SOPAC Announces Fall 2012 Line-Up, featuring Norbert Leo Butz

South Orange Performing Arts Center has announced it's Fall 2012 line-up, featuring Tony-Winner Norbert Leo Butz on October 13. For more details on the upcoming season, including a complete schedule and ticket information, visit SOPACnow.org, or contact the SOPAC Box Office at 973.313.2787 (ARTS)

SEPTEMBER

THU 9/27 @ 7:30PM – LOS LONELY BOYS
Rock, Music
Tickets: $25-$50

Los Lonely Boys make their SOPAC debut while riding high on the success of their most recent release, 'Rockpango.’ A Spanglish word coined by the band, Rockpango translates more or less to "rock party.” The album stands as the most personal work yet by the Grammy-winning Garza brothers—Henry, Ringo, and Jojo—who wrote, recorded and produced it themselves. Since their breakout 2004 self-titled album, which went twice platinum and garnered a Best Pop Performance Grammy for the No 1 hit single "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys have toured all over the world, performing roughly 200 shows to more than 350,000 fans in 2009-10 alone. Their last studio album, 2008's 'Forgiven,' earned the band even more critical favor, with the LA Times extolling that it "oozes bone-deep feeling throughout."

OCTOBER

SAT 10/6 @ 8:00PM – GIANTS OF JAZZ honoring 2012 JAZZ MASTER George ColeMAN
Jazz
Tickets: $45-$60
Seniors & Students: $40, $50

Presented by SOPAC, Village of South Orange, and The Baird
Produced by John Lee & Jazz Legacy Productions

SOPAC is thrilled to welcome what the Star Ledger has described “…easily one of the top jazz shows of the year...anywhere.” The 15th Annual Giants of Jazz benefit concert honors legendary saxophonist George Coleman with performances by guest artists including, but not limited to: Albert “Tootie” Heath, Cyrus Chestnut, Claudio Roditi, and many more TBA.

SAT 10/13 @ 8:00PM – Norbert Leo Butz
Theatre
Tickets: $25-$50

Two-time TONY Award Winner for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me If You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, RENT) performs the music that inspired him to become a performer: bluegrass, blues, country, and of course Broadway.

NOVEMBER

THU 11/1 @ 7:30PM – TOOTS & THE MAYTALS
Reggae
Tickets: $25-$50

Frederick "Toots" Hibbert coined the term “reggae” nearly fifty years ago. Originally called simply ‘The Maytals,’ Toots and the Maytals are a legendary Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups. Their 1968 song "Do the Reggay" is widely credited with coining the genre's name, and they appeared in 1972's The Harder They Come, the hit film which launched reggae onto the global stage. Still touring and recording forty years later, they've lost none of their energy or talent.

SAT 11/3 @ 2:00PM + 6:00PM – Golden Dragon Acrobats
Kids, Family
Tickets: $25-$40

The Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the best of a time-honored tradition that began more than 27 centuries ago. They blend lavish costumes, award-winning acrobatics, and traditional dance together with a hint of ancient and contemporary theater to create a spectacular performance for all ages.

SUN 11/4 @ 5:00PM – JAZZ IN The Loft
Jazz
$15 Cover

As part of SOPAC’s new “IN The Loft” Series – jazz/blue concerts in a casual, club café atmosphere in SOPAC’s upstairs loft space. Cash bar. No drink minimum.

THU 11/8 @ 7:30PM – REBELLION’S INTIMATE VOICE feat. CAROLYN FORCHE & ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET
Classical
Tickets: $25
Seniors & Alumni: $15
Students: $8

Post-concert reception with the Quartet and Ms. Forché in the SOPAC Loft. This compelling program features a pas de deux of the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, the celebrated Soviet composer, and the poetry of Carolyn Forché, the award-winning political poet. Through Ms. Forché’s spoken word and the performance of Shostakovich’s 2nd, 3rd, and 8th string quartets by the highly acclaimed Alexander String Quartet, we discover the awesome power and exquisite beauty that is born through the deeply personal expression of rebellion.

