digital concerts from guest artists, releases of previously recorded content, behind-the-scenes talks with artists, and more.

See the full Hylton at Home schedule at HyltonCenter.org.

Darden Purcell November 14

Keep in Touch!

For the most up-to-date information about performances, tickets, and procedures, please visit HyltonCenter.org. Sign up for email updates, and follow us on social media.

2020–2021 Hylton Center Season Sponsor