Do you hear that? It’s the sound of dancers’ feet hitting the floor. It’s the melody of a tune sung from the stage. It’s the laughter and applause from the audience in seats that have been empty since early 2020. The 2021-2022 performing arts season is back to entertain Kentuckians across the Commonwealth. Here are just a few of the shows you won’t want to miss.
SEPT. 11
The Awesome ’80s: Orchestra Kentucky
SKyPAC, Bowling Green
270.904.1880
orchestrakentucky.com
Let Orchestra Kentucky take you back to the days when clothes were flashed with neon hues, hair was big, and MTV aired music videos. The Awesome ’80s will kick off the orchestra’s Retro Series season with songs from Prince, Tears for Fears, George Michael, the B-52s and more.
OCT. 9
Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery: Two Lost Souls
Norton Center for the Arts, Danville
877.HIT.SHOW
nortoncenter.com
Jane Lynch (of Glee, Best in Show and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame) and Kate Flannery (from The Office) team up for what’s described as an “uproarious comedy cabaret act.” The Tony Guerrero Quartet will join Jane and Kate onstage to bring the audience pop-rock favorites, rapid-fire repartee, and plenty of laughs. This female version of the Rat Pack is recommended for those 12 and up.
OCT. 12
Jabali African Acrobats
RiverPark Center, Owensboro
270.687.ARTS
riverparkcenter.org
The Jabali African Acrobats are known throughout the world for their high-energy performances, and they’re bringing their acrobatic feats to Kentucky this fall. Tumbling, contortion, human pyramids, balancing and other specialties are set to music and include motivational elements. Be ready: The performers like to bring the audience in with their Flamingo Limbo Bar Dance, Congo Snake Dance and Skip Rope Jump.
NOV. 11-14
Louisville Ballet’s Swan Lake
The Brown Theatre, Louisville
502.583.2623
louisvilleballet.org
The Louisville Ballet opens its 70th anniversary season with the timeless classic Swan Lake. With music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Robert Curran, this production will transport audiences to a futuristic world with updated sets and costumes that are said to “challenge concepts of light and dark, uniformity, and the meanings we attach to both.”
DEC. 3-11
Dashing Through the Snow
Village Players of Fort Thomas, Fort Thomas
859.240.7897
villageplayers.org
Bring the entire family to northern Kentucky to get into a humorous holiday spirit with Dashing Through the Snow. Set at the Snowflake Inn in Tinsel, Texas, this comedic play follows the antics of eccentric guests arriving just days before Christmas. Family feuds and hilarious plots and subplots add to the fun.
JAN. 6
Ashley McBryde, This Town Talks Tour
Brown Theatre, Louisville
502.584.7777
kentuckyperformingarts.org
Country music star Ashley McBryde brings her vocal talents to the stage following this year’s release of “Never Will,” which garnered Grammy Award nominations as well as nods from the ACM and CMT awards. McBryde broke onto the music scene in 2018 and is now described as country music’s “ordained and highly capable standard bearer.” Fellow country singer Priscilla Block is the Louisville show’s special guest.
FEB. 10-20
Unpacking Mother
Market House Theatre, Paducah
502.444.6828
markethousetheatre.org
Head to the western part of the state to see the world premiere of Karen Schaeffer’s award-winning script Unpacking Mother. The story follows three sisters as they return home following their mother’s death. Explore how they unearth family secrets as they unpack boxes from their childhood and “exorcise the demons that shaped their adult lives.”
MARCH 13-26
The Hobbit
Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington
800.928.4545
lctonstage.org
J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved book comes to life on stage next spring with Lexington Children’s Theatre’s production of The Hobbit. Enjoyed by children and grownups alike, the tale of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and 12 dwarves will take audiences on a “wild adventure filled with all the magic, danger, and mystery of Middle Earth.”
MARCH 31
Judy Collins
The Grand Theatre, Frankfort
502.352.7469
grandtheatrefrankfort.org
The Grammy Award-winning singer of “Send in the Clowns” and “Both Sides Now” will take the stage at Frankfort’s Grand Theatre. In addition to those classics, Collins is expected to perform other selections from her 40-plus albums, including songs from her 2019 Billboard Top Bluegrass Album, Winter Stories.
APRIL 23
The MCC Singers with Very Special Guests Shaun Johnson’s Big Band Experience & Tonic Sol-Fa
Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville
270.821.ARTS
glemacenter.org
The Glema Mahr Center for the Arts hosts a night full of singing and big-band music next spring. Madisonville’s own MCC Singers will entertain the audience along with Shaun Johnson’s Big Band Experience, which brings music “with an inventive edge” to the stage, followed up by what’s been called the “most in-demand vocal group in the Midwest,” the a cappella quartet Tonic Sol-Fa.