2011-2012 PERFORMANCE SERIES

25

th

ANNIVERSARY

CIVIL WAR VOICES October 13, 2011 MARK TWAIN TONIGHT September 15, 2011

SPAMALOT February 15, 2012 PILOBOLUS March 29, 2012

IN THE HEIGHTS November 29, 2011

TSCHAIKOWSKY ST. PETERSBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA January 18,2012

SOUTH PACIFIC April 26, 2012 DAILEY & VINCENT May 22, 2012

hen an audience do not complain, it is a compliment, & when they do it is a compliment, too, if unaccompanied by violence. he proverb says that Providence protects children and idiots. This is really true. I know because I have tested it. - Mark Twain

MARK TWAIN TONIGHT

think we never become really and genuinely our entire and honest selves until we are dead and not then until we have been dead years and years. People ought to start dead, and they would be honest so much earlier.

September, 15, 2011

A living, breathing, American masterpiece, Mark Twain Tonight is without doubt one of the most acclaimed and enduring performances in the history of theater. Fifty-two years ago, a young actor took the stage in a tiny off-Broadway theater and introduced the world to a man they would never forget. The actor was Hal Holbrook and the man was Mark Twain. REMARKABLY FRESH AND TOPICAL! As politically of the moment as Al Franken and Bill Maher, Mr. Holbrook has tailored his Mark Twainto focus on the corruption and fabrications of politicians and journalists, subjects that alas seem excruciatingly relevant just now. - Ben Brantley, New York Times

CIVIL WAR VOICES

Written by James R. Harris Music arrangements by Mark Hayes

October 13, 2011

The stirring and passionate stories of the people who lived through the greatest conflict in our nations history come alive in their own words, woven through with traditional music of the period. Filled with courage, sacrifice, personal suffering and triumph, Civil War Voices galvanizes perspective on a time and people that is simply not found in history books. From the moment the haunting strains of the violin and piano begin, you know youre in for something specialstirring, emotionally driven, powerfully writtenYou will leave the theatre enlightened, renewed -Times Square Chronicle

IN THE HEIGHTS
November 29, 2011
In the Heights, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, is an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community of hard-working immigrants seeking a better life while trying to find their place their home in a new country. With a remarkable young cast, thrilling Tony Award-winning choreography, and a dynamic Tony Award-winning score, experience a new chapter of the classic American story in the most joyous and exciting musical in recent Broadway history.

AN EXUBERANT, ANIMATED SHRINE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TIES AND BEING FAITHFUL TO WHERE YOU COME FROM. -Ben Brantley,The New York Times

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist of Broadways In The Heights.

TSCHAIKOWSKY
St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra January 18, 2012
The phantom orchestra at the heart of a recent set of controversial articles by the New York Times is real and headed to America! Maestro Roman Leontiev leads this large ensemble on its first American tour, and together with award-winning pianist Alexandre Pirozhenko, they are putting it all on the line with a program including Russian block-busters you wont want to miss!

Roman Leontiev
Conductor ...a very talented and bright conductor He conducts very expressively with deep and strong emotions. - Yuri Temirkanov Mr. Leontiev has a remarkableinexplicable driveit is this very quality that enables this conductor to achieve that most important goal of any musician, that of communicating the innermost thoughts and ideas of the composer to the audienceI am also sure that this talented conductor wont have long to wait before the best orchestras in the world are knocking on his door with invitations to conduct them. - Yuri Simonov

Program:
Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chlo Suite No. 2 Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major, Op. 10 Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition for Orchestra

Alexandre Pirozhenko
Pianist Pianist Alexander Pirozhenko has the technical skills to do anything he wants with a piano; better yet, what he wants to do is sensitive, original, and brilliant, wrote The Washington Post after Mr. Pirozhenko's Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center. His international piano competition First Prizes include the Pozzoli International, Italy; Young Concert Artists Auditions, New York; New Orleans International, USA; and the Vladimir Horowitz International, Kiev. Pirozhenko has appeared in the worlds major concert halls including St. Petersburg Grand Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Theatre, Lincoln Center, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Salzburg Mozarteum

SPAMALOT
February 15, 2012

Monty Pythons Spamalot, winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, lovingly rips off the film classic Monty Python and The Holy Grail as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on their quest in this outrageous musical comedy. Based on the Tony Award-winning direction of Mike Nichols, a book by Eric Idle, and music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez, expect flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen, and show-stopping musical numbers with a bevy of beautiful show girls just a few of the reasons audiences everywhere are having their Spam and eating alot of it, too!

