Opening Nights - 2017-18 Season Brochure

at F L O R I D A S TAT E UNIVERSITY

2017–18 SEASON C E L E B R AT I N G 20 YEARS OF T H E A R TS

17/18

SPONSORS P L AT I N U M L E V E L

GOLD LEVEL KE N KATO & NAN NAGY

FSU License Plate

SILVER LEVEL MIKEY BESTEBREURTJE & WILSON BAKER

HERB & MARY JERVIS

BERNADETTE & ROGER LUCA

BRONZE LEVEL AU DI O/VID EO CO N N ECTIO NS

TERESA BEA Z L EY WID MER

C H AR L ES S. & SUSAN A. ST RAT TON

CYN T H I A T I E & J OH N TAY LO R

Architects Lewis + Whitlock

ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN PLANNING

GILCHRIST ROSS CROWE

J I M & B E T T Y AN N RODG E RS

ARCHITECTS

LA R RY & JO DEEB

JA N E T HINKLE

L EE HINKL E

M I C H AE L SH E R I DAN & J U DY W I LSON SH E R I DAN

GRANT SUPPORT

IN-KIND SPONSORS

WCTV tv

ROD & V I RG I N I A VAUG H N

WELCOME TO THE

20 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OF

OPENING NIGHTS

F

lorida State University has been bringing world-class performers to campus for two decades, and I am thrilled to celebrate that milestone with another outstanding lineup. To mark its 20th anniversary, Opening Nights has put together a diverse season of popular favorites and new, best-inclass artists for a variety of performances and events in music, dance, theatre, spoken word, film and visual arts.

The performing arts unify and enrich our entire community. We are grateful for the tremendous support from our sponsors, members and patrons that has enabled Opening Nights to evolve from the original seven-day festival, conceived by former FSU President Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, to a full season of performances, events and unique educational experiences for our students.

To show our appreciation, we are offering two promotions that provide an opportunity to see a variety of performances at an exceptional value. The “7 Days Festival” ticket package honors our beginnings and includes seven performances from a range of genres during February, including 10-time Grammy-award winner George Benson (2/13) and the ever-popular Michael McDonald (2/14). The “Director’s Choice” ticket package comprises five curated performances representing music, dance and theater, which were chosen for their unique qualities and contributions to the cultural arts. More information on these promotions is available on page 7.

Opening Nights will host two performances at FSU Panama City as part of our anniversary celebration. Bluegrass favorite Sierra Hull (12/9) and vocalist, trumpeter and songwriter Bria Skonberg (2/24) will perform at FSUPC’s St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall.

This season, ON is co-commissioning three original, new works by worldrenowned artists to further its contributions to the arts. Grammy-nominated string orchestra A Far Cry and Grammy-winning vocalist Luciana Souza will perform “The Blue Hour” (11/21); “New Work for Goldberg Variations” will feature pianist Simone Dinnerstein with Pam Tanowitz Dance (12/1–2); and Martha Graham Dance Company will perform a world-premiere work by noted choreographer Gwen Welliver, who is currently in residence at FSU (2/27–28).

This incredible season concludes on a high note with The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma (4/17).

Whether you experience an old favorite or try something new, the 20th anniversary season of Opening Nights is sure to be a memorable one!

John Thrasher President, Florida State University OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 3

17/18 SEASON CALENDAR Chris Thile, photo by Brantley Guttierrez

SEPTEMBER 20

TICKETS ON SALE TO GENERAL PUBLIC

OCTOBER 16

Quebe Sisters

Americana, Western swing, country

22

SCORE: A Film Music Documentary

24

Chris Thile

Southern Circuit Film Tour

classical, rock, jazz, bluegrass

5

9

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis jazz

Sierra Hull (Panama City) bluegrass, folk-pop

JANUARY 22

Pink Martini jazz, classical, pop

FEBRUARY

NOVEMBER

2-3

The Reduced Shakespeare Company

theatre, comedy

5

Romeo is Bleeding

4

PRISM

14

Mile Twelve

bluegrass

19

Pushing Dead

21

A Far Cry & Luciana Souza

Southern Circuit Film Tour

Southern Circuit Film Tour

classical, jazz

DECEMBER 1-2

Pam Tanowitz Dance with Simone Dinnerstein classical, dance

4 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

marching band, classical, pop, jazz

Ray Chen, photo by Sophie Zhai

5

7

Maceo Parker with Ray Charles Orchestra & The Raelettes jazz

Jake Shimabukuro

rock, jazz, folk, classical

8

JJ Grey & Mofro

rock

10

Ira Glass

spoken word

11

Rufus Wainwright

indie pop, operatic pop

13

George Benson

jazz, R&B, funk, soul

14

Michael McDonald

classic rock, pop

18

Kathy Mattea

Appalachian, bluegrass, Americana

18

DEEJ

22

Ray Chen

classical

24

Bria Skonberg (Panama City)

jazz, pop

25

globalFEST

APRIL 5

Patti LuPone

Broadway

12

Taylor Mac

theatre, cabaret

14

A Movie You Haven’t Seen

film

Southern Circuit Film Tour

latin

27-28 Martha Graham Dance Company

dance

MARCH 1

Mnozil Brass

classical, jazz, humor

6

Tierney Sutton Band

jazz

18

Purple Dreams

19

Ben Wendel Seasons Band

Southern Circuit Film Tour

jazz

Kathy Mattea, photo by David McClister

15

Look & See, A Portrait of Wendell Berry

16

Danish String Quartet

classical, world music

17

The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma

Southern Circuit Film Tour

classical, world music

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

Cover: Michael McDonald by Timothy White OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 5

TICKET INFORMATION Tickets go on sale to the General Public on

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20, 2017, at 11 A.M. Opening Nights members can purchase tickets in advance of the general public, receiving priority access to tickets and seating.

Members at the Friend level and above enjoy concierge ticketing service, including waived service fees (delivery fees may apply).

Black Violin, photo by Bruce Palmer

Purchase Tickets

Dates Members May Purchase Tickets:

Producer’s Circle: August 16-22 Partner: August 23-29 Friend: August 30 – September 5 Associate: September 6-12

ONLINE

openingnights.fsu.edu $1 Ticket Office service fee per ticket

Debut: September 13-19

Opening Nights sponsors are able to purchase tickets on Wednesday, August 2 at 11 a.m. As an added benefit for our sponsors, Opening Nights is offering employees of sponsors the ability to purchase tickets in advance. For more information, email openingnights@fsu.edu.

To become a member or for sponsorship information, see pages 46-49.

PHONE

850.644.6500 $3 Ticket Office service fee per ticket

Student Tickets

Discounted student tickets will be available on September 20 at 11 a.m. in limited quantities. One student ticket per valid student ID. For details, visit opening nights.fsu.edu/tickets.

FSU Employee Tickets

FSU employees receive a $5 discount on each ticket purchased for most performances beginning September 20 at 11 a.m. Limit 2 discounted tickets per performance. For details, visit openingnights.fsu.edu/tickets.

Group Tickets

Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available for many performances.

Call Opening Nights at 850.644.7670 to learn more.

NOTE: Opening Nights sends parking and event information via email 1-2 days

before each event. Please contact openingnights@fsu.edu or 850.644.7670 if your email address changes to ensure we have your most up-to-date contact information.

