26/27 Season
Dear Friends, As I look forward to the artists on these pages, I’m reminded of new research that continues to prove how vital the arts are for our well-being. To put it simply: the arts make us whole. The artists here are our most international group since 2020, and each has a knack for stirring our sense of belonging and human connection. You’ll find old friends like Yamato whose powerful Taiko drumming transports us somewhere primordial. Restorative rhythms continue with beloved Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez together with his friend, jazz pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. We celebrate another homecoming with Paul Beaubrun, whose Haitian Vodou style harkens back to his Grammynominated parents of Boukman Eksperyans, who played here in 1994! And proving dance can be a vessel for healing, Black Box Dance Theatre will create a powerful work with veterans, service members, and students. That’s just a glimpse of what’s to come. While the performances will be awe-inspiring, I’m most eagerly awaiting the connections we’ll build beyond the stage – like a brand new series in the Gregg Museum and a partnership with PineCone. All year, we’ll offer you unique opportunities for joy, learning, and well-being alongside your neighbors from across the globe and just down the road. Join us! With much anticipation,
Liza Wade Green Director, NC State LIVE 2
Photo: Elizabeth Letizell
Our Mission
NC State LIVE’s mission is to connect artists and audiences in a meaningful exploration of the cultures and issues that define our communities and world.
Contents
Wolfpack Welcome Week Kickoff
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Mainstage artists
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Gregg Museum events
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Raleigh Wide Open events
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LIVE at Lake Raleigh
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Subscribe and Save
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Season Calendar
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TICKETS live.arts.ncsu.edu
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Meet Black Box Dance Theatre Meet Black Box Dance Theatre in August, and then join us throughout the year for workshops and other events with these innovative artists. And we hope to see you back in March for PATRIOT; see pages 18-19 for more details!
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Post-Show Talk & Party
Photo: Matt Kesterson
Friday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre
WOLFPACK WELCOME WEEK • SEASON KICKOFF! • TICKETS ON SALE AUGUST 17.
We Lift Each Other NC State Students use code WOLFPACK for a FREE ticket. Everyone at the show gets a FREE t-shirt!
Join NC State LIVE to celebrate the start of a new season with the screening of a moving documentary about veterans and dance, followed by a conversation with the artists, free t-shirts (for ALL audience members), and a dance party! We Lift Each Other is a film that follows Black Box Dance Theatre and a group of veterans over the course of one remarkable week, from their first meeting to their courageous participation in a fully produced public performance of original choreography. In that short time, they move from uncertainty to trust, from isolation to connection, and ultimately into the creation of powerful art that reflects their lived experiences. The Black Box Dance Theatre film is part of a documentary anthology series, I Feel Myself to Be Part of Something, produced by Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Mara Isaacs (Hadestown). This special event is not part of our subscription package, but subscribers get first access before public sales begin. Tickets $10 Public • $10 Faculty/Staff • NC State Students: FREE live.arts.ncsu.edu • 5
Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre Artist Talk
Paul Beaubrun “joyful and ecstatic” – NPR Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, the son of two founders of the Grammy-nominated band Boukman Eksperyans, Paul Beaubrun is an exceptional Haitian singer and guitarist. Drawing on his rich cultural heritage, he seamlessly weaves together elements of Haitian Creole, French and English, creating a musical tapestry that reflects the diverse influences that have shaped his artistic vision. Fun fact: We presented his parents’ band, Boukman Eksperyans, in Stewart Theatre in 1994. Paul has been a touring member of the world-renowned band Arcade Fire since 2022, and has performed with artists Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Lauryn Hill and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Don’t miss Paul Beaubrun’s Stewart Theatre debut.
Tickets $30-35 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students 6
Photo: Nickey Jules
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Get in on the action! Take a free workshop with Gravity & Other Myths. Follow @NCStateLIVE for details.
Photo: Simon McClure
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Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre Artist Talk
Gravity & Other Myths
Ten Thousand Hours “Once again Gravity & Other Myths bring shock, awe, and delight.” – Glam Adelaide They’re coming back! Australia’s delightful and mind-blowing Gravity & Other Myths was part of our first season when we returned to Stewart Theatre in 2015. They’ll be back in the States with a new show – Ten Thousand Hours – a production that celebrates the dedication and perseverance required to achieve greatness, all with their characteristic sense of humor. Featuring eight world-class acrobats and one musician, the show explores how physical skill is obtained, perfected, and how it can transform lives. Through breathtaking acrobatics, these exceptional circus artists pay tribute to the countless hours of practice behind every movement.
