The Moss Arts Center’s newest season of performances welcomes curiosity with a rich mix of programs that highlight diverse voices and viewpoints, fresh new works and artists, inspired global expressions, and continued opportunities for learning and engagement.
The Moss Arts Center’s 2016-17 season will feature the reverie of timeless classics, deeper encounters with history and ideas, and the excitement of new experimental forms.
Time-honored classics transcend space and time, and these eternal sights and sounds are celebrated in performances by outstanding young artists, including the Harlem Quartet, as well as established masters in their craft, such as legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp with her “50th Anniversary Tour.”
Artists who explore cutting-edge perspectives, fresh ideas, and experimental forms include Australia’s rock ‘n’ roll-fueled Circus Oz, as well as scratch DJ and graphic novelist Kid Koala, who merges theatre, puppetry, music, and film into the multi-media performance, “Nufonia Must Fall.”
Patrons will find opportunities for deeper understanding and reflection with author and cartoonist Lynda Barry, who will challenge ideas about the artistic process and creativity, and experience unique views and voices through a transformative performance in movement by Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion.
A collection of programs that brings the energy, valued traditions, and diverse contexts from cultures around the world includes musicians from Cuba, Tanzania, and Zanzibar, as well as a Bollywood music theatre production direct from Dubai.
Lively and entertaining performances for audiences of all ages provide joyful moments and opportunities for celebration. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, featuring 15 of jazz music’s leading soloists led by musical director Wynton Marsalis, will bring its big band holiday celebration with soulful performances of holiday favorites.
The 2016-17 season showcases the Moss Arts Center’s partnerships with regional organizations. The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra returns to the center for a masterworks performance, as well as its popular “Holiday Pops” program, while Southwest Virginia Ballet brings a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” and Opera Roanoke performs a fully-staged production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway blockbuster, “South Pacific.”
All performances will be held in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall, unless otherwise noted.
The center will offer additional performances, as well as visual arts exhibitions, community events, and a number of workshops, talks, and related activities. More details on these opportunities to engage with artists and their work, as well as programs with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, will be available this fall.
Subscriptions can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center’s box office, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300. Currently, only subscription tickets are available for purchase for the 2016-17 season. Beginning August 9, 2016, tickets for individual performances will be available for purchase.
