Heritage Center Announces Holiday Specials
By University Relations StaffDUBUQUE, Iowa - Give the gift of a University of Dubuque Heritage Center performance this holiday season. Patrons will receive a $15 gift card bonus with each $50 gift card purchased on Black Friday, November 24, 2023, through Cyber Monday, November 27, 2023.
Visit www.dbq.edu/HeritageCenter to purchase a "gift of entertainment."
The Farber Box Office will be closed Wednesday, November 22, 2023, through Friday, November 24, 2023. Box office hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 90 minutes prior to events will resume Monday, November 27, 2023.
Gift cards may be purchased in-person at the Farber Box Office, 2255 Bennett Street, during business hours or online at www.dbq.edu/HeritageCenter. For more details, contact the Farber Box Office at 563.585.SHOW or BoxOffice@dbq.edu.
UPCOMING 2023-2024 LIVE AT HERITAGE CENTER PERFORMING ARTS SERIES SHOWS AND BONUS EVENT PERFORMANCES
Branson Country Christmas (with a Special Tribute to Veterans) Featuring the Ozark Jubilee
2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 11, 2023, John and Alice Butler Hall
The Ozark Jubilee features Branson's funniest comedian and world-class fiddler Randy Newman as Doofus Doolittle! Doof will have you rolling in the aisles with his unique brand of humor. He has a new lineup of jokes and hilarious routines that you will not want to miss along with captivating fiddle and violin music. As a real treat this year, the performance will also honor and pay tribute to veterans, thanking them for their special service. The Ozark Jubilee will share the true meaning of Christmas with music, comedy, and an impactful message to provide an evening of entertainment that will truly touch your heart.
Vienna Boys Choir, Presented by the Dubuque Arts Council
7:30 p.m. Friday, November 17, 2023, John and Alice Butler Hall
The Vienna Boys Choir has been delighting music lovers across the globe for six centuries with their purity of tone, distinctive charm, and diverse repertoire, which includes everything from medieval to contemporary to experimental music. Today, there are 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14 from 31 countries, divided into four touring groups. These four touring choirs hail from dozens of nations and together give over 300 concerts and performances per year, reaching half a million people throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. These gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty are a beloved institution, presenting a diverse array of vocal music that is both appealing and inspiring.
Christmas at Heritage Center "All the Souls on Earth Shall Sing!"
7:30 p.m. Friday, December 1, 2023, John and Alice Butler Hall
This UD tradition will bring spiritual meaning to your Christmas season. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts celebrates with you the birth of Christ through a concert presentation featuring the John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ and UD ensembles with live narration. A Christmas cookie reception and live music from UD's Jazz Band will immediately follow the concert.
Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, 2023, John and Alice Butler Hall
Take a welcome break from the hectic rush of the holidays and experience the Church Basement Ladies' hilarious antics and subtle charm. Troupe America, Inc., the producer of the nationally acclaimed musical comedy Church Basement Ladies series, celebrates the holiday season with a musical comedy bringing good tidings, great humor, and joy. In Troupe America's 25-year history, the Church Basement Ladies has grown to be their most successful show produced both locally and nationally. This festive and merry show is perfect for the whole family and will be a performance you shouldn't miss this Christmas season.
The Velveteen Rabbit, Performed by Virginia Rep
1:00 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 2023, John and Alice Butler Hall
This captivating story illuminates a faithful rendering of Margery Williams' 1922 classic tale of The Velveteen Rabbit and displays the power of friendship and the inevitable passing of time. Through a lovely score, unique puppetry, detailed period costumes, and outstanding cast, the incredible acting and profound attention to detail will keep you engaged and transport you out of the theater and into a surreal and special performance. Reminisce about your childhood and bring your own children along to experience the power of play and childhood fantasy in this beautiful production.
Band Together Charity Concert Featuring Cade Thompson, Contemporary Christian Artist, Presented by The Boundless Trailer, Inc.
7:30 p.m. Friday, January 12, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
Red Street Records artist Cade Thompson is an energetic and soulful contemporary Christian music artist with a sound that appeals to believers and mainstream pop audiences alike. Thompson's effortless style promotes his personal musical influences, which draws heavily from the church. He has made waves across the Christian music community with the release of his debut single, "Provider," and in August 2020 he earned his first Top 20 Billboard charting single with "Every Step of the Way." With his admirable ability to transform his thoughts and faith into a powerful collection of melodies and lyrics, he has inspired a vast amount of people to step into all that God has for them.
Blood Done Sign My Name Featuring Mike Wiley
7:30 p.m. Monday, January 22, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
In Blood Done Sign My Name, Mike Wiley brings to life the recollections of Tim Tyson's award-winning memoir surrounding the 1970 murder of Henry "Dickie" Marrow in Oxford, North Carolina, and the events that followed. Tyson, who was 10 at the time, recounts how the conflagration of events shaped his life and offers an opportunity to examine our own roles in the complex and often confusing racial fabric of America. An acclaimed actor and playwright, Wiley has spent the last decade fulfilling his mission to bring educational theater to young audiences and communities across the country. His one-man show is a compelling dramatization of the true-life account of this 1970 racial murder that feels frighteningly familiar, and all too current.
