THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS MULAN Coming to Barter Theatre

Three-time Grammy nominee Dave Eggar and five-time World Champion Martial Artist James Luk present the legendary tale of warrior princess Mulan for one-night-only at Barter Theatre on Sunday, July 24 at 7:30 PM. All tickets for this special family event are $20 for adults and $10 for youth.

In his only Abingdon performance this summer, Dave Eggar and his band will provide a soundtrack spanning the genres of classical, Broadway, and rock while martial arts champions, Junior Olympians, and Chinese ballet dancers take the audience on a journey through time to discover the thrilling tale of Mulan, who disguised herself and took her father's place in the Imperial Army. The woman warrior was known as a fierce martial artist and recognized for her skill with swords.

Proceeds from this special show benefit Barter Theatre's Annual Fund for Artistic Excellence, which serves to help keep the theatre running and accessible to the public. Allison Mays, Barter Theatre's Director of Corporate and Government Relations, said, "The annual fund is essential to the success of Barter. We are so proud to have an artist of Dave Eggar's caliber supporting Barter Theatre and our mission to make world-class theatre accessible to our region." Barter Theatre, the nation's longest running professional theatre, rarely schedules outside acts or productions, but given the chance to work with an artist like Eggar, Mays said, "We couldn't pass this up. We are thrilled to have him."

A child prodigy, Eggar started playing cello at age three and by age seven was singing and acting on Broadway. At 15, he debuted at Carnegie Hall and was the youngest winner of the Artists International competition. Since entering adulthood, Eggar has earned degrees from Harvard and Juilliard, performed and recorded with numerous artists including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Tony Bennett, Taylor Swift, Train, and Paul Simon. He is a three-time Grammy nominee and has composed for films like "War Story" (recently featured at the Sundance Film Festival) and "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Dave is the recipient of the Sony Records Elevated Standards prize for accomplishments in the field of classical music, and was decorated by TIME magazine, ASCAP, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Ellen, the Superbowl, and the Today Show. If you've heard the cello opening to Coldplay's hit "Viva La Vida," you've heard renowned cellist and composer Dave Eggar. In fact, if you've heard cello on the radio at all, you've probably heard Eggar's work.

James Luk began traditional Shotokan Karate training at the young age of six. Over the last twenty years of continuous Karate training, Luk has achieved the rank of Yon-Dan (4th Degree Black Belt) and is a five-time World Champion in Karate. In addition to Karate, Luk has been dedicated to the traditional arts of Peking opera, Chinese acrobatics, and Chinese folk dance.

"Dave Eggar Band: The Legend of Princess Mulan" is made possible by the sponsorship of PennStuart, Holston Medical Group and Capo's Music Store. Barter Theatre is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. To purchase tickets, visit bartertheatre.com or call 276-628-3991.

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