Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park Returns June 16
Kentucky Shakespeare, the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth, is returning to the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Old Louisville’s Central Park from June 16 to August 15, 2021. “We are beyond excited to finally return to the magical in-person experience of Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, after being away from it since the summer of 2019. We look forward to coming together to connect, heal, and again experience the joy together of the free summer festival under the stars,” said Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director. “Opening with the stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love is a fitting love letter to Shakespeare and theatre, and it wouldn’t be possible without the presenting sponsor of the production, our partner Churchill Downs. We also return with the epic history Henry V, the culmination of the four-year Henriad tetralogy, Kentucky Shakespeare’s Game of Kings series. What a homecoming this will be – together again in Central Park.”
Dave Matthews Band, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Billy Strings, Leon Bridges & My Morning Jacket to headline Railbird Festival Aug. 28 & 29
After bolting out of the gate and shattering expectations in its inaugural year in 2019, Railbird Festival has its sights set on topping its debut with a blockbuster lineup of artists for its second festival — set for August 28-29 at the Grounds at Keeneland.
The world-class music festival produced by AC Entertainment and Lexington entrepreneur David Helmers announced today a top-tier headline for the weekend’s bill, including Grammy-winning jam band Dave Matthews Band and beloved Kentucky-based heroes, My Morning Jacket. Additional acts include Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Leon Bridges, Billy Strings, Black Pumas, Khruangbin, Midland, The Revivalists, Band of Horses, Margo Price and more. Tickets are on sale now at RailbirdFest.com
Billy Strings Announces Two Shows at Waterfront Park – May 21 & 22
Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings will perform two shows as part of Louisville, KY’s new concert series, Live On The Lawn at Waterfront Park, May 21 and 22. Tickets for shows go on-sale this Friday, April 16 at 10:00am ET/9:00am CT with a selection of pod-based purchase options. Full details can be found at billystrings.com/tour.
The newly confirmed dates follow an ambitious spring run for Strings, who continued to perform throughout the past year, both virtually and in-person.
A Triumphant Return: Kentucky Shakespeare’s Spring Parks Tour Preview
Creative freedom. Magic. Joy. After months of social distancing and isolation, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally growing brighter. Some semblance of normalcy is emerging with the spring, and that includes Kentucky Shakespeare’s return to the parks for the first time in two years.
On Saturday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m., Kentucky Shakespeare kicks off its 2021 Spring Parks Tour at Maples Park with an abridged performance of Romeo and Juliet.
Exhibit Spotlight: Speed Art Museum Unveils Fashioning Art from Paper through August
Speed Art Museum recently unveiled its highly anticipated exhibition featuring the artwork of Isabelle de Borchgrave, the Belgian artist whose life-like creations and elaborately adorned period clothing are entirely handmade with paper. The exhibition, entitled “Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper,” features nearly 100 life-size, trompe l’oeil paper costumes and works that involve the manipulation of paper and paint to create fully formed sculptural costume pieces.
The costumes span nearly 500 years of fashion, replicating historical garments found in European masterworks and in collections around the country.
Audience Interview: Erin Palmer – Kentucky Performing Arts
Kentucky Performing Arts is an important anchor in the arts and entertainment landscape in Louisville and throughout the Commonwealth. Its various performance halls and venues host an array of performances, concerts, comedians, and even presidential debates. In addition to the entertainment that happens on the stage, KPA also plays a role in education and outreach efforts that share the arts with children and adults in community centers, healthcare facilities and schools across Kentucky. In fact, KPA brings the arts to nearly all counties in the state, ensuring everyone can experience the wonders of the performing arts without barriers or restrictions.
The work that happens behind the scenes to create and implement KPA’s programs is an endless task. Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Erin Palmer, KPA’s Senior Programming Manager, to talk about some of her roles and responsibilities and how she balances everything from artist communications to community programs around the state.
PNC Broadway in Louisville Announces 2021-2022 Season
Despite a further delay to the start of the 2021-22 season, PNC Broadway in Louisville is excited to welcome patrons back in November for an incredible roster of shows, beginning with Waitress. All but two of the originally slated shows have been rescheduled.
While we don’t have all of the details in place yet, we are actively working with our partners at The Kentucky Center, along with local, state and federal health authorities, to put a health and safety plan in place for all fall performances. We will communicate that plan to our ticketholders well in advance of the first show.
