A 15-time Grammy nominee and a world traveling Celtic rock group are just the tip of the iceberg for the upcoming performances coming to the Doudna Fine Arts Center at Eastern this semester.
There are many premier events happening at Doudna this semester. To kick off the premier events, the band Kashmir will be performing their Led Zeppelin tribute show in the Dvorak Concert Hall on Friday Jan. 19.
“Preparations for Kashmir are well on track to being ready by Friday,” said Honor Baker, senior music education major, who also works as one of the crew members at Doudna. “The stage is set, trussing has been constructed and most lights have been hung. From what I hear, Kashmir is almost completely sold out, so it should be an exciting show.”
Other performers will also be coming to Charleston during the spring season.
- 15-time Grammy nominee Fred Hersch at the 64th Annual EIU Jazz Festival – Friday Feb. 2
- Chicago Tap Theatre: Unleash The Beats – Saturday Feb 17
- Marielle Kraft – Saturday March 2
- WindSync – Thursday March 28
“The show I’m personally looking forward to the most is the Red Hot Chili Pipers,” said Baker.
The Red Hot Chili Pipers are a nine-member ensemble that is composed of bagpipers, guitarists, keyboardists and drummers. That will be the final Doudna premier event of the semester on Saturday April 6. The Red Hot Chili Pipers have traveled all over the world performing their Celtic rock music since 2002.
Doudna will also be hosting student theatre events this spring semester. With a multitude of different performances for different types of audiences, the Eastern theatre department will have several performances throughout the semester.
- EIU Dancers Spring Concert – Feb. 9 & 10
- Dead Man’s Cell Phone – March 7, 8, 9, & 10
- John and Jen – April 11, 12, 13, & 14
- New Works Symposium – April 19 & 20
The play this semester is Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which is an imaginative new comedy by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl. The play tackles topics such as how we memorialize the dead and the need to connect in a world driven by technology.
The musical being performed this semester is John and Jen, which takes place in a changing America from 1950 through 1990. The musical tackles themes of connections, commitments and the healing of the human heart. This performance is a chamber musical with a cast of only two people.
Eastern’s music department will also begin having multiple concerts performed by groups such as the Eastern Symphony Orchestra, EIU Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble just to name a few. The first concert scheduled for the year is for the EIU Wind Symphony and Faculty Showcase Friday Feb. 9. Other concerts this semester are currently scheduled, with a wide range of different genres to hear perform.
- Choral Ensembles – Sunday Feb. 11
- Eastern Symphony Orchestra – Friday Feb. 23
- Symphonic Band and Concert Band – Tuesday Feb. 27
- Wind Symphony Chamber Ensembles – Friday March 8
- Percussion Ensemble Concert – Tuesday March 12
- Opera Scenes – Thursday April 18
- Wind Symphony with Guest High School – Friday April 19
- Eastern Symphony Orchestra & Choral Ensembles – Sunday April 21
Lastly EIU’s Jazz Ensemble will perform on Tuesday April 23 as one of the last performances of the semester.
It’s looking to be a packed semester for performances to see at Doudna.
For more information on any events hosted by Doudna – like how to get tickets or times and dates of future performances – you can visit their website.
Gunnar Olson can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
