ON Stage Phoenix 2021

2021 - 2022 ARTS SEASON PREVIEW GUIDE | VOL. 8

T H E AT E R | C O N C E R T S | M U S E U M S | C A L E N DA R PRESENTED BY:

PROMOTING THE ARTS, TOGETHER. The arts celebrate culture and enrich our lives.

A vibrant arts community is a key indicator of a thriving economy. That’s why SRP is proud to support organizations that are committed to unifying our region through creativity, innovation and shared experiences that connect us all. srpnet.com/arts

2021-22 SEASON Sponsor Welcome

T H E AT E R | C O N C E R T S | M U S E U M S | C A L E N D

FOUR PEAKS ENDODONTICS is the result of a long-time dream and vison IPRESENTED had: to build the BY: most state-of-the-art endodontic (root canal specialty) practice in the State of Arizona, where my patients can rest assured that they will receive only the very finest endodontic treatment, by the most competent and compassionate staff, in the most elegant and comfortable setting.

Four Peaks Endodontics is a small, family owned-and-operated specialty practice. I am the owner and only doctor, and my wife, Cristin, is my partner and office manager. We have a dedicated and caring staff of 8. I promise that I will treat every one of my patients the way that I want my wife to be treated when she sees a doctor.

Just like all the exceptionally talented artists and performers on the Arizona art scene, who have developed their talents and practiced daily, and perfected their skills from a very young age, I have been dedicating my life to perfecting my skills to become the very best clinician I can be to best serve my patients.

Cristin and I are so impressed by the diversity and talent of our Arizona artists and performers. We are humbled and proud to be able to support the arts. After a long, treacherous year, we feel that supporting the arts never has been more important, and we are beyond excited to, once again, be able to see live performances and enjoy the arts in person.

Dr. Trond U. Hegle Owner and Endodontist

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FALL 2021

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SPONSOR WELCOME: FOUR PEAKS ENDODONTICS PUBLISHER'S NOTE: ACT ONE

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PERFORMING ARTS SEASON PREVIEW

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AMERICAN THEATRE GUILD, THE

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ARIZONA BOADWAY THEATRE

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ARIZONA MUSICFEST

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ARIZONA OPERA

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ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY

Volume 8

Executive Director: Bernadette Carroll Director of Arts Education: Dr. Beth Maloney

Ads sold by: onmediaaz.com | sales@onmediaaz.com

40 ASU KERR

CEO: Linda “Mac” Perlich COO/Production Manager: Deidra Viberg Director of Sales: Michelle Schneider Senior Account Executives: Lisa Grannis, Robyn Lambert Circulation, Marketing & Events Manager: Morgan McClellan Digital & Social Media Coordinator: Brit Reid Accounting and Administrative Coordinator: Sheryl Kaufman

43 BALLET ARIZONA 47

CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

49 CHILDSPLAY 50 DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN 5 4 MESA ARTS CENTER 58 PHOENIX ART MUSEUM 62 THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY 70 SCOTTSDALE ARTS 77 80

VALLEY YOUTH THEATRE

CALENDAR

| ON STAGE 2

910 E. Osborn Road, Suite B-1 Phoenix, AZ 85014 (602) 343-6239 act1az.org info@act1az.org

2 4 ASU GAMMAGE

|

Issued FALL 2021

|

Annual Publication

PERFORMING ARTS

ON Stage is made possible by Act One, an Arizona-based charitable organization that provides access to the arts through field trips for Title 1 schools, and through the Act One Culture Pass.

CONTENT SPONSORED BY FEATURED ARTS GROUPS

Graphic design by snugbutter.com Cover art by CONTRIBUTING WRITER Beverly Medlyn FIND THIS SEASON’S CALENDAR ONLINE AT ONSTAGEAZ.COM

T O E T H I N G T O N T H E AT R E! 2021-22 SEASON

Call GCU Arena box office at 6 0 2- 6 3 9-89 7 9 for tickets

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

By John Bishop

| Sept. 3 – 5 and 10 – 12

Radium Girls

By D. W. Gregory

| Oct. 8 – 10 and 15 – 17

Addams Family

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Music and Lyrics by Andres Lippa Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams | Nov. 19 – 21 and 26 – 28

Winter Dance Concert: Emerge Dec. 10 – 12

The Lady’s Not for Burning

By Christopher Fry

| Feb. 11 – 13 and 18 – 20

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

| April 1 – 3 and 8 – 10

Spring Dance Concert: Testimony April 22 – 24

Call today to book your seats!

Grand Canyon University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.. ©2021 Grand Canyon University 21COF0148

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE ARTS! B e c a u s e eve r yo n e s h o u l d h ave a cc e s s to t h e a r t s .

For hundreds of thousands of students and families in Arizona, the opportunity to experience the arts is beyond their reach.

Through educational arts field trips for students from Title I schools and the Culture Pass available at libraries, Act One puts the transformative power of the arts in the palms of their hands.

Join us to support access to the arts for all! www.act1az.org | 602.343.6239 | @act1az

BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS Act One Field Trips!

IN

just a few weeks, Act One will be filling buses full of children and traveling to newly reopened arts venues in Phoenix.

Imagine the children’s excitement as they exit the bus to experience Phoenix’s beautiful museums, theaters, and concert halls. The anticipation in the air is almost palpable, as their eyes take in the sights around them: the art, the architecture, the performance, the dance, the music, the acting, the artists and more. After a year of weathering a pandemic, this first field trip will feel like a celebration!

Over the past ten years, Act One has touched the lives of 240,000 Title I students in Arizona by providing arts-based field trips. For many of these children, this is their first introduction to the arts and their first visit to a museum or a theater. As expected, access to arts education was significantly reduced this past year not only in the state of Arizona but nationwide.

Our organization aims to restore access to the arts to the most underserved populations and provide invaluable arts education experiences.

Act One is not only bringing busloads of children to the arts but have also created the very first virtual reality field trip program in Arizona. The Act One VR field trip program, “Freedom in Expression” will launch this fall into schools in Phoenix and the far corners of Arizona to bring an exciting, immersive arts experience directly to the classroom.

We hope you will visit our new website to learn more about all our programs at Act One. Consider becoming a donor to support our mission of providing access to the arts. With your help, just imagine the children we can reach!

Bernadette Carroll Executive Director For more information, visit act1az.org.

John Dowd/© 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Photo by Chris Loomis

Andy Warhol Little Electric Chair Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas Est: $2,500,000/4,500,000

3705 N. Bishop Lane Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 | 480-941-0900 | LarsenGallery.com | LarsenArtAuction.com

free admission | @asuartmuseum asuartmuseum.asu.edu | 480-965-2787

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HOW MANY F-WORDS WE USE. Fun. Friendship. Flexibility. Freedom.

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alley arts organizations are excited to re-open their doors to live performances and new experiences for patrons starved for connection after more than a year of closures and limitations due to the pandemic.

The return of award-winning theater, live concerts and dance, and evocative visual arts is testimony to the art world’s creativity and resilience.

Two world premieres are among the lineup for Arizona Theatre Company at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. They are how to make an American Son — exploring immigration, family and the American Dream — and Justice, a new musical focusing on US Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’Connor.

Arts administrators made use of the time apart to make improvements to infrastructure and to forge new partnerships that will enhance their offerings to the public.

ASU Gammage presents the long-awaited Hamilton, followed by a string of other popular hit musicals and dramas, including Tootsie and The Lion King.

Audiences will enjoy gallery renovations, new rigging and lighting, and joint exhibitions such as “Chihuly in the Desert,” the result of a collaboration between Desert Botanical Garden and Taliesin West, which both will display stunning glass installations by artist Dale Chihuly from December 3 to June 19.

The Phoenix Theatre Company was forced by the pandemic to shut its doors for the first time in its 100-year history. The 2021-22 season is back full force, offering 10 classic productions plus a Festival of New American Theatre in partnership with ASU.

The 2021-2022 season promises to be better than ever! Here are just a few of the highlights.

For more, read the stories inside.

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THEATER

In Peoria, Arizona Broadway Theatre also has a full roster of hits, starting in September with Chicago, a tale of murder, greed and corruption set in the Roaring Twenties.

THE LION KING | PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER

WELCOME BACK! Presenting the 2021-22 season: Live and in-person

MUSIC

VISUAL

Arizona Musicfest will produce its largest season ever with 30 concerts in North Scottsdale between November and April.

Popular entertainers such as Paul Anka, LeAnn Rimes and Kenny G will perform. Classical music includes Festival Orchestra Week in February 2022.

Phoenix Art Museum’s diverse lineup explores topics from Arizona mining history to Southwest car culture.

In the southeast Valley, ASU Kerr returns with jazzy shows, plus new bar service and Crescendo garden space. Guitars From Spain on October 28 is the first public performance with alcohol service.

Mesa Arts Center offers jazz, classical and pop concerts, starting October 9 with Grammywinner Emmylou Harris. Jazz icon Wynton Marsalis performs January 20.

Scottsdale Arts also offers a wide variety of exhibits and experiences at its venues. The popular outdoor Canal Convergence returns in November with the theme Art and Technology.

DANCE Contemporary Moves marks the start of Ballet Arizona’s 36th season. At the holidays, The Nutcracker will be presented with live music from The Phoenix Symphony. An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden closes the season.

Arizona Opera presents its 50th anniversary season this fall statewide with a host of inspired performances of compelling stories ranging from the traditional Carmen to newer works like The Copper Queen.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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MUSIC BY SARA BAREILLES (“LOVE SONG,” “BRAVE”)

NOVEMBER 18 - 21

JANUARY 28 - 30

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S

MARCH 11 - 13

APRIL 1 - 3

Purchase Season Tickets Today BroadwayAtTheOrpheumTheatre.com 10

Phone: 800.776.7469 - Groups +10 : 866.314.7687

BROADWAY TRIUMPHANTLY RETURNS WITH THE Broadway Is Back At The Orpheum Theatre Series

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eaturing timeless classics, a tour premiere and bona fide Broadway hits, this season is a must see.

Broadway begins with none other than holiday staple A Christmas Carol. Prepare to be awestruck at Tony Award® winner Jack Thorne’s magical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ beloved story November 18 - 21. This is an enchanting holiday tale like none before, full of the timeless magic and wonder that abound at Christmastime!

Waitress awakens the sweet tooth in all ages!

Following Jenna, a down-on-her-luck waitress, stuck in a dead-end marriage, as she takes charge of her life with a little help from her expert confections - namely pie - this musical is an instant classic. The inspiring tale brimming with songs by Grammy Award® winner Sara Bareilles bakes its way to the stage January 28 - 30.

1982 Academy® Award-winning Richard Gere film, this musical is a breathtaking masterpiece.

Follow along as heartthrob Zack Mayo is forced to check his swagger to learn the true meaning of friendship and win the heart of the woman he loves.

South Pacific, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 10-time Tony® Award-winning classic, returns to the theatre April 1 - 3. Love transcends the harsh realities of war in this World War II musical centered around two unlikely affairs on the island of Bali Ha’i. Rife with sailors, nurses and some of the most beautiful music ever composed, this inspiring story has something for everyone.

For more information, visit BroadwayOrpheum.com or call (800) 776-7469.

Be one of the first audiences to catch An Officer And a Gentleman March 11 - 13! Based on the ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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623.776.8400 | azbroadway.org | Easy access from anywhere in the Valley FREE Parking | Located off of the 101 and Bell Road 12

2021 June ONMedia ONStage Full Page.indd 1

7/7/21 5:02 PM

BROADWAY is back

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rom critically acclaimed musicals, iconic nostalgic pop culture favorites to a Pulitzer Prize-Winning musical, Arizona Broadway Theatre (ABT) is bringing Broadway back this September with a full week of celebration, leading to the opening night of Chicago The Musical. As a premier entertainment destination in the Valley, ABT provides not-tobe missed musical theatre performances with national and local performers and casts.

This blockbuster season includes “offBroadway” shows. Urinetown is a musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, and social responsibility. With the success of ABT’s 2021 summer youth production of Godspell, Urinetown will also be performed by a youth cast. The 2010 Pulitzer Prize-Winning musical Next to Normal has haunting melodies and explores how one household copes with crisis and mental illness.

Chicago, the longest running American musical and a winner of six (6) 1997 Tony Awards(R) is a universal tale filled with greed, corruption and one show-stopping hit after another. Elf The Musical returns by popular demand and is the perfect holiday outing for the whole family.

Beyond the stage, ABT’s HyRev and summer Academy for Young Performers programs return for kids and teens. ABTCares and ABT’s Millennial Club will also begin this season.

Gypsy, with its unforgettable songs including “Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” begins 2022. Flashdance The Musical, Ghost The Musical, Nickelodeon’s The Spongebob Musical, and Happy Days: A New Musical will light up the stage for the remainder of the season.

For more information, visit azbroadway.org or call (623) 776-8400.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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Arizona Musicfest Arizona Musicfest THE STARS RETURN TO MUSICFEST!

THE LeANN RIMES LeANN 11/13 RIMES

STARS RETURN TO MUSICFEST! JOHN LLOYD YOUNG BERNADETTE BROADWAY’S JERSEY BOY

JOHN 1/10 LLOYD YOUNG BROADWAY’S JERSEY BOY

11/13

1/10

SERGIO MENDES SERGIO 1/31 MENDES

STEVE TYRELL STEVE 2/4 TYRELL

1/31

SARAH CHANG SARAH and the Festival CHANG Orchestra and the Festival 2/22 Orchestra

2/22

PINK MARTINI 3/22 PINK MARTINI

2/4

2/27

PETERS BERNADETTE 1/28 PETERS 1/28

KENNY G KENNY 2/19 G 2/19

PAUL ANKA PAUL 3/14 & 3/16 ANKA 3/14 & 3/16

BEETHOVEN’S 9th 2/27 — ODE TO JOY! 9th BEETHOVEN’S Festival Orchestra & Chorus — ODE TO JOY! Festival Orchestra & Chorus

3/22

EMANUEL AX EMANUEL In Recital AX 4/21 In Recital

4/1

THE 4/1 TEXAS TENORS THE TEXAS TENORS

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4/21

480.422.8449 • AZMUSICFEST.ORG 480.422.8449 • AZMUSICFEST.ORG

THE STARS RETURN to Musicfest!

