SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody is the hilarious new comedy that brings all the naughty fun of the best-selling book to life. Your inner goddess will be laughing out loud with this clever re-imagining of the characters as they come alive with hysterical comedy, musical numbers, sexy and fun performances from the hunky leading man, plus lots of surprises!

A two-week celebration of the Native American playwright, OKCTC presents the fourth annual Native American New Play Festival. In the Festival's fourth year, we continue to build on the things that have made it a successful event in the past.

In addition to staged readings of new plays and a fully-produced staging of CHALK IN THE RAIN by Bret Jones, this year we'll be including a sampling other Native artistry including singers, visual artists, and "Indian" cuisine. This year since the second weekend of the Festival falls on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, we will be presenting a special performance of a monologue entitled "Sparrow" by Native playwright Vicki Lynn Mooney which memorializes that historical event. Since encouraging Native artists is what the Festival is all about, we'll continue to provide several opportunities for interaction between audience and the artists for feedback and question/answer panel discussions with the playwrights. Please note: CHALK IN THE RAIN closes on April 20th.

Russian Enchantment
Olga Kern, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Stravinsky:  Petrouchka (1947)
Rachmaninoff:  Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
     Ms. Kern, piano

Program Notes
Concert Preview at 7PM

"Kern's musicality radiates off the stage and saturates the hall, and it is joyously alive, immediately communicative, fragrantly sensual, and almost visual in its intensity.  Whatever it is - call it star quality - music likes Kern the way the camera liked Garbo."  The Washington Post

Force of Destiny
Zuill Bailey, cello
Joel Levine, conductor

Verdi:  Overture to La Forza del Destino
Haydn:  Cello Concerto in C major
     Mr. Bailey, cello
Brahms:  Symphony No. 1

Program Notes
Concert Preview at 7PM

"The sound is rich, like dark chocolate...his voice is distinctive--strong and direct.  Bailey reaches from the soul of his instrument to our own."  San Francisco Classical Voice
 

OKC Civic Center Music Hall
 Freede Little Theatre
Presented by City Rep Theatre Company
 
February 8-17, 2013

Special Valentine’s Day Performance on February 14

Motion and Emotion

Colin Currie, percussion
Joel Levine, conductor

Copland:  Fanfare for the Common Man
Higdon:  Percussion Concerto
     Mr. Currie, percussion
Tchaikovsky:  Swan Lake: Excerpts

Program Notes
Concert Preview at 7PM

"The performance elicited a cheering ovation for the extraordinary percussion soloist, Colin Currie, and for the composer.  Once the first section really takes off, the music is nonstop in its energy.  There are frenzied outbursts and flourishes for the soloist on the marimba, vibraphone, blocks, and sdrum sets.  The concerto certainly provided a vehicle for the brilliant Mr. Currie..."  The New York Times
 

OKC Civic Center Music Hall
Thelma Gaylord Perfmorming Arts Theatre
Presented by The Oklahoma City Philaharmonic POPS Series 
January25 & 26 2013 8PM


The Music of Michael Jackson
James Delisco, vocals

Pristine Visions
Ryu Goto, violin
Joel Levine, conductor

Dvorak:  Symphony #8 in G major
Beethoven:  Violin Concerto in D major
 Mr. Goto, violin

Program Notes
Concert Preview at 7PM

Since the release of his debut album No Words in 1994, Jim Brickman’s romantic piano sound has made him the best-selling solo piano artist of our time. In November 2012, Brickman will embark on his annual holiday tour, On a Winter's Night, visiting over 40 cities across the country.

Brickman's best-known compositions include the chart-toppers “Valentine,” “The Gift,” “Love of My Life,” “Simple Things” and “Peace.” He’s established a reputation for his collaborations with many gifted musical artists: Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Kenny Loggins, Michael W. Smith, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Collin Raye, Michael Bolton, Donny Osmond, and Olivia Newton-John.

His signature style has brought him six Gold and Platinum albums, 30 charted adult radio hits, and two Grammy nominations. He recently tied for most Number One albums on Billboard’s New Age chart, and he currently holds four of its Top 10 spots. Brickman received top honors with two SESAC “Songwriter of the Year” awards, a Canadian Country Music Award and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association.

The story of the nativity, as only Sister can, this hilarious holiday production is bound to become a yearly classic. Employing her own scientific tools, assisted by a local choir as well as a gaggle of audience members, Sister creates a living nativity unlike any you've ever seen. With gifts galore and bundles of laughs, SISTER'S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM is sure to become the newest addition to your holiday traditions.

Audience Recommendation: Celebrity Attractions recommends SISTER'S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM for audiences of all age. This is only to be used as a suggestion for you and your child. Each child is different and the decision to attend this show should be made by the parent or guardian. Everyone must have a ticket regardless of age.

On the road, Straight No Chaser has built a reputation as an unforgettable live act. By the end of 2010, the group had sold more than 225,000 tickets to 160 shows, more than half of which sold out in advance. Over that summer, the group held a hugely successful residency at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, where they performed 40 shows in 8 weeks. Although the constant traveling takes its toll, the members of SNC maintain that every night, the direct connection with their fans reinvigorates them. Says group member Ryan Ahlwardt, “When I first auditioned and joined SNC in college, I recall Jerome telling me, ‘You have no idea what you’re now a part of.’ Flash forward a decade, and here we are, touring nearly 160 days a year, singing for thousands of people. To see the joy on the faces in the audience when we are onstage reminds us why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Blazing Colors With A French Twist

Barry Douglas, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Berlioz:  Harold In Italy
     Royce McLarry, viola soloist
Saint-Saens:  Danse Macabre
Saint-Saens:  Piano Concerto #2 in G minor
     Mr. Douglas, piano

Program Notes
Concert Preview at 7PM

"Barry Douglas is precisely the kind of big technique pianist that comes out of a bout with the 2nd Piano Concerto having both rattled the rafters and made music.  His singing tone and silvery ornamentation flashed its accomplishment like a self-satisfied smile..."  The Independent
 

OKC Civic Center Music Hall
Rose State Performing Arts Theatre
Presented by World Body Building and Fitness Federation
2012 WBFF Oklahoma Championship 
 November 10th 

Body builders compete for the Oklahoma championship.

This event is being held in two separate rounds; a pre-judging at 10AM and Finals at 6PM. Tickets need to be purchased for both events in order to attend both.
For more information on the event call 405-314-1400 or email wbffokc@gmail.com 

This modern adaptation by Dorothy Louise brings Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to life with a new imagining of the story which includes Mary Shelley herself interacting on stage with the characters as she creates them. A co-production with St. Gregory's University, this modern adaptation of the chilling masterpiece comes to OKCTC just in time for Halloween, running two weekends in Civic Center Music Hall's City Space Theatre in OKC and one weekend in Shawnee, OK, on the campus of St. Gregory's.

In The Mood, the 1940’s Big Band Musical Revue is a celebration of America’s Greatest Generation through the music of The Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, The Dorsey Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and other big band greats.

With a 13-piece big band orchestra, and six singers and dancers (including a high energy swing dance couple), In The Mood revisits the music that moved a nation's spirit and helped win a war.

For groups of 8 or more, call the Civic Center Music Hall Box Office at (405) 297-2264. 

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz.   Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world.  He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions in the Oscars and Grammy Awards performing with Celine Dione, Justin Timberlake as well as on the Latin Billboard Awards with the gifted Alicia Keys, where he was awarded his 6th Billboard Awards for “Best Latin Jazz Album”.  Sandoval has been awarded 6 Grammy Awards, and nominated 12 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and one Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia.  He is currently working on two new albums,  “Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie” and “ Tangos “, along with working on a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie. Arturo Sandoval’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Bill Conti, and Stan Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys amongst many others. Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does.

Granf Opening Night
Conrad Tao, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Glazunov: The Seasons (Autumn
Elgar: Enigma Variations Dohnanyi: Variations on a Nursery Tune
Mr. Tao, piano
Liszt: Totentanz Mr. Tao, piano

Program Notes Concert Preview at 7PM

"Whatever the age cut-off may be for child prodigies, 17-year-old pianist Conrad Tao has left that category somewhere back in his young past...Tao already own a place among the world's musical virtuosos. Prodigious he is indeed." Detroit News

His concerts are legendary. His live shows have amazed millions on every continent in the world. After an extensive World Tour, Yanni returns to the USA and Canada with an all new show. Yanni as you know him best, performing his instrumental hits from the shows that have become famous around the world. Fans will witness Yanni and his world class musicians as they take the stage to perform his greatest instrumental hits made famous in his shows from The Acropolis in Greece, The Taj Mahal in India, The Forbidden City in China and The Royal Albert Hall in England.

