The 2014–15 UW–Platteville Performing Arts Series will begin with “Wuthering Heights” Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Ticket information, including ticket packages, is available at http://www.uwplatt.edu/cfa/pas.
The 2014–15 schedule:
“Wuthering Heights,” Oct. 21: Aquila Theatre brings to life Emily Brontë’s classic story of all-consuming passion with its new production.
The novel, one of the most famous works of world literature, was first published in 1847 under a pseudonym and is Brontë’s only work. Wuthering Heights recounts the tale of ill-fated lovers on the lonely moors of northern England. Heathcliff and Catherine meet as children when Catherine’s father brings the abandoned boy home to live with them. The two grow up together, living freely on the moors while Heathcliff is tormented by Catherine’s brother. When Catherine’s parents die, her brother turns Heathcliff out, forcing him to live among the servants. Catherine marries and the crushed Heathcliff disappears. Years later, a wealthy Heathcliff returns, but is it too late for them?
An Irish Christmas, Nov. 12: “An Irish Christmas” brings joy, hope, laughter, friendship and celebration of life through storytelling, music, song, and dance in a night that sparkles with life and a bit of “magic.” Dancers dance through the generations over brooms, on half doors, around butter churns, into the world of mythology and out again. Songs spinning out of the mists and into the familiar “Silent Night,” “Little Drummer Boy” and “Carol of the Bells,” and music of the pipes, flutes, fiddles, button accordion and bodhráns.
Suzanne Vega, Nov. 17: Since the release of her self-titled, critically acclaimed 1985 debut album, she has given sold-out concerts in many of the world’s best-known halls. Her self-titled debut album was finally released in 1985 was expected by skeptical executives at A&M Records to sell 30,000 LPs. One million records later, it was clear that Vega’s voice was resonating around the world. The 1987 follow-up, “Solitude Standing,” hit number 2 in the UK and number 11 in the U.S., was nominated for three Grammys including Record of the Year and went platinum with “Luka,” a song that has entered the cultural vernacular as the only hit song ever written from the perspective of an abused boy. “Solitude Standing” also included “Tom’s Diner,” about a non-descript restaurant near Columbia University. After it was remixed by UK electronic dance duo DNA and bootlegged as “Oh Susanne,” Vega permitted an official release of the remix of “Tom’s Diner,” under its original title, which reached number 5 on the Billboard pop chart and went gold.
Cherish the Ladies, Dec. 3: Cherish the Ladies has become one of the most engaging ensembles in the history of Irish music. Organized by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney and sponsored by the Ethnic Folk Arts Center and the National Endowment for the Arts, the group began as a concert series featuring the brightest lights in Irish traditional music. Taking their name from the name of a traditional Irish jig, the group initially won recognition as the first and only all-women traditional Irish band. In a relatively short time, they soon established themselves as musicians and performers without peer and have won many thousands of listeners and fans of their music.
The Guthrie Brothers: A Simon & Garfunkel Experience, Jan. 31: Jeb Guthrie and Jock Guthrie, The Guthrie Brothers, knew the first time they played a Simon & Garfunkel song that they had a natural and almost spiritual connection to it. The New York-based musicians perform this tribute in an “unplugged” acoustic style. The brothers have been singing together for as long as either one of them can remember -— a major reason for the perfect blend of their harmonies. Both men play acoustic guitar and sing.
Wycliffe Gordon and the Jazz Festival Big Band, Feb. 6: Gordon has an impressive career touring the world performing hard swinging, straight ahead jazz. He was named “Best in Trombone” by the Downbeat Critics Poll three years running (2012–2014) and Jazz Journalists Association named him “Trombonist of the Year” in 2013, as well as previous years 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012. He is a past recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award, among others.
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Feb. 27: Set in Oregon in 1850, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers tells the story of Millie, a young bride living in the wilderness. Her plan to civilize and marry off her six rowdy brothers-in-law to ensure the success of her own marriage backfires when the brothers, in their enthusiasm, kidnap six women from a neighboring town to be their brides. “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is all boisterous fun and romance that harkens back to the glory days of the movie musical.
The Randy Sabien Ensemble, March 7: Strings educator, jazz master, music author and record producer, Sabien is also hailed as both a violinist and a fiddler. Upon his latest release, “Rhythm and Bows,” Randy Sabien has assembled a new band featuring three violins. Inspired by the 1930s Western swing music of Bob Wills, Sabien plugs the concept of multiple fiddles into be-bop, blues-rock, and beyond. Fueled by a four-piece rhythm section, The Fiddlehead Band pays homage to the history of American roots string playing while stretching beyond contemporary conventions.
