2012-2013 Seven Days of Opening Nights Season Brochure

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE /sevendaysofopeningnights event

date

location

time

Emily Johnson

9/21

Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre (NSFDT)

8:00

$25

Anthony Zerbe

1/19

Fallon Theatre (FT)

8:00

$25

Richard Thompson

1/23

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall (RDCH)

7:30

$50

$35

Hilary Hahn

2/7

RDCH

7:30

$60

$40

Museum of Fine Arts Art Opening

2/8

Museum of Fine Arts

6:008:00

Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

2/8

RDCH

7:30

2 seven days of opening nights

gold

a

/7daysfestival b

event

date

location

time

$10

Saturday Matinee of the Arts

2/9

Tallahassee Museum

10:004:00

FREE

FREE

$10

PRISM

2/9

RDCH

7:30

$30

$10

$25

$10

Cheryl Strayed

2/10

RDCH

7:30

$20

$10

$30

$10

The Chieftains

2/11

RDCH

7:30

FREE

The Actors’ Gang

2/12

Turner Auditorium at TCC

8:00

$10

Del McCoury and Preservation Hall Jazz Band

2/13

RDCH

7:30

FREE

$75

$50

$35

student

/sevendaystallahassee

seven days of opening nights gratefully acknowledges its sponsors, whose generosity helps make this festival possible.

Community support has been a cornerstone of Seven Days from its inception, and these area businesses have taken a personal stake in the festival’s success.

Thank you!

gold

$75

a

$50

b

$35

$25

$60

$40

student

$10

$10

$30

platinum sponsors

$10

sevendaysfestival.org | sevendays@fsu.edu

contact us tickets event

date

location

time

Kyle Abraham

2/14

NSFDT

8:00

Bernadette Peters

2/15

RDCH

7:30

SĂŠrgio and Odair Assad

2/16

Pebble Hill (PH)

2:00

Carolina Chocolate Drops

2/16

RDCH

7:30

SĂŠrgio and Odair Assad

2/17

Opperman Music Hall (OMH)

2:00

Marcus Roberts Octet

2/17

RDCH

7:30

gold

a

b

$25

$95

$80

$60

216 westcott building p.o. Box 3061350 tallahassee, fl 32306-1350 | 850.644.7670 tickets.fsu.edu ticket office 850.644.6500

student

event

date

location

time

$10

Geoffrey Gilmore

2/18

FSU Student Life Cinema (SLC)

8:00

$40

Creole Choir of Cuba

2/25

RDCH

7:30

Second City

3/5

FT

$10

Second City

3/6

$10

John Williams and John Etheridge

$10

Zakir Hussain and Shivkumar Sharma

$50

$50

$35

$25

$30

$50

$35

$25

gold sponsors silver sponsors

gold

a

b

student

$30

$10

$25

$10

8:00

$30

$10

FT

8:00

$30

$10

3/23

OMH

8:00

$40

$10

4/10

RDCH

7:30

$35

$50

$35

$25

$10

bronze sponsors

Michael & Judy wilson sheridan 2012-2013 festival guide

3

seven days Welcomes new director

ChrisTOPHER J.

heacox T

he 2012-2013 Seven Days of Opening Nights season brings a rich tapestry of the arts to Tallahassee. I am honored to now be a part of the Seven Days tradition — and to celebrate with each of you the mutual passion for what inspires the human spirit through dance, theater, music, visual art, film and literature.

The artistic vision, extraordinary quality of performers and outstanding venues, such as Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, provide a dynamic and exceptional opportunity to experience artistic innovations.

Equally relevant, the Seven Days season provides

4 seven days of opening nights

the Tallahassee community, Florida State University students and area K-12 students with life enrichment through workshops, special performances and master classes.

Whether you attend all or one of the Seven Days performances, we hope you will walk away with a renewed sense of the human experience. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your journey.

Christopher J. Heacox

Director, Seven Days of Opening Nights

another Welcome from

MIKE PATE

I

t gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 2012-2013 season of Seven Days of Opening Nights. As chair of the festival’s Advisory Board, I am excited to once more embark upon what has become a cultural cornerstone for our community.

