March arts & education events mean packed schedule
Tickets and information are available at TheCenterPresents.org or by calling (317) 843-3800. Health and safety protocols are posted at TheCenterPresents.org/Health. Discounts are available for military personnel and first responders.
8 p.m. Friday, March 4
The Tarkington
Tickets from $45 ($15 for students)
Country Series
Powerhouse vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Ashley Gearing, Nicole Witt and Andrea Young have earned wide acclaim with their blend of heart-stopping harmonies over blazing double violins and guitars, including a mention in Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know.”
10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5
The Tarkington
Tickets from $30 ($15 for students)
Old Town Family Series
The Grammy-winning Okee Dokee Brothers write folk songs that encourage kids and families to get outside and get creative. The five-time Parents’ Choice Award winners have been called “two of family music’s best songwriters.”
The Life and Music of George Michael
8 p.m. Saturday, March 5
The Palladium
Tickets from $26
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
A new immersive concert experience captures the style and sound of one of the biggest international stars of our time, featuring such blockbuster hits as “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,” “Freedom,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” “Father Figure” and many more.
8 p.m. Friday, March 11
The Palladium
Tickets from $25
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as the “best Beatles tribute on Earth,” 1964 The Tribute recreates the historic excitement of the Beatles’ touring years with period instruments, clothing, hairstyles and stage banter.
8 p.m. Friday, March 18
The Tarkington
Tickets from $45
Americana Series
Originating in Chicago as a bluegrass band, the Henhouse Prowlers incorporate music from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and more into their robust repertoire of traditional American music. Often in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, the band has performed in over 25 nations.
8 p.m. Saturday, March 19
The Palladium
Tickets from $35 ($15 for students)
Printing Partners Classical Series
The Sphinx Virtuosi are a dynamic professional chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. Comprising 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, the Virtuosi are primarily alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition, working together as cultural ambassadors reaching new audiences.
5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19
The Tarkington
Tickets from $55 ($15 for students)
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Singer-songwriter A.J. Croce delivers a special night of music featuring treasured hits by his late father, Jim Croce, along with some of his own tunes and covers of classics that influenced both artists. The performance will feature such timeless songs as “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” and “Time in a Bottle,” written for A.J. himself.
7 p.m. Sunday, March 20
The Palladium
Tickets from $20 ($15 for students)
Drewry Simmons Vornehm Jazz Series
Stacey Kent is a jazz singer in the mold of the greats, with honors including a Grammy nomination and album sales over 2 million. Her repertoire is rooted in jazz standards but incorporates French chanson, Brazilian music and original compositions by her husband and musical partner, saxophonist-composer Jim Tomlinson, with lyrics in English, French and Portuguese.
7 p.m. Sunday, March 20
The Tarkington
Tickets from $35
Telamon Passport Series
Voted Best New Band of 2014 by the Irish Music Association, Socks in the Frying Pan delivers time-honored sounds with modern flair, wowing audiences around the world with high-energy performances, breathtaking instrumental prowess and dynamic three-part harmonies.
8 p.m. Thursday, March 24
The Palladium
Tickets from $45
Telamon Passport Series
Known as “El Caballero de Salsa” (“The Gentleman of Salsa”), Puerto Rican musician Gilberto Santa Rosa is one of the most successful Latin music vocalists in the world, with a record-setting 12 No. 1s on Billboard’s Tropical Albums chart and honors including six Grammy Awards. He will make his Palladium debut with a 14-piece Latin band.
Ray On My Mind: The Ray Charles Story
8 p.m. Friday, March 25
The Palladium
Tickets from $25
Hoosier Village Songbook Series
Pianist-vocalist Kenny Brawner leads an 11-piece orchestra and three sultry vocalists in a tribute featuring hits “What’d I Say,” “I Got a Woman,” “Mess Around,” “Georgia On My Mind” and many more, with monologues on Charles’ musical influences as well as American social history, his battle with addiction and his triumphant return home.
OTHER EVENTS
JazzTalk: A Conversation with Stacey Kent
7 p.m. Thursday, March 3
Online via Zoom
Free
Jazz singer Stacey Kent discusses her life and work with host Todd Williams in advance of her March 20 performance at the Palladium. Viewers can pose questions after the interview.
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam: The Rainbows
10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12
The Palladium
Tickets: $10 per child, includes up to two free adult admissions
Family jam supergroup the Rainbows promises interactive musical fun with original songs and children’s favorites. Recommended for ages 1-7.
6:15 p.m. Wednesdays, March 16 through April 6
The Palladium
Cost: $70
Instructor Todd Neal leads this course on performance, delivery, projection, stage presence, song selection, vocal technique and interpretation for anyone who enjoys singing – no previous vocal training required. Recommended for teens and adults.
Luminaries: Music and Movement
2 p.m. Tuesday, March 22
The Palladium
$10, includes light refreshments
Indiana University ethnomusicologist Bertie Kibreah will examine music making and listening practices from different parts of the world, exploring music’s special power to evoke a sense of place through song, memory and technology, and its role as a vital soundtrack to the complex lives and identities of people in motion.
Live at the Center: Native World
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31
Online and at the Palladium
Free livestream; $5 on site
Native World is a four-piece Indianapolis band inspired by indie pop and the melodic riffing of the Japanese J-Rock scene. In 2020, the band released its second EP, Blossom, and a music video for the first single, “Celeste.”
About the Center for the Performing Arts
The mission of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. Its campus includes the 1,600-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.