BERNADETTE PETERS

A

rizona Musicfest, one of the state's largest live music presenters, is excited to welcome back audiences with a starry lineup of exceptional artists.

Following the challenges and disappointments of last season, Musicfest looks forward to celebrating the return of live concerts in North Scottsdale, as it reignites its commitment to bringing the joy of music to all. In its largest season ever, Musicfest will produce thirty concerts between November and April.

Featured artists include legendary singer/ songwriter Paul Anka, Broadway icon Bernadette Peters, instrumental superstar Kenny G, Country music favorite LeAnn Rimes, acclaimed Brazilian bandleader Sergio Mendes, classical music virtuosos Sarah Chang, and

Emanuel AX, as well as Valley favorites Pink Martini and The Texas Tenors. Additional concerts showcase the entertaining artistry of John Lloyd Young, Inon Barnatan, Steve Tyrell, Bria Skonberg, The Serenade3, Chris Mann and Tony-nominated sisters Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway.

Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, the “Choral,” serves as the finale of this season’s Festival Orchestra Week (February 20 - 27). Under the direction of Maestro Robert Moody, the Festival Orchestra will also perform works by Mozart, Bach, Bernstein, Rachmaninoff, Rossini, and John Williams. Each season, Musicfest assembles musicians from some of the nation’s finest orchestras to perform as the Festival Orchestra. The 2022 ensemble will include ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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When Girls Succeed, So Does Society.

Girls are the leaders and innovators that our future world requires and being Girl Scouts gives them the space, support, and tools they need to succeed. Because we know what she learns today will solve tomorrow’s problems. After all, before she becomes a CEO, discovers a new species, launches a company, or walks on the moon, she’s a Girl Scout.

Will you help us help them? Volunteer or donate today at girlscoutsaz.org.

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musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and more.

Brothers, and all three classic movie versions of “A Star Is Born.” Finally, Musicfest favorite Neil Berg returns to perform Part 2 of his popular retrospective “50 Years of Rock n’ Roll.”

“As our community emerges from the difficulties of the last year, we are honored to engage and entertain audiences with exceptional performances that will uplift and reunite friends, neighbors, and artists around our shared love of music,” says Allan Naplan, Arizona Musicfest’s executive and producing director.

Arizona Musicfest is a non-profit arts organization. Along with its annual concert season, the organization also provides important music education programs to valley schools, valuable youth performance and scholarship opportunities for some of the best and brightest young musicians of the region, as well as Music Alive!, a dynamic community lifelong learning and creative aging series for the Greater Scottsdale/Phoenix area.

For more information, visit azmusicfest.org or call (480) 422-8449.

PAUL ANKA | ARIZONA MUSICFEST

Musicfest patrons will also enjoy nostalgic tribute concerts featuring the music of ABBA, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, The Blues

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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CELEBRATE FIFT Y YEARS

OF BRINGING YOU CLOSER

TION FROM THE SERAGLIO | AIDA | The Copper A CHENIER | ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Queen Film* ONA LADY | BEAUTY & THE BEAST | MCDOUGALL GODUNOV | CANDIDE | CARMEN | RED SERIES El Milagro NCITA Y EL SOLDADO | CAVALLERIA del Recuerdo ANA | CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD | (The Miracle of Remembering) AN TUTTE | CRUZAR LA CARA DE LA DEC 4, & 5, 2021OF THE | DAS RHEINGOLD | DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN | 3, DIALOGUES MAUS | DIE WALKÜRE | DON CARLO | DON GIOVANNI | DON PASQUA HERBERGER THEATER CENTER N | FALSTAFF | FAUST | FELLOW TRAVELERS | FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZO CHI | GIOVANNA D’ARCO (CONCERT) | GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG | HANSE ULES VS VAMPIRES | HMS PINAFORE | IL TABARRO | IL TROVATORE | ITA S | LA BOHÈME | LA CENERENTOLA | LA DONNA DEL LAGO (CONCERT * The Copper Queen O | LA | LA SONNAMBULA | LA TRAVIATA | LAKMÉ | LOH Film isGIOCONDA a digital presentation and ERMOOR | MACBETH | MADAMA BUTTERFLY | MANON | MANON LESC not part of our S AIRES | ticket NABUCCO | OF MICE AND MEN | ORFEO ED EURIDICE | OTE in-theater packages.

E DAME | PIRATES OF PENZANCE | RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE | RIGO ULIET | RUSALKA | SALOME | SEMELE | SHINING BROW | SIEGFRIED | S NAH | SWEENEY TODD | THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE | THE BARBER OF S UL | THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT | THE ELIXIR OF LOVE | THE FLYIN GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST | THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES | THE MA ARRIAGE OF FIGARO | THE MERRY WIDOW | THE MIKADO | THE PEARL ENNY OPERA | TOSCA | TURANDOT | UN BALLO IN MASCHERA | ABDU LIO | AIDA | ANDREA CHENIER | ARIADNE AUF NAXOS | ARIZONA LAD | BORIS GODUNOV | CANDIDE | CARMEN | CARMENCITA Y EL SOLDA Carmen ANA | CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD | COSÌ FAN TUTTE | CRUZAR LA CA JAN 28, 29, & 30, 2022DES NIBELUNGEN | DIALOGUES OF THE CARM RHEINGOLD | DER RING FLEDERMAUS | DIE WALKÜRE | DON CARLO | D A Little Night Music DON PASQUALE | EUGENE ONEGIN | FALSTAFF MAR 4, 5, & 6, 2022 TRAVELERS | FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS | G | GIOVANNA D’ARCO (CONCERT) | GÖTTERDÄM Così fan tutte HANSEL AND GRETEL | HERCULES VS VAMPIRES APR 8, 9, 10, 2022 | IL TABARRO | IL TROVATORE | ITALIAN GIRL IN BOHÈME | LA CENERENTOLA | LA DONNA DEL SYMPHONY HALL MAIN STAGE | LA FORZA DEL DESTINO | LA GIOCONDA | LA SERIES | LA TRAVIATA | LAKMÉ | LOHENGRIN | LUCIA

2 0 21/2 2 SEASON

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

azopera.org | 602.266.7464

EL MILAGRO DEL RECUERDO | PHOTO BY LYNN LANE

ARIZONA OPERA CELEBRATES 50TH SEASON with Audience Favorites and World Premieres

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rizona Opera (AZO) elevates the transformative power of storytelling through music by presenting not only audience favorites, but world premiere commissions and little-known works that will become traditional masterpieces for generations to come. Arizona Opera, which will begin its 50th Anniversary Season this fall, produces fully-staged operas, concerts, and collaborative programs throughout the state of Arizona each year, and is among only a handful of companies in the U.S. that regularly performs in more than one city. Since its inaugural year in 1971, Arizona Opera has produced more than 200 fully-staged operas and concerts. The company’s artistic history is rich with a blend of traditional repertoire featuring baroque, bel canto, and verismo works, turn-of-the-century masterpieces, operettas, and American operas.

Beyond the stage, Arizona Opera’s Arlyn M. Brewster OperaTunity program brings innovative arts programming to over 40,000 students annually across 120 schools in Arizona, 89% of which are Title I, with limited arts curriculum in place. During the pandemic, Arizona Opera

supported our educational partners as they adjusted to the reality of virtual teaching and created engaging programming for their students.

As we move back into in-person educational programming, Arizona Opera is committed to bringing our high-quality and enriching learning opportunities back to schools for the 2021/22 academic year.

“We’re committed to engaging, inspiring, and including people of all ages, backgrounds, and races on the stage as well as through our NextGen Initiative training programs, including our Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artist and Production Apprentice programs, K-12 Education Programs, as well as our LOUD! (Living Opera, Understanding Diversity) and UnMic’d digital offerings,” stated Arizona Opera President and General Director, Joseph Specter. “These offerings reflect our commitment to adapting and innovating in new and exciting ways.”

Arizona Opera’s pivot to digital offerings in the 2020/21 Season generated thousands of views across various media platforms, an advantage unbound by the geographic barriers that have defined our audiences in typical seasons. Through traditional works like Carmen, a timeless classic opera, and newer works like The Copper Queen and Riders of the Purple Sage, we’re reaching people of all backgrounds while honoring and expanding the opera art form.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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The 2021/22 Season will open with the McDougall RED Series film premiere of The Copper Queen.

The production, originally slated to be performed in-theatre, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then reimagined as the company’s first film project. The Copper Queen Film features Arizona Opera’s first ever all-female director/ conductor/designer team, helmed by Crystal Manich, and is being produced in association with Manley Films. It tells the dramatic story of Julia Lowell, a resident of The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona in 1910. A century later, Addison Moore—a stranger to Bisbee—visits Room 315, the site of Julia’s tragic death, where her ghost now famously roams. This riveting tale—told across the generations—is one of human bondage, furtive romance, secret connections, and ultimately— redemption.

Both longtime opera devotees and newcomers are invited to attend and explore Arizona Opera with curiosity, beginning this December with our return to in-theatre performances and a new, holidaythemed mariachi opera, El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering). A prequel to the sensational mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna that was presented by Arizona Opera as part of its 2014/15 Season, El Milagro del Recuerdo brings audiences back to where the story of Cruzar all began: Michoacán, Mexico. Set during Christmas, the opera lovingly explores the themes of traditions and familial bonds while its characters deal with life-changing decisions and dream of something more.

Director and Librettist Leonard Foglia comments: “The piece deals with the basic issues surrounding the choices people have to make in life. It tells universal, human stories. How do we make decisions about what’s important? I hope it resonates with everyone.”

As the new year begins, audiences will be tempted to come to the theatre and become mesmerized by one of the most famous seductresses of all time.

The ultimate diva, the gypsy Carmen can ignite men’s desires and fill their hearts with passion at a single glance. When Don José, a naïve soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, gets caught in her web, jealousy rages and anarchy reigns supreme.

The thrilling score by French composer Georges Bizet includes some of the most popular and recognizable music in all of opera, including The Habanera and The Toreador Song.

Stage Director Stephanie Havey says of this 20

beloved masterpiece: “Carmen juxtaposes the facade of civilization and the mysterious forces of primitive desires. Carmen glorifies freedom above all else, challenging the norms that govern hearts and minds. I am looking forward to bringing this iconic opera and its disruptive heroine to life.”

Spring brings to Arizona Opera the magic of rebirth, love, and romance in A Little Night Music, presented as part of the Marlu Allan and Scott Stallard Modern Masterworks Series. A Little Night Music is the Tony Award and Drama Deskwinning Best Musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, with production and costume design by American fashion icon, Isaac Mizrahi.

Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film, Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music focuses on a deliciously tangled web of affairs, all ripe with the possibility of new love and second chances.

A comedy of manners with rapturous music, it is moving, witty, heartbreaking, and—most of all—a celebration of love.

Arizona Opera’s 50th Anniversary Main Stage Series concludes with an all-new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte led by director E. Loren Meeker. This playful opera tells the story of two sisters who are falsely led to believe that their fiancés have been called to war. In truth, their lovers were only out to test their fidelity, so they return home—in disguise—to seek the truth.

Among the delightful cast of characters in this Mozart classic are Despina, the nosy maid, and Don Alfonso, a philosopher who is actually behind the scenes pulling the strings and making it all happen.

As Arizona Opera returns to the stage after more than a year of pivoting and reinvention, many have not missed a beat. With programming, educational opportunities, and a successful studio series, Arizona Opera continues to not just survive but thrive. Having answered every challenge with a bold and resounding “we will overcome”, the Arizona Opera continues to make great strides going forward with world premiere commissioned operas, thoughtful and deliberate diversity initiatives, as well as newly reimagined classics, immersive educational opportunities for opera lovers of all ages, and an experience equal to none.

For more information, visit azopera.org or call (602) 266-7464.

CABARET | PHOTO BY TIM FULLER

ATC’s

long-awaited 54th Season immerses audiences in joyful stories about how we learn to heal and love each other, bringing together audiences to experience world-class theatre about what it means to be alive today.

This season’s lineup includes two world premieres, notes Sean Daniels, ATC’s Kasser Family Artistic Director. “This is just the beginning of shows starting in Arizona before they play the rest of the world.” He notes that how to make an American Son received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and will go Off-Broadway after its run here. Justice already has theaters lining up to produce it.

“These are true examples of ATC becoming the local theatre the world pays attention to, and I’m excited for other states to see what starts in Arizona.”

TOGETHER AGAIN! A season to embrace the unexpected joy in everyday life

Experience ATC at the Herberger Theater Center: My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend created by Charissa Bertels, Christian Duhamel and Edward Bell, directed by Sean Daniels (October 21 - November 7). What happens when a 20-something Broadway baby meets a Shakespeare- and Schubert-loving octogenarian? Magic, music and friendship.

This delightful, award-winning musical shares how a most unlikely pair discover themselves when their friendship blossoms.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, directed

by Sean Daniels (December 9 - January 2).

