Hult Center Announces 2019-20 Season

The Hult Center team announces the next season of programming.

This year's theme is a "Menu of Performances" and has two incredible specials sure to delight including a special off-site run of At The Illusionist's Table at Wildcraft Cider Works - a culinary and entertainment pairing that will dazzle intimate groups of patrons with a three course dinner prepared by a local chef accompanied by the mind-melting mentalism and illusions of Scott Silven.

The other special of this season's menu is Manual Cinema's Frankenstein which is currently receiving critical acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Manual Cinema, a group out of Chicago, is literal to their name as they manually create films in front of your eyes using projection, puppetry, live scoring, and more. Viewers are to watch each piece crafted on the stage and see the film progress in real time above them. Frankenstein retells the classic story while also including rarely mentioned details about the author, Mary Shelley, and the tragedy that helped inspire the legendary tale. Just this week, Neil Patrick Harris attended a performance at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival and called it: Brilliant, thrilling, heartfelt production with jaw dropping ingenuity. Easily one of the most inventive things I've ever watched. An absolute must see. #remarkable

Some big productions coming to the Silva Concert Hall include the absurdly fantastic troupe of acrobats of Cirque Flip FabriQue's Blizzard, a cirque show set in a blizzard created on-stage, a traveling tour of Double Dare Live (with original host Mark Summers) where attendee families and friends can compete for slimy glory. Those looking for their chance at reality TV love won't want to miss the rose ceremonies of The Bachelor Live on Stage featuring hosts from past seasons and a local Bachelor up for grabs. For any aspiring to explore the realms of the mind instead of the heart they're also very excited to welcome multi award-winning journalist Michael Pollan for a discussion of the new science of psychedelics and his NYT bestseller "How To Change Your Mind."

With the environment continuing to be an important topic in all our lives they are very happy to be continuing our National Geographic Live series with presentations including a look at social animals in nature, death defying cave dives in the Caribbean, and awe-inspiring images of pandas, rhinos, and more with speakers Ronan Donovan, Kenny Broad and Ami Vitale. They are also excited that two of these performances will be Sunday matinees, making them a perfect event for the whole family.

There will also be plenty of laughs as they welcome back the legendary comedy company of The Second City for a sketch comedy show covering over 60 years of hits. Fans of the cult-hit Mystery Science Theater 3000 will want to start prepping their best zingers as the MS3TK LIVE Circus Rifficus tour is stopping by and part of original host, Joel Hodgson's farewell tour. And yes, the robots, Tom Crow, Servo and Gypsy will be in attendance.

The Soreng Theater will also host several incredible artists including intimate concerts with The Waterboys and Todd Snider in October. A hilarious and stunning late December performance with the insatiable rising talent Meow Meow, who recently released an album with Pink Martini's Thomas Lauderdale, as well as one of our first poetry and spoken-word artists, Shane Koyczan, in January.

"I think this year's offerings show just how many incredible performance opportunities there are. Each year we look for groundbreaking artists and performers and I think this season's schedule brings some fantastic opportunities to Eugene, allowing our community to be at the fore-front of cultural experiences." Vicki Infinito, Director of Programming at Hult Center for the Performing Arts.

This season will also see the return of fan favorite acts DRUM TAO 2020 and Black Violin. Both groups received outstanding reviews from patrons at previous performances with one calling DRUM TAO:

"It was absolutely incredible, beyond any other cultural drumming event I've attended throughout the world."

Black Violin, who will be supporting a new studio album and continue to fuse classical and contemporary music also received acclaim with one patron saying:

"I was so impressed by the musicianship and the genuineness of the performers. One of the best events I've attended at the Hult."

Tickets for Hult Center shows can be purchased at HultCenter.org, in person at the venue ticket office, or by phone at 541-682-5000.

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