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By Lanita Withers Goins, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-3890
Posted 6-23-09
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Aycock Auditorium will resonate with the soulful voices of a South African choir, the fluid rhythms of a renowned dance company and the jazz sounds of one of America’s most celebrated operas when performers take center stage for the 2009-10 University Concert & Lecture Series.
The series, now in its 83rd year, will bring five must-see performances to the historic auditorium on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Shows will start at 8 p.m., with the exception of “Porgy and Bess” which will begin at 3 p.m.
Season ticket packages will be available beginning July 1 at boxoffice.uncg.edu or by calling (336) 334-4849. Prices range from $107 to $158. Individual tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 24, and prices will vary by event. Tickets may also be purchased the night of a performance at the Aycock Auditorium box office from 7-8:30 p.m.
Scheduled performances for the 2009-10 season include:
• Sept. 26, Patti LuPone: Patti LuPone will present “The Gypsy in My Soul,” a concert featuring hit Broadway tunes and some of the singer’s favorite pop songs. A two-time Tony Award winner, LuPone has performed in numerous Broadway productions, including “Gypsy,” “Oliver!” and “Anything Goes.” She swept the theatre awards in 2008, winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for her portrayal of Rose in “Gypsy.”
• Oct. 24, The Martha Graham Dance Company: Founded in 1926 by the famed dancer and choreographer, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America. The company has toured in more than 50 countries and performed in some of dance’s most storied venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
• Jan. 18, The Soweto Gospel Choir: The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African gospel music. Under the direction of David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, the Grammy Award-winning choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. The choir, which performs in six of South Africa’s 11 official languages, is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.
• March 21, “Porgy and Bess”: Recognized as an American masterpiece, “Porgy and Bess” intertwines a human story of pride, prejudice and passion with a jazz and blues-infused score. The opera introduced the classic Gershwin songs “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” to the songbook of American standards. This production of the jazz opera is by Living Arts, Inc, which has performed the work all over the world for more than 15 years.
• April 14, Moscow Festival Ballet: For the second consecutive year the famed Moscow Festival Ballet will visit UNCG, this time performing “Coppelia,” a story of a life-size doll who captures the imagination of a village. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded two decades ago, the vision of legendary dancer Sergei Radchenko for a company that would highlight the best elements of classical Russian ballet.
For more information visit ucls.uncg.edu.
