Irvine Barclay Theatre Announces New Season

As live performances return to venues throughout Southern California, Irvine Barclay Theatre will kick off a new season on September 9 with an array of renowned artists including country chart-topping trio The Gatlin Brothers; multi-Grammy-winning jazz artist Pat Metheny; internationally-acclaimed song stylist Michael Feinstein; and author and social commentator Fran Lebowitz.

"We are thrilled to bring live performances back to the community, and welcome patrons to our newly renovated auditorium," said Jerry Mandel, Chairman and President of Irvine Barclay Theatre. "We look forward to a new season of great shows in our refreshed theater and celebrating with the community throughout the year."

Irvine Barclay Theatre has been busy during the past 14 months of downtime. The theater installed new seats and carpet in the auditorium, as well as upgraded its HVAC system and air-handlers to use hospital-grade filters throughout the building.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 14 for the following shows, with additional performances to be announced soon.

Sunday, Sept. 9, 7pm - The Gatlin Brothers

The country chart-topping trio of Larry, Steve, and Rudy Gatlin will entertain guests with their string of No.1 records and country classics such as "All the Gold in California", "Broken Lady", "Love is Just a Game", and other songs from their storybook career that has spanned more than 45 years in the entertainment industry.

Thursday, Sept. 23, 8pm - Jake Shimabukuro

Widely recognized as "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele," Jake Shimabukuro turns the four-string axe into a flexible musical vehicle, playing an intoxicating mix of pop tunes, American Songbook standards, rock, and original songs.

Friday, Oct. 1, 8pm - Pat Metheny Side-Eye with James Francies & Joe Dyson

Winner of 20 Grammy Awards, Pat Metheny is one of the brightest stars of jazz, reinventing the traditional jazz guitar sound for a new generation. Through a career in which he has performed with artists as diverse as Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, and David Bowie, Metheny remains a champion of emerging talents. For this performance, he is joined by two "young guns" of jazz - James Francies on keyboards and Joe Dyson on drums - for a night of exhilarating jazz.

Thursday, Oct. 7, 8pm - The Wailin' Jennys

One of today's most beloved international folk acts, The Wailin' Jennys are three distinct voices that blend in an achingly perfect vocal sound. The Jennys create some of the most exciting music on the folk-roots scene, stepping up their musical game with each critically lauded recording and thrilling audiences with show-stopping harmonies and instrumental prowess.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 8pm - An Evening with Michael Feinstein

Michael Feinstein, one of the world's greatest ambassadors of the Great American Songbook, performs an intimate showcase of songs written by legendary composers such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, and Duke Ellington. Feinstein's recordings have earned him five Grammy nominations, along with an Emmy-nominated PBS-TV special and an acclaimed NPR series. An icon of American music, Feinstein has performed at The White House, Buckingham Palace, Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and concerts around the globe.

Friday, Oct. 22, 8pm - The Black Market Trust

The Black Market Trust combines the fire and romance of gypsy jazz with the Great American Songbook to deliver high-energy performances filled with some of the best songs ever written. With impeccable vocal harmonies and a dash of Rat Pack-style comedy, it's clear why this Los Angeles-based band has quickly earned a reputation as one of the premier live music acts performing today.

Saturday, Oct. 23, 8pm - Croce Plays Croce

A phenomenal piano player and songsmith, A.J. Croce, son of the folk-rock icon Jim Croce, has toured with musical superstars Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Earth, Wind and Fire, and B.B. King. In this special night of music, A.J. pays tribute to his late father with a set of his father's most well-known classics, his own tunes, and the songs that inspired them both. This concert features such timeless songs as "Operator," "Time in a Bottle," "One Less Set of Footsteps," "Lovers Cross," and "You Don't Mess Around with Jim."