6 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

IN PERSON Florida State University Fine Arts Ticket Office $3 Ticket Office service fee per ticket Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Fine Arts Ticket Office is located at 540 West Call Street in the FSU Fine Arts Building lobby. Parking is available on the ground floor of the Call Street Garage located on the corner of West Call and North Macomb Streets. *Additional delivery fees may apply. Please visit openingnights.fsu.edu for details

20TH ANNIVERSARY TICKET PROMOTIONS

7

Days Festival

As Opening Nights at Florida State University celebrates 20 years of bringing world-class performances to our community, this package honors our beginnings as a 7-Day Festival! Enjoy 7 exceptional performers representing jazz, rock, classical, folk, spoken word, indie pop and R&B for an outstanding value.

All performances will be in beautiful Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.

February 5

Maceo Parker with Ray Charles Orchestra

February 7

Jake Shimabukuro

February 8

JJ Grey and Mofro

February 10 Ira Glass

February 11

Rufus Wainwright

FESTIVAL SERIES PACKAGE: $400

February 13

includes best available reserved seating and four complimentary drink tickets $445 value

February 14

Director’s Choice

-Tip Tomberlin, Opening Nights member

George Benson Michael McDonald

November 21

A Far Cry and Luciana Souza: The Blue Hour

This curated collection includes five performances of music, dance and theatre that will be truly unforgettable experiences.

These performances were meticulously selected because of their unique qualities and contribution to the cultural arts. In keeping with Opening Nighs’s tradition of bringing the arts to a variety of venues, the performances will be held at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre, Opperman Music Hall and Richard G. Fallon Theatre.

December 1 & 2

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE PACKAGE: $150

Danish String Quartet

includes best available reserved seating $290 value

Opening Nights provides so many entertainment options at affordable prices and in excellent performing venues. These events help make Tallahassee special.

Pam Tanowitz Dance with Simone Dinnerstein (2 shows, choose one)

March 19

Ben Wendel Seasons Band

April 12

Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music

April 16

Jake Shimabukuro, photo by Kayoko Yamamoto OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 7

MONDAY

October

16 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Goodwood Museum and Gardens TICKETS

$40

openingnights.fsu.edu

GENRE

americana, western swing, country

Photo by Stewart Cohen

850.644.6500

Quebe Sisters “Give them your undivided attention, and if you’re not already, you too, will become a fan.” - Eddie Stubbs, Famed Opry Announcer

PRESENTED BY

8 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

When the Quebe Sisters from Texas take the stage and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are transfixed, then blown away. It’s partly because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time, respectful of the artists that inspired them the most.

After more than a decade of traveling the United States and the world and recording three acclaimed albums, Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe are pros in a variety of genres and count many famous musicians among their biggest boosters. The Quebe Sisters have shared the stage with such American music legends as Willie Nelson, George Strait, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers.

TUESDAY

October

24 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Opperman Music Hall TICKETS

$65

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500

Photo by Brantley Gutierrez

GENRE

classical, rock, jazz, bluegrass

Chris Thile “The most impressive musicians are often versatile, but few match the breadth of the brilliant mandolinist Chris Thile.” - The New York Times Multiple Grammy Award-winner and MacArthur Fellow Chris Thile, a member of Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek and host of “A Prairie Home Companion,” is a mandolin virtuoso, composer and vocalist. With his broad outlook that encompasses classical, rock, jazz and bluegrass, Thile transcends the border of conventionally circumscribed genres, creating a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike. On this new program, Thile performs Bach solo violin works on the mandolin as well as his own compositions and contemporary music.

PRESENTED BY

David Montrois, John Clark, Bobby Dick, Mark Webb, & Kim Dixon

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 9

TUESDAY

November

14 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Goodwood Museum and Gardens TICKETS

$40

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

bluegrass

Mile Twelve “Mile Twelve is carrying the bluegrass tradition forward with creativity and integrity.” - Banjo luminary, Tony Trischka PRESENTED BY

10 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

Beautifully walking the line between original and traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve is fast gaining recognition for their outstanding performances in bluegrass and folk circles.

Evan Murphy, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Nate Sabat, BB Bowness and David Benedict write captivating songs and daring instrumental pieces from diverse influences. In 2015, they were selected as formal showcase artists at the North East Folk Alliance, and in 2016, the group won the Podunk Bluegrass Festival Band Contest.

TUESDAY

November

21 7:30 P.M.

Photo by Yoon S. Byun

LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

A Far Cry & Luciana Souza The Blue Hour

TICKETS

$55 | $45 | $35 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

classical, jazz

“...brims with personality or, better, personalities, many and varied.”

- The New York Times The Boston-based GRAMMY®-nominated string orchestra A Far Cry has commissioned a new work for its 11th season. The Blue Hour will feature Grammy-winning vocalist Luciana Souza in a song-cycle created by a collaborative of five leading female composers—Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Shara Nova, Caroline Shaw, and Sarah Kirkland Snider. The text of the work, by 2017 Windham-Campbell Prize winner Carolyn Forché, is the poem “On Earth” from the 2003 collection Blue Hour, which takes the form of an abecedarium, a listing of images, thousands of them, in alphabetical order, like a flurry of memories from a life coming to its end. Through several workshops, A Far Cry and the composers have embarked on a truly collaborative work, coming together to develop the text adaptation of Forché’s poem for this musical setting, maintaining its abecedary form. Each composer is contributing individual songs, instrumental transitions, refrains, and musical themes to create a continuous, integrated vision. Opening Nights at Florida State University is a co-commissioner of this work.

ENCORE PERFORMER LUCIANA SOUZA 2011

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 11

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

December

1&2 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre TICKETS

$45 | $25

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

classical, dance

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

ENCORE PERFORMER SIMONE DINNERSTEIN 2009, 2011

PRESENTED BY

Pam Tanowitz Dance with Simone Dinnerstein New Work for Goldberg Variations

12 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

Photo by Ian Douglas

Co-commissioned by Opening Nights at Florida State University, New Work for Goldberg Variations is an evening-length work created by choreographer Pam Tanowitz and pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who performs live with Pam Tanowitz Dance. Deconstructing classical, formal and traditional movement vocabularies, the dance mirrors and converses with Bach’s iconic score in a delightful interplay of rhythm, style and idiosyncrasy, shifting between encoded gestures and virtuosic dancing and demonstrating the rich emotional world lying beneath the poised surface of the Goldberg’s musical architecture. Dinnerstein, one of the foremost Bach interpreters of her generation, brings her nuanced understanding of the demanding score to Tanowitz’s witty and unflinchingly post-modern abstractions of classical and popular dance forms.

The presentation of Pam Tanowitz Dance with Simone Dinnerstein was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 13

TUESDAY

December

5

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

TICKETS

$85 | $65 | $55 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz

Photo by Joe Martinez

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Special Guests Catherine Russell and Kenny Washington

ENCORE PERFORMER JLCO 2013

PRESENTED BY

KEN KATO & NAN NAGY

14 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

Comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis spreads holiday cheer on its national Big Band Holidays tour. With soulful renditions of holiday classics, playful improvisation and entertaining storytelling, they bring out the magic in such favorites as Count Basie’s “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Billie Holiday’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Jazz royalty Catherine Russell joins as special guest vocalist, continuing a spirited partnership that has spread Yuletide cheer in dozens of cities across the country. She’ll be joined by fellow vocalist Kenny Washington from New Orleans.

Enjoyed by audiences of all ages, these uplifting holiday performances create lasting memories that will keep you feeling good throughout the season.

