ON SALE NOW: CU Presents announces 2021-22 season, featuring a mix of virtual and in-person performance opportunities
CU Presents will return to offering a full season of in-person performances, the organization announced this week. In addition, it will continue to offer multiple virtual events throughout the year.
Back by popular demand will be the Holiday Festival, which runs from Dec. 3-5, 2021. This annual tradition, which has been in place for decades, brings together student musicians and faculty performers for a concert celebrating the winter holidays.
The Artist Series will also return to the stage for the 2021-22 season, featuring performances such as “Georgia on My Mind”—a tribute to the music of Ray Charles performed by Clint Holmes, Take 6, Nnenna Freelon and Tom Scott— on Nov. 14; the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning a cappella ensemble The King’s Singers on Dec. 8; and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on Feb. 21.
The Takács Quartet, CU Boulder’s Grammy Award-winning string quartet-in-residence, will be returning for the 2021-22 season as well. In addition to performing live in Grusin Music Hall, the Takács Quartet will sell digital tickets that will allow patrons streaming access to their performances for up to a week after each event.
Single tickets for all performances go on sale beginning Monday, Aug. 16, at 10 a.m. Patrons may buy tickets online at cupresents.org, over the phone at 303-492-8008 or in person at the CU Presents Box Office, located at 972 Broadway in Boulder.
Safety measures at all CU Presents events will follow guidelines set by local public health authorities and University of Colorado Boulder. As of Aug. 13, masks are required in public indoor spaces on the CU Boulder campus regardless of vaccination status. Safety requirements could change before events, so patrons are advised to check colorado.edu/covid-19 before attending.
Full season schedule below. We will send additional information to arts reporters in advance of the productions.
SCHEDULE:
Artist Series at Macky Auditorium
For more than 80 years, the Artist Series has brought the globe’s finest jazz, classical, world music and dance performers to Boulder. Thousands of patrons come every year to experience both world-renowned and emerging artists.
Cirque Mechanics: Birdhouse Factory
Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Artful, whimsical and laugh-out-loud funny. Following last season’s sold-out performance, Cirque Mechanics returns to Macky with “Birdhouse Factory,” the simple story of daily life in a widgets factory. Acrobats, contortionists and clowns draw inspiration everywhere from classic Rube Goldberg machines to Charlie Chaplin, building an unlikely world full of bewitching delights!
Georgia on My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles
Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Passionate, electric and soul-stirring. Throughout one unforgettable evening, award-winning artists Clint Holmes, Take 6, Nnenna Freelon and Tom Scott breathe new life into icon Ray Charles’ catalog of pop, gospel, jazz and soul.
Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Sparkling, polished and sublime. The King’s Singers, a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning a cappella ensemble, ring in the holidays at CU Presents with the crisp close-harmony vocal sound that makes the charming group a “superlative vocal sextet” (The Times, London).
Kronos Quartet: Music for Change
Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Cutting-edge, bold and deeply moving. The Kronos Quartet explores the social, political and cultural upheavals of American civil rights movements, performing works that highlight the legacy of artists in advancing social justice. The evening features Zachary J. Watkins’ “Peace Be Till,” a work inspired by the moment just before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, as narrated by Dr. King’s speechwriter and friend Dr. Clarence B. Jones; “Glorious Mahalia,” Stacy Garrop’s work honoring the life and times of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson; as well as arrangements of Abel Meeropol’s “Strange Fruit” and John Coltrane’s “Alabama.”
Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Mysterious, captivating and magical. In “Sacre,” the world-first circus setting of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” Circa tightly weaves together powerful world-class acrobatics and dynamic encounters suffused with dark humor and rich tenderness.
Please note: Circa recommends this performance for audiences ages 12+
Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Sumptuous, powerful and jaw-dropping. The up-and-coming dancers of Ailey II are universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s finest young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Expressive, improvisational and swinging. On Feb. 21, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra brings a special night of music making to Boulder audiences in Macky.
March 16, 7:30 p.m.
Authentic, fiery and wholehearted. Danú, one of today’s leading traditional Irish ensembles, presents a vibrant performance in a celebration of traditional and contemporary Irish music. It’s the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
Holiday Festival
Delight in the twinkling lights, seasonal greenery and beautiful music of CU Boulder’s Holiday Festival, an annual tradition that’s enchanting for all ages. The celebration brings together student choirs, bands and orchestras—along with world-class faculty performers—for a concert of holiday favorites and new surprises.
Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4, 1 p.m.
Dec. 4, 4 p.m.
Dec. 5, 4 p.m.