The live show will feature some of the music from Yanni's new album "Truth Of Touch", which is the composer’s first album of original studio music in almost a decade.

This is Yanni returning to his roots with a live performance that will deliver old and new fans the very best of Yanni and his music. Come hear the music that touches the world.

Amici New York boasts many of the finest musicians in New York today – soloists in their own right and players in such prestigious ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, American Symphony Orchestra, New York Pops, New Jersey Symphony and American Ballet Theatre.

Joining Amici New York will be Oklahoma City native, Kyle Dillingham for the Oklahoma City Premiere of the "Life Symphony" written by Oklahoma City native, Callen Clarke.  Kyle Dillingham is an Oklahoma Creativity Ambassador and has performed around the world.  Following this piece will be Grammy Award Winner Esperanza Spalding performing a Vivaldi Bass Concerto as well as her own music, many of which she has never performed with an orchestra before.  

In the Mood, Chattanooga Choo Choo, I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo, and Pennsylvania 6-5000 are just some of the many great big band tunes that will be belted out by The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra as it stops by the Rose State Performing Arts Center on its five city 2012 Oklahoma Tour.  It is the most sought after big band in the world today for both concert and dance engagements. Still considered the greatest band of all time, its unique sound is loved by almost anybody that cares for dance music.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra is a fully self-contained group consisting of the musical director, five saxophone players, four trumpeters, four trombonists, and three rhythm musicians (piano, bass and drums). Also, there are two vocalists, one male and one female, who perform individually and as part of The Moonlight Serenaders® vocal group.

It has been "on the road" longer and more continuously than any other Big Band, having celebrated its 50th year anniversary on June 6, 2006!  It travels over 100,000 miles each year, playing nearly 300 dates, with more than 500,000 people in attendance.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Ravel:  Alborada del Gracioso
Respighi:  Fountains of Rome
Ravel:  Rapsodie Espagnole
Gershwin:  Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra

Hailed as "one of the best pianists in the world," Jean-Yves Thibaudet continues to captivate audiences around the world with his thrilling performances, profound artistry, poetic musicality and dazzling technical prowess.  A special friend to the OKC PHIL, Thibaudet facilitated the acquisition of our magnificent Steinway concert grand piano. 

"(He) has a way of combining wild virtuosity with an almost relaxed grace that sets him apart..."  -- Chicago Sun-Times

Completely Hollywood (abridged)
Written by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor
Additional Material by Dominic Conti
Two shows only on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 20 at 1:30 pm.

These Boobs Are Real.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the theater…the Reduced Shakespeare Company boldly goes where few would dare -Tinseltown! America’s “bad boys of abridgement” take on America’s largest cultural and economic export (well, except for weapons) in this seriously silly show biz satire. Get your clapper boards ready!

The RSC rummage through the reels and flick through the films in this riotous carnival of the classics. Giving Hollywood more than just a nip and a tuck, they cut through the celluloid to condense the 186 greatest films in Hollywood’s over-100 year history into a complete compilation of classic cinematic cliches – plus a few brand new cliches they just made up.
They’ve gone Biblical, they’ve gone historical, now the RSC has gone Completely Hollywood… abridged, of course! Lights! Camera! REDUCTION!

“(This) smart, timely satire sent a Kennedy Center audience into regular peals of near-hysterical laughter.” The Washington Post

“One of the greatest, sustained pieces of physical comedy I have ever seen. There are brilliant pieces of comic invention. Go see. Buy tickets now.” BBC

“You’ll nearly fall out of your theater seat laughing. Spectacularly high energy… an absolute scream!” The Arizona Republic

“One of the funniest troupes in American theater today!”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Break-neck, ingenious compendium of filmmaking’s 100-plus-year history!”
Howard Sherman, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing

“Hilarious!” London Sunday Mail

“A hilarious and speedy take on Hollywood’s highs and lows. I loved it! An instant classic! Hurray for Hollywood, and hurray for the Reduced Shakespeare Company!” BBC

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)
Written and Directed by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor
Two shows only on Thursday, May 17 at 7:30 pm and
Friday, May 18 at 7:30 pm.

“Owes as much to the insanity of Monty Python as to the inanity of actual sports programs.” Boston Globe

“I loved it! It is smart, funny – even unexpectedly insightful and moving.” Scott Simon, National Public Radio

“Is there anything these men can’t reduce? It’s a deceptively exhaustive tour, its intellectual rigor leavened by silliness of the first degree.” Variety

“A comical analysis of sports’ childish side. (This) parody of ESPN’s “SportsCenter”… is pitched directly and proudly at the juvenile in sports fans of all ages.” New York Times

“Faster than a speeding punchline, as silly as Monty Python, and with satiric spice flavoring its comedic candy.” Pittsburgh City Paper

In this merciless but affectionate satire, The Reduced Shakespeare company sets it comic sites on the lunacy of sports. The result is a tour-de-farce of vaudevillian physical comedy that will delight every non-sports fan in the family.

“The Complete World of Sports (abridged)” is an audience-interactive, family-friendly show for all ages, “blending slapstick, sight gags, hernia-inducing puns, and genuine verbal wit.” (Boston Globe) and has been featured in both ESPN and American Theatre magazines! As one critic wrote, “I hate sports, but I couldn’t stop laughing from the moment the RSC took the stage!” The bad boys of abridgement are back! So Get Ready! Get Set! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

“Delicious anarchy.” Washington Examiner

” The pacing and timing a crackerjack. It’s hard not to grin all night, so give ‘em a medal. Who’s gonna beat their time in a comic sprint?” Washington Post

“A fast-moving and deeply funny farrago, a neo-vaudevillian sendup that manages to be both merciless and affectionate.” Boston Globe

“The RSC tear into their heady task with childlike glee. I was delighted by the fusion of highbrow and lowbrow humor informed by an obvious affection for the subject matter. I am relieved to see that the RSC’s signature style and quality have endured and flourished in this new production.” DC Theatre Scene

If you showed up on July 6, 1974, at the Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College in Saint Paul and plunked down your $1 admission (50 cents for kids) to attend the very first broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, you were in select company. There were about 12 people in the audience. But those in attendance thought there were worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon, so Garrison Keillor and the APHC team went on to produce close to 500 live shows in the first 10 years alone. There were broadcasts from this venue and that, until March 4, 1978, when the show moved to The World Theater, a lovely, crumbling building that was one plaster crack away from the wrecking ball. (Now fully renovated and renamed The Fitzgerald, it is the show's home base.)

In June of 1987, APHC ended for a while. Garrison thought it was a good idea at the time, but only two years later, the show was back, based in New York and called American Radio Company of the Air. But there's no place like home. So in 1992, it was back to Minnesota and, soon after, back to the old name: A Prairie Home Companion.

There has been plenty of adventure in the past 30-plus years — broadcasts from Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Iceland and almost every one of the 50 states; wonderful performers, little-known and world-renowned; standing ovations and stares of bewilderment. We've missed planes, coped with lost luggage, dodged swooping bats and hungry mosquitoes, plodded through blizzards, and flown by the seat of our pants.

Today, A Prairie Home Companion is heard by 4 million listeners each week on more than 600 public radio stations, and abroad on America One and the Armed Forces Networks in Europe and the Far East. Garrison recalls, "When the show started, it was something funny to do with my friends, and then it became an achievement that I hoped would be successful, and now it's a good way of life."

A Prairie Home Companion is produced by Prairie Home Productions, and distributed nationwide by American Public Media. The program is underwritten by Allianz and Ford.

Wicked good!  This concert of diva showstoppers from Broadway, opera, and popular music is highlighted by selections from the Tony Award-winning musical "Wicked."  This program features Julia Murney and Stephanie J. Block, singers who have performed in the roles of Elphaba on Broadway or on National Tours.  In addition to favorites from the "untold tale of the witches of Oz," the program also includes favorites from Gypsy, Ragtime, Titanic, and Carmen.

