CES at Frostburg State University Announces 2019-20 Season

Jul 31, 2019 3:30 PM

The Cultural Events Series at Frostburg State University announces an exciting 2019-20 season of professional performing arts events, including ballet, comedy, circus arts, international dance, jazz, funk and orchestral music. Unless otherwise noted, all performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

The season opens with Johnny Peers & the Muttville Comix in a slapstick performance featuring veteran Ringling Brothers clown Peers, along with an all-star ensemble of rescue dogs. Two family-friendly performances on Saturday, Sept. 14, will take place at 3 and 6 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning folk musician Dom Flemons will present the Appalachian Festival Capstone Concert on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Frostburg Palace Theatre, 31 E. Main St. Co-founder of the celebrated folk band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons is affectionately referred to as “The American Songster,” with a repertoire drawn from nearly 100 years of American folklore, ballads and tunes.

The elite circus artists and acrobats of Cirque Mei arrive from the Hebei Province, China, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for a dazzling performance in Pealer Recital Hall. The performance includes a spectacular display of acrobatic feats, hoops diving, contortion, foot juggling, ladder balancing and the ever-popular lion dance. This event is sponsored by Terry Murphy.

Two-time Grammy-nominated country musician Jo Dee Messina offers an intimate performance Saturday, Oct. 19, in the Alice R. Manicur Assembly Hall of FSU’s Lane University Center. Messina, who has sold more than five million albums worldwide, has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music and is the first female in country music history to have three consecutive chart-topping songs from the same album.

On Sunday, Nov. 17, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra presents “The American Symphony,” featuring the works of James Kimo Williams, Florence Beatrice Price and Antonín Leopold Dvořák. The 3 p.m. performance will take place in Pealer Recital Hall and will include a flag dedication ceremony conducted by the Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter No. 172. The engagement is supported by the Community Trust Foundation’s Iris and Peter Halmos Community Fund and the FSU Foundation, and is sponsored by corporate signature donor First Peoples Community Federal Credit Union; individual signature donors Mr. Douglas Schwab and Mrs. Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab; and by Matthew J. Allaway, D.O., and Ms. Kelli L. Allaway; Mrs. Bernice A. Friedland; Ms. Janice S. Keene; the Hon. Mary Beth Pirolozzi; Mr. Victor S. Rezendes and Mr. John E. Minnich; Ms. Sandra K. Saville; and Mr. Nicholas J. Scarpelli and Ms. Tama S. Scarpelli.

Internationally acclaimed countertenor Terry Barber will present “Christmas Presence,” a joyful evening of carols, beloved classical songs and inspirational popular favorites. Known for his extraordinarily rare vocal range, Barber has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera and is a former member of the multiple Grammy-winning classical vocal ensemble Chanticleer. The Wednesday, Dec. 4, performance in Pealer Recital Hall is sponsored by the Enordo “Moose” Arnone family.

On Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, CES presents a Valentine’s Day event with virtuoso pianist Thomas Pandolfi’s performance of “Into the Night With Gershwin.” Lauded by Washington Post and New York Concert Review critics, Pandolfi is considered a leading interpreter of George Gershwin’s iconic music. The LIVE! at StarScape event will be held in the Frostburg Lyric Theatre at 20 E. Main St. Prior to the performance, patrons can opt to attend a romantic four-course dinner at The Toasted Goat in the Frostburg Hotel Gunter, 11 W. Main St. Dinner service will begin at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, March 3, family audiences will enjoy awe-inspiring and imaginative circus arts with the visit of Quebec’s Cirque FLIP Fabrique in “BLIZZARD.” The New York Times declared that “after watching them perform, you may suspect that they hail from a different planet.” This event, held in the Pealer Center Drama Theatre, is sponsored by Thomas Cumberland Subaru Hyundai.

The Russian National Ballet returns on Wednesday, March 11, with the colorful ballet comedy, “Don Quixote,” which follows the hilarious misadventures of the barber Basilio, his lover Kitri, and, of course, the legendary title character. The performance, presented in the Pealer Center Drama Theatre, is sponsored by Dr. Julianne Ferris and Mr. Daniel F. McMullen, Jr.

A high-energy blend of funk, jazz and danceable grooves comes to the LIVE! at StarScape stage when the musicians of Ghost-Note perform on Friday, March 27. Ghost-Note was founded by Grammy-winning musicians Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth from the popular jazz band, Snarky Puppy. This club-style performance in Lane Manicur Hall is supported by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Jazz Touring Network.

Celebrate the centennial of American jazz icon Dave Brubeck on Friday, April 3, with an extraordinary multimedia jazz performance from the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, led by Brubeck’s sons, Chris and Dan. Through music, stories and video interviews with Dave and the musicians he influenced, the show invites audiences to travel along the timeline of Brubeck’s extraordinary life and career. The LIVE! at StarScape performance in Lane Manicur Hall is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Peter Halmos.

Jazz singer Veronica Swift closes the season with a LIVE! at StarScape club-style performance on Friday, May 1, in Frostburg’s Lyric Theatre. Already a seasoned performer at the age of 24, Swift frequently performs with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and has been praised by JazzTimes as “an adept lyrical interpreter” with “tremendous tonal command.” This engagement is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Peter Halmos and is supported by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Jazz Touring Network.

Tickets, including packages and discounts, are available beginning Monday, Aug. 26. For more information, visit the CES web site or contact the CES box office at 1-866-849-9237 or 301-687-3137. The CES box office, located in the Lane University Center, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CES is supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council web site. CES is supported in part by the City of Frostburg.

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit the Frostburg State web site or the FSU Facebook page. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.