September and October Lineup Announced For The Hylton Performing Arts Center

Performances are back this September and October at the Hylton Performing Arts Center with a lineup of outdoor concerts at Hylton on the Hill, the thrilling return of indoor Hylton Presents programming, classes and workshops through the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, events by Hylton Center Arts Partners, and more!

The month of September kicks off the 2021/2022 season with Arts Alive! 2021, a free, family-friendly arts festival on September 12. This annual arts event features Prince William County Arts Council members and other community performers and fine artists; hands-on activities for all ages; multiple stages of performances indoors and out; exhibits; food vendors; and more! Next, the Hylton Center welcomes the return of concerts to its outdoor space Hylton on the Hill with a FREE performance by The U.S. Army Band Downrange on September 18, followed by the Bumper Jacksons on September 19. The outdoor series continues with the GRAMMY-nominated Bluegrass and Country band The Grascals on September 26 and the D.C.-based Wammie Award-winning blues fusion ensemble Carly Harvey's Kiss & Ride on October 3.

On October 10, pianist Jeffrey Siegel officially relaunches indoor Hylton Presents performances in Merchant Hall with his concerts with commentary Keyboard Conversations Classics Declassified. Siegel hands off the baton to the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on October 30 for their Big Band Era performance Swingin' with the Met.

Fall performance tickets will be available for presale to the Friends of the Hylton Center on August 3 at 10 a.m. and to the general public on August 10 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Hylton Performing Arts Center Ticket Office (open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), by calling 703-993-7759, or through the Hylton Center website (HyltonCenter.org). Tickets for spring 2022 Hylton Center performances go on sale to the general public October 12, with a presale for Friends of the Hylton Center starting October 5.

A full schedule of performances and events for September and October at the Hylton Center is below. Unless otherwise noted, these performances take place in the Hylton Performing Arts Center's Merchant Hall, located at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Virginia. Full details for what to expect when attending performances at the Hylton Center are available on the website.

All performances and artists are subject to change.
For the most up-to-date information check HyltonCenter.org.

Fall 2021 Hylton on the Hill Outdoor Performances:

Hylton on the Hill offers energetic outdoor performances from diverse local and national ensembles at the Hylton Center's new space with seating on a natural rise just behind the theater. Enjoy these performances in your own seating area, physically distanced from other audience members.

The U.S. Army Band Downrange

Saturday, September 18 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
Free

Join The U.S. Army Band Downrange for a free celebratory concert to kick off the 2021-2022 Hylton Center season. Downrange is a part of the most prestigious military band in the U.S. Army and supports the men and women of the Armed Services through popular music while reaching all audiences, young and old. Their continuously up-to-date repertoire includes rock, pop, country, R&B, and inspirational signature patriotic arrangements that are popular with all listeners. In addition to public performances as a popular music ensemble, Downrange performs as an acoustic group and supports numerous Congressional, diplomatic, and public events.

George Mason University's Veterans and the Arts Initiative is a proud sponsor of this performance.

Bumper Jacksons

Sunday, September 19 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

Bumper Jacksons are hot and sweet, painting America's story from the streets of New Orleans to Appalachian hollers. Unafraid to scrap together new sounds from forgotten 78's, the Bumper Jacksons elegantly balance paying homage to traditions while fashioning their own unique, playful style. The group began as a duo, a city-meets-country experiment between songstress Jess Eliot Myhre and banjo player Chris Ousley. They hopped on bicycles, touring the country, instruments on their backs, seeking to reimagine roots music. In five short years, Bumper Jacksons grew to a fiery five-piece, with horns and pedal steel who will grace our outdoor stage at Hylton the Hill. They also tour internationally and have been honored multiple times as the Mid-Atlantic's "Artist of the Year," "Best Country/Americana Band" and "Best Folk Band" at the Washington Area Music Awards. Bursting at the seams with some of the richest threads of old America, Bumper Jacksons bring you into the center of a party where everyone's invited and the dance floor never sleeps.

The Grascals

Sunday, September 26 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

Straight from Nashville, The Grascals make their debut appearance at thea??Hylton Center with a lively outdoor performance filled with Bluegrass and classica??countrya??tunes. This six-piece band won over audiences at the Grand Ole Opry with their blend of modern sophistication steeped in traditional charm, and now they'll capture your heart at this Hylton on the Hill performance. Among numerous special concerts, Thea??Grascalsa??count the honor of performing twice for President George W. Bush and at President Barack Obama's inaugural ball at the Smithsonian. Don't miss this ensemble that has earned impressive accolades including three GRAMMY nominations and two Entertainer of the Year Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Carly Harvey's Kiss & Ride

Sunday, October 3 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

2021 Wammie Award-winning artist Carly Harvey leads the energetic ensemble Kiss & Ride in a lively fusion of original music, blues classics, and unique arrangements of pop favorites for their Hylton on the Hill outdoor performance. Based in Washington, D.C., Carly Harvey's rich and emotional sound calls to mind Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald. Carly is a two-time D.C. Blues Society Battle of the Bands winner and was proclaimed D.C.'s "Queen of the Blues" by Dr. Nick Johnson of WPFW Radio. Carly Harvey's Kiss & Ride project is intended to extend blues to wider audiences and bridge the age gap between blues aficionados by combining current music with blues arrangements in the same set with blues standards, blues funk, and soul-bursting with her original sound too.

