Friday, July 08, 2005

Wilmington, NC – UNCW Presents announces its 2005-06 Arts in Action Performance Series lineup. Scheduled October through April, the series features seven events with appeal to a broad spectrum of music, dance and theater enthusiasts. All performances are held at 8 p.m. at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium unless otherwise noted.

The series opens Saturday, October 15 with Tift Merritt. There’s a reason the music of this North Carolina-bred songwriter was nominated for a Grammy—it’s “a blow-out of gritty defiance and therapeutic honesty, sexy, energetic roots rock with healthy doses of soul and hints of country.”

Witty author Sarah Vowell will be speaking Saturday, November 5. Once best-known as a voice of NPR’s This American Life, Sarah Vowell garnered a new generation of fans as the voice of Violet in the animated film The Incredibles. Her latest book, Assassination Vacation, takes readers on a road trip to the pit stops of American political murder and the ways they have been used for fun and profit.

Fall events wrap up with Doc Watson & David Holt in a program Hills of Home, on Monday, November 28. This North Carolina native virtually invented the art of playing mountain fiddle tunes on the flattop guitar and created the immensely popular Merlefest in tribute to his son and musical partner. Eighty-two-year-old Watson accepts only a limited number of engagements—UNCW Presents is honored to be one of them with a special tribute to NC music.

The New Year opens with acclaimed South African vocalists Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Tuesday, February 21. First brought to the world’s attention by their performance on Paul Simon’s Graceland, the group is now widely respected as cultural emissaries of the new South Africa. Jabula! (Zulu for “Rejoice").

The new frontiers of modern dance, Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company, will perform on Saturday, March 18. HS2 consists of six dancers between the ages of 17 and 25 who perform a repertoire of works by some of the nation’s most promising young choreographers. HS2 reaches more than 32,000 people annually through performances in schools, community centers and theaters. It has become a resource for new dancers for HSDC’s main company, and a performing company in its own right.

Co-presented with Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Shapiro & Smith Dance will perform ANYTOWN: Stories of America on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25. ANYTOWN is an artistic collaboration pairing professional dance with the legendary music of Bruce Springsteen will perform on. The choreography gets its down-to-earth tone, poignant storytelling and musicality directly from the songs. They address the concerns of today’s middle and working class, and bring together digital technology, contemporary images of community, and music from today.

The series finale is the Spanish Harlem Orchestra on Thursday, April 6. With a sound both modern and historic and a swing that could revive the dead, Spanish Harlem Orchestra is the signature sound of 21st century Latin music.

In addition to performances, most artist visits will feature complementary events designed to enrich and add a new perspective to the experience of live cultural arts. These events are free and open to the public, and include among other things a singer/songwriter workshop with musician Tift Merritt, and dance classes with Hubbard Street 2 and ANYTOWN. Also, The Spanish Harlem Orchestra will conduct a lecture/demonstration exploring history and style of Latin big band music. Though participation is limited, all are welcome to observe. For more information, visit www.uncw.edu/arts.

Box Office and Ticket Information

Mainstage subscriptions to the series will be available July 18 and include six events at Kenan Auditorium. The subscription offers savings of 15% as well as priority seating for all performances. Season tickets are priced at $32 for UNCW and area K-12 students; $73 for UNCW faculty/staff and senior citizens; and $94 for all others. A smaller ticket package (Choose-Your-Own-Series) option is also available and offers 10% savings for ticket purchases to at least three different events at Kenan Auditorium.

Individual tickets, on sale beginning August 22, are priced at $6 for UNCW and area K-12 students; $14 for UNCW faculty/staff and seniors; $18 for all others.

For tickets, call the Kenan Auditorium Box Office at 910/962-3500 or 800/732-3643 outside of the Wilmington area. Box office hours are 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. To request a season brochure, telephone the UNCW Presents office at 910/962-7971 or visit www.uncw.edu/arts.

About UNCW Arts in Action Performance Series

Sponsored by UNCW Presents, the Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and entertain both students and the general public through the presentation of diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists. For more information, please visit the UNCW Presents web site at www.uncw.edu/arts.

UNCW Arts in Action is a member of the NC Presenters Consortium and the US National Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The 150 member venues of the NC Presenters Consortium may be visited at http://www.presenters.org

UNCW Arts in Action Performance Series 2005-06

Calendar Listing

Tift Merritt

Saturday, October 15, 2005

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

Sarah Vowell

Saturday, November 5, 2005

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

Doc Watson & David Holt

Monday, November 28, 2005

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company

Saturday, March 18, 2006

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

“ANYTOWN: Stories of America”

Shapiro & Smith Dance

Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March, 25, 2006

8 pm, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Thursday, April 6, 2006

8 pm, Kenan Auditorium

Black and white or color photography of 2005-06 artists may be downloaded at www.uncw.edu/arts