MIAC LIVE 2013-14 Season

MIAC

Live

2013-14 Season

Welcome to MIAC’s 2013-14 Season, a roster of diverse, world-class entertainment.

This year features an exciting lineup of performers and performances, many of which can be enjoyed by the entire family.

In the tradition of offering a distinctive array of critically acclaimed artists to the community, MIAC continues to honor the rich history of arts in Erie while engaging and delighting new audiences.

The 2013-14 Season is one of surprises, and one you will want to be a part of.

The Cashore Marionettes Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, 2 and 7 p.m., Walker Recital Hall “The range of movement truly has to be seen to be believed and even that might be pushing it.” - The Toronto Sun “Cashore Marionettes make magic without words.” - Reading Eagle Internationally acclaimed, The Cashore Marionettes have redefined the art of puppetry.

Their moving and often humorous performances have astounded audiences in Europe, the Far East, and North America. Through virtuoso manipulation, beautiful music, theatrical illusion and artistic insight, these original vignettes provide an entertaining and sensitive revelation of what it is to be human.

Simple Gifts (2 p.m.) provides amusing, riveting and sophisticated family entertainment.

Life in Motion (7 p.m.) deals with more mature themes and is a powerful, surprising, oneof-a-kind performance.

Aquila Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, 2 p.m., Pre-show discussion at 1 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center “...hugely enjoyable and very funny.” - The London Times William Shakespeare’s rollicking comedy Twelfth Night has it all: A shipwreck, romance and side-splitting quips.

From the master of insult and merriment comes the tale of young aristocrat Viola who washes up on the shore of Illyria and disguises herself as a man to work as a Duke’s page. Quickly she finds herself tangled in the midst of a hilarious love triangle of mistaken identities in this wild Shakespearean ride. Performed by the Aquila Theatre Company, the foremost producer of touring classical theater in the United States and abroad, Twelfth Night promises to delight audiences young and old.

Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture

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Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture The Bengsons Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, 8 p.m., Erie Art Museum “Not only a tremendous musical talent, but also a raw honesty and sincere righteousness.” -The New York Times “Quirky and radiantly emotive.” -Time Out NY

This husband-and-wife electroacoustic/folk/rock duo are likened to a pairing of Janis Joplin and David Byrne. Abigail and Shaun Bengson are the best in vaudevillian indie folk and young stars of the NYC experimental music and theater community. Their radiantly emotive songs blend rousing, all-join-hands group choruses with spry vocal melodies and rich instrumentation that incorporates everything from banjo to accordion to classical harp. They have performed their original shows, musicals and performance pieces across the country and around the world.

As activists and teachers, The Bengsons have worked at the Market Theater Lab (Johannesburg, ZA), the Tijuana Christian Orphanage (Tijuana, Mexico), and ASAPROSA (Santa Ana, El Salvador).

Howard Fishman The Basement Tapes Project Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, 8 p.m., Taylor Little Theatre “Scintillating…gritty…brilliant.” -The Washington Post “Infectious…ingenious” -The Wall Street Journal The Basement Tapes Project explores the mysterious underground recordings made by Bob Dylan and The Band in 1967 and has been presented to wide acclaim at major national venues. Everevolving and increasingly difficult to pin down, Howard Fishman filters a deep passion for New Orleans soul, gritty pop, fervent gospel, open-hearted country and experimental jazz through a completely original aesthetic to create a sound entirely his own. Performing both well-known songs from the 1975 album Basement Tapes release as well as songs that have never officially been made public. The Basement Tapes Project presents a special insight into Dylan’s musical relationship with The Band, using songs as suggestions into the life of one of America’s most influential artists.

Yamato Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013, 2 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center ”This is a show of unbridled enthusiasm, much humour and great musical variety” -The Scotsman (UK) “...delivered with balletic grace and infectious humour” -Times Online (UK) In celebration of 20 amazing years, Yamato- The Drummers of Japan will embark on a special anniversary tour “ROJYOH,” or “on the road.” Fans from all over the world will experience the spectacular celebration of their exhilarating combination of drumming and theatricality. This extraordinary show highlights Yamato’s most memorable performances. Using Taiko drums, some of which are more than 400 years old, Yamato channels up a primordial thunder, as the stage resonates with booming power. This sensation returns to the Mercyhurst stage in an encore presentation for two performances of unforgettable, explosive rhythm you won’t want to miss.

2013-14 Season

Tim Warfield’s Jazzy Christmas Friday, December 13, 2013, at 8 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, on stage seating “It is simply one of the best holiday albums I’ve heard” -Edward Blanco, WDNA Florida “…an absolute delight and should be part of everybody’s Christmas jazz collection. Five stars.”