Tickets $40-45 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students live.arts.ncsu.edu • 9
Lucía Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre
Photo: Shervin Lainez
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“…one of the most sought-after young artists in jazz.” – The Mercury News
Attention: Students and Alumni Join us after the show for an artist Meet & Greet just for you!
With a voice that transports you across cultures and time, Lucía is a young vocalist from Veracruz, México whose singular artistic vision bridges the gaps between jazz, Latin and pop music. Lucía Gutierrez Rebolloso started her musical career at the age of two, singing and dancing in her parents’ son jarocho band, Son de Madera. When she graduated from college in 2022, Lucía became the first artist from Mexico to enter the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. She won, performing a soulful rendition of a jazz standard – “What a Difference a Day Makes” – best known from Dinah Washington’s 1959 Grammywinning recording.
Over the years, you’ve seen so many young, on-the-rise jazz artists on our series – Cécile McLorin Salvant, Yilian Cañizares, Shana Tucker, Jazzmeia Horn, Esperanza Spalding – and now you can add Lucía to that impressive list.
Tickets $30-35 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students live.arts.ncsu.edu • 11
Thursday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre Artist Talk
Lakecia Benjamin "The alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin plays jazz that is sprinkled with the rich flavors of funk and soul – she’s a crafty traditionalist who remains in step with the rhythms of the young generation” – The New Yorker Six-time Grammy nominee Lakecia Benjamin is a force of nature. An alto saxophonist with a fiery stage presence, she melds R&B, jazz and funk into something magical. Her acclaimed albums Phoenix and Pursuance: The Coltranes have firmly established her among today’s foremost jazz artists. If you missed her NC State LIVE performance in 2021, don’t make that mistake twice.
Tickets $30-35 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students 12
Pop-up Performance & More Lakecia will join us on campus for MLK Week to offer classes and a pop-up performance. Join our mailing list at LIVE.arts.ncsu.edu to be the first to know about events. Photo: Elizabeth Letizell
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Photo: Anna Webber
Saturday, February 13 at 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. • Titmus Theatre
Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez “Their styles blend to create songs with aching lyricism, watercolor soundscapes that are driven by captivating mambo grooves.” – JazzTimes Pianist Alfredo Rodríguez and Grammy-winning percussionist Pedrito Martinez are a high-energy Afro-Cuban jazz duo known for their fearless and virtuosic collaborative style. Although both are from Havana, they represent opposite ends of the musical spectrum: Rodríguez was classically trained at Cuba’s top conservatories, while Martinez honed his skills on the streets of Old Havana through folkloric and religious traditions. Each artist is a master in his own right; together, they form a powerful musical dialogue not to be missed.
Tickets $35-40 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students live.arts.ncsu.edu • 15
YAMATO
Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre
Photo: Ekihiro Solo
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"It was simply captivating. The incredible talent and sheer enjoyment of what they do was plain to see." – The Evening Post (UK) YAMATO’s motto is “Go anywhere if invited and make the world a little more happy.” With close to 200 performances a year worldwide, they take happiness very seriously. Traveling from Japan’s Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture, these highly trained musicians captivate audiences through Japan’s traditional Wadaiko (Taiko) drums. YAMATO thinks of their ancient instruments as a heartbeat, the basic element of life. The young men and women of YAMATO turn the ancient Japanese art of taiko drumming into a heart-pounding spectacle of athleticism, precision and exhilarating musical expertise.
Attention: Educators While YAMATO is with us in Raleigh, they'll offer a special performance for local elementary and middle school students. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/matinee
Tickets $40-45 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students live.arts.ncsu.edu • 17
Black Box Dance Theatre’s PATRIOT Share your voice! Black Box Dance Theatre will be on campus all year working with military, veteran and student communities. Follow @NCStateLIVE for more.
