The Lisa Smith Wengler Center For The Arts at Pepperdine University announces its 2017-2018 Performances and Exhibitions.
The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine has a great line-up of music, dance, family performances, museum exhibitions, and student productions this year.
*See details and dates HERE
Singer Kellie Pickler
Critically-acclaimed country music artist Kellie Picker, legendary jazz musicians Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Grammy-winner Shawn Colvin, and two Legendary Ladies of Motown, Mary Wilson of The Supremes and Martha Wilson & The Vandellas, are just a few of the artists set to appear at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University during its 2017-2018 season.
Among the musicians and bands coming to Pepperdine’s Malibu campus are:
Recent America’s Got Talent contestant and jazz singer/songwriter Mandy Harvey
Founder of The Byrds Roger McGuinn
Virtuoso guitarist Tommy Emmanuel
The dynamic bluegrass ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers
Influential folk artist Carrie Newcomer
Renowned vocal group The Four Freshmen
The category-shattering trio Time for Three
Gypsy jazz and Latin swing quintet Velvet Carvan
America’s most beloved pianists Robin Spielberg
The season will also feature a live concert journey based on the documentary film Take Me to the River. Take Me to the River Memphis Soul and Rhythm & Blues Revue brings together Memphis music giants William Bell, Charlie Musselwhite, and Bobby Rush, performing alongside Frayser Boy, Al Kapone, The Hi Rhythm Section, and the Stax Academy Alumni Band with music director Boo Mitchell.
The Steep Canyon Rangers
In a special Cine-Concert, composer Benoit Charest brings his Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville to Malibu, where they will recreate the original score and live foley of the award-winning animated French feature The Triplets of Belleville.
The thrilling Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin, People’s Republic of China kicks of the season’s dance and spectacle offerings, which includes the visually striking Ezralow Dance Company, the whimsical Pilobolus Dance Theater, and the LA-based TAIKOPROJECT with their contemporary blend of taiko, music, storytelling, and choreography.
The Gregg G. Juarez Stars of Stage and Screen series includes the sharp wit of comedian Rita Rudner and Tony nominee Jarrod Spector, who graced Broadway as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys and Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
This season, the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts will once again present the Family Arts Fest, a day of face painting, museum tours, art projects, and two public performances by Sonia De Los Santos, a soulful and important new voice in family music. Other family shows throughout the year Childplay’s Go, Dog, Go! and The Passing Zone Saves the World.
The Recital Series, featuring the talents of young classical musicians, includes performances by the pianist Ko-Eun Yi, violinist Tessa Lark, trumpeter Brandon Ridenour, and cellist Sang-Eun Lee.
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall
The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art features an exhibition of artist Alexis Smith who explores how the media shapes our self-image. Two separate exhibitions will explore the storied history of California art, one through the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation collection and the other through paintings by the California Art Club. This marks the Weisman’s 25th Anniversary Season, as it was dedicated on September 12, 1992. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and is free of admission charge.
The Pepperdine Fine Arts Division presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta The Pirates of Penzance; theatre productions of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation; the new musical based on the John August film Big Fish – 12 Chair Version; Andrew Upton’s version of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabbler; Ben Power’s version of Euripides’ Medea; and a series of performances by Pepperdine student music ensembles throughout the fall and spring semesters.
Additionally, Pepperdine Student Activities presents its popular Dance in Flight and Songfest.
“We are thrilled to announce our 2017-2018 season of performances and exhibitions at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine. Each year, we bring a wide range of performances to Pepperdine to delight and engage our community,” says Rebecca Carson, Managing Director of the Center for the Arts. “I look forward to connecting these amazing artists with our enthusiastic audience.”
Tickets for all performances are available beginning June 26 by calling (310) 506-4522 from 12 noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and two hours prior to curtain time. Tickets to all events are also available at:
Season subscribers (those who purchase tickets to four or more shows) are entitled to a 10 percent discount on select ticket prices.
GRAMMY winner Shawn Colvin
The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 55,000 people from 808 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine’s breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the “black box” Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.
The Center for the Arts is located on the Pepperdine University campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA. Parking is available during performances next to Smothers Theatre for a fee and in the Theme Tower lot with shuttle service at no charge. All programs and artists are subject to change.
For more information about these and other Center for the Arts performances and exhibitions, visit: https://arts.pepperdine.edu