For the past 14 years, this festival of the fine and performing arts has enriched our lives by providing access to some of the world’s best performers and artists. In that time, the shared experience of these performances and works of art have brought our community together in powerful ways. By working together, Seven Days of Opening Nights has become known as one of the premier arts festivals in the

Southeast. What’s more, the festival’s educational components have given extraordinary learning opportunities to schoolchildren and university students alike.

This 15th season offers another opportunity to share in the cultural feast offered by Seven Days of Opening Nights. I invite you to participate in as many of our offerings as possible and hope that you enjoy every moment!

Mike Pate

Chair, Seven Days of Opening Nights Advisory Board

2012-2013 festival guide

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emily

johnson Niicugni world premiere

“A stunning example of an emerging contemporary American aesthetic.”

– Houston Chronicle

E

mily Johnson presents the world premiere of Niicugni, a piece that the Alaska-born Johnson refined during her second stint as a fellow at Florida State’s prestigious Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography.

Niicugni will feature 40 community members, as well as Johnson’s own troupe. She calls the work “a new performance centered on movement, story and sound housed within a light/sound installation of hand-made, functional fish-skin lanterns ... Niicugni equates the land we live on with the cells that comprise our bodies and calls upon audiences to remember that land is alive with ancestry, memory and possibility, and that our bodies also hold these things.”

Major support for this presentation has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the MetLife Community Connections Fund of the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project.

6 seven days of opening nights

Co-sponsored

by Seven Days of Opening Nights & FLORIDA STATE’S Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography

FRI 9/21 8 p.m. / Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

2012-2013 festival guide

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SAT 1/19

8 p.m. / Florida State’s Fallon Theatre $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 8 seven days of opening nights

Anthony

Zerbe

It’s All Done With Mirrors “The art of acting honed to a fine point.”

– Los Angeles Times

E

mmy® Award-winning actor/teacher Anthony Zerbe offers his dazzling one-man take on poet e.e. cummings, moving the poetry from page to performance as he glides through a parade of characters – carnival barkers hawking sex and imagination, Cambridge ladies staunch in their faith and malice, and young men who fall in love and grow old.

Zerbe’s résumé boasts more than 30 films, 100 TV guest appearances, stints on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and six National Shakespeare Festivals. The play is part of Zerbe’s 3 Days of Theatre, which will also offer 10 one-on-one master classes for Florida State students. A renowned educator currently teaching at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York, Zerbe’s class is “what it must have been like when Homer talked with a crowd” (Harvard Crimson).

2012-2013 festival guide

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SPonsored by: MICHAEL & judy wilson Sheridan

wed 1/23 7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $50 | $35 | $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 10 seven days of opening nights

Richard

Thompson “Richard Thompson is the consummate musician … His intricate acoustic hybrid picking is the stuff of legend, and has firmly established him as one of the most versatile players to ever emerge from Britain.” – Guitar Player

A

t long last, Richard Thompson makes his Tallahassee debut. The uniquely gifted Thompson is a brilliant songwriter, virtuoso guitarist, riveting performer and uniquely gifted musical adventurer.

As a songwriter, “his songs have pushed past the clichés of confessional songwriting, from the cheerfully dark ‘Wall of Death’ to the brilliant story-song ‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning,’ with guitar work as cutting and surprising as his lyrics” (Acoustic Guitar). He has carved out his own musical path from his earliest days as co-founder of Fairport Convention, through his classic duets with then-wife Linda Thompson, and in his brilliant ongoing solo career.

And then there’s his guitar playing. Rolling Stone calls him one of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time, while The New York Times says, “His guitar work shimmers and shudders with an almost medieval mixture of elegance and melancholy.” Thompson is a folk-rock revolutionary and a legendary live performer. File this under ‘don’t miss.’

2012-2013 festival guide

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SPonsored by:

Thur 2/7

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $60 | $40 | $30 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 12 seven days of opening nights

hilary

hahn

“Hahn is one of those rare performers who can dazzle you with the warmth of her personality and knock you dead with the dexterity of her technique and the emotional depth of her interpretations.” – Los Angeles Times

V

iolinist Hilary Hahn is blessed with “warm tone, stunning technique and flawless intonation” (The Wall Street Journal), but it is her probing interpretations, technical brilliance, and commitment to new music and the commissioning process that have not only made her one of the most sought-after artists of our time but also brought her love of classical music to a diverse audience.

