Butler Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” at Clowes Hall, Dec. 1-4, 2016

Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2016, all rights reserved.

By Marc Allan
Butler University

INDIANAPOLIS – Fans of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker will get an extra opportunity to see the classic holiday ballet this year when ButlerBallet presents six performances December 1 through 4, 2016, in Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Show times are: Thursday, December 1, at 7:30 PM; Friday, December 2, at 8:00 PM; Saturday, December 3, at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM; and Sunday, December 4, at noon and 5:00 PM. The second show on Sunday is a new addition, allowing each of the show’s two casts three opportunities to perform the major roles.

Tickets start at $24.50. They are on sale through Ticketmaster, the Clowes Hall box office, 317-940-6444, and http://butlerartscenter.org/.

The 2016 performances of The Nutcracker will feature 37 young dancers from the central Indiana community and all 114 students in Butler’s Dance program accompanied by the Butler Ballet Orchestra and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir under the direction of Richard Auldon Clark.

“We’re really excited about this year,” said Larry Attaway, Chair of Butler University’s Dance Department. “For us, it’s always new because the dancers are all new to their roles, but it will always be the holiday classic that the ButlerBallet is famous for presenting. You’ll recognize everything.”

Audiences will see some new choreography by Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Rosanna Ruffo, who will devise the movements for the Grand Pas de Deux and the Mother Ginger scenes, and Dance Professor Cynthia Pratt, who will choreograph the Snow scene.

For the first time in several years, the role of Clara will be danced by a student from the community. Chloe Andry, 12, from Noblesville, will take on the part.

“Chloe came to the Butler Community Arts School’s summer intensive program,” Attaway said. “She’s doing wonderfully well, and she’s incredibly mature.”

Attaway said this year’s Nutcracker is particularly strong because the students have been working together as an ensemble since the beginning of the school year. All 114 dance majors performed Pratt’s Riverrun Revisited at Indianapolis’ Brookside Park in September. This site-specific work was the department’s latest installment of the Streamlines project, part of a National Science Foundation grant that paired artists and scientists to explore scientific concepts and concerns about human intervention of the waterways in Indianapolis.

That experience created an incredible bond among the dancers, Attaway said. They became a cohesive company in a short time.

“We’re really ready for The Nutcracker,” he said. “It’s going to be great.”

Community dancers: Mya Adams, Fortville, age 11, Ballerinas Academy of Dance; Maya Adkins, Greenwood, age 13; Tippy Toes; Chloe Andry, Noblesville, age 12, Ballerinas Academy of dance; Kate Barker, Noblesville, age 12, Ballerinas Academy of Dance; Julia Brookshire, Indianapolis, age 15, Tippy Toes; Avalynn Bullerdick, Indianapolis, age 10, Curtain Call; Abby Burnette, Noblesville, age 11, Ballerinas Academy of Dance; Hazel Derloshon, Greenwood, age 9, The Dance Company of Indianapolis; Maggie Derloshon, Greenwood, age 12, The Dance Company of Indianapolis; Abigail Dirrim, Avon, age 10, Dance Legacy; Delaney Engelking, Indianapolis, age 10, Tippy Toes; Sophia Estka, McCordsville, age 11, Indianapolis School of Ballet; Joshua Fairchild, Plainfield, age 12, Dance Connection; Elaina Fletcher, Brownsburg, age 10, Dance Legacy; Gabrielle Hadad, Indianapolis, age 9, Indianapolis Ballet conservatory; Clifford Huehls, Indianapolis, age 6, Indiana Ballet Conservatory; Wednesday Jarvis, Greenwood, age 8, Starlight Dance Academy; Shaylee Navarrette, Plainfield, age 13, Infinity Dance Academy; Shelby Parker, Plainfield, age 10, Premier Academy of the Performing Arts; Quinn Potter, Indianapolis, age 8, Indianapolis School of Ballet; Daniel Pratt, Indianapolis, age 7; Indianapolis School of Ballet; Athena Reel, Indianapolis, age 9, Dance Legacy; Adriana Reel, Indianapolis, age 8, Dance Legacy; Mallory Sisk, Indianapolis, age 9, Dance Legacy; Ava Stiefel, Fishers, age 9, Ballerinas Academy of Dance; Karla Suazo, Indianapolis, age 14, Dance Legacy; Erin Wagner, Indianapolis, age 9, Dance Refinery; Maura Wheeler, Indianapolis, age 8, Fox Hill; Mariah Wilson, Speedway, age 9, Dance Legacy; Meeka Wojciechowski, Brownsburg, age 6, Sister Act Dance Academy.

Indianapolis Children’s Choir 2016-17 Season

Clowes Memorial Hall hosts the ICC on June 15, 2017.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2013, all rights reserved.

By Heidi Harmon
On behalf of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC), one of Indianapolis’ most recognizable music education and choral, kicks off its 31st season this month.

Season tickets go on sale August 25, 2016, available at www.icchoir.org/tickets.

The 2016-2017 Indianapolis Children’s Choir season will be an introduction to a new artistic director, Joshua Pedde, as he takes over for longtime artistic director and founder, Henry Leck.

Pedde said, “From day one of the ICC’s founding, they’ve been known for excellence in choral music and participation in the major cultural events in the community. I will continue that legacy Henry created and help impact music education as much as I can.”

In its 31 years, the ICC has grown from two small choirs to one of the largest choral organizations of its kind, with nearly 20 choirs and many music classes serving more than 3,000 young people from ages 18 months to 18 years. The ICC impacts an additional 2,000 children through its Innovations program, which directly supports music in local schools. ICC singers have traveled to and performed on six continents and in some of the world’s most recognizable venues and events.

In addition to welcoming Pedde to the podium this season, the ICC will celebrate their commitment to educating young people and the power of community in choral music.