September and October 2021 Hylton Presents Performances:

Hylton Presents offers an unbeatable showcase of talent from renowned national and International Artists in the Hylton Center's Merchant Hall.

Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel

Classics Declassified
Sunday, October 10 at 2 p.m.
$48, $41, $29, half-price for youth through Grade 12. Family friendly.

Uncover the mysteries behind some of the most familiar piano works. In Classics Declassified, virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel acts as your musical detective and guide to unlock the intrigue and beauty of enchanting musical narratives by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Frederic Chopin. Siegel's "concerts with commentary" format gives the back story behind the piece he is about to perform. "A musical bridge-builder in action...Siegel showed just how illuminating the combination of words and abstract music can be" (Toronto Star). An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program.

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra

Swingin' with the Met
Saturday, October 30 at 8 p.m.
$46, $39, $28, half-price for youth through Grade 12.

Calling all Jitterbugs! Come celebrate the Big Band Era with the coolest cats in town, Northern Virginia's own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Artistic Director and alto sax virtuoso Jim Carroll leads this distinguished ensemble comprising the most remarkable jazz performers in the metro region, who will perform music from the libraries of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and more. Carroll's long and illustrious career has included performances with the likes of Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Join us for a finger snapping, toe-tapping good time.

The Hylton Center's Veterans and the Arts Initiative Events:

The Veterans and the Arts Initiative serves as an arts and community hub for local Veterans, Servicemembers, military family members, and community members. The Initiative has brought our community together to engage with the arts through performances, workshops, exhibitions, and special events featuring the arts. Additional information and registration for all Veterans and the Arts Initiative programming can be found at HyltonCenter.org/Veterans.

Ukulele Workshop Series

Tuesdays, September 14-October 26 from 7-8 p.m.

Hylton Center Large Rehearsal Hall and online via Zoom
Bonus Zoom Workshop: Tuesday, November 2

Have you always wanted to try the ukulele? Musicians of all skill levels are invited to try one of ours in seven weeks of workshops with Glen McCarthy, instructor at Mason Community Arts Academy and at George Mason University, who has shared his expertise with the Veteran community through the Veterans and the Arts Initiative since 2015. At the end of the Series, a bonus workshop will also be offered! If you have always wanted to sing and play the ukulele - but aren't feeling quite ready, get tips on how to improve your singing technique and your confidence in a bonus workshop on Zoom November 2. The bonus workshop will be co-led by Adiza Jibril, professional singer with The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" since 2013. These workshops will take place Tuesday evenings, and are FREE to Veterans, Servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers.

Songwritinga?? Seriesa??for Military Kids

Sundays, September 26-October 31a??from 1-3 p.m.
Music Theater Building on George Mason University's Fairfax campus

Join us in-person again for a six-week series designed for military kids and teenagers where they will learn songwriting skills in a collaborative, safe environment. Students may bring melodies in-progress, or come seeking fresh ideas and creative ways to approach music composition. All students will have the opportunity to work in a professional recording studio and perform their songs. Students do not need to be advanceda??singers or musicians to join this program.a?? This workshop series is FREE and open to military kids between the ages of 10 and 17 and isa??co-presenteda??bya??thea??Hyltona??Center'sa??Veterans and the Arts Initiative and Mason Community Artsa??Academy.

September and October 2021 Hylton Center Arts Partners Programming:

Prince William Little Theatre
Dial "M "for Murder
By Frederick Knott
Friday-Saturday, October 8-9; 15-16 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 10 and 17 at 2 p.m.
Gregory Family Theater
$20 adult; $17 senior (55 and over), student (13 years of age and older), active and retired military; $13 youth (12 years and younger)

Set in the early 1950's in London, England, tennis pro Tony Wendice marries beautiful Margot, who has exactly what Tony loves: beauty and money. The suspenseful plot thickens as Tony schemes to murder his wife for her money, and an American mystery writer, plus a cool, inquisitive investigator enter the picture.

Manassas Chorale
The Roaring Twenties - Then and Now
Saturday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.
$25, $23 adult; free to Mason students and children (18 years and younger)

Join the 100-voice Chorale, its smaller Ensemble, and the top choirs from select local high schools as they celebrate popular tunes from the 1920s, as well as favorite stage and screen melodies of 2020.

