Seven Days of
Opening Nights
KATHY MATTEA
Tickets
are still available for many shows as Florida State
University's Seven Days of Opening Nights resumes
its 2013-2014 season with a lineup of spectacular performances by iconic
artists and a wealth of educational opportunities for schoolchildren and
university students.
Series
highlights include performances by jazz musicians Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano,
Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genevese performing as The Spring Quartet; blues
rocker Jonny Lang; Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band; violinist Nicola
Benedetti; and country and bluegrass performer Kathy Mattea.
Performances
by violinist Itzhak Perlman, comedian Lewis Black, and vocalist Nneena Freelon with
guitarist Earl Klugh are sold out. Tickets for the Irish Rovers, PRISM and the
Becca Stevens Band are nearly sold out, and tickets for other shows are selling
fast, said Christopher J. Heacox, executive director of Seven Days of Opening
Nights.
"Although
some performances have sold out, there are still great seats available to see
world-class artists who not only entertain but educate audiences and students
of all ages," Heacox said.
The
series offers a unique opportunity to see some artists, such as The Spring
Quartet, L.A. Theatre Works, Urban Bush Women and Benedetti, who are making
Tallahassee their only stop in Florida, he added.
Season Lineup
Feb. 4 — "The
Graduate," presented by L.A. Theatre Works, 8 p.m., Turner Auditorium, Tallahassee Community College: $45, $35 or $25; $10
for students. Susan Albert
Lowenberg is the producing director for the L.A. Theatre Works' presentation of
"The Graduate," based on the book and motion picture that has become
a touchstone for generations. L.A. Theatre Works is a non-profit media arts
organization based in Los Angeles
whose mission for more than 25 years has been to present, preserve and
disseminate classic and contemporary plays.
Feb. 6 — PRISM, 7:30
p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $35; $10 for students. PRISM returns for yet
another magnificently conceived, beautifully played performance. Featuring
music students from Florida State's top-ranked College of Music,
PRISM covers the spectrum of band activities — Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band,
Jazz Ensembles and, of course, the Marching Chiefs.
Feb. 7 — The Irish
Rovers: The Farewell Tour, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $55, $40 or
$25; $10 for students. The Irish Rovers have charmed and entertained
audiences around the world with their exciting stage shows for nearly five
decades. On the heels of receiving the Irish Music Association's Tommy Makem
Award, the Irish folk band will make a stop at FSU during its Farewell Tour of
the United States.
Feb. 8 — The Spring
Quartet: Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese, 7:30
p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $70, $55 or $40; $10 for students. Spalding, a bassist,
vocalist and composer, won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2011,
marking the first time in history that a jazz musician had won the award.
DeJohnette has been hailed as one of the greatest musicians in jazz history and
has been in constant demand as a drummer, bandleader and sideman for more than
five decades. Lovano's 23 recordings on the famed Blue Note label are
unparalleled, while Genovese, an Argentinean pianist and longtime collaborator
with Spalding, rounds out the all-star lineup.
Feb. 9 — eighth
blackbird, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $50, $35 or $25; $10 for
students. The six musicians of multi-Grammy Award-winning eighth blackbird
play, speak, sing, whisper, growl and mime breathtaking theatrical life into
the characters of "Colombine's Paradise Theatre," a musical tale of
love and death, dream and delusion.
Feb. 9, 10 — Kathy
Mattea
2 p.m., Feb. 9, Pebble Hill Plantation: SOLD OUT.
7:30 p.m., Feb. 10,
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $50, $35 or $25; $10 for students.
Long known as an
impeccable song catcher, Mattea's 17 albums are woven with bluegrass, gospel
and Celtic influences and have garnered multiple Grammy awards. Her recent
release, "Calling Me Home," is a collection of songs that celebrate
the Appalachian culture of her native West
Virginia.
Feb. 11, 12 — Urban
Bush Women: "Walkin' With Trane," 8 p.m., Nancy Smith Fichter Dance
Theatre: $50; $10 for students. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder and artistic
director of Urban Bush Women, partners with pianist George Caldwell for this
new piece that plunges into the depths of John Coltrane's legacy. Zollar, the
Nancy Smith Fichter Professor of Dance and a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished
Professor at FSU, received a Doris Duke Performing Arts Award in 2013.
Feb. 12 — Poncho
Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $50, $35
or $25; $10 for students. Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band
present Cubano Be! Cubano Bop! The program is a tribute to the legacy of Cuban
percussionist Chano Pozo and American music icon Dizzy Gillespie, who changed
the face of music history when their collaborations in the late 1940s ignited
the Afro-Cuban jazz genre.
Feb. 13 — Nicola
Benedetti and Alexei Grynyuk, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $50, $35 or
$25; $10 for students. Benedetti has proven to be one of Britain's most
innovative and creative violinists, captivating audiences and critics alike.
Her most recent album, "The Silver Violin," was the No. 1 classical
album for 2012 in the U.K.
and topped the U.S. Billboard classical charts.
