Welcome to this evening’s eagerly anticipated West Coast premiere of Memphis Jookin’—The Show featuring Lil Buck, a rousing evening of dance and music that received its world premiere only two weeks ago at Memphis’ historic Orpheum Theatre. Tonight’s performance will take us on a journey to that fabled Tennessee city—home of nicknames as various as Bluff City, Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll, and Barbecued Pork Capital of the World—to chronicle how a singular artform grew from local street dance to international phenomenon. As Lil Buck told the Memphis Flyer earlier this month, “It’s a show about the culture in general, Memphis dance and Memphis music. This show was inspired by a lot of the pivotal people that helped elevate Memphis jookin’ to the place that it is now…. You see the whole development through our lens.”

I also want to make sure you know about another upcoming season highlight (Mar 12), the West Coast premiere of Place, Ted Hearne and Saul Williams’ bold meditation on the topographies of gentrification and displacement. One of this season’s Illuminations “Place and Displace­ment” events (see our website for more information), Place was a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Music; it’s a remarkable work and something I don’t think you’ll want to miss. (The recording for the New Amsterdam label captured the attention of the music world, earning two 2021 Grammy nominations—for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition.)

February marks the time each year when Cal Performances’ schedule shifts into high gear. From now through the beginning of May, the remainder of our 2021­–22 season is packed with ambitious and adventurous programming. You won’t want to miss…

• sensational dance events like The Joffrey Ballet (Mar 4–6), back in Berkeley with a program that includes three West Coast premieres; and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in its ever-popular spring campus residency (Mar 29—Apr 3; Ailey programs have just been announced, so make sure to check our website for details)
• the peerless London Symphony Orchestra (Mar 20), appearing under the direction of superstar conductor Sir Simon Rattle in a program of orchestral masterworks
• early-music masters Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations (Mar 4) performing selections from the beloved 1991 film soundtrack to Alain Corneau’s Tous les matins du monde
• the renowned English Baroque Soloists with conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner in a transfixing program of works by Mozart and Haydn (Apr 10)
• pianist extraordinaire Mitsuko Uchida playing and directing Mozart with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Mar 27)
• Angélique Kidjo, our 2021–22 artist-in-residence, in her brand new music-theater piece Yemandja (a highly anticipated Cal Performances co-commission and Illuminations event, Apr 23).

Fasten your seatbelts; we have all of this—plus much more—in store for you!

We’re very proud of our new and updated winter brochure and know that a few minutes spent reviewing our schedule—in print or online—will reveal a wealth of options for your calendar; now is the perfect time to guarantee that you have the best seats for all the events you plan to attend.

I know you join us in looking forward to what lies ahead, to coming together once again to
encounter the life-changing experiences that only the live performing arts deliver. We can’t wait to share it all with you during the coming months.

Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances