Music, theater and dance go well together, and there is nothing like finding a good performance that will make your art-savvy senses tingle. Good news, Fort Wayne, Indiana has a few upcoming performances for you to add to a weekend getaway.
Check out these events in Fort Wayne, to get the Art part of your STEAM psyche going!
4 Art Performances for Your Senses in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Carnival of the Animals
There is some music that was good when you were young – and it is still appealing in adult life. The Carnival of the Animals fits this category perfectly. From the melodies for “Tortoises” to the “Aquarium” and the flamboyant Finale (which was personified by a yo-yo swinging flamingo in Disney’s Fantasia 2000), you should be able to easily identify the animals depicted in music.
In addition to the Saint-Saëns Carnival work, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic will also be playing Poulenc’s The Story of Babar the Little Elephant. Narrator Shelby Lewis will be explaining the tale of the now-famous elephant that has been canonized in books and a TV program, with the accompaniment of the orchestra.
Enjoy the Carnival of the Animals concert on Sunday, February 24 at 2 p.m. in the Auer Performance Hall on the Purdue Fort Wayne campus.
Cinderella
The music composer Prokofiev certainly knew how to put the pressure on Cinderella as she was dashing away from the prince and back to her step-mother’s house as he wrote the music for the ballet. That crashing, clanging clock chime sweeps you into the drama of this girl’s tale as the seconds pass by and she loses her finery from the Fairy Godmother.
But this Fort Wayne Ballet production brings the story full circle, taking Cinderella from the evil stepmother to her wonderful ball, and then through the mystery of the slipper. The ballet's performance of Cinderella will be completed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for four performances, starting Friday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arts United Center. With promises of lovely costuming and exquisite backdrops, this is a fairy tale you won’t want to miss.
The King and I
It’s a classic, and you won’t want to miss the appearance of The King and I on the iconic Fort Wayne Embassy stage. What started as a 1950s Rodgers and Hammerstein musical production has been turned into a Tony Award Winning Lincoln Center Theater production.
This musical tells the story of Anna, an English teacher, who was invited by the King of Siam to become an instructor at his court. Familiar songs, like “Getting to Know You” and “Shall We Dance” are part of what has made this tremendous story memorable, and the Embassy Theatre stage will be home to the production for one evening.
Clear your calendar for Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. when Anna, the King, and the entire court will make an appearance.
Sports and Music
Maybe you think of classical music and sports to be two unique and separate entities, but you may want to rethink this once you hear the lineup for this next concert. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is going to demonstrate how the two fields can be connected.
Starting with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the Philharmonic will play selections like Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare” and his “Summon the Heroes,” which was written for the one-hundredth anniversary of the Modern Olympic Games in 1996. The piece “Casey at the Bat” will also be performed, telling the story of the baseball batter who didn’t swing in time.
Audience members are invited to wear their favorite team jerseys when they attend the Sports and Music concert. The concert takes place on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. in the Auer Performance Hall.
