Singing sensation Jackie Evancho, Ballet Hispanico among performers at Festival BOCA
BOCA RATON — Festival of the Arts BOCA continues its fifth season of performances at the Schmidt Family Centre for the Arts at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater in Boca Raton. Tickets are now on sale.
“With a nod to Kansas and masterful presentation of The Wizard of Oz and the U.S. debut of Montengro’s award-winning guitarist Miloš Karadaglić, this Festival will be our most diverse and engaging yet,” said Charlie Siemon, Festival Chair. “Blending all aspects of culture, multiple generations of talent and pockets of the world, this year’s event will be nothing short of spectacular.”
Headlining the fifth annual event will be 10-year old American crossover soprano sensation, Jackie Evancho, discovered on “America’s Got Talent.” She will conclude the Festival with a performance Saturday, March 12 at the Amphitheater.
Jackie Evancho
Evancho recently released her Syco/Columbia Records CD/DVD debut, “O Holy Night.” She will perform in the Festival’s “A Night at the Opera” with Young Stars of the Metropolitan Opera – Katie Van Kooten (soprano), Jennifer Holloway (mezzo-soprano), Adam Diegel (tenor) and Michael Todd Simpson (baritone); under the direction of Constantine Kitsopoulos and accompanied by the Boca Raton Symphonia.
Piano Latino showcases two Grammy Award-winning Latin pianists, Eddie Palmieri and Michel Camilo and the unique artistry, style, and technique of these two legendary musicians. They are joined by 24-year old Cuban-born pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, one of the Latin music world’s most talented young stars, discovered by the illustrious Quincy Jones. Piano Latino is a Larry Rosen JAZZ ROOTS Production and will be presented Wednesday at 7:30 at the Amphitheater.
Venezuelan-born pianist, Gabriela Montero, who will perform Thursday at 7:30 at the Amphitheater, is known for her visionary interpretations and unique improvisational gifts that have won her a quickly expanding audience and devoted worldwide following. In January 2009, at the invitation of President-Elect Barack Obama, Ms. Montero played in the quartet performance of John Williams’ Air and Simple Gifts at the 56th Inaugural Ceremony.
Ballet Hispanico, based in New York City, performs a diverse repertory by the foremost choreographers of our time as well as emerging artists, and has made more than 3,350 performances throughout 11 countries on three continents. Fusing Latin dance with classical and contemporary techniques, Ballet Hispanico represents a multitude of nationalities including Venezuela, Cuba, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Columbia. The show will be held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Amphitheater.
Oz with Orchestra promises to be an unforgettable, magical presentation of the classic and most-watched film, The Wizard of Oz. The brilliantly restored images are accompanied by the Boca Raton Symphonia playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost scores. This show will be held Friday at 7:30, also at the Amphitheater.
This year’s literature program once again welcomes Distinguished Writer in Residence, Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Presidential Historian; Kevin Bleyer, multiple Emmy Award-winning writer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and co-author of the New York Times #1 bestseller, Earth: The Book to present “When News Breaks, We Should Fix It;” Kate Walbert, author of A Short History of Women (one of The New York Times Book Review’s Ten Best Books of 2009), Our Kind (a Finalist for the National Book Award in 2004); and The Gardens of Kyoto (winner of the Connecticut Book Award for best fiction in 2002); and Seymour Hersh, one of America’s premier investigative reporters and award-winning author of books including Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib and The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House. Call 561-368-8445 or 1-866-571-ARTS, or visit www.festivaloftheartsboca.org for times and tickets.
Individual tickets range from $20 to $125 per person and packages are available for week-long admission to all events. Groups of ten or more will receive a 10% discount on tickets. For group sales, call 866-571-2797.
