Amsel Quartet above their native Amsterdam. They perform for Joplin’s Pro Musica November 14, 2013. – photo by Martin van Rossen

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL ▪ SEPTEMBER 2013

2013-14 Season: Arts Directors Give Personal Picks by Barbara MacRobie Even before there’s a nip in the air, Labor Day heralds a fresh time for the performing arts. As the harvest moon waxes and wanes, companies kick off new seasons that will run through next spring. We’ve asked theater, dance, and music directors from across the state to name an event in their own season that especially tickles their fancy—plus a favorite in someone else’s season. Here are their picks plucked from Missouri’s bumper crop of 2013-14 shows.

Columbia “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series: Arturo O’Farrill Quintet Friday, January 24 7 p.m., Kimball Ballroom, Stephens College $18-$36 “When I founded ‘We Always Swing’ in 1995,” says Executive Director Jon W. Poses, “my idea was to present a global, modern jazz series—modern roughly defined as post-World War II. We offer people a snapshot of what jazz is today, from up-and-coming 20-somethings to octogenarian masters. Jazz is an ongoing evolutionary, revolutionary music.” Since 2009, the Jazz Series has been affiliated with the University of Missouri-Columbia’s College of Arts and Sciences, but has an independent budget. The Jazz Series presents 10 to 12 concerts each year in several different locations around Columbia. Though Jon exclaimed that “selecting a single event over any other is like playing favorities with your children!” he did settle on the GRAMMY®-winning Arturo O’Farrill and – photo by John Abbott

his Quintet—trumpet, saxophone, bass, and drums—as “a concert of choice, not the concert of choice.” Founder of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and Orchestra, “Arturo is a wonderful pianist,” Jon says. “I’ve chosen him because we had an early supporter, Dr. Carlos Perez-Mesa, a pathologist who was a Cuban native, and when he passed away in 2000, his wife Laura embraced our idea of presenting a Cuban native or someone attached to Cuban culture each season as the memorial concert. Arturo’s father, Chico O’Farrill, was one of the great Cuban band leaders of the ‘40s and ’50s. He moved his family to Mexico, where Arturo was born, and then to New York City. Arturo is not playing in KC or St. Louis, and he has never performed in Columbia before.“ More about “We Always Swing” and Arturo O’Farrill Quintet ▪ wealwaysswing.org and 573-449-3009 ▪ Arturo O’Farrill Quintet performance details ▪ Arturo O’Farrill’s website: arturoofarrill.com ▪ Arturo O’Farrill’s YouTube Channel ▪ Clips from 13 of Arturo O’Farrill’s CDs

Jon’s pick from someone else’s season

St. Louis The Sheldon: Chucho Valdés Quintet Saturday, February 15 8 p.m., The Sheldon $15-$45 “One of my favorite pianists is Chucho Valdés. He’s also Cuban, and did the first Dr. Carlos Perez-Mesa Memorial concert here in 2000. He was here again in 2011. We’re really proud that we’ve presented him in two different concerts. He’s a master and a wonderful person.” The five-time GRAMMY® winner will perform his adventurous blend of jazz, Afro-Cuban, and contemporary music. Musicians and music lovers have been enjoying the perfect acoustics

of The Sheldon since the building opened its doors in 1912 as the Ethical Society of St. Louis. Today the concert hall and art galleries host more than 350 events each year. During the 2013-14 season, the Jazz at the Sheldon Series is one of six series such as Fantastic Folk and Sheldon Classics. There are also more than a dozen non-series special events. More about The Sheldon and Chucho Valdés Quintet ▪ thesheldon.org and 314-533-9900 ▪ Chucho Valdés Quintet performance details ▪ Chucho Valdés’ website: valdeschucho.com ▪ Chucho Valdés videos “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series 2013-14 Season Jazz at the Sheldon 2013-14 Season ▪ Eldar Djangirov Trio, October 6 ▪ Brubeck Brothers Quartet, October 5 ▪ Donald Harrison Quintet, October 27 ▪ Jonathan Batiste and Stay Human, January 18 ▪ Aaron Diehl Quartet, December 8 ▪ Chucho Valdés Quintet, February 15 ▪ Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, January 24 ▪ Catherine Russell, April 19 ▪ Matt Wilson Quartet, January 26 ▪ Bill Charlap Trio, February 9 ▪ Christian McBride Trio, February 23 ▪ Sean Jonos Quartet, March 9 ▪ Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60, March 20 ▪ Catherine Russell, April 13 ▪ Brad Mehidau Trio, April 20

