GMU's Center for the Arts Announces 2016-2017 Season of 'Great Performances at Mason'

PHOTO: This year’s ARTS by George! culminates in the Center’s Concert Hall with a performance by The Midtown Men on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at 8 p.m. The group is made up of stars from the original cast of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys.” They will take the stage to perform favorites from the 1960s, including classic hits from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown and The Four Seasons. Photo courtesy of GMU

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FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax announced its 2016-2017 Great Performances at Mason season this week, featuring a collection of renowned artists and ensembles from around the world.

The season begins in September and continues through May 2017. Known for bringing outstanding performing arts to George Mason University and audiences in the greater Washington, D.C. area, this year’s Great Performances at Mason season features the best in dance, music, theater and global arts, the university said in its announcement.

Highlights of the 2016-2017 season include:

• Martha Graham Dance Company, America’s oldest modern dance company
• classical guitar virtuoso Miloš in his debut performance at the Center for the Arts
• a screening of the Academy-award winning film “Birdman” with live orchestration from percussionist Antonio Sanchez
• acrobatics and dance of The 7 Fingers of the Hand
• The Havana Cuba All-Stars in their first U.S. tour

Also returning for its 25th season at the Center for the Arts, the Virginia Opera brings its 2016-2017 season to their Northern Virginia home.

Here's more about the 2016-2017 season, from the university's news release:

ARTS by George!

In the past decade, the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ annual ARTS by George! gala has become one of the most popular arts benefit events in the greater D.C. area. Mason’s dedicated arts patrons have raised $1.3 million for student scholarships in the areas of dance, music, theater, visual arts, film and video studies, computer game design and arts management, as well as the Great Performances at Mason season. This unique event provides the community with the opportunity to experience fascinating and cutting-edge work by the College’s talented students and faculty, and interact with the next generation of artists.

This year’s ARTS by George! culminates in the Center’s Concert Hall with a performance by The Midtown Men on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at 8 p.m. The group is made up of stars from the original cast of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys.” They will take the stage to perform favorites from the 1960s, including classic hits from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown and The Four Seasons.

Dynamic Dance Series

The 2016-2017 Dynamic Dance Series presents five renowned dance companies. George Mason University has cultivated many lasting and fruitful relationships with world-class dance companies, and as a result, this year’s season features leading U.S. choreographers including Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris and Martha Graham, and international companies including Black Grace and the Russian National Ballet Theatre.

A giant in the modern dance world, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company comes to the Center for the Arts on Friday, October 14, 2016, at 8 p.m. “Analogy/Dora: Tramontane,” the company tells the true story of 95-year old Dora Amelan, a French Jewish nurse and survivor of the Holocaust. National Medal of Arts and MacArthur Genius Award-winner Bill T. Jones created this biographical work based on personal interviews with Amelan, and brings his signature movement and commitment to exploring identity and social commentary.

The acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group presents treasured gems from this brilliant choreographer’s expansive repertoire performed by Morris’ elite ensemble of dancers. On Friday, February 24 and Saturday February 25, 2017, at 8 p.m., the company presents a selection of Morris’ acclaimed works including two D.C.’s premiere works; “Serenade,” a solo piece set to Lou Harrison’s “Serenade for Guitar and Percussion;” and “Dancing Honeymoon” featuring music from the 1920’s and 30’s.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre brings a ballet double bill on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at 8 p.m. with “Chopiniana” and “Carmen.” On Sunday, March 19, 2017, at 4 p.m., the company performs the classic fairytale “The Sleeping Beauty.” Upholding the national tradition of classical ballet, Russian National Ballet Theatre brings these ballets to life with impressive technique and artful poise, extravagant sets and gorgeous, colorful costumes.

On Friday, April 14, 2017 at 8 p.m., the acclaimed dance ensemble Black Grace presents a highly physical and uniquely powerful performance. Founder Neil Ieremia draws from his Samoan and New Zealand roots to create works that reach across social, cultural and generational barriers.