We close our 40th anniversary season with one of our most popular full length works, The Wizard of Oz. Take the family on this delightful “yellow brick road” trip with ballet master Jacob Sparso’s original telling of L. Frank Baum’s story and an original score from Kermit Poling played by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

A charming rogue contrives to serve a short sentence in a mental institution (run by a tyrannical nurse) rather than prison and leads others out of introversion, stages a revolt so that they can see the world series on television, and arranges a rollicking midnight party. Winner of the 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Revival.
"Cuckoo is captivating." N.Y. Post "Scarifying and powerful."  N.Y. Times.
By Dale Wasserman
Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
Directed by Rachel Irick

Maestro Levine has also selected two young musicians to make their Philharmonic debut at this performance. Cody Byrum, cellist, and Bret Patterson, flutist, were selected from the winners of the Music Olympics competition to perform

David Kim, violin
Carter Brey, cello
Joel Levine, conductor

Dohnanyi: American Rhapsody
Satie/Debussy: Gymnopedie No. 1
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C Major
Brahms: Concerto for Violin and Cello

Violinist David Kim was named concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Carter Brey was appointed principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic in 1996. These two brilliant musicians join forces for a performance of Brahms "Double Concerto" that promises to be a highlight of the season.

In April of 2011, Rounder Records released the eagerly anticipated Alison Krauss and Union Station album, Paper Airplane. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart, Bluegrass Albums Chart and #3 on the Top 200 Album Chart.  A truly breathtaking collection of 11 exquisite songs, Paper Airplane is Krauss’ 14th album and the band’s follow-up to 2004’s triple Grammy® winning Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder). It is Krauss’ first release since her 2007 internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, which won six Grammys including “Record Of The Year” and “Album Of The Year.”
 
Alison Krauss along with Union Station band members Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals) are continuing their tour in 2012 after a successful run of critically-acclaimed performances in 2011.

Part of Alison Krauss’ incontestable talent is how effortlessly she bridges the gap between roots music and country, rock and pop. A highly sought-after collaborator, Krauss has worked with some of the biggest names in popular music, including James Taylor, Phish, Dolly Parton, Yo Yo Ma & Bonnie Raitt.   Since signing with Rounder Records at the age of 14 in 1985 Krauss has sold in excess of 12 million albums and garnered 26 Grammy® Awards, the most for any female and the third most of any recording artist in Grammy® history. Her breathtaking live performances should not be missed.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is a smart, provocative and wickedly funny theatrical adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel about spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view.

It was a hit in NYC where it played 309 performances at the Westside Theatre in 2010.  Prior to that, The Chicago Tribune described THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS as the "most successful show in the history of Chicago's Mercury Theatre." It, also, had two engagements at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. where it played for ten sold-out weeks.

In 2011-12 THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is touring major performing arts venues in cities thorughout the United States including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas & Atlanta.

Thomas Lauderdale returns with his amazing "little orchestra" of talented musicians.  While drawing inspiration from the romantic Hollywood musicals of the 40s and 50s, Pink Martini adds a global perspective by championing beautiful music from around the world.  Don't miss them! 

"Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure...if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we'd be that band."  -- Thomas Lauderdale, bandleader/pianist

STOMP, the international sensation, returns with some new surprises! Sections of the show have been updated and restructured, including the addition of two new full-scale routines using props like tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans. USA Today says, "STOMP finds beautiful noises in the strangest places." STOMP. See what all the noise is about.

Canterbury Choral Society’s 145 voice chorus is joined by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Juilliard-trained pianist Valerie Zamora in celebrating music and sound like no other concert in the metro while providing information and hands-on education.

Partnering with Cory’s AV, Swiss-based Phonak, Science Museum Oklahoma and other local hearing organizations, audience members will “experience sound” through a stimulating multi-media production. Synchronized lighting with music, informational booths about hearing loss prevention and awareness, hands-on exhibits and exceptional choral music from Oklahoma’s premier chorus will make for an unforgettable evening. Featured music includes works by Beethoven, Brahms and Stephen Paulus’ “Voices of Light”. Join us for something truly inspiring!

 Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, GYPSY is the ultimate story about an aggressive stage mother. Join Rose, June and Louise in their trip across the United States during the 1920's, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born. Jule Styne's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics include  Let Me Entertain You, Some People, You'll Never Get Away from Me, If Momma Was Married, All I Need Is the Girl, Everything's Coming Up Roses, You Gotta Get A Gimmick and Together Wherever We Go. This is a gripping story of one of the most frightening aspects of show business.
Directed by Chad Anderson

Rachel Barton Pine, violin
Joel Levine, conductor

Haydn:  Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise")
Prokofiev:  Lieutenant Kije: Suite
Corigliano:  The Red Violin: Chaconne
Ravel:  Tzigane, Concert Rhapsody

In both life and art, violinist Rachel Barton Pine has an extraordinary gift for connecting with her audiences.  Acclaimed worldwide for her virtuosic technical mastery, lustrous tone, and perceptive performances, her work as a performer and philanthropist inspires music lovers of all ages. 

"An exciting, boundary-defying performer...Pine displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon."  -- The Washington Post

Gabriel Iglesias has been described as unbelievably funny, electrifying, and a gifted performer who has the ability to consistently deliver a quality comedy experience in every venue he performs in. His high-octane show is a hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal issues to life. Gabe’s clean, animated comedy style has earned national crossover appeal. Ask anyone who has seen him in concert and you will probably hear the same thing, "He was so funny!"

Known as the "fluffy" comic in a Hawaiian shirt, the 33-year old funny man often riffs about his girthy middle - whether it's talking about how little dancing it takes for him to work up a sweat at the nightclub, or how hearing his girlfriend coo the words "chocolate cake" over the telephone works for him like phone sex, he evokes laughter.

Gabriel’s mass appeal opened the door to a rare opportunity to film a second one hour special and DVD. The new special entitled “I’m Not Fat… I’m Fluffy” Live from El Paso premiered on Comedy Central November 8, 2009. The new show is packed with a perfect blend of impeccable voice skills and an uncanny knack for hilarious storytelling that Gabe is known for. His vast imitative skills re-create numerous sound effects from speeding cars to microwave ovens to a plethora of dead-on voices. The new special is destine to top his previous hugely successful Special/DVD “Hot & Fluffy”.

Gabriel’s credits include; “Last Comic Standing”, ABC's "My Wife & Kids," Showtime's "Resurrection Boulevard,” "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Good Morning America," “The Late Late Show,” FOX TV’s “The Family Guy,” "Showtime at the Apollo" and BET's "Comic View."

Starring Tony DeSare

Smooth and delicious...an apt description of chocolate, champagne, AND Tony DeSare!  Singer, pianist, and songwriter, DeSare has a sound that is romantic, swinging, and senual whether he's performing classic standards or original material.  After starring in "Our Sinatra" off-Broadway, DeSare has been called a Sinatra acolyte and belongs to a group of neo-traditional upstarts stretching from Harry Connick, Jr. to Michael Buble. 

MAMMA MIA! is the ultimate feel-good show that has audiences coming back again and again to relive the thrill. Whether it’s your first visit or your fourteenth, see the show that has the whole world coming back for more, because every time feels like the first time at MAMMA MIA!

Sarah Coburn, soprano
Joel Levine, conductor

Rossini:  Overture to "Semiramide"
Martucci:  Notturno
Strauss, J., Jr.:  Overture to "Die Fledermaus"
Wagner:  Die Meistersinger: Three Excerpts from Act III
Various:  Selected arias for soprano

Her seamless vocal range, agility, and fearlessness earned Sarah Coburn high praises from captivated audiences.  She is one of the country's most highly-sought sopranos, even performing opposite Placido Domingo, and joins the Philharmonic with a selection of magnificent arias to be announced. 

"Ms. Coburn is a budding prima donna of exceptional promise."  -- The New York Observer

Headlining their own production in Branson since 2006, Liverpool Legends have been voted Best New Show, Best Band and Best Show in Branson. Now finishing their fourth season, their show once again is spotlighted by receiving the prestigious Branson's Visitor Choice Award for Best Show in Branson for 2009.

