Diverse performers promise to entertain male and female, young and old
Strong women performers highlight the 2018-2019 Carlsen Center Presents season at Johnson County Community College.
And yes, the phrase “strong women performers” can mean two different things. Are these women giving a strong performance? Or are the women themselves full of tough-as-nails, take-no-prisoners strength?
The answer: both. Take, for example, pop and folk superstar Emmylou Harris, who will be performing for the Carlsen Center series on Oct. 13 in Yardley Hall. In a career that has spanned 40 years and garnered 14 GRAMMY® Awards, Harris has thrived on honest but emotional lyrics of bittersweet love.
GRAMMY® winners
On Oct. 26, Aida Cuevas takes the stage. The Queen of Ranchera Music (a type of Mexican folk/country that leans heavily on guitars and horns) won a 2018 GRAMMY® Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. She made history as the only woman to ever win a GRAMMY® in the category. She brings with her a portfolio of 39 albums and a tour schedule that’s taken her around the world.
Coming off her 2018 GRAMMY® win for Best Children’s Album for Feel What U Feel, Lisa Loeb will share her songs for children with a daytime concert for kids and their parents. She’ll come back to the stage in the evening for a concert highlighting her hits from the 1990s, including the platinum-selling Number 1 hit song “Stay (I Missed You)” from the film Reality Bites and more. Loeb has established herself as an entrepreneur (designing Lisa Loeb Eyewear) and author, in addition to her music career. Both concerts will be held Feb. 2, 2019.
On Nov. 11, the iconic cabaret singer Marilyn Maye will perform with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Maye appeared on “The Tonight Show” 76 times (a record for a singer) and is a series favorite who ignites a crowd. She celebrates her 90th birthday in 2018.
Broadway Meets Disney
If your taste in Broadway tunes leans more to Disney shows, you cannot miss “Broadway Princess Party,” Jan. 18, 2019. Actress Laura Osnes starred on Broadway in the title role of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” and she joins two of her fellow princesses to perform songs from “Snow White,” “Pocahontas,” “Frozen” and many more.
Strong women also populate the cast of “Steel Magnolias,” presented by LA Theatre Works for shows Feb. 16 and 17. The group’s unique style of “radio theatre” eschews traditional staging in favor of radio-style live performances and brings full focus to the play and its gutsy, glorious characters.
On March 8, Niyaz’s The Fourth Light Project will pay tribute to Eighth Century Sufi mystic Rabi’a al-Basri, known as the Mother of Sufism. Featuring artists and musicians from a diversity of locales such as Iran, Turkey, India and Canada, NIYAZ transcends both genre and borders. Their multimedia show is an immersive experience that uplifts and inspires.
Emily Behrmann, General Manager for the Carlsen Center Presents Series, said she wanted to create a season of performances that trumpeted the power and tenacity of women. “Strong women aren’t new in the entertainment industry. The ones who survive are there because they’re determined and won’t back down in the face of adversity — whether that’s discrimination, harassment or other unfair treatment. The Carlsen Center consistently presents the most talented performers from around the world, women and men. This focus on female entertainers is one more way we can emphasize the variety and diverse program for which we’re known,” she said.
Reliving Broadway’s Best
The series embraces the talents of men, too, as well as diverse cultures. No show represents that melding of showmanship (and show-womanship) better than “Chita and Friends,” a night of bright nostalgia from Chita Rivera and two special Broadway guests, to be announced soon.
Rivera is the winner of two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, a Kennedy Center Honors recognition and the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. See her April 6, 2019.
Season Tickets on Sale
Season tickets are a la carte, so a purchase of any five events (or more) receives a 10% discount. Friends of the Carlsen Center who contribute $50 or more, in addition to season ticket purchase, receive 15% off a season package. Season tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Monday, May 7, and tickets to individual shows will be available at 10 a.m., Monday, June 4.
For more information about Carlsen Center Presents at Johnson County Community College, and a full list of performers, visit www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter. Performances are in Yardley Hall unless otherwise noted.
–Anne Christiansen-Bullers
