Anchorage Concert Association Announces Ten More Shows

Anchorage Concert Association, the state's largest arts and entertainment presenter, announces 10 more shows from its 2019/2020 season line-up: Latin bluegrass band Che Apalache (Sept. 20), hilarious comedy group The Improvised Shakespeare Company (Oct. 11-12), Hawaiian songbird Kalani Pe'a (Jan. 31), the finger-snapping The Doo Wop Project (Feb. 15), innovative chamber musicians PUBLIQuartet (March 7), fiddler extraordinaire Eileen Ivers (March 21), hypnotic hip-hop orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj (April 4), a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. We Shall Overcome (April 10), Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I (April 21-26), and YouTube sensation The Piano Guys (May 2). All shows will be at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.

Argentina meets Appalachia with Che Apalache, a four-person string band based in Buenos Aires, with members from the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina. Singing in Spanish and English, they perform everything from bluegrass standards to Latin roots music, and originals that blend the best of both. Sept. 20, 2019, in the Discovery Theatre.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company takes a suggested play title from the audience, and then improvises a two-act Shakespearean masterpiece. Plots could feature star-crossed lovers, sprites, fools, sword-play, and plenty of witty insults. Each performance is both a world premiere and a closing night. Oct. 11-12, 2019, in the Discovery Theatre.

Like the warm waters that surround his home in Maui, the music of Hawaiian singer Kalani Pe'a comforts, relaxes, and transports audiences into peacefulness. The two-time Grammy winner sings in Hawaiian and English - hitting notes as high as Mauna Kea's peak. Jan. 31, 2020, in the Discovery Theatre.

The Doo Wop Project sings classic tunes and today's hits in the finger-snapping, close-harmonies style of doo wop and features stars of the Broadway musicals Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical, A Bronx Tale, and more. Feb. 15, 2020, in the Atwood Concert Hall.

Providing a fresh take on classical music, PUBLIQuartet performed a 90-minute improvised soundtrack to a live presidential debate on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in 2016. March 7, 2020 in the Discovery Theatre.

Awe-inspiring moments continue with fiddler Eileen Ivers, whom The New York Times called "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin." March 21, 2020, in the Atwood Concert Hall.

Oakland's Ensemble Mik Nawooj, led by composer/pianist JooWan Kim, subverts expectations with a multi-genre crew of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, drums, bass, an opera singer, and profound rhymes from mesmerizing MCs/lyricists Do D.A.T. and Sandman. Combining classical techniques and method sampling, EMN creates awe-inspiring arrangements that have been called "the cutting edge of hip-hop" (Huffington Post). April 4, 2020, in the Discovery Theatre.

We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a searing, soul-stirring soundtrack to the civil rights movement. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and actions, and the movement's struggle for equality and justice, this show ties together a living lineage of African-American music and culture that includes traditional and modern gospel, soul, jazz, classical, Broadway, and spirituals. April 10, 2020, in the Atwood Concert Hall.

One of Rodgers & Hammerstein's finest works, The King and I reminds audiences why they love Broadway - a classic opposites-attract romance, bold musical numbers, and lavish costumes and sets. Set in 1860s Bangkok, this musical marvel tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher who travels to Siam to teach his children. Their clash of wills leads to compromise - and eventually love - through iconic moments and memorable songs like "Getting To Know You," "Whistle a Happy Tune," and "Shall We Dance." April 21-26, 2020, in the Atwood Concert Hall.

With their serendipitous start in a small-town Utah piano shop, four dads set out to make a positive impact all over the world through music videos. That shared purpose struck a chord, and their stunning, self-made videos parlayed The Piano Guys into more than 1 billion YouTube views, six albums, a PBS special and a concert empire, including two sold-out shows in Anchorage in 2014. May 2, 2020, in the Atwood Concert Hall.

Anchorage Concert Association announced three other shows from the 2019/2020 season last week: Broadway musical Disney's The Little Mermaid (Oct. 22-27), illusionist Adam Trent (Sept. 28) and Irish bluegrass band We Banjo 3 (Oct. 5).

Visit anchorageconcerts.org for more information. Tickets will go on sale to Anchorage Concert Association subscribers in May and the general public later this summer. More than 10 additional shows will be announced soon. Stay tuned.

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