Although only 32 years old, her international fame and recognition, including two Grammys® and the 2008 Classic FM/Gramophone Artist of the Year award, are a testament to her talent and drive. Also a daring collaborator, a portion of her program will include several pieces from The Hilary Hahn Encores Project, for which Hahn commissioned 27 composers to write short “encore” pieces for violin and piano. The composers commissioned range from Kyzysztof Penderecki to Jennifer Higdon, Nico Muhly and James Newton Howard.

2012-2013 festival guide

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FRI 2/8 6–8 p.m.

Museum of Fine Arts FREE

14 seven days of opening nights

MUSEUM

of

fine arts Museum Hours: Feb. 8 - March 31, 9-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; Sat. & Sun. 1-4 p.m., except for Spring Break (March 9-17).

During spring break, please prearrange your visit.

Appointments can be made by calling 644-1299.

T

he FSU Museum of Fine Arts’ 2012-2013 contribution to Seven Days consists of three different, highly unique exhibitions.

Head, Shoulders, Genes & Toes – The slightly altered nursery song lyrics make an ideal entrée into the unexpected dimension of artists using the material world of science and art to draw fascinating psychological parallels and create installations. Curated by Judith Rushin, the exhibition reflects the interface of art, medical research and the human condition.

Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master, on loan from the Ringling Museum of Art, showcases prints of one of the most influential artists of all time. Rubens, the Flemish Baroque master, was a prodigious artist renowned for his virtuosic handling of oil paint, energetic composition, and dramatic, triumphal, often sensual style.

His most famous compositions were enjoyed by an international public, and his influence came to be felt around the globe.

I Am Me: Artists & Autism – Adopts the philosophy of Kurtis Frank’s book “I Am Me,” which addresses overcoming feelings of isolation and confronting differences. Talented young artists who meet the challenges of autism are the focus of this exhibition. Curated by Alison Leatzow and Susan Baldino, the selected works are varied and unforgettable.

2012-2013 festival guide

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Wynton Marsalis and the

Lincoln center jazz orchestra 16 seven days of opening nights

“The finest big band in the world today.”

– Daily Telegraph (UK)

Fri 2/8

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $75 | $50 | $35 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

A

2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and arguably the most famous jazz musician alive, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is an iconic figure in the evolution of the art form and a tireless advocate for jazz as America’s classical music. From his New Orleans beginnings and fiery debut with legendary drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers to his string of acclaimed albums and current role as artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis has amassed an unrivaled number of awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards®, recognition as one of “America’s 25 Most Influential People,” and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first ever awarded to a jazz artist.

And of course, he has helmed the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, since it became Jazz at Lincoln Center’s resident orchestra in 1988. This remarkably versatile orchestra performs and leads educational events in venues in New York, across the United States and around the globe, earning a reputation as “a roving, 15-headed family of finely tuned ambassadors dedicated to advancing the cause of jazz around the world” (Los Angeles Times).

SPonsored by: 2012-2013 festival guide

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SAT 2/9

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. / Tallahassee Museum FREE 18 seven days of opening nights

Saturday Matinee of the

arts

Voted 2012 Tally Award Winner for Best Cultural Institution – Capital City Youth Services, Inc.

S

aturday Matinee of the Arts presents a rich lineup of visual and performing arts, including live music on the outdoor stage and in the museum’s historic buildings. The day’s dance performances typically range from ballet to flamenco, while artists and artisans from fine painters and potters to jewelry makers display their work in picturesque settings throughout the museum’s grounds.

Children will have the opportunity to play and partake in activities that are just for them, and there will be plenty for adults to enjoy as well. The museum open its doors free of charge for the matinee.

2012-2013 festival guide

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PRISM “The PRISM shows are built on a more-is-more philosophy. A saxophone ensemble might pop up in the balcony, followed by 10 tuba players on the stage and then a marching band might come stomping down the aisles. It’s a sonic collage of barely controlled madness.”

– Tallahassee Democrat

P

RISM returns for yet another magnificently conceived, beautifully played performance. Featuring top music students from Florida State’s world-renowned wind and percussion programs, PRISM covers the spectrum of band activities at Florida State – Florida State Chamber Winds, the Campus Band, University Concert Band, Seminole Sound, University Symphonic Band, University Wind Orchestra and of course, the Marching Chiefs – covering a huge amount of musical terrain.

