Jordan Wright
March 16, 2016
On March 8th The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2016-2017. The Center announced plans for a yearlong celebration of the centennial of President Kennedy’s birth, offering a wide range of programs reflective of Kennedy’s vision, ideals, and legacy.
Yo Yo Ma ~ Photo by Jason Bell
In addition they have announced three newly appointed roles and key relationships with legendary cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma (Artistic Advisor At Large), superstar soprano and arts advocate Renée Fleming (Artistic Advisor At Large), and renowned Hip Hop artist and cultural pioneer Q-Tip (Artistic Director for Hip Hop Culture).
Hip Hop – Q-Tip, Courtesy of the Artist
As artists, curators, and thought leaders, these three new advisory roles will advance important institution-wide initiatives and explore new facets of the arts.
Renee Fleming ~ Decca Photo by Andrew Ecoles
The Kennedy Center’s diverse theater season features the work of some of the most acclaimed directors working in theater today, including Sulayman Al Bassam (Petrol Station), Peter Brook (Battlefield), Carlos Díaz (Antigonón, Un contingente épico), Lev Dodin (Three Sisters), Robert Lepage (Needles and Opium), Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall (Cabaret), Richard Nelson (The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family), Jack O’Brien (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music), Bartlett Sher (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I), and Susan Stroman (The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville), among many others. The season also includes an array of hit musicals and plays, including The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Into the Woods, Wicked, Chicago, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
The Performances for Young Audience season includes seven new Kennedy Center commissions, highlighting work from icons in the fields of jazz, classical music, Hip Hop, dance, poetry, and theater, as well as a wide variety of other performances that will present young audiences with challenging ideas in an accessible and entertaining setting.