The Indianapolis Children’s Choir 31st season performance schedule, venue and choir information is as follows:

Friday, October 28, 2016 | 7pm
Music of the Night – Broadway UMC
Description: The ICC is joined by special guests Echoing Air for a family-friendly, not-so-spooky, Halloween concert. This is an ICC experience like no other!
Participating Choirs: Indianapolis Youth Chorale, Lyric, Chamber, and the Neighborhood Choir Academy

Sunday, October 30, 2016 | 2:30 pm
Sweet Melodies: A Classical Afternoon – St. Joan of Arc Indianapolis
Description: ICC singers showcase music they performed at a recent visit to Carnegie Hall, including Mohammed Fairouz’s Zabur.
Participating Choirs: Bella Voce, Cantantes Angeli, and Bel Canto

Friday and Saturday, December 16 and 17, 2016 | 7pm
Angels Sing – St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Description: An Indianapolis Tradition! A chance to celebrate what we all believe during this magical time of year. Angelic voices fill the air and bring the holiday spirit to life. Participating Choirs: Indianapolis Youth Chorale, Bella Voce, Cantantes Angeli and Bel Canto

Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 12:30pm
Celebrate the Season – St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Description: ICC’s younger ensembles and regional choirs present a holiday concert that will bring the meaning of the season to your heart.
Participating Choirs: Cantantes Angeli, Bel Canto, Octavo, Boone County Children’s Choir, Carmel Children’s Choir, Fishers Children’s Choir, Franklin Children’s Choir, Hendricks County Children’s Choir, Johnson County Children’s Choir, all Preparatory Choirs and the Neighborhood Choir Academy

Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 3:00pm
Sounds of the Season – St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Description: Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle and be enveloped in the spirit of the season.
Participating Choirs: Indianapolis Youth Chorale, Kantorei, Lyric, and Chamber

Sunday, March 12, 2017| 3pm
Tapestry of Song – Hilbert Circle Theatre
Description: Hear the ICC’s younger voices harken back to the era of swing and big band in this fun-filled performance!
Participating Choirs: Kantorei, Lyric, Chamber, Octavo, Boone County Children’s Choir, Carmel Children’s Choir, Fishers Children’s, Franklin Children’s Choir, Hendricks County Children’s Choir, Johnson County Children’s Choir, and the Neighborhood Choir Academy

Sunday, March 12, 2017| 7pm
Voices of Youth – Hilbert Circle Theatre
Description: The ICC transforms the Hilbert Circle Theatre stage into a 1940’s dance hall in this celebration of swing and big band music!
Participating Choirs: Indianapolis Youth Chorale, Bella Voce, Cantantes Angeli, and Bel Canto

Saturday May 13, 2017| 3pm & 7pm
In Harmony – St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Description: Hear the sounds of the ICC as they highlight music from around the world with special guests the New World Symphony Orchestra.
3pm Participating Choirs: Cantantes Angeli, Bel Canto, Lyric, Boone County Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, Franklin Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, Johnson County Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, Hendricks County Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, and Henry County Preparatory Choir
7pm Participating Choirs: Cantantes Angeli, Bel Canto, Kantorei, Octavo, Carmel Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, Fishers Children’s Choir and Preparatory Choir, Butler Preparatory Choirs and the Neighborhood Choir Academy

Sunday May 21, 2017 l 3 pm
Hear Our Song- Christel DeHaan Center (tentative location)
Description: The ICC’s most experienced singers are celebrated and honored for their dedication to the highest level of choral performance.
Participating Choirs: Indianapolis Youth Chorale, Bella Voce

Thursday, June 15, 2017 | 7pm
Choral Festival – Clowes Memorial Hall
Description: An incredible concert that showcases both older and younger singers of the ICC. Choral Fest campers, singing songs they mastered in just five days, share the stage with several hundred ICC singers. Simply amazing!
Participating Choirs: Cantantes Angeli, Bel Canto, Kantorei, Lyric, Chamber, and Festival Singers

Individual tickets will go on sale October 12, 2016

About Indianapolis Children’s Choir
Currently in its 31st season, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir has grown to become one of the largest children’s choirs in the world. Founded by Artistic Director Emeritus Henry Leck and currently led by Joshua Pedde, the ICC serves more than 5,000 Central Indiana children from pre-school age through high school. The Indianapolis Children’s Choir nurtures and inspires student achievement through quality music education and the pursuit of artistic excellence in choral music performance. For more information, visit http://icchoir.org/

4th Annual Butler ArtsFest, Apr. 7-17, 2016

Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2015, all rights reserved.

By Marc Allan
Butler University

Acclaimed bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and popular Afro-Caribbean music group Tiempo Libre are among the highlights of the Butler ArtsFest 2016 lineup, April 7-17,2016 on the Butler University campus and beyond.

Drawn from the celebration of Indiana’s bicentennial, the theme of the fourth Butler ArtsFest is Time and Timeless. This year’s events will explore the many concepts of time: how music may emulate the pounding of a heartbeat; how a playwright can pause time through the use of a memory; how dancers work with and sometimes against rhythm.

Many of the performances also underscore timelessness—Butler Ballet performs Swan Lake, Butler Opera Theatre presents The Pirates of Penzance, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra offers a combination of music and spoken word featuring great speeches by Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and more.

“Time marks where we’ve been, tells us where we are, and charts where we’re going,” said Ronald Caltabiano, Dean of Butler’s Jordan College of the Arts. “We spend it, and we waste it. It can be suspended in a dream or even warped in a memory. But what exactly is it? This year’s ArtsFest will allow us to explore all the many concepts of time.”

Tickets and more information are at ButlerArtsFest.com. Tickets also are available in person at the Clowes Memorial Hall box office or by phone at 800-982-2787.

Butler ArtsFest 2016 is made possible in part, by grants from the Efroymson Family Fund and the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation.

The lineup for this year’s ArtsFest is:

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

7:00 PM Lawrence Brownlee with the Butler Symphony Orchestra
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts

Tickets: General $20-$30, Senior, $15-$20, Student $7.50
Hailed as one of “the world’s leading bel canto tenors,” Lawrence Brownlee—who made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2014 in Bellini’s I Puritani—returns to Indiana where he came of age as a performer at Anderson University. With a voice “perfectly suited for early 19th-century operas,” Brownlee will perform as the King in Rossini’s La Donna Del Lago at the Met this year, as well as appear with the Opéra National de Paris, Wolf Trap, National Theatre Mannheim opera company, among others. The Butler Symphony Orchestra will accompany Brownlee for the first half of the program. For the second half of this special evening, the BSO’s program will include Ravel’s La Valse, Copland’s Quiet City, and more. Don’t miss this opening celebration that launches our 11-day festival!

