Dance, Bluegrass, Music, Comedy, Lectures and More Set for Schimmel Center's 2016-17 Season

Schimmel Center is proud to announce the 2016-2017 season at The Schimmel Center at Pace University located at 3 Spruce Street between Park Row and Gold Street in downtown Manhattan, near City Hall, the new Fulton Street stop and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Schimmel Center continues to showcase world class artists and ensembles of the highest quality in an intimate and accessible venue, at affordable prices, for all of New York City and the Tri-State area.

DETAILS OF SCHIMMEL CENTER'S 2016-2017 SEASON:

Comedy

Paula Poundstone is a regular panelist on the popular syndicated NPR program Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and recently lent her voice to the critically acclaimed Pixar movie Inside Out. Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm. Premium seating with artist meet and greet: $69, Tickets: $49, $39

The Reduced Shakespeare Company perform the New York City debut of William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Playwrights Reid Martin and Austin Tichenor weave together most of the famous speeches and plot devices of Shakespeare's thirty-nine plays to create a fast, funny, and fictional fortieth, filled with witty wordplay and vaudevillian variety. Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $39, $29

Bluegrass

Fresh from South by Southwest (SXSW), The Hillbenders present TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry. Forty-five years after its initial release, The Who's rock opera Tommy has been transformed by The Hillbenders into a full-length bluegrass tribute. With a banjo, Dobro, mandolin, bass, and guitar, the band creates all of the original record's energy, with instrumental showmanship, and rock star vocals intact. Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $29

The SteelDrivers: The Long Way Down Tour perform songs from their Grammy Award winning album, The Muscle Shoals Recordings. The group continues its rich musical progression, conjuring music drenched in soul, blues, bluegrass, R&B, country, and rock `n' roll including songs "Ashes of Yesterday" and "Long Way Down." Friday, February 10, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $29

Tom Rush's shows are filled with rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues. This folk legend inspired the music of James Taylor, Garth Brooks, Shawn Colvin and others. Friday, December 9 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $39, $29

Cabaret / American Songbook

American Showstoppers with the Fred Barton Orchestra, celebrates its fifth season at the Schimmel Center. This season's performances include An Evening with Frank Loesser featuring the music of the composer and lyricist of Broadway classics Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as well as contributions to the Great American Songbook, such as "Luck be a Lady" and "Baby, it's Cold Outside." Saturday, October 29 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $55, $39, $29

An Evening with Kander & Ebb - The Tony-Award winning team brought us the classic musicals Cabaret and Chicago as well as cult classics like Kiss of the Spider Woman and Steel Pier. Friday, March 10, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $55, $39, $29

Storm Large and Le Bonheur, performs titles from the American songbook, Broadway tear-jerkers, rock goddess anthems and some of her own originals. Songs to include "Lady is a Tramp", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "Under My Skin" and more. Friday, May 12, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $39, 29

Dance

Taylor 2, Paul Taylor's renowned company returns to the Schimmel stage for two distinctly new performances. Saturday, October 15 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 16 at 2pm. Tickets: $29.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre - Dancer, teacher and choreographer, Lula Washington has been praised by critics for her works filled with strong political and social commentary, as well as avant-garde composition and roots in African-American culture. Friday, February 24, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $29.

The New York Theatre Ballet brings fresh insight into classic revivals paired with the modern sensibilities of both established and up and coming choreographers. Performing a new Legends & Visionaries series Friday, April 28, 2017 & Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $29.

This season's dance series is sponsored by SHS Foundation.

Dance/Family

New York Theatre Ballet - Over the last 30 years, NYTB's Once Upon a Ballet series has introduced thousands of youngsters in New York City and around the country to the world of ballet and dance, fostering their understanding and appreciation of the performing arts and building audiences of the future.

Carnival of the Animals - Choreography by Beth Storey Taylor after Danny Diamond. In a magical forest, Queen Diana and her shaggy lion rule a charming assortment of animals who live more or less peaceably until a pair of lost children wander in, and then the fun begins! Saturday, October 1 at 3pm. Tickets: Adult $20, Child $10.

Cinderella - Choreography by Donald Mahler. With a Dancing Clock, wacky Stepsisters and everyone's favorite princess, Cinderella brings the timeless rags-to-riches story to life. Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 3pm. Tickets: Adult $20, Child $10

The Alice-in-Wonderland Follies- Choreography by Keith Michael. Presented in a vaudeville setting and based on Lewis Carroll's beloved Wonderland characters, this eclectic ballet draws on many different dance forms - from Irish Step Dancing to African Juba to classical ballet. Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 3pm. Tickets: Adult $20, Child $10

This season's dance series is sponsored by SHS Foundation.

Art Lecture

Art History Alive with Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton

Body Beautiful: A look at the changing ideals of physical beauty through the centuries. 2012-2013 Fulbright Senior Scholar Award winner Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton examines artists' depictions of men and women, clothed and unclothed, revealing the impact of aesthetic, social, political, religious, and personal influences.

Wednesday, October 26 at 12:15pm - From prehistoric voluptuous Venus of Willendorf, to Greek gods, Lady Godiva, and Henry VII: Bodies minimized and maximized with corsets and codpieces.

Wednesday, November 2 at 12:15pm - From Michelangelo's muscled men to Ruben's ample anatomy, Ingres's Odalisque, and Picasso's fragmented figures: Anatomical accuracy and artificial enhancement.

