IRISH DANCE COMPANY TO STEP ON STAGE AT CLEMSON

The Trinity Irish Dance Company of Chicago will perform at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University on Monday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m.

The show will quickly dispel any notions of standard Irish step dancing. By expanding the repertoire to include other rich ethnic traditions, this ensemble takes the art form to a new level. Under the artistic direction of founder Mark Howard, the company has danced to the music of bluegrass legend Bill Monroe and music from Greece, as well as infused African, Russian and modern dance steps into the choreography.

At the same time, the Trinity Irish Dance Company remains true to Ireland. "The company respects the traditional forms of Irish step dancing, in which the feet are nimble while the upper body remains calm," said a "New York Times" critic. This respect is evident in two signature works, "Blackthorn" and "Celtic Thunder," which showcase both linear and intricate footwork.

Modern dance choreographer Sean Curran adds contemporary swing to the Irish tradition with his piece "Jump, Jive, and Jig." This dance borrows steps from swing and jitterbug dancing, where the dancers feet move crisply across the floor while their upper bodies remain loose.

The Trinity Irish Dance Company has won numerous awards and critical acclaim, including the prestigious title of "Honored Troupe" at the Belgium International Dance Festival and the World Champions Award from the International Irish Step Dance Competition in Ireland.

The company has performed sold-out shows throughout Europe and Asia, and has appeared in such distinguished American venues as Washington's Kennedy Center and New York City's Joyce Theatre. "Backdraft" and "The Road to Perdition" are popular Hollywood films that have showcased the troupe. Television appearances include "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "CBS This Morning" and "Live with Regis."

Tickets for the Trinity Irish Dance Company performance are $22 for adults and $15 for students. Information and tickets are available at the Brooks Center box office, (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m., and at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

CLEMSON PLAYERS OPEN SEASON WITH 'MISS JULIE'

New York director and actor Paul Savas will lead the Clemson Players in a production of the tumultuous drama "Miss Julie." The play, an in-your-face battle of the sexes, opens Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University.

Written by master dramatist August Strindberg, "Miss Julie" pits two equally strong characters against each other in a turbulent game of sexual politics. Set in the kitchen of a large manor house on a sultry midsummer's night, Miss Julie, the arrogant and beautiful daughter of the master of the house, is alone with the servants. She finds herself drawn to Jean, a footman with ambitions beyond his station. Throughout the night, while Jean's fianc�e sleeps, the mistress and the servant begin to create an increasingly intimate relationship, resulting the next morning in a tragic climax.

"Miss Julie" will be presented in the Brooks Center's 100-seat Bellamy Theatre. Curtain times are at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 3-7, and at 3 p.m. on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 7-8. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For tickets and information, call the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Information is available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

"Miss Julie" contains adult language and adult content and may not be suitable for all audiences.

CLEMSON ORCHESTRA CONCERT TO FEATURE WINNERS

The winners of the 2006 Clemson University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition will take center stage at 8 p.m. in the Oct. 10 concert of the Clemson University Symphony Orchestra at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts.

Under the baton of Andrew Levin, the concert also will feature selections from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and the Overture from Verdi's "La Forza del Desimo."

Tickets for the Clemson University Symphony Orchestra concert are $5 for adults. The performance is free to students. For tickets and information, call the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787. Information is also available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

DUKES OF DIXIELAND BRING NEW ORLEANS SWING TO TIGER TOWN WITH GUEST VOCALIST LUTHER KENT

One of America's most distinguished jazz ensembles and one of New Orleans' most distinctive rhythm and blues singers will perform at Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. The Dukes of Dixieland and R & B singer Luther Kent are set to perform on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m.

With more than 50 years of performing and touring, the Dukes of Dixieland are the oldest continuing Dixieland jazz band in the country. Hailing from New Orleans, the six-member ensemble is one of the Big Easy's most cherished musical treasures.

Kent, affectionately known throughout the Crescent City as "Big Luther," is one of the city's most recognized voices. Not only can he be heard performing in various venues throughout the city and on a variety of recordings, Kent is currently the singing voice for the New Orleans Tourist Commission and on commercials for Harrah's Casino in New Orleans. He is the featured voice on a special recording of the Louisiana State University fight song.

A native of New Orleans, Kent began performing professionally at age 14. He has made 10 recordings and is a member of the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Hall of Fame. Kent has shared the stage with ZZ Top, B. B. King, Dr. John and Bo Diddley.

Combined, Kent and the Dukes of Dixieland offer a unique blend of New Orleans jazz and blues. Their concerts feature traditional Dixieland fare and backbeat, pounding blues that are sure to please music lovers of all tastes.

Tickets for the Dukes of Dixieland concert with Luther Kent are $20 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets and information are available at the Brooks Center box office, (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Information is also available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE SHARES JAPANESE CULTURE

The rafters of Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts will reverberate with rhythm, dancing, chanting and colorful lighting when San Jose Taiko performs at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16.

