Ain’t Misbehavin’
The Fats Waller Musical Show
Stage 2
October 11–27, 2018
Thursday, Oct. 11, 7:30 pm.
Friday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 18, 7:30 pm.
Friday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7:30 pm.
Friday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 27, 2 p.m.
Featuring music from the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920s and ‘30s, Ain’t Misbehavin’ won the 1978 Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Musical.
Thomas “Fats” Waller rose to international fame during the golden age of Harlem’s Cotton Club and the advent of swing music. Although not quite a biography, this musical revue evokes the delightful humor and infectious energy of the time as a versatile cast struts, strums and sings the songs Waller made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley and from Hollywood to concert stages around the world.
Produced by Scottsdale Arts and featuring five triple-threat actors, the intoxicating music of Fats Waller will delight and energize audiences, as well as provide insight into a vibrant time in American history and music.
Vicki Lawrence and Mama:
A Two-Woman Show
Virginia G. Piper Theater
October 27, 2018 - 8:00 pm
Plucked out of obscurity when she was a high school senior, Vicki Lawrence went on to become a member of the now-legendary cast of the The Carol Burnett Show. During the show’s seventh season, the Emmy Award-winning Lawrence created her most endearing character, Thelma Harper, aka “Mama,” who has attained almost cult-like status.
The multi-talented entertainer is mostly known for her TV and theater acting and her comedic talents, but she also earned a gold record for the 1973 hit “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” In this show that blends stand-up comedy and music, Lawrence will take the stage first, followed by “Mama,” who will opine about real life. “Where Mama is concerned, expect the unexpected,” Lawrence says. “We’re creating new material with a more modern and cutting edge.”
Mark Cortale Presents Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Jessie Mueller
Featuring Seth Rudetsky as Pianist and Host
Virginia G. Piper Theater
November 17, 2018 8:00 pm
Mark Cortale’s Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts series showcases some of Broadway’s brightest stars in the Center’s intimate Virginia G. Piper Theater. Hosted by multi-talented pianist and comedian Seth Rudetsky, these cabaret-style concerts mix popular song with candid showbiz stories.
Jessie Mueller won a 2014 Tony Award for “Best Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of singer-songwriter Carole King in Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. She originated the lead role of Jenna in the musical Waitress on Broadway and starred as Julie Jordan in the Broadway revival of Carousel in 2018.
The Illinois native is the daughter of actors Jill and Roger Mueller, and her brothers, Andrew and Matt, and sister, Abby, also are well-known theater actors.
Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on SiriusXM Stars. He has played piano for more than a dozen Broadway shows, including Ragtime, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, among many others.
The Capitol Steps
Make America Grin Again
Virginia G. Piper Theater
Friday, November 23, 2018, 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 24, 2018, 5:00 pm
and 8:00 pm
Returning for their annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Scottsdale, The Capitol Steps plan to bring down the House … and Senate … with their unique blend of sharp political satire set to popular music. The irreverent D.C.-based troupe, with 38 albums to its credit, pokes fun at all sides of the issues, from left to right, with fresh, up-to-the-minute material inspired by the latest headlines, scandals and more.
The Steps will share songs and skits from their latest album, Make America Grin Again, and their performances will include political satire set to some of your favorite tunes, along with possible “guest appearances” by many of your favorite (or least-favorite, as the case may be) politicians.
Scottsdale Arts Gala 2018 featuring
Matthew Morrison
December 1, 2018 5:00 pm
Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Morrison headlines the annual Scottsdale Arts Gala.
Morrison starred on Broadway as J.M Barrie musical Finding Neverland, a musical that follows the relationship between Barrie and the Davies family, who became the author’s inspiration for the creation of Peter Pan. Morrison received two Drama Desk nominations for his role, and won the category of “Favorite Actor in a Musical” in the Broadway.com Audience Awards.
The multi-talent performer also appeared in a continuing role on the CBS television hit show The Good Wife, where he played U.S. Attorney Conor Fox through the series finale. Other television credits include guest star roles in seasons 13 and 14 of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, and a starring role as director of the glee club in Fox’s musical-comedy show Glee, which received the Golden Globe award for “Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical” in 2010 and 2011.
Morrison studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He made his debut on Broadway in Footloose but his big break came when he was cast as heartthrob Link Larkin in the hit Hairspray. Morrison was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in The Light in the Piazza, and received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical” for 10 Million Miles. He also starred in the Tony-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater in New York.
With friend and colleague Zach McDuffie, Morrison launched Sherpapa in 2017. The lifestyle and retail company provides heirloom-quality goods and collections for new dads, that encourage shared experiences and family adventure.