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

7:30 PM Butler Opera Theatre: The Pirates of Penzance
Shortridge High School Auditorium

Tickets: General $15, Senior $10, Student $7.50
Butler Opera Theatre brings to life this timeless tale of love and adventure. Debuting in 1880, the Gilbert and Sullivan classic has been a favorite for more than a century. Audiences will be swept away by waves of laughter as this comic opera proves the staying power of delightful music and witty humor.

7:30 PM An Evening with Kurt Elling and special guest Pharez Whitted
Basile Theatre at the Historic Athenaeum

Tickets: General $20-$30, Senior, $15-$20, Student $7.50
Grammy winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. Elling’s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth. His repertoire includes original compositions and modern interpretations of standards, all of which are springboards for inspired improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry. Elling will be joined by the Butler Jazz Ensemble for this special event at the historic Athenaeum. Indianapolis jazz great Pharez Whitted will kick off the evening with Butler Jazz Combos in a tribute to the history of Hoosier jazz.

11:00 PM From Chicago: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
Lilly Hall, Room 328

Tickets: General $15, Senior $10, Student $7.50
What happens when a troupe of actors attempts 30 plays in 60 minutes? Find out when The Neo-Futurists take the stage for their acclaimed performance of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. Promising an emotional and intellectual rollercoaster of ideas and images ridden at breakneck speed, the performance, which includes audience participation, will be a theatrical experience unlike any other.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

10:00 AM Butler Percussion Ensemble and Butler Community Arts School Youth Percussion Concert
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Free

Perfect for families with little ones, this fun, interactive, and lively concert is a great opportunity to introduce kids to live performance. Children accompanied by adults will be welcomed on stage to see the instruments up close. This free family event will inspire smiles and perhaps a lifetime of appreciation for music.

Noon – 11:00 PM Riverrun: A Streamlines Experience with Big Tent
Lilly Hall, Studio 310
Free

StreamLines is an interactive, place-based project that merges the sciences and the arts to advance the community’s understanding and appreciation of Indianapolis’ waterways. Choreographed by Cynthia Pratt and performed by 100 dancers from the Jordan College of Arts, Riverrun is a dance that brings to life scientific concepts and concerns about human intervention of our waterways. Riverrun has been recreated as a film installation using footage from the original performance in September 2015 and formatted for viewing in Big Tent, a 360-degree, immersive and mobile performance venue. Created as an inclusive experience, audiences will walk away with an appreciation for our waterways and a sense of ownership for their future well-being.

Noon JCA Composers Orchestra Workshop
Lilly Hall, Room 112
Free

A workshop for musicians and educators on exploring alternative notation in an ensemble. All ages are welcome. Bring your instrument!

3:00 PM ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)
Lilly Hall, Room 40
Free

Created as a commission for Butler ArtsFest 2015 and 2016, ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible) is an interpretation of John Cage’s work electronically orchestrated by Jordan College of the Arts faculty member Frank Felice. Written in 1985, the work was originally meant to be performed over a duration of approximately 20 minutes. Now, performances can stretch anywhere from a few hours to several hundred years. This performance is 3 hours and 6 minutes.

5:30 PM Indiana Bicentennial Governor’s Arts Awards
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: Public $20, Student $10

Join Governor Mike Pence and the Indiana Arts Commission in celebrating Hoosiers who’ve made their mark in the arts! This one-night celebration will feature performances by several of the award’s recipients, including a special tribute to Jazz legend Wes Montgomery by ButlerBallet. In addition to honoring the Indiana Arts Commission’s 50th anniversary, this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards is a signature project of the State of Indiana’s Bicentennial Commission. Ticket purchases (less processing fees) are a donation to the Indiana Cultural Trust.

7:30 PM Butler Opera Theatre: The Pirates of Penzance
Shortridge High School Auditorium

8:00 PM Clowes Presents: Cameron Carpenter Featuring the International Touring Organ
Clowes Memorial Hall
Tickets: General $20-$30, Senior $15-$25

Often controversial and always spectacular, the Grammy-nominated, virtuoso composer-performer Cameron Carpenter tours with an instrument of his own creation, the International Touring Organ, which allows him to play his own version of classical music for the masses. His sound is lauded by media around the world. NPR recently stated of Carpenter: “It’s all here: pure imagination, presiding over a magical instrument with uncommon mastery.”

11:00 PM From Chicago: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
Lilly Hall, Room 328

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Riverrun: A Streamlines Experience with Big Tent
Lilly Hall, Studio 310

9:00 AM Eric Satie’s Vexations
Irwin Library
Free

Erik Satie’s Vexations was composed in 1893 and consists of a short musical phrase with instructions to repeat it 840 times. The result is hypnotizing, enthralling, and time-warping. Butler students and faculty perform this epic work in Irwin Library over the course of approximately eighteen hours. You are welcome to come and go as you wish throughout the day.

12:30 PM The Nature of Time (Lecture)
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Free

Presenter: Mark Kesling, Founder and CEO of the daVinci Pursuit, Presente
Questions about the nature of time and our understanding of our physical reality are ancient and relevant in light of today’s scientific discoveries. What is time? How are space and time related? Are there other universes than the one we can see? Is it possible to travel back in time? Attendees are asked to bring an open mind as well as questions about time to this informative and interactive lecture.

MARK KESLING

Mark Kesling has been a pioneering educator and designer in the fields of museum design and education for more than 30 years. As the founder and CEO of the daVinci Pursuit, Kesling continues to provide leadership through the design of a “museum without walls,” He possesses a unique set of skills, combining art with science in ways that engage learners of all ages. He works with neighborhood, city, institutional, artistic, and educational partners to create art/science installations in neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis.