-Carl Stewart, Jazz Caravan, KRTU San Antonio Saxophonist Tim Warfield’s All Star Jazzy Christmas brilliantly showcases a collection of traditional holiday songs reinvented through improvisation. What began merely with an intention to develop more suitable material to perform during the holidays has flowered into a new CD and a comprehensive touring schedule. This evening’s performance will feature popular favorites including “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Silent Night” as well as rare gems like Claude Thornhill’s “Snowfall” and “The Dreidel Song,” all in the spirit of the winter season. Seating is limited, as guests will join the band onstage for a stylish evening of music, refreshments and desserts.

Compagnie Käfig AGWA/Correria Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, at 8 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center “They’re animated by waves of energy, as if volts of electricity were traveling from muscle to muscle and limb to limb.” -Tresca Weinstein, TimesUnion.com French choreographer Mourad Merzouki has made it his life’s ambition to transform hip-hop dance into a mainstream art form. Merzouki’s success is manifested in his acclaimed Compagnie Käfig and its worldwide reputation for innovative choreography. Compaigne Käfig is a company of 11 dancers in their teens and early twenties hailing from Rio de Janeiro. These charming young men, combined with the performances’ clever choreography, have thrilled audiences worldwide. AGWA and Correria are highly entertaining pieces filled with rhythms that give impetus to a dreamlike and sensitive universe, and win over audiences in a roar of standing ovations.

The Irish Rovers Saturday, March 8, 2014, at 8 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center “The Irish Rovers, one of the most successful and enduring of all Irish folk bands” -BBC Ulster “Irish, high-energy tunes with lyrics that quicken the blood and make you feel really worth living” -Telegraph Journal After almost half a century of playing concerts around the world, The Irish Rovers are ending their career on the touring circuit with their “Long Goodbye Tour.” After releasing more than 40 albums in North America and many more internationally, The Irish Rovers continue to receive rave reviews for their recordings and performances. In 2012, The Rovers were awarded the Irish Music Association’s Tommy Makem Award, which honors a traditional approach to Irish music. Through their tour, The Irish Rovers hope to sing a proper farewell to all those they have entertained for these many years. Come hear your favorite Rover songs one last time.

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2013-14 Season

Snarky Puppy Thursday, March 20, 2014, doors open at 8 p.m., The Crooked i “I’ve never heard a sound like this. It’s what music should be.” -Music Soulchild Named to the iTunes “Best of 2012 Albums” in the jazz category, Snarky Puppy has gone from an underground secret to one of the most internationally respected names in instrumental music – all while keeping their thumb on the pulse of the youth jazz movement. The group features Grammy Award-winners known for their work with artists like Kirk Franklin, Snoop Dogg and Erykah Badu. Through their deliverance of raw funk, sensitive dynamics and, most importantly, a delicate mixture of composition and improvisation; Snarky Puppy has gained a reputation for putting on one of the most unique live experiences around.

Ahn Trio Thursday, April 3, 2014, 7:30 p.m., Walker Recital Hall “With their multicultural assortment of composers and a huge talent, these women have a modernist, fusion sensibility that is perfect for our age.” -The Seattle Times “All the youthful fire, passion and commitment one could possibly want.” -The Toronto Star Witness the three internationally celebrated sisters (Lucia on piano, Angella on the violin and Maria on the cello) fearlessly merge classics with contemporaries for an evening of dynamic music. Pushing boundaries and blurring lines, the Ahn Trio makes the case that this is the new classical music for this century.

The members of the Ahn Trio thrive on dissolving the barriers between art forms and have fused their work with that of dancers, pop singers, DJs, painters, installation artists, photographers and even kite makers. Recently, they performed in the Czech Republic with rock group the Tata Bojs to sold-out shows. It’s this unique blend of styles that makes the critically acclaimed Ahn Trio one of the most anticipated artists of the season.

Moscow Festival Ballet’s “Swan Lake” Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 7:30 p.m., Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center “This was an afternoon that deserved “bravos” within minutes of the opening steps.”

-Las Vegas Review-Journal Revered by audiences and dancers, “Swan Lake” is widely considered the greatest of all classical ballets. The ballet’s haunting beauty stems from its pure union with Tchaikovsky’s sublime score – most completely realized when 24 perfect swans emerge from the mist and move as one through the moonlight. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded by legendary Bolshoi Ballet Principal Dancer, Sergei Radchenko. He envisioned a company that would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of classic Russian movement. In addition to commissioning new works from within Russia and abroad, the company specializes in 20th Century full-length ballets, delighting audiences the world over.

Box Office: (814) 824-3000 *All dates and titles subject to change

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