Inspiring Joy: Performances that Amaze, Entertain, and Uplift
“…Many of us first fell in love with performances because they can also bring a pure and profound sense of enjoyment, a chance to be amazed simply at the talent and spectacle of what we see on stage.”
In this video, executive and artistic director Jeremy Geffen shares seven performances, each offering a very different yet equally uplifting experience in the theater. From tap dancing to circus arts performance, from sing-along concerts to miming, the season has something for everyone—including, in many cases, young ones in the family, too! Watch below to get a sneak peek of:
Transcript
Jeremy Geffen:
We often talk about the arts’ ability to expand our understanding of the world and to unpack complex issues. Indeed, the performing arts can and do routinely do all of the above, and yet many of us first fell in love with performances because they can also bring a pure and profound sense of enjoyment, a chance to be amazed simply at the talent and spectacle of what we see on stage. In this video, I’ll highlight a few performances of our 2024–25 season that will leave your eyes sparkling, your jaw dropping, and your smile stretching as wide as it can go.
In October, Swiss mime troupe Mummenschanz returns to Cal Performances as part of its 50th anniversary season with a program ripe with visual spectacle. In the magical hands of Mummenschanz, toilet paper rolls transform into animated faces, pipes enjoin to create workable arms and legs, and clay masks are formed and deformed live on stage. Deeply imaginative, energetic and witty, this production will enchant audiences of all ages.
Theater and circus arts collide, quite literally, in SLAM!, a one-of-a-kind collaboration between Quebec-based Ex Machina and Cirque FLIP Fabrique. Under famed director Robert Lepage, circus artists dynamically interpret wrestling cultures from around the world, pushing the boundaries of the ring in this dramatic and electric extravaganza.
In November, Disney Concerts will bring Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert. This immersive and heartwarming concert experience invites Encanto lovers of all ages to sing along with a live band while watching the full film. The Grammy-nominated soundtrack features eight original songs by songwriter-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda with a score by composer Germaine Franco. Truly a treat for the whole family.
Just in time for winter holidays, New York’s Dorrance Dance returns to Cal Performances. Known for redefining tap dance, the company applies its playful and innovative spirit to transform a Christmas classic, The Nutcracker. Co-created by Michelle Dorrance, Hannah Heller and Josette Wiggin, this dazzling saucy satire is set to hot jazz rhythms that melt into the mesmerizing tapping on the stage.
In Japanese, the word KODO means “heartbeat,” as well as “drum” and “child.” In January, the revered taiko drummers returned to Berkeley for their Warabe tour, which honors the group’s desire to “play the drums with the simple heart of a child.” Drawing on more traditional origins of the art form, both musically and aesthetically, Warabe promises to envelop audiences with percussion that is seen and felt, just as much as it is heard.
Since their formation during a dark time in South Africa’s history, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has used their distinctive voice to encourage, inspire, and unify. In March, this multiple Grammy award-winning vocal harmony group will combine their powerful sound with a powerful message of freedom, hope, and love, as uplifting today as it has been for decades.
Broadway legend Patti LuPone leaves her program up to fate in Songs from a Hat. Stripped down in an intimate setting, fueled by music, banter, and unscripted storytelling, LuPone will, quite literally, draw from a hat titles of songs that have made her a household name, as well as a Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award winner. Her dynamite combination of powerful vocals and beguiling charm is sure to delight.