Picking up two years after Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice ends, this cleverly imagined story stars Mary Bennet, unmarried, nerdy, and growing tired of her role as the obedient middle ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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TOGETHER AGAIN! 3 M USI CAL S , 3 PL AYS .

JO IN US . T I CK E T S ON S ALE N OW.

ATC.ORG / 833-ATC-SE AT ATC AT THE HERBERGER THEATER CENTER 222 E. MONROE ST. PHOENIX

S E A S O N SPONSOR: I. MICHAEL & BETH KASSER

United States Supreme Court; the first and only other woman there, Sandra Day O’Connor, is ready to welcome her and get to work. In an intimate, epic three-person new musical built of sweeping songs, urgent conversations about equality, and human heroines, we come to know these two iconic justices at the height of their power. Through a third character, Regina, we discover how O’Connor and Ginsburg inspire, challenge, and propel the next generation of changemakers and trailblazers in American jurisprudence. how to make an American Son by christopher oscar peña, directed by Kimberly Senior, in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (June 30 - July 17). This moving new play focuses on the complexities of privilege, citizenship, and the most complex relationship of all: family. In the wake of a personal crisis, son Orlando suddenly finds himself responsible for the fate of a treasured undocumented worker and the future of his father’s entire enterprise. What happens when the promise of the American Dream collides with the reality of immigration and family? sister. But an unexpected guest gives Mary the boost she needs to embrace her independence and finally find true love. Celebrate the holidays with your family, friends, and favorite early 19th century characters.

For more information, visit atc.org or call (833) ATC-SEAT.

Women in Jeopardy! by Wendy MacLeod, directed by Sean Daniels (February 10 - 27).

Liz’s best friends want her to be happy, but the dentist she’s smitten with is just plain creepy.

Now they have to step in and find the answers to their questions -- while holding on to their wine glasses. A comedy about the role of friendship as aging commences.

Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene (March 24 April 10). Infused with traditional hymns along with her own songs and covers, this musical imagines a conversation between Simone and three Black women from various backgrounds and their fight to overcome second-class status, racism, and stereotypes.

Justice by Lauren Gunderson, music by Bree Lowdermilk, lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, directed

by Melissa Crespo (May 5 - 22). It is 1993, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg has just joined the ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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ASU GAMMAGE BRINGS BROADWAY back this fall!

HAMILTON

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PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

COME FROM AWAY | PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

HADESTOWN | PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

ASU

Gammage makes an unforgettable return with its 2021-2022 Broadway Season. After pausing all public events for over a year, ASU Gammage is opening its doors to welcome audiences back this fall. With a season lineup that includes debut touring productions, Tony Award®-winning shows and the return of a few audience favorites, ASU Gammage is excited to bring one of the most anticipated seasons to Tempe.

The Broadway phenomenon, Hamilton, takes its shot on stage to kick off the Broadway season this fall, followed by the hilarious “fetch” hit musical Mean Girls where Cady Heron is met with a new animal kingdom – high school, and along with the brilliant revival production of Broadway’s “most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly) My Fair Lady. With a Tony- and Grammy-winning score, The Band’s Visit continues the season lineup in a joyous tale of an Egyptian band that loses their way to a concert in Israel. ASU Gammage then welcomes “the most uproarious new show in years” (The Hollywood Reporter) Tootsie to the stage, followed by the two intertwining mythic tales in Hadestown and the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers after 9/11 and the small town that welcomed them in Come From Away. Disney’s The Lion King makes its long-awaited return to the ASU Gammage stage in summer of 2022. Ending this amazing season is Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! as you’ve never seen or heard it before – reimagined for the 21st century.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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The curtain is rising. Support ASU Gammage as we Return to the

STAGE ASU Gammage Recovery Fund

asugammage.com/ returntothestage 26

HAMILTON September 8 – October 10 Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now.

Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

HAMILTON | PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

MEAN GIRLS | PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

With book, music, and lyrics by LinManuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations

by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

MEAN GIRLS November 2 – 7 Beginning its national tour in Tempe, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (LEGALLY BLONDE) and director Casey Nicholaw (THE BOOK OF MORMON).

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the

vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George.

But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

New York Magazine cheers, “Mean Girls delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!” ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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MY FAIR LADY | PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

MY FAIR LADY

THE BAND’S VISIT

December 7 – 12

February 8 – 13

From Lincoln Center Theater that brought you THE KING & I and SOUTH PACIFIC, comes “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly), Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production is “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” (New York Times). “Every so often a revival comes along that reminds you how indispensable great theater can be” (NY1).

The critically acclaimed smash-hit Broadway musical The Band’s Visit is the winner of 10 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, making it one of the most Tony-winning musicals in history. It is also a Grammy Award® winner for Best Musical Theater Album.

Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?

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In this joyously offbeat story, set in a town that’s way off the beaten path, a band of musicians arrive lost, out of the blue. Under the spell of the desert sky, and with beautiful music perfuming the air, the band brings the town to life in unexpected and tantalizing ways. Even the briefest visit can stay with you forever.

TOOTSIE

HADESTOWN

March 15 – 20

April 19 – 24

It’s “far and away the funniest musical of the season” (Daily News). It’s “the most uproarious new show in years” (The Hollywood Reporter). It’s “the best comedy on Broadway” (Forbes). No matter how you say it, Tootsie is unanimously funny! It’s a laugh-out-loud love letter to the theatre, based on the Oscar®nominated film.

Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812) is a love story for today... and always.

Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.

HADESTOWN | PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

Featuring a Tony®-winning book by Robert Horn and an outrageously clever score by 2018 Tony® winner David Yazbek (THE BAND’S VISIT, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS), this New York Times Critic’s Pick is a “hilarious, thoroughly modern Tootsie” (People Magazine) that’s “even funnier than the movie!” (New York Post). “In these turbulent times, with the world out of balance, we need a place to let the good times roll,” says Rolling Stone, “Tootsie is it.”

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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NOVEM BER 2-7, 2021

DECEMBER 7–12, 2021

FEBRUARY 8-13, 2022

HHHH

March 15–20, 2022

THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY JUNE 14–19, 2022

October 18-23, 2022

Tickets on sale now at asugammage.com

COME FROM AWAY | PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

COME FROM AWAY June 14 – 19 Broadway’s Come From Away is a Best Musical winner all across North America!

This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

DISNEY’S THE LION KING

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S OKLAHOMA! October 18 – 23 Over 75 years after Rodgers & Hammerstein reinvented the American musical, this is Oklahoma! as you’ve never seen or heard it before – reimagined for the 21st century.

Stripped down to reveal the darker psychological truths at its core, Daniel Fish’s production tells a story of a community circling its wagons against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America. Upending the sunny romance of a farmer and a cowpoke, this Oklahoma! allows the classic musical – and our country – to be seen in a whole new light.

More than 85 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music, and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular – one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage.

Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, The Lion King brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. The Lion King also features the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.

OKLAHOMA! | PHOTO BY LITTE FANG PHOTO

July 7 – 31

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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DON'T GO | PHOTO BY PHILLIP FRANCK

ASU GAMMAGE PRESENTS Its 2021-2022 Beyond Season

E

very year, ASU Gammage invites audiences to enjoy the Beyond series featuring a collection of prestigious artists and world-renowned works like no other. The 2021-2022 Beyond Season will showcase both newly envisioned shows as well as internationally acclaimed artists.

Don’t Go opens the Beyond Season with an interactive show that invites strangers to meet for the first time on stage guided

by The Sojourn Theatre; followed by international comedian and host Bassem Youssef in a one man show. Next, When Aliens Fall from the Sky takes the stage in a compilation of stories woven together

by Lemon Andersen. Continuing the season, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company provoke the tension between belonging to a community and feelings of isolation in the performance of What Problem?.

Bringing the Beyond Season to a close At War With Ourselves brings together a string quartet, poetry and social justice in an evening length performance.

For more than 25 years, Beyond has brought world-class artists into the community by presenting compelling work while connecting with Valley residents through artist residency programs, master classes, and public performances.

THE 2021-2022 BEYOND SEASON INCLUDES:

SOJOURN THEATRE’S DON’T GO November 13 at 7 p.m.

Don’t Go is a playful exploration of where we are across differences. Sojourn Theatre is an award-winning ensemble theatre company performing across the nation and is comprised of 17 artists who are based in seven different North American cities. In a time of hyperpolarization, what tools can we imagine? What practice can we host? How can we stay a community, even when we're different?

BASSEM YOUSSEF January 22 at 7 p.m.

Bassem Youssef, dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab World, was the host of popular TV show Al-Bernameg - which was the first of its kind political satire show in the Middle East region. Originally an online 5-minute show, AlBernameg became the most watched show in the history of Egyptian TV with an average of 40 million viewers every week, in addition to over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.2 billion views on his own channel and other channels.

In recognition of his success, Bassem was named among Time Magazine’s most influential list for 2013. In November 2013, he was named one of four recipients by the Committee to Protect Journalists for the International Press Freedom Award. Bassem wrote the bestselling book “Revolution for Dummies” and is the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary “Tickling Giants.”

WHEN ALIENS FALL FROM THE SKY Lemon Andersen

March 26 at 7 p.m.

Inspired by the stylings of Spalding Gray, When Aliens Fall from the Sky is a compilation of stories and poems from real citizens across the continental United States and Puerto Rico. Collected and shared by people who are both documented and undocumented, these journeys reveal a vast and colorful canvas of experiences of the small cities and big towns of America, or as Lemon likes to call it, “the bone marrow of our nation.” Lemon weaves rhymes and speaks a harsh but witty truth through these complex characters with the intention to shine a spotlight on the identity crisis in America.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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2021–2022 Season Sojourn Theatre DON’T GO November 13, 2021

BASSEM YOUSSEF January 22, 2022

Lemon Andersen WHEN ALIENS FALL FROM THE SKY March 26, 2022

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company WHAT PROBLEM? April 2, 2022

Kronos Quartet, Nikky Finney, Michael Abels AT WAR WITH OURSELVES - 400 YEARS OF YOU April 16, 2022

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company perform WHAT PROBLEM?

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Tickets on sale now at asugammage.com

WHAT PROBLEM? | PHOTO BY MARIA BARANOVA

WHAT PROBLEM?

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s latest work What Problem? provokes the tension between belonging to a community and feelings of isolation that many feel during these divisive political times. Adapted for proscenium stages from the massive work, Deep Blue Sea (2020), Jones conceived of this highly personal work in pursuit of the elusive “we” including a cast of local community members, a deconstructed text from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Jones and the company develop individual content with local community members in each of the touring locations making each performance specific to its host city.

AT WAR WITH OURSELVES – 400 YEARS OF YOU Kronos Quartet, Nikky Finney, Michael Abels Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m.

Currently in development, At War With Ourselves – 400 Years of You is an eveninglength work for string quartet, chorus, and spoken word that will premiere in the 2021/22 season. Composed by Michael Abels with a libretto by Nikky Finney, the work will explore race relations, social justice, and civil rights in 21st-century America. Performances will feature the Kronos Quartet, Nikky Finney, and a chorus directed by Valérie Sainte-Agathe.

For more information, visit asugammage.com or call (480) 965-3434.

The work examines the condition of loneliness in the individual experienced alone and within a community. It explores the need for community and the notion of collective redemption.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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THE BAND'S VISIT | PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

IN THE BAND’S VISIT, PLAYWRIGHT LTAMAR MOSES Helps Strangers Tell The Truth

BY MARK BLANKENSHIP

S

ometimes, you can only be honest with strangers. “It’s much safer to talk about things with someone you don’t know and will never see again;’ says playwright ltamar Moses. “They don’t know the story you’ve built up around yourself.”

That curious freedom shapes The Band’s Visit, the new musical about a group of Egyptian musicians who get lost on their way to a concert in Israel.

To Moses, who wrote the musical’s book, that’s a perfect catalyst for drama. “Everything happening is only possible because two groups of people don’t know each other,” he says.

Take Iris, Israeli wife and mother who finds her birthday party crashed by musicians her husband brings home. After years of mute frustration with her marriage, she suddenly reveals everything. “The eyes of these strangers on her life make it impossible to ignore what she’s been trying to suppress,” Moses says.

The same is true for characters who confess dreams, regrets, and loves. Ironically, they may be more honest with each other because they 36

don’t share a language. The Egyptians speak Arabic, and the Israelis speak Hebrew, but when they talk to each other, they use halting, tentative English.

“When you don’t have unlimited language as a tool, you really have to get to the point right away,” Moses says. “People aren’t going to talk around the truth, they don’t have the words.”

Naturally, limited vocabulary affected Moses’ playwriting. “But I never lamented it as a limitation; I really enjoyed the tension between the simplicity of the language and depth of emotion.

Sometimes there’s nothing better than having a constraint.”

Don’t miss The Band’s Visit at ASU Gammage February 8 – 13, 2022! Tickets are on sale now at asugammage.com.

WHEN ALIENS FALL FROM THE SKY | LEMON ANDERSON

RAISING SWEETER VOICES with Lemon’s

BY JENNIFER HAALAND

“ARIZONA HAS A VOICE,” poet extraordinaire and ASU Gammage Artist in Residence Lemon Andersen avowed. “I’m here to teach how to use that voice. To help build that voice in the community, of the community.”

“In my work, I suppose it’s possible to become jaded because I’m exposed to so much constant and, often, mediocre talent,” Reed said by way of providing context. “The second I saw Lemon, I knew we were seeing the exceptional.”

As a poet, Andersen learned to reach a wider audience by performing his craft. Then he discovered that beyond a creator and presenter of intricately crafted words, he is at heart, a teacher.

