Ford Season Features National Tours and Performances for All Ages

Two Broadway national tours of classic musicals, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Jersey Boys,” will make stops at the University of Mississippi as part of the 2018-19 season at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
Other shows coming to the Ford Center this season include “In the Mood,” a big band USO show with live musicians, singers and dancers; an acrobatic comedy set in the American West of the 1800s; a production of the “Nutcracker” by the Moscow Ballet; a musical based on the Junie B. Jones children’s book series; the comic Gilbert and Sullivan opera “H.M.S. Pinafore” and much more.
“We present another wonderful season in 2018-19 to celebrate the arts,” said Julia Aubrey, Ford Center director. “A diverse and interesting group of shows is scheduled, and you won’t want to miss a single one.”
While tickets to the general public go on sale Aug. 1, those who are members of the Friends of the Ford Center or who become members before the end of July can purchase tickets early. Through July 31, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Ford Center representatives will be available to advise and assist those who want to purchase tickets before they are available to the public.
The season begins next month when Emmy Award-winning actor Gordon Clapp stars in the one-man show, “Robert Frost: This Verse Business.” Clapp, who played Detective Medavoy in the hit TV series “NYPD Blue,” will bring his acclaimed performance of one of America’s most celebrated poets to the Oxford community at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30.
“We will offer our first friends reception in the Studio Theatre before this show,” Aubrey said.
The Robert Frost play is part of the 2018-19 Artist Series that will also include:

• An Oct. 16 concert by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, described as “modern … dramatic … superb … wickedly attentive … with a hint of rock ‘n’ roll”
• A Jan. 31 concert by ensemble 4.1, described as the only “piano windtet” in the world
• A Feb. 12 concert of “We Shall Overcome – A Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.,” which features traditional and modern gospel, classical, jazz, Broadway and spirituals.

This year’s Ford Series begins with the Oct. 21 performance of “The Wizard of Oz,” which promises to be a spectacular celebration of the classic 1939 MGM movie that the entire family can enjoy. “Jersey Boys,” the Tony- and Grammy-winning musical that tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, comes to Ole Miss on Nov. 9.
Just in time for the holidays, Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” dances onto the Ford Center stage on Nov. 30. However, two months before the performance, the Moscow Ballet will host open auditions for student dancers ages 6 to 18 so some of the younger members of the community will be able to perform with the full Russian company. For information on the Sept. 11 auditions, join the email list at https://fordcenter.org/nutcracker-auditions/.
The final two shows in the Ford Series will be “In the Mood” and a production by Cirque Éloize. “In the Mood,” the 25th Silver Celebration Tour that celebrates the big band era with the 13-piece String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra and the “In the Mood” singers and dancers, will be here Feb. 16.
Cirque Éloize, one of the leaders in contemporary circus arts, will present “Saloon: A Musical Acrobatic Adventure.” This traveling company will close out the Ford Series on Feb. 26 with a show featuring a combination of infectious energy and acrobatic comedy that has been described as a music-packed theatrical thrill ride.
This year’s Jazz Series, sponsored by John and Marty Dunbar, kicks off Sept. 13 with The Hot Sardines, a New York-based ensemble that has been featured at the Newport and Montreal jazz festivals, as well as several sold-out New York City venues. The Warren Wolf Quartet, which has taken the jazz world by storm, follows on Nov. 13. This series concludes with a March 7 performance by Billy Hart & the Academy, featuring master jazz drummer Billy Hart.
Other highlights of the 2018-19 season include a special return engagement on Sept. 20 of acclaimed ballet stars Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo as they once again join Bruce Levingston, piano virtuoso and UM Chancellor’s Honors College Artist-in-Residence, for an unforgettable evening of dance and music.
“Junie B. Jones,” a delightful family-friendly production, comes to the Ford Center on March 30. This musical, centered on the popular children’s book character, contains funny songs that kids of all ages will enjoy.
The 2018-19 Ford Season goes out in lighthearted style on April 26-27 when UM Opera Theatre and Orchestra stage the much-loved comedic operetta “H.M.S. Pinafore.” This production is part of the Ford Center’s Campus Connection Series, sponsored by the Madison Charitable Fund through Joc and Leigh Anne Carpenter, and offers faculty and community members an opportunity to join UM students on stage and in the orchestra.
For more information about the performances, visit https://fordcenter.org/.

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Staff Report