Feb. 14 — Jonny Lang,
7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $75, $60 or $45; $10 for students. At age 16,
blues-rock guitarist Lang found incredible success with the album "Lie To
Me." He then went on to earn world-class status through his recordings and
collaborations, winning a Grammy award and performing with music giants that
include Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Santana, Aerosmith and Cyndi Lauper.
Feb. 14-March 2 —
"Monty Python's Spamalot," presented by FSU School Theatre, Richard
G. Fallon Theatre: $20; $10 for students. This campy
cult-classic musical comedy based on the renowned film "Monty Python and
the Holy Grail" is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend and
Broadway itself. Tony nominee Malcolm Gets directs this rollicking production.
Visit www.sevendaysfestival.org/performances-events for
show times.
Feb. 14-March 30 — "Making
Now: Open for Exchange" and "Trevor Bell: Both Sides
of the Atlantic;" Opening, 6-8 p.m., Feb. 14, FSU Museum
of Fine Arts, free.
"Making Now: Open
for Exchange": The tools used by these 21st century artists will likely
involve digital wizardry and embrace global awareness and responsible ecology.
Carolyn Henne, chair of the art department, is guest curator.
"Trevor Bell:
Both Sides of the Atlantic": From the Space Coast of Florida to the
rugged cliffs of southwestern England, Bell has been drawn to dynamic
environments as inspiration for his vibrant sculptural canvasses. The FSU
emeritus professor has been rediscovered by the British art world since
returning to England in
1996, and last year London's
Tate added several of his paintings to its permanent collection.
Feb. 15 — Saturday
Matinee of the Arts, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tallahassee
Museum, free: Saturday Matinee
of the Arts presents a rich lineup of visual and performing arts and activities
for children. The day's dance performances typically range from ballet to
flamenco, while artists and artisans from fine painters and potters to jewelry
makers display their work throughout the museum's grounds.
Feb. 15 — Geoffrey
Gilmore: A Movie You Haven't Seen VII, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall:
$35; $10 for students. Gilmore, the chief creative officer at Tribeca
Enterprises and former head of the Sundance Film Festival, sees more movies
than just about anyone in the country. What's this year's movie? We won't know
until the lights go down. But if Gilmore's picking it, and his past Seven Days
presentations are any indication, it will be smart, provocative, heartfelt and
brilliant.
Feb. 16 — New York
Voices, 4 p.m., Opperman
Music Hall: $40; $10 for
students. The FSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble will perform with the Grammy
Award- winning vocal group. Known for its close-knit voicing, inspired
arrangements and unparalleled vocal blend, the group has refined their musical
story to high art.
Feb. 16 — Lewis Black:
The Rant is Due, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: SOLD OUT. One of today's most
prolific performers, Black executes a brilliant trifecta as a stand-up
comedian, actor and author. He has won two Grammy awards for Best Comedy Album
and is well known on television for his recurrent segment on Comedy Central's
"The Daily Show." He also has had acting roles in movies and has
written three best-selling books.
Feb. 18 — Matt
Bondurant and Jane Springer, 7:30 p.m., FSU Alumni Center Ballroom: $35; $10 for students. Bondurant and Springer
are both FSU creative writing alumni. Bondurant's 2008 novel "The Wettest
County in the World" was a New York Times Editor's Pick and was made into
the feature film "Lawless," starring Shia LaBeouf. His newest novel
is "The Night Swimmer." Spring is the author of two collections of
poetry, and she has received many honors including a National Endowment for the
Arts Fellowship.
March 4 — Nneena
Freelon and Earl Klugh, 7:30 p.m., Opperman
Music Hall: SOLD OUT. Six-time
Grammy-nominated vocalist Freelon and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Klugh
come together for a night of outstanding music. Freelon is a skillful
interpreter of even the most familiar tunes, and Klugh is a true statesman of
contemporary jazz in a recording career spanning more than three decades.
April 22 — Becca
Stevens Band, 7:30 p.m. The Carriage House at the Goodwood Museum
and Gardens: $35; $25 for Seven Days members. Stevens is a critically acclaimed
singer, composer and guitarist whose music draws upon elements of pop, jazz and
folk without limiting itself to the rules of any particular genre.
April 28 — Chanticleer:
An Orchestra of Voices, 7:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: $50, $35 or $25;
$10 for students. Called the world's reigning male chorus by The New Yorker
and named "Ensemble of the Year" by Musical America, the multi-Grammy
Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer celebrates its 36th anniversary. The
ensemble has commissioned more than 70 composers who have written more than 90
pieces premiered by the group.
Mural Project —
ongoing throughout festival; location to be determined; participation is
free. Now in its fourth year, in collaboration with the city of Tallahassee and Florida
State's Department of Art
Education, Seven Days of Opening Nights will sponsor a celebratory piece of art
created by the community, for the community, during the course of the festival.
Ruby Diamond Auditorium
222
South Copeland St,
Tallahassee FL 32301
~ ~ ~
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