Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC) announces the performances for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Season 29 will delight audiences with ten stellar performances, five as a part of the Center Stage Series and five in the Jazz Series.
Season 29 will launch with the Center Stage Series on September 23, 2023, with Broadway legend Patti LuPone in concert.
- The incomparable LuPone is a three-time Tony Award winner for her performances as Joanne in the award-winning production of Company, Madame Rose in the Broadway revival of the classic Gypsy, and the title role in the original Broadway production of Evita. She has been recognized with eight Drama Desk Award nominations and six Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. A star of the screen as well as the stage, she has appeared in 13 films and graced television with two Emmy-nominated roles and other outstanding performances.
- Quintessential a capella group Take 6 is on stage November 4, 2023. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, and membership in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the multi-platinum sextet unites six virtuosic voices in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop.
- On January 27, 2024, the soulful songs of the Gullah culture are brought to life by Ranky Tanky, a band of native South Carolinians who mix the low country traditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. They are joined onstage by Grammy-winning vocalist and former Rolling Stones back-up singer Lisa Fischer. With remarkable vocal range and vocabulary, Fischer can sing soul, jazz, rock, gospel, pop, folk, and classical with equal facility and authority.
- The innovative and creative Irish-American dance troupe Trinity Irish Dance Company (TDIC) takes the stage on February 24, 2024. TIDC holds an important place in the dance world, offering both a highly skilled presentation of traditional Irish step dance and a brilliantly engaging interpretation of contemporary world vision.
- Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. They perform his newest creation, ALICE, on March 23, 2024. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the performance takes audiences on a journey down the rabbit hole. As Alice’s body grows and shrinks, MOMIX dancers extend themselves by means of props, ropes, and other dancers.
In addition, GPAC will present its annual Jazz Series:
- The David Sanborn Jazz Quintet appears October 21, 2023. An iconic saxophonist for six decades and counting, Sanborn has released 25 albums, with eight Gold and one Platinum. A six-time Grammy-winner, he has worked in many genres that blend instrumental pop, R&B, and traditional jazz.
- French jazz chanteuse Cyrille Aimée shares her engaging voice and sparkling creativity with audiences on November 18, 2023. The Grammy-nominated artist has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation.”
- Trumpeter, composer, and vocalist Jumaane Smith takes the stage January 20, 2024. Currently the lead trumpeter for Michael Buble, Smith has performed on five Grammy Award winning records, selling more than 60 million copies, and was nominated for the Emmy Awards for two television performances. He appeared at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder and performed in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story as a trumpet solo actor. Smith has performed at the White House, on the Today show, the Tonight Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, and American Idol.
- Billboard chart-topping singer Lizz Wright performs in concert on February 10, 2024. An acclaimed vocalist, Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America, transcending social divides with an offer of love and deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and a collective experience of belonging.
- Christian McBride is an eight-time Grammy Award winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. With a wealth of experience and talent behind him, McBride is the Artistic Director for several important jazz festivals and cultural institutions. He brings his exceptional talent to the GPAC stage on April 13, 2024.
All performances will take place on the main stage of the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall.
Subscriptions for Season 29 are on sale now on the GPAC website. Full Season Subscriptions offer a 30% discount on all ten main stage shows. Center Stage Subscriptions offer a 20% discount on the five Center Stage Series productions and Jazz Series Subscriptions offer a 20% discount on the five Jazz Series performances. Subscribers may also opt for a Flex Pass which allows the choice of four or more shows to save 20%.
About GPAC
Located in the heart of Shelby County, Germantown Performing Arts Center serves the greater Memphis metro area of over a million people and is accessible to all members of the community. GPAC is comprised of the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall, an acoustically perfect, 854-seat venue featuring a sprung pine stage, an elegant green room, five large dressing rooms, and a spacious lobby for entertaining and assembling; The Grove, a dynamic outdoor venue which can accommodate approximately 1200 guests in a lush outdoor setting; and the Watkins Studio Theater, an intimate black box theater. Ray Charles set the bar high when he opened GPAC in 1994, immediately defining this performing arts center as a place where excellence is the norm and where the world comes to perform. GPAC presents world-renowned performing artists in a variety of genres, year-round educational activities for all ages including the GPAC Youth Symphony Program, rotating visual art exhibits, and many community events. The center benefits from a professional infrastructure that possesses a clear direction, strong financial health, professional staff, and a dedicated board of directors.