Members of Liverpool Legends have toured the world, playing in historic venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Cavern Club in Liverpool, recording at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London and performing with Denny Laine (co-founder of Wings with Paul McCartney), Pete Best (the original Beatles drummer) and the Boston Pops. They appeared on The Travel Channel's "Beatlemania Britain" and headlined "International Beatles Week" in Liverpool where 100,000 Beatles fans jammed Victoria Street to hear them in concert. Liverpool Legends received national attention as they re-created The Beatles 1966 concert at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in 2005 and now are the first and only Beatles Tribute to star in a continuing showcase in Branson, Missouri!

Liverpool Legends perform songs spanning the entire career of The Beatles and on through the solo years. With precise attention to every musical detail, along with costume changes, vintage instruments and special effects, Liverpool Legends will make you feel like you are watching the real thing! Together, these four lads will bring “A Complete Beatles Experience.”

On Sale December 12th!

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley, and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. Welcomed by ONEOK, come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you.

Our story opens very early on a Monday morning, at the home of Grandma Hattie Mae. Hattie has allowed her daughter and son in law to move into her home with their son Wallie. The morning silence is broken by the ring of the telephone. Hattie is afraid to answer. The bank has given her three days to pay up the mortgage, or the struggling family will be evicted. Tensions are rising for Frank who feels responsible as the man of the house. Frank has been out of work for months, causing the family to be supported by the sole income of Rose who works as a maid for a wealthy real estate giant, Louis Willis.

After months of avoiding phone calls from the bank, Frank finally gets a break when Louis hires him to be a handyman at the Willis estate. Rose is elated that her prayers have finally been answered. Frank is cautiously optimistic, but excitedly prepares for his new job as a handyman. That morning at the Willis home, Floyd, played by Palmer Williams Jr., is hilariously negative about Rose allowing Frank to work for the wealthy couple. Floyd is convinced that Louis’ much younger wife, Diane, will snatch Frank right from under Rose’s nose.

It soon becomes painfully clear that Floyd’s madness was not craziness at all. Diane goes after Frank the moment she sees him. Rose is completely unaware of the depths to which her boss Diane will stoop when trying to satisfy her insatiable appetite for strapping young men. While Rose and Frank consume themselves with saving the home that Hattie has lived in for over thirty years, Wallie has been deeply affected by the fears of being homeless. Only Hattie is aware that Wallie has been running the streets at night. It is not until Wallie is arrested for shoplifting that Rose discovers that her honor roll son has decided to walk a different path.

Frank and Wallie finally face off when Frank overhears his son lashing out about how Frank is a sorry husband and father. Wallie has learned on the streets that all men have a side hustle, and are always able to support their families. It is a bitter pill to swallow when Frank realizes that his son has lost respect for him, and blames him for the family’s impending doom.

It is under these circumstances that the struggling family will have to pray for a miracle when their worlds begin to spiral out of control. Hattie, an old woman who has survived a mountain of challenges, finds herself more afraid than she has ever been. Rose, the strong and virtuous matriarch of her family, stands firmly on her faith when she tells Hattie that she has to meet God for the first time. At the end of her rope, Hattie lifts her arms in a miraculous and desperate show of faith and power. It will take both of the women to battle the principalities coming against their family unit.

Meanwhile Frank is put in a treacherous situation when Diane maligns Rose with lies and deceit, while offering to write a check to Frank in exchange for sexual favors. Frank is tested like never before when he is presented by an opportunity to save his family by betraying the sacred relationship he has with his wife.

Frank’s impeccable character lifts him out of the situation in time to discover that Wallie has become a money making drug dealer. When Frank finally discovers the stacks of cash and drugs, he is ready to give everything he has to fight for his son’s life. Wallie has been so brainwashed by the streets that it will take the strength and love of a tough father to win the heart of his son back to the principles he was raised with.

It almost appears that Diane may have been successful in breaking up a happy home when Louis finally sees his young wife for what she is. Troubled by the truth, Louis must make the hardest decision he has ever had to make. Seeing the love that Frank and Rose have for one another, Louis intervenes to help the couple who are about to lose everything they have. In doing so, Louis experiences firsthand the power and the beauty of a family’s love.

Tyler Perry’s “The Haves And The Have Nots” is a powerful story of love and honor told with honesty and brutal truth. The show features powerful new music written by Tyler Perry, and a cast of extraordinary singers and actors who make the evening a heartfelt experience. Hattie, played by Patrice Lovely, and Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd offer up enough laughs to keep audiences chucking for the rest of the year.

Louis Lortie, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Handel:  Royal Fireworks Music
Rimsky-Korsakov:  Russian Easter Overture
Beethoven:  Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor")

 Due to a hiking accident, Mr. Lortie is unable to travel and will be unable to perform.  Andrew von Oeyen has graciously stepped in to perform with the Philharmonic.  

"Possibly the most beautiful Beethoven since the time of Wilhelm Kempff..."  -- Die Welt-Berlin

GROUP ORDERS CANNOT BE MADE ONLINE. THEY MUST BE PURCHASED BY CALLING 405-297-2264
(GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE)


If laughter is truly the best medicine, then Dennis Swanberg, America's "Minister of Encouragement" is just what the doctor ordered. With his down-home charm and heaping helping of hospitality, this Austin, Texas born pastor-turned-comedian has won the hearts of audiences across the country. Raised in what he calls a "mostly blue-collar, but sometimes ring-around-the collar" family during the fifties, that old black and white television in the corner of the living room became an important part of making Swanberg the success he is today. "Most moms yell at kids to go outside and play", he remembers with a laugh, "My mom would say, 'you sit there and watch that television - your daddy worked so hard for it!'" her "encouragement's" paid off One of the first voices the future impersonator nailed as a child was his television hero, Barney Fife, from "The Andy Griffith Show."

   Today Swanberg takes Barney Fife and over twenty other lovable impersonations, together with his side-splitting stories of growing up, families, and the funny side of church, to over 250,000 people every year. His audiences range from churches looking for fresh and new inspiration, to marriage enrichment seminars, city-wide concerts, business related events and corporate gatherings. Dennis Swanberg doesn’t care who he’s talking to, as long as he can leave knowing he made someone’s day a little brighter.

   The story is typical of Dennis' ability to take everyday life with it's ups and downs and turn it into an act that's more than just an act. As a motivational speaker, teacher, preacher, author, counselor, TV personality, and humorist, Dennis Swanberg knows just what it takes to make life a more pleasant road to journey down - with a laugh or two along the way.

   "I try to bring people laughter, but my advice to them is always that joy is a choice. Happiness is dependent upon what happens in your life, but joy is a choice you can make every single day. It takes an act of your will...even if you don't feel joyful at the moment. And it takes dying to yourself and coming alive in the lives of others around you. I want to motivate my audiences to have courage, to be strong, to look for the moments in life that make them realize they are an important part of this world. Do your best to go out there risking. We live in a world where you can afford to fail and try again. I want people to realize that this is a great life to enjoy. And the one way you can enjoy life is by helping other people enjoy it too."

Looks like this doctor of encouragement writes his own prescriptions.

The tenors of THREE MO’ TENORS are men who have developed a musical repertoire with astonishing breadth. Like Olympic decathlon athletes, these classically trained, multi-talented operatic tenors can do it all! They have mastered not only operatic music, but also jazz, gospel, soul, spirituals, New School, Broadway, and the blues as well.

Conceived and directed by the highly acclaimed veteran Broadway performer, choreographer and director — Marion J. Caffey — THREE MO’ TENORS has captivated audiences since 2001, when RCA released the original live recording of the show, and when it was televised by PBS’ “Great Performances.”

THREE MO’ TENORS showcases the extraordinary versatility of African-American tenors. It starts with classical opera and goes on to feature seven more musical styles that span four hundred years of music — all in one entertaining evening.

THREE MO’ TENORS is about more than just three men. It is a story about the history and the future of exceptional Black tenors who deserve to be heard.

Because of the intense vocal demands of the show, THREE MO’ TENORS features two equally outstanding casts taking the stage, three at a time in alternating performances.

