K-STATE'S 2009-2010 MCCAIN PERFORMANCE SERIES TO FEATURE ANOTHER STELLAR LINEUP

 

K-State's 2009-2010 McCain Performance Series will feature something for everyone to enjoy: Broadway, comedy, swing music, ballet and more.

The series will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, with Chicago's The Second City, a comedy troupe known for hilarious satire and improvisational mayhem. Famous alumni of The Second City include Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Chris Farley and Mike Myers.

Other performances in the series, all starting at 7:30 p.m. and all in McCain Auditorium unless otherwise noted, include:

* American pianist Jon Nakamatsu, Thursday, Sept. 24. Nakamatsu rose to global stardom in 1997 when he was named gold medalist of the 10th Van Cilburn International Piano Competition; at the time, he was a high school German language teacher without formal conservatory training. He is the only American to have received the Van Cliburn award since 1981.

* L.A. Theatre Works, America's premiere radio theater company, Thursday, Oct. 1. The company will present two masterpieces of science fiction and adventure: "War of the Worlds" and "The Lost World." The cast features actors from television shows such as "Star Trek" and "The X-Files."

* The Orquestra De Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 10. The group is considered the most outstanding orchestra in Latin America and will perform works of well-known Brazilian composers. Guest artist of the evening will be internationally-acclaimed percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.

* "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles," Sunday, Oct. 18. The audience will have the opportunity to experience what Beatlemania was all about as Rain covers the Fab Four from the group's early beginnings to their hard-rocking rooftop days. The performance will use a variety of multimedia, including historical footage of the Beatles on large, backdrop video screens.

* "Tap Dogs," Tuesday, Oct. 27. The high-octane Broadway sensation features extreme tap dancing by six "brawny blokes" in faded jeans, flannel shirts and Australian work boots on industrial-size metal sets.

* Brasil Guitar Duo, Tuesday, Nov. 10, in All Faiths Chapel. Winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the duo blends the traditional sounds of Bach and Scarlatti with the Brazilian sounds of samba and maxixe.

* "The Shaolin Warriors," Thursday, Nov. 19. This theatrical production includes the skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery of kung fu. The group is made up of disciples of the Shaolin schools who are known for their prowess in martial arts.

* Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Friday, Dec. 4. The Grammy-nominated group will perform a holiday swing music show featuring rollicking big band arrangements of favorites such as "Jingle Bells," "Blue Christmas" and "We Three Kings." Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's music combines influences from swing, blues, rock and New Orleans jazz.

* Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010. Skaggs, a 14-time Grammy Award winner and a Country Music Association entertainer of the year, will perform with his band, Kentucky Thunder, which has been named the International Bluegrass Music Association's instrumental group of the year eight times in the last 10 years.

* "The Best of Momix," Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. The company of dancer-illusionists will perform highlights from their most popular shows, including "Opus Cactus," "Lunar Sea," "Passion," "Orbit" and "Botanica." Momix is known for conjuring up a world of surrealistic images combining astonishing movement and athleticism.

* Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Friday, Feb. 19, 2010. The 10-member a cappella vocal ensemble, first brought to worldwide popularity through Paul Simon's "Graceland," has received two Grammy Awards and has been nominated eight additional times in the folk and world music categories. Mombazo's sound was further popularized by their commercials for Life Savers and 7-Up, "Lion King II" soundtrack and collaborations with Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Phil Collins. The group's sound combines native South African musical traditions with gospel music.

* "Annie," Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. An orphan, Annie, and her dog Sandy are placed in the lap of luxury as part of a publicity campaign for Oliver Warbucks. One of America's most beloved musicals, the show features such Broadway classics as "Hard-Knock Life" and "Tomorrow."

* Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Friday, March 5, 2010. The company of authentic Flamenco dancers and live musicians brings universal themes of pride, sorrow, love and passion to the stage through pure form, rhythms and intensity.

* "Darwin the Dinosaur," 3 p.m. Sunday, March 28. This special theater experience features electroluminescent crayon-like creatures that light up the stage, revealing a heartrending tale of a dinosaur discovering the true meaning of love.

* The Ahn Trio and DJ Spooky, Friday, April 9. Korean-born and Juilliard-educated, this sister piano trio fuses its work with dancers, pop singers, disc jockeys, painters, photographers and lighting designers. The evening will be based on the trio's CD, "Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac," which recently climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard charts. The performance will also feature Paul D. Miller, or DJ Spooky, who is a composer, multimedia artist, writer and noted authority on digital culture.

* "Jesus Christ Superstar," Monday, April 19, 2010. The first masterpiece from the legendary writing team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber features such hits as "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Hosanna," "Everything's Alright" and more. Ted Neeley, star of the motion picture and original Broadway production, will appear in the title role.

* The Moscow Festival Ballet's "Cinderella," Sunday, April 25. With music by Prokofiev, the Moscow Festival Ballet performs a full-length version of this favorite rags-to-riches story.

Season tickets are now on sale, with discounts available for K-State students, faculty and staff; military members; and youth 18 and under. More information also is available by calling the McCain box office at 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain

Individual tickets go on sale Monday, Aug. 24.

Several performances will also feature the McCain Pre-Performance Talks and Post-Performance Dialogues.