‘Tri-C Presents’ Announces 2017-2018 Show Schedule

Series of shows puts spotlight on classical piano, jazz and dance

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) has announced the lineup for its 2017-2018 “Tri-C Presents” season, which brings an exciting collection of performers to Northeast Ohio audiences.

Tri-C Presents will showcase classical piano, jazz and dance performances between October and May on stages across the region. Five of the nine shows are free, making the artistic experience accessible to all.

“With performers from Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Italy and France, we are truly bringing Cleveland the world this year,” said Terri Pontremoli, the College’s director of performing arts and Tri-C JazzFest.

Tri-C Presents offers shows through two platforms — the Performing Arts Series and the Classical Piano Series.

The lineup is as follows:

Tri-C Presents Performing Arts Series
Manhattan Transfer with special guests The Hazelnuts
7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, Ohio Theatre — $46/$52/$58 (Tickets: 216-241-6000 or playhousesquare.org)
Manhattan Transfer has sold millions of records while repeatedly claiming Best Vocal Group honors in jazz polls. Over its 45-year history, the group has recorded with the likes of Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, James Taylor and B.B. King.
Stars in Israel, The Hazelnuts will make their debut performance in Cleveland. This group sweeps audiences off their feet with an authentic sense of swing inspired by American vocal trios of the ’30s.

Dominick Farinacci’s Spirit of the Groove presents The Mayor and the People
7 p.m. Oct. 22, Maltz Performing Arts Center — Free
Reservations required – RSVP at 216-368-6062 or case.edu/maltzcenter
Spirit of the Groove, Cleveland’s jazz and gospel collective, celebrates the legacy of former Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes with The Mayor and the People. Led by Dominick Farinacci and Johnny Parker, the multimedia concert features gospel, funk and narration with a performance of Oliver Nelson’s rarely heard work A Black Suite. This is part of a yearlong commemoration honoring the 50th anniversary of Stokes’ historic election.

Grupo Corpo
7:30 p.m. Jan. 20, Ohio Theatre — $25-$60 (Tickets: 216-241-6000 or playhousesquare.org)
3 p.m. Jan. 21 at Ohio Theatre — $25-$60 (Tickets: 216-241-6000 or playhousesquare.org)
Brazil's steamy Grupo Corpo performed during the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony and — with more than 80 performances a year around the globe — has become one of the world’s most highly sought dance companies. The program is copresented with DANCECleveland.

Che Malambo
7:30 p.m. March 17, Ohio Theatre — $25-$60 (Tickets: 216-241-6000 or playhousesquare.org)
The powerhouse, all-male Argentinian dance company Che Malambo excites audiences with a dynamic blend of precision footwork, rhythmic stomping, drumming and song that is at the heart of the gaucho (South American cowboy) tradition. The program is copresented with DANCECleveland.

Gerald Clayton: Piedmont Blues — A Search for Salvation
7:30 p.m. April 14, Tri-C Metropolitan Campus — $30 (Tickets: 216-987-4444 or trictickets.com)
Celebrated jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Gerald Clayton leads this multimedia concert, which explores the essence and impact of blues from North Carolina’s Piedmont region.

Tri-C Presents Classical Piano Series
Roberto Plano
2 p.m. Oct. 15, Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art — Free
The Italian pianist launched his career after taking first prize in the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition. He returns to Northeast Ohio as a veteran of some of the world’s most esteemed stages and music festivals.

Awadagin Pratt
2 p.m. Nov. 12, Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art — Free
Acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involved performances, Awadagin Pratt has mesmerized audiences across the globe since winning the prestigious Naumburg International Piano Competition a quarter-century ago.

Lise de la Salle
2 p.m. March 18, Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art — Free
The French pianist burst onto the international scene as a teen in 2005, playing with a sensibility and maturity that prompted one critic to exclaim, “She might be the most exciting young artist in classical music.” This marks de la Salle’s first recital in Cleveland.

Late Night with Leonard Bernstein
2 p.m. May 6, Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art — Free
Late Night with Leonard Bernstein celebrates the maestro’s centennial with an affectionate multimedia portrait showing the personal side of the charismatic figure. Hosted and narrated by Bernstein’s daughter Jamie, the program features soprano Amy Burton and pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin.

For more information on Tri-C Presents, visit www.tri-c.edu/creativearts or call 216-987-4444.

August 31, 2017