With the approaching 2019-2020 season, the “Great Performances at Mason series is bringing back “audience favorites as well as a variety of Center for the Arts debuts by some incredible artists whose work I am thrilled to share,” said Adrienne Bryant Godwin, Programming Manager, Center for the Arts.
“Beyond performance, we want our ‘Great Performances’ series to impact the community at-large. We have a goal to be at the forefront of artistic performance and community connections,” added Bryant Godwin.
Season highlights for “Great Performances at Mason” include a singular evening with actress and six time Tony Award recipient Broadway star Audra McDonald for the annual “ARTS by George!” benefit for student scholarships.
The season also includes the launch of the Mason Artist-in Residence program. “The visionary artist we are bringing will spend time in the community interacting with audiences both on and off campus,” said Bryant Godwin. The artist-in-residence include Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, one of the most innovative forces in modern dance, LADAMA a quartet of powerhouse female musicians with a distinctive Pan-American sound and Grammy Award winning, Jazz Master Aware recipient composer/conduct Maria Schneider. The upcoming “Great Performances” season will also celebrate the first Center for the Arts co-commission in two decades for a world premiere by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
Some highlights of the full “Great Performances” season include a new take on Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” from the Zurich Chamber Orchestra with Daniel Hope; a Holiday gospel treat with Sweet Honey in the Rock; and Irish cultural icons The Chieftains; while the Virginia Opera presents “Tosca;” and more. There will be a visit from the popular National Public Radio show “From the Top,” along with circus artists and acrobats from China’s “Cirque Mei” as well as classical, American and world music along with ballet and modern dance troupes and audience favorite Jeffrey Siegel with his “Keyboard Conversations.”
Bryant-Godwin said that the Mason season also includes a return of The Family Series presenting performances designed to introduce children to the arts with programs in song, dance, and story. As in past years, “Great Performances at Mason” will include pre-performance discussions prior to a show sponsored by Friends of the Center for the Arts.
“We have a mission to make the arts an intrinsic part of the lives of our community members.” said Bryant Godwin. The forthcoming “Great Performances at Mason” programming depicts that mission.