Manassas Ballet Theatre
Dracula
Friday-Saturday, October 15-16 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 17 at 3 p.m.
Streaming begins October 30
$65, $55, $45, $35, and $25

Manassas Ballet Theatre (MBT) returns to Merchant Hall for a thrilling 2021-22 season, starting with the chilling classic, Dracula. This dramatic and seductive production transports the audience to Transylvania after dark where the taste of blood promises eternal youth. The Kim Reynolds Band accompanies MBT live on stage for a multi-layered, spellbinding performance.

Manassas Symphony Orchestra
Back to the Classics
Saturday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
$20 adult; $16 senior (62 +), active and retired military, and educator; free student

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra (MSO) returns to Merchant Hall with a program featuring classical music royalty. With a few months left in Beethoven's 250th anniversary year, the MSO celebrates with acclaimed violinist, Emil Chudnovsky, performing Beethoven's extraordinary Violin Concerto in D Major. Chudnovsky has been hailed by The Washington Post as having "Virtuosity..., showmanship, [and] artistry." The concert closes with the music of Beethoven's teacher, Franz Josef Haydn, in the delightful Symphony No. 92 in G Major ("Oxford").

Other September and October 2021 Events at the Hylton Center:

Stations of Mychal
Tuesday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Rehearsal Hall
Free

Commissioned by Texas State University, Stations of Mychal is a song cycle for tenor, viola, and piano on the life, ministry, and death of the "Saint of 9/11" Father (Fr.) Mychal Judge. Fr. Mychal was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest serving as fire chaplain for the Fire Department of New York City on September 11, 2001. On September 11, he was the first certified fatality of the attacks on the Twin Towers. Before his tragic death, Fr. Mychal worked in New York City ministering to the homeless, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, being recognized with statues, in songs, awards, and even film for his efforts. This commissioned project commemorates Fr. Mychal's courage with 14 songs composed by Kevin D. Salfen, ranging from Irish tunes to flowing lyrical numbers performed by Rick Novak (tenor); Ames Asbell (viola); and Joey Martin (piano), directed by Rick Davis, Dean of George Mason University's College of Visual and Performing Arts and Executive Director of the Hylton Center. The project will be presented in a warm-up performance at the Hylton Center on and around the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Arts Alive! 2021
Sunday, September 12 at 12 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Free

A co-production of the Prince William County Arts Council and Hylton Performing Arts Center, this annual family-friendly arts festival features Prince William County Arts Council members and other community performers and fine artists. Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, multiple stages of performances indoors and out, exhibits, food vendors, and more! Come out and celebrate your local arts community! Free, no tickets required.

Angela Knight Music Productions
Queen of People's Hearts
Saturday, September 25 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
$35 and $25

Angela Knight Music Productions presents this brand-new musical that brings one of the most beloved figures of our time to life: Diana, the Princess of Wales. From her privileged yet obscure beginnings to her untimely death in the streets of Paris, this compelling score of contemporary, theatrical music takes the viewer on an emotional journey. Written by Angela Knight and Randal Dewey, the musical follows Diana's remarkable life from her storybook wedding to Prince Charles, the future King of England, to her rise to global fame, humanitarian works, and her tragic end. This modern musical about England's Rose and Queen of the People's Hearts will touch your own heart.

Buchanan Partners Art Gallery:

Buchanan Partners Art Gallery exhibits an array of diverse works from artists of all ages. Located in the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery on the second floor of the Hylton Center, exhibitions are free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and two hours before each performance.

Gallery Exhibition -Wayne Paige
Changing Landscapes: The Digital Age, Encroachment, and Eventual Outcomes
Tuesday, August 31 at 10 a.m.-Sunday, October 10

Wayne Paige creates dream-like drawings and paintings which feature mythical but familiar landscapes of mountains, waterways, and woodlands inhabited by expressive silhouette-like figures that seem to pulsate with energy and inner light. The artist deploys elements of science-fiction, humor, and visionary imagery to slyly comment on digital technology's transformation of our psychic landscape. To depict these scenes, Paige uses a pointillist style of mark-making, recalling the work of artist George Seurat while also referencing the pixilation of digital imagery.a??

Gallery Exhibition - Carroll Sockwell
Grey Compositions
Tuesday, October 12 at 10 a.m.-Sunday, November 14

Carroll Sockwell (1943-1992) was a prominent figure in the Washington, D.C. art scene in the 1970's. Often using the simplest of tools--pencil, charcoal, and pastel, Sockwell was an internationally acknowledged master of non-representational abstraction and belongs to the last generation of American Abstract Expressionists, with such influences as Paul Cezanne, Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, Mark Rothko, Willem De Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Cy Twombly. This exhibit features Sockwell's suite of 6 large-scale drawings titled Grey Compositions. The drawings feature a cacophony of black charcoal marks dancing over smoke-like expanses of grey and brown. Viewed together, the abstract works' map-like graphic notations suggest an epic visual poem or musical score.

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