Black Box Dance Theatre’s work with veterans has been a defining part of their mission for over a decade. They hold a deep commitment to honoring the stories of those who have served and to creating spaces where service members, their families and the broader community can connect through the language of movement. Through the company’s healing-centered process, veterans navigate recovery, reclaim their stories, and discover new pathways toward connection and hope. Their journey demonstrates how non-fiction dance can foster belonging, ignite resiliency and mend what trauma has fractured. In residence with NC State LIVE for 2026-27, Black Box will bring our military, veteran and student population into the creative process. PATRIOT Project is an eveninglength work of multimedia dance, theater and storytelling. More than a performance, PATRIOT is an invitation – for veterans and civilians alike – to witness, share and feel the power of dance as a vessel for truth, empathy and healing.
Tickets $30-35 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students 18
Friday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. •
Artist Talk
Saturday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre
Photo: Matt Kesterson
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Manual Cinema’s The 4th Witch
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Post-Show Puppet Playtime
Photo: Charlie Doyle
Wednesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. • Stewart Theatre
“The 4th Witch is pure magic… a theater experience unlike anything else. Fly, don’t walk, to see this show.” – City Paper Told through breathtaking shadow puppetry, Manual Cinema’s latest theatrical experience is an “enthralling” (Post and Courier) inversion of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Orphaned by war, a young girl is rescued by three witches, who agree to take her on as an apprentice on the condition that she must never use her powers for revenge. The girl comes to realize that it was the warlord Macbeth who killed her parents – and that she must choose between reconciliation or vengeance. Manual Cinema’s latest production showcases their Emmy Award-winning mix of low-fi technology (think vintage overhead projectors and handmade puppets), cutting-edge multimedia techniques, and rapturous live music.
Attention: Students While on campus, the artists from Manual Cinema will inspire creative ingenuity through workshops and class visits.
Tickets $30-35 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students live.arts.ncsu.edu • 21
This year, NC State LIVE and the Gregg Museum of Art & Design are joining forces to present concerts focused on community connection and well-being.
GREGG MUSEUM EVENTS
Lakota John Thursday, September 3 at 6 p.m. Gregg Museum of Art & Design Concert on the Lawn
“... skilled guitarist, perfectly mastering Piedmont blues fingerpicking and slide guitar.” – Soul Bag Magazine John “Lakota John” Locklear is a living representation of the musical cultures of southeastern North Carolina. He is a member of the Lumbee Tribe who combines the blues with the indigenous music of his ancestors. Lakota John first picked up the harmonica at age seven, then the guitar. At age 10, intrigued by the sound of the slide guitar, he bought a glass slide, placed it on his pinky finger, and has been sliding ever since. Mama Tonya, Papa John and Sister Layla join him to form a proud Lumbee Nation family of talented musicians. 22
Tickets for our Well-Being Concerts will go on sale on Thursday, November 5.
W E L L - B E I N G C O N C E RT S E R I E S
Photo: Chris Charles
Featuring Nnenna and Pierce Freelon
Saturday, December 5 and Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Gregg Museum of Art & Design Tickets $25 Public • $25 Faculty/Staff • $10 NC State Students Carnegie Hall’s Well-Being Concerts combine world-class musical performances with elements of self-care and mindfulness, animated by evidence that music helps people heal and thrive. NC State LIVE and the Gregg Museum of Art & Design are partnering to present Well-Being Concerts locally, featuring a family with rich connections to the university and the museum. The late architect Phil Freelon, an NC State College of Design alumnus, led the team that designed the Gregg Museum’s new home that opened in 2017. Phil’s widow and son, Nnenna and Pierce Freelon, are a Grammynominated mother-son musical duo. They will perform in the Gregg alongside a new installation created by the museum’s artist-in-residence, Maya Freelon, Phil and Nnenna’s daughter. These concert are created in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. live.arts.ncsu.edu • 23
These artists will be in residence with us from September 28 to October 3 offering free bluegrass jams, guest talks, a school matinee, and more. Sign up for our newsletter at LIVE.arts.ncsu.edu to get in on the action!
