The Kentucky Center Blog

Ukelele wizard Jake Shimabukuro returns to Louisville November 22; tickets on sale June 21.

The Kentucky Center presents

JAKE SHIMABUKURO

Friday, November 22, 8 p.m.

The Brown Theatre on Broadway

For fans of: Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, Tommy Emmanuel, ...

Tickets start at $20, reserved seating, fees apply. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, June 21, at 10 a.m., through The Kentucky Center (501 W Main Street) online, by phone at (502) 584-7777, and at the box office counter and drive-thru.

  

USA Today recently interviewed the unlikely musical "hero." From their article:

"He's the accidental, Web-generated superstar.

Certainly, you'll find few more unlikely candidates for fame than Jake Shimabukuro, a slight, Hawaiian-born musician whose specialty is the ukulele. But one day in 2006, as Shimabukuro was playing his version of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps on his ukulele in Central Park, a passerby took a video and uploaded it onto YouTube.

Twenty million views later, Shimabukuro was a star. He has gone on to perform with such diverse artists as Yo-Yo Ma and Bette Midler — and to be the subject of a PBS film, Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings, which began airing May 10."

Read more here.

 

Love and Devotion: What people are saying about Earth, Wind & Fire at The Kentucky Center

An exhuberant audience experienced a roof-raising, floor-shaking performance by the mighty elements of Earth, Wind & Fire Friday night at The Kentucky Center. We wanted to share some of the comments we've received.

"Absolutely incredible!  I think they are one of the most professional and talented groups of musicians ever in the business.  The venue was super and the electricity in the crowd was evident.  I'd go again and again and again. And that Philip Bailey, The most incredible voice ever!" – Robert (via-email)

"It was an awesome event. The entire theatre was electrified. It was amazing to see everyone on their feet non-stop and singing the words to each and every song. The band still has it!" – Saima (via e-mail)

"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRING EARTH WIND AND FIRE to Louisville. The concert was totally amazing.  I surprised my husband with tickets to the show and he was so excited.  He is still grinning and talking about it. We celebrated our 36^th wedding anniversary, his birthday and Father’s Day starting with the concert.  Those guys have only gotten better.  Phillip Bailey was so amazing.  We just didn’t want the concert to end.  Thank you, thank you. '' – Phylis (via e-mail)

"EWF put on a great performance as usual. I love the fact that the three original members still have what it takes to put on a good show. There voices are so graceful. Philip Bailey's high notes were outstanding (he can break glass). Wow! The KCA staff was so kind and Whitney Hall was perfect we could see everything and the acoustics were great. - Karen (via Facebook)

"Have never seen entire floor of @KC_Presents on feet including ushers. Earth wind fire 3 original members. Love + devotion" - @hollygolawly (via Twitter)

Love live performance? We hope to see you soon at The Kentucky Center or Brown Theatre. View upcoming "Kentucky Center Presents" shows here.

Jason Bonham's LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE coming to Brown Theatre in August, tickets on sale May 31.

95.7 WQMF Presents

Jason Bonham's LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE

Friday, August 2, 8 p.m.

Brown Theatre on Broadway

Jason Bonham, son of legendary rock drummer John Bonham, brings his Led Zeppelin tribute to Louisville's Brown Theatre later this summer. With the encouragement of Robert Plant, Jason sat-in on drums at the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London's O2 Arena. Following that historic event, Bonham created his spectacular multi-media roadshow to honor his father's memory and the Led Zeppelin legacy.

Ticket prices start at $35, reserved seating, fees apply. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, May 31, at 10 a.m., via The Kentucky Center box office online, by phone at (502) 584-7777, and at the box office counter and drive-thru.

 

Food Network's ALTON BROWN coming to The Kentucky Center in November. Tickets on sale JUNE 7.

The Kentucky Center presents

ALTON BROWN: "Edible Inevitable" Tour

Wednesday, November 6, 7:30 p.m.

The Kentucky Center, Whitney Hall

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, June 7, at 10 a.m. via The Kentucky Center's website, by phone (502.584.7777), and in-person at the box office counter and drive-thru. Ticket prices start at $25, reserved seating, fees apply. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $125. The VIP package includes Meet & Greet and photo opp with Alton, a pre-signed photo, and exclusive seating in the first three rows, dubbed the "poncho zone."

