Upcoming Events
September 28, 2022
Cimafunk
El Alimento Tour
Considered one of today’s greatest showmen, Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk performs an electric live show with his 9-person band from Havana. Join Arizona Arts Live, Best Life Presents, and Hotel Congress for an evening that will make you move!
Cimafunk’s monumental second album El Alimento released in October 2021 and received overwhelming praise for celebrating black music’s power. Co-produced by Grammy-winning producer Jack Splash (CeeLo Green, Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys), the album features hip-hop stars Lupe Fiasco, CeeLo Green, and Afro-Cuban jazz icon Chucho Valdés among others. El Alimento ranked #3 of the Best Spanish-Language and Bilingual Albums of 2021 and #23 of the 50 Best Albums of 2021. It also ranked among NPR’s Best Latin Music of 2021 and #1 of Le Monde’s Latin Music favorites.
In addition to being named a “Top 10 Latin Artist to watch” by Billboard, Cimafunk stole the show at the 2019 South by Southwest Music Festival. Prior to the pandemic, his moving performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series was chosen as one of the overall best TDC’s of 2020.
October 5, 2022 - November 8, 2022
Impulse
By Lateral Office, CS Design in collaboration with EGP Group, a production of Quartier des spectacles Partnership
Impulse, an installation of 15 harmonizing and glowing seesaws, will be available to students, faculty, staff, and the public in the Student Success District at the University of Arizona main campus in Tucson, AZ.
Impulse invites audiences to become musicians and artists. Using repetitive units of light and sound, the University of Arizona campus is transformed into a space of urban play through a series of interactive, illuminated seesaws.
When not in use, the seesaws stabilize horizontally and remain at a lower glowing level. When activated by users and inclined, the seesaws, augmented by LED lights and speakers, increase in light intensity and emit a randomized sound sequence. It’s magical art in motion for everyone.
Impulse is part of the Arizona Arts Signature Series, a curated set of events and experiences this fall designed to highlight the amazing work being done across the division.
Montreal Gazette – Impulse at Place des Spectacles
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October 6, 2022
The Thief Collector
A Free Film Screening
A monumental piece of art history returns to its rightful home at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Save your front row seat at a free screening of “The Thief Collector.”
Willem de Kooning’s “Woman-Ochre” is one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century. In 1985, it vanished into the Arizona desert after being cut from its frame. Three decades later, the missing painting was found hanging in the home of Jerry and Rita Alter in rural New Mexico.
“The Thief Collector” takes a deep look at how a mild-mannered couple allegedly pulled off one of the greatest art heists of a generation. Explore the complicated dynamics of family and just how far people will go to weave their own grandiose narratives.
Join us for a free, ticketed screening in Centennial Hall.
The University of Arizona Museum of Art presents “Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre” with a public opening on Oct. 8, 2022. The exhibition documents the incredible journey of Woman-Ochre, guiding visitors through the circumstances of its creation, acquisition by UAMA, theft, and miraculous recovery. It concludes by detailing the painstaking restoration work done by conservation experts at The Getty Center.
“The Thief Collector” Official Trailer
“The Thief Collector” Filmmaker Discussion at the Wonder House SXSW22
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October 9, 2022
Sugar Skull!
A Dia de Muertos Musical Adventure
Young audiences will delight as regional music and dance from Mexico weave a tale of wonder, magic, and tradition. Sugar Skull! welcomes you to this family-friendly bicultural, bilingual musical just in time for Dia De Los Muertos. Only at Centennial Hall.
Sugar Skull! tells the story of twelve-year-old Vita Flores who thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. Why throw a party for the dead? But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita finds herself on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning of Día de Muertos. With her skeletal new friend, Sugar Skull, Vita dances with ancient ancestors and sings with a sorrowful sorceress. She escapes the trickster Chaneques and even meets the famous Catrina Calavera. But can this clever youth gather the missing pieces needed for her family ofrenda before it’s too late?
Join us for a joyous, heartfelt adventure that delves into the rich, tuneful traditions of Día de Muertos. Featuring a company of gifted musicians and dancers, this colorful stage production is the perfect fall entertainment for youth and family audiences alike.
Mexico Beyond Mariachi – Sugar Skull! A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure
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October 18, 2022
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)
Twenty-one singers transform a sweeping acapella Renaissance masterpiece into an emotionally powerful performance in Centennial Hall. Set to the work of Italian poet Luigi Tansillo, Los Angeles Master Chorale shows us that by facing our past head-on, we can forge a more fulfilling future.
Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter) depicts the seven stages of grief Saint Peter experienced after disavowing his knowledge of Jesus Christ on the day of his arrest. Tansillo’s poem unfolds as a highly wrought, emotional sequence of self-accusation and remorse for what cannot be undone, as the elderly Peter attempts to come to terms with his anguish.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale is the country’s largest professional chorus and one of Southern California’s most vibrant cultural treasures. Hailed for its powerful performances, technical precision, and artistic daring, the Master Chorale performs choral music from the earliest writings to contemporary compositions, striking a balance between innovation and tradition. It is a founding resident company of The Music Center and the choir-in-residence at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)
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October 21, 2022 - October 22, 2022
32 Sounds
A Film by Sam Green & Live Music by JD Samson
An unforgettable, live cinema/sonic journey of the senses awaits you in the Marroney Theatre. Discover the power of sound to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us with 32 Sounds.
The film weaves 32 specific audio recordings into a cinematic meditation on the power of sound. The performance begins with each audience member receiving a set of headphones. Guests settle into their seats as film projects onto the screen. Music icon JD Samson together with Michael O’Neill then compose the film live while Oscar-nominated director Sam Green narrates. Don’t miss this intimate and deeply immersive experience!
32 Sounds is part of the Arizona Arts Signature Series, a curated set of events and experiences this fall designed to highlight the amazing work being done across the division.
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November 10, 2022
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Virginia Johnson, Artistic Director
Eighteen dancers grace the stage with poise, precision, and power as we welcome the iconic Dance Theatre of Harlem to Centennial Hall. A singular presence in the ballet world, they are setting a new vision for dance in the 21st century.
The Company continues its world tour with a stop in the Old Pueblo. Led by resident choreographer Robert Garland, this multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics and neoclassical works by George Balanchine. Through performances, community engagement, and arts education, the Company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.
Dance Theatre of Harlem was founded in 1969 at the height of the civil rights movement by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook. The company has grown to have a lasting impact on the American ballet scene and become a beacon for black dancers worldwide. It’s been a pioneer in the dance world, integrating stages and spreading the art of ballet through massive outreach programs at home and abroad.
Dance Theatre of Harlem – Dancing Through Harlem
December 9, 2022
Harry Connick Jr.
A Holiday Celebration
Best-selling musician, singer, composer, and legendary live performer Harry Connick, Jr. returns to the Old Pueblo for a festive performance just in time for the holidays! Don’t miss all your favorite Christmas classics and fan favorites in this holiday celebration. Presented together with Broadway in Tucson.
Harry Connick, Jr. invites you to celebrate the holidays with him and his band as 2022 draws to a close. One of the most beloved artists performing holiday music, Harry has been thrilling audiences around the world for decades with his definitive take on Christmas classics, as well as his own originals and fan favorites like “(It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus” and “When My Heart Finds Christmas.”
Harry Connick Jr has exemplified excellence in every aspect of the entertainment world. He has received recognition with multiple Grammy and Emmy Awards as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements on screens large and small, and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer. He has sold millions of Holiday Albums which have become the soundtrack to Christmas for fans around the world.
January 20, 2023
ABSENCE: Terence Blanchard
Featuring the E-Collective & Turtle Island Quartet
Two-time Oscar nominee and six-time Grammy-winner Terence Blanchard returns for a powerful performance at The Rialto Theatre. Don’t miss the artistic force from one of the world’s greatest trumpeters and composers. Presented together with the Tucson Jazz Festival.
From his expansive work composing scores for Spike Lee films ranging from the documentary When the Levees Broke to the epic Malcolm X, and the latest Lee film, Da 5 Bloods, Terence Blanchard has interwoven melodies that created strong backdrops to human stories. He received an Oscar nomination and Grammy award for Best Instrumental Composition for Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018). He also received Oscar and British Academy Film Award nominations for his original music for Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020).
More recently, Blanchard has composed his second opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on the memoir of celebrated writer and The New York Times columnist Charles Blow. The Metropolitan Opera premiered a revived version of Fire Shut Up in My Bones in September 2021 to open their 2021-22 season in New York, making it the first opera composed by an African American composer to premiere at the Met.
Breathless: Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective
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January 26, 2023
Bush | Marshall | Meyer | Meyer
Four music masters come together in a special bluegrass collaboration on stage at The Rialto Theatre. Join Bush/Marshall/Meyer/Meyer for a celebration of American roots music in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.
Father of the American newgrass music scene Sam Bush (mandolin/violin) joins music icons Mike Marshall (mandolin) and Edgar Meyer (bass) together with George Meyer (violin) for a special collaboration usually only heard on a late summer night on the bluegrass festival circuit.
Expect to hear works from the 1999 genre-bending album Short Trip Home as well as new music written specifically for this tour. Witness the next generation of artists expressing their unique voices and perspective as Edgar Meyer’s son George charts his own course in the musical world. Bluegrass, newgrass, and classical all meet in a stunning show of Americana that will leave you wishing for more. Don’t miss Bush/Marshall/Meyer/Meyer!
Bottesini: Concerto for Double Bass No. 2 in B Minor
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February 3, 2023
Dreamers
Brooklyn Rider with Magos Herrera
Joined by the bold and expressive singer Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider celebrates the power of beauty as a political act. Discover a new world of classical music as tradition meets invention on the Centennial Hall stage.