As the oldest modern dance company in America, Martha Graham Dance Company pioneers a uniquely American style of dance that captivates audiences and inspires generations. The award-winning company performs this passionate choreography onFriday, April 28, 2017, at 8 p.m.

Magnificent Music Series

The 2016-2017 Magnificent Music Series is a showcase of the best classical music groups from around the world from London to Montenegro and from Ireland to Ukraine. These internationally acclaimed musicians, ranging from solo performance to chamber music to a full orchestra, prove that music is the universal language.

This season’s Magnificent Music Series begins with the renowned chamber ensemble Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at 2 p.m. London’s premier ensemble presents an evening of the best in chamber music, including Schubert’s rarely performed Octet in F major.

A program of opera arias and beloved Irish songs, including W.B Yeats’s “Down by the Sally Gardens,” Verdi’s “O Mio Rimorso” from “La Traviata,” Cesar Franck’s “Panis Angelicus,” and the glorious “Danny Boy, ”comes to the Center for the Arts on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at 8 p.m. with The Five Irish Tenors. This is the debut U.S. tour for this quintet.

Founded in 1918, The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine has earned international acclaim and multiple Grammy-award nominations for its virtuosity and precision. With a performance of Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, the orchestra showcases their unrivaled skill on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at 4 p.m.

In his highly-anticipated Center for the Arts debut, Miloš presents his award-winning classical guitar mastery on Sunday, March 12, 2017, at 4 p.m. Hailing from Montenegro, this young guitar virtuoso has experienced a meteoric rise since the release of his first solo album in 2011, which topped the UK classical charts.

The holiday performance from Sons of Serendip on Saturday, November 26, 2016, at 8 p.m. is also included in the Magnificent Music Series.

Global View Series

Bringing the best of international arts to the Center for the Arts, the 2016-2017 Global View Series ranges from intimate concerts of folk music to larger-than-life theatrical spectacles. This year, all the programs in the Global Views Series are family-friendly, making this global journey from Cuba to China a perfect program for audiences of all ages.

The Global View Series starts on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at 8 p.m. with The Havana Cuba All-Stars in their first U.S. tour. Celebrating the new open relationship between Cuba and the U.S., Cuban Nights is a performance of authentic Cuban music, withrhythmic drums and castanets, wailing trumpets and masterful acoustic guitar.

On Friday, November 4, 2016, and Saturday, November 5, 2016, at 8 p.m., jaw-dropping feats of acrobatics come to the Center for the Arts with the Shanghai Acrobats of the People's Republic of China. In “Shanghai Nights” more than 100 performers including trampoline artists, aerial acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and martial artists, showcase the rich culture and history of modern day Shanghai.

In TAJ Express “The Bollywood Musical Revue” on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 19, 2017, at 4 p.m. the contemporary culture of India comes alive onstage. Choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, who choreographed more than75 Bollywood films including “Dhol Baaje” and “Kajra Re, Kamli” and Director Shruti Merchant, a judge on India’s leading reality show “Dance India Dance,” created this high-energy celebration of the Bollywood film genre, complete with colorful costumes, thrilling music, dazzling dance and even film excerpts.

Finally, the Global View series ends in Ireland with Danú’s “St. Patrick’s Day Celebration” on Friday, March 17, 2017, at 8 p.m.Danú's virtuosity on authentic Irish instruments — flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion, and bouzouki — and skilled vocals in Irish and English has made this ensemble a favorite at the Center for the Arts.

American Echoes Series

From big band sound, to Oscar-winning movies, to Broadway show tunes, the 2016-2017 American Echoes Series features high-energy performances of rich American art forms. Through the performing arts, the American Echoes series explores slices of American life including aviation, jazz giants, the sacrifice of servicemen and women and much more.

The American Echos series starts with a multi-media exploration of the American spirit of innovation with Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra’s “To Swing Through the Sky” on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at 7 p.m. Looking at the American innovations of aviation and jazz, this performance – that combines dance, music and theater – celebrates the lives of American giants such as Louis Armstrong, Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes and Duke Ellington.