PANAMA CITY PERFORMANCE SATURDAY

December

9

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

The St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall

(FSU Panama City Campus)

TICKETS

$45

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

bluegrass, folk-pop

Photo by Gina Binkley

Sierra Hull Sierra Hull has been recognized from age 11 as a virtuoso mandolin-player, astonishing audiences and fellow-musicians alike. Now a seasoned touring musician in her mid-20s, Hull has delivered her most inspired, accomplished, and mature recorded work to date; no small feat. “Weighted Mind,” which was nominated for a GRAMMY® for best folk album, is a landmark achievement, not just in Sierra Hull’s career, but in the world of folk-pop, bluegrass, and acoustic music overall. With instrumentation comprised largely of mandolin, bass and vocals, this is genre-transcending music at its best, with production by Béla Fleck and special harmony vocal guests Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn and Rhiannon Giddens adding to the luster. Hull speaks eloquently, in her challenging and sensitive originals, her heartfelt vocals, and once again breaks new ground on the mandolin.

ENCORE PERFORMER 2014

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 15

MONDAY

January

22 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall

$75 | $65 | $55 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz, classical, pop

Photo by Chris Hornbecker

TICKETS

Pink Martini with China Forbes

Drawing inspiration from music all over the world, crossing genres of classical, jazz and pop, and featuring a dozen musicians, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with more than 50 symphony orchestras around the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Sydney Symphony and the BBC Concert Orchestra. The band has collaborated and performed with numerous artists, including Jimmy Scott, Carol Channing, Jane Powell, Rufus Wainwright and many more.

Pink Martini just released its ninth studio album, Je dis oui!, which features vocals from China Forbes, Storm Large, Ari Shapiro, fashion guru Ikram Goldman, civil rights activist Kathleen Saadat and Rufus Wainwright. The album is the band’s happiest in years; it features 15 tracks spanning eight languages (French, Farsi, Armenian, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Xhosa, and English), and affirms the band’s 22-year history of global inclusivity and collaborative spirit.

PRESENTED BY

WCTV tv 16 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

February

2&3 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Turner Auditorium TICKETS

$50 | $35

Photo by Jeff Thomas

The Reduced Shakespeare Company

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

theatre, comedy

William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) Written and Directed by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor

The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) has created 10 world-renowned stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots and numerous radio pieces, all of which have been performed, seen and heard the world over. In this “tale told by idiots,” the Reduced Shakespeare Company weaves all of The Bard’s famous characters, greatest lines and magnificent speeches into a brand new Shakespearean smorgasbord that erupts when Puck & Ariel hijack the plot of Comedy of Errors, creating such new and strange bedfellows as Kate and Beatrice, Hamlet and master motivator Lady Macbeth, Dromio and Juliet, as well as King Lear and his three daughters who turn out to be the three weird sisters from Macbeth. Every famous character and Shakespearean plot device come together in a single story so comically outrageous it’s no wonder the Bard of Avon hid it away. William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) is a comic misadventure that will feel strangely familiar yet excitingly new.

PRESENTED BY

In the spirit of Shakespeare himself, RSC shows contain some occasional bawdy language and mild innuendo. All children (and parents) are different, so we’ve chosen to rate our shows PG-13: Pretty Good If You’re Thirteen.

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 17

SUNDAY

February

4

2:00 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$35 | $25

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

marching band, classical, pop, jazz

PRISM

A Collaboration with the Florida State University College of Music PRESENTED BY

18 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

PRISM offers a wide array of entertainment from Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, jazz ensembles, the Marching Chiefs and many more exciting groups. Come experience this unique event that lauds our students and faculty. A Seminole music experience not to be missed!

MONDAY

February

5

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$65 | $55 | $45 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

Photo by Philip Ducap

Photo by XXXXXX

jazz

To Ray with Love Starring Maceo Parker

Featuring the Ray Charles Orchestra & The Raelettes A young saxophonist from North Carolina once stood outside the Greensboro Coliseum hoping to just catch a glimpse of his idol Ray Charles. Since that time, Maceo Parker has become one of the most legendary saxophonists in funk history, and Charles’ music has remained an undeniable influence throughout his career. Maceo has included a Ray Charles cover on each one of his albums, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to go on tour with Charles in the 90s. Now, Maceo joins forces with the Ray Charles Orchestra and The Raelettes for a spectacular program honoring his hero. Over the years Maceo Parker has played with James Brown, George Clinton, Prince and his collaborations have included Ray Charles, Ani Difranco, James Taylor, De La Soul, Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

ENCORE PERFORMER 2014

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 19

February

7

Photo by Coleman Sanders

WEDNESDAY

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$50 | $40 | $30 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

rock, jazz, folk, classical

Jake Shimabukuro ENCORE PERFORMER 2014

PRESENTED BY

20 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

Jake Shimabukuro held a ukulele for the first time at age four. It was an encounter that would shape his destiny and give the world one of the most exceptional and innovative uke players in the history of the instrument – an artist who has drawn comparisons to musical titans such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. By adapting a guitar hero anthem for the ukulele, Shimabukuro made a significant statement: the ukulele, with its humble four strings and modest two-octave range, is an instrument limited only by the imagination and creativity of the person playing it. Along with his own original compositions, Jake is noted for his solo uke arrangements of such varied pieces as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Widespread acclaim has brought high-visibility collaborations with a wide range of artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Jack Johnson, Michael McDonald and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

THURSDAY

February

8

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$55 | $45 | $35 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

rock Photo by Kirsten Cohen

JJ Grey & Mofro From the days of playing greasy local juke joints to headlining major festivals, JJ Grey remains an unfettered, blissful performer, singing with a blue-collared spirit over the bone-deep grooves of his compositions. His presence before an audience is something startling and immediate: at times a funk rave-up, other times a sort of mass-absolution for the mortal weaknesses that make him and his audience human. Onstage, Grey delivers his songs with compassion and a relentless honesty, but perhaps not until Ol’ Glory has a studio record captured the fierceness and intimacy that defines a Grey live performance.

On the new album, Grey and his current Mofro lineup offer grace and groove in equal measure, with an easygoing quality to the production that makes those beautiful muscular drum-breaks sound as though the band has set up in your living room.

ENCORE PERFORMER JJ GREY 2016

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 21

SATURDAY

February

10 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

spoken word

Photo by Jesse Michener

$65 | $55 | $45 | $25

Ira Glass

Seven Things I’ve Learned

ENCORE PERFORMER 2011

PRESENTED BY

22 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

“...a storyteller who filters his interviews and impressions through a distinctive literary imagination, an eccentric intelligence, and a sympathetic heart.” - The New York Times Ira Glass is the creator, producer and host of “This American Life,” the iconic weekly public radio program with millions of listeners around the world. Under Glass’s direction, “This American Life” has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including five Peabody awards. Using audio clips, music and video, Ira Glass delivers a unique talk; sharing lessons from his life and career in storytelling: What inspires him to create? What drives his passion? How have failures and successes informed his decisions?

During his presentation, Ira Glass mixes stories live onstage and helps his audience better follow the creative process of one of our foremost storytellers.