Joplin Pro Musica: Amstel Quartet Thursday, November 14 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church FREE Joplin’s annual classical chamber series is going into its 33rd season of providing “ageless music for all ages,” says Bonnie Yetter, managing director, quoting Pro Musica’s tagline. “And we’ve kept our concerts at no charge, except for every other year when we bring in an international symphony.” The 2013-14 season is one of those years and in March will feature the Haifa Symphony Orchestra from Israel. Concerts take place in area churches and at Missouri Southern State University. Another international visitor has especially caught Bonnie’s attention: the barrier-breaking young Amstel Saxophone Quartet. “In my seven years of working for Pro Musica, we’ve never had a sax quartet,” Bonnie says. “It’s a plus that they’re from the Netherlands. I always like to bring people of other cultures to our audiences and to students—we take all our groups on educational tours, and the kids are always fascinated by people from another country. There are a million string quartets out there and we could fill our whole season with them, but we like to get variety into our year. The Amstel Quartet is really something different.” The quartet plays original new music for saxophones as well as transcriptions of classics, pops, film scores, and world music. “Also as a personal interest for me,” Bonnie adds, “my granddaughter’s playing the sax right now!” More about Pro Musica and the Amstel Saxophone Quartet ▪ promusicajoplin.org and 417-625-1822 ▪ Amstel Quartet in Joplin performance details ▪ Amstel Quartet’s website: amstelquartet.nl ▪ Amstel Quartet’s YouTube channel ▪ Free downloadable full-length tracks

Bonnie’s pick from someone else’s season

Springfield Symphony Orchestra: The Wild West Saturday, May 17 7:30 p.m. (pre-concert music at 7 p.m.), Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts $11-$36

– photo by Marco Borggreve

– graphic design by Greg Knight

“I love what the Springfield Symphony does—they have really good and interesting programs, with special themes. The Wild West is more of a pops program. They’re doing the William Tell Overture and the Grand Canyon Suite, which I love. I’ve always liked cowboys!” The Springfield ensemble’s 2013-14 season includes six classical and three pops concerts plus other performances in partnership with local musicians and other artists. All nine shows on the main season take place in the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on the campus of Missouri State University. This 79th season will be the first under the baton of newly appointed Music Director and Conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett. The California native comes to Springfield from a dual post with the North State Symphony in California and the Juneau Symphony in Alaska and, and will also direct the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. More about the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and The Wild West ▪ springfieldmosymphony.org and 417-864-6683 ▪ The Wild West performance details Pro Musica 2013-14 Season Springfield Symphony 2013-14 Season ▪ Strata Trio, September 19 ▪ Love at First Sight, September 28 ▪ Linden String Quartet, October 24 ▪ Fairy Tales and Legends, October 19 ▪ Amstel Quartet, November 14 ▪ Folk Art, November 23 ▪ New York Polyphony, December 5 ▪ Holiday Concert, December 14 ▪ Chatham Baroque, February 6 ▪ Classical and Neo-Classical, January 11 ▪ Haifa Symphony Orchestra, March 2 ▪ An Evening in Italy, February 15 ▪ Horszowski Trio, March 27 ▪ Seville, Sibelius, and Sean Chen, March 15

▪ Russian Fireworks, April 12 ▪ The Wild West, May 17

Waynesville Pulaski Fine Arts Association: Auschwitz Lullaby February 28–March 15 Theatre on the Square $5-$10 A 100-seat theater on the town square of Waynesville, the seat of Pulaski County, is the home of four to five productions every year thanks to the Pulaski Fine Arts Association. “We are a nonprofit community-based organization entirely of volunteers,” says Dalton McCart, facility manager, webmaster, and director (and the college-aged son of board president Natalie McCart). PFAA has been performing in the Waynesville/St. Robert/Ft. Leonard Wood community since 1996, and in Theatre on the Square since 2000. The seasons usually include musicals, mysteries, shows especially geared to children, and dramas with an edge. But Auschwitz Lullaby “is unlike anything we have done before,” Natalie says.

“As the name implies, this work by Chicago playwright James C. Wall takes place during World War II in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz in Poland,” Natalie says. “I think the idea came to me to do a piece like this after reading a speech by Dr. Karl Paulnack [currently dean of the Ithaca College School of Music]: ‘…even from the concentration camps, we have poetry, we have music, we have visual art….Why? Well, in a place where people are only focused on survival, on the bare necessities, the obvious conclusion is that art must be, somehow, essential for life. The camps were without money, without hope, without commerce, without recreation, without basic respect, but they were not without art.’ He then says: ‘Art is part of survival; art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, ‘I am alive, and my life has meaning.’

