Single Tickets On Sale for Kimmel Center Presents 2009/10 Season and Select Broadway Series Presentations on Tuesday, September 8
AUGUST 31, 2009
The expanded 2009/10 season includes the best of classical, jazz, world, pop, dance, new music and Broadway presentations at the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, Merriam Theater and Forrest Theatre.
The following artists and events have been added to the line-up for the 2009/10 season:
- Guy Fieri Road Show—the culinary "rock star" and host of
three popular Food Network shows shares an evening of live cooking and
mixology demonstrations with recipes from his forthcoming cookbook at
the Merriam Theater
(Wed., Nov. 18, 2009) Exclusive on sale date: September 18th!
- Monsters of Folk, a new supergroup with Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst, singer/songwriter M. Ward and My Morning Jacket's Jim James, perform works from their 2009 self-titled album at the Academy of Music
(Mon., Nov. 9, 2009)
- Philly's own jazz piano virtuoso McCoy Tyner takes the stage with legendary saxophonist Joe Lovano, in his Kimmel Center debut, replacing Ahmad Jamal in Verizon Hall (Fri., Feb. 19, 2010)
- Menopause The Musical®, "the hilarious
celebration of women and The Change," will make its Kimmel Center
premiere as part of Off-Broadway at the Kimmel Center in Perelman
Theater (Tues., Sept. 29 – Sun., Oct. 4)
- JEWTOPIA, the "outrageously funny" (Los Angeles Times) brand new multimedia extravaganza comes to Philadelphia as part of Off-Broadway at the Kimmel Center in Perelman Theater (Thurs., Dec. 24 – Dec., 27, 2009)
BROADWAY SERIES 2009/10 SEASON
Broadway's razzle-dazzle smash CHICAGO with Jerry Springer delivers sizzling showstoppers from September 15 – 20, 2009 at the Academy of Music; the ultimate feel-good show Mamma Mia! returns by popular demand from November 3 – 8, 2009 at the Academy of Music; Mannheim Steamroller Christmas brings holiday music with the 18th century rock band's signature sound on November 14, 2009 at the Academy of Music; classic holiday tradition Irving Berlin's White Christmas promises to be a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family, November 24 – 29, 2009 at the Academy of Music; and RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles delivers a multi-media experience called "the next best thing to seeing The Beatles" (Denver Post) from February 4 – 6, 2010 at the Academy of Music.
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber features the best-loved songs from scores composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, February 9 – 14, 2010 at the Merriam Theater; ANNIE brings the timeless musical tale of Little Orphan Annie to the Merriam Theater from February 26 – 28, 2010; GROOVALOO: The Hip Hop Experience, a hip hop dance journey embarks at the Merriam Theater from March 9 – 14, 2010; a blend of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance Lord of the Dance mesmerizes audiences at the Merriam Theater from May 14 – 16, 2010; a hilarious show full of heart and hummable tunesAvenue Q returns to Philadelphia from June 18 – 20, 2010 at the Academy of Music; and, the brand new, sensational stage production Dreamgirls, the rags-to-riches story of a 1960s Motown girl group, makes its Philadelphia debut at the Academy of Music from June 22 – 27, 2010.
OFF-BROADWAY AT THE KIMMEL CENTER
Menopause The Musical®, inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, will make its Kimmel Center premiere in Perelman Theater, September 29 – October 4, 2009; Defending the Caveman, the longest-running solo show in Broadway history, returns to Innovation Studio October 1 – November 7, 2009; JEWTOPIA, the outrageously funny, one of a kind event comes to Perelman Theater from December 24 – 27, 2009; the irreverent but affectionate history of the Irish in America, The Irish... and How They Got That Way, returns from January 7 – February 28, 2010 in Innovation Studio; and, a touching and hilarious 'tell-it-like-it-is' look at the lives of a group of female friends, Girls Night: The Musical takes the stage in Innovation Studio from April 20 – May 23, 2010.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS 2009/10 SEASON
Exclusive Extras
Culinary "rock star" and host of three popular Food Network shows, Guy Fieri takes the stage to share recipes from his cookbook, Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives: A Drop Top Culinary Cruise Through America's Finest and Funkiest Joints—scheduled for release on November 3—and anecdotes from his colorful career. The evening will feature live cooking and mixology demonstrations at the Merriam Theater on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. The tragic love story Antony and Cleopatra lives on at the Kimmel Center on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, Friday, March 19, 2010 and Sunday, March 21, 2010, as the Curtis Opera Theatre presents this production on the Perelman Theater stage in association with Opera Company of Philadelphia and Kimmel Center Presents.
