There’s always something for everyone at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, and February is no different. For tickets to any of these fine events, go to TheCenterPresents.org or call (317) 843-3800.
Center Presents Performances include:
Dublin Irish Dance: Wings – A Celtic Dance Celebration
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10
The Palladium
Tickets from $20
Telamon Passport Series
Direct from Ireland, Wings: A Celtic Dance Celebration is a brand-new dance production created by a critically acclaimed artistic team. Wings features exquisite Irish and World champion dancers together with Ireland’s finest musical and vocal virtuosos. Complete with original music and choreography, this groundbreaking production, infused with world dance and musical influences, will thrill audiences with its transformative emotional energy and imaginative design. Expect a vivid and illuminating production portraying rich Irish heritage themes, in spectacular dance and musical performances by a superb cast.
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18
The Palladium
Tickets from $25
Drewry Simmons Vornehm Jazz Series
Performance Partner: SBC Wealth Management
Saxophonist and composer Boney James returns to the Palladium for an evening of R&B-inflected jazz. James was a sideman for such artists as Morris Day and the Isley Brothers before launching a solo career that has sent 11 albums to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Among other honors in the course of his career, he has received a Soul Train Award, four Grammy Award nominations and two NAACP Image Award nominations. His new, 18th studio release, Detour, is a stylistic departure that features appearances by vocalist Lalah Hathaway and trumpeter Dontae Winslow.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21
The Palladium
Tickets from $30
National Geographic Live Series
How did Tyrannosaurus rex become the iconic apex predator of North America 67 million years ago? Paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno is uncovering the answer. Each year she spends several months on expedition, scouring the badlands of western North America in search of clues. Along the way, she has discovered many new species – including some of the earliest predecessors of T. rex. Join Dr. Zanno for a fascinating look at how a global climate crisis during the Cretaceous Period changed the course of evolution for this prehistoric tyrant and its ancestors. Free morning matinee available for students.
Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24
The Palladium
Tickets from $25
Printing Partners Classical Series
Established in 1902, the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine has collaborated with many of the world’s great composers and musicians. The orchestra regularly performs at top international festivals and has released acclaimed recordings on major labels including Naxos and Brilliant Classics. Principal Conductor Theodore Kuchar will lead the orchestra in a program of Brahms, Grieg and Dvořák featuring pianist Oksana Rapita.
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Other February events include:
6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13
The Palladium
Free
The Palladium Bookies meet every other month to discuss books about the performing arts or related to upcoming performances. Social time is followed by breakout sessions for in-depth discussion. This month’s book is Coal Miner’s Daughter by Loretta Lynn and George Vecsey. For information and to RSVP, email Outreach@TheCenterPresents.org.
Live at the Center: Katherine Nagy Trio with Tim Wright
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22
Online and at the Studio Theater
Livestream: Free (pay-what-you-can, no minimum)
On site: $5 (pay-what-you-can, $5 minimum)
Hailing from Ireland, Katherine Nagy brings a slight Celtic influence to her songs, which reflect on love, hope, dreams, motherhood and finding purpose. Her 2017 debut EP Gypsy Lady was followed by the full-length album Heartsongs in 2018 and multiple EP and single releases. She was a winner of the Eagle Creek Folk Festival Songwriter Challenge in 2020 and 2021. The trio, which includes Austin Johnson and Bethany Robinson, will be joined by Timothy Wright of the acclaimed Wright Brothers Band.
Child & Adult Music Class: Three Little Kittens
9:30 & 10:45 a.m. Fridays, Feb. 24 to March 31
The Palladium
Tickets: $72 for six sessions
Musician Michelle Marti leads interactive music activities for kids ages 10 months to 5 years and their caregivers.
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam: Feller Express Dinosaurs
10:30 a.m. (sold out) and 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25
The Studio Theater
Tickets: $10 per child, includes up to two free adult admissions per order
Kids can enjoy interactive stories, songs and dancing with actors in lifelike dinosaur costumes. Each child in the audience will receive a shaker egg to join in the music. Designed for children aged 1 to 7, Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam sessions encourage young children to become engaged in the arts.
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.