A RT I S T R E S I D E N C Y
September 27 - October 3 Concert on October 1 at N.C. State’s Centennial Campus at The Corner, 941 Main Campus Dr. In partnership with PineCone’s Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival
Bluegrass visionaries Hank Smith (banjo) and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw (fiddle) return with their band to NC State LIVE for an artist residency presented in partnership with PineCone and Raleigh Wide Open. Hank & Pattie are noted for their innovative twist on traditional bluegrass music, mixing in influences of classical, Motown, jazz and pop. This residency adds an international flavor, with our North Carolina-based artists joined by the Icelandic folk band Brek, the 2022 winners of the Icelandic Music Awards for album of the year in folk and world music. For Raleigh Wide Open schedule visit www.raleighwideopen.com 24
Photo: Josh Potter
Hank & Pattie featuring Brek
Save The Dates April 8 & 22 May 6 & 20 Save the dates for our free, family-friendly concert series on the picturesque shore of Lake Raleigh. This Thursday evening series, which celebrates North Carolina’s vibrant music scene, has become a Triangle favorite. We’ll see ya there!
Know Before You Go Parking Parking on campus after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends is FREE. Visit our website for maps and parking recommendations.
Create Your Own Series Subscribe and Save. 3-5 SHOWS Save 20% on every ticket when you purchase tickets for three to five NC State LIVE MAINSTAGE shows (see pages 6-21), plus: • Priority ticket window for Season Kickoff. • Ticket exchanges up to 48 hours prior to the performance with no fees. • Reduced ticketing fees on subscriptions. • Early access to subscriptions for next year! 6+ SHOWS Save 25% on every ticket when you purchase tickets to six or more shows and all of the benefits above, plus: • A special backstage tour of Stewart Theatre with director Liza Wade Green.
Ticket Sales To Place Your Subscription Order
Accessibility NC State LIVE is strongly committed to making our programming and facilities accessible to everyone. If you have an access need contact Liza Wade Green at 919-513-7155 or email lwgreen@ncsu.edu.
Create Your Own Series subscriptions will be on sale from August 12 through September 30, 2026. You can purchase subscriptions online at live.arts.ncsu.edu and we’ll have special box office hours for phone and in-person sales (check online for details). The subscription discount is based on full-priced tickets.
Single Tickets Single tickets will go on sale September 3, 2026 at 10 a.m. online and 1:30 p.m. at the box office.
Well-Being Concerts Our Well-Being Concerts at the Gregg with Nnenna and Pierce Freelon will go on sale on Thursday, November 5.
For the Wolfpack NC State Student tickets $10 Faculty & Staff tickets $25 26
Ticket Central 919-515-1100 • ticketcentral@ncsu.edu Thompson Hall, 2241 Dunn Avenue MasterCard • Visa • AmEx accepted Scan QR code for hours.
NC State LIVE 26/27 Season at-a-glance
WOLFPACK WELCOME WEEK SEASON KICKOFF Friday, August 21 Black Box Dance Theatre’s We Lift Each Other
MAINSTAGE September 10 Paul Beaubrun October 10 Gravity & Other Myths’ Ten Thousand Hours October 21 Lucía January 21 Lakecia Benjamin February 13 Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez February 23 YAMATO March 5-6 Black Box Dance Theatre’s PATRIOT March 31 Manual Cinema’s The 4th Witch
SPECIAL EVENTS September 3 Lakota John on the lawn at the Gregg Museum October 1 Hank & Pattie featuring Brek at Raleigh Wide Open
WELL-BEING CONCERTS AT THE GREGG MUSEUM December 5 & April 10 Featuring Nnenna and Pierce Freelon
LIVE AT LAKE RALEIGH April 8 & 22 + May 6 & 20 KEY
Artist Talk
Free Event
Classes & More
NC State LIVE Campus Box 7306 Raleigh NC 27695-7306
Cover: Gravity & Other Myths; photo by Julia Lemberger; Back: Pedrito Martinez, photo courtesy of artist.
Arrive Curious. Leave Inspired. Ticket packages on sale: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 Single tickets on sale: Thursday, September 3, 2026 See page 26 for additional benefits for subscribers! Pick 3-5 Mainstage shows, save 20%. Pick 6 or more shows, save 25%. 919-515-1100 • live.arts.ncsu.edu NC State LIVE is supported in part by grants from the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.