Jazz Fridays
Jazz icon Sonny Rollins kicks off the Kimmel Center's 2009/10 season on Friday, September 25, 2009 in Verizon Hall; Philadelphia native Christian McBride celebrates the 20th anniversary of his musical work with special guest Grammy® Award-winning pianist Bruce Hornsby and Inside Straight, McBride's new quintet, on Friday, October 16, 2009 in Verizon Hall; jazz pianist McCoy Tyner performs with legendary jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano, in his Kimmel Center debut, on Friday, February 19, 2010 in Verizon Hall; internationally acclaimed Panamanian pianist-composer Danilo Pérez pays tribute to one of the greatest jazz influences, Dizzy Gillespie, with 21st Century Dizzy on Friday, March 19, 2010 in Verizon Hall; and an Organ Jam in Verizon Hall features organ masters Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, Trudy Pitts and John Medeski on Friday, April 30, 2010.
World & Pop
Flamenco guitarist Paco Peña kicks off the World & Pop Series, joined on stage in Verizon Hall by his band of musicians and dancers for a passionate flamenco performance on Saturday, October 3, 2009; Video Games Live combines elements of a music concert, theatrical stage show and interactive video game on stage in two shows in Verizon Hall on Sunday, October 11, 2009; Philadelphia native jazz vocalist Melody Gardot performs works from her new album My One and Only Thrill (2009) on Saturday, October 17, 2009 in Perelman Theater; Monsters of Folk, a new supergroup with Mike Mogis, Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James, perform works from their 2009 self-titled album at the Academy of Music on Monday, November 9, 2009; and one of world music's rising stars, Cape Verdean-born vocalist Sara Tavares makes her Kimmel Center debut in Perelman Theater on Friday, November 20, 2009.
The Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company makes its Kimmel Center debut in Verizon Hall on Sunday, November 22, 2009 with spectacular folk dance performances featuring colorful costumes and lively music; the cherubic choristers of the Vienna Boys Choir kick off the holiday season in Verizon Hall on Friday, December 4, 2009; Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, Spain's most successful touring flamenco company, brings its transcendent and deeply emotional performances to the Merriam Theater on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23, 2010; and Philadelphia radio personality Jerry Blavat explores the Legends of Rock n' Roll and R&B on Saturday, January 30, 2010 followed by the Legends of Doo Wop spring performance on Saturday, May 22, 2010 in Verizon Hall. Grammy® Award-winning and internationally beloved female a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock returns to the Kimmel Center for a special concert in Verizon Hall on Saturday, February 6, 2010; and The Pink Floyd Experience pays tribute to one of the most influential bands of all time at the Merriam Theater on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.
Max Raabe and Palast Orchester recreate the nostalgic sounds of the Great American Songbook, Germany and beyond on at the Merriam Theater on Friday, March 5, 2010; multi-Grammy® Award-winners Paddy Moloney with Chieftains return to Verizon Hall with special guests for their annual St. Patty's Day celebration on Saturday, March 13, 2010; "an orchestra of voices," Grammy® Award-winning Chanticleer, the only full-time classical vocal ensemble in the United States, makes its Kimmel Center debut in Verizon Hall on Wednesday, April 7, 2010; an embodiment of the American bluegrass dream, Grammy®-nominated family sensation Cherryholmes debuts at the Kimmel Center on Friday, April 23, 2010 in Perelman Theater; and Johnny Mathis, an American cultural icon showcases his rich, velvety voice in pop, jazz and even Latin music on Sunday, May 2, 2010 in Verizon Hall.
Jazz Up Close
Jazz Up Close Celebrates Billie Holiday
Vocalist Lizz Wright and the Danilo Pérez Trio bring to life the power and imagery of Holiday's classic ballad, Strange Fruit, on Saturday, October 10, 2009 in Perelman Theater; vocalist Kurt Elling, who has seven Grammy® nominations and nine consecutive Down Beat Critics' Poll wins for Male Vocalist of the Year (2000-2008) to his name, performs Swing, Brother Swing in Perelman Theater on Saturday, November 21, 2009; Sophisticated Lady features jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan, who makes her Kimmel Center debut on Saturday, December 5, 2009 in Perelman Theater; Lady in Satin Goes Latin features Chilean singer-songwriter Claudia Acuña in her Kimmel Center debut in Perelman Theater on Saturday, February 6, 2010; and Philadelphia natives Denise King and Venissa Santi conclude the Jazz Up Close Series with Back in Your Own Backyard on Saturday, May 1, 2010 in Perelman Theater.