An Evening with Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
8:00 p.m. Saturday, January 27, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
The Heritage Center welcomes country music hall of famer, five-time Grammy Award winner, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives to Dubuque. Over the course of 40-plus years as a country and bluegrass solo artist, Marty Stuart has released more than 20 major label albums and scored platinum sales, hit singles, and just about every honor the industry could bestow along the way. Known for his traditional style and eclectic combination of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music, Marty Stuart is considered one of the genre's most historically minded "new" traditionalists. Join us for an intimate, one-night-only experience!
Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Friday, February 9, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
Alumni from the 1956 to 1978 Stan Kenton Orchestras, along with new members, come together to carry on the esteemed Stan Kenton's traditions of dedication to creative music and jazz education. The orchestra honors and amplifies Kenton's legacy by nimbly blending themes from the Kenton book with sparkling new compositions as they perform for festivals, clinics, concerts, cruises, and dances around the United States. The goals of the band are to perform meaningful music, talk about the importance of jazz heritage in America, bring jazz music to young people, and offer audiences a relaxed, entertaining atmosphere. Sit back and enjoy the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra's lush, textural, and intelligent sound demonstrated through ballads and up-tempo pieces.
Gareth Johnson & His Evolution Band, Presented by the Dubuque Arts Council
7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 17, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
Gareth Johnson, a talented savant with the violin, has turned his over two decades long classical training into a sound that is totally new to the hip-hop, R&B, and pop music genre. He is a world-renowned violinist, master string teacher, and composer whose extraordinary talent crosses all musical genres from Rick Ross to Stevie Wonder and Bruno Mars, as well as from Johnny Cash to Metallica and Guns N' Roses, right into Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito." Be prepared to be dazzled with Johnson's intense attitude, nimble fingers, and perfect intonation with clear high notes, all accompanied by a five-piece band. This once-in-a-lifetime performance shows that the violin can have a starring role in an unexpected but popular place: hip-hop.
Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass with Guest Organist Alan Morrison and Special Guests the UD Concert and Jazz Bands -John and Alice Butler Pipe Organ Recital Series
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
Internationally known trumpeter Rodney Marsalis effortlessly mixes classical, big band swing, New Orleans jazz, and straight-ahead jazz with his spectacular group. A group that reflects the diverse makeup of the American culture, the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass is dedicated to the notion that music is a gift to be enjoyed by everyone. Joining the group is the talented Alan Morrison. Since beginning studying piano at the young age of four and earning degrees in both organ and collaborative piano at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Morrison has become one of the finest organ players in the world. With Marsalis's strikingly beautiful trumpet playing, the ensembles' charisma, and Morrison's precision on the organ, you are sure to be wowed by their unimaginable abilities.
"Hank & My Honky Tonk Heroes - 100 Years of Hank" Featuring Jason Petty, Presented by the Dubuque Arts Council
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
There is only one Hank Williams and only one actor who can bring him to life, Jason Petty. Petty previously was the only actor to portray Hank Williams in New York City's hit off Broadway musical Lost Highway, where he won an Obie and multiple nominations for his performance. Now, he continues to capture Williams silky warble and yodeling sob to a T, recreating hit songs such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Kaw-Liga," "Cold Cold Heart," "Lovesick Blues," and many more. Petty and his authentic four-piece band will also pay tribute to stars that influenced Hank and those that Hank influenced such as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, the Carter Family, George Jones, Webb Pierce, and more.
Git Hoan Dancers: People of the Salmon, Tsimshian - Representing Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
Git Hoan Dancers: People of the Salmon, Tsimshian - Representing Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest showcases the culture of the Tsimshian Tribe from Metlakatla, Alaska. Formed in the efforts to revive, practice, and share the Tsimshian way of life that was once forbidden, the Git Hoan Dancers showcase the magnificence of Tsimshian art, resurrect the practice of the culture, and work to educate the world. The performance is filled with stunning, hand-carved masks, authentic skin and wood drums, and colorful, hand-made regalia emblazoned with symbols of the culture. This remarkable group has a reputation of high energy, enthusiastic, and spirit filled entertainment that thrills and educates thousands of audiences on the rich culture of Tsimshian people throughout the world.
Beauty and The Beast, Performed by The Panto Company USA
1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2024, John and Alice Butler Hall
A talking teapot, an enchanted rose, and a talking clock... it could only be Beauty and the Beast! The Panto Company USA brings the beloved musical to life with flawless comic banter and lavish dance routines, providing impressive festive entertainment for all ages. As Belle is held captive in the castle, families will love finding out if she falls in love with the Beast before the last petal falls from the enchanted rose. Will the Beast's selfishness cost him the world he once knew and the hand of the beauty that has captured his heart? Join all your favorite characters to find out in this unforgettable and magical adventure!