There’s always something for everyone at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, and May is no different. For tickets to any of these fine events, go to TheCenterPresents.org or call (317) 843-3800.
Center Presents Performances include:
Evil Woman: The American ELO
8 p.m. Friday, May 5
The Palladium
Tickets from $25
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Evil Woman: The American ELO is widely recognized as the world’s premier tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra, known for great melodies, epic song structures and grand orchestrations in which cellos coexist with guitars and classically tinged progressive rock intersects with hook-filled, radio-friendly pop songs. ELO was one of the biggest groups of the 1970s, with hits including “Telephone Line,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Xanadu,” “Evil Woman,” “Livin’ Thing” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.”
Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken: Twenty | The Tour
7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11
The Palladium
Tickets from $45
Hoosier Village & The Barrington of Carmel Songbook Series
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken gained fame in 2003 as they battled for the top spot in the second season of American Idol. Since then, both have built successful careers as singers, recording artists and stage and television actors. More recently, they appeared together on Broadway in Ruben & Clay’s First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show. Their 2023 tour together celebrates the 20-year anniversary of their sensational run on Idol.
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Other May events include:
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam: Violinist Cathy Morris
10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 20
The Palladium, Robert Adam Room
Tickets: $10 per child, includes up to two free adult admissions
Listen, learn, pantomime and dance with violin lady Cathy Morris and her high-energy musical adventures. She’ll play musical styles from around the world using acoustic and electric violins. Learn about cultures, languages, people, and O Pato the duck while dancing and singing along – a fun and humorous presentation for all ages! Designed for children aged 1 to 7, Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam sessions encourage kids to become engaged in the arts.
Luminaries: Feathered Tales with Storyteller Sally Perkins
2 p.m. Tuesday, May 23
Tickets: $10, includes light refreshments
The Palladium
For centuries, tales of birds and their songs have offered deep wisdom to cultures around the globe. Storyteller Sally Perkins will captivate your imagination and stir your soul as she weaves together ancient stories of a cunning owl, a brave parrot, a wise partridge, and a foolish bird impersonator.
Live at the Center: Public Universal Friend
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 31
Online and at the Tarkington
Livestream: Free (pay-what-you-can, no minimum)
On site: $5 (pay-what-you-can, $5 minimum)
Public Universal Friend is an Indianapolis-based art rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Jody Galadriel Friend, whose songwriting style has roots in emo and post-punk as well as Appalachian roots and spiritual music, with a unique lyrical perspective of identity, faith, and gender-expansive existence. The live band, which can include up to seven members, has been heard on WFYI radio and IndyGo’s Music in Transit web series.
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.