MKAC 2023-2024 Season Brochure

MATTIE KELLY FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 27TH ANNIVERSARY

It has been twenty-seven years since the Mattie Kelly Arts Center first opened its doors. Each day since, we have been committed to bringing quality entertainment to the Emerald Coast. From national Broadway shows, performing artists, comedians, speakers, art exhibits, and our very own Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, we strive to provide diverse, engaging offerings every year. The Mattie Kelly Arts Center is a vibrant and well-respected part of the arts community.

We have formed invaluable partnerships with the local ballet, area schools, chambers of commerce, promoters, and presenters. We are eager to continue providing quality live performances to our community, but we cannot do it without your support. Please continue to attend our shows, share your experiences, and invite others. You play the most important role in every production at our theatre. Thank you for your loyalty throughout the years.

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Board of Trustees

Lori Kelley, Chair

Thomas “Rudy” Wright, Vice-Chair

Charlotte Flynt

Graham Fountain

Don Litke

Jack “Tanner” Peacock

Dr. Jon Ward

Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

Get involved

The Usher Program

An Integral Role

Ushers are vital to events at the Mainstage Theater, Sprint Theater, Tyler Recital Hall and the NWF State College Amphitheater. They scan tickets, direct patrons to their seats, hand out programs and present a warm welcome to our patrons.

Commitments

To become an usher, a person must commit to volunteering several times throughout the season, September through July. There are functions ranging from Broadway and Artist Series shows, to outdoor concerts, to morning school shows for students. Volunteers should be able to maintain patience, tact, and diplomacy, and should also be able to take genuine pleasure in greeting an audience and most importantly of all — to serve with a smile.

More Information

To find out more about becoming a Volunteer Usher, contact the House Manager Suzanne Flood at (850) 729-6065 or email flooda2@nwfsc.edu.

October 7 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: $20 Adults

$15 Youth Under 18

Food Trucks and Local

Pet Shelters On Site!

Imagine five of the world’s most talented 4-legged performers in an uproariously funny, comedy dog spectacular that is leaving audiences everywhere howling for more! The all-star lineup includes the highest jumping dog in the universe, a hilarious six pound Pomeranian Pikachu mix, and a host of previously discarded dogs that will dance, prance, flip, and skip their way right in to your heart.

Oct. 12 7:00 PM

Tickets: $35

The biggest entertainment platform for teachers in the world, Bored Teachers, presents the funniest teacher-comedians in the world all on one stage. Their hilarious skits have amassed hundreds of millions of views on the internet, and they’re all joining comic forces on the stage for a night of laughter you do not want to miss. Put that red pen down, pause that Netflix series you’ve been binging, throw on your comfiest teacher tee, call your teacher besties, and come burn off some of that stress this school year has been dumping on you!

Christmas at the Henry’s is a story about love, faith, and hope. The family’s story is centered around couple, Ben and Maxine Henry, and their efforts in keeping holiday traditions, amidst health crisis, getting older, and navigating family dynamics.

Preparing for their traditional holiday party, you will see the conviction of keeping an illness quiet, finding peace in darkness, forgiveness and letting go. There is a beauty that comes with the love and support of family, and many “laugh out loud” moments that makes every family one of a kind.

Christmas at the Henry’s will not disappoint in conveying this message. You will be able to see pieces of your own family in this story told around the most celebrated holiday worldwide, Christmas!

With music, laughter, joy and a few tears, let’s celebrate Christmas at the Henry’s.

Dec. 13 7:00 p.m. Adult: $35 VIP Packages Available

Wheel of Fortune LIVE! brings America’s Game® to your hometown! One of the greatest game shows of all time has been adapted into a stage show to give more fans access and more chances to win at “Wheel of Fortune LIVE!” Guests are randomly selected to go on stage and feel like they stepped into the game show itself. The live stage show is the only way you can have the chance to spin a full-sized replica of the iconic Wheel. At Wheel of Fortune LIVE!, contestants are selected from the audience to go on stage for the chance to call consonants, buy vowels, and maybe even solve puzzles to win fantastic prizes, including trips to destinations like Paris and Hawaii or up to $10,000 in cash. Everyone gets in on the fun and a chance to win at Wheel of Fortune LIVE! because there are audience games too!

Jan. 19 7:00 PM Tickets: $35

HYPROV (pronounced hip-rawv) is coming to you straight from a 70-show run Off-Broadway in New York City!! HYPROV is “hilarious and fascinating’’ (says Time Out New York) and is “catnip for those who relish spontaneity and informality,” (The Wall Street Journal). The New Yorker says, “say yes to HYPROV,”! The 100-minute live show combines hypnosis and improv - two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans, skeptics and everyone in between worldwide - for a totally unique comedy experience that The Times of London declared “a celebration of the human imagination.”

Your evening begins with Hypnotist Extraordinaire, Asad Mecci welcoming 20 volunteers* onstage to be hypnotized. The most receptive to hypnosis then join Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it, Anyway?) to improvise the rest of the show, while hypnotized. In the hands of two experts, and solely crafted from the volunteers’ uninhibited, unconscious minds and audience suggestions, each show is an entirely original and completely unforgettable theatrical experience. Whether in the audience or on stage performing, get ready to have the time of your life!!