(art for production not yet available)

“To understand that even in the worst human conditions imaginable, people sought comfort through the arts, just blew me away. The decision was finalized after I had the chance to hear a presentation from a concentration camp survivor and speak with him. His reason for public speaking was simple, he said. ‘So that we may never forget.’ “We choose this piece to say yes, Dr. Paulnack, we agree—‘Art is part of the human spirit!’ And to say to all the survivors and their families and to society in general, ‘We shall never forget!’” More about the Pulaski Fine Arts Association and Auschwitz Lullaby ▪ pfaa-tots.webs.com and 573-855-6625 or 573-528-6440 ▪ Pulaski Fine Arts Association 2013-14 season calendar through March ▪ President’s message about the complete 2013-14 season

Natalie and Dalton’s pick from someone else’s season

Rolla Ozark Actors Theatre: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe November 14-24 Cedar Street Playhouse $12-$20 “Ozark Actors Theatre is about a half hour from us, and we share some members,” Dalton says. “They are about to start production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We chose this show as it was one we ourselves did for Christmas in 2009. It holds a special place for many of our board and active members as they were a part of it. For me, it started my theatrical career—I was the light technician—and for my mother, it was her first time directing a show. This show went over extremely well in our local community, and we feel it will go over just as well with our neighbors.” Though The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe falls within the 2013-14 performing arts season, it’s actually the final production of OAT’s 26th season, Each year, there are three Equity shows in the summer and an autumn show featuring local volunteer talent. Every season has a theme. The 26th’s has been Fairy Tales and Fables; the 27th’s will be Mistaken

Identities. OAT also produces a rolling Performing Arts Series throughout the year, scheduling events as opportunities come up. Programs range from jazz and improv comedy to So You Think You Can Dance: Rolla. All shows take place in the historic converted First Baptist Church that is the Cedar Street Playhouse. More about the Ozark Actors Theatre and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ▪ ozarkactorstheatre.org and 573-364-9523 ▪ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe audition details ▪ Ozark Actors Theatre’s YouTube channel ▪ Upcoming productions in the Performing Arts Series Pulaski Fine Arts Association 2013-14 Season ▪ The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, September 20–October 5 ▪ The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, November 29–December 15 ▪ Auschwitz Lullaby, February 28–March 15 ▪ The Three Musketeers, May 9-24 ▪ Alice in Wonderland, July 11-26

Kansas City Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company: One, Two, Three, Four Dance Friday-Saturday, September 20-21 8 p.m., White Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center, University of Missouri-KC $15-$24 Mary Pat Henry and the late Leni Wylliams began enriching the Kansas City dance scene with their vision of beautiful, athletic, thought-provoking contemporary dance 22 years ago. The company has accrued acclaim locally and on tour nationally, and is artist-in-residence at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance. Though Wylliams/Henry is especially known for big works where its members dance together as an ensemble, Mary Pat says she decided to open the 2013-14 season with a twist. “I looked back at the dancers whom I have had the honor to work with and they are all such special artists in their own right, I wanted to see them as individual artists,” she says. “I wanted the audience to get to experience more works where the focus was on individual dancers and not a company work. I wanted to showcase each dancer individually. I had never done that before as a full evening. “You will have a more intimate experience because you will watch one or two or three dancers. You will see the dancers’ different styles of moving, because you focus more on the dancers in smaller works. It is nice when a choreographer chooses to create a work for the style of a particular dancer—it shows a different side of a choreographer when they are doing smaller works. The evening will let the audience slow down and see dancers as individuals and not as company dancers. All the dancers will be spotlighted, which is lovely for the dancers. I think the audience will all have different favorites, which will be fun.” More about Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company and One, Two, Three, Four Dance ▪ wylliams-henry.org and 816-241-4511 ▪ One, Two, Three, Four Dance performance details ▪ Wylliams/Henry company videos

Mary Pat’s pick from someone else’s season

Kansas City Ballet: Fancy Free October 11-20 Muriel Kauffman Theater, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts $35-$105 (dynamic pricing, so prices subject to change closer to the show dates)

