Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Announces March Events

By: Dec. 29, 2016
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Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has announced its lineup for March events. See the full schedule below!

San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series
La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 7 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
General Admission: $12

Screened in glorious HD, the Grand Opera Cinema Series features recent productions of the world-renowned San Francisco Opera. Nicola Luisotti, San Francisco Opera's music director and a master of the Italian repertoire, conducts Puccini's most beloved opera. This heartwarming story of starving artists falling in and out of love in 19th-century Paris is a seamless mix of romantic passion, poignant tragedy and high-spirited fun. The outstanding cast is headed by superstar Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu as the ill-fated Mimi and by Polish tenor Piotr Beczala as her lover, the poet Rodolfo.

Recorded fall 2008, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Sung in Italian with English subtitles
2 hours and 3 minutes with one intermission
Intermission includes a behind-the-scenes interview


Native Trails

Selected Thursdays and Saturdays, January 12 - March 30, 2017, Noon - 1 p.m.

January 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28

February 2, 4, 16, 18, 23, 25

March 2, 23, 25, 30

Outdoors at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Free Admission

Native Trails is a free outdoor festival celebrating the Native American cultures of the Southwest through song and dance. Each event brings together traditional instruments, colorful dances and authentic attire to share the stories of Southwest tribes, including the Hopi, Diné (Navajo), Akimel Au-Authm and San Carlos Apache. Audiences enjoy performances such as the Southwest horse dance, inter-tribal pow-wow dancing, world-championship-level hoop dancing and the audience-participatory round dance. Native Trails also features Native American artisans selling specialty items such as jewelry, baskets, flutes and paintings, as well as light snacks and beverages. Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs or picnic baskets.

Presented by Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Produced by Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Collaboration with Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.


Sybarite5: Outliers
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 7:30 pm
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
Tickets: $29, $39, $49

The first string quintet ever selected as a winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Sybarite5 has taken audiences by storm all across the United States, forever changing the perception of chamber music performance. From Mozart to Radiohead and Visconti to Akiho, Sybarite5's eclectic repertoire and commanding performance style is turning heads throughout the music world. From the moment their bows hit the strings, this quintet of talented, diverse musicians takes the audience on an exciting ride that engages the senses and redefines the rules.

Always on the lookout for new tunes and composers that speak with a unique and relevant voice, Sybarite5 will perform a program titled Outliers, featuring music by the group's friends such as Shawn Conley, Jessica Meyer, Daniel Bernard Roumain and Michael Gilbertson, along with favorite works of Armenian folk music, Piazzolla, Pete Seeger, Elgar and Radiohead.

Sybarite5 is comprised of Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violins; Angela Pickett, viola; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass.


Ms. Lisa Fischer

and Grand Baton

Friday, March 3, 2017, 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $29, $39, $59

Lisa Fischer is stepping into the spotlight at last! After four decades of singing background for icons like the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan and Nine Inch Nails, Fischer is finally offering her own humble, heartfelt song, accompanied by her inventive new band Grand Baton. The unexpected success of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) altered the course of Fischer's musical journey. The film told her story, complete with clips of her 1991 Grammy-winning R&B hit "How Can I Ease the Pain," live footage of her celebrated duets with Mick Jagger on "Gimme Shelter" and glowing testimonials from famous colleagues like Sting, Patti Austin and Chris Botti. It showcased her virtuosity and vulnerability, opened a window on her sometimes lonely life on the road, earned her a second Grammy Award, and left audiences eager to see and hear more.

Fischer has found ideal co-conspirators in Grand Baton. The band's organic fusion of African, Middle Eastern and Caribbean rhythms, psychedelic soul and progressive rock awakens and ignites Fischer's flexibility and freedom of expression. While Fischer's range is legendary, her greatest gift is the ability to connect, to reach the hearts of her listeners.