Friday, Oct. 29, 8pm - Eric Marienthal

Eric Marienthal is a Grammy-winning contemporary jazz saxophonist and composer best known for his crystal-clear, fluid tone and adventurous, improvised lines. Previously a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and currently in Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Marienthal has performed with an astoundingly broad range of entertainers, including Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Mathis, Dave Grusin, and B.B. King. Nine of his songs have made it to the top 10 of the national contemporary jazz radio charts, and three have made it to No.1 - making him one of the true stars of contemporary jazz

Tuesday, November 9, 8pm - An Evening with David Sedaris

David Sedaris' sardonic wit and incisive social critiques make him one of America's preeminent humor writers. Likened to a modern-day Mark Twain, Sedaris is noted for his ability to draw humorous, touching, and universal observations about human nature from his own, often quirky, experiences. A former National Public Radio host, he is a best-selling author with his latest book is entitled, The Best of Me.

Sunday, Jan. 9, 4pm - Nat Geo Live: Shannon Wild: Pursuit of the Black Panther

Wildlife photographer and cinematographer Shannon Wild is a passionate conservationist who lives in Africa but works wherever wildlife calls. In her 15 years documenting wildlife, she's been pinned by a cheetah, charged by an elephant, lions, and buffalo, and bitten countless times by snakes and lizards. But her most recent assignment might prove her most difficult yet: producing a documentary about a rare black panther - the only one living in 250 square miles of dense forest in southern India. Get an inside look at the challenges and dangers of tackling an assignment in an unforgiving environment, from the narrow dirt roads to extreme weather to unexpected injuries - and worse.

Friday, Jan. 21, 8pm - Kulāiwi, featuring Lehua Kalima, Kawika Kahiapo, Shawn Pimental with Pono Fernandez, hula

Kulāiwi ("land of my ancestors") combines three of Hawai'i's leading award-winning performers for an evening of sweet island harmonies and soaring vocals. A recipient of over 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawai'i's Grammy) with her trio Nā Leo Pilimehana, Lehua Kalima has won an unprecedented three individual awards for song of the year. Six-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Kawika Kahiapo is a slack key guitarist and singer-songwriter who has contributed his soulful voice and slack key guitar stylings to more than 108 recording projects. Garnering five Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, Shawn Pimental has performed with some of Hawai'i's leading recording artists, offering his talents on guitar, drums, bass and vocals. Accompanied by bass player Joe Berinobis and award-winning hula dancer Pono Fernandez, Kulāiwi presents the heartbeat of Hawai'i today.

Sunday, Jan. 23, 2pm - Laurie Berkner Greatest Hits Solo Show

Laurie Berkner is the undisputed "queen of kid's music" (People magazine) with an average of nine million monthly streams. Berkner's songs have become beloved classics for children worldwide. Her Greatest Hits Solo Show features popular hits like "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)," "Victor Vito," "We Are The Dinosaurs," "Pig On Her Head," and "Rocketship Run." The rhythms and energy will keep kids enraptured... and adults can come along for the ride.

Saturday, Jan. 29, 8pm - The Fabulous Thunderbirds Celebrate 35 Years of Tuff Enuff

The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been a quintessential American band for over 40 years. With their fusion of blues, rock & roll, and R & B, they helped popularize roadhouse Texas blues in the 80's, kick-starting a nationwide blues revival. In 1986, The Fabulous Thunderbirds reached a commercial peak with their fifth album, Tuff Enuff. The single of the same title as well as the singles "Wrap It Up" and "Look at That," all went Top 40. The song "Tuff Enuff" was featured in the film Gung Ho starring Michael Keaton. The band will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Tuff Enuff by performing the album live in its entirety.

Monday, Jan. 31, 8pm - An Evening with Fran Lebowitz

In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. She is the purveyor of urban cool, a witty chronicler of the "me decade," and the cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker. Forthright, irascible, and unapologetically opinionated, Fran offers her uniquely acerbic views on current events and the media, as well as her own pet peeves - including celebrity culture, tourists, and adults who roller skate. Recently, Fran has been dispensing witty observations in the Netflix documentary series Pretend It's a City. Her friend Martin Scorsese directed the series, the second documentary he's made that focused on Lebowitz, after the 2010 film Public Speaking.

Wednesday & Thursday, Feb. 2 & 3, 8pm - Sacre by Circa

Seen by over one million people in 39 countries, the Australia-based performance troupe Circa is at the forefront of contemporary circus. Inspired by Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, 10 fearless acrobats will perform highlighted by a technically and artistically stunning lighting design and set to a stirring new composition. Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble.

