Great Performances at Vanderbilt celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2009-2010 with four free shows by Australia’s Strange Fruit company at Centennial Park and Vanderbilt. Other events include a radio documentary performance by L.A. Theatre Works and music by Grupo Cultural AfroReggae.
Australia’s Strange Fruit will stage free performances of Swoon!, a fantastical story of love, loss, joy and freedom – while perched on tall flexible poles more than a story high. The show fuses theatre, dance and the circus.
Australia’s Strange Fruit will perform at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Centennial Park, across West End Avenue from the Vanderbilt campus. On Thursday, Sept. 17, the group will perform at 1 and 7 p.m. on Alumni Lawn.
Subscription packages for the entire Great Performances series are on sale at Sarratt Student Center and www.vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances. Prices range from $112 to $224 and will be available through Aug. 28. Single tickets go on sale Aug. 28 and range from $29 to $37. Vanderbilt students and staff can get discounted rates. Non-Vanderbilt students are $10 with ID at Ticketmaster outlets. Call (615) 322-2471 for more information.
The events, in addition to the performances by Australia’s Strange Fruit:
Kidd Pivot, Canada’s cutting-edge dance troupe led by choreographer Crystal Pite, performs Lost Action 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in Ingram Hall.
L.A. Theatre Works, which gives audio performances of significant works of dramatic radio plays with their original transcripts, will perform War of the Worlds and The Lost World by H.G. Wells 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in Ingram Hall. A panel discussion on arts censorship will be scheduled for the same day.
DBR, the stage name of violinist and Vanderbilt Blair School of Music graduate Daniel Bernard Roumain, performs Darwin’s Meditation for the People of Lincoln 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Ingram Hall. Blair students and faculty will join DBR on stage.
Guido’s Ear, an early music ensemble specializing in repertoire of the late renaissance and early baroque, founded by violinists Aaron Brown and Dongmyung Ahn. They perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, in Turner Hall at the Blair School of Music.
Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, from Rio de Janeiro, is a musical movement organized by social revolutionist Anderson Sa dedicated to promoting Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions while working to develop the self-esteem, alternative life projects and a sense of citizenship among youth. They perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in Ingram Hall.
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, from the Nrityagram village in India, will perform sensual and lyrical dance that incorporates movement from the ancient classic form Odissi with contemporary concepts. They perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, in Ingram Hall.
Trey McIntyre Project, a ballet troupe with commissions by the New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and others, will perform 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, in Ingram Hall.
Contact: Brenda Caplinger, (615) 322-2471
brenda.caplinger@vanderbilt.edu