Signature Sponsor: Merrill Lynch


Late Nite Catechism

Starring Patti Hannon
Written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan
January 6 - March 31, 2017

Performed Weekly, Fridays, 8 p.m.
January 6, 13, 20, 27
February 3, 10, 17, 24
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Stage 2

Tickets: $39

Spontaneous, clever and outrageously fun, the record-breaking Late Nite Catechism has been running every season at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts since 2000! Ruling her classroom with a razor-sharp wit, Sister teaches her students - who happen to be the audience - everything she knows about sins and saints while doling out rewards and reprimands with lightning speed.

Each Late Nite performance is unique and will appeal to people of all ages and faiths.


Late Nite Catechism III: 'Til Death Do Us Part
Starring Patti Hannon
Written by Maripat Donovan With Marc Silvia
January 7 - April 1, 2017
Performed Weekly, Saturdays, 8 p.m.
January 7, 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18, 25
March 4, 11, 18, 25

April 1
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Stage 2
Tickets: $39

Arizona's favorite ruler-wielding nun, Sister, is back in the habit! In this popular sequel to the Late Nite Catechism comedies, Sister offers up the latest dogma fresh off the Internet, some hilarious lessons about love and marriage, and her own outrageous version of The Newlywed Game.

Each Late Nite performance is unique and will appeal to people of all ages and faiths.


Rosanne Cash

Saturday, March 4, 2017, 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $49, $59, $79

One of the country's pre-eminent singer-songwriters, Rosanne Cash has released 15 albums of extraordinary songs that have earned four Grammy Awards and nominations for 11 more, as well as 21 top-40 hits, including 11 No. 1 singles. She is also an author whose four books include the best-selling memoir Composed, which the Chicago Tribune called "one of the best accounts of an American life you'll likely ever read."

Cash's landmark 2009 album, The List, won the Americana Music Association's Album of the Year award. In her latest release, The River and the Thread, a collaboration with husband/co-writer/producer and arranger John Leventhal, Cash evokes a kaleidoscopic examination of the geographic, emotional, musical and historic landscape of the American South. The album has received impressive worldwide acclaim, including three Grammy Awards, and attained the highest debut in the Billboard charts of any of her previous albums.

Signature Sponsor: Hyatt House


Sunday A'Fair

Selected Sundays, January 15 - April 2, 2017, Noon - 4 p.m.

January 15, 22, 29

February 12, 19, 26

March 5, 19, 26

April 2

Outdoors at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Free Admission

Celebrating its 30th season, Sunday A'Fair features free outdoor concerts in Scottsdale Civic Center Park by top Arizona musicians, along with an arts-and-crafts market, fun activities for children and families, and free docent-led tours of the sculptures in the park. Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs or picnic baskets, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of great entertainment. Delicious foods from the grill, snacks and cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks are also available for purchase.

Highlights of Sunday A'Fair 2017 include Peace and Community Day honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Jan. 15; La Gran Fiesta: A Celebration of Latin and Hispanic Cultures headlined by the L.A.-based band Salt Petal on Feb. 19; and Origination: A Festival of Native Cultures celebrating the arts of France and Native Arizona on March 26.

Presenting Sponsor: Nationwide

Signature Sponsor: Renewal by Andersen

Supporting Sponsor: Wag N'Wash


Talk Cinema

Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017 @ 7 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

General Admission: $17

Mixing Hollywood flair with the element of surprise, Talk Cinema offers sneak previews of new independent and foreign films. Audiences arrive at the theater not knowing in advance what will be screened and are among the first to see a new movie and then engage in a critical discussion led by film scholars and special guests - destined to start conversations before the films ever come out!

Films are personally selected by Talk Cinema founder Harlan Jacobson, the nationally recognized film critic whose signature guarantees quality selections from Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and other internationally ranked film festivals. The selection may be an award-winning drama, an outrageous indie comedy, a provocative documentary or the next breakout hit. (Last season, four of the eight films screened as part of Talk Cinema Scottsdale were nominated for Academy Awards!)