Sunday, Feb. 20, 4pm - Nat Geo Live: Mark Synnott, Life on the Vertical

Legendary climber and National Geographic adventure writer Mark Synnott made his name as a big wall pioneer with numerous first ascents. Today, he helps scientists make significant findings in distant, inaccessible places. Through it all, he's stayed on the leading edge of discovery.

Thursday, Feb. 24, 8pm - Joey DeFrancesco

A four-time Grammy Award nominee with more than 30 recordings as a leader under his belt, Joey DeFrancesco is the master of the mighty B-3. Credited as single-handedly reinvigorating organ jazz in the mid-eighties with his vintage Hammond, DeFrancesco has collaborated with hundreds of jazz's greatest names including Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Miles Davis, and George Benson.

Friday, Feb. 25, 8pm - Linda Eder: By Myself -The Songs of Judy Garland

One of America's dynamic singers and performers, Linda Eder pays tribute to the great Judy Garland in a concert filled with the songs made famous by the beloved singer. The performance includes such favorites as "Almost Like Being in Love," "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," "The Boy Next Door," "You Made Me Love You" and "Over the Rainbow."

Saturday, Feb. 26, 8pm - Storm Large and Le Bonheur

With a voice that goes from a velvety purr to a mighty Valkyrie cry in a single phrase, Storm Large, accompanied by her fearless band, Le Bonheur, sings the Great American Songbook, Broadway tear-jerkers, rock goddess anthems, and some of her own gorgeous originals -all delivered with a fierce personal style. Storm's interpretation of "I've Got You Under My Skin," on the current season of NBC's America's Got Talent, prompted a standing ovation from the audience.

Thursday, March 10, 8pm - Stacey Kent

Stacey Kent is a Grammy-nominated jazz singer whose gorgeously delicate mezzo-soprano voice conjures sublime textures and dreamy romanticism. Kent has graced stages in more than 50 countries, performing her catalogue of 11 studio albums - her most recent, I Know I Dream: The Orchestral Sessions received over 20 million streams. Whether singing French chansons or the Great American Songbook, Kent's interpretations of the timeless songs of love, nostalgia, and intoxicating joie de vivre, have won her a legion of fans worldwide.

Friday, March 11, 8pm - Live from Laurel Canyon: Songs & Stories of American Folk Rock

Live from Laurel Canyon celebrates the music of some of the most influential artists who lived in the famous Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles between 1965 and 1975. Home to a community of artists who would forever change the sound of American popular music, Laurel Canyon echoed with music from bands like The Mamas and The Papas, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, America, and the Eagles. Live from Laurel Canyon showcases the classic songs you love and the stories that inspired them.

Sunday, March 13, 4pm - Nat Geo Live: Alicia Odewale: Greenwood: A Century of Resilience

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, archaeologist Alicia Odewale is uncovering stories of resilience in the hundred years since the attack on "Black Wall Street" in that city's vibrant Greenwood district. Considered one of the worst episodes of racial violence committed against Black people in American history, the Tulsa Race Massacre left a devastating toll on generations of survivors, their descendants, and the footprint of the district itself. Join Odewale to discover how archaeology can be used as a tool for recovering lost stories, reclaiming a narrative, and pursuing restorative justice.

Friday, March 25, 8pm - Bessie, Billie & Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz

Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone were among the most influential and popular singers of their times. Pioneering Women in Jazz celebrates the enduring legacies of these music icons with performances of their classic songs, including Bessie Smith's "Downhearted Blues," Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" and Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam." Pioneering Women in Jazz features three dynamic and rising star vocalists, Charenée Wade, Camille Thurman, and Tahira Clayton, together with a seven-piece all-female ensemble.

Saturday, March 26, 8pm - Jersey Boys & Girls

Celebrate New Jersey's musical legends with a concert extravaganza honoring iconic artists from the Garden State, including Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Frankie Valli, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Lesley Gore. This night of blockbuster favorites includes "Fly Me to the Moon," "My Eyes Adored You," "That's Life," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "I Will Always Love You," and more.