In the late 1990's, Alton Brown reinvented the food show with his award-winning Good Eats on the Food Network, a smart and entertaining cooking show that blended wit with wisdom, history with pop culture, and science with common cooking sense. An award-winning cookbook author and TV personality/host, Brown gained new followers with his appearances on Iron Chef and The Next Iron Chef.

Don't miss the chance to see Alton live in this travelling foodie, comedy, quiz, lecture, puppet, talk, science, storytelling, and music show! Food will fly!

"Ghost Brothers of Darkland County", a collaboration between T-Bone Burnett, John Mellencamp and Stephen King, on sale May 31 at The Kentucky Center.

The Kentucky Center and AEG Live present

GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY

Friday, October 11, 8 p.m.

The Kentucky Center, Whitney Hall

 

From the minds of co-conspirators Stephen King, John Mellencamp, and T-Bone Burnett, comes a Southern Gothic, supernatural, theatrical concert performed by an ensemble of 15 actors and 4 musicians.This extraordinary collaboration, 13 years in the making, tells a haunting story of fraternal love, lust, jealousy, and revenge, affecting two generations of brothers in a small Mississippi town.

Tickets for the theatrical concert go on sale this Friday, May 31, at 10 a.m., via The Kentucky Center online, by phone (502.584.7777), and at the box office counter and drive-thru. Tickets start at $39.50, reserved seating, fees apply.

You can catch Burnett, Mellencamp, and King on the late night talk show circuit the week of June 3, talking about the theatrical tour and the release of an album with the same name, a separate (but related) project.

Back by popular demand! Louisville's Dark Side of the Wall returns to Iroquois Amphitheater

Coors Light Summer Concert Series presents

THE DARK SIDE OF THE WALL:

A Musical Recreation of Pink Floyd

Saturday, September 14, 8 p.m.

Iroquois Amphitheater

Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Co-produced by Production Simple and The Kentucky Center

 

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," Louisville's Dark Side of the Wall recreates the tour that introduced the world to the quadraphonic surround sound concert experience. The band will perform the album in its entirety as well as visit the catalog of 1970s-era Pink Floyd.

Ticket prices start at $31, fees apply. Ticketing site

LEWIS BLACK returns to Louisville's Brown Theatre, tickets on sale May 24.

Comedian Lewis Black returns to Louisville's Brown Theatre October 6 with his new show, "The Rant is Due." Black sold-out his Brown Theatre engagement in 2012. Tickets start at $38.50, reserved seating, fees apply. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, May 24, at 10 a.m., via The Kentucky Center online, by phone (502.584.7777), and in-person at the box office counter and drive-thru.

A multiple Grammy Award-winning stand-up comedian, Lewis Black is one of the most prolific and popular performers working today. A rare comic who can cause an audience to laugh hysterically while making compelling points about the absurdity of our world, Black rants in order to provide a cathartic - and highly entertaining - release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. This "formula" has brought him critical acclaim around the world as a stand-up comic, actor, and author.

You're invited! Local ONE MILLION BONES exhibit (May 20) on Kentucky Center front steps

This June, “one million bones” which have been crafted out of clay at workshops by tens of thousands of children and young adults, will be installed all across the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to bring awareness to the human costs of genocide and ongoing conflicts around the globe.

On May 20, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts will host a similar installation of bones that have been made in Kentucky before they are transported to the national exhibition in Washington.

Local community members, school children and participants in The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach program worked with artist in residence Aletia Robey to create bones which will be temporarily installed at the Center. The installation will be open to the public for viewing during regular Kentucky Center hours. 
 
The installation is timed to coincide with the Dalai Lama’s visit to Louisville, in an effort to reinforce his message of, and our community’s commitment to, compassionate engagement.

The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach program regularly collaborates with community centers throughout Metro Louisville to provide quality, hands-on arts experiences and professional development to engage and educate in new and eye-opening ways. 

The national One Million Bones initiative, conceived as a visible petition against genocide and conflict-related crises, is designed to raise awareness of the suffering and struggle of people in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma and Somalia.