THREE MO’ TENORS has already introduced eleven African-American tenors to enthusiastic audiences — and as long as there are more undiscovered Black tenors waiting in the wings, THREE MO’ TENORS will be here to tell their amazing story.

An affectionate paean to Smalltown, U.S.A. of a bygone era, Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys' band he vows to organize -- this despite the fact he doesn't know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain's fall.

For all audiences

Starring Judy McLane
Joel Levine, conductor

We've re-named our annual holiday production to simply call it what it is...The Christmas Show.  The Philharmonic's Christmas gift to our community, this show is a heart-felt offering of our best talents and efforts to share the joy of the holiday season with you and your family. 

Judy McLane returns as our hostess and star - reprising her stunning performance here in our beloved 2009 production.  Currently on Broadway, playing the role of Tanya in the musical Mamma Mia!, she is an award-winning actress and singer. 

Shai Wosner, piano
Sari Gruber, soprano
Joel Levine, conductor

Mozart:  Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major
Mahler:  Symphony No. 4

At the risk of calling down a jinx on our fall weather, we have re-scheduled Mahler's 4th with the incomparable Sari Gruber after our forced cancellation last winter.  Maestro Levine and Mahler challenge Mother Nature and we expect the musical forces to prevail. 

We also introduce young pianist Shai Wosner to Oklahoma City audiences.  His acclaimed Chicago Symphony debut in the 2009-2010 season resulted in a schedule of performances with major orchestras across the country.  He is an exceptional artist being hailed by the New York Times as "a superb pianist." 

During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards including 12 Grammy Awards, three of which ("Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Still Crazy After All These Years" and "Graceland") were albums of the year. In 2003 he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel. He is a member of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, a recipient of their Johnny Mercer Award and is in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist. His song "Mrs. Robinson" from the motion picture "The Graduate" was named in the top ten of The American Film Institute's 100 Years 100 Songs. He was a recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and was named as one of Time Magazine's "100 People Who Shape Our World" in 2006. In 2007, Mr. Simon was awarded the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin, this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture, and is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwin’s.

Of Mr. Simon's many concert appearances he is most fond of the two concerts in Central Park in New York (with his partner and childhood friend Art Garfunkel in 1981 and as a solo artist in 1991) and the series of shows he did at the invitation of Nelson Mandela in South Africa: the first American artist to perform in post-apartheid South Africa. In 1998, his performance on center field at Yankee Stadium celebrating the unveiling of Joe DiMaggio’s monument is a treasured memory for this lifelong Yankee’s fan.

Paul Simon's philanthropic work includes the co-founding of The Children's Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener. The CHF donates and staffs mobile medical vans that bring health care to poor and indigent children in urban and rural locations around the United States. Since it’s inception in 1986 it has provided over 2 million doctor/patient visits. In the wake of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina it was the primary health care source for those communities decimated by the storms. Mr. Simon has also raised millions of dollars for worthy causes as varied as AMFAR, The Nature Conservancy, The Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa and Autism Speaks and The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation

Singer-songwriter, frontman, and pianist, Ben Folds and his trio "Ben Folds Five" built a strong fan base with their witty and engaging music. An expanisve musician, Folds has been performing with symphonies world-wide since 2005 and this year adds the Oklahoma City Philharmonic to that roster. This evening brings together Ben Folds, his amazing piano performance, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic for "the most sophisticated jam session you'll ever attend." A Folds' symphony performance brings new depth to his music for long-time fans and presents a beautiful mix of pop, folk, indie rock, and orchestra for new fans.

Jack Everly, conductor

Enter a world of mind-blowing illusions and electrifying music with the world's best magical artists -- Known as "Quick Change" artists David and Dania thrilled audiences on "America's Got Talent"; Comedian magicians Les Arnold and Dazzle steal the show; and Magician and Illusionist Joseph Gabriel was voted "Best Stage Magician" at the 2009 World Magic Awards.

"Mysterioso is madcap musical entertainment at its best!" -- Indianapolis Performing Arts Examiner

A tale of love and mistaken identity based on stories by E.T.A. Hoffman, Coppelia will delight the entire family with the antics of our two confused lovers. With a beautiful score by Leo Delibes, you’ll be transported to a doll maker’s workshop in a small European village hundreds of years ago.

Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Schumann:  Symphony No. 3 "Rhennish"
Rachmaninoff:  Piano Concerto No. 3

Known affectionately as "Concerto Man," Jon Kimura Parker is one of the most versatile and energetic pianists performing today.  He's passionate about kicking down barriers to classical music and is active as a media personality, educator, and performer. 

"Parker gave a performance that was so fresh, so scintillating and so technically dazzling that the only possible response was a standing ovation..."  -- The Seattle Times

Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple GRAMMY Award winner Sharon Isbin has been hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time”. She is also the winner of Guitar Player magazine’s “Best Classical Guitarist” award, the Madrid Queen Sofia and Toronto Competitions, and was the first guitarist ever to win the Munich Competition.

She has given sold-out performances throughout the world in the greatest halls including New York’s Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican and Wigmore Halls, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Paris’ Châtelet, Vienna’s Musikverein, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Madrid’s Teatro Real, and many others. She has served as Artistic Director/Soloist of festivals she created for Carnegie Hall and the Ordway Music Theatre (St. Paul), her own series at New York’s 92nd Street Y, and the acclaimed national radio series Guitarjam. She is a frequent guest on national radio programs including All Things Considered and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.

She has been profiled on television throughout the world, including CBS Sunday Morning and the A&E Network, and was a featured guest on Showtime Television’s international hit series The L Word. On September 11, 2002, Ms. Isbin performed at Ground Zero for the internationally televised memorial. In November 2009, she performed a concert at the White House by invitation of the President and First Lady. She performed as featured soloist in the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award winning film, The Departed. She has been profiled in periodicals from People to Elle, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as on the cover of more than 40 magazines.

Nowhere is the expressive power of music more evident than in the masterworks of nineteenth-century opera. Join us for an evening featuring some of our region’s finest singers in performances of arias and duets that run the emotional gamut: from the Shakespearian jealousy and violence of Verdi’s Otello to the biblical lust and revenge of Samson and Delilah of Saint-Saëns, Pride and Passion has it all! William Nield Christensen, Les Flanagan, Catherine McDaniel, and Megan Wagner are the singers, with opera conductor and coach Jan McDaniel at the piano and providing spoken commentary.

Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz
Tony® Award-nominee Cathy Rigby takes flight in an all-new production of PETER PAN, filled with timeless magical moments and a captivating hook. Welcomed by AT&T, the legend you thought you knew is now the adventure you never dreamed possible… Cathy Rigby is PETER PAN!

 San Jose, California native Anjelah Nicole Johnson made a huge splash with one of the most successful, viral comedy videos of all time, “Nail Salon.” This was one of the most-viewed YouTube and Google videos of 2007, and propelled Anjelah to new heights of touring, television and beyond. Her second Youtube video “Bon Qui Qui at King Burger,” a Mad TV sketch has also drawn millions of hits. Anjelah has a devoted following in comedy clubs, online communities, colleges and churches everywhere. 
 
You’ve seen Anjelah in multiple ads & commercials, including campaigns for Sprint, Visa, Snickers, Verizon, All-State, Washington Mutual, K-Swiss, and Dryers Ice Cream. As well, Anjelah has guest starred on The Shield and Love Inc., and co-starred with Gabrielle Union in the feature film The Box. She also co-starred in the Dave Caplan pilot for TBS.
 
Anjelah recurred on FOX’s long running hit sketch series MADtv, proud to be one of the first Latina comedians to be invited to join a sketch comedy series. She was honored with a 2008 ALMA Award nomination for “Outstanding Female Performance in a Comedy Television Series.”

The ultimate “Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, will dance its way onto the Civic Center Music Hall stage this summer. Thousands will audition, 24 get to the stage, but in the end only eight will get the opportunity to do what they’ve always wanted – to have the chance to dance. This is the story of the ones who make it and the ones who don’t. Winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Musical Score and Best Choreography, this show will dazzle you with songs like “I Hope I Get It,” “At the Ballet,” “What I Did for Love” and “ONE.” With its brilliantly complex fusion of dance, song and compellingly authentic drama, you will love this brand-new production as Lyric Theatre re-invents a classic.

