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The month of September not only ushers in the official start of fall, but it also heralds the beginning of Kentucky’s arts and entertainment season. From Queen to Howie Mandel, The Nutcracker to The Not So Newlywed Game, Alton Brown to Prince—the 2017-2018 season will not disappoint fans of any genre of the arts.
We’ve highlighted a brief selection of the shows, concerts and plays gracing the Commonwealth’s entertainment venues throughout the season.
QUEEN MACHINE
They will, they will rock you! Billing itself as “Europe’s Best Queen Tribute Band,” Queen Machine promises to deliver all the favorite hits from this wildly popular 1970s rock icon, including “We Will Rock You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Are the Champions.”
The Danish group has been touring the world for nearly 10 years, and this October, it brings its Queen tribute to Frankfort’s Grand Theatre for a night of rock.
OCT. 12, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort,
(502) 352-7469, grandtheatrefrankfort.org
FLIP FABRIQUE
Not every show can leave the audience with warm, fuzzy feelings, but Flip FabriQue promises to adhere to its commitment to spreading joy, playfulness and friendship through amazing acrobatics.
Complete with hula-hoops, a trampo-wall, juggling and aerialist performances, the Quebec-based circus troupe brings its “Catch Me!” production to Danville’s Norton Center for the Arts for a one-night show in Newlin Hall.
OCT. 26, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville,
(877) HIT-SHOW or (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com
ALTON BROWN LIVE: EAT YOUR SCIENCE
Who knew cooking was so scientific and entertaining?! Alton Brown apparently does, and he brings his scientific/cooking/music show to the EKU Center for the Arts this fall. According to an EKU press release, audiences can expect “all-new EVERYTHING, including songs, new comedy, new puppets, and bigger and better potentially dangerous food demonstrations.”
Brown also promises a performance featuring things he was never allowed to do on his popular Food Network show, Good Eats.
NOV. 16, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond,
(859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com
TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL
Kentucky’s favorite daughter, Rosemary Clooney, lived many highs and lows throughout her legendary career, yet she managed to enchant audiences wherever she went.
Now, just 60 miles from her Maysville birthplace, The Carnegie in Covington is celebrating her life by presenting an eight-show run this November.
Fans will not be disappointed when “Come On-A My House,” “Tenderly” and “Hey There (You with the Stars in Your Eyes)” are performed in between personal portrayals that detail Clooney’s successes and struggles.
NOV. 4-19, The Carnegie, Covington,
(859) 957-1940, thecarnegie.com
MOSCOW BALLET’S 25TH ANNUAL GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER
Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and, of course, the Nutcracker Prince return to the stage this holiday season in what the Singletary Center calls “the biggest Christmas experience of the year.”
A holiday tradition, The Nutcracker at the Lexington venue promises “larger than life” props, a growing Christmas tree, as well as Russian-made sets and costumes.
Platinum and Gold Circle ticket holders also can expect gifts of a nutcracker doll and the Moscow Ballet Book.
DEC. 18, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington,
(859) 257-4929, singletarycenter.com
1984
“… Don’t let it happen. It depends on you.”
— George Orwell, 1984
From Orwell’s imagination came a society that brought us Big Brother. The Paramount Players are now bringing his 1949 dystopian novel to life on the stage this season with 1984, where society lives under a totalitarian, intrusive government. The Paramount Arts Center describes the production as “both powerful and disturbingly provocative.”
FEB. 2-3, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland,
(606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com
BOB EUBANKS AND THE NOT SO NEWLYWED GAME
Longtime host of television’s The Newlywed Game Bob Eubanks emcees what promises to be a hilarious evening of games and prizes for eight lucky (or unlucky, depending on one’s point of view) married couples. With the same format as the TV show, The Not So Newlywed Game features couples who are quizzed on just how well they know their spouses as they vie for a $100,000 prize.
Eubanks also will share backstage stories while playing clips from the original show.
FEB. 9, RiverPark Center, Owensboro,
(270) 687-2770, riverparkcenter.org
HOWIE MANDEL
It all began with a dare nearly 40 years ago, when Howie Mandel was challenged to take the stage at a comedy theater. His career then skyrocketed to include successes on television, stage and film.
Mandel now serves as a judge on America’s Got Talent, but still takes his comedy on tour to venues across the country. Fans in the Bowling Green area can see him up close at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center in February.
FEB. 24, SKyPAC, Bowling Green,(270) 904-1880, theskypac.com
AMAZING GRACE
Not many people have never heard “Amazing Grace,” and for the millions who have, it’s a song that can stir strong emotions at the most poignant moments. Now, audiences can discover how the song came about with The Carson Center’s production in March.
The venue bills the show as a “captivating tale of romance, rebellion and redemption,” about the song’s creator, John Newton, who wrote the hymn following his survival of a storm at sea during Britain’s slave-trading era.
MARCH 11, The Carson Center, Paducah,
(270) 450-4444, thecarsoncenter.org
THE MUSIC OF PRINCE
His death in April 2016 shook the entertainment industry and his countless fans around the world. But Prince’s music comes alive on stage once again as The Louisville Orchestra, tribute singer Marshall Charloff and Windborne Music join forces in April to present The Music of Prince.
The show features full rock lighting and a lineup of hit Prince songs such as “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain,” to name a few.
APRIL 20, Kentucky Center, Louisville,
1-800-775-7777, kentuckycenter.org