Beyond superb talent, Lemon Andersen has been the exception in many varied ways. His name and childhood, for instance. He grew up a blonde boy (his biological father a Norwegian) in his Puerto Rican family and neighborhood.

The ‘Lemonhead’ teasing nickname about his light skin and hair became tolerable and unique when he shortened it to Lemon and let it stick.

“Spoken Word is really about mastery. We are mastering the performing art of poetry. I don’t think of myself as a Spoken Word artist,” Andersen clarified. “Because I’m a poet, I aim to perform poetry. I’m a student of the craft.”

Andersen’s ASU Gammage story began about 10 years ago when his voice sounded as ASU Gammage’s Senior Director of Programs & Organizational Initiatives Michael Reed was attending “Under the Radar,” a small theater festival in New York. Andersen was there performing his “County of Kings” poetry, the title a play on words because he is a Brooklynite, and thereby a resident of Kings County.

Another unusual exception he enjoys as a poet is the 2003 Tony Award® he and his peers won in Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. Referring to himself as an “Aristotle thug,” Andersen is also an ex-con who long ago turned the corner away from prison, ensuring he’s the exception to prison recidivism, too.

His poetry performances ooze and meld together all of those exceptional truths and more. And Michael Reed was not the only talent-seeker to take wide-eyed notice.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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“It took me 20 years to become an overnight success,” Andersen chuckled. “The people who have known me all along, they have no idea the sweat and lifeblood I’ve spent. I’m married to the process not the results, and I protect the magic. When I have people over, I lock my office. That’s my sacred space.”

Andersen said. “It has 13 characters, 13 different amendments. I call it ‘When Aliens Fall From the Sky.’” His description of his own writing blended seamlessly into a discussion of what his Arizona students are writing. He described witnessing the deprivation and struggles that surface in their words.

The success the outside world sees, however, might leave bystanders a little star struck.

Andersen has worked closely with Spike Lee on Netflix, with LeBron James’ production company, with Nike marketers and on Hollywood studio sets. He sees, however, little difference between those big names and his more humble work at the New York Public Theater or as an ASU Gammage Artist in Residence on the Arizona State University campus and in the community.

“I treat the classroom like I do the stage. It’s critical. I give them my best,” Andersen said. “It fits perfectly with the ASU Gammage mission of ‘Connecting Communities.’ I love being a glue for that.”

“ASU Gammage helps me create more work for the people I most want to help,” said Andersen, addressing how teaching morphs into empowerment in his students. “I’m lucky to have had mentors. I share the knowledge, technique and craft from people so much smarter and better than me.…”

A couple of upcoming audience opportunities that will likely also demonstrate how effectively he’s honed the “service” approach are a television series and a new solo show.

There is definitely an identity crisis in Arizona.

We need to help Arizona’s identity rise to the surface. I tell my students, ‘You don’t have to perform. Instead, be a storyteller. Tell your story. They will listen to you’. Ever a poet, Andersen followed, “I’ve told them, if you confuse Spoken Word with written word then you won’t write as well. It starts on the page. Only then, [after we write], do we get to speaking the words... the microphone, the inflection, the stage presence.”

“It’s what happens when serving kids out on the street is the next stage of your humanity, your artistry,” Andersen said in a reflective moment about the lives he’s affecting. “I’m never going to stop teaching.” And what results are Arizona voices rising, like their mentor’s, resounding with sweet moments of crystallized truth. It’s like Andersen’s own words from “County of Kings” are offering final inspiration to the state’s newly emerging voice: “Watch me!... Watch me take my lemons and make the best damn lemonade.”

When Aliens Fall From the Sky premieres at ASU Gammage on March 26, 2022. Tickets are on sale now at asugammage.com.

During my residency, I’m also working on a solo show, a play for ASU Gammage,”

WHEN ALIENS FALL FROM THE SKY | LEMON ANDERSON

Reconnect with the arts at Scottsdale’s historic ASU Kerr

now featuring bar service and new drink menu!

The Four Freshmen

Nicole Pesce, Renee Patrick & Friends

Guitars From Spain: Jose Antonio Rodriguez and Twanguero Thursday, Oct. 28 FLAMENCO, MEDITERRANEAN, WORLD All The World’s a Song: Shakespeare in Jazz Saturday, Nov. 13 JAZZ MEETS DRAMA Jessica Fichot Thursday, Dec. 9 FRENCH FOLK-POP, CHINESE SWING, JAZZ That’s What Friends Are For: The Music and Magic of Dionne Warwick featuring Nicole Pesce, Renee Patrick & Friends Friday, Dec. 17 POP, SOUL Grace Rolland - Rising Sun Daughter Friday, Jan. 21 INDIE FOLK, AMERICANA Neamen Lyles Friday, Feb. 4 JAZZ, SMOOTH JAZZ Ken Waldman with Willi Carlisle Sunday, Feb. 13 AMERICANA, FOLK The Four Freshmen Thursday, Feb. 17 JAZZ, OLDIES Oscar Peñas Friday, March 4 JAZZ, CLASSICAL GUITAR

Jessica Fichot

The Real James Bond...

Was Dominican Friday, April 1 THEATER See more shows and full event info at asukerr.com ASU Kerr | 6110 N. Scottsdale Rd. | Scottsdale, Arizona ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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ASU KERR RETURNS WITH JAZZY 20212022 SHOWS, plus new bar service and Crescendo garden space

JESSICA FICHOT | PHOTO BY ANDY SHENG

ASU

Kerr will be reopening for their 2021-2022 season in Fall 2021 and guests will notice some major changes; the grounds now include a reception garden called The Crescendo, which was created when a permanent outdoor boundary was required for their brand-new liquor license.

“It had been a dream for ASU Kerr to have its own liquor license,” says ASU Kerr General Manager Tracey Mason. “It allows us to enhance the patron experience with bar service, a beautiful, verdant outdoor gathering space and create a vital new income stream for the venue.” The liquor license was approved by the state in September 2020, while

the facility was closed due to the pandemic.

Mason anticipates that the first show in the 20212022 season, Guitars From Spain on October 28, will be the first public performance with alcohol service. A diverse lineup of evening shows is set for the upcoming season, with several artists presenting lively jazz concerts or blending jazz influences into their performances.

“In addition to the wonderful world music, folk, classical concerts and theater shows we offer, many styles of jazz are represented each season,” says Mason. “We were named ‘Best Place to Hear Live Jazz’ several years ago by azcentral.com.”

ALL THE WORLD’S A SONG: SHAKESPEARE IN JAZZ November 13 Composer/pianist Daniel Kelly and his band of acclaimed musicians and vocalists showcase the timeless power of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, breathing new life into his words by weaving them into dynamic and fresh jazz songs. Shakespeare aficionados and those new to his works will love experiencing literature and music intertwined in this creative and engaging show.

OSCAR PEÑAS March 4 Described by WNYC as “transnational cool,” Spanish guitarist and composer Oscar Peñas has performed his unique blend of jazz and classical styles at Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Blue Note and more. Traditional folk music from Spain, Brazilian urban grooves and sounds from his Iberian heritage meld with an American jazz base to define his adventurous style.

JESSICA FICHOT

CHARLES LEWIS QUINTET + 2

December 9

March 16

Discover how Jessica Fichot taps her FrenchChinese-American upbringing to fuse languages and sounds from the French chanson tradition, vintage jazz, 1940s Chinese swing and international folk. Tastemakers KCRW, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, and audiences across the globe love her vibrant, globetrotting style.

Virtuoso jazz pianist Charles Lewis closes out the 2021-2022 season with his Latin-infused, swinging style. A dear friend to ASU Kerr’s namesake Louise Lincoln Kerr, Lewis weaves stories of his experiences with Mrs. Kerr into his energetic show. Lewis will be joined by his all-star band members Joe Corral (flute, piccolo), Frank Smith (sax, flute), Dwight Kilian (bass), Dom Moio (drums), Joe Garcia (percussion) and Bill Moio (guitar).

NEAMEN LYLES February 4 Saxophonist and composer Neamen Lyles leads a band of top talents in this fantastic show!

He has enjoyed frequent national television and radio airplay, being named an XM Radio Artist of the Week, recording the theme for the television show “Dr. Who” and landing multiple singles in the smooth jazz top 40 nationwide.

For more information, visit asukerr.com or call (480) 596-2660.

CHARLES LEWIS QUINTET | PHOTO BY STACEY BAILEY

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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SURROUND YOURSELF WITH COLLEGIATE ENERGY! Explore the engaging lifestyle at Mirabella.

Mirabella at ASU is the nation’s most exciting new community for older adults! Located right on the Arizona State University Tempe campus, our integration with ASU means an experience like no other, with access to classes, lectures, performances, sporting events and so much more. Along with luxurious high-rise residences, resort-like living and a continuum of on-site healthcare services, Mirabella at ASU is a revolution in retirement!

SCHEDULE YOUR TOUR TODAY!

Call 602-281-4362 or visit us online at retirement.tours/mba

Mirabella at ASU is a nonprofit, resident-centered community developed in partnership with Pacific Retirement Services and Arizona State University. Equal housing opportunity.

BALLET ARIZONA’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN to the Main Stage

ALL BALANCHINE | BALLET ARIZONA DANCERS HELIO LIMA AND MIMI TOMPKINS. PHOTO BY TIM FULLER

B

allet Arizona is proud to present its momentous 2021-2022 season, celebrating a revival from the pandemic and overcoming the pause in arts programs across the nation. The season will mark the 36th year for Arizona’s official ballet company as well as the first full lineup after the pandemic.

Audience members can anticipate a celebratory season filled with iconic partnerships, a world premiere, classic favorites and innovative, emotion-provoking performances.

The company leaps toward the upcoming season with renewed optimism, energy and tenacity. After pivoting to digitally streamed and extremely limited in-person performances last season, Ballet Arizona ended its 2020-2021 season with a hope-inducing sold-out series of performances at Desert Botanical Garden.

Ib Andersen presented his long-awaited world premiere, The Four Seasons to nightly standing ovations. The School of Ballet Arizona joined forces with Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras for a first-ever collaboration as they presented Swan Lake, also under the setting sun and against the stunning desert backdrop of Desert Botanical Garden. These performances invigorated patrons as well as the entire Ballet Arizona family. It is with this feeling of hope and gratitude that Ballet Arizona moves into its 36th anniversary season.

The new season will kick off October 29 - 31, with Contemporary Moves. Three ballets that shine the spotlight on masterful and diverse choreography, music and tone from celebrated choreographers: Justin Peck, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Ballet Arizona’s own Nayon Iovino.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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Ballet Arizona celebrates its return to the main stage with a world premiere, iconic partnerships, a company premiere and classic favorites!

2021-2022 SEASON Contemporary Moves

Romeo & Juliet

October 29 – 31 & November 5 – 7, 2021

With The Phoenix Symphony

Juan Gabriel

February 10 – 13, 2022

May 5 – 8, 2022

The Nutcracker

All Balanchine

With The Phoenix Symphony

March 24 – 27, 2022

December 10 – 24, 2021 Sponsored in part by Pivotal Foundation | F. Francis & Dionne Najafi

World Premiere

Produced by Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance.

An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden May 17 – June 2, 2022

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW! balletaz.org | 602.381.1096

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Ballet Arizona dancers Arianni Martin, Nayon Iovino, Alejandro Mendes and Helio Lima. Photo by Tim Fuller.

Rejoicing in the spirit of the holidays, Ballet Arizona’s famous performance of The Nutcracker will take place December 10 – 24, in Symphony Hall. Live music from The Phoenix Symphony will help bring the enchantment and splendor of The Nutcracker to life, alongside Ballet Arizona Artistic Director Ib Andersen’s dazzling choreography. Ballet Arizona’s production has been named “among the top three in the country” by The New York Times.

The Nutcracker is sponsored in part by Pivotal Foundation | F. Francis and Dionne Najafi.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Andersen with the lush score by Sergei Prokofiev played by The Phoenix Symphony, will bring the star-crossed lover’s story to Symphony Hall February 10 13, 2022. With its sweepingly regal ballroom scenes, vivacious swordplay, and poignant pas de deux, Andersen’s production is a visual tour de force.

The All Balanchine program will present three ballets by renowned choreographer George Balanchine and staged by Andersen, who is one of a handful of artists worldwide authorized

by The Balanchine Trust to stage the late

choreographer’s masterpieces. The lineup includes performances such as Serenade and the Arizona premiere of Bourrée Fantasque March 24 – 27 at the Orpheum Theatre.

Ballet Arizona will bring to life Andersen’s innovative choreography with the music of iconic Mexican singer- songwriter Juan Gabriel’s performance from the Palacio de Belles Artes with Juan Gabriel. This world premiere performance May 5 - 8, pays homage to the legendary entertainer who captured the hearts of millions worldwide and whose works have transcended generations. Juan Gabriel is produced by Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance.

Ballet Arizona’s annual tradition An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden will conclude the 2021-2022 season May 17 - June 2. Inspired by his 2016 world premiere, Round, Andersen plans to revisit this unparalleled work with re-imagined choreography that embraces and showcases the vast natural backdrop of the desert.

For more information, visit balletaz.org or call (602) 381-1096.

AN EVENING AT DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN | PHOTO BY TIM FULLER

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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LIVE. IN-PERSON.

Ledisi Sings Nina

2021 GRAMMY® Winner!

MAR 26

TOGETHER.

An Evening with Amy Grant

Boney James

Sons of Serendip

Mostly Kosher

DRUMLine Live!

Storm Large

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody

Meow Meow

OCT 23

JAN 29

FEB 20

NOV 6

FEB 12

MAR 17–20

ON SALE NOW!