Virginia born, multi-award winning virtuoso, actor, vocalist, philanthropist and all 'round great human being! Roy has headlined some of the world's most prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Grand Palace in Brussels and the Rossiya Theatre in Moscow! A partial list of his many awards include

Entertainer of the Year, Academy of Country Music
Comedy Act of the Year, Academy of Country Music
Picker of the Year, Playboy Magazine's Reader's Poll
Best Country Guitarist, Guitar Magazine
and
Grammy Award for "Alabama Jubilee."

Roy became a Grand Ole Opry member in 1987. He was a favorite recurring actor on the classic television sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" which spawned several acting roles on television and the movies. Roy was the first country music artist to guest host Johnny Carson's Tonight Show! He also hosted the incomparable "Hee Haw" show for over two decades. He and wife Barbara live in Oklahoma where he finds time to fish, fly his airplanes and ride motorcycles.

Tennessee Williams' tale of repression, carnality, and loneliness comes to OKC Theatre Company during the summer of 2011. Winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize, this masterpiece centers on the story of Blanche DuBois, a fragile relic of the Old South, and her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski, a steel brute trying to make it in the post-industrial age. Blanche arrives in New Orleans, claiming fatigue, but her concealed and manipulative neuroses play on Stanley's animalistic jealousy until the situation reaches a sweltering heat. Founding Artistic Director Richard Nelson directs as OKC Theatre Company joins with artists of Actors' Equity Association and faculty members of the OU School of Drama and Oklahoma City University to present this American classic.

The 1950’s are out and change is in the air with the Tony Award-winning fun-loving musical, Hairspray. Watch Baltimore's new teen celebrity, Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big hair and an even bigger voice, as she dances her way into everyone’s hearts. Enjoy hit tunes like “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” and “Welcome to the ‘60s” that take Tracy from the crazy local TV dance show to the hippest downtown rhythm and blues record shop. You can’t stop Tracy or the beat!

For more than two decades, Joshua Bell has enchanted audiences worldwide with his breathtaking virtuosity and tone of rare beauty. He came to national attention at the age of 14 in a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. A Carnegie Hall debut, the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a recording contract further confirmed his presence in the music world. Today he is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader. His restless curiosity and multifaceted musical interests have taken him in exciting new directions that have earned him the rare title of “classical music superstar.” “Bell,” Gramophone stated simply, “is dazzling.”

In the summer and fall of 2005, three young black musicians, Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson, made the commitment to travel to Mebane, N.C., every Thursday night to sit in the home of old-time fiddler Joe Thompson for a musical jam session. Joe was in his 80’s, a black fiddler with a short bowing style that he inherited from generations of family musicians. He had learned to play a wide ranging set of tunes sitting on the back porch with other players after a day of field work. Now he was passing those same lessons on to a new generation.

When the three students decided to form a band, they didn’t have big plans. It was mostly a tribute to Joe, a chance to bring his music back out of the house again and into dance halls and public places. They called themselves The Chocolate Drops as a tip of the hat to the Tennessee Chocolate Drops,  three black brothers Howard, Martin and Bogan Armstrong, who lit up the music scene in the 1930’s. Honing and experimenting with Joe’s repertoire, the band often coaxed their teacher out of the house to join them on stage. Joe’s charisma and charm regularly stole the show.

Being young and living in the 21st century, the Chocolate Drops first hooked up through a yahoo group,  Black Banjo: Then and Now (BBT&N) hosted by Tom Thomas and Sule Greg Wilson. Dom was still living in Arizona, but in April 2005, when the web-chat spawned the Black Banjo Gathering in Asheville, N.C., he flew east and ended moving to the Piedmont where he could get at the music first hand. Joe Thompson’s house was the proof in the pudding

Its name derived from creation mythology found in Native American Folklore, the Turtle Island Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of the 2006 and most recently, the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined. Cellist nonpareil Yo-Yo Ma has proclaimed TIQ to be “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground – authentic and passionate – a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.”

OK MOZART's mission is to bring the highest quality professional musical and cultural experience to the citizens of the state of Oklahoma and the mid-America region of the United States by producing a multi-day festival with professional orchestra musicians, concert artists and musical performances of artistic excellence for an event with international significance.

The Festival also promotes international cultural exchange with music capitals of the world. It works with educational institutions at all levels, and offers services that are necessary to enrich the cultural options available in the immediate area, state and region.

Rose State Performing Arts Theatre
Presenter: OK Mozart
Show Dates:

June 13    |    8:00 p.m.

The term "silent film" is really a misnomer, for films of the era prior to the advent of the "talkies" were always accompanied by music. Composers wrote scores for silent films that might be played by an entire live orchestra, and even at a small neighborhood theater an organist or piano player would improvise an accompaniment to the onscreen action. Boston's Alloy Orchestra is an ensemble that creates and performs its own live accompaniments to silent films. Although they have forged a new and innovative sound marked by the use of discarded objects for musical instruments, their music blends in with the films they accompany. "I've had people come up afterwards and say, 'I got so involved in the film, I forgot that you guys were there playing live,'" founding keyboardist Caleb Sampson told the Rocky Mountain News. "That's when we know we've done our job right."

Joel Levine, Conductor

Dvorak: Carnival Overture
Copland: Suite from "Appalachian Spring"
Weber/Berlioz: Invitation to the Dance
Wagner: Siegfried's Rhine Journey from "Gotterdammerung"
Ravel: Bolero

Dvorak's delightful Carnival Overture opens an evening of showpieces for orchestra. The beloved music of "Appalachian Spring" includes variations on familiar Shaker theme "Simple Gifts" and the elegant "Invitation to the Dance" set the stage for the brilliance of Wagner and Ravel's "Bolero."

Direct from off-Broadway, this one-of-a-kind musical is sure to heat up your spring! There's a new tenant in town, and she's shaking up Armadillo Acres, Florida's most exclusive trailer park. When stripper- on-the-run Pippi comes between the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth collector husband, the storms begin to rumble -- and we ain't talkin' just any ol' Florida hurricane! The script is cheeky and the score is infectious -- think Jerry Springer set to music! Rated R.

"South Park meets Desperate Housewives!“ -- The New York Sun

Featuring choral music by British and American composers performed a cappella as well as with organ and percussion, this concert focuses on the "greatness" of a 150-voice choral sound and featured guest artist, organist Dr. Timothy Olsen. Full of choral "greats," this concert will also include the Southwest premiere of "Mass for a New Millennium" (2002) by American composer Richard Nance. You won't want to leave your seat for this exciting transatlantic journey!

Robben Ford is one of the premier electric guitarists today, particularly known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. A five-time Grammy nominee, he has played with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Claus Ogerman, Michael McDonald, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, Greg Allman and many others

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No – it’s the Oklahoma City Philharmonic's afternoon family concert of Superheroes featuring Phil the SUPER Penguin! On Sunday, May 1, at 2:00pm, grab your whole family of superheroes and come down to the Civic Center Music Hall to enjoy our extraordinary musical powers and take home some of your own

With come-hither tunes and vintage charm, Jane Monheit has been called an elegant, retro jazz vocalist. However, there's nothing old-fashioned about the power and range of her extraordinary voice.

"It all led to a simply stunning 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow.' It's hard to even imagine (almost blasphemous) someone equaling Judy Garland in dynamics or delivery, but Monheit's jaw-dropping climax had the entire audience holding their collective breath." -- Albany Times Union

Civic Center Music Hall  |  Oklahoma City
Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre
Presenter: Beaver Productions
Show Date:
 

Over the course of his long career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and five Grammy Awards for a catalog running from 1970's Sweet Baby James to his Grammy Award-winning efforts Hourglass (1997) and October Road (2002). James Taylor's music embodies the art of songwriting in its most fundamental form. He has been at it for decades: transforming introspective meditations into lyrics, melodies and harmonies that comfort and reassure the listener with the sense that these sometimes painful, sometimes celebratory moments are a part of life, shared by us all. In 1971, James was featured on the cover of TIME magazine, who heralded him as the harbinger of 'the singer/songwriter era". Today, the quintessential singer/songwriter has seen that era crossover into the 21st century.