Thank you to our subscribers, as well as everyone in our community who has rallied behind Louisville’s performing arts throughout the pandemic, for your continued support and understanding. We are so grateful to have you as a member of our theatrical family. Broadway is coming back, and we know it’ll be worth the wait!
Audience Interview: Robert Curran – Artistic Director – Louisville Ballet
The mission of the Louisville Ballet is to make moving art that inspires connection, conversation, and a profound sense of community by striving for bold collaborations and nurturing the next generation of artists, celebrating diversity and creating access for all. This has been a year to really push those boundaries and reconfigure the way the ballet achieves some of these goals.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Louisville Ballet Artistic Director, Robert Curran, who has led the company through a re-imagined Season of Illumination to bring the community in Louisville and beyond the magic of the ballet.
Listen to the full interview for free below.
Audience Interview: Leslie Broecker: President of Broadway Across America Midwest
On a normal year, Broadway Across America produces thousands of performances across the country and the world. This year, there have been none since April. That being said, Broadway’s creative aspirations and dedication to the stage has not waned at all. Just like the rest of us, the actors, actresses, producers, directors, staff, and volunteers at Broadway and all of our performing arts groups are anxiously waiting for the stages to shine bright once again.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with the President of Broadway Across America’s Midwest Division, Leslie Broecker, to talk about how the organization is dealing with the challenges of the last nine months, how the team has adjusted, and what the future might hold.
Listen to the full interview for free below.
Audience Interview: Kim Baker: Kentucky Performing Arts – President & CEO
Kentucky Performing Arts is known for hosting a variety of electrifying performances — from marquee musicians and comedians, to the touring shows of PNC Broadway in Louisville, not mention our own nationally renowned arts groups such as the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet and StageOne Family Theatre.
When COVID hit last year, the team was forced to deal with a second disaster in just a couple years, the first being a fire that damaged the roof and lobby of its flagship venue, The Kentucky Center.
During a time when the venues are quiet and dark, Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with KPA’s President & CEO, Kim Baker, as she navigates her team through these tough times.
Audience Interview: Robert Barry Fleming: Actors Theatre of Louisville – Executive Artistic Director
Now in its 57th season, Actors Theatre of Louisville is the state theater of Kentucky, with a mission that serves to unlock human potential, build community, and enrich quality of life by engaging people in theater that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time. Over the last nine months, we’ve all certainly been tested on many fronts.
The company moved to a digital stage for several seasonal favorites that received great reviews. They are now launching Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End that will stream until January 28 and is a ‘pay what you can’ set-up.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Executive Artistic Director, Robert Barry Fleming, to hear more about how the company has navigated through the pandemic so far, and what might lie ahead.
Listen to the full interview for free below.
Audience Interview: Christen Boone: Fund for the Arts President & CEO
Fund for the Arts is an important anchor in the Louisville arts community, with the goal to provide arts access, education, diversity, and ultimately to promote the city as a nationally recognized epicenter of the arts.
Being nearly 10 months into an unprecedented public health crisis with COVID, combined with social and civil situations that we’re all dealing with, we caught up with President and CEO Christen Boone to see how the Fund has adjusted so far, and how the organization intends to move forward.
Listen to the full interview for free below.
Louisville Ballet Brings the Brown-Forman Nutcracker to the digital stage
For millions of Americans, the holiday season isn’t complete without a trip to the theatre to watch The Nutcracker, choreographed by Val Caniparoli. But in 2020, safety supersedes tradition, leaving venues around the country dark for the foreseeable future.
Such is the case for The Kentucky Center, where the Louisville Ballet performs this holiday classic. This June, the company announced the 2020-21 Season of Illumination will be all-digital and include a new ballet art film production entitled Kentucky! Volume 1 and the Brown-Forman Nutcracker, with more productions to be announced later.
While many regard the pivot as bittersweet, artistic director Robert Curran says it was an unexpectedly easy decision, and one that has brought a renewed sense of excitement to the company.
Louisville Orchestra Celebrates American Soul with FREE Virtual Concert
Since famed Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams first graced the stages of Whitney Hall, Louisville patrons of fine music knew they were in for a treat. In what was a monumental transition into celebrating the roots of classical music as well as other important genres, the season line-ups soon began to reveal what Teddy and crew had in mind and where the future of the Louisville Orchestra was heading, and all signs pointed to exciting times ahead.
With past collages featuring various musicians, rock bands and even local artists, paired with the harmonic orchestra ensembles, Teddy and the LO have attracted new patrons to the performances as well as invigorated the long-time patrons of the group.