About the gala: Guests should expect the unexpected — an evening of cutting-edge, immersive art experiences, a sophisticated culinary presentation, an auction filled with unique objects and adventures and an awe-inspiring live performance. Guests also will witness an exclusive preview of a re-imagined Scottsdale Arts campus, including improvements to the Dayton Fowler Grafman Atrium, Stage 2 and more.
Sister's Christmas Catechism
The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold
Starring Patti Hannon
Stage 2
December 7–16, 2018
Friday, Dec. 7, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 14, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2 p.m.
In an unusually jolly mood, Sister, the tart-tongued, ruler-wielding nun, teaches her students the story of the Nativity and asks for their help to solve the greatest Christmas caper ever: Who swiped the gold that those three wise men gave to Baby Jesus? Using the latest forensic technology and her uncanny ability to detect guilt, Sister creates an unforgettable living Nativity with her students to expose the culprit.
Each performance is unique and will appeal to people of all ages and faiths.
Alan Cumming: Legal Immigrant
Virginia G. Piper Theater
December 10, 2018 7:30 pm
Tony Award-winner Alan Cumming returns to the Center on Dec. 10 with a new show Alan Cumming: Legal Immigrant, a collection of musings on his 10 years as a U.S. citizen, growing older and what it feels like to be an immigrant in today’s America.
Perhaps best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as the emcee in Cabaret and as political operative Eli Gold on seven TV seasons of The Good Wife, Cumming also wrote a New York Times No. 1 bestselling memoir, Not My Father’s Son, and has earned more than 40 humanitarian awards for various civil rights, sex education and social justice causes.
In 2015 he premiered his cabaret show Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at the legendary Cafe Carlyle in New York City. The show was described by the New York Times as an “emotional firestorm” and has since toured all over the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Mark Cortale Presents Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Sutton Foster
Featuring Seth Rudetsky as Pianist and Host
Virginia G. Piper Theater
December 14, 2018 8:00 pm
Mark Cortale’s Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts series showcases some of Broadway’s brightest stars in the Center’s intimate Virginia G. Piper Theater. Hosted by multi-talented pianist and comedian Seth Rudetsky, these cabaret-style concerts mix popular song with candid showbiz stories.
Multi-talented, two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster is one of Broadway’s most charismatic and popular leading ladies. Currently starring in the critically acclaimed TV Land series Younger, Foster landed the title role of the New Group’s 50th anniversary revival of Sweet Charity. She won Tony Awards in the Lead Actress — Musical category for Anything Goes (2011) in the role of Reno Sweeney and as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002). Besides Younger, Foster’s TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Flight of the Conchords, Bunheads and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. In 2014, Foster made her feature film debut in Phil Alden Robinson’s The Angriest Man in Brooklyn and has toured the county with her hit solo concert. She has also graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Feinstein’s, Lincoln Center and many others.
Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on SiriusXM Stars. He has played piano for more than a dozen Broadway shows, including Ragtime, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, among many others.
Rob Kapilow - What Makes it Great? ®
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the year”: Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, 3 p.m.
Virginia G. Piper Theater
Composer and musician Rob Kapilow, along with veteran Broadway vocalists and a superb local youth choir, tell remarkable, largely unknown stories behind some of the world’s best-known Christmas songs.
Where would the Christmas season be without songs like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Have A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” and, of course, “White Christmas”? Surprisingly, all of these songs were written by Jewish songwriters trying to assimilate and become part of America’s melting pot.
Assisted Living: The Musical®
Stage 2
January 10-13, 2019
Thursday, Jan. 10, 7:00 pm
Friday, Jan. 11, 7:00 pm
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm
Sunday, Jan. 13, 2:00 p.m.
From early retirement right up to the pulling of the plug, 21st century seniors are partying like it’s 1969! Imagine: no work, no pregnancy and a full array of Medicare-subsidized pharmaceuticals. They are partying at Pelican Roost, the full-service retirement community that is home to the 18 different characters played by the show’s two actors in this 75-minute, hilarious, vaudeville-esque musical revue. Each of the colorful characters is living his or her life in the moment, and to the max.
Created by Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett — who also star in the production — Assisted Living: The Musical® begins as the show’s host couple enters heaven, suspecting their son pulled the plug to get his hands on Dad’s vintage Corvette. They don’t seem to mind. Instead, the couple fondly remembers Pelican Roost, where the various characters sing and dance, revel and kvetch, celebrate and bloviate their way through later life.
