Kentucky Performing Arts (KPA) kicks off its 40th anniversary season celebration with a community-wide event on Sunday, August 27 at The Kentucky Center (501 West Main Street).
The Community Celebration and Open House will welcome the entire city and state to the building where it all began.
The event will feature activities for family entertainment, including live performances by local artists, appearances by Governor’s School for the Arts alumni, a silent disco, backstage tours, dance classes and more.
The Kentucky Center officially opened its doors on November 19, 1983. Since then, it has welcomed performers and performances of every imaginable genre, including plays, comedy, Broadway musicals, dance and orchestral, rock, folk music and more, along with international dignitaries including two U.S. Presidents and the Dalai Lama. It is this robust mix that has made the venue one of the best known and most beloved arts facilities in the region.
40th Anniversary Community Day Schedule
1:00PM – 1:45PM YAPA Main Lobby Stage
1:00PM – 4:30PM Healing Walls Project Art Activity South Lobby
1:15PM – 2:00PM Red Line Performing Arts Karaoke Bomhard Theater
1:45PM – 2:15PM Whitney Hall Backstage Tour Meet at Orchestra Left Entrance
2:00PM – 5:00PM Louisville Silent Disco North Lobby
2:00PM – 2:45PM Sweet G & the Shine Main Lobby Stage
2:15PM – 2:45PM Keen Dance Theatre Movement Workshop Bomhard Theater
2:30PM – 3:15PM StageOne Storytellers Whitney Hall
3:00PM – 3:30PM LaNita Rocknettes Drum + Movement Workshop Bomhard Theater
3:15PM – 3:30PM River City Drum Corp Main Lobby Stage
3:30PM – 3:45PM Remarks from KPA President & CEO Kim Baker, Main Lobby Stage
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg,
Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary
Lindy Casebier, Kentucky Youth Poet Laureate & GSA
Alumna Amy Roblero-Perez
3:45PM – 4:00PM River City Drum Corp Main Lobby Stage
4:00PM – 4:45PM StageOne Story Time Whitney Hall
4:00PM – 4:45PM Keen Dance Theater Movement Workshop Bomhard Theater
4:15PM – 5:00PM The Jesse Lees Main Lobby Stage
5:00PM – 5:45PM Redline Performing Arts Karaoke Bomhard Theater
5:15PM – 5:30PM LaNita Rocknettes Performance Main Lobby Stage
5:15PM – 5:45PM Whitney Hall Backstage Tour Meet at Orchestra Left Entrance
YAPA is a musical journey inspired by many rich cultures. From indigenous melodies of the Andes Mountains to the traditional and popular dance musics of the world, Yapa! features musicians from Ecuador, El Salvador, Canary Islands, Mexico, and the US.
Redline Performing Arts is committed to creating a safe space where the arts are accessible and affordable to all. We remain intent on fostering community through arts justice by incorporating the four pillars of our organization: live productions, Redline Education Department, Redline Players Conservatory and Performance Troupe and our community action program, Produce and More. Redline produces a thriving culture for underserved, often marginalized communities, putting people over profit and elevating action onstage and in our community.
Louisville band Sweet G & The Shine is fronted by powerhouse singer Gina C. Gina got her start singing with her family doing Gospel gigs at area churches for years. As an adult, she accompanied anybody who needed a great singer for backup or harmony, including The Zach Longoria Project, Carly Johnson, Nick Dittmeier, and several others.
The Jesse Lees are a group of Louisville based outkasts that provide a timeless and powerful energy with elements of psychedelic rock, soul, and hip-hop. It is just when you think that you have figured out their style that they show a new side of themselves, and scratch an itch you never knew you had. Led by the unique and powerfully soulful vocals of Otis Junior, this rock outfit is undeniable and unforgettable.
StageOne Storytellers is a 40-minute storybook program that takes children’s favorite books and brings them to life in a way that’s as unique and exciting as the stories themselves. At these events, caregivers and little ones sit on the floor around the performers for a truly immersive theatre experience. Audiences help tell the story through music, interaction, and LOTS of imagination! Recommended for Ages PreK-10.
John Keen envisioned and created Keen Dance Theatre in September 2008 in New York City, performing throughout the New York area and traveling to Guyana as US Ambassadors. In 2014, KDT moved to John’s hometown of Louisville, KY. Rooted in Black dance expression, Keen Dance Theatre welcomes company members of any race/ethnicity. KDT is also diverse in regards to age, gender, LGBTQ+, occupation, body shape, education level, and socioeconomic status.
The LaNita Rocknettes School of Dance provides cultural arts & educational programming during non-school hours in various locations throughout Louisville for children and ages 3-18 and their Parents. The LaNita Rocknettes School of Dance has been a safe haven for young people offering more than just dance classes.
