The University of Iowa

Past Season Events

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Diana Ross
Music

Diana Ross

The Music Book Tour

Friday, July 19, 2019
Music

Diana Ross

The Music Book Tour

Friday, July 19, 2019
From her early days as the leader of The Supremes to her landmark solo career, Diana Ross helped shape the sound of popular music, changing the landscape and paving the way for contemporary music. Don’t miss the concert event of the summer at Hancher.

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Free
Storm Large
Music

Storm Large

Friday, September 6, 2019
Music

Storm Large

Friday, September 6, 2019
When Storm Large came to Club Hancher last season, she blew the doors off the place—so we’re taking the tempest outside. Bursting onto the scene on Rock Star: Supernova and then forging her own eclectic career, Large is a force of nature. From jazz standards to driving rock-n-roll, Large can do it all.

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Van Jones
Lecture

Van Jones

Protest & Politics in the Age of Twitter

Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Lecture

Van Jones

Protest & Politics in the Age of Twitter

Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Van Jones is the founder of Dream Corps, a justice incubator with an overarching goal to close prison doors and open doors of opportunity. A Yale-educated attorney, author of three New York Times nonfiction bestsellers, and a CNN contributor, Jones worked as an adviser to the Obama White House.

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Audra McDonald
Music

An Evening with Audra McDonald

Songs from the American Music Theater

Saturday, September 14, 2019
Music

An Evening with Audra McDonald

Songs from the American Music Theater

Saturday, September 14, 2019
The numbers alone are impressive: six Tonys, two Grammys, and an Emmy. And the honors are remarkable: a spot on Time’s 100 most influential people list and a National Medal of the Arts. Supported by her trio, Audra McDonald will share her luminous soprano in an unmissable performance.

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Urban Bush Women, Hair & Other Stories
Dance | Storytelling

Urban Bush Women

Hair & Other Stories

Saturday, September 21, 2019
Dance | Storytelling

Urban Bush Women

Hair & Other Stories

Saturday, September 21, 2019
Hair & Other Stories investigates issues of body image, race, gender identity, economic inequity, and more. Urban Bush Women—a contemporary dance company committed to pushing the boundaries of storytelling through spoken word, movement, and singing—enacts the everyday pursuit of the extraordinary.

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Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Music

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

American Guitar Masters

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Music

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

American Guitar Masters

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet returns with a concert featuring music by American composers and guitar virtuosos. Front and center: a new work by Pat Metheny written for LAGQ.

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RENT
Broadway

RENT

Friday–Saturday, October 4–5, 2019
Broadway

RENT

Friday–Saturday, October 4–5, 2019
In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson's RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world.

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Chick Corea
Music

Chick Corea

Trilogy

Friday, October 11, 2019
Music

Chick Corea

Trilogy

Friday, October 11, 2019
Chick Corea’s 2014 triple-disc set, Trilogy, added a live masterwork to the venerated pianist’s discography. Featuring bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, the recording was a triumph. Now, Corea, McBride, and Blade are bringing the music from Trilogy back to live audiences.

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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Music

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

New World Spirit

Sunday, October 13, 2019
Music

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

New World Spirit

Sunday, October 13, 2019
An ensemble of 13 exceptional musicians—including David Finckel on cello and David Shifrin on clarinet—celebrate the intrepid (and diverse) American spirit in a performance highlighting two pairs of composers who helped shape classical music in the twentieth century.

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Sankai Juku, Utsushi
Dance | Theater

Sankai Juku

Utsushi (Between Two Mirrors)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Dance | Theater

Sankai Juku

Utsushi (Between Two Mirrors)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019
For the first time in 20 years, Sankai Juku, Japan’s internationally renowned butoh dance troupe, returns to Hancher. Butoh, which has been called Japan’s most startling cultural export, is enthralling, surprising, and often deeply moving. Utsushi is the perfect introduction to the work of Sankai Juku.

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SITI Company, The Bacchae
Theater

SITI Company

The Bacchae, Directed by Anne Bogart

Saturday, October 26, 2019
Theater

SITI Company

The Bacchae, Directed by Anne Bogart

Saturday, October 26, 2019
In this new English translation, SITI Company invites us to Thebes where Dionysus—god of wine, ritual madness, fertility, and theater (and in this production imagined as a rock star)—is opposed by King Pentheus. SITI Company’s famed co-artistic director Anne Bogart will be on hand for a post-performance conversation.

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Club Hancher: Tomeka Reid Quartet
Music

Tomeka Reid Quartet

Saturday, November 2, 2019
Music

Tomeka Reid Quartet

Saturday, November 2, 2019
If you’re in the mood for adventuresome jazz, the Thirsty Ear label offers plenty of options to quench your cravings—and one of the tastiest is cellist Tomeka Reid’s hard grooving quartet. Featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson (one of the hottest players to emerge in recent years), the quartet offers up a menu of musical flavors.

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Dance Gala
Dance

Dance Gala

In Motion

Friday–Saturday, November 15–16, 2019
Dance

Dance Gala

In Motion

Friday–Saturday, November 15–16, 2019
Dance Gala 2019 celebrates its 38th anniversary with In Motion, featuring new work created by distinguished Department of Dance faculty and guest artists of Urban Bush Women. The program will also include an appearance by the University of Iowa’s enigmatic Laptop Orchestra.