SUNDAY

February

11 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$50 | $40 | $30 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

indie pop, operatic pop Photo by Matthew Welch

Rufus Wainwright Rufus Wainwright, one of the great male vocalists, composers, and songwriters of his generation, has released eight studio albums, three DVDs and three live albums. He has collaborated with artists ranging from Elton John, David Byrne, Robbie Williams Mark Ronson, Joni Mitchell to Burt Bacharach. His album “Rufus Does Judy” recorded at Carnegie Hall in 2006 was nominated for a GRAMMY®. His acclaimed first opera, Prima Donna, premiered at the Manchester International Festival in July 2009 and has since been presented in London, Toronto and BAM in New York. This summer it will be performed at the Armel Opera Festival in Hungary and Augsburg Theatre in Germany.

In 2015, Deutsche Grammaphon released a studio recording of the opera recorded with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Rufus celebrated the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with the release of his latest album Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets on Deutsche Grammophon worldwide in Spring 2016. The Canadian Opera Company commissioned Wainwright’s second opera, about Roman Emperor Hadrian, to premiere in Toronto in the fall of 2018.

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 23

TUESDAY

February

13 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$85 | $75 | $65 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz, R&B, funk, soul

George Benson “George Benson is the best guitarist in the world in all kinds of music.

Rock, jazz, blues—he plays better than anybody else!” - B.B. King

PRESENTED BY

24 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

There are legends in the world of music … and then there are icons. Appreciated as both a musician and a performer by millions, George Benson has always excelled at the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer as he has performed with everybody from Miles Davis and Eric Clapton to Stevie Wonder to Carlos Santana. A guitar virtuoso and vocal sensation for over five decades, he has dominated the Billboard Charts in a variety of styles and genres that has never been matched. A 10-time GRAMMY® award winner, George Benson began playing guitar in a nightclub at age 8 and recorded his first single record, “She Makes Me Mad” with RCA-Victor in New York at age 10. He has received numerous accolades including being recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts as a Jazz Master, the nation’s highest honor in jazz, winning the prestigious Legend Soul Train Award, and having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has nine #1 albums.

WEDNESDAY

February

14 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$75 | $65 | $55 | $25 openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

classic rock, pop Photo by Timothy White

Michael McDonald One of world’s most distinctive singing voices, Michael McDonald is often imitated but never duplicated. Through the years, he has blended that voice with others’, whether as a member of Steely Dan, a Doobie Brother, a highly successful solo artist and songwriter, or most recently, reaching the Coachella generation as a celebrated co-star on Thundercat’s indie hit, “Show You The Way.” Now he is reclaiming a solo spotlight.

McDonald’s first new album in nine years, Wide Open, marks his set of all-original material since 2000. He penned or co-wrote 11 of the album’s 12 tracks. It’s a cogent reminder that he won Record and Song of the Year GRAMMYs® for co-writing as well as singing the Doobie Brothers hit “What a Fool Believes.” Wide Open marks a return to that classic’s emotional urgency alongside fiercer and fresher band arrangements than he’s ever created.

ENCORE PERFORMER 2004

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 25

SUNDAY

February

18 2:00 P.M.

LOCATION

Pebble Hill Plantation TICKETS

$150

openingnights.fsu.edu

GENRE

Appalachian, bluegrass, Americana

Photo by David McClister

850.644.6500

Kathy Mattea

The Acoustic Living Room

Songs and Stories with Kathy Mattea and Bill Cooley

ENCORE PERFORMER 2014

PRESENTED BY

26 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

GRAMMY® Award-winning singer Kathy Mattea and her longtime collaborator, guitarist Bill Cooley, have shared one of Nashville’s most musically rich partnerships for over two decades. The duo meets as old friends, welcoming you into “The Acoustic Living Room” to share songs and stories near and dear to their hearts—including Kathy’s beloved classics, and a sprinkling of brand new material, all reinterpreted for the duo format. Her 18 albums are woven through with bluegrass, gospel, and Celtic influences, and have garnered multiple CMA, ACM, and Grammy Awards. A genuine storyteller, Kathy draws inspiration from her Appalachian roots and is a torchbearer for often overlooked musical legacies like those of Hazel Dickens and Jean Ritchie. Her most recent album, Calling Me Home, is a collection of songs that celebrates the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia and expands the vocabulary of acoustic roots music that has always served as her artistic center.

THURSDAY

February

22 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Opperman Music Hall TICKETS

$55

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500

Photo by Tom Doms

Ray Chen, violin “Chen crashes through any supposed barriers erected around classical music with his playing.” - The San Diego Tribune Winner of the Queen Elisabeth (2009) and Yehudi Menuhin Competitions (2008), Ray Chen is among the most compelling young violinists today. He is dedicated to expanding the reach of classical music through education and social media. Ray has appeared with some of the leading orchestras around the world, including the London Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France where he joined Daniele Gatti for the televised Bastille Day concert in Paris to an audience of over 800,000. In 2017, Ray signed to Decca Classics in a major new recording deal and multimedia partnership. Ray has previously released three critically acclaimed albums on Sony: a recital program “Virtuoso” of works by Bach, Tartini, Franck and Wieniawski and the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky concertos with Swedish Radio Orchestra and Daniel Harding. Following the success of these recordings, Ray was profiled by “The Strad” and “Gramophone” magazines as “the one to watch.”

GENRE

classical PROGRAM Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor Saint-Saëns Intermission Solo Sonata No. 4 in E minor Ysaye Suite populaire espagnole De Falla Czardaz Monti

PRESENTED BY

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PANAMA CITY PERFORMANCE SATURDAY

February

24 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

The St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall

(FSU Panama City Campus)

TICKETS

$45

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz, pop

Bria Skonberg “Poised to be one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.” - The Wall Street Journal

PRESENTED BY

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Vocalist, trumpeter and songwriter Bria Skonberg has been recognized as one of “25 for the Future” by DownBeat magazine and Vanity Fair cited her as a Millennial “Shaking Up the Jazz World.” On her new OKeh/Masterworks album With a Twist. she spins her cool and confident vocal style—and her sleek and timeless jazz chops—into a program that playfully nods to tradition while always looking ahead. Her debut LP, BRIA, which was released in 2016 won the 2017 Canadian Juno Award (Canada’s version of The GRAMMYs®) for “Vocal Jazz Album” of the year. A self-described “small town girl” from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Skonberg hightailed it to Vancouver straight out of high school and earned a degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance. To date, she has performed at some 100 festivals worldwide.

SUNDAY

February

25 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

The Moon Orkesta Mendoza, Photo by Josh Harrison

TICKETS

$25 | $15 | Free for students openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

latin

Las Cafeteras, Photo by Rafael Cardenas

globalFEST on the Road: The New Golden Age of Latin Music globalFEST presents The New Golden Age of Latin Music featuring two of today’s most exciting bands: Orkesta Mendoza and Las Cafeteras, which are forging inspired new paths for the fabled Latin sound. The Mexican-American communities of Arizona and California have emerged as hotbeds of musical creativity, merging styles that reflect the changing borders and shared cultural identities between Mexico and the United States.

The infectious indie mambo band Orkesta Mendoza mix a multitude of Latin styles like cumbia, merengue, and ranchera through a psychedelic mambo and post-punk prism, creating a truly one-of-a-kind sound. Alternative Chicano band Las Cafeteras recreate traditional Afro-Caribbean Son Jarocho music in a wildly vibrant style. Their rousing socially conscious messages, in English and Spanglish, tell stories of a community that is looking for love and fighting for justice in the concrete jungle of East LA.