Born in Mexico City, Magos Herrera is a dazzling jazz singer-songwriter, producer, and educator. She is best known for her bold style and eloquent vocal improvisation in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Magos joins Brooklyn Rider to take you on a musical journey that explores the artistry of Violeta Parra, Federico Garcia Lorca, Gilberto Gil, Joao Gilberto, Octavio Paz, and others who dared to dream under repressive regimes.
Experience a gripping performance from Grammy-nominated artists who have transcended brutality through their work, work which represents love for humanity, democracy, and the inspiration to dream. Featuring evocative arrangements by Jaques Morelenbaum, Diego Schissi, Gonzalo Grau, Guillermo Klein, and Colin Jacobsen, we invite you to dream with us.
Magos Herrera and Brooklyn Rider: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
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April 6, 2023
Fran Lebowitz
Unorthodox and intellectual with a wry sense of humor, voracious reader Fran Lebowitz brings New York to The Rialto Theatre. Don’t miss an evening of humor and unapologetic cultural satire by this style icon.
In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Her essays and interviews offer her sharp views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan.
A close friend to Martin Scorcese, Fran Lebowitz is featured in multiple documentaries, television dramas, and films, including Law & Order, The Wolf of Wall Street, Public Speaking, and the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Pretend It’s a City. She has long been a regular on various talk shows including those hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, and Bill Maher. Lebowitz is the 2021 Foreign Press Honorary Awardee – an award given by the Foreign Press Correspondents Association & Club USA.
Martin Scorsese Presents | Pretend It’s A City | Official Trailer | Netflix
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April 12, 2023 - April 16, 2023
Air Play
By Acrobuffos
Umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls on the Centennial Hall stage this spring. With stunning images and gales of laughter, Air Play bounces on the edge of definition: part comedy, part sculpture, part circus, part theater.
A circus-style adventure of two siblings journeying through a surreal land of air, Air Play transforms ordinary objects into uncommon beauty. Created by circus performers Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone in collaboration with kinetic sculptor Daniel Wurtzel, this performance was devised through years of experimentation with simple materials, movement, and technology.
Join us for a visual poem great for all ages that uses no words to bring to life the very air we breathe. No translation necessary, this experience has played from the southernmost opera house in the world in Chile to London’s Royal Festival Hall, Melbourne’s State Theatre, and Shanghai’s Grand Theatre, and continues to tour.
Acrobuffos present: Air Play
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April 26, 2023 - April 29, 2023
Dimanche
by Chaliwaté Company and Focus Company (Belgium)
Sometime in the near future, humanity has failed to adapt to the new ecological reality. Watch the end of the world as we know it unfolds before your eyes on the Tornabene Theatre stage with Dimanche.
In a small building, a family is about to spend their Sunday together. But the walls are shaking, strong winds and torrential rain rage outside, and the storm has only just begun. Amidst this chaos, they absurdly attempt to maintain a normal family life. Meanwhile, three traveling wildlife reporters are doing their best to document Earth’s last living species.
Between dreamlike fiction and factual reality, Dimanche paints a tender portrait of humanity. Using lo-fi FX, miniature vehicles, puppetry, video, and mime, Dimanche observes the ingenuity and stubbornness of humans as they try to preserve their day-to-day habits, going to extremes to keep up a sense of normalcy despite the chaos.
Teaser Dimanche – Chaliwaté & Focus
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September 2022
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HOCO Fest 2022
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HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
HOCO Fest 2022
Learn More
HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
HOCO Fest 2022
Learn More
HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
HOCO Fest 2022
Learn More
HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
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HOCO Fest 2022
Learn More
HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
HOCO Fest 2022
Learn More
HOCO Fest 2022 Arizona Arts Live Hotel Congress and Best Life Presents are proud to announce the return of HOCO Fest this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Tucson From its groundbreaking sustainability model to its international programming...
Phil Vassar
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Phil Vassar Country music star Phil Vassar will perform on the University of Arizona Mall in a pre-game concert prior to Arizona Footballs home opener against Mississippi State on September 10 2022Vassar will be joined this year by a local...
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Phil Vassar
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Phil Vassar Country music star Phil Vassar will perform on the University of Arizona Mall in a pre-game concert prior to Arizona Footballs home opener against Mississippi State on September 10 2022Vassar will be joined this year by a local...
Mariachi Herencia de México with special guest Lupita Infante
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Mariachi Herencia de Mxico with special guest Lupita Infante Que Viva Grammy-nominated icon Lupita Infante joins Latin Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico in the Tucson borderland for one night of chart-topping mariachi music in...
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Cimafunk
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Cimafunk Considered one of todays greatest showmen Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk performs an electric live show with his 9-person band from Havana Join Arizona Arts Live Best Life Presents and Hotel Congress for an evening that will make...
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