South Florida Premiere – Sunday in the Park with George
January 19 – February 12, 2017
Carnival Studio Theater – Adrienne Arsht Center
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Stuart Meltzer
Co-presented with Zoetic Stage
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Olivier Award for Best Musical, and hailed by critics as one of the first truly modern works of musical theater, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George has become one of the most acclaimed musicals of our time.
Inspired by Georges Seurat’s landmark painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, this poignant musical masterpiece about a tortured artist and his devoted muse searches for truths about life, love and the cost of creativity.
Rick Astley
February 7, 2017 at 8 pm
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall – Adrienne Arsht Center
One of the music industry’s most distinctive voices, Rick Astley has left an indelible mark on pop culture since his emergence into the limelight nearly three decades ago. With well over 40 million records sold, and an enviable back-catalogue of chart-topping hits, Astley remains one of the most successful solo artists to have emerged from the UK, holding the distinction of being the first male solo artist to see his first eight singles reach the UK Top Ten. Astley was just 21-years-old when he unleashed the iconic “Never Gonna Give You Up”; few debut singles have had such impact.
In 2016 Rick has returned with a bang! He released his latest Number 1 album 50 which has sold an astonishing 150,000 copies becoming the 8th best-selling album in the UK this year, and has sold out all 21 dates of his 2017 UK tour. With TV appearances including “Children in Need” and “Strictly Come Dancing” and his singles all over the radio, Rick Astley shows no sign of slowing down in 2017!
Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs
February 10, 2017 at 8 pm
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall – Adrienne Arsht Center
Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs is the name of the hugely acclaimed cabaret show Alan premiered in 2015 at New York’s legendary Café Carlyle to ecstatic reviews, and has since wowed, and continues to wow, audiences all across America, Canada and Australia. In February 2016 he returned with the show to NYC and made his sold out, solo debut at Carnegie Hall.
Alan Cumming is an actor and activist beyond eclectic and according to the New York Times ‘a bawdy countercultural sprite’; Time Magazine named him one of the most fun people in show business; he plays political maverick Eli Gold on CBS’s The Good Wife; he is a Tony and Olivier award-winning theatre actor, and a multiple Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG award nominated television actor, and recently finished his Tony Award-winning role as the Emcee in the Broadway musical, Cabaret.
Alan’s diverse career has found him performing at venues around the globe including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the London Palladium and the Sydney Opera House, and recording an award-winning album of songs (plus a dance remix), among his many accomplishments. Alan is also host of PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery and appears opposite Lisa Kudrow in Showtime’s Web Therapy. Alan has written for The New York Times, Newsweek, Harper’s Bazaar, Out, Globe and Mail, and two books; Tommy’s Tale and his New York Times Best Selling memoir, Not My Father’s Son.
Chaka Khan
February 17, 2017 at 8 pm
John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall – Adrienne Arsht Center
Chaka Khan is a true Renaissance Woman. A singer, songwriter, producer, visual artist, author, actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, activist and mother, Chaka is an international music icon who has influenced multiple generations of artists and continues to do so. From the moment she burst onto the music scene in the 1970s as the 18-year-old lead singer of the multiracial band Rufus, her powerful voice and show-stopping stage presence set her apart from any other singer, and during her 40-year career, she has developed a vast international fan base and performed on six continents.
Chaka is a ten-time GRAMMY® Award-winner (with 22 GRAMMY® nominations) who has the rare ability to sing in eight music genres, including R&B, jazz, pop, rock, gospel, country, classical and dance music. She has released 22 albums and racked up ten #1 Billboard magazine charted songs, eight RIAA certified gold singles and eleven RIAA certified gold and platinum albums. Chaka’s recorded music has produced over 2,000 catalog song placements.
She is also the recipient of numerous awards for her extraordinary achievements in music and entertainment including a street named after her in Chicago (her hometown) – “Chaka Khan Way,” a BET Honors Award, induction into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and with the United Negro College Fund’s An Evening of Stars Tribute; a Soul Train Legend Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, the GRAMMY® Honors Award from the NARAS Chicago Chapter, a World Music Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Berkley School of Music in Boston, MA. Later this year Chaka will receive an award in New York City from The We Are Family Foundation for her various humanitarian endeavors.
Chaka recently celebrated her 40th anniversary in music and entertainment. A documentary series on her, “Being,” premiered on the Centric Channel and recent career highlights include tour dates around the world (London, Singapore, Prague, Dubai, NYC, et al), a performance on The Wendy Williams Show, an event in her honor at NARAS/Grammy headquarters in Los Angeles, an appearance with Sam Smith on VH1, special performances for Ebony and Essence Magazines, and being named Grand Marshal for Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade, the largest and oldest African-American parade.