If you’ve never seen a PRISM concert before, you need to. Just ask someone who’s been there.

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sponsored by:

SAT 2/9

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $30 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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Cheryl Strayed “Big- hearted, keen- eyed, lyrical, precise...Cheryl Strayed reminds us in every line that if defeat and despair are part of human experience, so are kindness, patience, and transcendence.”

– George Saunders, Best-selling Author

C

heryl Strayed is the author of three books: “Wild,” her New York Times-bestselling memoir; “Tiny Beautiful Things,” a selection of her “Dear Sugar” columns from TheRumpus.net; and “Torch,” a novel.

Personally selected by Oprah as the inaugural book for her “Oprah Book Club 2.0,” “Wild” has been optioned for film by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Pacific Standard. “Torch” was a finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award and was selected by The Oregonian as one of the Top 10 books of the year. Strayed has written the “Dear Sugar” column on TheRumpus.net since March 2010. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, Creative Nonfiction and elsewhere.

The winner of a Pushcart Prize as well as fellowships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, her essays and stories have been published in The Best American Essays, The Best New American Voices and other anthologies.

Strayed is a founding member of VIDA: Women In Literary Arts, and serves on its board of directors.

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SPonsored by:

SUN 2/10

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $20 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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the

chieftains “The world’s most popular Irish traditional folk group … a musical genealogical society, climbing out onto the branches of Celtic music’s family tree and plucking delicious fruit.”

– St. Paul Pioneer Press

T

he Chieftains celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2012 with performances around the world. Led by founder Paddy Moloney, the six-time Grammy® Award-winners (with an Oscar® on the shelf, to boot) are musical ambassadors, cultural icons and boundary-pushers.

“Throughout all these decades, Paddy and the Chieftains have maintained their artistic integrity and the joy of making those ancient sounds and calling up those ancient spirits,” says producer T-Bone Burnett. “And they continue to do so through all the many currents and shifts our culture is going through.” That’s proven on the Chieftains’ latest disc, “Voice of Ages,” featuring collaborations with such younger-generation types as the Carolina Chocolate Drops (pg. 36), Punch Brothers and Low Anthem.

How to best describe a Chieftains performance? “Joy … utterly Irish, carried aloft by tin whistles, skin drums, pipes, harps, guitars and stomping feet” (The New York Times).

24 seven days of opening nights

MON 2/11

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $75 | $50 | $35 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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TUE 2/12 8 p.m. / Turner Auditorium at Tallahassee Community College $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

26 seven days of opening nights

actors’ gang:

“tartuffe” “Hypocrisy and moral corruption may no longer surprise us, but the Actors’ Gang is there to remind to us to be outraged. When we’re done laughing, that is.” – The Front Page

W

hen Tartuffe endears himself to Orgon by means of falsely proclaimed religious piety, the entire household is turned upside down.

Banned by the Church upon its premiere in the 17th century, “Tartuffe” offers a social satire that is scathing even today.

sponsored by:

Juxtaposing traditional Commedia masks with strikingly modern images, The Actors’ Gang presents David Ball’s adaptation of “Tartuffe,” which reimagines Moliere’s classic play while updating the original text.

The gang creates daring reinterpretations of the classics while developing new plays that address the world today through satire, popular culture and raucous stagecraft.

2012-2013 festival guide

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American Legacies: The

Preservation Hall Jazz Band & the Wed 2/13 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall Del McCoury 7:30 $60 | $40 | $30 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 Band 28 seven days of opening nights

“The bottom line is that both of these bands are smoking- hot, and when the two join forces, the result is one hell of a barnburning good time.” – No Depression

P

reservation Hall opened its doors in 1961, showcasing the national treasures of traditional New Orleans jazz music. Its current roster boasts some of the Crescent City’s finest, most exciting musicians. These multigenerational players proudly carry on the traditions of the greatest jazz heritage on Earth. As The New York Times puts it, “This band has drive, funk and, believe it or not, youth.”

