UA – Pulaski Tech presents CHARTS Live 2020-21 with a season that includes a diverse package of concerts, comedy and educational programming.
The Center for Humanities and Arts (CHARTS) opened in 2016 with a 90,000 square-foot facility that houses a 456-seat proscenium theater for concerts, theater performances recitals and other events. The 2020-21 season packages are on sale now. Ticket buyers may pick from as few as three concerts to save anywhere from 10-20% off ticket prices, depending on the total number of shows chosen. Single tickets for each show will go on sale starting Sept. 15.
To keep performers, staff and audience members safe, UA – Pulaski Tech has implemented several COVID-19 guidelines. This includes limited seating, doors will open earlier than usual to avoid crowding in the lobby, patrons will have their temperatures taken befor entering the theater, face masks will be required when entering the theater and patrons are asked to leave the theater in a timely manner to avoid crowding in the lobby after the show.
Here’s what you can expect this season:
Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery
Jan. 6, 2021
Join Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery for a funny and fun-filled evening of cabaret. Lynch is an actress, singer, playwright, and author well-known for her portrayal of the iconic bully Sue Sylvester on “Glee.” She can be seen on Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” with her Emmy Award-winning performance as Sophie Lennon. Kate Flannery is best known for her nine seasons as Meredith on “The Office.”
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical
Jan. 30, 2021
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical is the only spontaneous, unscripted theatrical awards show. After the audience submits made-up song titles, the show’s master improvisers create songs and choreography on the spot and build a full-blown improvised musical, complete with witty dialogue, memorable characters and plot twists galore.
Minnijean Brown and Spirit Tawfiq: Legacy of Resistance: An Intergenerational Conversation about Activism
Feb. 4, 2021
Minnijean Brown-Trickey made history as one of the Little Rock Nine who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Her daughter, Spirit Tawfiq, is an antiracism educator and storyteller serving as an intergenerational bridge between the Civil Rights Movement and the powerful freedom train engineered by today’s courageous and passionate young people. Together, they tell a story that carries the weight of history and is needed more urgently than ever.
Bobby McFerrin
Feb. 10, 2021
Singer Bobby McFerrin defies categorization, creating masterful and innovative improvised performances with four other superbly talented vocalists. Best known for his hit a cappella song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” his career boasts 10 Grammy Awards and collaborations with artists as diverse as Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Questlove and the Vienna Philharmonic.
Asleep at the Wheel
Feb. 12, 2021
Western swing is what Asleep at the Wheel founder Ray Benson calls “jazz with a cowboy hat.” For more than 50 years, Asleep at the Wheel has thrilled live audiences with their creative reinvention of a broad palette of toe-tapping American roots music.
Ani DiFranco
March 13, 2021
Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more exotic sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince.
Larkin Poe
March 18, 2021 (rescheduled from 2020)
Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of roots rock ‘n’ roll, which is gritty, soulful and flavored by their Southern heritage.
Lea Salonga
April 14, 2021
Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is world-renowned for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in “Miss Saigon.” Many fans of all ages recognize Salonga as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan for “Mulan” and “Mulan II.” For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend.”
“Potted Potter”
April 27, 2021
Playing to sold out houses all over the world, “Potted Potter” takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into 70 hilarious minutes. This fantastically funny show features all your favorite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic.
John Mayall and Walter Trout
May 6, 2021
Since the early 60s English singer, pianist, harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter John Mayall has nurtured and advanced the art of the blues. Still going strong at 86, Mayall continues to play the blues with depth and emotion. Touring with Mayall and co-headlining the show is rocking blues guitar ace Walter Trout, who spent decades as a sideman, playing guitar behind the likes of John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Joe Tex, and Mayall, before branching out on his own.
For more info about the shows or to purchase tickets, head to UA-PTC’s website.