The big band Americana continues on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at 2 p.m. as the American Festival Pops Orchestra honors U.S. service members. “A Salute to Our Veterans” is a lively program of patriotic favorites and American standards including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “American Salute,” Aaron Copland’s gripping “Lincoln Portrait,” and “Liberty Fanfare” by John Williams.

The Oscar-winning film Birdman comes to the Center for the Arts complete with live orchestration from percussionist Antonio Sanchez on Friday, November 18, 2016, at 8 p.m. Sanchez wrote and performed the soundtrack for the film and performs it live along with the film, giving the movie a new intensity.

Broadway show tunes, as they have never been heard before, ring out at the Center for the Arts on Friday, February 17, 2017, at8 p.m. as Off Book/Out of Bounds combines the hits of the Great White Way with elements or rock and pop music. The mastermind behind the Grammy-nominated East Village Opera Company and the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, Peter Kiesewalter, teams up with four Broadway vocalists – led by Tony Vincent (Broadway’s “RENT,” “American Idiot,” and “We Will Rock You”) – to create a performance that is a blend of theatricality and pop music.

D.C.’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra team up with vocal ensemble New York Voices to create a dynamic evening of big band jazz and swing music on Saturday, March 11, 2017, at 8 p.m.

Boasting a successful Off-Broadway run, The 7 Fingers of the Hand brings their amazing acrobatics and theatricality to Fairfax in “Cuisines & Confessions” on Saturday April 8, 2017, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 9, 2017, at 4 p.m. This Montreal-based group gets right into the heart of the home, using circus acts and acrobatics to depict scenes of family meals and intimate moments in the kitchen.

Enthralling Theater Series

For the 2016-2017 Enthralling Theater Series, three of the best of theater groups from around the country come to Fairfax. Aquila Theatre brings its intense physicality and imaginative staging. As America’s oldest theater, Walnut Street Theatre creates impeccable interpretations of American works. Lastly, L.A. Theatre Works brings their one-of-a-kind radio-style production to the stage with sound effects made “the old fashioned way.”

Known for its creative partnership between U.S. and British artists, Aquila Theatre presents two works from beloved British playwrights. The romantic comedy “Much Ado about Nothing” brings William Shakespeare's wit and humor on Friday, September 30, 2016, at 8 p.m. Next, Dame Agatha Christy’s popular whodunit “Murder on the Nile” explores the gripping tale of class, wealth and murder on Sunday, January 22, 2017, at 4 p.m.

A giant of American comedy, Neil Simon, tells a tale of one middle-aged married man searching for freedom in the sexual revolution of the 1960s in “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” Walnut Street Theatre presents this comedic romp on Sunday, February 12, 2017, at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 7 p.m., L.A. Theatre Works’ reimagining of Abby Mann’s famous play “Judgment at Nuremberg,”transports audiences to a courtroom in Nuremberg right after the end of World War II. As Nazi war criminals are forced to face their crimes, the world searches for justice and meaning in the face of tragedy.

Virginia Opera

Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, celebrates its 25th Anniversary Season at the Center for the Arts with a season of opera masterpieces.

Virginia Opera opens its 2016-2017 season with an opera double bill — the satirical ballet chanté The “Seven Deadly Sins” andRuggero Leoncavallo’s masterpiece “Pagliacci”— on Saturday, October 8, 2016, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 9, 2016, at 2 p.m.The final collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, “Seven Deadly Sins” is a sharp critique of capitalism, exploring greed, desire and sacrifice in the pursuit of success. In “Pagliacci,” a traveling troupe of actors blurs the lines of art and life as their play mirrors their own reality with tragic consequences.

On Saturday December 3, 2016, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 4, 2016, at 2 p.m., the Virginia Opera returns with beloved comedic opera “The Barber of Seville.” Full of comical high jinks, mistaken identities and longing lovers, “The Barber of Seville” recounts the tale of Count Almavira, a lovesick nobleman who is prohibited from seeing his beloved Rosina by her curmudgeonly guardian.