PRESIDENT’S SPEAKER SERIES

Free Concert

Jan. 25 7:00 PM

For Taylor Hicks, winning “American Idol’s” blockbuster fifth season was just the beginning. Hailed as “part Stax, part Motown and part honky-tonk” by The New York Times, Hicks’ intoxicating blend of soul, blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll quickly rendered him a household name as he progressed to the show’s record-breaking finale in 2006, a historic television event which drew an audience of more than 200 million viewers. Hicks immediately followed his “American Idol” victory with a No. 1 Billboard single and an RIAA®-certified platinum debut, and soon went on to make history as both the first male “American Idol” champion featured on a GRAMMY-winning record (Jimmy Fallon’s Blow Your Pants Off), and the first to land a prestigious Las Vegas residency. A versatile artist, actor and advocate, Hicks has since ventured into theater, television and film, starring in Serenbe Playhouse’s 2019 production of “Shenandoah,” touring as Teen Angel in the popular Broadway musical “Grease” in addition to appearing on “Law & Order: SVU” and hosting the INSP series “State Plate,” which won the Cynopsis TV Award for Best Reality Series (Travel). Hicks’ passion for southern cuisine led him back to his native Alabama, where he opened up SAW’s Juke Joint, a restaurant crowned one of the“ 25 Best Barbecue Spots in America” by Men’s Journal.

War and Peace - October 21

Sounds of the Spectrum - November 8

Handel Messiah - December 2 & 3

Holiday Pops - December 8

5th Grade Education Concert - January 17

Stars of Tomorrow - February 10

Carmina Burana - March 9 & 10

Carnegie Hall Link Up - March 26-27

NFSO at Resurrection

Catholic Church - April 14

2023-2024 Season

Feb. 22

7:00 PM

Tickets: $50

Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture - breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE CHER SHOW is the Tony Award®-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon.

THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy®, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!

April 5 7:00 p.m. Adult: $20 Youth $15

Dare to experience the dangers and delights of Dinosaur World Live in this roarsome interactive show for all the family.

Grab your compass and join our intrepid explorer across uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs. Meet a host of impressive creatures, including every child’s favourite flesheating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus!

A special meet and greet after the show offers all our brave explorers the chance to make a new dinosaur friend.

Don’t miss this entertaining and mind-expanding jurassic adventure, live on stage.

April 11 7:00 p.m.

Adult: $35

Founded by Emmy-nominated Choreographer, Chloé Arnold, SYNCOPATED LADIES is the most viewed Female Tap dance band in history. Known for their viral self-produced content, they were recognized by Beyoncé, who not only shared their work saying “They Killed It”, she then transformed the homepage of Beyonce.com to feature Syncopated Ladies, and invited them to perform live internationally.

Beyoncé’s support catapulted them onto a Global platform, and since then, Syncopated Ladies’ trajectory has skyrocketed, amassing over 100 million views online. They also received praise from Whoopi Goldberg on The View, Janet Jackson, Ciara, Lupita Nyong’o, as well as many other celebrities and news outlets. Live performance credits include Good Morning America, So You Think You Can Dance, Global Citizen Week, New York Fashion Week, Essence Fest, Imagine Justice (featuring Common, J. Cole, and Andra Day), Glamour Women of the Year Awards, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative at the US Open and many more.

2023 - 2024 Family Shows

Friday, October 13, 2023

9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Tickets: $10

An exciting new musical based on the Creatrilogy trio of award-winning picture books by New York Times bestselling author Peter H. Reynolds- The Dot, Ish and Sky Color. Adapted by Composers Keelay Gipson and Sam Salmond, the musical, like the series, celebrates the power of originality, self-expression, and opening our eyes to look beyond the expected.

When Marisol (Sky Color), a young artist and curator of the Musee de Marisol, decides that her gallery requires more than her own art, her search for emerging talent leads her to Vashti (The Dot), whose dots inspire Ramon (Ish) to become an artist in his own right.

The musical follows Marisol’s journey to help her new friends, and her entire community, break free from self-criticism and learn to let their imaginations soar.

Stinky Cheese Man!

Monday, January 22, 2024

9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Tickets: $10

Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Poor Jack. He’s got to use his wits to save himself from the terrible Giant, but a host of familiar fairytale characters keep messing up his plans—and then there’s that annoying Stinky Cheese Man! The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales deconstructs the tradition of the fairy tale. Characters slide in and out of tales; Cinderella rebuffs Rumpelstiltskin, and Goldilocks meets the Three Elephants. Nothing is quite the same and you remember it.

Monday, February 12, 2024

9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Tickets: $10

Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman. She will create a “miracle.” Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig but also ensures his place on the farm forever.

This treasured tale, featuring madcap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love and the true meaning of friendship.