– photo by Mike Manley

As well as two classics, Fancy Free by Jerome Robbins and Allegro Brillante by George Balanchine, the opening program of Kansas City Ballet’s season features three premieres: Triple Play by previous artistic director William Whitener, and new ballets by Jodie Gates and Devon Carney, the company’s new artistic director, who is a veteran of Cincinnati Ballet and Boston Ballet. “Devon Carney is spending time teaching company class and grooming the dancers to his vision for the company’s future,” says Mary Pat. “He is an impressive choreographer, and it will be a delight to see his new work on the first series of the company’s season. We are all looking forward to seeing which direction he will take the company and the new work he will create for them. He will bring his artistic voice to an established company, and it will be a fresh new direction artistically and for audiences.” Tatiana Dokoudovska began the company in 1957. The 28-member troupe has taken a grand leap forward by moving into the spectacular new Kauffman Center for performances, and into its own new Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity (named for the second artistic director) for programs including the Kansas City Ballet School. More about Kansas City Ballet and Fancy Free ▪ kcballet.org and 816-931-2232 ▪ Fancy Free performance details ▪ Kansas City Ballet’s YouTube channel Wylliams/Henry CDC 2013-14 Season Kansas City Ballet 2013-14 Season ▪ One, Two, Three, Four Dance, September 20-21 ▪ Fancy Free, October 11-20 ▪ New Dance Partners with Kansas City Ballet ▪ The Nutcracker, December 7-24 and Owen/Cox Dance Group, September 27-28 ▪ Dracula, February 21–March 2 ▪ TBA, site-specific work, January-February ▪ Cinderella, May 9-18 ▪ TBA, spring performance

Kirkwood Theatre Guild: “Behind the Curtain” Open House: Backstage Tours of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Wednesday, November 13 5 p.m., Robert G. Reim Theater, Kirkwood Community Center FREE The Depression couldn’t dampen the theater mavens of Kirkwood, a historic railroad suburb west of St. Louis

(whose 1893 train station is the only stop Amtrak makes outside the central city). Since 1931 the Kirkwood Theatre Guild has been producing plays, four or five every year since at least the ‘50s. Executive Director Terry Sibbitts highlights a special feature in conjunction with the 2013-14 season’s first show.

– graphic design by Gale O’Leary

“Our annual Open House,” Terry says, “is a unique opportunity for anyone to learn about all the elements that go into producing a live theatre production. After a brief introduction about what community theatre mean, visitors tour different stations. They learn about basic theatre terminology—and a few superstitions! They go to the booth to learn about lighting, sound, and stage managing. Finally, they come backstage to hear from our designers and carpenters about what it took to build the set. There are refreshments and plenty of time to ask questions and mingle after the tour. As a community theatre, we take the responsibility of involving the public very seriously. The Open House allows people to ‘nose’ around, ask questions, and maybe begin their own journey into the wonderful world of live theatre!” More about the Kirkwood Theatre Guild and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change ▪ ktg-onstage.org and 314-821-9956 ▪ I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change performance details

Terry’s pick from someone else’s season

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Fly October 16–November 10 Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, Webster Groves $16.50-$76 “This show by Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan (Khan is directing) has had amazing reviews and has even extended a run in Atlanta. It is a story of the African-American Army Air Corp fighters, notably known as the Tuskegee Airmen. This is a group of men I have always had a deep interest in. Their dedication to our country where their personal freedom was a battle as well is a testament to their character and bravery. I am antici-

pating this show not only for the story but for some of the technical elements. It will incorporate live action with video footage and the inspirational ‘Tap Griot,’ a dancing storyteller who expresses the feelings that the four men cannot. I am certain this will be a thrilling and moving experience!” Since 1966, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has been gracing the region with professional productions from classics to world premieres. The 2013-14 season encompasses 12 productions in three series: the Mainstage and Studio series at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University in suburban Webster Groves, and the Imaginary Theatre Company at schools and community venues. More about the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Fly ▪ repstl.org and 314-968-4925 ▪ Fly performance details Kirkwood Theatre Guild 2013-14 Season The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2013-14 Season ▪ I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, ▪ Cabaret, September 11–October 6 November 8-17 ▪ Fly, October 16–November 10 ▪ All My Sons, January 17-26 ▪ Freud’s Last Session, October 30–November 17 ▪ Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, March 7-16 ▪ The Mousetrap, December 4-29 ▪ 9 to 5, May 2-11 ▪ The Velveteen Rabbit, December 14-23

▪ Opus, January 8–February 2 ▪ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, January 16 (only) ▪ The Other Place, January 22–February 9 ▪ Other Desert Cities, February 12–March 9 ▪ Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976, March 12-30 ▪ Noises Off, March 19-April 13