Sunday, April 10, 4pm - Nat Geo Live: Andy Mann: From Summit to Sea

Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Andy Mann uses his work to bridge the gap between science and policy. From his early days as a rock climber to his current passion documenting the critically endangered oceanic whitetip shark, his stunning images tell the story of our rapidly changing planet, from top to bottom.

Saturday, April, 16, 8pm - Waipuna

Like the mountain spring water traveling downstream bringing life, Waipunaʻs beautiful harmonies rejuvenate the senses and delight the heart. Mixing Hawaiian classics with original songs, Waipuna ("spring water") brings a fresh and contemporary energy to the island sound, preserving tradition while moving it into the 21st century. Winner of eight Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawaiʻiʻs Grammy), Waipuna is an exciting collaboration of three talents: David Kamakahi, Kale Hannahs, and Matthew Sproat, all hailing from celebrated Hawaiian musical families. Together, they are upbeat, technically superb, and share a sense of fun that makes them an immediate audience favorite.

Thursday, April 21, 8pm - John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell: A Tribute to Nat King Cole and the Ladies of Song

John Pizzarelli has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years, singing classic standards and ballads, and playing inventive jazz guitar. With sparkling swing and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell is among the greatest interpreters of American popular song. Together, they pay homage to Nat King Cole and the legendary singers who appeared on his popular TV show. The concert includes Cole's most memorable hits such as "Route 66," "Straighten Up and Fly Right", and "Paper Moon," along with the timeless works from Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee - the iconic Ladies of Song.

Saturday, April 23, 8pm - Sheléa: Natural Woman - A Night of Soul

Endowed with a voice that stirs the soul and hands that effortlessly glide over the keys, Sheléa's musical style is one filled with true artistry. From The White House to the Library of Congress and Carnegie Hall, her performances blend traditional pop, jazz, R&B, and soul, bringing a contemporary edge to classics and a classic touch to contemporary pop standards. Her sultry sound has earned her deep and meaningful praise from music industry legends, including Stevie Wonder, David Foster, and Quincy Jones.

Friday, April 29, 8pm: Complexions Contemporary Ballet: STARDUST: From Bach to Bowie

Featured on the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance, Complexions revitalizes the art of movement through a groundbreaking mix of styles, seamlessly fusing ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop. STARDUST: From Bach to Bowie showcases two exhilarating dance pieces inspired by musical masters. Bach 25, set to the music of Johann Sebastian and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, is an exploration of love and alliances, perfectly merging contemporary dance with ballet technique. A tribute to the late rock icon David Bowie, Stardust also features many of the singer's iconic hits.

Friday, May 13, 8pm - Makana: The Gift of Slack Key Guitar

Makana is a slack-key guitar master whose personal songs weave the roots of Hawai'i's vast musical palette into a universal sound. With his distinctly original songs, infused with the spirit of Hawai'i, along with his own brand of "slack-rock," Makana is blazing a new trail in the 21st century while paying homage to those who have come before him.

Saturday, May 14, 8pm - Ira Glass: Seven Things I've Learned

Ira Glass is the host and creator of This American Life, the iconic weekly public radio program heard each week by more than 2.2 million listeners on more than 500 public radio stations, with an additional 2.2 million podcast downloads. Join one of America's most compelling public radio personalities as he shares lessons from his life and career in storytelling. Using audio clips, music and video, Ira Glass takes us into his creative process: What inspires him to create? What drives his passion? How have failures and successes informed his decisions?

Thursday, June 9, 8pm - John Beasley's MONK'estra

In his three-decade-long career, Grammy-nominated pianist and composer John Beasley has worked with Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard - playing in the bands of both trumpet legends while still in his 20s - as well as with Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Christian McBride (and even, for one night, with James Brown.) In this special Barclay performance, Beasley leads his smashing 15-piece MONK'estra, a big band that captures the spirit of Thelonious Monk's singular music in fresh arrangements flavored with contemporary sounds that range from Afro-Cuban rhythms to hip-hop. Critics have called it "some of the most mesmerizing big band music of recent memory."

To post a comment, you must register and login.