PRESENTED BY

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TUESDAY–WEDNESDAY

February

27&28 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Hall TICKETS

$55 | $25

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500

dance

Photo by Brigid Pierce

GENRE

Martha Graham Dance Company ENCORE PERFORMER 1932

PRESENTED BY

30 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

Hailed for its commitment to the leading edge of modern dance, today’s Martha Graham Dance Company performs adventurous new works side by side with the most profound and influential choreography by Martha Graham. This dynamic program includes Graham masterworks from the era when she was a frequent guest artist at Florida State University, her first performance dating back to 1932. Today’s celebrated Graham dancers will also perform a work by Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg created in 2016 and a world premiere commissioned by Opening Nights at Florida State University for the noted choreographer Gwen Welliver, currently in residence at FSU.

THURSDAY

March

1

7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Opperman Music Hall TICKETS

$55

openingnights.fsu.edu Photo by Carsten Bunnemann

850.644.6500 GENRE

classical, jazz, humor

Mnozil Brass “Mnozil Brass is one of the funniest, and most creative, chamber groups on the planet.” - ClassiCalite Mnozil Brass has established itself as one of the world’s premiere brass ensembles, featuring three trumpets, three trombones (with one doubling on bass trumpet) and a tuba. With over 130 performances a year, the group has sold out houses from the farthest reaches of the European continent to Israel, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States, and has captivated audiences with their blend of immense virtuosity and theatrical wit. Hailed as “seriously funny” and “whimsically brazen,” the show blends original compositions with classical favorites, jazz standards and popular hits. The group has embraced repertoire for all ages and stages of life: from folk to classical to jazz to pop; all executed with the same fearlessness, immense technical skills and typical Viennese “schmäh” (almost impossible to find an English translation, but best rendered as a kind of sarcastic charm!).

PRESENTED BY

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TUESDAY

March

6

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

TICKETS

$40

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz

Photo by Jeff Bandy

Goodwood Museum and Gardens

Tierney Sutton Band

The Sting Variations

“A serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level.”

- The New York Times

PRESENTED BY

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A seven-time GRAMMY® nominee, Sutton has received six consecutive nominations for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” – a nomination for every project she has released for the last decade. With a recording and touring history spanning over 20 years and nine CDs, the Tierney Sutton Band, “TSB” has traveled a rare path. Comprised of Sutton and instrumental virtuosos Kevin Axt, Ray Brinker, Trey Henry, and Christian Jacob, the band functions as a true collaborative. In 2011, TSB received a Grammy nomination for its collaborative arranging, the only collaborative team ever to receive this honor.

Christian Jacob and TSB scored the original music for Clint Eastwood’s feature film Sully, starring Tom Hanks and Laura Linney. The band released a new recording, The Sting Variations in fall 2016, which has been nominated for the 2017 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

MONDAY

March

19 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Opperman Music Hall TICKETS

$50

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

jazz Photo by Josh Goleman

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

Ben Wendel Seasons Band Inspired by Tchaikovsky’s work of the same name, Wendel has composed 12 original pieces, each one written for and dedicated to a musician he deeply admires. From Joshua Redman, to Eric Harland, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire, and more, Wendel performed each piece with those artists and released a series of duet videos over the course of 12 months. Now, Wendel reimagines his critically acclaimed “The Seasons” project for the road with an all-star ensemble and a long-anticipated album on the way.

A GRAMMY® Award nominee, Wendel is a founding member of the band Kneebody and has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award and two Chamber Music America New Works Grants.

PRESENTED BY

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THURSDAY

April

5

7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$85 | $75 | $65

openingnights.fsu.edu

GENRE

Broadway

Photo by Rahav “Iggy” Segev

850.644.6500

Patti LuPone

Far Away Places

PRESENTED BY

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Patti LuPone is an internationally praised singer and actress who is best known for her work in stage musicals. She is a two-time GRAMMY® Award winner and a two-time Tony Award winner, and she also was an American Theater Hall of Fame inductee in 2006. LuPone began her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972 and made her Broadway debut in Three Sisters in 1973. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Eva Perón in the 1979 original Broadway production of Evita and also won a Tony Award for her role as Mama Rose in the 2008 revival of Gypsy. LuPone won two Grammy Awards for the 2008 recording (Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording) of the Los Angeles Opera production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Far Away Places will boast Broadway classics, ‘30s and ‘40s cabaret, and contemporary pop songs by Kurt Weill, Edith Piaf, Willie Nelson, the Bee Gees, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and more.

THURSDAY

April

12 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Richard G. Fallon Theatre TICKETS

$45

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500

Photo by Kevin Yatarola

GENRE

theatre, cabaret DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

Taylor Mac

A 24-Decade History of Popular Music A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is Mac’s subjective history of America since its founding in 1776. The project chronicles the ways in which communities build themselves because they are being torn apart. Years in development, the piece was originally performed as a one-time 24-hour event and was recognized on The New York Times’ 2016 lists of Best Performances, Best Theater and Best Music. This abridged version of the show is a highly immersive and outrageously entertaining crash course in the 240 years (and counting) of the history of American culture and dysfunction. Told from the perspective of groups whose stories are often “forgotten, dismissed, or buried,” the show highlights various musical styles and artistic voices ranging from murder ballads to disco, Walt Whitman to David Bowie and beyond. Joined by music director/arranger Matt Ray, an incomparable band and local performers, Mac appears on stage decked and bedazzled in gloriously irreverent regalia for a night that is “Startlingly unique…a must see for anyone who wants to see a kinder, gentler society.” (Huffington Post)

Please be advised that this performance contains adult content

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 35

SATURDAY

April

14 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Askew Student Life Cinema TICKETS

$35

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

film

A Movie You Haven’t Seen Rose’s (1999), The Red Violin (2000), Curdled (2001), Gettysburg (2002), The General (2003), 11:14 (2004), The Agronomist (2005), The Trees Have a Mother, Stories of the Amazon (2007)

Curated by Geoffrey Gilmore, Director of the Tribeca Film Festival: The Visitor (2008), 500 Days of Summer (2009), Blue Valentine (2010), Win Win (2011), Being Flynn (2012), War Witch (2013), Palo Alto (2014) Curated by Paul Cohen: Racing Extinction (2015), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Gifted (2017)

PRESENTED BY

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Since its inception in 1999, Opening Nights has presented an annual movie. Silent films, local creations, Oscar® Nominees, and international film circuit delights—each film has added to the collective cinema experience in Tallahassee. The selected film will be appropriate for all audiences and will include a panel discussion with industry professionals. Presented collaboratively with the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts Torchlight Program, this year’s film is sure to inspire, entertain and educate.

MONDAY

April

16 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION

Opperman Music Hall TICKETS

$50

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500

Photo by Caroline Bittencourt

GENRE

classical, world music PROGRAM “The Hunt” DIRECTOR’S CHOICE

Danish String Quartet Embodying the quintessential elements of a fine chamber music ensemble, the Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for their integrated sound, impeccable intonation and judicious balance. With their technical and interpretive talents matched by an infectious joy for music-making and “rampaging energy” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker), the quartet is in demand worldwide by concert and festival presenters alike. Since making their debut in 2002 at the Copenhagen Festival, the musical friends have demonstrated a passion for Scandinavian composers, who they frequently incorporate into adventurous contemporary programs, while also giving skilled and profound interpretations of the classical masters. The New York Times selected the quartet’s concerts as highlights of 2012 and 2015, praising “one of the most powerful renditions of Beethoven’s Opus 132 String Quartet that I’ve heard live or on a recording,” and “the adventurous young members of the Danish String Quartet play almost everything excitingly.”

String Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major, “La chasse” Haydn String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat major, “Hunt” Mozart Intermission “Jagdquartett” Widmann String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major Brahms

PRESENTED BY

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 37

TUESDAY

April

17 7:30 P.M. LOCATION

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall TICKETS

$165 | $140 | $125

openingnights.fsu.edu 850.644.6500 GENRE

classical, world music

ENCORE PERFORMER YO-YO MA 2014

PRESENTED BY

38 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma

Photo by Max Whittaker

Since 2000, The Silk Road Ensemble has been redefining classical music for 21st-century audiences.

Representing a global array of cultures, ensemble members co-create art, performance, and ideas.

Under the artistic direction of Mr. Ma, these storytelling musicians celebrate the multiplicity of approaches to music from around the world. The Silk Road Ensemble performers and composers hail from more than 20 countries. Passionate about learning from one another’s traditions, these rooted explorers perform on instruments ranging from world percussion to Western strings to the Chinese pipa (lute) and sheng (mouth organ), the Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute), the Galician gaita (bagpipe), Indian tabla (paired drums), and the Persian kamancheh (spike fiddle). The Silk Road Ensemble draws on a rich tapestry of traditions that make up our shared cultural heritage, creating a new musical language—a uniquely engaging and accessible encounter between the foreign and the familiar that reflects our many-layered contemporary identities.

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 39

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CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS

FSU Creative Writing DAVID SHIELDS TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 ALUMNI CENTER BALLROOM 7:30-9:00 P.M. | FREE

Photo by Tom Collicott

David Shields is the internationally bestselling author of 20 books, including “Reality Hunger,” named one of the best books of 2010 by more than 30 publications, New York Times bestseller: “The Thing About Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead,” “Black Planet,” a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and “Other People: Takes and Mistakes.” Shields also co-starred in James Franco’s film of “I Think You’re Totally Wrong: A Quarrel.” The recipient of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, Shields has published essays and stories in the New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, Esquire, Yale Review, Salon, Slate, McSweeney’s, and Believer. His work has been translated into 20 languages.

Florida Center for Reading Research Florida State University’s Florida Center for Reading Research and Opening Nights have partnered to develop reading resources to encourage students to participate and engage with the performing arts. The “Summer Arts Adventure” activity booklet (Summer 2017) highlights five professions in the arts—author, director, actor, musician and dancer. The illustrated, full-color booklet teaches associated vocabulary words, nurturing creativity and providing activities that help develop reading and writing skills.

ON Youth Programs will be available at select educational events and performances.

40 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

The Addams Family A Collaboration with the Florida State University School of Theatre FRIDAY 2/16 – SUNDAY 3/4 (SELECT DATES & TIMES)

RICHARD G. FALLON THEATRE Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams Directed by Tom Ossowski

Etched images from the series by Edouard Duval-Carrié relating to the works of Alejo Carpentier, a Cuban novelist, essayist and musicologist.

Museum of Fine Arts

Decolonizing Refinement: Contemporary Pursuits in the Art of Edouard Duval-Carrié OPENING RECEPTION FRIDAY 2/16, 6–8 P.M. | FREE

“Everyone’s favorite creepy and kooky family is back in this new ghostly musical comedy. The Addams Family is facing their biggest nightmare yet - Wednesday is getting married! Wednesday begs Gomez to have “One Normal Night” as he must convince Morticia to host their new, Midwestern in-laws for dinner. Secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the Addams Family is faced with one important question: what is normal?”

Adult Tickets - $22 Senior Tickets - $20 Student Tickets - $10 The Addams Family is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

Exhibition Dates & Museum Hours February 16 – April 1, 2018 Open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday, 1–4 p.m.

Please check the website for any changes in hours: mofa.fsu.edu This exhibition is a collaboration with Miami artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, a Haitian-born painter and sculptor. Dr. Paul Niell, Assistant Professor, FSU’s Department of Art History and curator of the Spring 2018 exhibition at MoFA writes: “Whether sculpture, painting, or multimedia installation, Edouard Duval-Carrié’s work navigates the historically rich and culturally complex traditions that comprise a uniquely Caribbean perspective.

Duval-Carrié’s recent works attend to themes of water, travel, and Francophone culture. For this artist, water becomes both a symbolic passage and a barrier—the means by which enslaved Africans were brought to the Caribbean and the means by which modern-day Haitians migrate to the United States. Both circumstances have been driven by capitalism, a force that occupies Duval-Carrié’s work materially and iconographically.

Duval-Carrié’s exhibition engages themes associated with the history of the Tallahassee area and North Florida region, including plantation agriculture, race, slavery, historical events such as Florida statehood, and contentious historical figures such as Andrew Jackson. His exhibited works will be accompanied by displays of plantation artifacts loaned from State of Florida collections, including a portion of a nineteenth-century sugar mill and a range of Spanish silver and gold coins.”

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 41

SCORE

DEEJ

Romeo is Bleeding

Purple Dreams

Pushing Dead

Look & See, A Portrait of Wendell Berry

*Seats are first-come, first-served. Filmmaker Q&As to follow each screening.

42 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

South Arts Southern Circuit Film Tour PRESENTED BY OPENING NIGHTS PERFORMING ARTS AND THE ASKEW STUDENT LIFE CINEMA Southern Circuit brings the best of new independent film to communities across the South.

Southern Circuit transforms watching film from a solitary experience into a communal one by providing the opportunity to meet filmmakers and learn about the art of filmmaking.

TICKETS $10 General Public | Free for students

SCORE: A Film Music Documentary

DEEJ

SUNDAY, 10/22 | 5 P.M.

Filmmaker: Robert Rooy

Filmmaker: Matt Schrader

“In Deej, the camera intrudes on every aspect of my life. If seeing truly is believing, then perhaps eyes can be opened to the full potential of kids with significant disabilities. Shot over a sixyear period, Deej reveals not only what the ideal of full inclusion requires but also what it can accomplish.” – DJ Savarese

This documentary brings Hollywood’s premier composers together to give viewers a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of the world’s most widely known music genre: the film score.

SUNDAY, 2/18 | 5 P.M.

Romeo is Bleeding

Purple Dreams

SUNDAY, 11/5 | 5 P.M.

SUNDAY, 3/18 | 5 P.M.

Filmmaker: Donté Clark

Filmmaker: Joanne Hock

A fatal turf war between neighborhoods haunts the city of Richmond, Calif. Donté Clark transcends the violence in his hometown by writing poetry about his experiences. Using his voice to inspire those around him, he and the like-minded youth of the city mount an urban adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, with the hope of starting a real dialogue about violence in the city.

Black youth stereotypes are turned upside down in this feature documentary film. A two-and-a-half-year journey serves as an inspirational window into the lives of inner-city, at-risk students who succeed at their passion while embracing the transformative power of their arts education.

Pushing Dead SUNDAY, 11/19 | 5 P.M.

Look & See, A Portrait of Wendell Berry

Filmmaker: Tom E. Brown

SUNDAY, 4/15 | 5 P.M.

When a struggling writer, HIV positive for over 20 years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3,000 a month to buy meds on his own?

Filmmakers: Laura Dunn & Jef Sewell Look & See is a cinematic portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind’s eye of Wendell Berry.

The Southern Circuit Film Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of South Arts. These screenings are supported in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 43

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT Opening Nights at Florida State University is committed to providing our campus and local communities with educational and entertaining experiences—making Tallahassee a city where everyone can engage in meaningful artistic and cultural activities. Our series of educational programs provides students and the community with once-in-a-life time opportunities through master classes, workshops, school tours, Q&As, and panels with world-class performers at no cost. Each event is custom-selected to educate, illuminate and inspire.

K-12 Initiatives Since the formalization of the K-12 education program in 2011, Opening Nights at Florida State University has provided free arts experiences to more than 7,000 K-12 students annually in Leon County and the surrounding areas.

THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS – PARTNERS IN EDUCATION As part of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program, ON and Leon County Schools work together year-round to present free professional development workshops in arts integration for local teachers led by Kennedy Center Teaching Artists. Our partnership makes a true investment in our teachers so they can have a long-term influence on student success by using the arts a part of a everyday classroom learning.

The New 76ers SATURDAY MATINÉE OF THE ARTS TALLAHASSEE MUSEUM | FEB. 2018 Join us for the Saturday Matinée of the Arts, Tallahassee Museum’s FREE annual event featuring a rich lineup of visual and performing arts. More information: tallahasseemuseum.org

LOCAL LESSONS SCHOOL TOUR OCT 16, 17 & 18 The New 76ers are an acoustic folk trio from Tallahassee, Fla. A family band, by all accounts, the music and the bond run deep. While adept at crafting songs and harmonies, they believe the true beauty of what they do is to create a lasting connection with their listeners, while spreading positivity and love through their music. The trio will visit three Leon County Schools to share the rich history of Folk Music and its different genres, including Appalachian, Blues, Bluegrass and Rock-n-Roll. They will play covers and original songs along with lecturing about the history of songwriting, the idea of passing songs down from one generation to the next, and will discuss the birth of “protest songs” to help create a better cultural understanding of our past.

The arts play a critical role in stimulating creativity in our community.

Opening Nights Performing Arts educational practices reach out and bring a crucial impact to our children and provide an important catalyst for learning, discovery and achievement.

- Michael Obrecht

Director of Admissions at Maclay School 44 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

The Kennedy Center’s Professional Development training programs on integrating the arts into our core curriculum is incredibly important for students that may not be motivated by traditional academics. This provides a path for students to use their talents and develop interest in the arts while actually mastering academic standards.

Pictured: Dr. Nan Liu

- Shane A. Syfrett Director of Professional Learning at Leon County Schools

Echoes of Nature

by Dr. Nan Liu & Haiqiong Deng NORTH FLORIDA SCHOOL TOUR NOVEMBER 13, 15 & 17, 2017

Photo by T. Bozi

Mnozil Brass HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE | SPRING 2018 Austrian brass septet Mnozil Brass will give a performance for students at a local high school. The founding members of the ensemble are graduates of the renowned Vienna College of Music. Their formal training, combined with their Viennese style of humor, will make for an insightful and educational performance that students will remember for years to come.

For more information on educational opportunities, contact openingnights@ fsu.edu or 850.644.2469.

Echoes of Nature introduces traditional Chinese art and music to people from other cultures. Dr. Nan Liu is the associate art professor at Florida A&M University. Award-winning zheng master Haiqiong Deng is the director of Chinese Music Ensemble at Florida State University and has given lectures and performances throughout North America for audiences of all ages. Together, their lively presentation of traditional music, Chinese painting and calligraphy inspire and draw audiences closer to the magnificence of traditional Chinese culture. In addition, they have conducted energetic cross-cultural explorations in their own realms, including collaborating with American composers on contemporary pieces, creating new sounds inspired by world music cultures and creating art through different media.

They will perform at more than five schools throughout Tallahassee and the surrounding areas.

OPENINGNIGHTS.FSU.EDU | 45

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MEMBERSHIP

Join the ranks of Opening Nights members who provide vital support so that we may continue to engage our university and local communities in creative experiences. Members make possible the world-class performances and educational activities we offer, bringing audiences together and enriching the Tallahassee area.

MEMBER BENEFITS Priority ticket ordering for annual series and added performances (tickets go on sale to the general public on 9/20)

PRODUCER’S CIRCLE

PARTNER

FRIEND

ASSOCIATE

DEBUT

$1,500 – $2,499

$1,000 – $1,499

$500 – $999

$250 – $499

$125 – $249

8/16–22

8/23–29

8/30–9/5

9/6–12

9/13–19

2

1

1

1

1

4

2

Concierge ticketing service, including waived service and handling fees (for events ticketed through the FSU Fine Arts Ticket Office)

Number of parking passes for the 2017–18 series in Concierge Lots

Number of parking passes for the 2017–18 series in the Preferred Lot

Number of complimentary drink tickets for the 2017–18 series

Invitation for two (2) to the Season Announcement Party introducing the upcoming series

Invitation to exclusive donor receptions and events

Placement on the Sponsor/Member wait list for sold-out events

Company or individual designation in series programs (Fall/Winter/Spring)

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8

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BECOME A MEMBER!

We can’t say enough about how much we have enjoyed attending the amazing performances through our ON membership. In fact, we have already increased our membership level for the new season to ensure getting both the number of tickets and the seats of our choice! Recently, a couple that we invited to an event, enjoyed the evening so much they decided to purchase their own membership for next season. Our Tallahassee community is so fortunate to be able to offer these world-class performances.

Members enjoy advanced ticket ordering. For membership questions, call 850.644.2469 or email openingnights@fsu.edu.

ONLINE

(PREFERRED)

give.fsu.edu/openingnights

Thank you, thank you!

PHONE

– Frank Kapplow & Mona Hamilton, Opening Nights Members

850.644.2469

MAIL Print out the membership form online at openingnights.fsu.edu. Please note: to preserve the security of personal information, forms submitted by mail should not include credit card information. To pay by credit card, please call Opening Nights at 850.644.2469.

Make checks payable to: FSU Foundation.

FSU EMPLOYEES

EMPLOYER MATCHING matchinggifts.com/fsu Your company may be one of thousands that match employee contributions to Florida State University. If a matching-gift company employs you or your spouse, the impact of your contribution to Opening Nights could be significantly increased by your employer’s match.

Black Violin, photo by Bruce Palmer

FSU faculty and staff may pay for memberships monthly via FSU Payroll Deduction. Print and fill out the Payroll Deduction Authorization Form and return to openingnights@fsu.edu

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SPONSORSHIP

We deeply appreciate the support and dedication of our sponsors whose generosity helps to make the Opening Nights at Florida State University series possible. Community support has been a cornerstone of Opening Nights from our inception and the benefits are mutual! To learn more about becoming a sponsor, please call 850.644.1531.

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

$20,000 & ABOVE

$10,000 – $19,999

$5,000 – $9,999

$2,500 – $4,999

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14

8

4

8

6

4

2

24

20

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12

Number of invitations to Season Announcement Party

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Number of invitations to annual End of Season Sponsor Recognition event

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BENEFITS Exclusive sponsorship of one performance (classical music, American music, or spoken word) Exclusive sponsorship of one performance (dance, theatre, global music, chamber arts, or film) Private pre-show reception for up to 20 guests for sponsored performance On-stage audience welcome and introduction for sponsored performance (subject to artist approval) Backstage visit and photograph with artist(s) of sponsored performance for up to 20 guests (subject to artist availability and approval) Priority ticket ordering for annual series and added performances (tickets go on sale to the general public on 9/20) Concierge ticketing service, including waived service and handling fees (for events ticketed through the FSU Fine Arts Ticket Office) Number of complimentary “gold section” tickets to events for the 2017–18 season (subject to availability) Number of parking passes in Concierge Lots (Westcott North or Westcott South) for events at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall and Opperman Music Hall during the 2017–18 season Number of complimentary drink tickets for the 2017–18 season

Invitation to exclusive donor receptions and events Size of advertisement in series programs Company logo or individual designation on all sponsored print and online material and digital displays in venues (if available) Invitation to VIP athletic event hosted by Opening Nights (subject to availability) Placement on Sponsor/Member wait list for sold-out events

The performing arts are nourishment for the soul. By supporting Opening Nights, you help our mission of bringing the world’s greatest performers to Tallahassee.

- Gus Corbella

Opening Nights Performing Arts Development Council Chair and Senior Director, Government Law & Policy Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LLP 4 8 | 2017–18 OPENING NIGHTS

DIRECT MAIL REACHES

The arts strengthen and enrich our communities, and Capital City Bank is dedicated to helping communities thrive. We are proud to have supported Opening Nights Performing Arts since its inception. Congratulations on 20 years of presenting world-class performances to our community.

- Tom Barron, President, Capital City Bank

125,000 HOUSEHOLDS ANNUALLY

40,000

PRINTED PUBLICATIONS

How Your Support Advances

PERFORMING ARTS in Our Community

Our donors’ generous contributions help Opening Nights provide more than 75 performances, events and educational experiences in music, theatre, dance, film, spoken word and visual arts throughout the Big Bend area. Join the more than 600 businesses and individuals supporting the performing arts in our community.

Highlights include:

@ 90,000 INDIVIDUAL ON DIGITAL NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS

70,000 PATRONS VIEW DIGITAL SCREENS IN MULTIPLE VENUES

• Increased arts education in schools • Professional development workshops for Leon County teachers through the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program

260,000

• Community collaborations with the Tallahassee Museum (Saturday Matinée of the Arts), the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) and Leon County Schools

WEB VIEWS

• Master classes, lectures and question-and-answer sessions with visiting artists and performers • Subsidized student tickets

NETWORK AT EXCLUSIVE RECEPTIONS & EVENTS

Opening Nights Budget REVENUE

EXPENSES

7,500

FOLLOWERS

EXCLUSIVE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

TICKET SALES: 58%

PERFORMANCES: 70%

ANNUAL GIVING: 27%

ADMIN & DEVELOPMENT: 15%

GRANTS: 7%

EDUCATION: 11%

FSU: 6%

COMMISSIONING NEW WORK: 4%

FSU FOUNDATION: 2%

Additional, high-visibility advertising opportunities are available for sponsoring an individual performance. Enjoy exclusivity by having your logo or individual designation with a specific performance in various marketing materials and advertisements as well as providing the on-stage welcome and introduction of the performance.

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17/18

VENUES

RUBY DIAMOND CONCERT HALL

Florida State University Westcott Building 222 S. Copeland Street

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS Florida State University Fine Arts Building 530 W. Call Street

OPPERMAN MUSIC HALL

GOODWOOD MUSEUM AND GARDENS

Florida State University Kuersteiner Music Building 114 N. Copeland Street

The Carriage House 1600 Miccosukee Road

RICHARD G. FALLON THEATRE

FRED TURNER AUDITORIUM

Florida State University Fine Arts Building 540 W. Call Street

Tallahassee Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center 444 Appleyard Drive

ASKEW STUDENT LIFE CINEMA

TALLAHASSEE MUSEUM

Florida State University 942 Learning Way

3945 Museum Drive

NANCY SMITH FICHTER DANCE THEATRE

PEBBLE HILL PLANTATION

Florida State University Montgomery Hall 130 Collegiate Loop

1251 U.S. Highway 319 South Thomasville, GA

RUSSELL P. AND MAMIE V. HOLLEY ACADEMIC CENTER

THE MOON 1105 E. Lafayette St.

4750 Collegiate Drive Panama City, FL

FSU ALUMNI CENTER Florida State University 1030 W. Tennessee Street

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For additional information on venues, parking and maps, visit: openingnights.fsu.edu

PATRON SERVICES Frequently Asked Questions WHERE DO I PARK? Members are eligible to park in either Concierge or Preferred parking lots based on membership level. Parking options vary from venue to venue, but general parking is available for the majority of performances in the St. Augustine garage located on the corner of Pensacola and Copeland Streets and the Call Street garage located on the corner of Call and Macomb Streets. To learn more about parking specific to each venue, please visit openingnights.fsu.edu.

WHEN DO DOORS OPEN? Venue doors open 30 minutes prior to a performance. Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes before a performance begins.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I ARRIVE LATE TO A PERFORMANCE? Latecomers to events will be seated at the discretion of the house manager or ushers and in accordance with artist preferences at a suitable break in the performance.

WHAT IF I’VE LOST MY TICKETS? Lost or misplaced tickets may be reprinted. Service fees may apply. Contact the FSU Fine Arts Ticket Office at tickets@fsu.edu or 850.644.6500 for details. If you are a member and lost your parking pass, it can be replaced for $50.

CAN I REFUND MY TICKETS? Opening Nights does not issue refunds for tickets.

MAY I BRING FOOD OR DRINKS INTO THE VENUE? Most Opening Nights’ venues prohibit food and drinks unless otherwise noted.

Please visit our website to find out if food and/or beverages are permitted at your event of interest.

CAN I BRING MY CHILDREN? We offer many events enjoyable to audiences of all ages. Children must have tickets regardless of age and must be able to sit quietly throughout a performance. Children (and adults) who cause any disturbances will be politely asked to leave.

ARE EVENTS ACCESSIBLE TO PATRONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? We are committed to ensuring our performances are accessible and enjoyable to all patrons.

• Accessible parking is available at all venues on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Accessible seats are available in all price ranges in all venues. Please contact the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 850.644.6500 to purchase tickets.

• Seats for visually impaired patrons are reserved for each performance. Please contact the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 850.644.6500 to purchase tickets.

• Assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available at many venues, including Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre and the Richard G. Fallon Theatre. Please ask a house manager at the performance about acquiring an ALD. • Braille Programs are available at every performance upon request.

HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER MY TIME TO HELP OPENING NIGHTS?

TICKETS & INFO Tickets go on sale to the General Public on

SEPT. 20, 2017, at 11 A.M. For priority ticket purchasing, see pages 46–47 about membership.

BUY TICKETS

ONLINE openingnights.fsu.edu $1 Ticket Office service fee per ticket

BY PHONE 850.644.6500 $3 Ticket Office service fee per ticket

IN PERSON Florida State University Fine Arts Ticket Office $3 Ticket Office service fee per ticket 540 W. Call Street Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. *Additional delivery fees may apply. Please visit openingnights.fsu.edu for details

KEEP IN TOUCH Connect with us online and get up-to-the-minute announcements & features:

openingnights.fsu.edu

Please visit our website at openingnights.fsu.edu and complete the volunteer registration form.

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Opening Nights Performing Arts Florida State University 216 Westcott Building P.O. Box 3061350 Tallahassee, FL 32306-1350

openingnights.fsu.edu

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