The Del McCoury Band is a world-class bluegrass ensemble that performs with “ferocious, purebred musicianship” (USA Today). With more than 30 trophies from the International Bluegrass

Music Association (including nine for Entertainer of the Year), the band is the most honored group in bluegrass history, earning the acclaim of musicians as diverse as Dierks Bentley, Bjork, Elvis Costello and Phish.

Together in concert, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band create a seamless blend as the high, lonesome sound of the Appalachians collides with the hot jazz of New Orleans. “In honoring their respective legacies, these groups manage to pay meaningful tribute to each other and have a hell of a good time,” says PopMatters. “You will, too.”

2012-2013 festival guide

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Kyle

abraham Abraham.In.Motion/

world premiere tour “Abraham is something of an emotional chameleon. His stage persona often appears as a street- smart dude who sports a tough armor, but we recognize it to be a shield for vulnerability.” – The Boston Globe

T

he mission of Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion is to create an evocative, interdisciplinary body of work. Born into hip-hop culture in the late ’70s and grounded in Abraham’s artistic upbringing in classical cello, piano and the visual arts, the goal of the movement is to delve into identity in relation to a personal history.

The work entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary, with a strong emphasis on sound, human behavior and all things visual, in an effort to create an avenue for personal investigation and then expose that on stage. These individualities create movement that is manipulated and molded into something fresh and unique.

30 seven days of opening nights

Co-sponsored by Seven Days of Opening Nights & Florida State’s Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography

THUR 2/14

8 p.m. / Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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FRI 2/15

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $95 | $80 | $60 | $40 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 32 seven days of opening nights

bernadette

peters

“As an actress, singer, comedienne and allaround warming presence, Bernadette Peters has no peer in the musical theatre right now.”

– The New York Times

T SPonsored by:

ony® Award-winning actress Bernadette Peters has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage and television, in concert and on recordings – and now she will dazzle Tallahassee!

Peters’ many accolades range from a Tony® Award to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her versatility as a performer shines through in her numerous Grammy® Award-winning cast albums, six solo albums, 17 films, and appearances on TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Ugly Betty” and an Emmy®nominated performance on “The Muppet Show.”

Most recently, Peters added “author” to her list of achievements with her debut children’s book, “Broadway Barks,” aptly named after the organization she co-founded with Mary Tyler Moore. Shortly after the publication of “Broadway Barks,” the book landed on The New York Times Bestseller List. Without a doubt, Peters is one of the great performers of our time.

2012-2013 festival guide

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sat 2/16 Sun 2/17

2 p.m. / Pebble Hill Plantation / $50

2 p.m. / Opperman Music Hall $30 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

34 seven days of opening nights

SÉrgio & Odair Assad

“The best two- guitar team in existence, maybe even history … no amount of anticipation could have prepared me for the Brazilian brothers’ daringly flexible, eerily unanimous ensemble playing.”

– The Washington Post

S

érgio and Odair Assad have set the benchmark for all guitarists by creating a new standard of innovation, ingenuity and expression.

In addition to setting new performance standards, the Assads have played a major role in creating and introducing new music for two guitars. Their virtuosity has inspired a wide range of composers to write for them, including Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley and Francisco Mignone.

Now, Sérgio Assad is adding to their repertoire by composing music for the duo. The brothers have worked extensively with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D’Rivera, Gidon Kremer and Dawn Upshaw.

For their two Seven Days appearances, the duo will perform “La Belle Vie!,” an all-French program featuring music by Lully, Rousseau, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Debussy and others, all arranged for two guitars by Sérgio Assad.

SPonsored by:

2012-2013 festival guide

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“These are not only obsessive music- historians, but also expert players whose fret- board fingers traveled miles over the course of the night … thrilling.” – Los Angeles Times

Carolina chocolate drops

T

he sensations of last year’s Seven Days festival return for an encore. All about innovation, tradition and serious fun, the phenomenal, Grammy® Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops are widely credited with reviving the rich sounds of black string-band music from the Carolina Piedmont region. Upstarts in a stable of deep tradition, they are also a link between past and future, exploring generations-old songs with a modern touch and creating new material that seamlessly blends the two.

And, as anyone who saw them in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall last year knows, this is also a spectacular live band.

“In Dom Flemons and Rhiannon Giddens, the Carolina Chocolate Drops have two of the most charismatic performers in any genre,” says Paste Magazine.

