BLUE MAN GROUP, BRING IT ON and More Set for the Ordway, April-June 2014

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will feature many exciting events as part of its April-June calendar.

First, Blue Man Group will play April 29-May 4 as part of the Ordway Theater season. Tickets start at $36.

Cleverly combining comedy, art and technology with fabulous visual effects and Grammy-nominated music, Blue Man Group's critically-acclaimed show has been called "visually stunning," "wildly inventive" and "hysterically funny." There's lots of audience interaction with the bald blue guys, as well as a pulsating finale set to an original music score. With no spoken language, Blue Man Group's high-energy imaginative show is perfect for people of all ages, languages and cultures.

Blue Man Group will play Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30 pm, Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm, Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, May 3 at 2:00 pm, Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, May 4, at 2:00 pm, and Sunday, May 4 at 7:30 pm

As an Ordway Extra, Blue Man Group will feature "Artistic Faces in the Performing Arts" on Wednesday April 30, at 6:30 pm

Next up is Tu Dance on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 7:30 as part of the Target Dance Series. Tickets start at $23.

In the 10 years since its founding, TU Dance has changed the Minnesota dance landscape. Join founders Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands for an unforgettable 10th anniversary dance concert featuring master choreographer Alvin Ailey's duet "Twin Cities" from his legendary collaboration with musical genius Duke Ellington, The River (1970), as well as repertory favorites. Highlights also include a world premiere, a new Ordway commissioned work by Uri Sands in collaboration with master wood block print artist Hiroki Morinoue. The program will also feature the Minnesota premiere of Uri Sands' One, recently commissioned by Dance St. Louis to honor the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and the discovery of HeLa cells.

Next, Bring It On: The Musical will play May 13-18 as part of the Ordway Theater season. Tickets start at $36.

Uniting some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway, Bring It On: The Musical is inspired by the Bring It On film and features an original story by Tony® Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avue Q), music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), music by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and music supervision by Tony and Grammy® Award winner Alex Lacamoire (In The Heights). The production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (In The Heights).

Bring It On: The Musical tells the story of the challenges and unexpected bonds formed through the thrill of extreme competition. With a colorful crew of characters, an exciting fresh sound and explosive dance with aerial stunts, this hilariously universal story is sure to be everything you hoped for and nothing like you expected

Bring It On: The Musical will play Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm, Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm, Friday, May 16 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm, Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, May 18 at 2:00 pm, and Sunday, May 18 at 7:30 pm

On Wednesday, May 14 at 6:30 pm, as an Ordway Extra, Bring It On: The Musical will feature "Cheer Power: Bring It On." After the show on May 14, there will be a talk back with members of the company, and May 15 at 7:30 will feature an open captioning performance. May 15 will also feature Kids' Nite on Broadway with pre-show activities especially for kids. Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm will be an ASL/AD performance.

May 31-June 1 will be the Flint Hills International Children's Festival. Tickets are $5 per person.

Inside the Ordway, performing artists from all around the world take to the stage for two full days of shows in the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival.

De Temps Antan presents traditional Quebecois music with charm, humor and impeccable musicianship that will have toes tapping by the end of the first tune at the Lehr Theater. The trio's powerful style, which blends tradition with contemporary flair, is anchored by the "tac-tic-a tac" ofles pieds, a form of seated tap dancing found only in French Canada, and features the fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki, and singing in French. De Temps Antan- the name translates as "From Bygone Times"-are influenced as much by their world travels as by their fieldwork and family ties.

Performance dates and times are Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am, Saturday, May 31 at 12:00 pm, Sunday, June 1 at 12:00 pm, and Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 pm

At Lehr Theater, the percussive dance and theater company, Flying Foot Forum, dives down the rabbit hole with one of its most ambitious productions yet, Alice in Wonderland. Audiences will be taken through Lewis Carroll's classic literary tale in this innovative promenade-style performance that seeks audience participation to help Alice on her journey.

Performance dates and times are Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 am, Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 pm, Sunday, June 1 at 12:00 pm, and Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 pm.

Next, Ordway Theater will feature LOVE at Landmark Center Weyerhaeuser. Hailing from Australia, Terrapin Puppet Theatre brings the heartfelt and lyrical story of Love to life with both traditional puppets and digital puppetry that create larger-than-life-characters and beautiful storytelling.

Performance dates and times are Saturday, May 31 at 10:30 am, Saturday, May 31 at 2:30 pm, Sunday, June 1 at 11:30 am, and Sunday, June 1 at 3:00 pm.

Next, come see Step Afrika! at Ordway Music Theater. Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the art of stepping, a traditional form of body percussion developed by African American college students. Stepping is based on a long and rich tradition in African-based communities. The dancers use movement, stomps, claps, and chants to create a percussive dance experience like no other.

Performance dates and times are Saturday, May 31 at 11:00 am, Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 pm, and Sunday, June 1 at 11:15 am.

Last, as part of the Ordway Theater Season, come see Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green, June 13-15. Tickets start at $37.

The Songbook team serenades audiences seated on the Ordway stage for an intimate, personal look into the stories behind the songs that created Broadway.

Betty Comden and Adolph Green's partnership spanned six decades. Their quintessential style defined the sophistication and wit of New York City and classic Broadway Musical Comedy.

They won 12 TONY Awards, were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the American Theatre Hall of Fame, and received Kennedy Center Honors. Each of their shows and movies overflow with show-stopping musical moments.

Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green is hosted by James A. Rocco and written by James A. Rocco and Jeffrey P. Scott. Musical Arrangements are by Raymond Berg & Albert Evans

Performance dates and times are Friday, June 13 at 7:30pm, Saturday, June 14 at 2:00pm, Saturday, June 14 at 7:30pm, Sunday, June 15 at 2:00pm, and Sunday, June 15 at 7:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at ordway.org or by calling 651.224.4222. For group tickets, call 651.282.3111.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is located at 345 Washington Street in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and soon-to-be completed Concert Hall attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also sponsors the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

Pictured: Blue Man Group. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

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