The struggle between good and evil takes center stage in Carl Maria Von Weber’s compelling opera “Der Freischütz” on Saturday February 4, 2017, at 8 p.m., and Sunday February 5, 2017, at 2 p.m. Drawing from German folk legend, this is the first of the country’s great Romantic operas and is revered for its stark emotions and a strong sense of national identity.

Puccini’s grandiose opera “Turandot” shows the splendor of imperial China with this epic tale of revenge, power, and love onSaturday, March 25, 2017, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 26, 2017, at 4 p.m. One of opera’s most lavish tragedies, the score includes the well-known tenor aria “Nessun dorma.”

Keyboard Conversations(R) with Jeffrey Siegel

Jeffrey Siegel has performed at the Center for the Arts almost as long as it has been open! Now in its 25th season at the Center for the Arts, this popular “concerts with commentary” series sees this virtuoso pianist and storyteller providing illuminating insights into the lives and works of the world’s great composers.

Starting with a party, the first Keyboard Conversations(R) with Jeffrey Siegel is “Fiesta!”– a program that showcases the ardent melodies and incisive rhythms of Spanish and Argentine composers – on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, November 20, 2016, at 7 p.m. Siegel presents “A French Musical Feast.” This look into the great French composers includes works of Debussy, including the popular “Clair de lune;” Ravel's impressionistic “The Fountain;” the charming impromptus of Fauré; and the humorous “Parade” of Eric Satie.”

“The Immortal Melodies of Schubert” explores the composer’s charming waltzes, dramatic impromptus, lyrical “Musical Moments,” and the vivacious Sonata in A major, D. 664. on Sunday, March 5, 2017, at 7 p.m.

In his final concert of the 2016-2017 season, Siegel explores the waltzes, nocturnes, ballades and impromptus of Chopin. “The Genius of Chopin” is at the Center for the Arts on Sunday, April 30, 2017, at 7 p.m.

Holidays at the Center for the Arts

In 2016, the Center for the Arts continues to offer a special collection of performances in celebration of the holidays with acclaimed musicians showcasing the songs of the season. The 2016-2017 holiday performances showcase annual family favorites, returning acts and debut performances.

Ringing in the holiday season on Saturday, November 26, 2016, at 8 p.m. is Sons of Serendip with “Christmas: Beyond the Lights.” Sons of Serendip first rocketed to public acclaim in 2014 becoming finalists on America’s Got Talent. In this concert, from their album of the same name, they showcase their gorgeous vocals accompanied by harp, cello and piano.

The annual family tradition returns as the American Festival Pops Orchestra performs “Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season” onSaturday, December 10, 2016, at 8 p.m.Conducted by founder and Artistic Director Anthony Maiello, this pops orchestra brings together the most talented musicians from the metro area to perform the best of the season, including Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," "Christmas Festival," and other treasured classics.

The world’s best-known brass ensemble, Canadian Brass, returns to the Center on Saturday, December 17, 2016, at 8 p.m. “A Canadian Brass Christmas” rings in the season with holiday classics and brass standards.

The Vienna Boys Choir’s “Christmas in Vienna” returns for the 2016-2017 season on Sunday, December 18, 2016, at 4 p.m. These talented young Austrian choristers perform sacred hymns, holiday pop favorites, and Christmas carols.

Ticket Information: Subscriptions are now available for presale to the Friends of the Center for the Arts. Subscriptions go on sale to the public on April 20, 2016. Tickets to individual events go on sale on August 1, 2016. The Center for the Arts ticket office is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Subscription packages can be purchased in person at the ticket office, by phone at 703-993-2787, or online at cfa.gmu.edu. The Center for the Arts is located on George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus at the intersection of Braddock Road and Route 123. Paid parking is located in the Mason Pond Parking Deck adjacent the Concert Hall and free parking is located in university Lot K.

For more information, please visit cfa.gmu.edu.