Jarrod Spector & Kelli Barrett
This Is Dedicated: Music's Greatest Marriages

Thursday, March 9, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $39, $49, $69

Newly married Broadway veterans Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett are often asked "what's it like to be married to a fellow artist?" Bringing to life the greatest songs birthed from the greatest marriages, the two attempt to answer the question. From Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil and Alan & Marilyn Bergman to Sonny & Cher to Beyonce & Jay-Z, the themes of love, heartbreak, triumph and despair infuse not only these incredible songs but also the storied partnerships themselves. The night celebrates marriage as the powerful force behind this timeless music and tackles the difficult questions behind keeping it all together.


47th Scottsdale Arts Festival

March 10-12, 2017

Friday, March 10, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Outdoors at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Admission: $10 (Students: $5)
Free for members and children 12 and under

Long recognized as one of the top art fairs in America, the Scottsdale Arts Festival is a weekend-long celebration of art, music, food and family fun. The event features 170 jury-selected artists from throughout the United States and Canada, continuous live music and entertainment on two stages, gourmet food trucks and the Local First Arizona Marketplace, creative activities for kids at the Imagine Nation family area, free admission to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and more.

Title Sponsor: Bank of America

Presenting Sponsor: Pita Jungle

Signature Sponsors: First Impression Security Doors

Supporting Sponsor: Arizona Coyotes; Pella Windows & Doors; Renewal by Andersen; Silicon Valley Bank; David Frank Design


Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, 7:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
Tickets: $39, $49, $59

Sure, in the abstract, a banjo duo might seem like a musical concept beset by limitations. But when the banjo players cast in those roles are Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck - she with the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter, he with the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots - it's a different matter entirely. There's no denying that theirs is a one-of-a-kind pairing, with one-of-a-kind possibilities.

Presented in partnership with Musical Instrument Museum


DIAVOLO: Architecture in Motion®

Thursday, March 16, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 17, 2017, 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
Tickets: $29, $39, $59

DIAVOLO: Architecture in Motion® uses dance to explore the relationship between the human body and its architectural environment. Artistic Director Jacques Heim steers DIAVOLO's diverse team of dancers, designers, choreographers and engineers to create visceral and awe-inspiring works that reveal how we are affected emotionally, physically and socially by the spaces we inhabit. Meticulously designed bespoke architectural structures serve as the central inspiration for each work, activated by the stylistically varied and intensely physical choreography that has become the hallmark of this truly original Los Angeles-based company throughout its rich 25-year history.

A full evening experience in two parts, L.O.S.T. (Losing One's Self Temporarily) features DIAVOLO's newest works - Passengers (2016) and Cubicle(2015) - and boldly tackles the essence of what both divides and unites us.

Passengers

On and around a giant morphing staircase with multiple doors, passageways and shifting surfaces, the dancers reckon with themes of journey and transition and the tenuous balance we attempt to strike each day as both indomitable drivers and unwitting passengers.

Cubicle

Within a system of heavy wooden boxes, Cubicle explores the human condition under cramped and monotonous workday reality, exposing an underlying counterbalance of freedom and anarchy.

Presenting Sponsor: Betty Hum and Alan Yudell

Signature Sponsor: BMO Harris Bank

Supporting Sponsor: National Endowment for the Arts; WESTAF, the Western States Arts Federation


Cameron Carpenter
Featuring the International Touring Organ

Saturday, March 18, 2017, 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $29, $39, $59

Cameron Carpenter is smashing the stereotypes of organists and organ music worldwide, and all the while generating international acclaim and controversy unprecedented in his field. After launching his International Touring Organ (ITO) in 2014, which has since escalated to live performances for audiences on four continents, Carpenter makes his Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts debut, playing this monumental cross-genre digital organ built by Marshall & Ogletree to his own design, performing a program titled "All You Need Is Bach."

Carpenter is one of the only performing artists to make a practice of meeting his audience in person before his performances - often spending more than an hour before each concert shaking hands and signing autographs on the floor of a concert venue. With combined millions of hits on YouTube and numerous television, radio and press features, including CNN, BBC Radio 3, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many others, he is the world's most visible organist.