36 seven days of opening nights

SPonsored by: FLorida state university license plate

sat 2/16

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $50 | $35 | $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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Marcus Roberts Octet New Orleans Celebration: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton 38 seven days of opening nights

sun 2/17

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $50 | $35 | $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

Jelly Roll Morton

“We call him ‘the genius of modern piano,’ because he is.” – Wynton Marsalis

M

arcus Roberts has long been drawn to the immortal music of Jelly Roll Morton, recording both solo (“Alone with Three Giants”) and with a trio (“New Orleans Meets Harlem”), taking on the self-proclaimed inventor of jazz. This time, Roberts has an octet at his disposal, and he calls “New Orleans Celebration: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton” “just killing … probably my favorite project I’ve created.”

But when Marcus Roberts reaches into the past, you can be sure the results will sound utterly contemporary: “Mr. Roberts does more than bring the history of jazz piano to life; he explodes and

recombines that history in the moment, offering something old and new together, making his art powerfully original and compelling” (The New York Times).

Roberts will be joined by his trio bandmates, Jason Marsalis (drums) and Rodney Jordan (bass), augmented by five horns, for that deep New Orleans sound. Just because Roberts lives in Tallahassee is no reason to get complacent when he decides to take a local stage – he’s one of the world’s finest jazz pianists, as well as Tallahassee’s finest musical export.

2012-2013 festival guide

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MON 2/18 8 p.m. / Student Life Cinema $30 tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

40 seven days of opening nights

geoffrey gilmore

A Movie you haven’t seen VI “Geoffrey Gilmore is the best- known curator of American independent film in the world.”

– Frank Patterson, Dean of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts

S

urprises abound when Geoffrey Gilmore brings a movie to Seven Days. In the past, we’ve seen romantic comedy, grim drama, Oscar®-nominated performances, Q&A’s with the director … and we’ve seen it on a sneak-preview basis, months before the rest of the country got to see it.

The connecting thread has been the incredible quality of the films – previous movies “The Visitor,” “500 Days of Summer,” “Blue Valentine,” “Win Win” and “Being Flynn” were all very different, but all excellent, well-received films.

Gilmore, the chief creative officer at Tribeca Enterprises and former head of the Sundance Film Festival (for 19 years), sees more movies than just about anyone in the country, and he has an unerring sense for those distinctly “indie” qualities in American independent film.

What’s this year’s movie? We won’t know until the lights go down. But if Gilmore’s picking the movie, and his past Seven Days presentations are any indication, it will be smart, provocative, heartfelt and brilliant. That’s a chance worth taking.

2012-2013 festival guide

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Creole Choir Cuba

of

“Exhilarating … sleek, theatrical, socially conscious and full of joyful life.” – The New York Times

P

repare to be blown away: Listen to the passionate melodies, wild harmonies and richly textured arrangements of these 10 inspiring vocalists and you will know this is something new from Cuba, the most original vocal sound to come out of the island in a long while.

The Creole Choir’s Cuban name, Desandann, means “descendants,” and the singers tell the stories of their Haitian ancestors, who were brought to Cuba to work in the near-slave conditions in the sugar and coffee plantations until the 1959 Revolution. From laments and protests permeated by the homesickness of exile and the eternal dream of returning “home” to ritual prayers and celebratory freedom dances, each song tells a powerful Haitian story kept alive in Cuba.

This vibrant 10-piece group – five men and five women who dance when they sing – offers a cornucopia of remarkable voices. Multiple award winners, this Grammy®-nominated choir sings the vital music learned at home from grandparents and parents, as well as the songs of the foremost groups on the contemporary Haitian scene.

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mon 2/25 7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $35 | $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 2012-2013 festival guide

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tue 3/5 wed 3/6

8 p.m. / Florida State’s Fallon Theatre $30 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 44 seven days of opening nights

Second City

Touring Company “A comedy powerhouse.” – Chicago Tribune

S

ince it opened in Chicago in 1959, Second City has been responsible for an amazing amount of great American comedy. The early years introduced us to Alan Arkin, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner (of “Saturday Night Live” fame). The Canadian Second City boasted Martin Short, Andrea Martin, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis.

And in recent years, stars such as Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey trained at the famed comedy outpost.

For Seven Days, Second City offers “Laughing Matters,” a show featuring some of the best sketches, songs and improvs from its 50-plus-year history. With its roots in improvisation, Second City has developed a unique way of creating and performing comedy. The troupe’s two performances at Florida State’s Richard Fallon Theatre will be filled with improvisation, creation and audience participation. Don’t miss the chance to see this “comedy empire” (The New York Times) in action.

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John & Williams John Etheridge A civilized conversation in music between two of the world’s great guitarists … impossible not to enjoy.”

– The Guardian (UK)

J

ohn Williams is the most celebrated classical guitarist of this generation. John Etheridge is a prodigiously gifted and creative guitarist and enjoys a glowing reputation throughout the jazz world and beyond. This collaboration works better than anyone could have guessed and, united, the two Johns deliver a dazzling display that travels from Bach to Django Reinhardt to Francis Bebey.

Both have had long careers with great solo highlights, as well as successful collaborations with other music greats. Williams has played with Julian Bream, Itzhak Perlman, André Previn and Cleo Laine and John Dankworth.

Etheridge has performed with Stephane Grapelli, Yehudi Menuhin, Dizzy Gillespie, Nigel Kennedy and his band, Soft Machine.

This performance features solo spots from both guitarists, as well as numerous duets.

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SAT 3/23 8 p.m. / Opperman Music Hall $40 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500

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WED 4/10

7:30 p.m. / Ruby Diamond Concert Hall $50 | $35 | $25 | $10 for students tickets.fsu.edu | 850.644.6500 48 seven days of opening nights

Maestros in Concert:

Zakir Hussain & Shivkumar Sharma “If there is such a thing as a tabla superstar, Indian virtuoso Zakir Hussain is it.” – Chicago Tribune

T

abla master and world-music superstar Zakir Hussain returns to Seven Days, and he’s bringing another master of Indian classical music, santoor superstar Shivkumar Sharma.

“One of the truly great visionaries in the Hindustani classical music firmament” (All Music Guide), Shivkumar Sharma is the undisputed king of the santoor, a dulcimer-like instrument with 72 strings, struck with delicate wooden hammers. He has redefined his instrument in terms of technique, depth and popularity, transforming it from a folk device to a virtuoso instrument.

Hussain, a chief architect in the world movement, is a worldwide sensation, one of the planet’s great musicians, “a musician who is preserving ancient tradition even as he continues to innovate within it” (The Wire).

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Mural

PROJECT “You look up at that wall and it’s just plain fun. It grabs your eye, and it’s full of color and full of energy.”

– Florida State University President Eric J. Barron

T

he inaugural 2011 Seven Days Mural Project – co-sponsored by the city of Tallahassee and the Florida State University Department of Art Education – was a roaring success.

At the 2011 unveiling, Mayor John Marks said, “It represents all that is good about Tallahassee – our appreciation of the arts, our vision of Gaines Street as a community gathering place, and our success at working together with our local universities and students to make a meaningful difference.”

When something works that well, you need to do it again.

Now in its third year, in collaboration with the city and Florida State’s art education department, Seven Days of Opening Nights will sponsor a celebratory piece of art created by the community, for the community, during the course of the festival.

Visit sevendaysfestival.org during the festival for project updates.

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Ongoing throughout festival Location TBD FREE

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Education

E

ducation has always been a cornerstone of Seven Days’ mission. This year, our students in the arts will have access to master classes from such world-class artists and performers as Anthony Zerbe, Hilary Hahn, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Cheryl Strayed, SÊrgio and Odair Assad, Marcus Roberts, Kyle Abraham, Second City and Geoffrey Gilmore.

Recently, Seven Days took a giant leap forward by expanding its K-12 program. This series continues to grow by offering numerous educational arts opportunities for Leon County students, both on-campus and in-school.

k-12 students will have a chance to experience performances by: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Creole Choir of Cuba Second City Zakir Hussain photo courtesy florida state photo services

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Seven Days Advisory Board Mike Pate, Chair Wendy Abberger Ruth Akers Carmen Butler Jodi Chase Gus Corbella Johanna Money Marjorie Turnbull Ed West Rep. Alan Williams

staff

Christopher J. Heacox, Director Leslie Heffner, Program Coordinator

The Ahn Trio leads a master class during the 2012 Seven Days of Opening Nights festival.

