Media Contact: Diane Carroll, 913-469-3425, dicarroll@jccc.edu
Jane Lynch, Peter & Paul mark 25th anniversary at JCCC
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Jane Lynch, Peter and Paul, Jim Brickman and a plethora of other stars will appear in Yardley Hall during the coming year as Johnson County Community College celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Performing Arts Series.
The lineup, which includes Arlo Guthrie and the smash stage show Blue Man Group, ranges from comedy to music, dance, classical and nostalgia. New Dance Partners will be back with the Oklahoma City Ballet, and the classical genre will feature five events, including the Bach Collegium Japan Orchestra (a partnership with Friends of Chamber Music-Kansas City) and the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra from Poland with an all-Beethoven program.
When the college’s Performing Arts Series began in 1990, JCCC presented about 50 events in the Carlsen Center with a total attendance of 12,000 or so, said Emily Behrmann, general manager of the Series. Since then, more than 2 million people have walked through the doors, with an average of 200 events annually.
“From a world-class artists as part of the Series, to local dance studio recitals and student performances and graduation ceremonies, the variety of events presented here and the positive reputation of the facility is a testament to the vision of the trustees of the college and the support the college has continued to provide to the venue for the past 25 years.
“What I’m excited about this season,” Behrmann said, “is the three-pronged approach we’ve taken to programming. With the classical artists and returning performers like Arlo Guthrie, we’re paying tribute to our past. With the dance performances and new headliners like Jane Lynch, we look to the future and connect with students. And with artists and genres from all points on the globe, China, India, Ireland and Argentina, we reflect the increased diversity present in Johnson County today.”
Nostalgia will be in the spotlight in a number of tribute shows. Classic Albums LIVE will present Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” the Australian Bee Gees Show will recreate the iconic disco sound of the Gibb Brothers and Under the Streetlamp features the Chicago cast of “Jersey Boys,” sharing songs of Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons and others.
Season ticket packages (any five or more shows) are on sale now. They carry a 10 percent discount. To place your order, go online or call the JCCC Box Office at 913-469-4445 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you prefer to purchase on an event-by-event basis, tickets for individual shows go on sale June 1. For as little as $50, anyone can become a Friend of the Series and get perks such as an additional 5 percent off a season package. For more information, visit www.jccc.edu/TheSeries.
Adding another dimension will be performances from several cultures, including “Peking Dreams,” featuring the National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China and “Spirit of India,” featuring the Bollywood Orchestra and Dancers of India. Danu will return for St. Patrick’s Day and Pablo Ziegler will bring his Quartet for New Tango to the Polsky Theatre.
All events take place in the Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall unless otherwise noted.
Here’s the schedule:
July 9, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Peter Yarrow & Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary. No American folk group lasted longer or amassed a more loyal following than Peter, Paul and Mary. $48-$135
Aug. 30, 3 p.m. Sunday, Wichita Grand Opera presents “Turandot.” Stunning pageantry, spine-tingling confrontations and some of opera’s most passionate music make “Turandot,” featuring Samuel Ramey, baritone, a must-see. $48-$58
Sept. 12, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jane Lynch. See Jane sing! A sidesplitting evening of musical comedy with more than a dash of wit as Jane Lynch explores her love of the beauty and absurdity of the American standard and show tune. $55-$175 Heartland Men’s Chorus will entertain before the show.