Classical music concerts at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are supported in part by the Dayton Fowler Grafman Endowment for Classical Music.


Virginia G. Piper Concert Series

Daniel Hope, violin

Vanessa Perez, piano

Sunday, March 19, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $29, $39, $49

British violinist Daniel Hope has toured the world as a virtuoso soloist for 25 years and is celebrated for his musical versatility as well as his dedication to humanitarian causes. Winner of the 2015 European Cultural Prize for Music, whose previous recipients include Daniel Barenboim, Plácido Domingo and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Hope appears as soloist with the world's major orchestras and conductors, also directing many ensembles from the violin. He is also one of the world's most prolific classical recording artists, with more than 25 albums to his name. Hope plays the 1742 "ex-Lipi?ski" Guarneri del Gesù, placed generously at his disposal by an anonymous family from Germany.

Venezuelan-American pianist Vanessa Perez has been praised for a bold, passionate performing style allied to musicianship of keen sensitivity. She has developed an international profile, playing across the United States, Latin America and Europe.

Hope has created a program to honor the centennial of his mentor, friend and colleague Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), one of the great violinists of the 20th century. The works Hope has chosen were written for or are closely associated with Menuhin.

Program

Bach: Sonata in C minor, BWV 1017

Enescu: Impromptu concertant

Mendelssohn: Sonata in F Major

Walton: Sonata

Ravel: Kaddisch

Bartok: Romanian Folk Dances

Series Sponsor: Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Classical music concerts at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are also supported by the Dayton Fowler Grafman Endowment for Classical Music.


San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series
Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 7 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater
General Admission: $12

Screened in glorious HD, the Grand Opera Cinema Series features recent productions of the world-renowned San Francisco Opera. One of the world's most beloved and dramatic operas, Madama Butterfly is a classic tale of colliding hearts and cultures set in 19th-century Japan. Internationally acclaimed soprano Patricia Racette is Cio-Cio-San, a geisha tragically torn between two worlds and forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to retain her honor. Maestro Donald Runnicles conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this stirring production that features some of Puccini's most popular music.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles
2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Intermission includes a behind-the-scenes interview


Rob Kapilow: What Makes It Great?

Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata

Thursday, March 23, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

Tickets: $38.50, $48.50, $53.50

What makes great music great? Through his entertaining concert presentations, commentaries on NPR's Performance Today and CD series, Rob Kapilow has brought the joy and wonder of classical music - and unraveled some of its mysteries - to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Characterized by his unique ability to create an "aha" moment for his audiences and collaborators, whatever their level of musical understanding, Kapilow's work brings music into people's lives: opening new ears to musical experiences and helping people to listen actively rather than just hear.

Combining both performance and engaging commentary from the stage, Kapilow and guest pianist Eckart Sellheim delve into Ludwig van Beethoven's legendary Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 (nicknamed the "Appassionata"), one of the maestro's most celebrated and technically challenging piano works.

Presented in partnership with the Musical Instrument Museum


Chef Jacques Pépin & Claudine Pépin

Saturday, March 25, 2017, 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $29, $39, $59

Master chef, author and educator Jacques Pépin is "the original Iron Chef." He has published more than 25 cookbooks, hosted 12 highly acclaimed public television shows and taught millions of Americans - plus an entire generation of chefs - how to cook. Pépin shared the spotlight with the iconic Julia Child on the award-winning series Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, which went on to win a Daytime Emmy and the James Beard Foundation's award for "Best National Television Cooking Show." Pépin has also appeared as a guest judge on the Bravo series Top Chef. His latest book, Heart and Soul in the Kitchen, was released in 2015.

Pépin's innovative approach to the kitchen begins with technique and ends with creation, believing that every meal should be a celebration. He built his career as a master craftsman who presents accessible recipes for any kitchen with ingredients found in the local grocery store. He maintains the perspective that everyone can cook with some basic training and preparation.

