2009/2010 Artist Series
The Second City 50th Anniversary Tour
Friday, September 11
7:30 p.m.
Celebrating 50 years of turning out America's great improv and sketch comedians, The Second City returns for one night. No topic is off limits, no subject too sensitive; get ready for a night of laughter!
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
Friday, September 18
7:30 p.m.
Grammy Award winners Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers prove there is harmony in family as they travel from dusty west Texas stages to the White House. Larry, Steve and Rudy have performed together since childhood, when they sang in church and on several local Texas television shows. The oldest brother, Larry, broke new ground for the family with a solo deal in Nashville in 1972, and shortly after invited his brothers, Steve and Rudy, to join him on backup. Within two years Larry had a no. 1 hit with "Sweet Becky Walker," followed by next year with Grammy winning "Broken Lady."
The brothers have produced more than a dozen Top 40 hits, including "One Day Closer," "She Used To Be Somebody’s Baby," "The Lady Takes The Cowboy Every Time" and ACM Single of the Year Award Winner, "All The Gold In California."
Join us for a preshow BBQ on the lawn! Order on the ticket form.
Jungle Jack Hanna
Sunday, September 20
3 p.m.
A BUCK A KID!
Take your seat and let the adventure begin, as dozens of exotic animals are waiting for you! Perhaps you’ve seen Jack Hanna on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America” or his own hit shows? Now Jungle Jack and his friends take center stage at the Gallagher-Bluedorn, inviting you to get up close and experience all the excitement of his live animal demonstrations while learning more about his unique guests—plus humorous stories and fascinating footage of his worldwide adventures!
RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles
Tuesday, September 29
7:30 p.m.
RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand! They look like them and they sound just like them! All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers The Beatles from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. Sing along with your family and friends to such favorites as “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Come Together” and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and relive Beatlemania from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road!
“The next best thing to seeing The Beatles,” raves the Denver Post.
“A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia…Boomer Heaven!” raves The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as The Beatles, they triumph!” cheers the Boston Herald.
“An adoring Valentine to The Beatles,” declares the Washington Post.
Hanka Paldum
Friday, October 16
7:30 p.m.
Hanka Paldum is a popular folk and sevdah singer. She is regarded as one of the best female sevdah performers of all time, and has diva status in her home country. She is a star that has been shining for the last three decades with full intensity at the very top of the sky above Bosnia- Herzegovina and the countries that formed ex-Yugoslavia. She has been able to keep the attention of the fans by breaking boundaries and setting norms in the music industry with nothing more than her alluring voice.
Mamma Mia
Friday, October 30, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 31, 2 & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 1, 1 & 6:30 p.m.
A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads.
And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!
More than 30 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show! Writer Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!
With more productions playing internationally than any other musical, MAMMA MIA! is a Global Smash Hit!
Itzhak Perlman
Sunday, November 8
7:30 p.m.
Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Perlman’s celebrated career has earned him four Emmy Awards, 15 Grammy Awards, a Medal of Liberty presented by President Reagan and the National Medal of Arts awarded by President Clinton. Accompanied by acclaimed pianist Rohan De Silva, enjoy an evening with this living classical music legend.
The Nutcracker by Minnesota Ballet
Friday, November 20, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 21, 2 & 7:30 p.m.
A BUCK A KID!
Over the course of the Gallagher-Bluedorn’s 10 years, this performance has become a family tradition. Join us again for the Minnesota Ballet’s perennial favorite, “The Nutcracker.” Joined by many local dancers, the Minnesota Ballet will bring the holiday spirit to life once again with the story of Little Clara, the young girl who received the Nutcracker as a gift, and her enchanted dream of princes and princesses, sugarplums and toy soldiers. Tchaikovsky's romantic score, the colorful scenery, lush period costumes, and skillful ballet performances make “The Nutcracker” a must-see for the holiday season.
Mannheim Steamroller
Friday, December 18
7:20 p.m.
Get an early start on your "holiday mood" when Mannheim Steamroller brings their Christmas tour to the Gallagher-Bluedorn for the first time. Started by former adman Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller's signature sound is where classical and modern-day rock, acoustic and electronic music meet. Celebrate the spirit of the season with the "18th century rock band" that has become one of the most popular and best-selling acts in the last 30 years.
Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre – Salome
Friday, January 15,
7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 17,
2 p.m.
Salome’s biblical story was first used by Oscar Wilde as the basis for a play that was banned in London until 1907. Richard Strauss was so taken by the images of lust, color, familial intertwinement and the shocking final scene, that he set the story as an opera, which premiered in Dresden in 1905.
Most famous for the Dance of the Seven Veils, “Salome” is a compact one-act opera written in the style of Wagner’s late-Romantic Germanic style, using leitmotifs (melodies with textual connotations) and continuous musical textures. Salome’s character as a femme fatale, who called for the head of St. John the Baptist, makes for one of the highest emotional values in opera.
Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s production will feature stage direction by Gregory Keller of The Metropolitan Opera and Daniel Kleinknecht as conductor.
Faure Piano Quartet
Friday, January 29
7:30 p.m.
The musicians founded the Fauré Piano Quartet in 1995 taking on his name out of appreciation for the composer's two piano quartet pieces. It did not take the quartet long to win top prizes and awards for their interpretations at prestigious international chamber music competitions including the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and the Parkhouse Award in Great Britain.
"There is no such thing as perfection, but the Fauré Piano Quartet is dangerously close to challenging this notion. The group's success is each member's inborn musicianship, the sense of friends making music together sublimely and perceptively, and the musicians' collective ability to say so much in the most natural way. The Fauré Quartet has been beautifully recorded too, with a mix of immediacy, space and judicious balance between the foursome who play as equals and who care deeply about what they do and about each other."
ClassicalSource.com
Pilobolus
Sunday, January 31
3 p.m.
A BUCK A KID!
Imagine a visual sculpture of human bodies or a configuration of dancers so entangled you can’t count them. For nearly four decades, the Pilobolus dance troupe has been acclaimed for a non-traditional but powerful set of skills with which to make dances. Pilobolus has evolved into a unique American arts organization of international influence, dubbed by the New York Post as “the most popular modern dance company in the country.” With notable appearances in commercials, on the Academy Awards and innovative theatrical productions that result in die-hard dance fans, Pilobolus makes modern dance accessible and fun for all.
“The purest Pilobolus experiences have involved metamorphosis . . . one image merges into another, organically, poetically, inexplicably.” The New York Times
Winter Dance Party
Friday, February 19
7:30 p.m.
The number one and official tribute show for Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper! John Mueller's Winter Dance Party is an authentic re-creation of the final tour by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Presented 50 years after the fateful crash, this world famous act is the only show in existence endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes more than two hours of unbridled, high-voltage entertainment featuring hit songs of the 50s era: “That'll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Oh, Boy,” “Rave On,” “La Bamba,” “Chantilly Lace” and many, many more.
Join us for a sock hop supper in the lobby. Order on the ticket form.
Soweto Gospel Choir
Friday, March 5
7:30 p.m.
Bring the entire family to this show that will fill you with inspiration! Winner of two Grammy Awards, the Soweto Gospel Choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music. The 26-person choir, under the direction of David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. This choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.
The Acting Company – Romeo & Juliet
Sunday, March 7
7:30 p.m.
A BUCK A KID!
Shakespeare’s iconic romantic tragedy of innocent young lovers falling victim to family hatred and cruel destiny comes alive on the Gallagher-Bluedorn stage. Swords clash, everlasting love is promised, and a treacherous sleeping potion is swallowed in this sorrowful tale, considered the greatest love story of all time. Evoking the lyricism of Shakespeare’s sonnets, “Romeo and Juliet” embodies the brief joy of passion and ecstasy felt by these two young lovers before their heartrending fate. This stunning work is performed by the award-winning theater ensemble, The Acting Company.
In the Mood
Thursday, March 11
7:30 p.m.
Much more than a concert, In the Mood presents a retro 1940s musical featuring singers, dancers and the sensational String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra. The music and the arrangements are as authentic as it gets. This was a time that all America was listening and dancing to the same kind of music. In the 1940s, the combination of up-tempo big band instrumentals and intimate, romantic ballads set the mood for a future filled with promise, hope and prosperity. This was the time when music moved the nation's spirit!
Avenue Q
Wednesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 2, 7:30 p.m.
“Avenue Q” is Broadway's smash-hit 2004 Tony Award® winner for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. A hilarious show full of heart and hummable tunes, “Avenue Q” is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Called "one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see" by Entertainment Weekly, “Avenue Q” features a cast of people and puppets who tell the story in a smart, risqué and downright entertaining way. The New Yorker calls it "SUBVERSIVE and UPROARIOUS!”
ADULT HUMOR, COMIC VULGARITIES AND LANGUAGE. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN. FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.
San Jose Taiko Drummers
Friday, April 16
7 p.m.
A BUCK A KID!
San Jose Taiko has mesmerized audiences for three decades with the powerful and propulsive sounds of the taiko drum. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, San Jose Taiko performers express the beauty and harmony of the human spirit though the voice of taiko.
"By playing Japanese-American music we honor our cultural roots. We draw from a traditional source, yet still express ourselves as Americans. By sharing our music we take pride in our heritage, and hope to encourage others to have pride in their own cultural backgrounds."
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist:
Yeol Eum Son
Sunday, April 18
3 p.m.
Once every four years, the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition invites a select few young pianists to compete for significant awards. Since 1962, this esteemed piano competition has honored Van Cliburn, who was only 23 years old in 1958, when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow – at the height of the Cold War. Continuing the tradition, the Cliburn Competition Silver Medal winner, selected on June 7, 2009, will perform on the Great Hall stage. The complete 13th Van Cliburn Competition, including the final award announcement, is available online at www.cliburn.org.