DEC 22

FEB 18

APR 1

chandlercenter.org 480-782-2680

LIVE. IN PERSON. TOGETHER.

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handler Center for the Arts (CCA) has missed those moments that only happen at a live performance – one thousand people singing together, stolen glances during a special song and making new friends during intermission.

“Over the last 31 years, it has been our privilege and honor to present arts experiences that create cherished memories,” says CCA General Manager Michelle Mac Lennan. “We are excited to reconnect with the community and we want our returning patrons to know their safety and health is our highest priority.”

The 32nd season at CCA is filled with shows that are as diverse as the patrons who walk through our doors. The Main Stage will glitter with GRAMMY Award winners, including 2021 award winner Ledisi (March 26), Clint Black (October 6), Boney James (November 6), and seven-time award winner Buddy Guy (March 16). The CCA will also come alive with distinct performances from Irish Celtgrass band We Banjo 3 (February 5), percussion extravaganza DRUMLine Live! (February 12), ballet perfection and comedy of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (February 20) and powerhouse vocals from Belinda Davids, star of the Whitney Houston tribute, The Greatest Love of All (February 26).

SONS OF SERENDIP

In the CCA’s intimate Hal Bogle Theatre, get a personal glimpse at historic figure Winston Churchill with one-man play, Man of the Century (January 16), laugh until your sides ache with That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody (March 17 – 20), be blown away by the musical theatrics of Meow Meow (April 1) and enjoy America’s roots tradition with Arizona bluegrass band Run Boy Run (November 5).

While Chandler Center for the Arts has been closed to the public, staff have been busy making the patron experience even better. From renovations in our gallery to new rigging and lighting in the Hal Bogle Theatre, the Center is ready to welcome patrons back.

Located on the northwest corner of Arizona Ave and Chandler Blvd, the CCA is at the heart of Chandler’s downtown entertainment district with locally owned restaurants and eateries nearby.

For more information, visit chandlercenter.org or call (480) 782-2680.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW! FIRST TIME IN AZ!

JIMMY BUFFETT'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE SEP 16 - 19

POTTED POTTER THE UNAUTHORIZED HARRY EXPERIENCE

OCT 28 - 30

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE STUDIO NOV 14

SANTA'S CIRCUS DEC 2 - 5

TICKETS AT THEMADISON.ORG • 5601 N 16TH ST • PHX • 602.664.7777

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE | PHOTO BY TIM TRUMBLE

CHILDSPLAY THEATRE WELCOMES ALL on a Muscial Adventure

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hildsplay is thrilled to welcome families and classrooms back to the theater in its 45th season. Its performances celebrate the magic of live theatre, adding equal doses of music, spectacle, and nostalgia.

In October, Childsplay will begin its season with Selena Maria Sings—a world premiere by Miriam Gonzales, featuring original music by Daniel French. It tells the story of Selena Maria, a young indie songwriter living with the legacy of Selena Quintanilla. Through the help of her prima and a few others along the way, Selena Maria finds her voice. Selena Maria Sings celebrates music, family, immense love, and the strength it takes to be yourself.

Up next is Childsplay’s holiday show, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. Based on the classic animation, this production features favorite characters including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph. Audiences can celebrate the season with an array of live holiday hits, like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Holly Jolly

Christmas.” This musical is the perfect way to add a little extra holiday magic.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show returns to the stage in February by popular demand.

This show features beloved Eric Carle stories like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Busy Spider, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar with the help of 75 puppets.

The soundscape and colorful light patterns are sure to delight all as they bring these books to life.

In April, Childsplay presents Schoolhouse Rock Live! The pop culture phenomenon explodes onto the stage with songs you loved, updated for a whole new generation. Enjoy megahits “Conjunction Junction,” “Just a Bill,” “Interplanet Janet,” and more.

You can see Childsplay’s performances at the Herberger Theater Center.

For more information, visit childsplayaz.org or call (602) 252-8497.

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ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE UNITE ...

“Chihuly in the Desert” Opening December 3

IN uncertain times this past year, one thing was clear: We are one team. The importance of community was highlighted when people came together to stay safe and support each other amid a global health crisis. As institutions continue to recover from COVID-19, it is great to see the community gathering together, especially at arts and cultural destinations.

That unifying force of community is not lost in the Valley.

At Taliesin West, glass installations will be seen inside the building, on the lawns, floating on the water, and emerging from the desert.

Each installation is a rich dialogue between Wright and Chihuly – pairing the work of two masters in a way that’s never been done before. The Desert Laboratory of Wright’s Taliesin West is an ideal backdrop for exploring the elements and principles of design, present in both Chihuly’s sculptures and Wright’s architecture.

For the first time ever, two of Arizona’s most iconic venues — Desert Botanical Garden and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West — will come together for a joint exhibition featuring stunning art by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

“Chihuly and Frank Lloyd Wright—two American originals taking inspiration from the country’s unique physical and cultural landscapes—are a perfect fit at Taliesin West,” says Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation President and CEO Stuart Graff. “With our World Heritage buildings and mountainous desert backdrop, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation presents its first exhibition of this kind, revealing how art, architecture, and nature come together to connect our visitors more deeply with the world around them.”

Chihuly in the Desert opens December 3 and runs through June 19.

“The Garden is thrilled to bring Chihuly back to the Valley since its first show in 2008. We are co-presenting the exhibit with Taliesin West — both venues will be filled with extraordinary glass installations,” says Ken Schutz, the Garden’s executive director. “Partnering with Taliesin has been a rewarding experience, and I velieve our successful collaboration might serve as a model for other arts and cultural organizations in the Valley as they bring their programs back on line.”

Chihuly in the Desert showcases Chihuly’s stunning, large-scale installations nestled among the Garden’s world-class collection of desert plants. The dynamic exhibition includes never-before-seen installations and is a mustsee throughout the seasons.

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For more information, visit ChihulyintheDesert.org.

THE DESERT IS ALIVE This Fall at the Garden Check out some of the fun activities and festivities at the Garden kicking off in September.

FALL BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT

September 25 - November 14 Visitors can experience up-close interactions with monarch and other butterfly species during mighty monarchs. Watch these insects at each life stage in the butterfly pavilion, from caterpillars growing on host plants to chrysalises in the emergence chamber

COCOON: A PLACE FOR GARDEN PLAY

September 25 - November 14 Calling all Insect Explorers! Outside the butterfly exhibit is a space just for you. Find fun, buggy activities, test your insect superpowers, and more at Cocoon: A Place for Garden Play.

DOG DAYS

Wednesdays & Saturdays, October 6 - November 20 Dogs takeover the Garden for Dog Days. Walk the trails with your furry friend, heel for photo opps and meet other dog lovers amongst the beauty of the Garden.

CACTUS CLUBHOUSE

Let your kids discover the fun of the desert at Cactus Clubhouse, an exclusive nature play space for kids 12 and under.

MUSIC IN THE GARDEN

October 1 - November 19 Enjoy weekly musical selections from some of the most popular local bands and performers at Music in the Garden on select Fridays and Sundays.

STRANGE GARDEN

October 21 - 23 Lift your spirits at Strange Garden. Visitors, 21 and older, can experience a night full of frights at the Garden on Oct. 21, and all ages are welcome Oct. 22-23. Encounter weird sights, fun tricks and curious creatures. Kids, if you dare, come dressed in your Halloween best. Dance ‘til you drop at the spook-tacular monster bash. Don’t leave empty handed, kids 12 and younger can pick the perfect pumpkin to take home.

THE HOLIDAYS JUST GOT BRIGHTER

December 3 - 31 The Garden shines bright during the holiday.

Enjoy music performances, entertainment and glowing luminarias at the Garden with family and friends. For more than 40 years, the Garden’s trails sparkle during this iconic holiday tradition, and it will remind you of what the season is all about. This year, the event will shine extra bright with the inclusion of Chihuly in the Desert.

For more information, including ticket sales, about the upcoming season at the Garden visit dbg.org or call (480) 941-1225.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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One Exhibit, Two Experiences | OPENS DEC. 3, 2021 ON SALE OCT. 4 | chihulyinthedesert.org Dale Chihuly, Summer Sun, 2010, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona © 2021 Chihuly Studio. All Rights Reserved.

THIS FALL AT Taliesin West

TALIESIN WEST

SUNSETS AND SIPS

SPOKE ART: TIMELESS 3

Ever wished you could watch the sun set over the Valley from the Prow with a drink in your hand, chat with a friend while lounging in the Cabaret, or experience having Wright’s Garden Room all to yourself? Now you can! Sunsets and Sips is a new happy hour program offered at Taliesin West. Guests are invited to linger in select spaces with a drink, taking in the architecture of Taliesin West. All tickets come with a beverage of your choosing and access to select spaces on property, with staff present to answer your questions.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Spoke Art are teaming up for a third time in 2021!

The “Frank Lloyd Wright: Timeless” exhibition returns to Taliesin West. The show features work from over a dozen international artists, with pieces designed in the style of 1930s-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) travel posters depicting artistic interpretations of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings.

August 12 - November 4

October 22 - 24

For more information, visit FrankLloydWright.org/SpokeArt or call (480) 941-1225.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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ALVIN AILEY ® AMERICAN DANCE THEATER | PHOTO BY ANDREW ECCLES

PERFORMING LIVE AT MESA ARTS CENTER Season Highlights

KRISTIN CHENOWITH | PHOTO BY KRISTA SCHLUETER

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ill your 2021–2022 calendar with fantastic shows as Mesa Arts Center presents its most epic season ever! Kick off the season with 14-time Grammy winner and singer with the “crystalline voice” (AllMusic.com), Emmylou Harris, on October 7. Ring in 2022 with a cappella artisans Straight No Chaser. In January, be spellbound by everyone’s favorite ‘good witch’ Kristin Chenoweth. Finally, in May, see Neil Gaiman, one of the most celebrated writers of our time and whose best-selling works became movies or TV Shows (Coraline, Lucifer, Good Omens and American Gods).

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE

National Geographic Live is back with an aweinspiring season of shows! In October, explore dizzying heights with legendary rock climber Mark Synnott in Life on the Vertical. Learn what it’s like to swim with whales with underwater photographer Brian Skerry in Secrets of the Whales. Uncover the history behind the attack on Black Wallstreet with Alicia Odewale, African diaspora archaeologist in Greenwood: A Century of Resilience. Discover The Secret Life of Bears and learn how bear populations are being protected in North America with Rae Wynn-Grant, carnivore ecologist. Finally, investigate the possibility of bringing once-extinct species back to life in How to Clone a Mammoth with evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Did you know Mesa Arts Center has familyfriendly shows and events all year long? To start, Mesa Arts Center’s Season Kickoff Festival: Wonderland is a FREE festival on September 10 from 6-10 p.m.! Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular, coming to MAC on November 19, is sure to get your family in the holiday spirit.

Finally, witness the legendary Alvin Ailey ® American Dance Theater in April and see why they are lauded as “possibly the most successful modern dance company on the planet” by the New York Times.

BLACK VIOLIN

JAZZ, CLASSICAL, POP CONCERTS

Jazz icon Wynton Marsalis returns to Mesa Arts Center with Jazz at Lincoln Center on January 20. Vibe to the smooth jams of Snarky Puppy as they make their first-ever Phoenix metro appearance on November 4. Experience the magic of the holidays with classically trained, pop-influenced and string-driven Simply Three on December 16. Finally, check out a rare live performance by singer, songwriter and former teen idol Neil Sedaka on March 2.

THEATER, COMEDY AND DANCE

Laugh out loud at the critically-acclaimed improv comedy of Whose Live Anyway? on November 21. Join Cary Elwes (Wesley) on March 5 for a behind-the-scenes look at life on the set of the classic film The Princess Bride.

Be captivated by the music, dance and colorful costumes of Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández on April 1. Finally, experience the high-energy performance, intoxicating rhythms, and exciting choreography of Drum Tao 2022 on April 2!

For more information, visit mesaartscenter.com or call (480) 644-6500.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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Imagine, Design & Create

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CL ASSES

YO U T H • T E E N S • A D U LT S

Register Now!

MESAARTSCENTER.COM/CL ASSES

ONE E MAIN STREET | MESA, AZ 85201 MESAARTSCENTER.COM | 480.644.6500 |   

BUILDING COMMUNITY, SPARKING CONNECTIONS and creating arts experiences

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esa Arts Center’s Creative Catalysts initiative takes community engagement on the road with MABEL (Mobile Arts-Based Engagement Lab), an adaptable and flexible mobile gallery, moving arts lab, mono-printing, custom button-making, pop-up community center on the go!

CIRQUE MUSICA HOLIDY SPECTACULAR

“MABEL allows us to fit into all kinds of spaces, both literally and metaphorically. The experiences and projects we develop and offer with MABEL root from our mission to create real, genuine connections at ground level where the action happens. With entry points of accessible creative projects for all ages and workshops providing tools for exploration, the opportunities are endless and attainable for all,” said Danica Marlin, Engagement Associate.

“The results of our unique placemaking machine are authentic, reciprocal connections informing and evolving us to better fit the communities wants and needs.”

Since MABEL’s launch last Fall, this one-of-akind mobile creativity machine has brought exciting arts experiences to people of all ages throughout the valley. Currently, MABEL visits Downtown Mesa Farmer’s Market on the second Saturday of every month. It also visits community festivals and events, neighborhoods, local businesses and more!

“The responsive design of MABEL allows the community to work in partnership with Mesa Arts Center to design an arts experience that is custom fit to their needs.” Mandy Tripoli, Director of Community-Engaged Practice.

Invite MABEL to your community to create connections, prompt discussion, catalyze change and spark creativity. Learn more at MesaArtsCenter.com/MABEL. MABEL is powered by Creative Catalysts and the City of Mesa.