Takács Quartet
CU Boulder’s Grammy Award-winning string quartet-in-residence has been moving audiences and selling out concerts for more than three decades. Their irresistible blend of virtuosic technique and engaging personality has led The Guardian (London) to proclaim, “The Takács Quartet are matchless, their supreme artistry manifest at every level.”
Sept. 12-13, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21-22, 7:30 p.m. (feat. the Grammy-winning Parker Quartet)
Jan. 9-10, 7:30 p.m.
March 6-7, 7:30 p.m.
April 10-11, 7:30 p.m.
Eklund Opera Program and the BM/MT Program
Wide-ranging repertoire, lavish scenery, drama and amazing voices—the Eklund Opera Program and our Musical Theatre program have it all.
An opera in Italian by Giuseppe Verdi
Oct. 22-24
Set against the backdrop of a disapproving “polite” society, “La Traviata” tells the tragic story of Alfredo Germont, a true romantic, and Violetta, a renowned Parisian courtesan. From its stirring orchestrations to its heartrending intimacy, the passion and sacrifice of Verdi’s iconic tale is a masterpiece.
A musical by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis
Nov. 11-14
When a 20-year drought creates a terrible water shortage, one city’s government bans private toilets, forcing citizens to use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom! Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, “Urinetown” is a musical satire of politics, the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility and musical theatre itself.
A musical fable of Broadway
March 11-13
Gamble with luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway. “Guys and Dolls”—the oddball musical comedy featuring iconic hits like “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat”—follows a hilarious cast of characters from Times Square to Havana. Meet gambler Nathan Detroit as he avades the authorities; Adelaide, his girlfriend and a nightclub performer, who laments their 14-year engagement; and unlikely lovebirds Sky Masterson (a gambler) and Sarah Brown (a missionary). With wit and romance, “Guys and Dolls” proves that eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.
An opera by Dominick Argento
April 21-24
Set in a Moroccan train station at the turn of the 20th century, a group of enigmatic strangers interacts with one another, revealing both the mundane and the miraculous in their lives. Colorful and modern, “Postcard from Morocco” explores the physical and emotional baggage we all carry from day-to-day, whether it be an unrealized dream, a mysterious secret—or even a lover in a hat box.
Department of Theatre & Dance
Whether you’re interested in the classics or modern musicals, Hip-Hop or contemporary dance—or perhaps a bit of it all—remarkable performances are the heart of CU Theatre & Dance. The cutting-edge works brought to you by faculty, guest artists and the stars of tomorrow appeal to the heart of every performing arts enthusiast.
Theatre:
A play by Rajiv Joseph
Sept. 17-19
It’s not your typical love story: Doug and Kayleen meet at the nurse’s office in their elementary school; she’s got a painful stomach ache, and he’s all banged up from a running dive off the roof of the school. Over the next 30 years, these scar-crossed lovers meet again and again, brought together by injury, heartbreak, and their own self-destructive tendencies. With great compassion and humor, playwright Rajiv Joseph (Broadway’s “”Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo””) crafts a compelling and unconventional love story about the intimacy between two people when they allow their defenses to drop and their wounds to show.
In Acting Studio performances, audiences experience a variety of experimental works in an intimate black box theatre. Don’t wait to reserve your free tickets. Due to limited seating, these productions often sell out in just a few days.
Please note: “Gruesome Playground Injuries” contains references to physical and emotional abuse and sexual assault; sexual content; self-harm; misogyny and sexism; and depictions of violence.
A cabaret of short plays and songs on climate
Sept. 24-Oct. 3
“Enacting climate” is in the spotlight. CU Theatre & Dance partners with Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 in New York City to produce ten brief climate plays by authors from around the world interspersed with fun Cabaret-style musical numbers. Humor, passion and imagination are put to work envisioning an equitable, survivable and thrivable future for all life and the ecosystems upon which life depends.
A cast of CU Theatre & Dance’s talented student performers in the elegant University Theatre.
Something strange and spectral
Oct. 29-Nov. 7
Just in time for Halloween, join the Department of Theatre & Dance for an evening of seven spine-tingling ghost stories from around the world. Inspired by the legendary Japanese Kabuki play, “”Kaidan+: Something Strange and Spectral”” features a contemporary update of this chilling tale of revenge, and also journeys to a sinister boarding school in Africa, a desolate riverbank in Latin America, an otherworldly battlefield in Europe, a haunted bridge in Australia, the bleak expanse of the South Pole, and the menacing wilds of Colorado. Bring a friend—you won’t want to watch this alone!
Cecilia J. Pang directs a cast of CU Theatre & Dance’s talented student performers in the elegant University Theatre.
Please note: “Kaidan+” may contain depictions of graphic violence and references to violence.
