Press Calendar For Immediate Release: September 13, 2017 NOVEMBER 2017 AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY S CENTER FOR THE ARTS featuring: Aquila Theatre in Hamlet Chanticleer Doug Varone and Dancers Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin and many more! (FAIRFAX) George Mason University s Center for the Arts released today its schedule of events for November 2017 as part of the Great Performances at Mason series. The calendar features a diverse roster of programs, including highly skilled acrobats from China, a beloved pianist and storyteller, an acclaimed traveling theater, an award-winning modern dance company, and a celebrated all-male vocal ensemble. Additionally, the monthly schedule includes theater productions and music performances by Mason alum, students, and faculty. The series continues on November 3 and 4 with three performances of China Soul by The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin, two of China s finest troupes. The performers will dazzle audiences of all ages with a spectacle of acrobatic stunts, circus acts, and martial arts. On November 5, Jeffrey Siegel returns with the second installment of this season s Keyboard Conversations. For this program, Siegel will offer a musical feast of classical compositions by French composers Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré. Aquila Theatre gives audiences a new perspective into Shakespeare s tale of love and revenge, Hamlet, on November 12. On November 18, Doug Varone and Dancers and a select group of students from Mason s School of Dance showcase impeccable choreography and expansive artistry in their performance of in the shelter of the fold. The world s reigning male chorus, Chanticleer, kicks off the holiday season at the Center with an a cappella concert of holiday favorites on November 25.
A full schedule of performances for November 2017 is below. Unless otherwise noted, performances will take place in the Center for the Arts located at 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, Virginia. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Center for the Arts Ticket Office (open Tuesday Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), by calling 888-945-2468, or through the Center for the Arts website at cfa.gmu.edu. The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin China Soul Friday, November 3 at 8 p.m. Saturday, November 4 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Great Performances at Mason Images: The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin As two of China s finest troupes, these talented artists show off their superior skills in acrobatics, circus acts, illusions, and martial arts! Accompanied by traditional Chinese music, more than one hundred performers take the stage in a spectacle of acrobatic stunts, feats of balance, juggling acts, contortion tricks, and martial arts that are guaranteed to dazzle and delight audiences. The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin are a favorite of audiences throughout the world, have won numerous awards including the Silver Clown Award, and several of their acts also perform with some of the most renowned circuses in the western world. Perfect for the whole family! Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $50, $43, $30 Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel A French Musical Feast! Sunday, November 5 at 7 p.m. Images: Jeffrey Siegel Celebrating his 25th season at the Center, Jeffrey Siegel plays a delicious musical feast for the ears gorgeous music of Debussy including the ever-popular Clair de lune and sensuous Isle of Joy, Ravel s beloved Pavane for a Dead Princess and dazzling The Fountain, as well as Fauré s enthralling Impromptu. For more than four decades, this brilliant pianist has earned accolades for enchanting audiences with his artistry, wit, and insight, and this Keyboard Conversations program of distinctively French musical delights is no exception. a pianist with a bravura
technique and a big, gorgeous sound and when the artist himself offers the inside scoop, the musical experience becomes vastly more personal (The Denver Post). An interactive Q and A will conclude this program. Tickets: $42, $36, $25 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 24, 2017 Aquila Theatre Hamlet by William Shakespeare Sunday, November 12 at 7 p.m. Images: Aquila Theatre Aquila Theatre sheds new light on this tragic story by William Shakespeare. Recognized by many as his greatest and most popular play, Hamlet is a compelling tale of familial conflict, personal ambition, love, and revenge. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play centers on Prince Hamlet and his pursuit for vengeance against his uncle, Claudius, who murdered his own brother Hamlet s father, King Hamlet. Claudius seized the throne and married King Hamlet s widow. Guided by his father s ghost, Prince Hamlet is driven to avenge this treason and from there ensues an epic drama replete with deceit, mistrust, and schemes. Four centuries after its premiere, Hamlet remains one of the classics of the world stage and Aquila Theatre s signature physical style honors this masterpiece with a stellar production that is beautifully spoken, dramatically revealing and crystalline in effect (The New Yorker). Pre-Performance Discussion with a member of the company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $44, $37, $26 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 31, 2017 Doug Varone and Dancers in the shelter of the fold Featuring Mason Dance Company Saturday, November 18 at 8 p.m. Images: Doug Varone and Dancers This award-winning contemporary dance company makes its first appearance at the Center in more than a decade in a performance that showcases daring physicality, impeccable choreography, and expansive artistry. The New York-based Doug Varone and Dancers is universally praised for thrilling, mesmerizing work (The Village Voice). This performance includes Varone s latest piece, in the shelter of the fold, which contemplates faith and belief as well as coping, realization, and choice. This 40-minute work comprises episodic, stand-alone