More powerful than a signature, these bones become tangible ways for ArtsReach students to engage in art, culture, and global issues.

Congratulations! Governor's School for the Arts announces incoming class for 2013.

 

The Governor's School for the Arts (GSA), a donor-supported program administered by The Kentucky Center, proudly announces its 2013 incoming class.

Out of more than 1800 applicants, these students were chosen across nine creative disciplines: architecture, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual art, and vocal music.

Every summer for the past twenty-five years, GSA and our faculty of professional artist/educators have guided over two hundred of Kentucky’s finest young artists through three weeks of incredibly intense (and incredibly fun) arts instruction (since 2000, on the campus of Transylvania University in Lexington). 

For three solid weeks, the students live, breathe, eat and sleep the arts. It’s a thrilling, often life-changing experience, as they meet new friends, explore their creativity, and discover new things about who they are and who they can be in the future.

What does GSA cost students? Not a dime. GSA is free to all students selected for the program. GSA pays the entire cost of $2,800 per student through the General Assembly under the leadership of the Governor, along with donations from individuals, corporations and private foundations.

The truth is, GSA creates opportunities far beyond arts instruction.  Here are some facts about GSA alumni:

• 98% go on to college
• 93% earn scholarships
• GSA Alumni average total scholarship value = $59,000
• GSA alumni score 6 points higher on the ACT than the national average

Graduates of the summer program are eligible for a host of scholarships and educational opportunities in all fields of study.  Representatives from as many as 70 colleges and universities from across the country audition and interview graduates in the fall during GSA’s College and Career Day. Students can meet with representatives from such prestigious programs as the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, along with great programs from the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Transylvania University, Morehead State University, Bellarmine University, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, and many more.  Plus, twenty colleges and universities welcome GSA alums with scholarships, just for having completed the program.

This promotional video provides an overview of the GSA Summer Program:

 

Join us for free ArtsReach Showcase May 19, 4pm (Dance, Spoken Word, Instrumental Music...)

Community Youth Perform in ArtsReach Showcase

As reported on WFPL.org by Erin Keane:  http://www.wfpl.org/post/community-youth-perform-artsreach-showcase

Hip hop dancers and Suzuki Method-trained violinists will share the stage Sunday at The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach showcase. The annual show features community youth arts groups performing in the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theatre, including special guests River City Drum Corps, whose director, Ed White, has a long-standing relationship with ArtsReach.

Violin instructor Keith Cook teaches Suzuki Method through the Presbyterian Early Childhood Center, Meyzeek Community School and WESTEC, his own studio. His students are among several local groups performing Sunday.

The 22-year-old outreach education program develops free arts education for youth who otherwise don’t have access to lessons. Violin is popular; there's also demand for dance classes. 

“We select different art forms we feel young people will identify with and enjoy studying,” says director Julia Youngblood. “But we also know that many students, in the public school system especially, are not able to pay for private lessons, so we want to make lessons available on a weekly basis in community center settings.”

Through ArtsReach, the Kentucky Center has spread its model throughout the state, developing more than 100 arts education initiatives in eight Kentucky communities with funding assistance from the Kentucky Arts Council.

“We choose different performing arts centers around the state and we ask them to identify community center settings they would like to work with, and we pair them up and provide some professional development and offer them some grant opportunities to program the arts in their community,” says Youngblood.

Several dance ensembles will perform on Sunday, including the Oscar Cross Step Crew, a dance ensemble based at the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club in Paducah. Local dance groups include dance ensembles Soljettes Dance Team and the ArtsReach dance studio, based in the Chestnut Street YMCA.

A similar dance studio at Shawnee Arts and Culture Center has grown into a competitive ensemble, Youngblood says, featuring a hybrid style of hip hop and contemporary dance instruction. The 15-member ensemble will perform four numbers at the showcase.

“That was one of our first groups we had auditions for rather than whoever was interested,” says Youngblood. “We made it a competitive process.”

Hosted by actor and arts educator Keith McGill, Sunday’s showcase is free and begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are not required. 

To see more photos from The Kentucky Center's performances and statewide Education and Community Arts programs, visit us on FLICKR.