1:30 PM A Tour Through Time: A Perspective from Chemistry and Physics (Lecture)
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Free

Presenters:
Gonzalo Ordonez, Associate Professor of Physics, Butler University

Todd Hopkins, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Butler University
Have you ever wished you could change the past, slow down aging, or travel across the universe through a wormhole? Science says that all of this is possible. In this lecture, Prof. Ordonez and Hopkins will lead the audience on a tour through some of the more interesting aspects of time from the perspective of physics and chemistry.

Gonzalo Ordonez was born in Quito, Ecuador, and has been teaching at Butler University since 2005. He is an associate professor and is currently the department head of the Physics and Astronomy Department. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997 studying with the late physicist Ilya Prigogine. As a member of Prigogine’s group, he worked on mathematical models of quantum open systems, with the ultimate goal of understanding the problem of time and irreversibility in physics. His most recent work on this theme is entitled “Time-reversal symmetric resolution of unity without background integrals in open quantum systems”, co-authored by N. Hatano and G. Ordonez in 2014. Dr. Ordonez also works on applications of quantum mechanics to nano-scale electronic elements such as quantum dots and carbon nanotubes, together with Butler University students.

Todd Hopkins is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Butler University. He has been at Butler since 2003. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia. He did postdoctoral training at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and also taught at the Honor’s College of Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Hopkins research involves developing chiral light emitting materials with the help of Butler students.

3:00 PM ButlerBallet: Now You See Us…
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $25, Senior $20, Student $7.50

Dance is often considered the most ephemeral of all the art forms. In celebration of this evanescence, the ButlerBallet presents an evening of new creations:Anamnesis by Canadian choreographer Lesley Telford; an as of yet untitled work by David Ingram, Butler grad and artistic associate with Ft. Wayne Ballet, set to the music of Indiana jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery; and a look into the future with the presentation of outstanding student choreography. This is your only chance to see the future as it is happening.

3:00 PM Butler Opera Theatre: The Pirates of Penzance
Shortridge High School Auditorium

7:00 PM From Chicago: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
Lilly Hall, Room 328

MONDAY, APRIL 11

7:00 PM Mahler’s The Song of the Earth
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Tickets: General $20, Senior $15, Student $7.50

Considered by some to be Mahler’s greatest work, The Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde) comprises six songs that address living, dying, the seasons of life, and eternity. Jordan College of the Arts faculty member and tenor Thomas Studebaker will be joined by acclaimed soprano Jane Dutton for this intimate evening of song.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12

6:00 PM Wayne C. Wentzel Distinguished Lecture: The Flow of Notes and the “Flow” of Consciousness (Lecture)
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Free

Presenter: James Parakilas, James L. Moody, Jr. Professor of Performing Arts at Bates College

What is flow? Recent studies have made a connection between a perceived flow in the coordination of musical sounds and a shared feeling of psychic flow, a special state of “deep concentration.” This presentation will address the relationship that may exist between these two distant flows as well as attempt to guide performers to musical flow in order to draw listeners into a state of psychological flow.

James Parakilas is the James L. Moody, Jr. Professor of Performing Arts at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where he teaches courses in musicology, music theory, and performance. His musicological studies include the books Ballads without Words: Chopin and the Tradition of the Instrumental Ballade (Amadeus, 1992), Piano Roles: 300 Years of Life with the Piano (Yale, 2000), and The Story of Opera (Norton, 2012). His current research involves examining the relationship of historic Western concepts of the nature of music (including rhythm) to the current reshaping of those concepts by studies in psychology, neuroscience, and other sciences.

7:00 PM Eroica Trio
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $25, Senior $20, Student $7.50

One of the most sought after trios in the world, the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio enraptures audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm, and sensual elegance. For its Butler ArtsFest performance, the trio will be joined by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Cathryn Gross for Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. The chamber music piece was composed and performed for the first time in a Nazi prisoner of war camp in 1941. Grounded in the circumstances of its genesis, the transcendent work possesses an uplifting quality that instills hope and peace. Additional works on the evening’s program include music by Bach and Piazzolla.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

7:00 PM Time(less) An Evening of Visual Art
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Free

An evening with contemporary visual artists featured in the Schrott Center for the Arts’s exhibition, Time(less): Conversations Outside the Impact of Time with Stefan Petranek, Michael Rea, and Gary Wahl. Gallery tour at 7:00 PM. Individual presentations followed by Q&A.

Butler ArtsFest presents Time(less): Conversations Outside the Impact of Time, an exhibition of contemporary artworks featuring the work of Michael Rea, Stefan Petranek, and Gary Wahl. Each artist presents responses to time embedded intensely in the present, while simultaneously dealing with the vastness of time by exploring our experience with the landscape, the body, and genetics; setting up conversations that exist within ourselves and outside the impact of time.

Stefan Petranek

At its core, Petranek’s studio practice explores nature through the lens of contemporary culture, especially in response to technological and scientific advances. While science provides a deeper understanding of the natural world, the application of science-based technologies often draws conflict by allowing us to see ourselves as separate, if not above, nature. Petranek’s work points out these boundary lines with the intent of cobbling together a personal and possibly more holistic view of nature in the face of modernity. Influenced by his formal training as a biologist, his projects usually take the form of structured, serialized trials and draw conclusions through experimentation and repetitive observation.

Michael Rea

Rea has conflated the notions of working hard and playing hard for over a decade with his bombastic wooden sculptures. Replicated and reinvented moments of cinematic horror, science fiction, comedy and drama intermingle with memory to form bizarre personal narratives. Over the years, each uncanny conglomeration of familiar objects and themes has both thrilled and confounded audiences. The delight in the experience of Mike Rea’s vision is the balance between a feeling of understanding that is quickly replaced by new, surprising discoveries. Whether as conventional sculptures standing alone, or as props in interactive installations and performances, these often-massive objects reflect a culture of humor, violence, vulgarity, and sensitivity.

Gary Wahl

Gary Wahl’s recent work has examined issues of land-use in the rural Midwest, economic recession, and the housing bubble as viewed through children’s playhouses, developments, and organic house-forms. The Time(less) exhibition includes Wahl’s series Winter Blind. Taken during the onset of winter in Wahl’s home, the frost shadows of the Winter Blind series evoke the traditions of Chinese literati landscape painting. While compositionally beautiful, these images have deeper meaning highlighting the thin veil of security a home provides from the increasingly harsh elements.

7:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168
Tickets: General $15, Senior $10, Student $7.50

Portal 1812 is an original ensemble performance work integrating movement, text, projected image, and sound. Told from multiple perspectives and through various means, the piece interweaves stories and portraits of time. Portal 1812 was conceived and directed by New York-based, multidisciplinary guest artist Darla Villani. Over the course of the spring 2016 semester, students from across the Jordan College of the Arts worked collaboratively with Villani in the creation of this brand-new work.

9:00 PM As Time Goes By: A Discussion of Relativity and Religion (Lecture)
Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium
Free

Presenters: James F. McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature, Butler University
Brian Murphy, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Director of Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium, Butler University

What is the nature of time?”; “How do we understand the beginning and end of the cosmos and creation?”; and “What are the implications for our own place in the universe and our meaning-making as humanity begins to further understand and manipulate time?” Science and theology must respond to time. Both have made considerable efforts to describe time, react to time’s consequences, and articulate that which is not yet understood about time. The Center for Faith and Vocation brings together two academic voices, a professor of physics and a professor of religion, to help shed light on these questions. We hope audience members will find overlaps in their own interests, their own questions, and their own respect for that which we investigate, that which we take on faith, and that which is unknown altogether.

James F. McGrath

Dr. James F. McGrath is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. In addition to his work in Biblical studies, Dr. McGrath also writes and speaks about the intersection of religion and theology on the one hand, and science fact and science fiction on the other. He is the editor ofReligion and Science Fiction (Pickwick Publications, 2011) and co-editor of Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith: Religion and Doctor Who (Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2013), and author of a forthcoming companion to theology and science fiction.

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy served as Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for nearly eight years and has also served as Director of Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium for all of his 23 years at Butler. In his role as director of the observatory he has given nearly 500 television and radio interviews on the subjects of physics and astronomy including such notables as the BBC, National Geographic, and NPR. During his time at Butler he has received numerous awards including the Butler University Distinguished Faculty Award for Research and Scholarship, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Research and Scholarship, the Natural Sciences Outstanding Faculty Member, and a Student Government Association Apple Award for outstanding teaching. Besides his passion for working with his research students he has taught a wide variety of courses in his department in addition to numerous core courses.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

6:30 PM Desmond Tutu Center Presents: Dancing in Jaffa (Film)
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Free

“When you touch someone with respect, something changes.” Our beliefs, intolerance and misunderstandings, often nurtured over generations, underlie many of the world’s problems. In our own country and community, welcoming the stranger, living in harmony and respect with others of different racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds are front-of-mind issues. Our hearts break with each act of violence rooted in prejudice, stereotyping and intolerance. It is harder to hate someone or what they stand for when a personal connection is made—when we see that the “other” is a person with the same loves, cares and feelings as us. But how often do we expect others to do this and leave us safe with our “beliefs?” What if we each touched someone with respect? How much change might there be? How much would the paradigm shift?

This documentary follows Pierre Dulaine, an internationally renowned ballroom dancer, as he fulfills a life-long dream when he takes his program, Dancing Classrooms, back to his city of birth, Jaffa. Over a ten-week period, Pierre teaches 10-year-old Jewish and Palestinian Israeli children to dance and compete together. Dancing in Jaffa explores the complex stories of three different children who are forced to confront issues of identity, segregation and racial prejudice as they dance with their enemy. The classroom becomes a microcosm of the Middle East’s struggle to work together harmoniously while still caught in the politics of the region and race. With the guidance of Pierre, the children learn to dance together and trust one another. Dancing In Jaffa offers an up-close-and-personal perspective of how the future might unfold if the art of movement and dance could triumph over the politics of history and geography.

7:00 PM Los Angeles Percussion Quartet
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $25, Senior $20, Student $7.50

Atmospheric and captivating, the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) has forged a distinct identity as a world-class contemporary chamber music ensemble. The enticing rhythm of their performances underscores the ongoing beat of time while the complex textures of the compositions mesmerize, seemingly pausing the moment. Jordan College of the Arts faculty member Jon Crabiel joins LAPQ for an evening that strikes at the heart of the festival’s theme,Time and Timeless.

9:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

6:00 PM You’re Invited to the Party! Post-Studio Art and the Role of the Viewer/Participant (Lecture)
Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall
Free

Presenter: Gautam Rao, Associate Professor of Art

In the past, the ‘active’ time for an artwork was in the studio, while it was being created. Now that ‘active’ time is outside the studio, in the gallery or on the street. What was once timeless has now become the present. From Jackson Pollock to Jeppe Hein, this talk will explore a paradigm shift that has changed the role of the viewer to that of the participant.

Gautam Rao

Gautam Rao is an artist and Associate Professor of Art at Butler University. He earned his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 and his BFA from Boston University in 1999. He has served on the Board of the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art and was a Founding Board Member of Herron High School in Indianapolis. His artwork is widely exhibited both nationally and internationally. Distinctions include a Susan Coslett Cromwell Traveling Fellowship, and awards from the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

7:30 PM Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra: Peacemakers
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $30, Students $12

This innovative work highlights speeches and contributions of the famous peacemakers of our time: Mahatma Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Anwar Sadat, Yitzak Rabin, Nelson Mandela, and Jimmy Carter. This multi-disciplinary evening includes several local arts organizations, as well as guest artists Kathryn Krasovec, Rob Dixon, and Dan Tepfer, 2007 Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz of the American Pianists Association. In this comprehensive work, ICO Composer-in-Residence James Aikman honors these peacemakers in music, media, and performance. Their inspiring ideas live on.

8:00 PM ButlerBallet: Swan Lake
Clowes Memorial Hall
Tickets: General $24.50-$31.50, Seniors & Students $20-$26

A timeless story of the power of pure love, this romantic and tragic story of the magical beauty of the swans, the maleficent evil of a sorcerer, and the eternal struggle between the forces of light and dark is undoubtedly the most popular of all classical ballets. Come revel in Tchaikovsky’s eloquent score performed by the ButlerBalletOrchestra under the direction of Richard Auldon Clark, and delight in the splendor of the ButlerBallet’s presentation of this unparalleled classic.

10:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

10:00 AM Butler Community Arts School Youth Dance Performance
Lilly Hall, Studio 310
Free

Young dancers join Butler dance majors in this high-energy concert of dances from Disney movies. Featured children represent BCAS community outreach classes at Martin Luther King Center and Tindley Genesis charter school.

11:00 AM Butler Community Arts School Youth Strings Concert with The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Free

For the third year, BCAS and Butler ArtsFest have commissioned a new work for this youth performance. This year’s composer, Emily Yoo, is an undergraduate composition major in the School of Music. Her piece, Sunken Bridge, reflects the unsettled end of the Korean War, also called the Forgotten War. The title of the piece comes from a photo from 1950 when the Chinese troops advanced into Pyongyang. The photo depicts North Korean refugees climbing and crawling onto a wrecked bridge over the Taedong River as they escape south. Today, the two nations’ peace is still unclear—the war’s time has been at pause since 1953. The two governments have grown apart, with ups and downs, for the last 65 years. The people of two nations have grown apart, more and more each year. Now the two nations’ peoples live fundamentally different lives. The time has passed, but the sunken bridge between the two has not been reconstructed.

The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra is a transformative program of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Learning Community that uses music instruction to engage children in activities that discourage at-risk behaviors and keep them committed to staying in school. MYO’s music-making experience can build a positive, supportive community that brings children and adults together to work side by side, set goals, create trust, and build confidence that will enable students to be successful in school and beyond. MYO is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Founder and artistic director Betty Perry was recently recognized by Jordan College of the Arts with a 2016 Legacy Award.

Butler Children’s Orchestra and Butler Youth Orchestra are programs of the Butler Community Arts School. Founding conductor Shannon Crow is an alumna of Jordan College of the Arts. BCAS provides high-quality arts instruction at an affordable price. Private lessons, group classes, and summer camps are held on campus as well as at 15 community partner sites. Instruction is provided by trained Butler students, “Teaching Fellows.” Learn more about BCAS at www.butler.edu/bcas.

2:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168

2:00 PM Indianapolis Opera Preview: Happy Birthday, Wanda June
Basile Opera Center
Tickets: General $20, Students $7.50

Happy Birthday, Wanda June began life as a play by Kurt Vonnegut in October 1971 at New York’s Theater de Lys. The play was Vonnegut’s first attempt at stage work. Written to protest the Vietnam War in 1970, the play blends the sacred and the profane to produce an off-the-wall and deeply, strangely funny satire. Join us for a preview performance of this stunning new opera, based on the work of Kurt Vonnegut, produced by Indianapolis Opera, and composed by Jordan College of the Arts faculty member Richard Auldon Clark. The opera will have its world debut in fall 2016.

6:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168

7:30 PM Tiempo Libre
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $20-$30, Senior, $15-$20, Student $7.50

Three-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group Tiempo Libre is one of the hottest Latin bands today. Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs, festival stages and dance venues, Tiempo Libre is celebrated for its sophisticated music featuring an exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sonorities and seductive Latin rhythms. Join Butler ArtsFest for an unforgettable night as the stage of the Schrott Center heats up with irresistible tropical beats that’ll make you want to get up and dance.

8:00 PM ButlerBallet: Swan Lake
Clowes Memorial Hall

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

2:00 PM ButlerBallet: Swan Lake
Clowes Memorial Hall

4:00 PM Butler Theatre: Portal 1812
Lilly Hall Studio Theatre 168

6:00 PM Debussy and Mallarmé Break Step (Lecture)
Lilly Hall, Room 120
Free

Presenters: James R. Briscoe, Professor of Musicology
Anna Briscoe, Professor of Music
Natalie Farrell, Senior, BA Music and French

Claude Debussy re-invents the rhythmic language of each composition. In that way he links immediately with his Symbolist and Modernist poet-mentor Stéphane Mallarmé. Almost magically, their speech-color rhythms, despite a break with conventional patterns, remain compelling to a notable degree.
In the speech-rhythmic language of two Mallarmé poems Debussy sets, “Apparition” and “Soupir,” one sees the twin dispositions of the Symbolists in both early and late songs interlocked through the application of contemporary linguistic theory. Mallarmé set the pace for free, evocative language-rhythm evoking further ruptures of convention in T.S. Eliot, in “The Waste Land” as a masterpiece of the Modernist movement, and Marcel Proust, within “In Search of Time Lost.” The Symbolist poet breaks historic step at every turn with Romantic, 19th-century rhymed poetry, advancing the theory and practice of language as music and psychic evocation.

Inspired by Mallarmé’s language-music, which he based on the natural emphases and asymmetric rhythms of the French language, Debussy sought ongoing, self-generative formings–per Boulez and his concept of rhythmic and structural formant. The paired discussion of Farrell and Briscoe, first presenting the poet and then the musician, considers certain possibilities of rhythmic tension and release that Debussy and Mallarmé derive from language. That rupture with historic musical rhythm and with linguistic formation initiates the Modernist paradigm in the two Mallarmé poems and Debussy’s interacting treatment. Too, the music talk will examine the Modernist Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, musically evoking an ode by Mallarmé. Anna Briscoe will conclude by performing “Apparition’ and “Soupir” with a singer to be identified, along with the piano preludes “Des pas sur la neige” (Footsteps in the Snow) and “Voiles” (Veils or else Sails, purposefully vague).

7:00 PM Deadline for Choral Peacebuilding
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: General $25, Senior $20, Student $7.50

The time is NOW! Dialogue through choral singing provides a new antidote for addressing our societal divisions and fears. Join guest artist Ysaÿe Barnwell (formerly of Sweet Honey in the Rock) as she leads a call to peacemaking through song. Witness an unforgettable collaboration as Butler choirs (led by Butler choral conductor John Perkins), Nassim Al Saba Choir (United Arab Emirates), São Vicente a Capella (Brazil), and local high school choirs join together for this global choral event.