As part of the Brooks Center's Family Series, the California-based ensemble will present a concert that combines the ancient beats of the Japanese taiko (pronounced Tie-koh) drums with other musical genres, such as rock-n-roll, jazz and African, Balinese, and Latin traditions.

Founded in the early 1970s, San Jose Taiko is one of the oldest Asian drumming ensembles of its kind in America.

The taiko, which means "great drum" in Japanese, had several traditional uses, among them dispelling evil spirits, ridding insects, producing rain and inspiring troops. The taiko comes in various sizes and shapes - small hand-held instruments to large elongated and barrel shapes.

For more than 30 years, San Jose Taiko has mesmerized audiences with powerful, spellbinding and propulsive performances. Under the artistic direction of Roy and P.J. Hirabayashi, San Jose Taiko became one of the first American taiko troupes invited to tour Japan. They have been honored to present joint performances with several internationally renowned Asian performing artists.

The National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Knight Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation have recognized San Jose Taiko for its artistic and managerial excellence with awards and grants.

Tickets to San Jose Taiko are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets and information are available at the Brooks Center box office, (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Information is also available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

RUSSIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PERFORMS FOR CLEMSON'S UTSEY SERIES

For the 20th anniversary of the Utsey Chamber Music Series at Clemson University, the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts will host a free performance by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, one of finest young musical ensembles in Russia, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m.

Whether for its highly acclaimed recordings or its mesmerizing concerts, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin's warmth and high energy stay with listeners long after the last note has been played.

In addition to an active schedule of presenting concerts and playing for festivals in Moscow, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin tours regularly in North and South America, Europe and the Far East.

Now in its 20th year, Clemson University's Utsey Chamber Music Series has presented more than 100 free chamber music concerts for the Clemson community, the Upstate and the state of South Carolina. The series has been recognized for outstanding programming and community service, and has earned national accolades for showcasing the best soloists and ensembles in the genre. Support for this free concert is provided by the Utsey Chamber Music Endowment, South Carolina's only endowment dedicated to presenting free chamber music.

Additional information about Chamber Orchestra Kremlin is available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks or by calling the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m.

DANCE COMPANY TO BRING ATHLETICISM, EXUBERANCE, JOY TO CLEMSON STAGE

Combining athleticism, exuberant personality and joyous movement, the highly acclaimed Parsons Dance Company comes to the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts stage on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m., making Clemson University one stop on its yearlong tour across America and Europe.

Founded in 1987 by David Parsons and lightening designer Howell Binkley, the Parsons Dance Company has thrilled audiences on six continents, giving more than 1,500 performances and many educational and community outreach residency activities.

Compromised of 10 full-time dancers, the Parsons Dance Company strives to combine modern dance with the art of theatre and original musical scores.

The company displays a variety of choreography styles, from fast-paced pieces to slow, romantic ones. Parsons even manages to blend his unique sense of humor into the company's dances. Take for example, "Envelope," a piece that features the dancers struggling over a piece of stationery.

As a choreographer, Parsons has created more than 70 works for the company and produced commissioned works for several prominent presenters. The Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (Becket, Mass.), the Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston) and the American Dance Festival (Durham, N.C.) are just a few. He has received numerous awards, including the 2000 Dance Magazine Award and the 2001 American Choreography Award.

Tickets for the Clemson performance of the Parsons Dance Company are $22 for adults and $17 for students. Tickets are available at the Brooks Center box office, (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Information is available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

NATIONAL TOUR OF 'MAN OF LA MANCHA' COMES TO CLEMSON'S BROOKS CENTER

"Man of La Mancha," the Tony Award-winning musical based on the classic novel "The Adventures of Don Quixote" is coming to Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m.

A powerful blend of tragedy, romance, comedy and adventure, "Man of La Mancha" is the epic story of Don Quixote, his servant Sancho and the woman of his dreams, the lovely Dulcinea.

One of the all-time great successes of the American stage, "Man of La Mancha" is based on a novel written by Miguel de Cervantes. The story was first adapted for television by Dale Wasserman in 1960. But, it was Wasserman's collaboration with composer Mitch Leigh and lyricist Joe Darion that transformed the story into a bona fide Broadway hit. The original production opened in New York in November 1965 and starred actor Richard Kiley in the lead role.

From the outset, the show was a major success and won all the major theatre awards for the season, including being named "Best Musical" by the New York Drama Critics' Circle, "Variety" and "The Saturday Review." "Man of La Mancha" also received five Tony Awards, with one for the composer, the lyricist, the director and actor Kiley for his performance of Quixote.

Among the musical's award-winning songs are "I'm Only Thinking of Him," "What Does He Want of Me?" "Little Bird, Little Bird," and the always popular "The Impossible Dream."

Tickets for "Man of La Mancha" are $30. Tickets and information are available at the box office, (864) 656-7787, Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Information is also available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks.

(Images provided by Clemson.)

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