Tap Pack
Laughing, dancing, singing—everything the world needs right now—are just a ticket purchase away at Kentucky’s performing arts venues. From tap dancing, to rock ’n’ roll, to SpongeBob SquarePants, theaters, community arts centers and opera halls provide entertainment throughout the 2019-2020 season. Here are a few events we’ve highlighted to note in your calendar.
The Tamburitzans
SEPT. 14
O. Wayne Rollins Center
Williamsburg
800.965.9324
For more than 80 years, these college student musicians, singers and dancers have taken their audiences across Europe with their multicultural performances. Originating from Duquesne University and, more recently, other Pittsburgh-based universities, the Tamburitzans bring to life the diverse cultures of eastern Europe and beyond with historical dances, costumes and music. This month, they’ll light up the stage at the University of the Cumberlands.
Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown
OCT. 2
Preston Arts Center
Henderson
270.831.9803
Challenge accepted. The Beatles’ tribute band Abbey Road faces off against its rival counterpart, Satisfaction – The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show, to see which is the best rock ’n’ roll band of all time. Both groups perform favorite hits—complete with era-faithful costumes and gear—throughout the country, stopping this October in Henderson.
Arcadia
OCT. 4-12
Village Players of Fort Thomas Theater
Fort Thomas
859.781.3583
Explore the contradictory in what the Village Players of Fort Thomas call a “tragicomedy.” Set in two time periods—the early 19th century and the present—Arcadia “concerns itself with the relationship between past and present, order and chaos, certainty and uncertainty.”
J.B. Smoove
OCT. 25
The Kentucky Center
Louisville
502.584.7777
You may know him as Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm or from his appearances on several other hit television shows. This October, be ready for a “ruckus” when Smoove presents his internationally known stand-up comic routine at the Kentucky Center in Louisville.
Escape to Margaritaville
NOV. 4
Carson Center for Performing Arts
Paducah
270.450.4444
Take “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” to a different level this November when the Carson Center presents Escape to Margaritaville. This musical comedy features dozens of Jimmy Buffet favorites such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Come Monday” and more, as it follows characters visiting a tropical island hotel. So grab a margarita and some flip-flops, enjoy the beach vibe, and forget that summer is over.
Moonshine and Mistletoe
NOV. 29-DEC. 23
Appalachian Center for the Arts
Pikeville
606.262.4004
Kick off your holiday entertainment season with the Ballard Family as they celebrate Christmas in the mountains, even though they’re living during the Great Depression. Throughout December, Appalachian music, family challenges and even a Christmas miracle take the stage at the Appalachian Center for the Arts.
The Santaland Diaries
NOV. 24-DEC. 23
Actors Theatre
Louisville
502.584.1205
Sure, you have Rudolph, Frosty and even Buddy the Elf, but it’s Crumpet the Elf who takes the stage this holiday season at Actors Theatre in Louisville. This comedic take on one man’s journey through “retail hell” is based on David Sedaris’ essay, “The Santaland Diaries.”
The SpongeBob Musical
JAN. 17-19
Lexington Opera House
Lexington
859.233.4567
A cartoon on stage? Yep, the beloved yellow sponge is alive and well and on stage in theaters across the country, including the Lexington Opera House. This award-winning Broadway musical brings SpongeBob SquarePants and all his Bikini Bottom buddies to life in what musical critics have described as “candy for the eyes,” “a ravishing stream of color and invention” and “effervescent candy-for-the-spirit.”
The Tap Pack
FEB. 5
Norton Center for the Arts
Danville
877.HIT.SHOW
859.236.4692
These Australian dancers have combined their tap dancing expertise with the music of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Beyoncé, Michael Bublé and others to entertain audiences at venues around the world. They dance into Kentucky in 2020 with a one-night show at Danville’s Norton Center for the Arts. But don’t expect just to watch some fancy footwork. The Tap Pack use their humor, dancing and singing to bring “high energy entertainment” to audiences.
American Spiritual Ensemble & Kentucky Jazz Repertory Orchestra Play Duke Ellington
FEB. 15
Singletary Center for the Arts
Lexington
859.257.4929
finearts.uky.edu/singletary-center
Take a musical trip back in time to the 1930s and ’40s and enjoy some of the finest jazz by the legendary Duke Ellington. Some of the nation’s best classically trained singers in the American Spiritual Ensemble join forces with the Kentucky Jazz Repertory Orchestra to present Ellington’s best works. It’s set for only one night at Lexington’s Singletary Center for the Arts.