Movers & Shakers
Philadanco kicks off the Movers & Shakers series celebrating their 40th Anniversary Season in Perelman Theater from Thursday, November 12, 2009 to Sunday, November 15, 2009, featuring the world premiere of a work by Christopher Huggins, as well as Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's Batty Moves; from Thursday, April 15, 2010 to Sunday, April 18, 2010, Philadanco returns to celebrate its 40th Anniversary with a world premiere and perennial favorites. New Zealand dance troupe Black Grace makes its Kimmel Center debut in Perelman Theater from Friday, February 26, 2010 to Saturday, February 27, 2010; and pioneering contemporary dance company Aspen Santa Fe Ballet debuts at the Kimmel Center from Friday, May 14, 2010 to Saturday, May 15, 2010 with a reconstruction of the 1975 ballet Twyla Tharp's Sue's Leg and Red Sweet by Jorma Elo in Perelman Theater.
Great Orchestras on Tour
One of Philadelphia's most beloved conductors, Maestro Riccardo Muti opens the Kimmel Center Presents orchestral season as guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic on Friday, November 20, 2009 in Verizon Hall with a program featuring Liszt's Les Préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3; Elgar's In the South; and selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Mariinsky Orchestra, formerly the Kirov Orchestra, returns to the Kimmel Center under the esteemed leadership of principal conductor Maestro Valery Gergiev to perform Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet in Verizon Hall on Monday, February 22, 2010; the dynamic and innovative Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony through Mahler's Symphony No. 2 on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 in Verizon Hall; and, classical music's hottest rising star, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel returns to Philadelphia as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Verizon Hall on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 with a program that includes City Noir by Pulitzer Prize–winning American composer John Adams and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique").
Master Musicians Recitals and Organ
One of today's most beloved classical superstars, pianist André Watts performs a recital in Verizon Hall on Sunday, November 1, 2009, featuring Schubert's Fantasia for piano, the "Wanderer," and Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor. The world's leading Bach scholar, renowned conductor Helmuth Rilling joins the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, organist Eric Plutz and the Westminster Choir and Temple University Concert Choir in Verizon Hall on Friday, February 12, 2010 to perform three powerful works by Johann Sebastian Bach; and Beijing-born phenom Yuja Wang performs a piano recital in Verizon Hall on Thursday, April 29, 2010 with a program that includes works by Scarlatti, Debussy, Prokofiev and Beethoven's beloved Appassionata Sonata.
An ambassador of 17th and 21st century French organ music, French musician Olivier Latry returns to the Kimmel Center on Saturday, October 17, 2009 in Verizon Hall to perform on the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ; "the maverick organist" (New York Times) Cameron Carpenter returns to the Kimmel Center with an organ recital performance in Verizon Hall on Saturday, March 6, 2010; and, lauded for his astounding capacity for memorization and for his virtuoso marathon recitals, Paul Jacobs, department head at Juilliard since 2004, performs an organ recital in Verizon Hall on Saturday, May 8, 2010.
Fresh Ink
Cellist Matt Haimovitz makes his Kimmel Center debut in Innovation Studio on Saturday, October 17, 2009 with a new program known as Figment, celebrating the works of North American composers; one of the most influential ensembles of our time, the Grammy® Award-winning San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet performs on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in Perelman Theater; praised for its "powerhouse playing" by the Chicago Sun-Times, the JACK Quartet will offer a high-energy performance of standard and contemporary repertoire in Innovation Studio on Saturday, January 23, 2010; new music group Absolute Ensemble brings its "Bach Re-Invented" project featuring Simone Dinnerstein on Saturday, February 20, 2010 in Perelman Theater, fusing classical music with jazz, rock, world and hip-hop elements; and vital and creative ensemble Brooklyn Rider along with genre-defying trio 2 Foot Yard featuring violinist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt will perform at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, March 27, 2010 in Perelman Theater.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel
Now in his fifth season of presenting his unique, comment-plus-commentary Keyboard Conversations® in the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater, Jeffrey Siegel returns with three new presentations: Chopin for Lovers on Monday, November 16, 2009; Chopin the Storyteller on Monday, January 18, 2010; and Chopin and the Future on Monday, April 19, 2010.
Single tickets for all Kimmel Center Presents and Broadway Series performances will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 10am by calling 215-893-1999; online at www.kimmelcenter.org; at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings; and at the Academy of Music box office on performance evenings only. For group sales, please call 215-790-5883.
Kimmel Center Presents' 2009/2010 Season is sponsored by Citi. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Additional support is provided by the New England Foundation for the Arts and The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage through Dance Advance, the Philadelphia Music Project and the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative. NBC-10 is a media partner for Kimmel Center Presents.
Free in the Plaza programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from the Wachovia Foundation.
The Kimmel Center is the recipient of partnership funding through the nationally recognized PNC "Grow Up Great" initiative, a ten-year, $100 million investment in preparing children for success in school and life. Funding gives support to the Kimmel Center's early childhood program "Bop and Swing," an arts program for children 1-5 years old, designed to promote an appreciation for American culture.
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