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Fine Arts Center Announces 2019-20 Season, Tickets on Sale Friday, May 31
The Fine Arts Center (FAC) has announced their 2019-20 performing and visual arts line-up, featuring international and local performances and exhibitions, as well as some newcomers. The season includes more than 30 performances and 17 exhibitions all with the goal of engaging, entertaining and inspiring its audiences. Online ticketing for single tickets and subscriptions opens Friday, May 31 at 10 a.m. A full list of performances, more information on each performance and ticket sales can be found on the Fine Arts Center's website.
The FAC strives to present artists that reflect their communities and the important political or social conversations they’re having. To that end, there will be artists and performances this season that highlight the importance of civil rights, cultural celebration and our environment, while creating a welcoming and meaningful space for multiple identities to engage. Now more than ever, the arts play a key role in achieving this, especially in these divisive and challenging times.
The season begins with composer Philip Glass. For his 50th anniversary tour with his ensemble, the groundbreaking composer performs his score for the film “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance” on Sunday, Sept. 22. Glass will also give a free public talk about his interest in the environment the night before.
In the jazz realm, Grammy-award winner Terri Lyne Carrington presents a concert in homage to jazz giants Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach and their 1963 recording, “Money,” on October 24. On November 21, bassist and composer Avery Sharpe marks the 400th anniversary of slaves arriving on North American shores with a new original piece of music touched by spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz and classical idioms, as well as video. In the spring, SFJazz Collective performs the seminal work by Miles Davis, “In a Silent Way” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Stand” on April 1.
For classical music lovers, we’ll present Brasil Guitar Duo as part of our ¡Guitarra! Classical Guitar Series in November and in March we welcome Michael Barenboim and the world-renowned West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, comprised of Middle Eastern and Israeli musicians performing Schubert, Brahms, Mendelssohn and a new work by composer Benjamin Attahir.
From Broadway, the FAC will present Finding Neverland on February 25. Six other performances will appeal to audiences of all ages; a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur adventure from Lightwire Theater on Sunday, Oct. 20, a Celtic holiday celebration with Natalie MacMaster and her family on Wednesday, Dec. 4, a rousing musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. featuring Damien Sneed on Tuesday, Jan. 28, Chinese drums and proverbs from Shanghai Tuesday, Feb. 11, a high-flying cirque in a snow storm from Montreal-based Cirque Flip Fabrique Wednesday, March 18, and a lovable Australian wombat causing all sorts of mischief in the live stage production of Diary of a Wombat on Thursday, April 9.
For its Amherst debut, the RUBBERBand Dance Group brings their distinct mixture of contemporary dance, hip-hop and ballet on Tuesday, Nov. 19. In February, the Philadelphia-based dance company, Philadanco, present some of their classics, as well as new works that highlight their continued engagement with today’s most important social issues. Using classical south Indian dance and music as points of inspiration, Ashwini Ramaswamy of Ragamala Dance Company explores how memory and homeland channel both guidance and dislocation on Tuesday, April 14. Ending our season is the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returning to UMass for an evening of movement, music, and culture on Tuesday, April 28.
A fully-illustrated brochure will be available in June. In the meantime, a full list of performances and all performance information is available at fineartscenter.com. More on the 2019-20 visual arts lineup including Augusta Savage Gallery, Hampden Gallery and the University Museum of Contemporary Art can be found at fineartscenter.com/visualarts.
To keep the arts accessible for all, the FAC offers a wide range of ticket prices. In addition to the create-your-own-subscription package, we have introduced a “build-as-you-go” program for patrons that can’t commit far in advance. Youth and Five College tickets range from $7 to $30. Single ticket discounts for seniors is now 15%. Discounted family packs are available for Lightwire Theater and Diary of a Wombat. There is also a popular discount program for those under the age of 40 that includes exclusive artist meet & greets and other benefits; more on that at fineartscenter.com/under40. Online subscription sales and single ticket purchases are available May 31.