Shows are one hour in length. Study guide available upon request. Please contact Suzanne Flood for reservations: (850)729-6065 or flooda2@nwfsc.edu

There

Music

Sponsorship Levels

Diamond - $7,500-$15,000

• 20 season ticket subscriptions in seating of choice

• Conduct national anthem before concert

• Verbal recognition from stage before event

• Logo projection in theatre before event

• Full page ad in concert program (ad provided by sponsor)

• Pre-concert reception for sponsor (if desired)

• Sponsorship mention on NFSO social media account

• All benefits in bronze level sponsorship

Platinum - $5,000-$7,500

• 10 season ticket subscriptions in seating of choice

• Verbal recognition from stage before event

• Logo projection in theatre before event

• Full page ad in concert program (ad provided by sponsor)

• Pre-concert reception for sponsor (if desired)

• Sponsorship mention on NFSO social media account

• All benefits in bronze level sponsorship

Gold - $2,500-$5,000

• 4 season ticket subscriptions in seating of choice

• Verbal recognition from stage before event

• Ad in concert program (ad provided by sponsor)

• Sponsorship mention on NFSO social media account

• All benefits in bronze level sponsorship

Silver - $1,000-$2,500

• 2 season ticket subscriptions in seating of choice

• Sponsorship mention on NFSO social media account

• All benefits in bronze level sponsorship

Bronze - $500-$1,000

• Company name listed on NFSO website

• Recognition as sponsor in event pr

• An invitation for two to the President’s Holiday Pops Concert reception

Concerto - $250-$500

• Recognition as sponsor in event pr

• An invitation for two to the President’s Holiday Pops Concert reception

Friend’s Circle - $100-$250

• Recognition as sponsor in event pr

For donations and sponsorships call Jeanette Shires at 850.729.6004 or click

Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra at mattiekellyartscenter.org.

Recommended Age 13+

April 23 7:00 p.m. Adult: $50

There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzledazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy®, and thousands of standing ovations. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary — you’ve got to come see why the name on everyone’s lips is still… CHICAGO.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-theside lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

Whether you’re looking for your first Broadway musical, whether you’ve seen the Academy Award® - winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you’ve seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!

Come on, babe! Head to CHICAGO! We’re hotter than ever.

would be no without you!

2023 - 2024 SEASON CALENDAR

2023

31st Annual Emerald Coast National Juried Art Exhibition

Guest judge, Dr. Maria Elena Buszek, Professor of Art History, University of Colorado - see art by working artists from across the country.

McIlroy Gallery

Exhibition: August 31 - December 15, 2023

Opening Event: August 31, 6 - 8pm

Myth & Meaning, Ainaz Alipour, MFA Candidate, Best in Show artist, ECN 30: see a blend of high & low tech materials and processes; including virtual reality, projection, 3D Printing, and hand sewing.

Holzhauer Gallery

Exhibition: August 31 - December 15, 2023

Artist Demonstration: August 31, 6 - 8pm

2024

From the Collection

Selections from the MKAC Galleries collection of historical art and artifacts

Exhibition Dates: January 21 - March 21, 2024

Arnie Hart Programming

Student Art Preparation Clinics

Marie Snow Greene Art Building 120 March 11 - March 14, 2024

Arnie Hart Juried Student Exhibition - McIlroy Gallery

Guest judge, Pavel Amromin, Gallery Director Gulf Coast State College

Awards Ceremony, art party: April 4, 2024, 6-8pm

Exhibition Dates: April 4 - May 10, 2024

Art Faculty Exhibition - Holzhauer Gallery

April 4 - August 2, 2024

Mission

MKAC Galleries conducts programs to enhance the educational mission of Northwest Florida State College. Serving as a teaching adjunct to the Department of Art within the college’s Division of Fine, Performing Arts, and Humanities, the galleries organize exhibitions national and international artists across styles and media. The MKAC galleries represent a viable cultural asset for the entire campus and its regional community. MKAC Galleries holds a collection of 4500 objects from antiquity to contemporary, housed in a seven thousand square-foot building at Mattie Kelly Art Center, with 2500 square feet of dedicated year-round gallery space. We offer museum education to K-12 students, community tours and workshops, and a vibrant docent and executive internship program.

Volunteer

Would you like to learn about the art world? Help MKAC in its mission to inform and educate! The galleries have a 4500 piece collection of historic art & artifacts, plus annual exhibition seasons of national artists. We are looking for researchers, docents, object handlers, and more. For more information, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Jasmine: 850-729-6044, richar48@nwfsc.edu. Note: Interview, fingerprinting, and training are required for all volunteers.

Hours: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Summer Hours: Closed on Fridays

MKAC Gallery Director & Curator: J. Wren Supak, MFA, MA

Tours: Contact artgalleries@nwfsc.edu, or call (850) 729-6044.

Website: https://mattiekellyartscenter.org/galleries/ Facebook: @MattieKellyArtsCenterGalleries

Instagram: @mkac_galleriesnwfsc Building 110, 100 College Blvd. E., Niceville, FL, 32578