Home Is Where the Art Is: Inside the Houses of the World's Greatest Artists. Where did these geniuses actually live and work? Sneak a peek into the private homes (and personal lives) of famous painters, sculptors, and architects.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 12:15pm - Italy - Fra Angelico at San Marco monastery in Florence, Leonardo da Vinci in Vinci and the Clos Lucé in Amboise, Raphael in Urbino, Giorgio Vasari in Arezzo

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 12:15pm - Northern Europe - Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg, Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp, Rembrandt in Amsterdam

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 12:15pm - France - Claude Monet in Giverny, Pierre-Auguste Renoir at Les Collettes in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Auguste Rodin at the Villa des Brillants in Meudon, Vincent van Gogh in Arles, St-Rémy, and Auvers

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 12:15pm - North America - Frida Kahlo at the Blue House in Mexico City, Georgia O'Keeffe at Ghost Ranch and Abiquiú in New Mexico, Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin East and West in Wisconsin and Arizona, Philip Johnson's Glass House in Connecticut.

All tickets $29. The "Conversation Continues" luncheon tickets available. Each lecture is followed by a luncheon hosted by Dr. Benton.

Film

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - presented Halloween weekend, with costume contests, dancing, debauchery and more. Lace up your corsets and strap up your stiletto high-heeled boots. Everyone's favorite, "sweet transvestite from Transylvania," is back to create his perfect, chiseled, man-crush creation but he can't do it without a little audience partici...pation! Sunday, October 30 at 7:30pm. Tickets $12, 17+

Global Sounds and Dance

Bickram Ghosh's Drums of India - Internationally renowned tabla player, Bickram Ghosh, brings together a virtuosic five-person ensemble that explores the ancient world of Indian percussion in an electrifying evening of drumming, vocalizing, and sitar. Saturday, October 22 at 7:30pm. Tickets $39, $29.

DakhaBrakha, who brought down the house in their sold-out show at the Schimmel Center this past season, returns for an evening of classic favorites and songs from their yet to be released album. Reshaping ancient and contemporary Ukrainian music, DakhaBrakha's hypnotic textures meld soulful folk and ritual songs with Balkan, African, Jazz and R&B. Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets $39, $29. Curated by Live Sounds

Kayhan Kalhor is a soulful master of the?kamancheh, the Persian spiked fiddle. Widely known for his stirring improvisations, exquisite compositions, and extensive collaborations with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Brooklyn Rider, Kronos Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov, Ghazal Ensemble, and many orchestras around the world. Kayhan has popularized Persian music in the West and is a creative force in today's international music scene. Guest artists to be announced. Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 7:30p. Tickets $39, $29. Curated by Live Sounds

José Maya performs his newest work Latente: A Flamenco Journey, in its New York debut, a journey that takes the audience to the deepest realms of a Gypsy flamenco dancer's soul. Choreographed by José Maya, he is joined by legendary Gypsy singer Juana la del Pipa, powerhouse vocalists José Valencia and Manuel Tañé, and celebrated guitarist El Perla. Friday, February 17, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets $49, $39, $29. Curated by Live Sounds

Che Malambo - The Argentine based Che Malambo brings fiery Malambo traditions and virtuosic dancing to the Contemporary Stage for an exhilarating show that is perfect for the entire family. Presenting a thrilling, percussive dance and music spectacle, the all-male company's work celebrates the unique South American cowboy tradition of the gaucho. Friday, March 24, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets $49, $39, $29.

Immortal Chi is a feast for the senses that brings the ancient traditions and rich theatrical history of China to life with a rousing 21st century twist. Expect to see adrenalin-packed stunts, traditional weaponry, incredible feats of human endurance, and stunning costumes. Friday, May 5 & Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets $49, $39, $29.

Music

An Evening of Stories and Song with Mark Schultz and Special Guest J J Heller - Join Dove Award winner, Mark Schultz and special guest J. J. Heller for an intimate evening of inspirational stories and song. Selling over 1 million albums and with 10, #1 songs Mark Schultz is a powerful performer not to be missed. Wednesday, October 5 at 7:30pm. Premium seating with artist meet and greet: $49, Tickets: $29. Curated by The Lighthouse Events

The Hallelujah Christmas Tour featuring Cloverton - With the worldwide success of "A Hallelujah Christmas" and their chart-topping Christmas album (We Sing Joy), Cloverton takes the Schimmel stage for two concerts to put you in the Christmas spirit. The four-piece pop-rock group performs classic hymns such as "What Child is This?" and "Joy to the World," and audience favorites "Carol of the Bells" and "A Hallelujah Christmas," among others. Saturday, December 10 at 2pm & 7:30pm. Premium seating with artist meet and greet: $49, Tickets: $29. Curated by The Lighthouse Events

Rob Mathes Holiday Concert - A holiday tradition since 1993, The Rob Mathes Holiday Concert, finally comes to Manhattan this December for one concert only. Don't miss an afternoon with Emmy winner and Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Award nominated Rob Mathes as he lights up the Schimmel stage with his six piece horn section and musicians from SNL, David Letterman's Late Show and Paul Simon's band. Also featuring Vaneese Thomas and James "D-Train" Williams on vocals. Sunday, December 18 at 3pm. Tickets: $55, $39, $29.