By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
A wonderful variety of musicals, plays, dance and instrumental music make up the 2019-2020 season of the Encore Performing Arts Series at Fort Hays State University.
“For 39 years, the Encore Series has been a cultural gem of Western Kansas,” said Jacob Ternes, chair of the university’s Special Events Committee. “This season will continue to bring national and international performances right here to the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center stage. I hope our patrons consider purchasing season tickets, because we expect several individual shows to sell out!”
Ternes this year’s series has a show for all audiences. The season will open with “Reza: The Edge of Illusion.” More than a magic show, Reza infuses state-of-the-art production elements, masterful comedic timing, and interactive and inspirational moments, allowing the audience to experience the magic first hand.
Additional shows include “Cirque Mechanics,” “Finding Neverland,” “Bandstand,” “Fiesta Folclorico,” “Anne of Green Gables.” This season will also include a holiday event: “M-PACT: White Christmas,” an evening of holiday favorites.
Season tickets for the 2019-2020 Encore Performing Arts Series are available beginning Monday, Aug. 5. Fort Hays State University students, faculty and staff, as well as senior citizens (65 and over) and youths (ages 5 to 17) receive discounts.
For more information call the Memorial Union Student Service Center at 785-628-5306 or visit www.fhsu.edu/encore. Previous season ticket holders will receive the series booklet in the mail within the next few weeks.
All performances for the 2019-2020 season start at 7:30 p.m. and are held in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center in Sheridan Hall on the FHSU campus.
Performances:
Reza: The Edge of Illusion
Thursday, Oct. 3
Reza began making his presence felt in the world of illusion at age 7 after being inspired by a magic show in his hometown. By 14, he was performing for resorts and large corporations across the Midwest. Reza is one of the fastest rising stars in the industry, with his mind set on changing the world’s perception of magic.
Cirque Mechanics: 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels
Wednesday, Nov. 6
At the center of every circus rests a 42-foot ring full of thrills, laughs and excitement. The company dares us to leap into the circus ring and experience the timelessness of this evolving art form. The action is full of theatricality and a modern sensibility, showcasing a galloping mechanical metal horse and a rotating tent frame for strongmen, acrobats and aerialists.
M-PACT: White Christmas
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019
Hailed as “one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world,” M-PACT is recognized worldwide as a trailblazer in vocal music. Emerging from an age of auto-tune and overproduction, this Los Angeles-based sextet has cultivated a new generation of ears hungry for the fresh, raw power of nature’s “first instrument” – the human voice. As seen in the PBS “Christmas from LA” special, the warmth and elegance of M-PACT pairs perfectly with an evening of holiday favorites.
Finding Neverland
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020
Based on the Academy Award winning film, this breathtaking show follows playwright J.M. Barrie as he summons the courage to become the writer, and the man, he yearns to be. Barrie finds the inspiration he’s been missing when he meets the beautiful widow Sylvia and her four young sons: Jack, George, Michael and Peter. Delighted by the boys’ hilarious escapades, Barrie conjures the magical world of Neverland and writes a play unlike any the high-society London theatergoers had ever seen.
Fiesta Folclórico! Featuring: Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de SILVIA LOZANO
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020
This troupe brings the essence, tradition and color of strength and feeling from Mexico. Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de SILVIA LOZANO is an institution tasked with the dissemination, preservation and promotion of the culture of Mexico, both at home and abroad. With an artistic career spanning over 56 years, the BFNM reflects the work of Mexico’s leading researchers and practitioners of folklore, dance, music, and costumes.
The Huntertones
Friday, March 13, 2020
Huntertones brings people together around the globe with fun, imaginative, and fearless music. Their high energy, horn-driven sound fuses inspired improvisation and adventurous composition melding jazz, funk, rock, and soul. Huntertones shift from a dynamic six-piece ensemble to a trio featuring saxophone, sousaphone, and beat-boxing.
Bandstand: The Musical
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
In 1945, as America’s soldiers come home to ticker-tape parades and overjoyed families, PFC Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, returns to rebuild his life with only the shirt on his back and a dream in his heart. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation’s next great musical superstars, inspiration strikes and Donny joins forces with a motley group of fellow veterans, each an astonishing musician. They form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen and discover the power of music.
Anne of Green Gables – The Ballet
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Over the last 28 years, Canada’s Ballet Jӧrgen has produced a total of 216 original creations by 80 choreographers, including eight full-length ballets. The company gives over 120 performances a year, bringing ballet performances to more than 50,000 people across Canada. One-third of Ballet Jörgen Canadian audiences are under the age of 18, and a third of those are attending a dance performance for the first time. The Company has exclusive rights to create “Anne of Green Gables: The Ballet,” with a score based on the original compositions from “Anne of Green Gables: The Musical.” It will be the first time the story has been authorized for creation as a full-length ballet.
About the Special Events Committee
Through the presentation of varied forms of performing arts, the Special Events Committee strives to educate, inspire, evoke thought and entertain. The goal is to promote artistic expression, cultural understanding and social awareness at Fort Hays State University and throughout western Kansas through the presentation of diverse, high-caliber performing arts programs. Information can be found at www.fhsu.edu/encore.