TV personality and wine connoisseur Claudine Pépin joins her father to present the ideas, methods and skills of Jacques Pépin in a live demonstration of some of Jacques' most famous dishes. The evening will include a Q-and-A session moderated by a top Valley chef and book signing.

Part of the 2016-17 Discovery France Series


Sunday A'Fair

OrigiNation: A Festival of Native Cultures

Sunday, March 26, 2017, Noon - 4 p.m.
Outdoors at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Free Admission

This special Sunday A'Fair celebrates the cultures of France and Arizona in an afternoon of entertainment and interactive experiences. Visitors enjoy music, dance and stories; arts-and-crafts by local artists; creative art stations for kids and families; and native-inspiRed Foods and beverages.

Part of the 2016-17 Discovery France Series
Presenting Sponsor: Nationwide


Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Inon Barnatan, piano
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Tickets: $49, $69, $89

One of the finest chamber orchestras in the world, Academy of St Martin in the Fields is renowned for its polished and refined sound, rooted in outstanding musicianship. Formed from a group of leading London musicians, and working without a conductor, the Academy gave its first performance in its namesake church in 1959. The Academy works with some of the most talented soloists and directors in the classical music scene, performing symphonic repertoire and "chamber music on a grand scale" at prestigious venues throughout the world, while expanding its celebrated recording catalog.

Celebrated for the unique approach, probing intellect, and consummate artistry he brings to a broad range of repertoire, Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan currently serves as the first Artist-in-Association of the New York Philharmonic. This unprecedented three-season appointment sees him appear as soloist in subscription concerts, take part in regular chamber performances, and act as ambassador for the orchestra.

Program

Copland: Quiet City

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major (K.271)

TBA: New Commission/Piano Concerto

Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A Major (K.201/186a)

Signature Sponsor: Linda and Alan Englander

Supporting Sponsor: Barbara Koval

Classical music concerts at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are also supported in part by the Dayton Fowler Grafman Endowment for Classical Music.


Through its dynamic partnership with the City of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts (formerly known as Scottsdale Cultural Council) creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and educational and outreach opportunities for the community, while fostering the active engagement of individuals, businesses, education and government with the arts. Since its founding in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multi-disciplinary arts organization offering an exceptional variety of programs through three acclaimed operating divisions - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and Scottsdale Public Art - serving more than 375,000 participants annually.

Since 1975, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has provided a stage for a wide range of voices and perspectives, creating shared, inspiring experiences for the community that celebrate artistic excellence and cultural awareness. Today one of the premier performing-arts halls in the western United States, the Center presents a diverse season of dance, music, theater, comedy and film from around the world.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 E. Second St. in downtown Scottsdale. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Wells Fargo Avenue. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at East Second Street and Brown Avenue and at the Civic Center Library parking garage located on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers performance accommodations to enhance audience members' experience, including: American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation or live audio description with two weeks advance notice. Assistive-listening devices and wheelchair seating are also available. Visit www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/visit/accessibility/ or contact the Patron Services Box Office at 480-499-TKTS (8587) [TDD: 480-874-4694] for further details. Please inquire about services when ordering tickets.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers a variety of ticket discounts for members at the Duet level and above, groups of 10 or more and those purchasing packages to four or more events in one order. The Center provides free tickets to selected events for eligible students, teachers and active-duty military and veterans, and 50-percent off tickets to selected events for patrons 29 and under. Visit www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/visit/tickets-discounts/ or call 480-499-TKTS (8587) for more information.

The award-winning Store at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts supports the mission and diverse programs of the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts. The Store's unique selection of merchandise includes artist-made jewelry, stylish furnishings for home and office, unique creations by Arizona artists, fair-trade and upcycled/recycled global crafts, music, books, greeting cards and imaginative toys. Purchases are tax-free, and members receive a 10-percent discount. Gift-wrapping and shipping are also available. The Store is open seven days a week: Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday,noon - 5 p.m.; and throughout most evening events. Phone: 480-874-4644.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
7380 E. Second St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org

480-499-TKTS (8587)



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