BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University's Performing Arts Center (PAC) Series will open the 2008-2009 season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 in the PAC Mainstage Theatre with world fusion music pioneers Baka Beyond.
The PAC Series season will feature three world class performances beginning in November and running through April 2009. The season will also mark the fourth annual Education Matinee Series, which allows students in grades K-12 to attend free matinees on Western's campus by PAC Series artists, as well as some from WWU's College of Fine and Performing Arts disciplines.
This year's season will include something different. "We are really pleased to be able to present dance this year, as it has been three years since we have included it in the Series," PAC Series Manager Courtney Hiatt said.
"In addition to Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, we will also showcase incredibly innovative and energetic artists in the genres of world and classical music," Hiatt said.
The Series will present one performance per academic quarter, beginning with Baka Beyond in the fall. Musicians from six countries in the Celtic fringes of Europe and the West Coast of Africa comprise Baka Beyond, which incorporates those influences to create a completely innovative world fusion music sound. Originally inspired by guitarist Martin Cradick and singer Su Hart's visits to the Baka Forest People in Cameroon, the group's motto "the spirit of the music lives in the rhythm" is evident in their performances as strong African beats underpin Celtic and Gaelic melodies.
The PAC Series season continues in 2009 with the 40th Anniversary Tour of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, the group's first U.S. tour since 1995. Founded by one of America's most versatile, popular and highly acclaimed choreographers, Lar Lubovitch, the company has performed in nearly all 50 American states and in more than 30 foreign countries. The group's anniversary tour performance at WWU will offer Lar Lubovitch's "Men's Stories," a work featuring nine male dancers described by the group as "a powerful exploration of masculinity, biography and character."
In the spring of 2009, the PAC Series will present ETHEL, a string quartet infused with rock, blues, classical, jazz and the presence of a rowdy bar band. Since forming in 1998, the New York-based quartet has performed more than 300 shows in 10 different countries featuring commissioned works, classical songs and their own original compositions. In addition to their touring schedule, members of ETHEL have collaborated with some of today's most compelling artists, including Sheryl Crow, Gorillaz, Roger Daltrey, Yo-Yo Ma, Ornette Coleman and Lenny Kravitz.
PAC Series season tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 9 and will range in price from $36 to $76 for the three events. PAC Series season ticket benefits include free parking and $2 off of each ticket, as well as a $2 discount for additional single ticket purchases.
Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 23 and range in price from $14 to $30 for the performances. A limited number of $6 tickets located in the last three rows of the venue will be available as well.
Tickets are available through the Western Box Office, (360) 650-6146, Village Books and the Community Food Co-op, as well as online via www.tickets.wwu.edu. The Box Office is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and one hour prior to each performance.
All PAC Series performances listed here begin at 7:30 p.m. and are located in a Performing Arts Center venue:
Baka Beyond - World fusion music that features African beats underpinning Celtic and Gaelic melodies to create energetic and utterly infectious rhythms. The concert is Friday, Nov. 7 in the PAC Mainstage Theatre. Tickets cost $14-$26.
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company - The 40th Anniversary Tour of one of the "top ten choreographers in the world," according to The New York Times, that will feature a performance of their critically acclaimed "Men's Stories." Performance is Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 in the PAC Mainstage Theatre. Tickets range in price from $14 to $30.
ETHEL - A post-classical string quartet infused with rock, jazz, blues, pop and the energy of a bar band will perform Friday, April 24, 2009 in the PAC Concert Hall. Tickets cost $14-$26.
Parking lot 14G, located across from the Performing Arts Center, will be reserved for patrons to use for all PAC Series events. Parking costs $1 per hour and patrons will be required to pay at the pay boxes. PAC Series season subscribers will receive free parking and will park in lot 11G, located next to the Performing Arts Center.
The 2008-2009 PAC Series Season is made possible, in part, by major event sponsors Community Food Co-op, Comcast and Banner Bank. The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company performance is funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Ford Foundation and MetLife Foundation.
For more information about the 2008-2009 PAC Series Season please visit the PAC Series Web site at www.pacseries.wwu.edu. For print quality photos, visit http://news.wwu.edu/go/doctype/1538/21447/. To request a brochure, or learn more about the Education Matinee Series, please contact Courtney Hiatt, PAC Series manager, at (360) 650-2829.
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