Audience Spotlight: Jim Brickman Brings Comfort & Joy at Home for the Holiday
There is no doubt that this holiday season will not look like past years. Longstanding traditions may be put on hold, family gatherings may be limited, and things will just be different.
With the COVID virus continuing to wreak havoc on the world as we once knew it, businesses from every industry have been affected. Among those hit the hardest have been concert venues, most of which have been dark since March. Musicians and industry leaders have stepped up to help venues in any way they can. One of them is musician Jim Brickman.
With multiple awards, gold and platinum albums, and collaborations with artists such as Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Johnny Mathis, Olivia Newton John, and more, Brickman’s music has enlightened millions and now he wants to bring the sounds of the holidays to your home with the Comfort & Joy at Home Virtual Holiday Tour streamed live on December 10 to benefit Kentucky Performing Arts.
Audience Magazine – Stay Connected with The Arts…Sign-up for FREE!
In collaboration with the performing arts groups of Louisville, we are excited to bring you Audience Magazine, an all-digital publication that delivers a behind-the-scenes look into the performing arts and entertainment during this unprecedented time of reflection and artistic creation.
Audience Magazine highlights enlightening articles and information about the arts groups as well as spotlights on Louisville Landmarks and interviews with inspirational representatives from the arts community. And the best part about it all is …. it’s FREE!
Headliners Music Hall Announces Parking Lot Concert Series Oct. 23-25
For those seeking the thrill of live music, your day just got better. Headliners Music Hall announced their first ever socially distanced and seated parking lot concert. The three day event will take place October 23, 24 and 25 with each featuring a different band in the parking lot of the renown concert hall in what will be a one-of-a-kind event.
In a statement posted on the venue’s web-site: Headliners Music Hall is announcing our first-ever parking lot concert series. We will hold three nights of concerts on October 23, 24 and 25th. The club has been closed since the COVID-19 outbreak erupted in March, so we will be taking live music to the parking lot to have one weekend of live music before the colder weather comes. Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Back2Mac, will headline Friday, October 23, with alt indie-rock outfit Jaye Jayle’s Prisyn Album Release Party, out on Sargent Records, on October 24 and SMTN TO DO – A Pull Up Day Party closing out the weekend on October 25. Doors for all three shows will be at 5pm ET, with the show starting at 7pm.
Audience Interview: Carly Johnson: Her Vision Her Hope
Louisville is known for its culinary scene, nightlife, entertainment, and of course, the performing arts. We also have an abundance of talented musicians, ranging from orchestra performers to vocalists and everything in between.
One musician familiar with the spotlight and entertaining crowds large and small is local jazz, R&B and rock powerhouse singer/songwriter Carly Johnson. Having performed with artists such as Norah Jones, Bonnie Prince Billy, Houndmouth, and My Morning Jacket, as well as playing in a jazz guitar duo with critically acclaimed local musician, Craig Wagner, she has become a well-known and respected name in the Louisville music scene.
Her latest masterpiece is a song titled Burn Your Fears that she wrote for a dear friend who courageously fought lung cancer with the power of positivity, and was an inspiration to everyone around her.She also released a video compilation in partnership with the Louisville Ballet and Orchestra musicians filmed at Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach caught up with Carly to hear more about the song and upcoming album, her inspiration in writing it and how the partnership with the Louisville Ballet and Kentucky Performing Arts came to be.
Audience Exclusive: Michael Drury: Pandora Productions; Artistic Director
Powerful and Provocative: Pandora Productions is dedicated to telling the stories of the LGBTQ community
What started as a theater company with a goal of showcasing social justice through the arts, Louisville-based Pandora Productions has blossomed into one of the only LGBTQ+ theater companies in the region. Through trials and tribulations, shoestring budgets and other obstacles, the group is blazing its own path to deliver relevant content in the community.
We caught up with artistic director Michael Drury to discuss Pandora’s journey, what it takes to run a theater company and what lies ahead.
StageOne Family Theatre Announces Longtime Artist Educator Andrew D. Harris as Producing Artistic Director
The Board of Directors of StageOne Family Theatre announces Andrew D. Harris as the Producing Artistic Director. Andrew has been serving as Interim Producing Artistic Director since January of this year. “The board feels Andrew has proven his ability to lead and we are looking forward to supporting him through our ever changing local and global landscape.
Andrew has seen the ups and downs of StageOne over the years and we believe his experience, determination, and creativity will ensure success,” said StageOne Family Theatre Board President Jon Riehm, announcing the decision.
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