Sponsored by Desert Financial, State Farm and Mesa Arts Center Foundation.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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LANDSCAPES OF EXTRACTION | HELEN KATHARINE FORBES

EXPERIENCE THE ART of our region and beyond

T

hroughout the 2021–22 season, art lovers of every age and interest will enjoy a diverse lineup of dynamic exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum.

Beginning November 7, the Museum will present Landscapes of Extraction, which examines the evolution of the art of mining in the western United States. With more than 65 works created over a century, the original exhibition showcases a range of paintings and prints that depict regional landscapes of enterprise, while illuminating how mining has altered the natural environment on a spectacular scale. Landscapes of Extraction begins with works from the early- to mid-20th century, when artists such as Lew Davis, Philip C. Curtis, Paul Sample, and Louise Emerson Ronnebeck portrayed regional themes and industries in their work, inspired, in part, by New Deal programs during the 1930s and early 1940s. Contemporary works created into the 58

2010s by artists such as Edward Burtynsky, David Emitt Adams, Martin Stupich, and Cara Romero instead demonstrate how artists have, over time, become more attuned to the monumental impact that humans, technology, mining, and other industries have had on the natural world.

Visitors will also discover the evocative work of renowned Colombian artist Oscar Muñoz beginning this September. Co-organized

by Phoenix Art Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art, Oscar Muñoz: Invisibilia is the first U.S. retrospective of the artist’s work and features approximately 50 works that combine photography, drawing, printmaking, installation, video, sculpture, and interactive elements to explore themes of time, history, and knowledge. Rather than presenting works chronologically, Invisibilia is organized into four thematic and overlapping sections that ask viewers to contemplate topics like

Starting November 27, Legacy of Ceylon: Art and Photography of Sri Lanka features more than 50 works that explore the history and culture of the island nation now known as Sri Lanka. The majority of works span the 16th to the 19th centuries, with various objects dating to as early as the sixth century to better convey the dramatic stylistic and technical transformations that have occurred in Sri Lankan Buddhist art. In addition to personal and devotional objects from the Buddhist tradition, viewers will experience never-beforeexhibited, black-and-white photographs that capture images of Buddhist ruins and other iconic locations, as well as everyday slices of mid-20th-century Sri Lankan life. The exhibition provides an unprecedented opportunity to experience some of the rarest examples of Sri Lankan art in the United States.

In the spring, Arizona audiences can explore one of the most admired creative expressions in the Southwest—car culture and the

modifications of all rides—in Desert Rider.

The original exhibition will feature art related to cars, bicycles, motorcycles, skateboards, and saddles, while spotlighting Latinx and Indigenous artists who re-create, transform, and subvert rides.

With these singular exhibitions shown alongside newly installed galleries featuring European, Latin American, Asian, American, and modern and contemporary artworks and fashion designs from the Museum’s collection, Arizona audiences are sure to experience the extraordinary at Phoenix Art Museum.

Landscapes of Extraction – On view from November 7, 2021 – March 6, 2022. Oscar Muñoz: Invisibilia – On view from September 11, 2021 – January 16, 2022. Legacy of Ceylon: Art and Photography of Sri Lanka – On view from November 27, 2021 – April 24, 2022. Desert Rider – On view from April 23 – September 18, 2022. Special-engagement exhibitions are free for Museum Members and included with general admission.

For more information, visit phxart.org or call (602) 257-1880.

INVISIBILIA | OSCAR MUÑOZ

memory and amnesia, presence and absence, appearance and disappearance, and cohesion and fragmentation, with many works requiring audience interaction to activate an experience.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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Donate to Free Arts and take the Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization tax credit.

FreeArtsAZ.org/donate @FreeArtsAZ @FreeArtsAZ

The Legend Continues...

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X ENI

PH 2A020 0 195 A R I Z O N O

Years

Perfect Martinis ~ Great Steaks Heavenly Desserts

602-264-5967

Central & Virginia Phoenix, Arizona

COOKIN'S A DRAG | PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

AS

the southwest’s largest professional theatre, The Phoenix Theatre Company typically produces 500+ performances, programs, and events for 110,000+ audience members every season, on three stages. But on March 15, 2020, with several upcoming productions and Centennial celebration events on the horizon, the sudden pandemic forced it to shutter its doors for the first time in its 100year history.

Staff, artists, patrons, and donors pulled together to help build a new outdoor theatre in the courtyard of their neighbor to the north, the Central United Methodist Church. The Phoenix Theatre Company opened a six-show outdoor season (and eventually added a three-show indoor summer season) that allowed hundreds of arts employees to return to work while protecting the health of its artists, staff and audience.

And now, The Phoenix Theatre Company is overwhelmingly grateful to announce its 102nd season, offered once again on three indoor stages. Carefully chosen shows highlight 62

stories of everyday people whose extraordinary resilience and tenacity inspires hope in us all – uplifting spirits and creating shared memories.

As a producing company, The Phoenix Theatre Company builds everything seen on its stages in extensive local costume, prop, and scenic production facilities. It employs hundreds of local artists, musicians, and technicians, as well as waiters, bartenders, house management and administrative staff. The Phoenix Theatre Company develops top-level local and national talent and pays professional levels of compensation under contract with Actors’ Equity Association. It serves as a proving ground for local talent – frequently helping to launch careers beyond Phoenix.

Its ArtBar+Bistro offers guests the opportunity to enjoy a show-themed cocktail, appetizer or entire meal before the performance.

The Phoenix Theatre Company’s 2021-2022 Season offers ten exceptional productions plus a Festival of New American Theatre that features original new plays and musicals:

THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY Celebrates Resilience

STEEL MAGNOLIAS The story of friendships strong as steel that inspired the 1989 film!

August 18 – September 12 All the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done at Truvy’s Beauty Salon, where outspoken Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to a coterie of eccentric characters.

By turns hilarious, poignant and acerbic, six women weather triumphs, tragedies and challenges to their beliefs about family, culture and community. This wisecracking group of women form friendships as strong as steel, which they are forced to lean on when tragedy strikes.

LERNER AND LOEWE’S CAMELOT Stories of love, lust, and betrayal rooted in myth, inspired by T.H. White’s novel, and wrapped in a lavish score.

September 15 – October 24

A band of Revelers retells this epic story of love and betrayal, freshly reimagined. The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s awardwinning, soaring musical. This small cast version is ideally scaled for the more intimate theatrical experience of The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Mainstage.

RICHARD O’BRIEN’S THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Awaken your inner creature of the night!

October 6 – December 5 Give yourself over to the absolute pleasure of this beautifully twisted rock musical masterpiece. Dynamic tension is on the menu as naive new fiancée’s Brad and Janet discover a world where nothing is taboo. Explore sensational, interplanetary fantasies with Rocky, Eddie, Dr. Scott, Columbia, Magenta, Riff Raff and, of course, Frank-N-Furter. Brad and Janet will PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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WORLD PREMIERE

THE HELLO GIRLS

The Southwest premiere of Drama Desk Award Winner The Hello Girls tells the true story of the unsung heroines of World War 1.

January 5 – 30

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET CHRISTMAS The World Premiere celebrating the holidays and the hits that made Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley famous as the Million Dollar Quartet!

November 17 – January 2

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET | PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley come together again to celebrate the holidays! Sun Records, now festively decorated with a Christmas tree, garland, and mistletoe, rings with sounds of the season and the chart toppers that made the “Million Dollar Quartet” famous. The gang is up to their usual antics as we journey through stories of Christmas past, present, and future.

It’s a jam-packed evening of holiday hits that is not to be missed!

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Based on a true story, The Hello Girls reveals the wartime heroism of America’s first women soldiers in this jazzy new musical. Fighting in France in World War I, the United States Army was having trouble with the phones. Calls weren’t getting through fast enough. Bilingual telephone operators volunteered for the front lines to help turn the tide of World War I, then returned home to fight a decades-long battle for equality and recognition. The Hello Girls tells a powerful war story that is largely unknown…

PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

THE COLOR PURPLE

Winner of seven Olivier Awards and Best Musical Revival, this heartwarming classic is bigger and brighter than ever!

February 2 – April 3

This Tony and Grammy Award winning musical revival is a story of hope and a celebration of life.

March 2 – May 1

It’s 1927, Hollywood’s Golden Age, and Don Lockwood and Lina LaMont are the toast of Tinseltown – until “talkies” come on the scene.

The Phoenix Theatre Company makes a big splash with this spectacular and romantic musical comedy, guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face. There will be wonderful singin’ and dancin’ and, yes, it really will rain onstage!

With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it tells the uplifting story of Celie, a woman who struggles through adversity to find strength, love and the power of her own voice. This beloved story is a moving tribute to sisterhood and perseverance.

24TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW AMERICAN THEATRE May 6 – 22 Hosted by The Phoenix Theatre Company, the Festival of New American Theatre amplifies new voices and expands the canon of American theatre. This year, TPTC partners with NYC’s Theatre Barn, a primary incubator of new musicals, and expands its collaboration with ASU’s Music Theatre and Opera program.

PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

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SOMETHING ROTTEN! This musical extravaganza features big dance numbers, bold costumes, and eye-rolling offstage antics!

May 4 – June 19 Not content to let William Shakespeare get all the attention, the conniving but clueless Bottom brothers hatch a plan to cook up the next big stage hit. After an ill-advised trip to see Nostradamus’s food-obsessed nephew, they risk everything to produce what they believe will be the show of the future: the musical!

ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE Inspired by Patsy Cline’s correspondence with fan Louise Seger and set to the soundtrack of country’s most vibrant voice.

June 8 – August 7 A true story about Cline’s friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her untimely death in a plane crash. Tales of Patsy’s life on the road are told with downhome country humor and brought to vibrant life through her music.

THE STORY OF EMILIO AND GLORIA ESTEFAN ON YOUR FEET! A salsa-splashed showcase of the dance-floor hits that made Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine a radio and MTV staple.

July 13 – August 28 Infused with the heartbeat of Little Havana, the ‘Rhythm is Gonna Get You’ in this inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people whose belief in their talent – and each other – catapulted them to international stardom. With a seductive beat and smoking hot choreography, On Your Feet! roars through up-tempo dance numbers with swirling skirts and swiveling hips, and overflows with heartfelt emotion.

We are so happy to be a part of The Phoenix Theatre Company family and we hope you all know that you are bringing great joy to our lives each time we attend a show. – A Season Ticket Holder

SOMETHING ROTTEN

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| PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY SERVICE, EDUCATION + TRAINING THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY: More Than What You See on the Stage THE PHOENIX THEATRE SUMMER CAMP | PHOTO BY REG MADISON PHOTOGRAPHY

PARTNERS THAT HEAL Specially trained artists customize 250+ improvisational interventions to improve mood and facilitate communication between patients and caregivers in healthcare and trauma facilities.

This incredible program will soon launch nationwide, with the potential to reach more than a million patients within the next five years.

INCLUSIVE SUMMER THEATRE CAMP The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Summer Theatre Camp provides more accommodation of physical, neurological and emotional special needs than any arts camp in the state and distributes more than $20,000 in scholarships every year. This program consistently earns the highest praise from the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

PROFESSIONAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM Every year The Phoenix Theatre Company offers comprehensive training in technical theatre and stage management to apprentices from across the country, preparing the next generation of theatre professionals.

NEW AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE STUDIO A groundbreaking partnership between The Phoenix Theatre Company and Arizona State University, the Studio completely immerses musical theatre students in a professional theatre environment.

For more information, visit phoenixtheatre.com or call (602) 254-1974.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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son a e S 2 2 0 2 / 1 2 0 2

25 4 –2151 TR E.CO M | 602– PH O EN IX TH EA

AUG 18 – SEPT 12, 2021

SEPT 15 – OCT 24, 2021

OCT 6 – DEC 5, 2021

NOV 17, 2021 – JAN 2, 2022

JAN 5 – JAN 30, 2022

FEB 2 – APRIL 3, 2022

MAY 6 – MAY 22, 2022

MARCH 2 – MAY 1, 2022

MAY 4 – JUNE 19, 2022

JUNE 8 – AUG 7, 2022

JULY 13 – AUG 28, 2022

a world of ART awaits you in SCOTTSDALE

scottsdale center for the performing arts scottsdale museum of contemporary art scottsdale public art scottsdale arts learning & innovation

ScottsdaleArts.org

SPECTRUM FRAME VERSION | BY OLIVER RATSI

FRESH PERSPECTIVE AT SCOTTSDALE ARTS

G

et inspired with performances and events featuring creative thinkers and visionary voices. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents a its 2021–22 season filled with concerts and performances for a wide range of tastes from eclectic to traditional, from Grammy-winning artists in jazz, American roots, classical and global music to Broadway greats to expressive contemporary dance to laugh-out-loud comedy to a family series for the young and young-at-heart. A few noteworthy performances are Disney and

Broadway legend Lea Salonga, contemporary classical artist Daniil Trifonov, Angelique Kidjo, chart-topping American roots musician Mavis Staples, contemporary dance company MOMIX, Branford Marsalis Quartet, the return of Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel, and “B – The Underwater Bubble Show” for the entire family to enjoy.

For more information, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or call (480) 499-TKTS (8587).