Two new plays will be performed in repertory during the OCTC New Voices Series. SEVEN INTERVIEWS by Mark Dunn and FAMILY FUNERAL by David Pasto will be presented in rotation during the two-week festival. New play readings from submitted scripts will also take place throughout the festival. Come join in what promises to be an exhilarating and energetic two weeks of world premieres.

Two new plays will be performed in repertory during the OCTC New Voices Series. SEVEN INTERVIEWS by Mark Dunn and FAMILY FUNERAL by David Pasto will be presented in rotation during the two-week festival. New play readings from submitted scripts will also take place throughout the festival. Come join in what promises to be an exhilarating and energetic two weeks of world premieres.

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

Civic Center Music Hall  |  Oklahoma City
Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre
Presenter: Celebrity Attractions

Aluminum - a brand new show touring North America for the VERY first time! A visual and athletic feast for the senses - if you enjoy Cirque, Blue Man Group and Stomp be prepared for ALUMINUM!

Valery Kuleshov, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Rossini: Overture to "The Thieving Magpie"
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

Rossini was eccentric. They locked him up to force him to finish his works only hours before his concerts and he threw the parts out the window to the waiting musicians. Liszt's audiences went nuts -- fighting over his discarded cigar butts and gloves. And Shostakovich was subject to the insanity of the Soviet regime. All that madness certainly produced some wonderful music!

Known as the "Dean" of American Songwriters, Irving Berlin penned hundreds of songs, and many were major hits. He was a "legend" before he turned 30 and was nominated eight times for Academy Awards. From his first hit "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to "Puttin' on the Ritz" to the anthem "God Bless America," the music of Irving Berlin has been our country's soundtrack since the 1920s.

An all-star cast brings this great music to our stage!
Tony DeSare has fans around the world who adore this classic crooner.
Ted Keegan thrilled audiences as the lead in Phantom of the Opera.
Judy McLane plays Tanya in Mamma Mia!
Eric Summers is known for his role in The Little Mermaid.
Virginia Woodruff thrilled audiences in The Color Purple

A world premiere production joining the forces of Oklahoma City Ballet, The OKC Philharmonic and Canterbury Choral Society, Mozart's Requiem will combine the powerful and well-known Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart conducted by Canterbury Artistic Director Dr. Randi Von Ellefson and the visceral, compelling choreography of Oklahoma City Ballet's artistic director, Robert Mills. Opening the program will be Marius Petipa's classical one-act ballet Paquita Grand pas Classique set to music by various composers, including Minkus, Drigo and Delibes.

A celebration of the Native American playwright, the festival includes concert-style readings of some of the most talented and creative writers of our time, in addition to a fully-staged production of one of last year’s finalists. Selected from a submission pool that includes plays from around the United States and Canada, a selection committee chooses the winning productions. The staged readings are presented free of charge.

Dirty Laundry by Oklahoma-playwright Ranell Collins explores the emotional and familial complexities of the sandwich generation. It centers around 54-year-old Ruth, a divorcee struggling to cope with life as she finds herself having to care for her terminally ill mother, Jenny. Ruth’s 30-something son, a drifter who takes advantage of his mother’s vulnerability, completes the generational sandwich with his own lack of willingness to support or provide assistance to the family. The play chronicles Ruth’s inner turmoil as she strives to carve out some semblance of happiness for herself while dealing with the guilt and resentment she feels towards her situation. Directed by Rachel Irick.

Civic Center Music Hall  |  Oklahoma City  
Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre
Presenter: Exceptional Artists
Show Date:

March 19    |    8:00 p.m.

In addition to his television program – which has featured such regular visitors as John Edwards, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Arianna Huffington, Alec Baldwin and Michael Moore – Maher has written four bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden” and most recently, “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer.”

Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979, and still performs at least fifty dates a year in Las Vegas and in sold out theaters all across the country.  Three of his nine stand-up specials for HBO – 2007’s “The Decider,” 2005’s “I’m Swiss,” as well as his most recent, the hilarious, “Bill Maher … But I’m Not Wrong,” – have been nominated for Emmy awards. 

Maher was born in New York City, raised in River Vale, N.J. and went to Cornell University.  He now resides in Los Angeles.

Midori, violin
Joel Levine, conductor

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Mendelssohn: The Hebrides ("Fingal's Cave")
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor

Legendary Japanese violinist Midori makes her first appearance with the OKC Philharmonic. More than 20 years after her phenomenal debut at age 11 with the New York Philharmonic, Midori is renowned as an icon among violinists and a celebrated educator and has been designated as a U.N. Messenger of Peace.

Biloxi Blues is the second in Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize-winning trilogy of plays about growing up and coming of age during the Depression and World War Two. In Brighton Beach Memoirs, first in the trilogy, Eugene Jerome was coping with adolescence in 1930's Brooklyn. Now, Eugene is a young army sent to Biloxi, Mississippi, for basic training and learning to cope with fellow soldiers from all walks of life, falling in love, losing his virginity under less than ideal circumstances, all while navigating around the eccentricities of a very peculiar drill sergeant. Rated PG.

“Joyous and unexpectedly rewarding.” -- The New York Times

Ayano Ninomiya, violin
Janet Ying, violin
Phillip Ying, viola
David Ying, cello

The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world, combining brilliantly communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today's world. Now in its second decade as a quartet, the Quartet has established itself as an ensemble of the highest musical qualifications in its tours across the United States and abroad. Their performances regularly take place in many of the world's most important concert halls, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. At the same time, the Quartet's belief that concert music can also be a meaningful part of everyday life has also drawn the foursome to perform in settings as diverse as the workplace, schools, juvenile prisons, and the White House. In fact, the Ying Quartet's constant quest to explore the creative possibilities of the string quartet has led it to an unusually diverse array of musical projects and interests

With over 40 albums under his belt, John Pizzarelli knows a lot about music. He's a virtuoso guitarist and singer with charm, swing and conviction. According to the Pittsburgh Post, he's "...an entertainer to the tips of his fancy black and white shoes -- smart, funny, energetic and upbeat." Singing the music of Nat "King" Cole, Frank Sinatra and even Rogers & Hammerstein, Pizzarelli serves up a few pages from the Great American Songbook.

Pizzarelli and his wife host the syndicated radio program "Radio Deluxe," a friendly and entertaining tour through the great music of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

Civic Center Music Hall  |  Oklahoma City
Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre
Presenter- Celebrity Attractions 
Show Dates:

February 15 - 17    |    7:30 p.m.
February 18          |    8:00 p.m.
February 19          |    3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
February 20          |    2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Oklahoma City Ballet is proud to bring you two master works from two of 20th century’s most influential choreographers, plus two new world premieres from two talented artists who are making a name for themselves in 21st-century dance.

George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie was first created in 1967 on the New York City Ballet and is a whirl of perpetual motion. This Oklahoma premiere ballet is set to music by Mikhail Glinka.

Created in 1981 on the Joffrey Ballet, Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain is a slick and energetic ensemble work capturing a youthful and exuberant spirit in contemporary movement. Oklahoma City Ballet will be the first company to dance Light Rain outside of the Joffrey Ballet. The music is by Douglas Adams and Russ Gauthier.

The other two pieces in the program are world premieres by Jessica Lang and Robert Mills. Lang is one of ballet's most sought-after choreographers, having created work for American Ballet Theater and Pennsylvania Ballet, among many others. A new work from Oklahoma City Ballet's artistic director Robert Mills finishes out this exciting evening of classic and modern repertory.

Sari Gruber, soprano
Joel Levine, conductor

Beethoven: "Prometheus" Overture
Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Mahler: Symphony No. 4

Hailed as "nothing short of sensational" by Opera magazine and "a real creature of the stage" by Opera News, soprano Sari Gruber's exciting and moving performance of a diverse operatic and concert repertoire have firmly established her as one of today's most sought-after artists on the international stage.

Shakespeare invented the screwball comedy genre (complete with lovers who cannot live with or without each other), and this romantic comedy is filled with some of his most memorable comic characters. As the wedding of Hero and Claudio approaches, Beatrice and Benedick arae maneuvered into thinking that each loves the other. Complications arise when Don Pedro's evil brother convinces the groom that the bride has been unfaithful. The lovers eventually unite in this play about eavesdropping, deception and forgiveness.