Spotlight 2015 at Clowes Memorial Hall, May 11, 2015

Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2015, all rights reserved.

By Lisa Sirkin Vielee
On behalf of Spotlight 2015

Tickets are now on sale for the Deborah J. Simon and Wayne P. Zink present Spotlight 2015, returning to Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University on Monday, May 11, 2015, at 8 pm. For the first time in the event’s history, every seat in the house is $25.

“We want to share this fabulous showcase of the arts with as many people as possible, which is why we have made the performance even more affordable,” said Betty Wilson, President & CEO of The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis, which operates the Indiana AIDS Fund.

“Every seat is $25, from the front row to the balconies. It is our goal to fill Clowes Memorial Hall to show our appreciation for the wonderfully talented arts organizations in our city who perform to remind us of the continued need to fight the spread of HIV in our state.”

Since the early 1990s, the Indianapolis performing arts’ community has donated its time and talent to raise money for HIV testing and treatment as prevention. The evening has grown to be the largest HIV-fundraiser of its kind in Indiana. It also is the only night to experience the wide variety of the Indianapolis performing arts scene all on one stage.

“We have assembled such a fantastic and diverse group of performers for Spotlight 2015, who once again are all donating their performances for this important event,” said David Hochoy, artistic director for Dance Kaleidoscope and the annual Spotlight event.

The performance line-up for Spotlight 2015 includes:

“Andrea Merlyn” (Taylor Martin) from Indy Magic Monthly @ Theatre on the Square (NEW!)

Ballet Theatre of Carmel at Performer’s Edge (NEW!)

Ballet Theatre of Indiana (NEW!)

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre

Brothers United/The Ball Project (NEW!)

Dance Kaleidoscope

Indiana Ballet Conservatory (NEW!)

Indiana Repertory Theatre

Indianapolis Children’s Choir

Indianapolis Opera

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Indy Pride Bag Ladies

Phoenix Theatre

Steven Stolen from The Meridian Project

(performance line-up subject to change)

In addition to the performers, all the technicians and stagehands donate their time and talent, including the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees of Local 30 and the American Federal of Musician’s – Local #3.

As a result, nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised from the event goes toward grantmaking for HIV testing and treatment as prevention.

Tickets for this spectacular night of music, dance, theater and, for the first time, magic and vogueing are now on sale. Tickets are $25 and are available at the Clowes Hall box office, at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787.

With a $125 donation, guests also can attend a pre-performance VIP Party at 6 p.m. at the Schrott Center.

All proceeds from Spotlight 2015 will benefit the Indiana AIDS Fund, a program of The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis. For more information about the event, visit http://www.spotlightindy.org/.

Title sponsors for Spotlight 2015 are Wayne P. Zink and Deborah J. Simon. The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis and Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund are presenting sponsors.

3rd Annual Butler University ArtsFest, Apr. 9-19, 2015

Butler University. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2014, all rights reserved.

By Marc Allan
Butler University

Talent from all over the world—Los Angeles to Sierra Leone to Indianapolis—will perform at the third annual Butler ArtsFest, April 9-19, 2015, on the Butler University campus in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tickets for the 50-plus events are on sale now at butlerartsfest.com, ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Clowes Memorial Hall box office.

Dubbed “Outsiders & Outlaws,” this year’s Butler ArtsFest “highlights bravery and boldness in the arts and the stories that emerge when individuals dare to reveal their inner, possibly dangerous, artistry.”

The 2015 performers include three-time Grammy winner Christian McBride, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, the Lula Washington Dance Theatre from south Los Angeles, Indianapolis favorite (and Butler alumnus) Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, and Butler Ballet performing The Sleeping Beauty.

“This April, performers from around the the country and around the world will share the stage with Butler University’s students and faculty to offer extraordinary art experiences with our entire community,” said Ronald Caltabiano, Dean of Butler’s Jordan College of the Arts. “This year’s festival is especially exciting because of the depth of talent and breadth of expression that will be presented as part of the 11-day event.”

Butler ArtsFest is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Efroymson Family Fund.

2015 festival sponsors are Central Indiana Community Foundation, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Emmis Communications, and Indianapolis Monthly.

Additional support provided by: Sun King Brewery; Buckingham Foundation; Rollin and Cheri Dick; Lucina Moxley; Howard L. Schrott and Diana H Mutz; Patricia See; Marianne Tobias; and the Butler University Office of the Provost.

The schedule of events follows:

Crime & Punishment
Thursday, April 9, 7:00 p.m.; Friday, April 10, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 11, 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, April 12, 2:00 p.m.; Friday, April 17, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 18, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, April 19, 2:00 p.m.
Black Box Theatre, Lilly Hall 168
Tickets: $5-$15 (On the day of the performance, tickets are only available at the Studio Theatre Box Office.)

Butler Theatre presents Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s classic novel in an exciting adaptation that underscores the passion, guilt, and consequences that haunt a young man after a crucial mistake.

Unlikely Heroes: Butler Wind Ensemble with Narrator Clarence Page
Thursday, April 9; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-30

From Tony and Maria of West Side Story to Abraham Lincoln, heroes can emerge from the most unlikely of circumstances and places. Join Butler University’s Michael Colburn, former director of the President’s Own Marine Band, as the Butler Wind Ensemble performs an evening of works highlighting the bravery and tenacity of the human spirit. Program includes Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, a powerful work with excerpts of Abraham Lincoln’s greatest writings narrated by Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre
Friday, April 10; 7:30 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-30

In 1980, in an inner-city neighborhood in South Los Angeles, the Lula Washington Dance Theatre was born. Today, the company tours the world, performing dance that explores social and humanitarian issues, including aspects of African-American history and culture. Known for powerful, high-energy dancing and unique choreography, the company and its performances have been described by The New York Times as “rousing” and “infectiously enthusiastic.”

Christian McBride Trio with Butler Jazz Ensemble
Saturday, April 11; 7:30 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-30

Three-time Grammy winner Christian McBride, among the leading jazz bass players of our time, joins with his trio and the Butler Jazz Ensemble for an unforgettable night of music. In his two-decade long career, McBride has worked with the likes of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway, Sting, and the legendary James Brown.

