Arts & Events

Yo-Yo Ma, Alvin Ailey Dance top phenomenal new season just announced by UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

A sampling of the varied new season includes Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby, Marc Broussard, Angelique Kidjo, Maceo Parker, dance, family and Salon series, plus free shows by Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Red Baraat.

A diverse new season filled with some of the most moving and talented artists and performances the world has to offer has been announced for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center’s 2017-2018 season.

The Alys Stephens Center member ticket pre-sale is now through May 9. Alys Stephens Center memberships range from $60 to $500 for the VIP experience. Call 205-996-6113 to become a member.

alvin alley 2017Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Linda Celeste Sims and Yannick Lebrun. Photo by Andrew Eccles.Ticket pre-sale for season subscribers is May 10-16. Single tickets go on sale to the public May 17.

Explore the new season online and purchase tickets at AlysStephens.org, or call the center’s Box Office at 205-975-2787. Tickets for UAB students are $10. UAB staff and faculty can get discounted tickets and ticket packages.

Click on the artists below for full performance details. Additional educational and free events with the artists may be announced. The Alys Stephens Center’s 2017-2018 season of performances includes:

  • Sheila E, world-class drummer and percussionist, 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15

  • Ballet Hispánico, with an all-Latina choreographed engagement, 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22

  • Jazz pianist prodigy Joey Alexander and his trio in “The Essentials Vol. 6: The Future of Jazz,” hosted by Eric Essix, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28

  • Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Grammy-winning salsa and Latin jazz band, a ¡Celebración! free outdoor event, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12

  • Robert Cray, Blues Hall of Fame singer/guitarist/songwriter, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13

  • The Triplets of Belleville, a live cinema-concert recreation of the classic animated French film, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19

  • David Holt, Grammy-winning Southern folk musician/storyteller, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

  • An Evening with Bruce Hornsby, solo, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3

  • Emmylou Harris, 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5

  • Dionne Warwick, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10

  • Modigliani Quartet, part of the Salon Series, performing Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Dvořák, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12

  • emylou harris 2017Emmylou Harris. Photo by Veronique Rolland.Illusionist Kevin Spencer, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17 (sensory-friendly performance 11 a.m. Nov. 18)

  • Holiday Soul with Eric Essix and friends, Sunday, Dec. 10

  • Ballet Memphis, Alabama Dance Festival, presenting “I Am” with four commissioned pieces, 8 p.m. Saturday, 20, 2018

  • “Sing to Freedom: Music and Stories of the Underground Railroad” featuring Reggie Harris, 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018

  • David Finckel, cello, and Wu Han, piano, part of the Salon Series, performing “The Passionate Cello,” a program of works by Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Grieg, 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018

  • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, due to the size of this production, this Center performance will be at the BJCC Concert Hall, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018

  • Kid Koala’s “Nufonia Must Fall – Live!” based on the graphic novel. A live animation film with live music, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16-Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018

  • Michael McDonald, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018

  • Third Coast Percussion, with drummer Glenn Kotche of Wilco and UAB Percussion, in residence, featuring the world premiere of an Alys Stephens Center commissioned piece, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018

  • Marc Broussard St. Patrick’s Day Show, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, 2018

  • Angelique Kidjo, Beninese singer-songwriter and activist, 8 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2018 (free lecture presented by UAB’s Institute for Human Rights at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 22)

  • Jerusalem Quartet, part of the Salon Series, performing a program of Mozart, Janacek and Beethoven, 5 p.m. Sunday, March 25, 2018

  • The Victor Wooten Trio, featuring legendary bass player Wooten, Dennis Chambers, drums, and Bob Franceschini, saxophone, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2018

  • Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE in residence, with performances 7:30 p.m. nightly April 19-21, 2018

  • yo yo ma 2017Yo-Yo Ma. Photo by Jason-Bell.Brooklyn Bhangra band Red Baraat, free IndiaFest outdoor concert, 7 p.m. Thursday April 26, 2018

  • Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, star of the Alys Stephens Center’s Viva Health Starlight Gala, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 6, 2018

  • “Down the Yellow Brick Road,” a family-fun adaptation of the timeless classic, performances at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 12, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 13, 2018

  • Funk, soul and jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker, 8 p.m. Friday, May 11

  • LOCAL 2018, outdoor festival celebrating all things Alabama, 5 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 2018

  • SESSIONS Singer/Songwriter series, a showcase of local singer-songwriters, 8 p.m. Friday, June 22-Saturday, June 23

Only Alys Stephens Center members may purchase tickets for Yo-Yo Ma until the single ticket on-sale date May 17. Member tickets to Ma’s concert are $150. General public tickets are $175, from May 17. Tickets will increase to $200 from Oct. 1, and to $250 from Jan. 1. All tickets to the 2018 Viva Health Starlight Gala starring Yo-Yo Ma include an elegant pre-performance cocktail reception and seating for the performance.

UAB faculty may purchase $25 tickets; a limited number of $25 tickets are available for most performances. UAB students may purchase $10 tickets. UAB student tickets must be purchased with valid student ID at the ASC Box Office. Limit one ticket per student, and a limited number of tickets are available for each show. Faculty and staff may receive a 20 percent discount on single tickets. No discounted tickets are available for Alvin Ailey or the Viva Health Starlight Gala. For tickets, call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.

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