Mark Cortale Presents Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Audra McDonald
Featuring Seth Rudetsky as Pianist and Host
Virginia G. Piper Theater
January 19, 2019 8:00 pm
Mark Cortale’s Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts series showcases some of Broadway’s brightest stars in the Center’s intimate Virginia G. Piper Theater. Hosted by multi-talented pianist and comedian Seth Rudetsky, these cabaret-style concerts mix popular song with candid showbiz stories.
Audra McDonald is a powerhouse performer with a breadth of versatility as both a singer and an actress. She has won six Tony Awards, two Grammys and an Emmy, and in 2015 was honored by President Barack Obama with a National Medal of Arts — the highest U.S. honor for achievement in the arts. When she won her sixth Tony in 2014 for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, the Juilliard School graduate made Broadway history as the award’s most decorated performer. She has made numerous appearances in films and on television, as well as concert and opera stages, and records on Nonesuch Records.
Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on SiriusXM Stars. He has played piano for more than a dozen Broadway shows, including Ragtime, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, among many others.
Mark Cortale Presents Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Jeremy Jordan
Featuring Seth Rudetsky as Pianist and Host
Virginia G. Piper Theater
February 9, 2019 8:00 pm
Mark Cortale’s Broadway @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts series showcases some of Broadway’s brightest stars in the Center’s intimate Virginia G. Piper Theater. Hosted by multi-talented pianist and comedian Seth Rudetsky, these cabaret-style concerts mix popular song with candid showbiz stories.
Tony (Newsies) and Grammy Award (Newsies cast album) nominee Jeremy Jordan had a regular role on NBC’s hit series Smash and the CW drama Supergirl, and has performed his solo cabaret show, Breaking Character, all over the country. He sold out shows in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Island, Indianapolis and London. Joined by his wife, Broadway actress Ashley Spencer, Jordan recounts iconic moments from his budding career and performs the songs that have defined his rise to stardom.
Jordan recently reprised his role as Jack Kelly in Disney’s live filmed stage production of Newsies, and he can be heard as the voice of Varian in Disney Channel’s animated series, Tangled, based on the 2010 hit movie.
Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on SiriusXM Stars. He has played piano for more than a dozen Broadway shows, including Ragtime, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, among many others.
Wiesenthal
Virginia G. Piper Theater
March 14, 2019 7:30 pm
Written by and starring Tom Dugan, he reprises the title role for this production of the one-man play. Filled with hope, humanity and humor, Wiesenthal is the riveting true story of the “Jewish James Bond,” who brought more than 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice.
Simon Wiesenthal was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things. A Holocaust survivor, he devoted his life to hunting Nazis from the end of World War II until his retirement in 2003, just two years before he died at 96. Intelligent, funny, flawed and noble, Wiesenthal was a universal hero. His dedication and tenacity over the decades is honored in this 90-minute, one-act play, which gives equal weight to his wisdom and wit during his long, purposeful life.
“HEARTBREAKING AND BEAUTIFUL.”—THE NEW YORK TIMES
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester
Dream a Little Dream Tour 2019
Saturday, March 16, 2019, 8 p.m.
Virginia G. Piper Theater
The Palast Orchester was founded in 1986 by Max Raabe and a group of fellow music students who six years later found themselves on the German charts with their song “Kein Schwein ruft mich an” (“Nobody Cares to Ever Give Me a Call”). The Berlin-based band pays tribute to the high style and musical glory of the 1920s and 1930s.
Rob Kapilow: What Makes It Great?
Some Enchanted Evening: The Music of Richard Rodgers
With Broadway veterans Sally Wilfert and Michael Winther
Virginia G. Piper Theater
March 31, 2019 3:00 pm
The extraordinary career of Richard Rodgers covered more than six decades and produced musical theater gems including “My Funny Valentine” from Babes in Arms and “If I Loved You” from Carousel. During all of these years, Rodgers wrote with only two men — Larry Hart and Oscar Hammerstein, collaborations that defined Rodgers’ creative life.
Rob Kapilow and Broadway veterans Sally Wilfert and Michael Winther explore some of the most famous musical theater songs ever written to help listeners understand what makes the music of Rodgers and Hart and Rodgers and Hammerstein great.
Lea Salonga
Virginia G. Piper Theater
May 17, 2019 8:00 pm
Possessing a powerful voice and perfect pitch, Lea Salonga is a singer and actress best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. She also has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards for her work in musical theater. In her 37-year career, Salonga has toured the world performing sold-out concerts at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade (twice), Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (twice), Hong Kong Cultural Center (multiple times), Carnegie Hall in New York, and in various venues in Vancouver and other North American cities.
She was the first artist to sell out two shows at Brigham Young University’s deJong Concert Hall in Provo, Utah, since The King’s Singers in 2009, and fans of all ages recognize Salonga’s voice as that of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II.
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