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (SMOCA) presents an exhibition

with London-based artist Zineb Sedira, who will represent France in the 2022 Venice Biennale. At SMoCA, Sedira creates a new iteration of “Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go,” a work inspired by the 1969 Pan-African Festival of Algiers. In fall 2021, the Museum opens its second exhibition in “PROJECT SPACE,” a series that features projects by emerging artists, with new soft sculptures works by New York-based Mimi O Chun with the intent to spark moments of selfreflection. In spring 2022, an exhibition by Brad Kahlhamer presents new works in a variety of

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mediums that offer a meditation on the nomadic and intersectional contemporary condition that involves a social network of individuals of different ages, residency status, class and race. Also opening in the spring is a survey of works by Beverly McIver. The Museum offers a wide range of exciting and diverse events, to keep art lovers cool in a 68-degree museum.

Every season is packed with artist-led talks and workshops, and gives guests the opportunity to engage with artists, the community, and museumgoers to consider the questions and themes explored throughout the Museum.

For more information, visit SMoCA.org or call (480) 874-4666.

ON THE LAWN

SCOTTSDALE PUBLIC ART’S CANAL CONVERGENCE

takes over the Scottsdale Waterfront and the surrounding Old Town Scottsdale area for 10 days of wonder at the free annual confluence of water + art + light, November 5 – 14, 2021. This November the event returns with a new central theme: Art & Technology. Interact with art and artists, immerse yourself in music and dance,

and participate in family-friendly activities and sustainable workshops. Additionally, this year Canal Convergence partnered with CODAworx’s annual conference CODAsummit.

For more information, visit ScottsdalePublicArt.org or CanalConvergence.com.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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CANAL CONVERGENCE WATER + ART + LIGHT ART AND TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER 5–14 Canal Convergence returns to the Scottsdale Waterfront for 10 days of wonder at this free annual confluence of water + art + light. Immerse yourself in light-based art installations from local, national, and international artists; educational workshops; artist talks; music and dance performances; beer and wine; food trucks; and more!

Canal Convergence is produced by Scottsdale Public Art in association with other branches of Scottsdale Arts.

Visit CanalConvergence.com for more information.

CanalConvergence.com 480-874-4645 Scottsdale Waterfront

SCOTTSDALE ARTS LEARNING & INNOVATION

builds a strong, vibrant community through the arts. They serve more than 50,000 teachers, students, families, and adults annually through performances, museum programs, hands-on workshops, artist residencies, and workshops.

Together, Scottsdale Arts and it branches offer a wide variety of entertainment for the arts community in Scottsdale and throughout the Valley.

For more information, visit ScottsdaleArtsLearning.org.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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602.253.8188 www.VYT.com

2021-2022 A Phoenix Fami ly Tradition THE MUSICAL

October 1 – 31, 2021

February 4 – 20, 2022

December 3 – 23, 2021

April 1 – 24, 2022

*GIVE EVERY MONTH

June 10 – 26, 2022

KEEP THEATRE ALIVE!

Visit www.VYT.com for more details!

his 2021-2022 season marks Valley Youth T Theatre’s 33 Season…and it’s come a very long way, since 1989! rd

From its humble beginnings as a traveling troupe and in the basement of what was once Tower Plaza shopping center in central Phoenix, Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) has evolved into a world-class theatre company and one of the most well-respected youth theatre companies in the country. Known equally for alumni who have successfully charted careers on Broadway - and beyond - and those who have become business and community leaders, VYT prides itself on nurturing children in the areas of discipline, cooperation and respect.

Producing Artistic Director, Bobb Cooper, joined VYT in 1996 and is lauded for the passion and professionalism he instills throughout the company. He and the theatre have been recognized with a myriad of awards and unparalleled reviews of their productions.

FREAKY FRIDAY | PHOTO BY CANDACE WEIR

VYT'S 33RD SEASON BRINGS Previously Canceled Shows Back on Stage

VYT is also acclaimed for the many contributions they make to the community.

Sponsor-a-Seat has allowed more than 20,000 at-risk children attend live theatre, many for the first time. Literacy and The Arts raises reading and vocabulary comprehension for thousands of students attending Title 1 schools, each year. Chronically & terminally ill children and their families through HopeKids are VYT’s guests for the final dress rehearsal of every production and special Military Nights are often offered for families of active and retired members of the armed forces, along with donations to VetTix. To celebrate thirty-three years and returning to the stage after a long pandemic break, VYT decided to take the opportunity to produce the shows that we had planned to do for the 2020 2021 Season.

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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Spookley the Square Pumpkin, the Musical, based on the wildly popular books and animated special, combines the spectacle and joy of Halloween with delightful songs that people of all ages will love! Shunned by the other pumpkins, Spookley is befriended by Edgar, Allan and Poe, three hilarious spiders who convince him that, square or not, he has a right to be the Pick of the Patch. Encouraged by kindly Jack Scarecrow, Spookley tries his best, but he isn’t sure he has what it takes until a mighty storm threatens Holiday Hill Farm. As a result, all the pumpkins in the patch learn that the things that make you different make you special.

A WINNIE-THE-POOH CHRISTMAS TAIL VYT’s perennial musical that tells a holiday adventure of sharing, caring, friendship and joy, celebrating its 25th Anniversary this season!

SLEEPING BEAUTY A sleeping beauty, a handsome prince, good and evil fairies… and one of the most beloved stories of our time… set to a beautiful ballet.

JUNIE B JONES, THE MUSICAL Join Junie B. on her first day of first grade, where many changes are in store: Junie’s best friend Lucille has found new best friends -— and Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. While in Mr. Scary’s class, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard — and she may need glasses. Add in a friendly cafeteria lady, an intense kickball tournament

and a “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal,” and first grade has never been more exciting.

Featuring many lovable characters and funfilled songs, Junie B. Jones will capture your audiences’ and performers’ hearts — just as the books captivated an entire generation of students.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, THE MUSICAL Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on stage! It’s the first day after winter break at East High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes find their cliques, recount their vacations, and look forward to the new year. Basketball team captain and resident jock, Troy, discovers that the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they decide to audition for the high school musical that is being led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the threat posed to the “status quo,” Troy and Gabriella’s alliance might just open the door for others to shine as well. Disney’s High School Musical is fun for the whole family.

“This is a landmark year for VYT,” says Cooper. “In fact, we’ve beaten the odds a number of times to keep this theatre and its programs alive. Today, I’m very proud to say that we continue to thrive in the Phoenix arts community and that every season is better than the last, thanks to our incredible donors, Board of Directors, staffs, students, campers, casts, crews, parents, volunteers, and business partners. Together, we inspire young people to be the best they can be.”

For more information, visit vyt.com or call (602) 253-8188.

MATILDA | PHOTO BY CANDACE WEIR

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Books for ALL of Arizona's

CHILDREN Changing Hands Bookstore and Act One. Helping to ensure that Arizona's children have access to books and to the arts, regardless of

CHANGING HAN# '+ ' ! H 'NI

economic, geographic, and logistical barriers.

You can help give books to kids! Learn how at changinghands.com/Ac n

Last Podcast on the Left October 2 October 15 John Cleese November 13 Divorciemonos Mi Amor December 2 Scribble Showdown December 3 Trixie Mattel: Grown Up

To purchase tickets or for more information

@orpheumphx

PCCTicketing.com

ON the

2021 - 2022 ARTS SEASON PREVIEW GUIDE | VOL. 8

HAMILTON | PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

THE LION KING | PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER

calendar

2021–2022 Calendar dates current as of August 2021

T H E AT E R | C O N C E R T S | M U S E U M S | C A L E N DA R PRESENTED BY:

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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1 thru 11/4 Sunsets and Sips Taliesin West 3 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 8 thru 10/10 Hamilton ASU Gammage 10 Season Kickoff Festival: Wonderland Mesa Arts Center 11 thru 1/16 Oscar Muñoz: Invisibilia Phoenix Art Museum Katz Wing for Modern Art 12 Nutcracker Youth Auditions Ballet Arizona 14 MAVIS STAPLES Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

23 - 28 Under the Jello Mold Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2 24 Boz Scaggs Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 24 Exhibition on view: Socially Distanced Center Space, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts 25 thru 11/14 Fall Butterfly Exhibit Desert Botanical Garden

OCTOBER 1 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 1 - 30 Flamenco Íntimo Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 1 - 31 Spookley the Square Pumpkin: The Musical Valley Youth Theatre 1 thru 11/19 Music in the Garden Desert Botanical Garden

DAVID FOSTER

SEPTEMBER

15 thru 10/24 Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot The Phoenix Theatre Company Mainstage Theatre 16 - 19 Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville Madison Center for the Arts 17 Exhibition on view: Flamenco in Arizona ArtReach Space, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

26 Get The Led Out Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

18 MV Caldera Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

29 thru 10/2 Ballet Under the Stars Ballet Arizona Parks around the Valley

19 thru 10/30 Chicago The Musical Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 82

2 Sandra Bernhard: A Decade of Madness and Mayhem Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 3 Pablo Ziegler Chamber Quartet: RADIOTANGO Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

3 Pat Metheny: Side-Eye Mesa Arts Center 3 - 31 Selena Maria Sings Childsplay Theatre Herberger Theater Center 4 Exhibition on view: Arizona Watercolor Association Juried Exhibition Scottsdale Public Art Civic Center Public Gallery, Scottsdale Civic Center Library 5 Lake Street Dive Mesa Arts Center 6 Arizona Opera - Coffee at Kerr: The Copper Queen ASU Kerr, Arizona Opera 6 Clint Black Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 6 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 6 thru 12/5 The Rocky Horror Show The Phoenix Theatre Company Hormel Theatre 7 An Evening with Emmylou Harris Mesa Arts Center 9 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 10 Ross and Kilgore Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 12 A Conversation with Stacey Abrams Mesa Arts Center

FREEDOM MUST BE LIVED | MARION PALFI

13 National Geographic Live: Mark Synnott | Life on the Vertical Mesa Arts Center 13 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 15 2021-2022 Season Preview ASU Kerr 15 LP & The Vinyl Chandler Center for the Arts Hal Bogle Theatre 16 In Conversation with The Sopranos Mesa Arts Center 16 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 17 Julia Chacón Flamenco Theatre | Flamenco por la Familia Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2

17 Exhibition closing: And It’s Built on the Sacred Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 17 Exhibition closing: Kristin Bauer: Untitled Gestures #4 and #5 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 17 Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Special Guests Villalobos Brothers Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 20 Book Club #2 Maria Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina Ballet Arizona Virtual 20 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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FIRST FRIDAY | PHOENIX ART MUSEUM

21 Classical Music Inside Out: An Evening with Shelly Watson Mesa Arts Center

23 Amy Grant Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

29 thru 11/7 Contemporary Moves Ballet Arizona Dorrance Theatre

21 - 23 Strange Garden Desert Botanical Garden

23 & 24 Día de los Muertos Festival Mesa Arts Center

21 thru 11/7 My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center

23 thru 12/31 Philip C. Curtis and the Landscapes of Arizona Phoenix Art Museum The Ullman Center for the Art of Philip C. Curtis

OCTOBER The Copper Queen Film Arizona Opera Arizona Opera OnDemand

22 Bruce in the USA Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 22 - 24 Spoke Art: Timeless 3 Taliesin West 23 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 23 The Fab Four Mesa Arts Center 23 Live Art Auction Larsen Gallery

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27 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 28 Guitars From Spain: Jose Antonio Rodriguez and Twanguero ASU Kerr 28 Dream Theater with Special Guest: Arch Echo Mesa Arts Center 28 - 30 Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience Madison Center for the Arts

30 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden

NOVEMBER 1 ABBA The Concert Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 2-7 Mean Girls ASU Gammage 3 JJ Grey & Mofro Supporting Act: TK & The Holy Know-Nothings Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

3 National Geographic Live: Brian Skerry | Secrets of the Whales Mesa Arts Center 3 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 4 Snarky Puppy Mesa Arts Center 4 An Evening with Branford Marsalis Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 4 - 14 Urinetown Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 5 Run Boy Run Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 5 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 5 Tommy Emmanuel Mesa Arts Center

5 - 14 Canal Convergence Scottsdale Waterfront 6 Boney James Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 6 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 7 Alexander Malofeev, piano Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 7 thru 12/24 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical Childsplay Theatre Herberger Theater Center 7 thru 3/6 Landscapes of Extraction: The Art of Mining in the American West Phoenix Art Museum Steele Gallery 10 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden

11 Alton Brown: LIVE | Beyond the Eats Mesa Arts Center 12 Randy Rainbow: The Pink Glasses Tour Mesa Arts Center 13 LeAnn Rimes Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 13 All The World’s a Song: Shakespeare in Jazz ASU Kerr 13 DON'T GO ASU Gammage 13 Jan Sandwich and Trio 380: Salute to the Ladies of Song Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2 13 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden

COSI FAN TUTTE | ARIZONA OPERA , PHOTO BY TIM TRUMBLE

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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14 Anne Sofie von Otter and Brooklyn Rider Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 14 American Ballet Theatre Studio Company Madison Center for the Arts 15 Bria Skonberg Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church 16 Vienna Boys Choir Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 17 Arizona Opera - Coffee at Kerr: El Milagro del Recuerdo ASU Kerr, Arizona Opera 17 thru 1/2 Million Dollar Quartet Christmas The Phoenix Theatre Company Mainstage Theatre 17 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 18 Classical Music Inside Out: Attacca Quartet Mesa Arts Center

18 - 21 A Christmas Carol Broadway at The Orpheum Theatre Series 19 Ray On My Mind Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 19 Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular Mesa Arts Center 19 René Marie & Experiment in Truth Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 20 Postmodern Jukebox Mesa Arts Center 20 Altan with Special Guests from Donegal Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 20 Dog Days Desert Botanical Garden 21 Young Musicians Fall Concert Arizona Musicfest MIM 21 Whose Live Anyway?