FRI 11/9 @ 8:00PM – AN EVENING WITH Stephanie Mills
R&B
Tickets: $30-$75*
*Premium ticket includes invitation to private meet-and-greet post-performance reception with Stephanie Mills

Stephanie Mills first came to fame as “the little girl with the big voice” as the star of the hit Broadway play, The Wiz, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wizard Of Oz. She had many R&B hits such as “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love,” “I Feel Good All Over,” “(You’re Puttin’) A Rush On Me,” “Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)” and “Home” along with one certified million selling single, “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”

SAT 11/17 @ 11:00AM – HUMPTY DUMPTY & THE BIG BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES
Kids, Family
Tickets: $11-16

Rose is lost in Rhyme Town. Fortunately, Humpty knows how to get her home. With the assistance of the audience, Humpty and Rose go on an adventure collecting magic to get Rose home. Along the way, they meet Old King Cole, Little Bo Peep, The Grand Old Duke of York and Little Miss Muffet. Come sing-a-long with your favorite nursery rhyme characters!

SAT 11/17 @ 8:00PM – A NIGHT OF COMEDY w/ Jessica Kirson + FRIENDS
Comedy

SUN 11/18 @ 5:00PM – BLUES IN The Loft
Blues
$15 Cover

As part of SOPAC’s new “IN The Loft” Series – jazz/blue concerts in a casual, club café atmosphere in SOPAC’s upstairs loft space. Cash bar. No drink minimum.

THU 11/29 @ 7:30PM – A CHANTICLEER CHRISTMAS
Holiday Show!
Tickets: $40-$70

The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer presents its beloved holiday program at SOPAC—your only chance to see ‘A Chanticleer Christmas’ in NJ this season. Known as "an orchestra of voices" for the seamless blend of its 12 members, Chanticleer has developed a worldwide reputation for its impeccable musicianship, beauty of sound and wide-ranging repertoire. A holiday tradition that is not to be missed!

DECEMBER

SUN 12/2 @ 2:00PM + 5:00PM – THE NUTCRACKER by NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET
Dance
Tickets: $25-$40

E.A. Hoffmann’s fairy tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, first premiered in 1892. New York Theatre Ballet’s production is the only hour-long Nutcracker presented by a professional troupe in the metro area.
It is perfectly suited to the attention span of younger audience members, yet sophisticated enough for the most discerning adult.

TUE 12/4 @ 7:30PM – SARAH SHAFER (SOPRANO) + Richard Goode (PIANO)
Classical
Tickets: $25
Seniors & Alumni: $15
Students: $8

Pre-concert lecture with Dr. Robert Waters in the SOPAC Loft at 6:30PM. Pianist Richard Goode returns to the series for his third performance, this time in a delightful recital of solo piano pieces and art song with Sarah Shafer, a gifted young soprano. Praised for her "luminous voice" and "intensely expressive interpretations" (The New York Times) the twenty-three year old vocalist is quickly emerging as a sought-after operatic and concert artist. In this evening’s performance, we delight in Mr. Goode’s profound artistry and catch a rising star. Featuring solo piano works and songs by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms and Mahler.

SAT 12/8 @ 2:00PM + 8:00PM – IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (A RADIO PLAY)
Holiday Show!
Tickets: $15-$30

Inspired by the classic American film, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience. Five actors perform the dozens of characters in the radio play as well as produce the sound effects.

SUN 12/9 @ 3PM – THE JUILLIARD JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Jazz

Juilliard @ SOPAC

Tickets: $15-$20

The Juilliard Jazz Ensemble returns to SOPAC to with a program guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit. Featuring Juilliard’s renowned Artist Diploma Ensemble, the sextet will perform pieces putting their own inventive spin on holiday classics and favorites.

The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra and the division’s small ensembles play more than 50 performances annually including appearances at the Detroit Jazz Festival and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and tour to destinations such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Japan, Spain, and Brazil. The ensembles perform regularly at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola and the world-renowned Blue Note in New York City. For the past several seasons they also have enjoyed week-long runs at Jazz at Lincoln Center with guest artists such as Kenny Barron, Lew Tabackin, Gerald Wilson, Bobby Watson, Ernie Andrews, Tom Harrell and Sean Jones.