Mark Morris Dance Group Celebrates 50 years of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with Pepperland Performances
HOUSTON (January 20, 2020) – The celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band continues with Pepperland a unique evening-length work by Mark Morris presented by Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) on January 30-31, 2020 at the Wortham Theater Center.
Mark Morris Dance Group’s tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, resounds with all the ingenuity, musicality, wit and humanity for which the company is known. Pepperland features an original score by Ethan Iverson that intermingles arrangements of the songs “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, “With a Little Help From My Friends”, “A Day in the Life”, “When I’m Sixty-Four”, “Within You Without You”, and “Penny Lane” with six Pepper-inspired original pieces intended especially for Morris’ profound understanding of classical forms: Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio, and the blues. This is a must-see for dance and Beatles fans alike.
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About Mark Morris Dance Group
Founded in New York in 1980, the internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has been called “the preeminent modern dance organization of our time” (Yo-Yo Ma). After spending three years residing in Brussels’ Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie as Belgium’s national dance company, MMDG returned to the United States in 1991. MMDG has received “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity” (Bloomberg News). The Dance Group is distinguished as the only modern dance company with a commitment to live music at every performance, founding the MMDG Music Ensemble in 1996. In addition to the ensemble, MMDG regularly collaborates with eminent musicians across many genres. Community engagement is also a vital component of the Dance Group. Through the organization’s Access/MMDG programming, MMDG integrates opportunities for dance, music, talks, and education at its Brooklyn home, the Mark Morris Dance Center, as well as on tour around the world.
About MMDG Music Ensemble
Pepperland‘s unique chamber music ensemble consists of New York City’s finest musicians specializing in voice (Clinton Curtis), theremin (Rob Schwimmer), soprano sax (Sam Newsome), trombone (Jacob Garchik), organ/harpsichord (Colin Fowler), piano (Ethan Iverson) and percussion (Vinnie Sperrazza).
About Society for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting organization in the Southwest. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world’s finest music, dance and theater events, in adherence to the belief that the arts are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within a community. In addition to presenting artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes, lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.
WHO: Society for the Performing Arts presents…
WHAT: Mark Morris Dance Group Pepperland
WHEN: Thursday, January 30, 2020, at 8 pm and Friday, January 31, 2020, at 8 pm
WHERE: The Wortham Theater Center – Cullen Theater
WHAT ELSE: Tickets start at $39. Tickets can be purchased at www.spahouston.org, by calling 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 am – 5 pm Monday–Friday. Prices are subject to change.