Hancher Auditorium was alive Tuesday night with “The Sound of Music,” as the national tour of the famed Rogers and Hammerstein production sailed into town.
The well-known and well-loved story of the von Trapp family — including the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children — and their new governess Maria Rainer, a wannabe nun who can’t help but sing her way through the day, is a favorite of many, including myself. The nearly sold-out auditorium was filled with anticipation as the orchestra struck up the familiar opening tune.
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Little Village - Saturday, January 28, 2017
Since Dance Magazine named him one of 2009’s “25 to watch,” Kyle Abraham has been making his mark on the dance world. Abraham has received numerous awards, and his recent work includes a pas de deux with former New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan, choreography for the film The Book of Henry, and a new work, Untitled America, for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Iowa City was privileged to welcome his company, Abraham.In.Motion, to Hancher Auditorium for a three-part program featuring works entitled “The Quiet Dance,” “Absent Matter” and “The Gettin’.”
Daily Iowan - Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Choreographer Kyle Abraham can be ultimately summarized by its unique ability to transcend convention and push both the medium and the conversation forward. A dancer by training, Abraham incorporates elements of social justice and nods to current political and cultural movements such as Black Lives Matter in his performances.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Abraham will arrive at the University of Iowa’s Hancher. His performance, Abraham.In.Motion, will feature the choreographer performing three of his most recent works: “The Quiet Dance,” “Absent Matter,” and “The Gettin’.”
Hoopla Now - Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Iowa is one of his favorite things.
Ben Davis, who plays Capt. Georg von Trapp, is thrilled to be bringing “The Sound of Music” back to his homeland. Now age 41 and based in New York City, he was born in Ames and lived about an hour away in Eldora until age 3, when his family moved to Illinois, then to Indianapolis. He still has plenty of family and friends in Iowa, and he can’t wait to see them when the national tour of the time-honored musical comes to Iowa City and Des Moines.
Hancher’s halls will be alive with the sounds of familiar songs from Tuesday (1/31) to Feb. 5, then the troupe moves to the Des Moines Civic Center from Feb. 7 to 12.
Cleveland - Monday, January 23, 2017
CHICAGO, Ill. - The landscape remained flat but the artistry of the Cleveland Orchestra on the second half of its 2017 Midwest Tour rose dramatically.
Aided by fine acoustics and the insights that follow repeat performances, the Cleveland Orchestra Friday and Saturday handily conquered Iowa City and Chicago, leaving on listeners there impressions certain to last at least until the group's next visits.
Almost any space would have been an improvement on Indiana University Auditorium, where the orchestra played last Thursday evening. Still, even on its own account, Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City was a pleasure.
The Daily Iowan - Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Cleveland Orchestra, though commonly referred to as one of the “Big Five” American classical ensembles, is widely considered second to none. While it keeps company with only the highest order in this select group — flagship orchestras from Chicago, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia — Cleveland’s outfit has long guarded a particular air of excellence.
Now, the group — deemed “the best in America” by the New York Times — is bringing that excellence to Hancher for the first time since the facility opened.
The orchestra, founded in 1918 by the pianist Adella Prentiss Hughes and now conducted by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, will bring its signature sound to Hancher at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Little Village - Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Rob Cline, director of marketing and communications for Hancher Auditorium, noted that while the Showcase gift shop, box office and coat check accept cash, the café, operated by University Catering, follows the catering service’s policy of only accepting credit and debit cards — neither cash nor American Express cards are accepted.
The Gazette - Saturday, January 14, 2017
Hancher has presented the Cleveland Orchestra in 1979, 1980 and 1982, and staff members are excited to bring the ensemble back in the new auditorium.
“What I’m looking forward to more than anything, is the experience of that major orchestra in our new Hancher hall — acoustically and just being able to see all of that happening on our stage,” Chuck Swanson, Hancher’s executive director, said.
“The acoustics have tested so well with other performances we’ve had. The University orchestra had their major performance early in the season with the choirs, and the sound was exquisite — it was extraordinary. I’m very excited to be sitting in that audience and experiencing a world-class orchestra from the standpoint of the audience side, and then to hear from orchestra, too, as to what they think of the hall.”
The Gazette - Thursday, December 29, 2016
By far the largest grant — $204,000 — has been awarded to the University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters for its Building Bridges: Arts, Culture and Identity initiative.
The Hancher project, titled “Embracing Complexity,” aims to increase understanding of contemporary Islamic cultures and Muslim identity. It is to be conducted through 2019, featuring artist residencies on and off campus, with performances, classes, exhibits, discussions and lectures. The project also aims to document the experiences of Muslims in Eastern Iowa, through local stories and oral histories.
The Press Citizen - Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Eight years after the historic 2008 flood devastated much of Iowa City and heavily damaged several University of Iowa buildings, Iowa City saw a slew of new buildings officially open doors to the public. The hardest-to-miss new addition to town was the new Hancher Auditorium, which hosted its first concert on Sept. 16. The $176 million construction project took 1,078 days to complete but was well worth the wait when it brought the likes of Steve Martin, Martin Short, "The Book of Mormon" and Joffrey Ballet's new "The Nutcracker" to Iowa City.