Public Sales Start Next Monday for UMS's 2017-18 Season

Monday, August 7 marks the official beginning of ticket sales for individual performances presented as part the 2017-18 University Musical Society (UMS) season. With appearances by internationally renowned orchestras, chamber musicians, dance groups, jazz and global music artists, and theater and dance ensembles, the UMS season spans the complete spectrum of the performing arts.

In all, 67 performances by 44 different artists and ensembles will take place in 10 venues in Ann Arbor and Detroit, including Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium, the Power Center, Michigan Theater, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Downtown Home & Garden and Bill's Beer Garden, and Arthur Miller Theatre in Ann Arbor, and El Club, The Schvitz, and the Detroit Opera House in Detroit.

In addition, UMS will present six high-definition theater broadcasts from the National Theatre of London and the Vakhtangov Theater of Moscow, all in partnership with the Michigan Theater. Additional performances as part of UMS's No Safety Net theater residency will be announced in early fall.

A new addition to the season is Bassem Youssef's The Joke is Mightier than the Sword, a multimedia presentation that includes a talk, video, audience Q&A, and book signing at the Michigan Theater on Monday, November 6 at 7:30 pm. Dubbed the "Jon Stewart of the Arab world," Youssef was the creator and host of the widely popular television show "Al-Bernameg." The first political satire show in the Middle East, "Al-Bernameg" began as a five-minute YouTube show shot from Youssef's laundry room after protests in Tahrir Square unseated Egypt's ruling elite, which then grew into a longer weekly program. Known for its controversially bold but hilarious criticism of ruling powers, the show quickly became the most-watched program in the region with 30 million viewers every week. Accused of being "anti-Islam" and insulting the President, Youssef was forced to terminate the show because of overwhelming political pressure. He was subsequently awarded the prestigious International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ).

UMS will also continue its partnership with the Michigan Theater to bring high?definition broadcasts of four productions by the National Theatre of London and Moscow's Vakhtangov Theater. The broadcasts include Tony Kushner's Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes (starring Andrew Garland, Denis Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle, and Russell Tovey and broadcast in two parts on Sunday, September 24 and Sunday, October 1), Simon Stone's Yerma (starring Billie Piper, Sunday, October 22), Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (starring Sergey Makovetskiy, Sunday, January 21), Stephen Sondheim's Follies (starring Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee, and Imelda Stanton, Sunday, February 11), and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (starring Ben Whishaw, Michelle Fairley, David Calder, and David Morrissey, Sunday, May 6).

Tickets to all events will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 7 at 10 am. Tickets are available for purchase at online at ums.org, in person at the Michigan League Ticket Office (911 North University Avenue) or by calling the UMS Ticket Office at 734-764-2538 (toll-free 800-221-1229). Michigan League Ticket Office hours are 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Beginning Tuesday, September 5, the League Ticket Office will resume extended hours: Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday 10 am to 1 pm.

A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Michigan, presenting over 70 music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with over 100 free educational activities. UMS is committed to bold artistic leadership, engaged learning through the arts, and access and inclusiveness. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of nearly 80 new or reimagined works.

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