Portland Ovations Announces Their Upcoming 2011 - 2012 Season

On June 1st Portland Ovations Members received the first look at the breadth of exceptional artists and performances Portland Ovations will bring to stages around the Portland area during its upcoming 2011-2012 season. This season, Ovations presents at Merrill Auditorium; Hannaford Hall at USM, Portland; South Portland Auditorium and the new, state-of-the-art Westbrook Performing Arts Center.

As has been its mission for more than 80 years, the not-for-profit brings something to delight every audience, starting with season opener Chris Botti, an American jazz trumpeter who has been nominated for several Grammy Awards and had three albums reach number one on the Billboard jazz albums chart. And that's just the beginning. Broadway national tours include the beloved South Pacific, the hilarious Monty Python's Spamalot and the smash hit Mamma Mia. Traditional classical artists such as pianist Imogen Cooper, violinist Jennifer Koh, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the esteemed Handel and Haydn Society, the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States, are joined by the innovative pairing of pianist Christopher O'Riley and cellist Matt Haimovitz for their provocative program Shuffle.Play.Listen. If you prefer inspiring music and dance from other parts of the globe, Ovations offers several throughout the new season including the Creole Choir of Cuba, Nigerien musician Bombino and Irish folk-band Danú, amongst others. The legendary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater makes its triumphant return to the Ovations dance line-up that includes new and thrilling ensembles such as The Trey McIntyre Project, India Jazz Suites and CiRCA, an Australian ensemble that combine cirque-like acrobatics with modern dance. Ovations also entertains families with performances by Dan Zanes and Friends, as well as Maine's own Michael Cooper and his "Wondertales," told on stage with beautiful masks and sharp mime. A special event finds the culinary arts taking center stage with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert discussing what really happens in the kitchen and taking questions from the audience.

"We hope the artistic excellence and wide breadth of the 2011-12 season surprises, delights, inspires, and of course entertains our community," states Executive Director Aimée M. Petrin.

Be sure to check the Portland Ovations website regularly as Ovations Offstage offers several ways to understand more about each performance being presented and connect with the artists including pre-performance lectures, master classes and artist residencies throughout the season.

Ovations' Members were able to get "first dibs" at tickets on June 6th, while tickets go on sale to the general public on June 20th. To purchase tickets, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.