vignettes, one of which features the remarkable dancers from Mason s School of Dance. Founded in 1986, the company has been awarded an impressive 11 Bessies (New York Dance and Performance Awards) while amassing an impressive body of work, which includes collaborations in theater, opera, and film, making it one of the most respected dance companies working today. If this work and these dancers can t move you, I don t know what would (Dance Magazine). Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $48, $41, $29 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on November 7, 2017 Chanticleer A Chanticleer Christmas Saturday, November 25 at 8 p.m. Images: Chanticleer The world s reigning male chorus (The New Yorker) kicks off the holiday season at the Center for the Arts with a beautiful concert of a cappella music that includes gorgeous seasonal classical pieces as well as holiday favorites. Chanticleer is renowned for the seamless blend of 12 male voices ranging from countertenor to bass with their superior technique, sublime tone, and unparalleled musicality. Their original interpretations span period and genre from Gregorian chant to jazz, popular, and contemporary music. The group, which has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for its tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity, has a long list of impressive achievements: sales of more than a million albums, two Grammy Awards, being named Ensemble of the Year by Musical America in 2008, and induction in the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. Begin the Christmas season with this beautiful holiday concert. Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $55, $47, $33 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on November 14, 2017
Mason Student and Faculty Performances The Eulogy Written, directed, and performed by Michael Burgos Friday, November 3 at 8 p.m. TheatreSpace Mason Theater alum Michael Burgos offers an absurd, theatrical parody of a funeral speech in The Eulogy, featuring a menagerie of characters whose inept and inapt speeches give anything but a proper homage. Winner of the Critics Choice Award, 2016 Atlanta Fringe; Best Show, 2016 Pittsburgh Fringe; Best Comedy, 2016 Adelaide Fringe; and Quirky Award, 2015 IndyFringe. Tickets: $20 general admission; $10 students, staff, seniors and groups 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on October 24, 2017 Mason Fall Choral Invitational Concert Sunday, November 5 at 3 p.m. Mason University Chorale and University Singers perform under the direction of Dr. Stan Engebretson and Dr. Lisa Billingham. Tickets: $12 adults, $8 seniors, $5 youth through grade 12 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 24, 2017 Mason Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band Concert Thursday, November 9 at 8 p.m. Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band perform under the direction of Professor Mark Camphouse and Professor John Kilkenny. Tickets: $12 adults, $8 seniors, $5 youth 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 31, 2017 Jazz 4 Justice Saturday, November 11 at 8 p.m. The Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll, joins The Prince William County Bar Foundation to present their annual benefit concert, Jazz 4 Justice. Proceeds from this performance support vital community efforts by the Bar Foundation and the George Mason
University Jazz Studies Department. This concert will also be presented on Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. in Merchant Hall at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas. Tickets: $20 adults; $15 seniors, $15 youth through grade 12 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 31, 2017 Vocal Pops A Cappella Concert Sunday, November 12 at 4 p.m. Harris Theatre Enjoy the Mason Vocal Pops Ensembles, under the direction of Dr. Stan Engebretson. Tickets: Free and open to the public. Mason Jazz Vocal Night Monday, November 20 at 8 p.m. Join us for an evening of music dedicated to Jazz Vocals! Performances by Mason Jazz Studio soloists and the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Darden Purcell. Tickets: $12 adults; $8 seniors, $5 youth through grade 12 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on November 7, 2017 About Great Performances at Mason Great Performances at Mason is a program of George Mason University s Center for the Arts, the professional presentation and production arm of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). CVPA provides an academic environment in which the arts are explored as individual disciplines and interdisciplinary forms that strengthen one another. The college prepares students for careers as creators, performers, teachers, scholars, arts leaders and arts entrepreneurs. Understanding that an education in the arts is deepened by regular contact with the work of distinguished visiting artists, the Center for the Arts, the professional presentation and production arm of the college, welcomes a variety of professional and world-renowned artists, musicians and actors to its stage. Students have the opportunity to perform, create and exhibit their work in a wide variety of public venues including a 2,000-seat. CVPA is home to the Schools of Music, Dance, Art and Theater, as well as the Computer Game Design, Arts Management, and Film and Video Studies programs. About George Mason University George Mason University is Virginia s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 35,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, please visit:
George Mason University s Center for the Arts #MasonArts # # # PRESS CONTACTS Camille Cintrón Devlin, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications 703-993-8794 cdevlin6@gmu.edu Hyla S. Helsel London, Interim Director of Marketing 703-993-9808 hhelsel@gmu.edu