THE MODLIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 SEASON

(RICHMOND, VA) June 11, 2012 – The Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond will open the 2012-2013 season on Thursday, September 6 with a live broadcast of the National Theatre of London’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This new production, based on the international best-selling novel by Mark Haddon and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, will be the first of a scheduled 84 events and 113 performances presented by ModlinArts, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Department of Music. 

“In the 2012-2013 season, we are excited to present an eclectic blend of American Roots music and global offerings,” says Modlin Center Executive Director Deborah Sommers. “From Dr. Ralph Stanely and Mike Birbiglia to the Ebène Quartet and the Russian National Ballet, we are spanning the globe this season with some of the worlds most renowned talent.” 

Following The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the Modlin Center will launch the ModlinArts Concert Series with Grammy^®-winning bluegrass all-stars, the Del McCoury Band and special guest Chatham County Line. The ModlinArts Concert Series will continue on September 21 with the raucous sounds of the pioneering Brooklyn dhol’n brass band Red Baraat, fresh off of their performances at SXSW and Bonaroo. Other artists in the concert series will include flamenco singer Buika; ukulele phenomenon Jake Shimabukuro; Spirituals to Funk featuring Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama; Dailey and Vincent; The Retro Roots Tour featuring Dr. Ralph Stanely and the Clinch Mountain Boys with special guests The Seldom Scene and Jim Lauderdale; an evening with Judy Collins; Danú; fadista Ana Moura; and John Sebastian and David Grisman in concert.

Winter Jazz at the Modlin will return on December 2 with the Julian Lage Group. Jazz guitar prodigy Julian Lage will be joined by multi-Grammy^®-nominated drummer and composer Eric Harland, critically acclaimed bassist Jorge Roeder, and saxophonist and composer Dan Blake. This season’s jazz series will also include 2009 Thelonious Monk Competition-winner Ben Williams; Live at Birdland featuring the Birdland Big Band directed by Tommy Igoe; and Salsa Mania featuring trombonist Chris Washburne’s Latin jazz group S.Y.O.T.O.S. performing with the University of Richmond Jazz Ensemble and Combos. 

For composer Philip Glass’ 75^th birthday celebration year, the Modlin Center for the Arts will explore the genius of this pioneering artist. Through lectures, demonstrations, films, performances, and the ModlinArts Artist Voices Series, the Philip Glass Festival will examine the many facets and enduring legacy of Glass’ work. The Philip Glass Festival will include the films Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts; Koyaanisqatsi; and La Belle et La Bête. The festival will also include performances and lectures by Grammy® Award-winning ensemble-in-residence eighth blackbird, an Artist Voices presentation with Philip Glass, and a special performance by Glass and violinist Tim Fain.   

Internationally renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein, praised by TIME for her “arresting freshness and subtlety,” will be the first artist in the season’s ModlinArts Classical Series. Dinnerstein will be followed by baritone Matthew Worth, a 2001 graduate of the University of Richmond; the Shanghai Quartet with violist Paul Neubauer; ensemble-in-residence eighth blackbird; the Takács Quartet performing the Bartòk string quartet cycle over two performances; and one of the world’s most sought-after ensembles, the Ebène Quartet.

On November 4, ModlinArts, in partnership with the University of Richmond Museums, will host the annual Family Arts Day Celebration. This family-friendly event will include activity tables, art projects, food, and a performance of Saint-Saën’s Carnival of the Animals by eighth blackbird and special guests. The ModlinArts Family and Young Audience Series will also include the electroluminescent puppetry of Corbian and Lightwire Theatre’s productions of The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare. 

The ModlinArts School Series will present professional theatre, music, and dance performances for students in grades K-12 in the greater Richmond Area. Designed to complete and enhance K-12 curriculum and to give students entertaining and informative access to world-class and culturally diverse arts, the school series will include matinee performances of L.A. Theatre Works’ radio production of Pride and Prejudice, The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Acting Company’s Of Mice and Men.

The 2012-2013 ModlinArts Dance Series will offer an exciting blend of contemporary and traditional dance styles beginning with a an Artist Voices discussion with choreographer Jessica Lang and a performance by Jessica Lang Dance. Lang will be followed by the predominantly African-American dance traditions of PHILADANCO; the amazing technical expertise of the Mark Morris Dance Group; New Zealand contemporary dance company Black Grace; and the Russian National Ballet’s presentation of the immortal classic The Sleeping Beauty.

The Modlin Center will crisscross the globe in the ModlinArts Theatre, Comedy, and Special Events Series. The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China, Direct from Beijing will kick-off the series with the stunning acrobatics of Cirque Chinois. Additional offerings in the series will include comedian, author, and director Mike Birbiglia performing his Lucille Lortel Award-winning solo show My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend followed by L.A. Theatre Works’ radio production of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. The series will continue with the kung fu mastery of the Shaolin Warriors; the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch 3^rd Battalion joined by The Band of The Scots Guard; flamenco guitarist Paco Peña; Les 7 Doigts de la Main’s mind-bending cirque show PSY; and The Acting Company’s production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

The Modlin Center, in partnership with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, will present the fourth season of filmed performances by the National Theatre, London. NT Live brings the best of British theatre direct from the stages of London to audiences around the world by capturing live performances in high definition and broadcasting them via satellite to participating venues. In addition to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, titles announced for the 2012-2013 season will include The Last of the Haussmans, Timon of Athens, and The Count of Monte Cristo. Additional titles will be announced throughout the season and can be found at modlin.richmond.edu.     

The Modlin Center for the Arts has also been selected as a host site for On Screen/In Person, which tours new independent American films and their respective filmmakers to communities across the mid-Atlantic region. With six monthly screenings September through April, the 2012-2013 series will explore the connections between the arts and humanities, and will include workshops, discussions, and master classes with the filmmaker. A complete list of films and activities will be available in July. For more information, visit modlin.richmond.edu or the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website at www.midatlanticarts.org.

For a full listing of 2011-2012 season events, please visit modlin.richmond.edu.

Additional Information

Subscriptions: Subscriptions are on sale beginning June 15. Subscribers may choose four (4) or more events to create a customized package and save 20% per ticket over the regular, adult ticket price. Subscribers also enjoy the ability to purchase tickets before single-event ticket buyers and retain the 20% discount for any additional ticket purchases throughout the season.

Single Tickets: Tickets for individual performances will go on sale on August 6 at 10am. Tickets will be available online at modlin.richmond.edu, in person at the Modlin Center box office, or by phone at (804) 289-8980.

Box Office Summer Hours: The Modlin Center Box Office is open from 2-5pm weekdays during the summer, 10am-5pm weekdays during the school year and 90 minutes prior to most performances. For additional information, please visit the Modlin Center box office, call (804) 289-8980, or email at modlinarts@richmond.edu.  

About the Modlin Center for the Arts
The Modlin Center for the Arts, which opened in 1996, features state-of-the-art performance venues, galleries, studios, and classrooms. Praised as "a work of art itself" by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the $22.5 million, 165,000-square-foot facility is home to the departments of Art and Art History, Music, and Theatre and Dance. 

The Modlin Center for the Arts presents more than 40 world-class performing arts events as part of the ModlinArts series, five productions presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance and the University Players and Dancers, and another 28 music performances as part of the Department of Music's annual free concert series. Many of the events presented at the Modlin Center feature an academic component designed specifically for Richmond students. These activities, which are free and open to the public, include master classes and lecture demonstrations, as well as pre-concert and exhibition lectures.