Carla DeLoach, Development Officer

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tickets Seven Days tickets can be ordered: 1. Online: tickets.fsu.edu

• Seat selection is available • A $2.00 fee is charged (per ticket) by the Fine Arts Ticket Office

2. By phone: 850-644-6500

• A $1.50 fee is charged (per ticket) by the Fine Arts Ticket Office

3. In person by visiting the Fine Arts Tickets Office in the lobby of the Florida State University Fine Arts Building, located at the corner of Call and Copeland Street.

• Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

• No fee is charged for in person ticket orders.

shuttle

The city of Tallahassee is once again providing a FREE shuttle service from Kleman Plaza to all shows at Florida State University’s Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.

The shuttle runs 90 minutes prior to curtain time for all performances in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall and returns all patrons to Kleman Plaza at the conclusion of the performance. Parking at Kleman Plaza is also FREE with your Seven Days ticket stub, so hold on to it!

parking

Nearby parking is available at the Turnbull Center parking garage, located at Copeland and Pensacola streets; the Fine Arts parking garage at Call and Macomb Streets; and the Diffenbaugh parking lot at Copeland and Jefferson streets. A parking pass is included for Seven Days members at the Associate giving level and above. Parking passes enable members to park in either of the two parking lots at the corner of College Avenue and Copeland Street.

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venues

ruby diamond concert hall Florida State University, Westcott Building 600 N. Copeland St. Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.3424

FREd turner auditorium Tallahassee Community College, Fine and Performing Arts Center, 444 Appleyard Drive Tallahassee, FL 32304, 850.201.8608

Opperman music Hall Florida State University, Kuersteiner Music Building 114 N. Copeland St. Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.3424

Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre Florida State University, Montgomery Hall 130 Collegiate Loop Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.4425

Tallahassee Museum 3945 Museum Drive Tallahassee, FL 32310, 850.575.8684

Pebble hill plantation 1251 U.S. Highway 319 South Thomasville, GA 31792, 229.226.2344

FSU Student life cinema Florida State University, Askew Student Life Center 942 Learning Way Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.4455

FSU Museum of fine arts Florida State University, 250 Fine Arts Building 530 W. Call St. Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.6836

Richard G. Fallon Theatre Florida State University, Fine Arts Building 560 W. Call St. Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850.644.6500

membership benefits

Priority ticket-sales periods for members are shown below. Please note the date that the sales period begins for your membership level.*

• Opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the general public

• All members have their names listed in the Seven Days program

• Associate-level members and above receive

level

Take advantage of the opportunity by completing the membership form at right and returning to the Seven Days office, either by fax (850.644.3612) or by mail:

Seven Days of Opening Nights

$1,500+

$1,000

$500

$250

$100

SEPT 4-7

SEPT 8-12

SEPT 13-18

SEPT 19-24

SEPT 25OCT 1

friend assoc. debut

tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 2, 2012***

• Satisfaction of supporting the arts through For a full list of member benefits, please visit the Seven Days website, sevendaysfestival.org.

partner

priority ticket order**

parking passes

Tallahassee’s premier cultural event

PRODUCER’S circle

name address city state zip phone (day) Phone (cell) email (very important!)

216 Westcott Building P.O. Box 3061350 Tallahassee, FL 32306-1350

payment info

You can also download the membership form from our website: sevendaysfestival.org

q charge to visa mastercard american express

When membership forms are received, members will be contacted by email and given instructions about how to purchase tickets online using a password. If you do not use email, you may order your tickets by phone (850.644.6500) or visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office (in the lobby of the Fine Arts Building, corner of Copeland and Call streets), Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

card #

q FSU employee payroll deduction (download form from our website)

q check made out to FSU Foundation

exp

Name as it appears on card

* Once tickets go on sale, they are first come, first served. ** D ue to event popularity, ticket limits may be imposed on certain events. *** All events, dates and times are subject to change.

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sevendaysfestival.org Seven Days of Opening Nights Florida State University 216 Westcott Building P.O. Box 3061350 Tallahassee, FL 32306-1350

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Tallahassee, FL Permit #55