Hannibal Concert Association: Charlie Albright Friday, February 21 7:30 p.m., Roland Fine Arts Center, Hannibal-LaGrange University $5-$20 “We are fortunate in Hannibal to enjoy great performances in our own backyard thanks to the Hannibal Concert Association,” says Michael Gaines, executive director of the Hannibal Arts Council. The Arts Council has given the Concert Association, which would otherwise be homeless in cyberspace, some real estate on its own website. When you click on the link at hannibalarts.com, you pull up a brochure detailing a quintet of concerts. Moreover, says Michael, “A cool thing about our season is that if you buy a season ticket, you can go to Quincy, Illinois, and Keokuk, Iowa, and get free and half-price tickets for the Quincy Civic Music Association and Keokuk Concert Association shows.” The two towns are, like Hannibal, on the Mississippi riverfront—north of Hannibal by about 30 miles for Quincy, 60 miles for Keokuk. “I am very pleased,” Michael says, “that HCA has chosen Charlie Albright as part of its 68th concert season lineup. Yes, that’s 68th! This young classical piano virtuoso is only in his mid-20s. I personally love his improvisations as much as I do his classically-based repertoire. He’s a young musician with a lot going for him. Not only is he a Harvard graduate, but also he trained at the New England Conservatory of Music and Julliard School of Music. Underachiever? I think not! Can’t wait to hear him!” More about the Hannibal Concert Association and Charlie Albright ▪ hannibalarts.com and 573-221-6545 ▪ Hannibal Concert Association 2013-14 season brochure ▪ Charlie Albright’s website: charliealbright.com ▪ Charlie Albright’s YouTube channel ▪ Tracks including a free download

Michael’s pick from someone else’s season

Moberly Area Council on the Arts: Six Appeal Saturday, September 28 7 p.m., Moberly Area Community College Auditorium $3-$10 “Moberly has a really cool lineup, and I personally can’t wait to drive west for the season kick-off with Six Appeal. I’ve always been intrigued with a cappella vocal bands. I sit there in the audience and wonder, ‘How are they doing this with just their voices?’ These laid-back young singers from Minneapolis bring so many different styles of music to life…using just their voices. Amazing!” The Moberly Area Council on the Arts partners with Moberly Area Community

College to sponsor and produce performing arts programs and visual arts exhibits. The shows take place

– photo by Tatsunori Hashimoto

in different venues throughout the city including the college, Moberly Area High School, Moberly Municipal Auditorium, and Central Christian College Auditorium. More about the Moberly Area Council on the Arts and Six Appeal ▪ moberlyarts.org and 660-263-4100, ext. 11262 ▪ Six Appeal performance details ▪ Six Appeal’s website: getsixappeal.com ▪ Six Appeal’s YouTube channel ▪ Clips from FourPlay, Six Appeal’s 2009 debut album Hannibal Concert Association 2013-14 Season Moberly Area Council on the Arts 2013-14 Season ▪ The Brothers Four, September 27 ▪ Six Appeal, September 28 ▪ Denny Laine, October 26 ▪ Scary Stories by Steve Otto, October 26 ▪ Charlie Albright, February 21 ▪ Candy Coburn, November 2 ▪ The Unexpected Surfer Boys, April 29 ▪ A Holiday Evening With Sylvia McNair, December 14 ▪ Kelly V. Smith as Cher & Shania Twain, May 9 ▪ Kansas City Celtic Pipes and Drums, January 25

▪ Ron Brockman’s Memories Orchestra, February 15 ▪ Liberty Jazz, March 1 ▪ Mr. Stinky Feet, March 29 ▪ Bob Milne–Ragtime Pianist, April 11

Columbia: “We Always Swing:”® Jazz Series

Hannibal: Hannibal Concert Association

Joplin: Pro Musica Kansas City: Kansas City Ballet Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company

Kirkwood: Kirkwood Theatre Guild

Moberly: Moberly Area Council on the Arts

Rolla: Ozark Actors Theatre

St. Louis: Jazz at the Sheldon The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Springfield: Springfield Symphony Orchestra

Waynesville: Pulaski Fine Arts Association All photos and graphics are courtesy of the artists and organizations featured. 2013-14 Season: Arts Directors Give Personal Picks was created in September 2013 for the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency and division of the Department of Economic Development. The Missouri Arts Council provides grants to nonprofit organizations that meet our strategic goals of increasing participation in the arts in Missouri, growing Missouri’s economy using the arts, and strengthening Missouri education through the arts. For information, contact moarts@ded.mo.gov.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Please feel free to share and distribute. Attribution: courtesy of the Missouri Arts Council.