Sept. 25-26, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, New Dance Partners: “The Ultimate Collaboration.” The JCCC Performing Arts Series commissions choreographers Gregory Dawson, Brian Enos and Kate Skarpetowska to create original works for local dance companies Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance and Owen/Cox Dance Group. This year we welcome a new dance partner – the Oklahoma City Ballet. $25
Oct. 9, 8 p.m. Friday, “Peking Dreams” by The National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China. Direct from Beijing, this company introduced the concept of a circus without animals. Thrilling acrobatics, mind-blowing feats of endurance and dazzling costumes make this event memorable for the whole family. $20-$30
Oct. 10, 8 p.m. Saturday, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, Polsky Theatre. The ensemble will tour with winds for a special concert, featuring the Schubert Octet in F Major for Winds and Strings. $30
Oct. 18, 7 p.m. Sunday, Arlo Guthrie presents “The Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour.” Celebrate the event that inspired Arlo Guthrie’s true but comically exaggerated Thanksgiving Day adventure and the 1965 birth of his seminal song, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.” $42-$125
Oct. 23, 8 p.m. Friday, “Spirit of India.” Bollywood Masala Orchestra and Dancers of India. Experience the India we know today where rich traditions meld with modern interpretations of music, dance rhythm and spirituality. $30-$40
Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Sunday, Igudesman & Joo: And Now Mozart. Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo are two classically-trained musicians who have taken the world by storm with their unique and hilarious theatrical shows. $35 Polsky Theatre
Oct. 30, 8 p.m. Friday, Bach Collegium Japan Orchestra and Chorus. Hailed in BBC Music Magazine as “Kings from the East,” Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ) comprises a baroque orchestra and choir that are widely recognized as one of the world’s leading interpreters of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries. (A partnership with Friends of Chamber Music-Kansas City) $30-$40
Nov. 7, 8 p.m. Saturday, Urban Bush Women. This company, which burst onto the dance scene in 1984, weaves together contemporary dance, music and text with the history, culture and spiritual traditions of African-Americans and the African Diaspora. $20-$30
Nov. 14, 8 p.m. Saturday, Classic Albums Live: “The Dark Side of the Moon.” Note for note, cut for cut, a dozen or more of the world’s greatest musicians will light up Pink Floyd’s 1973 rock album in its entirety live on stage. $25-$35
Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Saturday, Reduced Shakespeare Company presents “The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged).” Three zany characters take you on an irreverent yet heartwarming trip through the holidays. $32-$42
Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jim Brickman, “Comfort & Joy: The 2015 Holiday Tour.” Brickman will showcase new music and holiday favorites and the hits that made him the most charted (30) Billboard® Adult Contemporary artist, earning him two Grammy® nods and four gold albums. $40-$100
Jan. 22-Jan 24, 8 p.m. Friday; noon and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Blue Man Group. Best known for its wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts that combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. $55-$135
Feb. 6, 8 p.m. Saturday, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Back by popular demand, a gloriously tongue-in-cheek take on ballet as guys perform both the men’s and women’s roles. $40-$50
Feb. 13, 8 p.m. Saturday, The Australian Bee Gees Show, A Multimedia Tribute Concert. A fully produced, multimedia concert, by the creators of “Rain” and “The Pink Floyd Experience,” celebrating the music of one of the most popular groups of all time. $32-$42
Feb. 20, 8 p.m. Saturday, The Romeros. The program will feature world premieres written for the Romeros as well as Spanish favorites, showcasing this legendary family’s command of classical guitar. $30-$40
Feb. 27, 8 p.m. Saturday, Danú. Celebrating 30 years of playing traditional Irish tunes, PAS favorite kicks off its 2016 St. Patrick’s tour at JCCC. Featuring local Irish dancers and the Kansas City Chorale. $30-$40
March 5, 8 p.m. Saturday, Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra performs an all Beethoven program, opening with the composer’s exhilarating “Egmont Overture.” $25-$35
March 19, 8 p.m. Saturday, Ballet Hispanico. Since its inception in 1970, Ballet Hispanico’s contemporary repertory has reflected the ever-changing diversity of Latino cultures. $30-$40
April 2, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pablo Ziegler and the Quartet for New Tango. Latin Grammy®-winner Pablo Ziegler’s quartet “rubs shoulders with Shubert and Brahms” and pays tribute to his mentor, Astor Piazzola, the world’s foremost composer of tango music. $35
May 21, 8 p.m. Saturday, Under the Streetlamp. Inspired by the Four Seasons and backed by a 10-piece band, these four veterans of the Broadway show “Jersey Boys” deliver classic hits from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. $25-$45