An original interactive, immersive gallery
Nov. 12-14
Wander through an immersive, interactive gallery that showcases gathered stories about the vulnerability of performing private rituals in public spaces. “on Display” is an original, devised work from Sarah Powers and an ensemble of actors that unpacks public versus private life.
In Acting Studio performances, audiences experience a variety of experimental works in an intimate black box theatre. Don’t wait to reserve your free tickets. Due to limited seating, these productions often sell out in just a few days.
A queer love story in the woods
Feb. 11-20
In this timeless Elizabethan romance, two women disguise themselves as men and take to the woods to avoid being their town’s latest human sacrifice. Set here in the late 1960s, “Gallathea” is a reimagined classic that follows each character’s quest for love and understanding of their own place in the world. This lighthearted romp through the woods is filled with magic, music, plenty of mayhem, and, of course, true love.
Kaitlin Nabors directs a cast of CU Theatre & Dance’s talented student performers. Don’t wait to purchase tickets! Due to limited seating, tickets sell fast. But in the intimate Loft Theatre, every audience member gets a front row experience to this performance.
A comedy about air guitar and finding the airness in yourself
March 4-13
An exuberant comedy about competition, completion—and the mission to shred or be shredded. When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. But as she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend; it’s about finding yourself in your favorite songs and performing with raw joy. Will Nina be able to let go and set herself free onstage?
Jenna Moll Reyes directs a cast of CU Theatre & Dance’s talented student performers in the elegant University Theatre.
The unknown true story of aviator Jerrie Cobb
April 15-24
Many people know the history of the space race and the Mercury Seven. But few have ever heard the ill-fated story of Jerrie Cobb and the Mercury 13: a group of women who underwent the same rigorous psychological and physical astronaut training as their male counterparts but were ultimately denied entry into the space program based on their sex. “”They Promised Her the Moon”” is a highly theatrical, stunning look at the forces that keep women grounded, for better or worse.
Kent Thompson directs a cast of CU Theatre & Dance’s talented student performers. Don’t wait to purchase tickets! Due to limited seating, tickets sell fast. But in the intimate Loft Theatre, every audience member gets a front row experience to this performance.
“They Promised Her the Moon” is a 2021-22 Roe Green Production.
Please note: This production contains adult language.
Dance:
Please note: CU Dance performances contain rigorous research and artistic experimentation. If artists determine specific content warnings are appropriate for the works that are currently in development, this information will be relayed as soon as possible.
Dancing on the Edge of Cinema: the Sans Souci Festival
Sept. 24-25
SSFDC screens an eclectic selection of the season’s best dance cinema shorts from around the world. From the highly produced to the highly experimental, these screenings exude technical excellence, dazzling visuals and a stunning experience at the intersection of cinematography and choreography.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Emerging Global Citizenship in Transcultural Fusion Dance
Oct. 8-10
What might global citizenship look like in the dancing body?
Tune in from home for a virtual conversation that transcends the spoken word. Showcasing dance submissions from across the globe, this season’s [un]WRAP embraces Transcultural Fusion Dance (TcFD) to imagine what fair trade cultural exchange should look like. These works ask what it means to let nation-state boundaries fall away and be part of a deliberately and thoughtfully blended global family.
Featuring a week of interactive symposiums that culminate in a streamed, virtual performance, [un]WRAP invites audiences to lean in and engage with the ever-evolving landscape of dance.
An MFA dance concert
Nov. 5-7
MFA candidate Nicky Shindler fuses contemporary floor work with b-girling to inspire a visual celebration of a woman’s authentic self. Through striking rhythms and provoking physicality, “Breaking on The Glass Cypher” contemplates how women find, claim and manifest power, vulnerability and complexity.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
A CU dance concert
Dec. 3-4
Enjoy a potential mix of Hip-Hop, aerial, fusion forms and improvised offerings crafted by undergraduate and graduate dance students.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
A BFA dance concert
Jan. 28-30
BFA choreographers present intimate and stirring meditations on memory, body understanding, and community across an athletic symphony of contemporary and improvisational styles.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Curated by CU Dance Connection
Feb. 25-27
Be moved by dance works that lilt, groove and tumble across a spectrum of styles in this student-produced and CU Dance Connection-curated series.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Dance works by faculty and guest artists
April 7-10
Experience the dynamic works of CU Boulder dance faculty and the Roser Visiting Artist. From the micro-undulations of transnational fusion to the sweeping attack of contemporary dance, “The Current” brings vanguard artists of today’s dance scene to Boulder.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
A CU dance concert
April 22-23
Enjoy a potential mix of Hip-Hop, aerial, fusion forms and improvised offerings crafted by undergraduate and graduate dance students.
Tickets sell fast to CU Dance’s innovative, multisensory performances that take place in and around the intimate Charlotte York Irey Theatre.