WCU Live! Series 2011-2012

David Sanchez
Saturday, February 11, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
Adults  $20, Seniors/Students $15

Born in Puerto Rico, critically acclaimed saxophonist David Sanchez fuses a straight ahead jazz sound with African, Afro-Cuban and Caribbean influences. Considered to be one of the finest saxophonists of his generation, Sanchez continues to be in demand for workshops and master classes and has a passion for teaching and sharing his art with up and coming musicians. The multiple Grammy-Award winner recently released his eighth album, Cultural Survival, to heralded reviews.

Learn more about the artist:
www.davidsanchezmusic.com

Sacred Earth, presented by Ragamala Dance
Friday, February 24, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
Adults  $20, Seniors/Students $15

Sacred Eath brings two rich and ancient Indian visual art traditions- Warli paintings and Kolam rice flour drawings- into conversation with Bharatanatyam.  Performed against large-scale painted panels by master folk artist Anil Chaitya Vangad, Sacred Earth transforms the stage into a scared space and invokes a deep connection to the Earth. Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy's choreography gives physical form to the spiritual expression of the Warlis and Kolmas, illustrating the ephemeral nature of our existence and celebrating the ongoing, ever-renewing cycle of life.

Ragamala Video from meleck davis on Vimeo.

More about the artists:

www.ragamala.net

Golden Dragon Acrobats
Friday, March 2, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
Adults  $20, Seniors/Students $15

The performers of the Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the best of this honored tradition, mixing award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, and ancient and contemporary theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

More about the artists:
www.goldendragonacrobats.com

Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey and Brendan Dolan
Friday, March 16, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre
Adults  $20, Seniors/Students $15

Brian Conway, 1986 senior all-Ireland champion on fiddle; Billy McComisky, winner of seven all-Ireland button accordia championships; and keyboardist Brendan Dolan will present an evening of traditional Irish music.

Learn more about the artist:

www.brianconway.com/

The Wiz of the West
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
Adults  $10, Seniors/Students $8

Back by popular demand, the Missoula Children's Theatre, the country's pre-eminent professional children's theatre company, returns to West Chester University and will be recruiting more than 50 local children to stage an original musical adaptation of The Wiz of the West.

Auditions: Monday, March 19 at 3:45 p.m. in the Emilie K. Asplundh Hall, Philips Memorial Building.  Approximately 50 roles are available for local students. Registration for auditions is required.

More about the artists:

www.mctinc.org

United States Air Force
Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Asplundh Concert Hall, Philips Memorial Building
Tickets are FREE, but required

Rhythm in Blue features the diverse talents of 15 professional musicians whose commitment to excellence has earned worldwide acclaim and military distinction. The band incorporates a wide repertoire of jazz and fusion, from big band swing to cutting-edge contemporary music. Their fabulous vocalist radiates sounds of the great jazz divas and inspires with patriotic classics.

Activated in 1941, The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band has a rich history of inspiring public patriotism and enhancing esprit de corps among all the US military service branches.  These world-class musicians come from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia.  They travel more than 30,000 miles each year, performing concerts for the public and providing music for military protocol events throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.  Under the leadership of Major Jeffrey B. Warner, the USAF Heritage of America Band remains at the forefront of preserving and enriching America's military and musical heritage into the 21st century.

Learn more about the band:
www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil

The Illumination Band
Saturday, March 31, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
General Public  $10, Students FREE

The Illumination Band has taken Rumi's verse and married it to bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian musical traditions. Soaring vocal harmonies, lilting melodies, and soulful blues give way to spoken-word poems. Blurring musical genres, crossing cultural boundaries, the Illumination Band concerts cover a lot of territory but always return to deep yearning for transcendence.

More about the artists:

www.virtualux.com/illumination/page2.html

Tamagawa University Taiko Drumming and Dance Troupe
Thursday, April 5, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
General Admission $5

Back by popular demand, nearly 30 drummers and dancers from Tamagawa University return to our campus for an athletic and graceful performance that includes thundering Taiko drumming and Japanese folkloric dance. They return to the U.S. to perform at Cherry Blossom Festivals in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

More about the show:

www.kennedy-center.org/

Stig Rossen presents

Showstoppers of Broadway and Beyond
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall
Adults  $20, Seniors/Students $15

This Danish tenor sensation is a double threat as an actor and singer and has performed in countless sold-out concert tours and musical theater productions worldwide, including in his native Denmark. Rossen came to fame when he assumed the lead role ofJean Valjean in the musical Les Miserables. He has appeared in productions of the musicals Chess, Copacabana, and Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas. Rossens's musical style spans many genres, including musical theatre, popular music, gospel, and timeless standards.

More information about the artist:
www.stigrossen.dk/home-13.html