Faculty Chamber Music Concert
Sunday, April 12; 1:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-25

Underscoring the daring of those who are considered outsiders, this intimate concert presents the powerful works of Jacob TV, Henry Cowell, John Corigliano, and Tania Leon. As a capstone to the evening’s event, Professor James Briscoe will host a conversation on the innovative influence of the Cuban-born Leon.

Song & Dance
Sunday, April 12; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-$25

Meet the outlaws and outsiders from the music of Richard Rogers! This enchanting evening is filled some of the most beloved music of the 20th century songbook, including songs from Carousel, The King and I, Cinderella, and Oklahoma. Musicians from Butler University’s School of Music will be joined by dancers from Butler Ballet for this special event featuring Broadway star and Butler alumna Michele McConnell as guest vocalist.

Jagged: A Contemporary Pole Dance Company
Monday, April 13; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-$25

Jagged is a contemporary pole dance company that fuses the art of aerial pole work with concert and commercial dance. Founded in 2009 by Jessica Anderson-Gwin, Jagged pioneered the art of group pole choreography in America. The company strives to combat the often-negative stereotypes associated with pole dancing and aerial pole work through performances and teaching. As part of the FILM+ Series, catch the Heartland Film Festival documentary Off the Floor, which depicts Jagged’s difficult path as they forge a new art form.

Angela Brown & Friends: Mad Scenes!
Tuesday, April 14; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-$25

Metropolitan Opera star Angela Brown and Indianapolis friends perform a recital of famous (and infamous!) mad scenes from Tosca, Aida, Porgy and Bess, Peter Grimes, and other favorites. This special performance has been created exclusively for Butler ArtsFest.

Progressive Lenses
Tuesday, April 14; 10 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $10 or $5 at event with donation of canned good

The Jordan College faculty cut loose as their band, Progressive Lenses, performs progressive rock ’n’ roll. Receive discounted admission by bringing a non-perishable food item for Gleaners Food Bank.

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
Wednesday, April 15; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-$25

A potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have risen to acclaim with their energetic mix of old-school reggae, funky African grooves, and deep tribal chants. Founded in a refugee camp in Guinea this band has matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording bands. As part of the FILM+ series, catch the documentary that follows the group’s formation and life as refugees.

Stark Raving
Thursday, April 16; 7:00 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-$25

Witness an evening of extraordinary performances that push the boundaries of art and sanity—three contemporary, one-man shows performed with solo vocalists and a chamber ensemble. See the world-premiere of Michael Schelle’s The End of Al Capone (commissioned by Butler ArtsFest) and two outrageous outsider works by Peter Maxwell Davies: Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot and his infamous Eight Songs for a Mad King. This is an event that you won’t soon forget!

Sleeping Beauty
Friday, April 17, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 18, 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, April 19, 2:00 p.m.
Clowes Memorial Hall
Tickets: $17-$28.50 Adults (a $3 CMH Restoration fee will be added to each ticket)

Indulge yourself in dreams that come true! Butler Ballet presents the most magical of all the fairly-tale ballets complete with a beautiful princess, an evil fairy, a curse that dooms everyone to sleep for a hundred years, and a magical kiss.

Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
Friday, April 17; 7:30 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $30

Experience the rogues of the musical world! The ICO will feature music that was banned at times throughout history. Ranging from music outlawed by Pope Clement to that cast out by Nazis, this concert is a fascinating insight into music deemed “inappropriate.”

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Saturday, April 18; 7:30 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-30

With a style and sound completely their own, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band will make you stomp your feet and dance! This energetic trio—complete with a washboard—blends blues, ragtime, folk, country, and other traditional styles with the sleek modern energy of do-it-yourself, homespun, punk-fueled rock.

Carmina Burana
Sunday, April 19; 7:30 p.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts
Tickets: $15-30

One of the most dramatic and recognizable choral works ever created, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is not just a piece of music, it is an experience. Don’t miss this stunning work along with Stravinsky’s masterpiece Les Noces (The Wedding) performed by the Butler University Chorale.

FREE EVENTS

Butler Community Arts School Dance Concert
Saturday, April 18; 10:00 a.m.
Lilly Hall 310

Community performance with the Butler Community Arts School and students from Butler Ballet. Fun for the whole family!

Butler Percussion Ensemble Family Concert
Saturday, April 11; 11:00 a.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts

Perfect for families with little ones, this fun, interactive, and lively concert is a great opportunity to introduce kids to live performance. During the concert, families are invited to join the musicians on stage to get closer to the instruments. This free morning event is sure to inspire smiles and perhaps even a lifetime of love for music.

BCAS strings and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
Saturday, April 18; 11:00 a.m.
Schrott Center for the Arts

What does the future of music look like? See for yourself at this community performance by young musicians.

JCA Composers’ Orchestra Workshop
Saturday, April 18; 1:00 p.m.
Lilly Hall 112

An improvisational workshop for musicians and non-musicians. Get up close and personal with the music and take the stage with the orchestra during the event. Open to young people and adults.

MUSIC & MOVIES AT THE IMA

This year, venture off of Butler University’s campus for some exciting programs presented in partnership with the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Friday, April 10; 7:00 p.m
The Toby at the IMA
Tickets: $9-$15

View a screening of this spaghetti western classic, preceded by a performance of the score by local singers and musicians.

Bonnie and Clyde + Brian Laidlaw
Saturday, April 11; 7:00 p.m.
The Toby at the IMA
Tickets: $9-$15
Minneapolis poet-songwriter Brian Laidlaw will perform Amoratorium, a multimedia album inspired by the legacy of Bonnie and Clyde. After the performance, enjoy a screening of the 1967 film.

Pump Up the Volume
Friday, April 17; 7:00 p.m.
The Toby at the IMA
Tickets: $9-$15

Pirate radio takes over this screening of Pump Up the Volume in the IMA underground parking garage. Presented in partnership with Classical Music Indy.

Tickets for Music & Movies events are available exclusively through the Indianapolis Museum of Art. For more information, visit imamuseum.org.