Adelphi Performing Arts: What to Expect This Fall

by Amanda Mullen, Entertainment Editor

With the start of the school year rapidly approaching, Adelphi University’s Performing Arts Center is preparing a variety of exciting performances for the upcoming semester. Encasing five theatre locations, the PAC is home to the music, acting, and dance students of the university. In addition to its educational purposes, the PAC serves as a venue for various performances throughout each year, with appearances ranging from famous Broadway stars to the college’s own talented students.

The PAC is wasting no time this fall, kicking off the semester with its first show on September 7th. A screening of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, starring Christopher Plummer, will take place that afternoon. Only days later, on the 12th and 13th of the month, the Kinesis Project dance theatre will be putting on a rendition of Secrets and Seawalls, a well-choreographed examination of the power of secrets. Also on the 13th, the Libana World Music Ensemble will be performing a diverse series of culture based acts, combining music, dance, and story into one spectacular production. As if this wasn’t exciting enough, Tony Award actress, Patina Miller, best known for her performance in Pippin, will be also be visiting on September 19th. Throughout this evening, she will be singing a mixture of tunes, from R&B to Broadway solos. Her performance is one that students will want to get tickets for quickly.

At the beginning of October, the New York Virtuoso Singers Quintet will make an appearance at Adelphi. Their program will take place on the 4th, and it will include works by prominent musicians from six different centuries. Anyone who is into Bach, Beethoven, Moravec, or Purcell, shouldn’t sit this one out. Mid-October, Adelphi’s Best of Broadway production will come to life, focusing on shows whose anniversaries are 100, 75, 50, and 25 years ago. This is a great activity for those visiting on Family Weekend, especially if they are huge Broadway buffs. Lastly, on the 24th of the month, the Chiara String Quartet will be going back to the old time habit of playing without sheet music.

November is an exceptionally busy and exciting month at the PAC, starting with performances of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from the 4th until the 9th. On the 9th, there will also be a recorded showing of Moulin Rouge the Ballet, a passionate and romantic tale conveyed through the mechanisms of song and dance. The acclaimed band, Blue Jupiter, will hold a concert on the 14th, with an opening performance from Adelphi’s a cappella group, Paws and Rewind. On the 19th, Trio Solisti will be offering a lecture to Adelphi students in the morning and will be teaching a master class in the afternoon. The Trio will return on the 22nd to blow away the Adelphi community with an ensemble consisting of their usual works, as well as works by contemporary composers. San Francisco Opera’s Lucrezia Borgia will follow on the 23rd, closing out the month of November. 

During December, the PAC has managed to squeeze in several events despite the winter intersession. The World Music Ensemble, in which Adelphi music majors will perform repertoire from countries all over the world, will take place on the 8th of December. This celebration of culture will be a wonderful way for students to take their minds off of upcoming finals. From the 11th through the 14th, the Freshman Showcase will occur, allowing freshmen in the theatre department their first opportunity to show off their talent. Similarly, on the 14th, the Adelphi Chorus and Adelphi Vocal Ensemble will spread some holiday cheer with their Holiday Celebration. This will consist of performances honoring both Christmas and Chanukah. And finally, a staged reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will bring a classic ending to the semester and year.

There is much anticipation for the PAC performances this fall, and students are encouraged to attend these productions. A complete listing of PAC events can be found on the AU PAC website alongside of times and locations. Tickets may be purchased Adelphi’s box office.