PILOBOLUS
March 29, 2012
Pilobolus (crystallinus) is a phototropic zygomycete - a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards and pastures. Its a feisty thing - only 1/4 inch tall - that can throw its spores nearly eight feet. Right over a cow. It is also a highly unusual dance company germinated in the fertile soil of a Dartmouth College dance class in 1971. What emerged was a collaborative choreographic process and unique weight-sharing approach to partnering that gives the company its nontraditional but powerful set of skills to make dances think human bodies morphing into a Hyundai Santa Fe As zany as the Marx Brothers, as clever as Houdini, this sextet of adept acrobats converts bodies into interlocking and interchangeable parts, erecting structures on stage that are closer to sculpture than dance. -Newsweek

SOUTH PACIFIC
April 26, 2012
Originally conceived from James Micheners Pulitzer Prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific, this breathtaking new production of Rodgers & Hammersteins SOUTH PACIFIC is based on the 2008 Tony Award-winning revival at Lincoln Center Theater, directed by Bartlett Sher. Set on a tropical island during World War II, South Pacific is the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and their own prejudices. Its beloved score includes Bali Hai, Some Enchanted Evening, Im Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, This Nearly Was Mine, and There is Nothin Like a Dame.

Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic! -New York Post

2008 Italian Production / Antonio Agostini

I am so proud to say a few words about Dailey & Vincent. What a great sound. Not since the Louvin Brothers has music touched me this deep. I expect them to go all the way to the top and stay there. -Dolly Parton With Daileys nimble tenor and Vincents reedy harmonies, the duo immediately joins the ranks of Flatt & Scruggs, the Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse and other great bluegrass duos. With new acts like these, the future of bluegrass is as sturdy as its past. - Michael McCall, Associated Press

DAILEY & VINCENT

May 22, 2012
Jamie Dailey, formerly of Doyle Lawsons Quicksilver, and Darrin Vincent, formerly of Ricky Skaggs Kentucky Thunder, became the most heralded new act in bluegrass as their debut album Dailey & Vincent (2008) and busy tour schedule introduced them to wildly appreciative audiences. The group took home seven awards at the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year. With Jeff Parker on mandolin; Joe Dean on banjo, guitar and mandolin; Jesse Stockman on fiddle; and Christian Davis on bass vocals and guitar; the bands strength lies in the uncanny harmony of its vocal trios and quartets. With Dailey & Vincents impeccable arrangements and flawless performances, what you get is Bluegrass Gold.

Celebrating
International Orchestras

25
22 9

Years of Great Performances

Changing the Cultural Landscape of East Alabama

National Symphony Orchestra New York City Opera National Company

Alabama Symphony Orchestra National Tour Broadway Productions

4 50

Major Ballet & Dance Theater Companies

21

Vocal & Instrumental Recitals

Popular Bands & Vocal Ensembles

11

Jazz Celebrities & Popular Entertainers

21

The most moving of all the tour dates I experienced at Ailey was not in a major world capital but in Opelika, Alabama. We performed in a high school auditorium the audience was remarkably diverse, half black and half white. After the show, most of the audience (and the company and crew) headed to Dennys for ice cream and pie. The spirit of excitement and fellowship in the restaurant was remarkable. I have to believe that Alvin was smiling down upon us all and saying, This is what I want my company to do. Michael Kaiser, President of the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, 1992, now President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., from his recent book, The Art of the Turnaround

BE A PART OF THE ART

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CELEBRATION $5,000 to $9,999 Includes membership and six season tickets APPLAUSE $250 to $499 DEBUT $50 to $99 SPOTLIGHT $100 to $249

AT THE DEPOT
Th e Ar t s Assoc i at i on of E a st Al a b a m a is located in the historic Opelika Depot 1032 South Railroad Avenue, Opelika, AL 36801. Office hours are 10-12, 1-3, Monday through Friday.
MEET YOU AT THE DEPOT
Originally one of two large waiting rooms at Opelikas historic train station, the beautifully restored Harris Conference Room is available to the community at nominal charge for a wide variety of meetings and receptions. FEATURE GALLERY AT THE DEPOT The Feature Gallery is a front-door exhibit space welcoming visitors to The Arts Association of East Alabama office. Shows feature visual and sculptural works and installations by local, regional, and nationally-renowned artists as well as those of area students.

THE LECTURE SERIES

Brown-bag luncheon lectures offer insights on issues relating to the arts, literature, cultural heritage, local history, historic preservation, and current events.

FOR GENERAL INFORMATION & FOR TICKETS PLEASE:

Call: 334.749.8105 FAX: 334.705.5546 Email: info@eastalabamaarts.org

www.eastalabamaarts.org

OPELIKA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

THE 1150 SEAT OPELIKA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IS LOCATED AT 1700 LAFAYETTE PARKWAY, OPELIKA, ALABAMA.
From I-85
Take Exit 62, turn west onto Columbus Parkway/US-280W Turn right at Fox Run Pkwy/US-431N Center for the Performing Arts is directly across from Southern Union State Community College
Use the barcode scanner on your smart phone to visit the East Alabama Arts website for more information about our shows and how to become a subscriber and contributor.

From US-431N
Head South towards US-29 Center for the Performing Arts is directly across from Southern Union State Community College

From US-280 (Birmingham Hwy)

Turn North on US-29 Proceed through Opelika 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Lafayette Pkwy/US-431N Center for the Performing Arts is directly across from Southern Union State Community College

EHA 2011 000799

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