Arnie Zane Dance, Idina Menzel, WEST SIDE STORY and More Set for Wolf Trap, 7/31-8/5

Wolf Trap welcomes the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Delaware Rockers George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Motown Legends The Temptations and The Four Tops, Two Consecutive NSO Performances and the Return of the Golden Dragon Acrobats from China, July 31-Aug 5. See full details below.

All shows play at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
A Kay Shouse Great Performance
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 8:30 pm
$40 in-house, $4 lawn

Presenting the D.C. premiere of the new work Story/Time, Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company make their debut at Wolf Trap. Jones’s latest production consists of 90 one-minute autobiographical segments ranging from playful and humorous to thought-provoking and emotional. Each piece is accompanied by original music from composer Ted Coffey and the company’s signature modern dance. Jones began his career as a solo choreographer and dancer prior to starting his company with partner Arnie Zane in 1983. He has created more than 100 works for the company and choreographed for countless others including Alvin Ailey, Axis Dance Company, and Boston Ballet. Jones is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Award , two Tony Awards for Best Choreography, and is a 2010 Kennedy Center honoree.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Special Guest: Delbert McClinton
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm
$42 in-house, $25 lawn

Delaware natives and blues rock band George Thorogood & The Destroyers (GT and D) return to the Wolf Trap stage after their last appearance with Robert Cray Band in 2010. The band’s recent release, 2120 South Chicago Ave. (2011), features covers of popular songs from Chess Records’ artists including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters. Their breakthrough album, Bad to the Bone (1982), featured the eponymous single of the same name. The song has been used in various television shows and films, and is recognized as one of the band’s all-time greatest hits.

Nearly a decade has passed since roots rock vocalist Delbert McClinton last played at Wolf Trap. Returning as support for George Thorogood and The Destroyers, McClinton brings his signature vocals and skillful harmonica melodies to the Filene Center stage. His latest album release, Acquired Taste (2009), showcases the 71-year-old’s soulful vocals against a variety of musical styles.

The Temptations
The Four Tops
Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 8 pm
$38 in-house, $22 lawn

Motown movers and shakers The Temptations return to Wolf Trap for an evening of familiar music and big hits. Their most recent release, Still Here (2010), celebrated the foursome’s 50th anniversary with a collection of love songs. The Detroit natives got their start in the early ‘60s when two doo-wop groups, The Primes and The Distants, merged. The group charted 16 Top 10 hits in their first decade, from “The Way You Do the Things You Do” through 1972’s “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” becoming the first Motown group to win a GRAMMY Award in 1969. The Temptations continued their reign throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Another Motown favorite, The Four Tops will join The Temptations in a celebration of Motown rhythm and blues. Originally signed with Chess Records, the group moved to Motown in 1963. They were an immediate hit with “Baby I Need Your Loving” in 1964, the first of 30 chart appearances over the next eight years. The foursome continued to experience success throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and received a Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY award in 2009.

NSO @ Wolf Trap
An Evening with Idina Menzel
Steven Reineke, conductor
Friday, August 3, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Tickets: $20-$55

Enjoy a one-night-only performance with Tony Award-winning Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel, alongside the National Symphony Orchestra led by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, as she returns to Wolf Trap after her debut in 2010. Her most recently released album, Live: Barefoot at the Symphony (2012), features Menzel singing Broadway classics as well as today’s popular hits. Famous for her roles in the original productions of Wicked and Rent, Menzel is widely recognized as one of the greatest performers of her time.

NSO @ Wolf Trap
West Side Story
Emil de Cou, conductor
Saturday, August 4, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Tickets: $20- $52

The National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap invites you to relive West Side Story, the lauded classic film based on the hit Broadway musical in an all-new multimedia concert. Watch West Side Story on full HD screens located in-house and on the lawn, accompanied by the full live score performed by the National Symphony Orchestra led by maestro Emil de Cou.

Golden Dragon Acrobats from China
Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15- $38

Spend an afternoon at Wolf Trap with Chinese acrobatic company Golden Dragon Acrobats from China. Returning to Wolf Trap after their last appearance in 2011, the company brings award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music, and theatrical techniques. The 2011-2012 tour will mark the company’s 33rd year of continuous touring in the United States.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 1 (877) WOLFTRAP; or online at www.wolftrap.org. For more information, call Wolf Trap at (703) 255-1868.

Wolf Trap is metro accessible. The environmentally friendly Wolf Trap Express Bus travels from the West Falls Church metro stop every 20 minutes starting two hours prior to show time. For more information, follow this link.

Photo courtesy Wolf Trap.