International performers, Broadway musical fill the stage at The Grand
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra of New Zealand, Feb. 13
The Grand 1894 Opera House presents The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra of New Zealand at 8 p.m. on Feb. 13.
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra (WIUO) is composed of skilled performers whose shows combine charming humor, flamboyant outfits, delightful theatrical effects, disarmingly small (and large) ukuleles, stunning multi-part vocal harmonies, and plenty of crowd participation. Led by awardwinning New Zealand musician Age Pryor, WIUO members are drawn from all corners of New Zealand’s musical spectrum. They hold down a fascinating array of day jobs, including mental health nursing, street photography, jazz performance, environmental sustainability, film production, and design.
WIUO’s repertoire is an eclectic mix of songs appropriated from many genres alongside tunes from the South Pacific. Concerts also include fantastic “ukulelefied” versions of rock and pop classics by the likes of Justin Timberlake, Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.
Ragtime: The Musical, Feb. 20-21
The Grand presents Ragtime: The Musical, at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20-21.
New York, at the beginning of the 20th century, is the setting for this Tony-winning Broadway musical tour de force based on the popular 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow. The lives of an upper-class New Rochelle family, a determined Eastern-European Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician intersect as each longs for a better tomorrow. Featuring a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, Ragtime: The Musical captures the sounds of a country “exploding” with marches, cakewalks, gospel and new ragtime melodies.
Woven into the experiences of Harlem musician Coalhouse Walker Jr., “Mother” a wealthy suburban matriarch, and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia, are historical figures of the period, including magician Harry Houdini, entertainer Evelyn Nesbit, civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, industrialist J. P. Morgan, inventor Henry Ford, architect Stanford White, millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw, explorer Admiral Peary and anarchist Emma Goldman.
TAO: Seventeen Samurai, Feb. 26
The Grand 1894 Opera House presents TAO: Seventeen Samurai at 8 p.m., Feb. 26.
TAO presents its latest artistic triumph, Seventeen Samurai, combining amazing athleticism, striking contemporary costumes, innovative choreography and explosive Japanese drumming. Tao was eestablished in 1993 as a drum and dance ensemble that combines Japanese Martial Arts Drumming traditions with Korean, Maori and Indonesian influences. Its performances showcase traditional works and modern compositions created by members of the troupe. Performers train in the Kuju Highlands on Kyushu — Japan’s third-largest island. The strenuous physical demands of the Tao performance style require that members of its ensemble also train as athletes.