Tickets are available for these upcoming arts and education events at The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Just go to TheCenterPresents.org or call (317) 843-3800.
Center Presents Performances
Big Head Todd & the Monsters
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18
The Palladium
Tickets from $35
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Big Head Todd and The Monsters have become an American institution after more than three decades of writing, recording, and touring, delivering over 3,500 performances. Their 1993 breakout album Sister Sweetly went platinum on the strength of the enduring radio staples “Broken Hearted Savior,” “It’s Alright” and “Bittersweet.” The Colorado quartet consists of guitarist-vocalist Todd Park Mohr (also on keys, sax, harmonica), Brian Nevin (drums, percussion), Rob Squires (bass, vocals) and Jeremy Lawton (guitar, keys, vocals, steel guitar).
Puddles Pity Party
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18
The Tarkington
Tickets from $45
Encore Series
Puddles Pity Party, the seven-foot sad clown whose golden voice is compared to such legends as Tom Jones and Freddie Mercury, has amassed nearly 900,000 YouTube subscribers with his interpretations of pop hits and rock classics. A quarterfinalist on Season 12 of America’s Got Talent, he has performed sold-out shows at venues including the Kennedy Center and London’s Soho Theatre, as well as a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Puddles’ one-of-a-kind “textured voice laced with melancholy” (New York Times) has been hailed as “operatic” (Boston Globe) and his show both “life-affirming” (Herald Scotland) and “hysterically funny” (LA Weekly).
An Evening with Branford Marsalis
8 p.m. Friday, Jan, 26
The Palladium
Tickets from $45
Drewry Simmons Vornehm Jazz Series
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis – NEA Jazz Master, three-time Grammy Award winner and Emmy and Tony Award nominee – is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades with minimal personnel changes, the celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising original compositions and interpretations of jazz and popular classics. The group earned Grammy nominations for its two most recent albums, Upward Spiral with vocalist Kurt Elling and the live recording The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul. Opening the evening will be Northside Exchange, an Indianapolis-based trio featuring Daniel Hicks on keyboards, Darnell Perkins on drums and Joseph Filipow on guitar.
Other January events include:
Child & Adult Music Class: A Snowy Day
10:45 a.m. Fridays through Feb. 9
The Palladium
Cost: $72 for all six sessions
Musician/educator Michelle Marti leads songs, games and rhythm activities built around winter themes. Presented in partnership with Westfield Veterinary Care, the program is designed for children ages 18 months to 5 years.
Luminaries: Deliberate Deceptions – Magic and Wonder with Jeff Loeser
2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23
The Palladium
Tickets: $10, includes light refreshments
Magic is experiencing a renaissance with popular TV series, viral internet clips and live touring shows. Magician Jeff Loeser will share an insightful look into the world of magic, its history, some of his favorite tricks and the stories behind them. Luminaries is the Center’s weekday speaker series on the arts.
Live at the Center: Clare Longendyke
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31
Online and at the Palladium
Livestream: Free (pay-what-you-can, no minimum)
On site: $10 (pay-what-you-can, $10 minimum)
Pianist Clare Longendyke’s artistry is defined by her search for the quintessential sound and character in every composition she performs. From familiar favorites – Beethoven, Debussy, Rachmaninov – to today’s cutting-edge musical voices, she curates programs that expand the classical concert stage to be more inclusive and imaginative. Longendyke holds degrees from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, the École Normale de Musique in Paris, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Live at the Center is a monthly concert and livestream series featuring original music by Indiana-based artists.
About the Center for the Performing Arts
The mission of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. Its campus includes the 1,500-seat Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington theater, and the black-box Studio Theater. The Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the Center Presents performance series, featuring the best in classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy, and other genres. Educational and experiential programming includes children’s concerts, summer camps, book clubs, lectures, and classes in music and dance. The Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident arts companies. More information at TheCenterPresents.org.