Mesa Arts Center

26 Jake Shimabukuro: Christmas in Hawaii Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 26 thru 12/30 Elf the Musical Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 27 thru 4/24 Legacy of Ceylon: Art and Photography of Sri Lanka Phoenix Art Museum Art of Asia galleries

DECEMBER 2-5 Santa’s Circus Madison Center for the Arts 3 thru 6/19/22 Chihuly in the Desert Desert Botanical Garden 3 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 3 The Christmas Serenade Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 3 - 23 A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail Valley Youth Theatre 3-5 El Milagro del Recuerdo Arizona Opera Herberger Theater Center 3 - 31 Las Noches de las Luminarias Desert Botanical Garden 5 An Evening with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin: Together in Concert Mesa Arts Center

TALIESIN WEST

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6 Arizona Costume Institute Holiday Luncheon Phoenix Art Museum Cummings Great Hall 7 - 12 My Fair Lady ASU Gammage 9 Jessica Fichot ASU Kerr 9 thru 1/2 Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center 10 Mariachi Sol de México® de José Hernández Presents A Merry-Achi Christmas Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

10 A Brassy Christmas: Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church

16 - 19 Assisted Living: The Musical® THE HOME…for the Holidays Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2

10 - 24 The Nutcracker Ballet Arizona Symphony Hall

17 That’s What Friends Are For: Nicole Pesce, Renee Patrick, Greg Warner and Mel Brown Celebrate Dionne Warwick ASU Kerr

14 Keyboard Conversationsl® With Jeffrey Siegel: The Glorious Music of Chopin Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 15 Dave Koz & Friends Christmas 2021 Tour Mesa Arts Center 16 Simply Three Holiday Celebration Mesa Arts Center

17 Taiko Extravaganza: Flower of Life Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 18 Jiji, guitar, with Danbi Um, violin Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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CONTEMPORARY MOVES | PHOTO BY ZILIAEV

18 thru 7/17 Camouflage Phoenix Art Museum Ellman Fashion Design Gallery and Harnett Gallery 22 Sons of Serendip Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 29 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: Time Bubble Tour Mesa Arts Center 31 Straight No Chaser Mesa Arts Center 31 Exhibition closing: Arizona Watercolor Association Juried Exhibition Scottsdale Public Art Civic Center Public Gallery, Scottsdale Civic Center Library

JANUARY 5 - 30 The Hello Girls The Phoenix Theatre Company Hormel Theatre

7 Chris Mann Sings the Tony Bennett Songbook Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

9 Exhibition Closing: Flamenco in Arizona Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

7 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum

10 John Lloyd Young: Broadway’s Jersey Boy Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

9 Exhibition closing: Socially Distanced Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

10 Exhibition on view: FIRST: Native American Arizona Artists Scottsdale Public Art Civic Center Public Gallery, Scottsdale Civic Center Library

JACKSON GALAXY

11 Keyboard Conversations®️ With Jeffrey Siegel: Fantastic Fantasies Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

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13 - 14 Tango Argentina Madison Center for the Arts 15 Ashwini Ramaswamy: ‘Let the Crows Come’ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

16 Winston Churchill: Man of the Century Chandler Center for the Arts Hal Bogle Theatre 16 An Intimate Evening with David Foster: Hitman Tour Mesa Arts Center 16 Cyrille Aimée, Adonis Rose & New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s NOJO7 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 19 Arizona Opera Coffee at Kerr: Carmen ASU Kerr, Arizona Opera 19 National Geographic Live: Alicia Odewale | Greenwood: A Century of Resilience Mesa Arts Center 19 Book Club #3 - Bunheads Ballet Arizona Virtual 19 thru 6/26 The Hitachi Collection Phoenix Art Museum Norton Gallery

SERGIO MENDES

20 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Mesa Arts Center

21 Creature Comforts Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

21 Grace Rolland Rising Sun Daughter ASU Kerr

21 Exhibition on view: Portraits Exhibition Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

21 Seth Rudetsky Concert Series: Eva Noblezada with Seth Rudetsky Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

21 - 23 Arizona Opera Education Presents | ‘Cinderella’: A Classic Fairytale Opera Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2

VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW | PHOTO BY TIM TRUMBLE

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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21 thru 2/20 Gypsy Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 22 Bassem Youssef ASU Gammage 23 Legendary Ladies of Soul Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 23 The Life and Music of George Michael Mesa Arts Center 26 Joan Osborne | The Weepies Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 27 Aizuri Quartet Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

WE BANJO 3 | PHOTO BY BRIAN DALTHORPE

28 Bernadette Peters Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

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28 Romeo and Juliet Studio Spotlight Ballet Arizona Dorrance Theatre 28 Rita Rudner Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 28 - 30 Waitress Broadway at the Orpheum Orpheum Theatre 28 - 30 Carmen Arizona Opera Symphony Hall 29 Mostly Kosher Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 29 Kristin Chenoweth in Concert: For the Girls Mesa Arts Center 30 Exhibition closing: Voice-Over: Zineb Sedira Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

31 Sergio Mendes Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

FEBRUARY 2 Jesse Cook Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 2 thru 4/3 Singin’ In the Rain The Phoenix Theatre Company Mainstage Theatre 3 A Conversation with John Leguizamo Mesa Arts Center 4 Steve Tyrell Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 4 Neamen Lyles ASU Kerr 4 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum

4 - 20 Sleeping Beauty Valley Youth Theatre 5 We Banjo 3 Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 5 L.A. Theatre Works: Lucy Loves Desi—A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 5 thru 3/13 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Childsplay Theatre Herberger Theater Center 7 A Star Is Born, The Concert Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 8 - 13 The Band’s Visit ASU Gammage 9 - 13 Riverdance: 25 Years of Riverdance Mesa Arts Center 10 Classical Music Inside Out: Xavier Foley, Double Bass Mesa Arts Center 10 - 13 Romeo and Juliet Ballet Arizona Symphony Hall 10 - 27 Women in Jeopardy!

Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center 12 Drumline Live!

Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

EL MILAGRO DEL RECUERDO | PHOTO BY LYNN LANE

13 Ken Waldman with Willi Carlisle ASU Kerr 14 Music City Hit Makers Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 15 Keyboard Conversations® With Jeffrey Siegel: My Favorite Brahms Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 17 The Four Freshmen ASU Kerr 18 Storm Large Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

18 Small Island Big Song Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 18 Seth Rudetsky Concert Series: Jeremy Jordan with Seth Rudetsky Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 18 - 20 ZUZU African Acrobats Madison Center for the Arts 19 Kenny G Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 20 Festival Sinfonia Arizona Musicfest Pinnacle Presbyterian Church

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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20 Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 20 You’ve Got A Friend: Songs of Carole King Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 22 Sarah Chang and The Festival Orchestra Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church 22 through 3/13 Great Balls of Fire Arizona Broadway Theatre The Encore Room

23 Arizona Opera - Coffee at Kerr: A Little Night Music ASU Kerr, Arizona Opera 23 National Geographic Live: Rae Wynn-Grant | The Secret Life of Bears Mesa Arts Center 24 Inon Barnatan and The Festival Orchestra Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church

24 - 27 ‘Bedtime Stories’ | performancecollective URLAND, Thomas Dudkiewicz Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2 25 Festival Orchestra POPS: Salute to the Wild West Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church 25 Fran Lebowitz Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 26 The Greatest Love of All Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 27 Beethoven’s 9th: Festival Orchestra, Chorus & Soloists Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church 27 Scottsdale Chorus Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

MARCH 2 Neil Sedaka Mesa Arts Center 2 Basel Chamber Orchestra | Ian Bostridge, Tenor | Felix Klieser, French Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 2 thru 5/1 The Color Purple The Phoenix Theatre Company Hormel Theatre 4 Oscar Peñas ASU Kerr 92

RISING SUN DAUGHTER | PHOTO BY JULIUS S CHLOSBURG

4 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 4-6 A Little Night Music Arizona Opera Symphony Hall 5 The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes Mesa Arts Center 6 The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 6 Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: ‘Songs We Love’ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 7 Callaway Sisters: Sibling Revelry Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 9 Voctave Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

13 Songs of Elton John Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 14 - 16 Paul Anka: Anka Sings Sinatra Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 15 - 20 Tootsie ASU Gammage 16 Buddy Guy Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage

10 Memphis Jookin Madison Center for the Arts 11 Phoenix Chamber Music Festival XIII - From La Belle Époque to the 21st Century: The French Connection ASU Kerr, Phoenix Chamber Music Society 11 All Balanchine Studio Spotlight Ballet Arizona Dorrance Theatre 11 MOMIX: 40th Anniversary – VIVA MOMIX Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 11-13 An Officer And A Gentleman Broadway at The Orpheum Theatre Series 12 Broadway Perspectives 2022: Women of Broadway Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

16 Black Violin: Impossible Tour Mesa Arts Center 16 Charles Lewis Quintet + 2 ASU Kerr 17 Classical Music Inside Out: Hanzhi Wang, Accordion Mesa Arts Center 17 - 20 That Golden Girls Show: A Puppet Parody Chandler Center for the Arts Hal Bogle Theatre 18 Phoenix Chamber Music Festival XIII - Polonsky-ShifrinWiley Trio Plays Brahms and Beethoven ASU Kerr, Phoenix Chamber Music Society 18 - 20 Cactus Flower Story Hour with AJ Odneal and Jillian Bessett Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2 18 thru 4/24 Flashdance Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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CHRISTMAS SERENADE

19 B—The Underwater Bubble Show Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 20 Get Happy! Michael Feinstein celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 22 Pink Martini Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church 22 Keyboard Conversations® With Jeffrey Siegel: Evocative Visions Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 23 The Fitzgeralds’ Irish Celebration ASU Kerr 94

24 - 27 All Balanchine Ballet Arizona Orpheum Theatre

26 The pARTy Phoenix Art Museum

24 thru 4/10 Nina Simone: Four Women Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center

28 Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock & Roll, Pt. 2 Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

25 Dorrance Dance Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

30 Arizona Opera Coffee at Kerr: Cosi fan tutti ASU Kerr, Arizona Opera

26 WHEN ALIENS FALL FROM THE SKY ASU Gammage

30 Exhibition closing: FIRST: Native American Arizona Artists Scottsdale Public Art Civic Center Public Gallery, Scottsdale Civic Center Library

26 Ledisi Sings Nina Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 26 Bessie, Billie, & Nina: Pioneering Women of Jazz Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

31 thru 4/3 Rent: 25th Anniversary Madison Center for the Arts

APRIL 1 The Real James Bond Was Dominican ASU Kerr

6 Classical Music Inside Out: Zuill Bailey, Cello | Chee-Yun Kim, Violin | Natasha Paremski, Piano Mesa Arts Center

1 The Texas Tenors Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

6 - 10 The Other Mozart Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

1 Meow Meow Chandler Center for the Arts Hal Bogle Theatre

8 - 10 Così fan tutte Arizona Opera Symphony Hall

1 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum

9 Shoshana Bean Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

1 Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández Mesa Arts Center 1-3 South Pacific Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre Series 1 - 24 Junie B. Jones, the Musical Valley Youth Theatre 2 What Problem?

ASU Gammage 2 Drum Tao 2022 Mesa Arts Center 3 Angelique Kidjo: Remain in Light Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 4 The McCartney Years Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church

13 Marc Cohn Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 13 National Geographic Live: Beth Shapiro | How to Clone a Mammoth Mesa Arts Center 16 Alvin Ailey ® American Dance Theater Mesa Arts Center 16 Jackson Galaxy Mesa Arts Center 19 - 24 Hadestown ASU Gammage 20 Book Club #4 Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina Ballet Arizona Virtual 21 Emanuel Ax in Recital Arizona Musicfest La Casa de Cristo Church

22 Juan Gabriel Studio Spotlight Ballet Arizona Dorrance Theatre 23 Live Art Auction Larensen Gallery 23 thru 5/22 Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Childsplay Theatre Herberger Theater Center 23 thru 9/18 Desert Rider Phoenix Art Museum Steele Gallery 24 Exhibition closing: Portraits Exhibition Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts 25 Exhibition Closing: Creature Comforts Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts 26 At War With Ourselves - 400 Years Of You ASU Gammage 26 Daniil Trifonov, piano Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 28 Keb’ Mo’ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 29 The Blues Brothers Revue Arizona Musicfest Highlands Church 29 thru 5/1 Balloonacy Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Stage 2

ON STAGE 2021–2022 |

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JUNE 3 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 8 thru 8/7 Always…Patsy Cline The Phoenix Theatre Company Hormel Theatre BUYI ZAMA (RAFIKI) ©DISNEY | PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER

MAY 4 thru 6/19 Something Rotten Phoenix Theatre Company 5 Lea Salonga Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 5 Mariachi Sol De México® de José Hernández Madison Center for the Arts 5-8 Juan Gabriel Ballet Arizona Symphony Hall 5 - 22 Justice Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center 6 First Friday Phoenix Art Museum 6 An Evening with Neil Gaiman Mesa Arts Center 6 thru 5/29 Ghost: The Musical Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 96

11 Yotam Ottolenghi Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 12 Colin Hay Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 15 La Santa Cecilia Chandler Center for the Arts Mainstage 17 thru 6/2 An Evening at the Desert Botanical Garden Ballet Arizona Desert Botanical Garden 21 Vijay Iyer Sextet Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater 26 Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars featuring Paquito D’Rivera Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater

10 - 26 High School Musical Valley Youth Theatre Herberger Theater Center 10 thru 7/17 Nickelodeon's The Spongebob Musical Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage 14 - 19 Come From Away ASU Gammage 30 thru 7/17 How to make an American Son Arizona Theatre Company Herberger Theater Center

JULY 7 - 31 The Lion King ASU Gammage 13 thru 9/28 On Your Feet!

The Phoenix Theatre Company Mainstage Theatre 21 thru 7/31 Next to Normal Arizona Broadway Theatre Mainstage

2021

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