POSTPONED
Sweet Thunder: Duke & Shak, is a theatrical jazz production honoring Duke Ellington and William Shakespeare featuring internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, producer and 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award recipient Delfeayo Marsalis, actor Kenneth Brown, Jr. (Treme) and a jazz octet, plus full stage set and costuming.  The show is directed by John Grimsley with a script by Charles E. Gerber.  The New York Times calls Marsalis "...a resoundingly skillful trombonist and composer."  The Hollywood Reporter says: "Delfeayo is charming, hip and his trombone solo has sweep."

Tickets on sale now for David and Tamela Mann aka Mr. Brown and Cora.

They hit the stage with hard-driving bluegrass instrumental virtuosity and explosive vocal harmonies, and feature various styles of original songs written by band members. The Cherryholmes family includes the parents and four children, and each of them is incredibly talented in their own way. Covering the gamut of traditional bluegrass, country, gospel and anything else that strikes their fancy, Cherryholmes is aptly described as "bluegrass on steroids."

Emmy award winning Chicago native, Kathy Griffin, a multi-faceted performer with a rapid fire wit, is probably best known for her four-year stint on the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan" as Vickie Groener, Brooke Shields' acerbic colleague.

A soul-stirring musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg.  It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world.  Nominated for eleven Tony® Awards, THE COLOR PURPLE is a landmark theatrical event, a celebration of love, and a Broadway phenomenon.  With a joyous Grammy®-nominated score featuring jazz, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is capturing the hearts of young and old, and uniting audiences in a community of joy.

“A ROOF-RAISING STORY OF TRIUMPH."
Michael Kuchwara, AP  

“PURE HEART! It celebrates inspiring relationships of FAITH AND LOVE. A BROADWAY HIT!"
Elysa Gardner, USA Today 

“A SOARING, EPIC TALE.It made a JOYFUL noise in my heart."
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine 

“BLESSED WITH TALENT. A bright odyssey of survival and triumph with a fairy-tale sense of wonder."
Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Horacio Gutierrez, piano
Joel Levine, conductor

Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Brahms, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. Three masters of the romantic piano and each left a legacy of their huge talents in their compositions. Horacio Gutierrez, a modern master of the keyboard, will perform these masterpieces.

January 4 - 6        7:30 p.m.
January 7             8:00 p.m.
January 8             2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
January 9             2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

The Santaland Diaries is essayist, humorist, and NPR contributor David Sedaris' account of his stint as an Elf at Macy's Santaland. At first, the job is simply humiliating, but after enduring thousands of visitors and weeks of lecherous Santas, our hero becomes battle-weary and bitter. Just when he thinks the end of his horrible job is in sight, someone special startles our hero into an uncharacteristic moment of goodwill. The Santaland Diaries offers sly, slightly subversive, adult entertainment as an alternative to the usual saccharine holiday offerings. Rated PG.

Because of many community requests, Handel's Messiah will return this season. Messiah is huge in scale and eloquence. Handel wrote it in only 24 days and worked as if under a spell, not leaving his house and rarely eating, drinking or sleeping. As he wrote the final monumental Amen, he confided later to a friend, "I think God has visited me!" Certainly Messiah has been loved all over the world. Many feel that every single person should hear a performance of this great work during their lifetime because of its profound impact. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic will perform with Canterbury Choral Society. A Holiday Reception for all patrons will follow the concert in the Civic Center Lobby.

Celebrate the holiday season with one of Broadway's most beloved classic musicals, OLIVER! This masterpiece vividly brings to life Charles Dickens' timeless characters with its ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more. The sensational score is full of Lionel Bart's irresistible songs, including "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two," "I'd Do Anything" and many more.

OKC Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City

Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

Presenter: OKC Philharmonic

Show Date: 

November 20      8:00pm

Philippe Quint, violin

Joel Levine, conductor

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

Vaughan Williams: Overture to "The Wasps"

Bruch: Scottish Fantasy

From the moment he takes the stage, Grammy Award-nominated violinist Philippe Quint captivates his audience with his charismatic presence. Quint is lauded for his searingly poetic lyricism in repertoire that ranges from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms to the leading composers of our time.

OKC Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City

CitySpace Theatre

Presenter: Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre
Show Dates:

November 11 - December 12
Fridays           8:00 p.m.
Saturdays       4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sundays         2:00 p.m.

For your holiday enjoyment, CityRep presents its perennial favorite A Tuna Christmas, the hilarious sequel to Greater Tuna. It's Christmas in the third-smallest town in Texas, and everyone is in an uproar about The Christmas Phantom wreaking havoc and causing confusion throughout the community. Some of the familiar colorful folks from Greater Tuna and some new quirky characters get together to join in the fun. CityRep veterans Jonathan Beck Reed and Donald Jordan reprise their roles in this laugh-a-minute, quick-change tour de force. Rated PG.

If the phrase "male a cappella group" conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses... think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch. Originally formed over a dozen years ago while students together at Indiana University, the group has reassembled and reemerged as a phenomenon – with a massive fanbase, over 20 million views on YouTube, numerous national TV appearances, and proven success with two holiday releases, 2008’s “Holiday Spirits” and 2009’s “Christmas Cheers”, and their newly released first non-holiday album “With a Twist.”

The Cleveland kid hand-picked by Billy Joel to star in his Broadway show MOVIN' OUT is coming to OKC. Michael Cavanaugh drives a high-energy, hit-packed show that is simply amazing. He plays the piano brilliantly and his singing is terrific.

"Everybody had a wonderful time and responded to the electricity radiating off the stage with as enthusiastic a response as I've ever seen. They were won over, carried away even, by Cavanaugh's sheer talent [and] the greatness of Billy Joel's music..." -- Long Beach Gazette

OKC Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City

Freede Little Theatre

Presenter: Oklahoma City Theatre Company
Show Dates:

November 4 - 21
Thursday, November 4   8:00pm
Fridays                        8:00pm
Saturdays                    8:00pm
Sundays                      2:00pm

OKC Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City
Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

Presenter: Oklahoma City Ballet
Show Dates:
Saturday, October 30 - 8:00pm
Sunday, October 31 - 2:00pm

From the creators of Oklahoma City Ballet’s 2009 box office hit The Wizard of Oz comes this world premiere original adaptation of the famous Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera. Christine is a promising young ballerina in the Paris Opera Ballet who catapults to stardom with the love and support of the mysterious, masked phantom. However, his love is deadly and her success comes at a price.

Choreography by Jacob Sparso

Score by Kermit Poling performed by the OKC Philharmonic

OKC Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City

Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

Presenter: OKC Philharmonic

Show Dates: Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.

Peter Serkin, piano

Joel Levine, conductor

Berlioz: Overture to "Le Corsaire"

Sheng: The Black Swan

Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

A Grammy winner at age 19 in 1966, Peter Serkin has become a legendary performer. He is equally known for his interpretations of 20th-century music and for his facility with the titans of the classical repertoire.

His concerts are legendary. His live shows have amazed millions on every continent in the world. After an extensive World Tour, Yanni returns to the USA and Canada with an all new show. Yanni as you know him best, performing his instrumental hits from the shows that have become famous around the world. Fans will witness Yanni and his world class musicians as they take the stage to perform his greatest instrumental hits made famous in his shows from The Acropolis in Greece, The Taj Mahal in India, The Forbidden City in China and The Royal Albert Hall in England.

The live show will feature some of the music from Yanni's new album "Truth Of Touch", which is the composer’s first album of original studio music in almost a decade.

This is Yanni returning to his roots with a live performance that will deliver old and new fans the very best of Yanni and his music. Come hear the music that touches the world.

His concerts are legendary. His live shows have amazed millions on every continent in the world. After an extensive World Tour, Yanni returns to the USA and Canada with an all new show. Yanni as you know him best, performing his instrumental hits from the shows that have become famous around the world. Fans will witness Yanni and his world class musicians as they take the stage to perform his greatest instrumental hits made famous in his shows from The Acropolis in Greece, The Taj Mahal in India, The Forbidden City in China and The Royal Albert Hall in England.

The live show will feature some of the music from Yanni's new album "Truth Of Touch", which is the composer’s first album of original studio music in almost a decade.

This is Yanni returning to his roots with a live performance that will deliver old and new fans the very best of Yanni and his music. Come hear the music that touches the world.