Harlem 100 Featuring Mwenso & the Shakes:
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8
The Palladium
Tickets from $20 at TheCenterPresents.org/Harlem100
$15 student tickets available
Drewry Simmons Vornehm Jazz Series
Created in collaboration with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and JMG Live, this multimedia show captures the spirit of artists like Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes and Billie Holiday who made Harlem a cultural mecca. With a nine-piece band and three dancers, Harlem 100 evokes the heyday of the Apollo Theater, the Cotton Club and other pillars of the Harlem Renaissance. Anchoring the music are Sierra Leone native Michael Mwenso and his Harlem-based band the Shakes, a collective of musicians from around the world who explore jazz, blues and other African-American musical traditions. Joining them will be guest vocalists Brianna Thomas, Michela Marino Lerman and Vuyo Sotashe.
The Fourth Wall: Fruit Flies Like a Banana
10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
The Tarkington
Tickets from $20 at TheCenterPresents.org/FourthWall
$15 child/student tickets available
Old Town Companies Family Series
Originating in Indianapolis and now based in Massachusetts, the Fourth Wall is a “hybrid arts ensemble” that blends stellar musicianship, acrobatic choreography and theater into a vaudeville-style extravaganza. Flutist Hilary Abigana, bass trombonist C. Neil Parsons and percussionist Greg Jukes create a madcap, interactive atmosphere in which the audience steers the program.
John Cleese Is at It Again
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14
The Palladium
Tickets from $45 at TheCenterPresents.org/JohnCleese
Actor, writer and comedian John Cleese is best known as a co-founder of the Monty Python comedy troupe and a lead player in its classic films and Flying Circus TV series. He later co-wrote and starred in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers among countless other TV and film roles. Don’t miss an unforgettable evening as Cleese shares hilarious stories and observations from his life and career.
Elvis Costello & the Imposters
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16
The Palladium
Tickets from $65 at TheCenterPresents.org/ElvisCostello
Encore Series
Elvis Costello is one of the most influential songwriters of the rock era, emerging from England’s 1970s new wave scene to release more than 30 albums spanning the spectrum of Western music. His classic songs have included “Accidents Will Happen,” “Oliver’s Army,” “Alison,” “Watching the Detectives,” “A Man Out of Time,” “Veronica” and “Everyday I Write the Book.” Don’t miss Costello’s Palladium debut with his longtime backing band, the Imposters, featuring members of the original Attractions. The group’s 2018 album Look Now – their first new release in a decade – includes a song co-written with Carole King and two co-written with Bacharach, who also contributed piano.
An Evening with Jason Mraz & Raining Jane
7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17
The Palladium
Tickets from $56 at TheCenterPresents.org/JasonMraz
Encore Series
Since his start in the coffee houses of San Diego, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz has released six acclaimed studio albums of his laid-back melodic pop tunes, rooted in acoustic guitar and flavored with hints of reggae, funk and other styles. With such hits as “I Won’t Give Up,” “Make It Mine,” “Lucky” and the Top 10 smash “I’m Yours,” he has landed four Grammy nominations and two wins, among other honors. Mraz’s latest release, Know, debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and featured the single “Have It All.” Joining him on this tour is the all-female folk-rock quartet Raining Jane, which frequently performs with Mraz and backed him on his 2014 acoustic album, Yes!
An Evening with Gladys Knight
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20
The Palladium
Tickets from $50 at TheCenterPresents.org/Knight
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
With her smooth-moving backup vocalists the Pips, Gladys Knight rose from teen gospel singer to international superstar on the momentum of hits like “If I Were Your Woman,” “Neither One of Us,” “Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me” and the #1 smash “Midnight Train to Georgia.” She has continued her Grammy-winning recording career while venturing into film, television and other projects.
Damien Escobar: Elements of Love Tour
7:30 p.m. Thursday Nov. 21
The Palladium
Tickets from $25 at TheCenterPresents.org/Escobar
$15 student tickets available
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Rising-star violinist Damien Escobar first gained national attention as half of the duo Nuttin’ But Stringz. As a solo artist and bandleader since 2012, the New York native has released two albums and found new success with his crossover mix of classical, jazz, pop, R&B and hip-hop, landing numerous appearances on TV, at national events and in a widely viewed Mitsubishi advertising campaign.
Boz Scaggs: Elements of Love Tour
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
The Palladium
Tickets from $40 at TheCenterPresents.org/BozScaggs
Katz, Sapper & Miller Pop/Rock Series
Long considered one of the great “blue-eyed soul” singers, Boz Scaggs was an early member of the Steve Miller Band before launching a solo career and making his commercial breakthrough with the 1976 release Silk Degrees. The album rode the charts for 115 weeks, spawning three Top 40 singles: “It’s Over,” “Lido Shuffle” and the Grammy-winning “Lowdown.” After forays into jazz, rock and other genres, Scaggs recently returned to his blues and R&B roots. His 2018 album Out of the Blues finds Scaggs paying homage to heroes like Jimmy Reed and Bobby “Blue” Bland, backed by veteran session players including drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Willie Weeks, and guitarists Doyle Bramhall II, Ray Parker Jr. and Charlie Sexton.
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. 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. The campus in Carmel includes a 1,600-seat concert hall, the Palladium; a 500-seat proscenium theater, the Tarkington; and the black-box Studio Theater. The Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident companies: Actors Theatre of Indiana, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Civic Theatre, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and Indiana Wind Symphony. The Center also provides educational and experiential programming for people of all ages. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.