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Hancher Culinary Arts Experience
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

Trumpet Blossom

Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

Trumpet Blossom

Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Trumpet Blossom creates plant-based comfort food that reflects the season, respects the land, and is truly sustainable using organic ingredients and making dishes from scratch.

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CONTRA-TIEMPO & Las Cafeteras, joyUs justUs
Music

CONTRA-TIEMPO & Las Cafeteras

joyUS justUS

Thursday, November 21, 2019
Music

CONTRA-TIEMPO & Las Cafeteras

joyUS justUS

Thursday, November 21, 2019
A wellspring of joy is a weapon of resistance in the face of injustice. The urban Latin dancers of CONTRA-TIEMPO and the musicians of Las Cafeteras—all grounded in the communities of color in South Los Angeles—celebrate this fact in a work that flips the script on the usual narratives about minority communities.

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Brunch with Santa

Brunch with Santa

Hosted by the Hancher Guild

Saturday–Sunday, December 7–8, 2019

Brunch with Santa

Hosted by the Hancher Guild

Saturday–Sunday, December 7–8, 2019
It may be the busiest time of the year for the guy in the red suit, but he’s going to take a weekend off to share brunch with kids and their families at Hancher. It will be a festive affair with food, music, a few surprises—and, of course, Santa himself!

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BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, A Cajun Christmas
Music

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

A Cajun Christmas

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Music

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

A Cajun Christmas

Saturday, December 7, 2019
It will be a spicy holiday celebration as the beloved music icons of BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet heat up a winter evening. Get ready for swamp-pop takes on classic holiday tunes as well as a heaping portion of music from the long career of these multiple Grammy winners.

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Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Big Band Holidays
Music

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Big Band Holidays, featuring vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Alexis Morrast

Saturday, December 14, 2019
Music

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Big Band Holidays, featuring vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Alexis Morrast

Saturday, December 14, 2019
Think of it as our present to you and yours. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis returns to inject the jazz into your holidays. This winter, the band will be joined by baritone Denzal Sinclaire and Alexis Morrast. It’s a one-of-a-kind holiday celebration for the whole family.

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The Color Purple
Broadway

The Color Purple

Friday–Saturday, January 24–25, 2020
Broadway

The Color Purple

Friday–Saturday, January 24–25, 2020
The Color Purple is the 2016 Tony Award® winner for Best Musical Revival! This joyous American classic about a young woman’s journey to love and triumph in the American South has conquered Broadway in an all-new “ravishingly reconceived production that is a glory to behold” (The New York Times).

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Club Hancher: Gina Chavez
Music

Gina Chavez

Saturday, February 1, 2020
Music

Gina Chavez

Saturday, February 1, 2020
Gina Chavez traverses boundaries—in her musical styles, her bilingual lyrics, and her work as a cultural ambassador with the U.S. State Department—and creates a welcoming space for all. Chavez created this family-friendly concert that will be the inaugural Kids Club Hancher event.

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Hancher Culinary Arts Experience
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

University Catering

Dinner with the Chefs

Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

University Catering

Dinner with the Chefs

Wednesday, February 5, 2020
University Catering has a rich history with the University of Iowa campus and community. All University Catering events focus on serving fresh, local, and quality ingredients while creating unique experiences.

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Rosanne Cash
Music

Rosanne Cash

Saturday, February 8, 2020
Music

Rosanne Cash

Saturday, February 8, 2020
Carrying the legacy of her famous musical family forward, Rosanne Cash is one of the great singer-songwriters of our time. Pitchfork calls her latest record, She Remembers Everything, “a collection of miniatures that collectively paint a vivid, haunting portrait of the blessings and bruises of life.”

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RUBBERBAND
Dance

RUBBERBAND

Vic’s Mix

Saturday, February 15, 2020
Dance

RUBBERBAND

Vic’s Mix

Saturday, February 15, 2020
RUBBERBAND returns with Vic’s Mix, a celebration of Victor Quijada’s 15 years of making dance—not only for his own company but for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Scottish Dance Theatre as well.

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Negin Farsad - Part of Embracing Complexity
Comedy

Negin Farsad

Saturday, February 22, 2020
Comedy

Negin Farsad

Saturday, February 22, 2020
A self-described “social justice comedian,” Negin Farsad has been named one of the 10 Best Feminist Comedians by Paper magazine and one of the 50 Funniest Women by Huffington Post. She is also the writer, director, and star of the romantic comedy 3rd Street Blackout.

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The Actors' Gang, The New Colossus
Theater

The Actors’ Gang

The New Colossus

Saturday, February 29, 2020
Theater

The Actors’ Gang

The New Colossus

Saturday, February 29, 2020
Performed in twelve languages (with English supertitles) with live music, poetry, and movement, The New Colossus asks: Who are we as a nation? The play explores the true stories of twelve people in the United States today because their families fled their countries of origin to escape oppression.

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The Chieftains
Music

The Chieftains

The Irish Goodbye

Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Music

The Chieftains

The Irish Goodbye

Wednesday, March 4, 2020
One of Ireland’s most treasured musical ensembles, The Chieftains are six-time Grammy winners and incomparable instrumentalists and innovators who honor and extend the breadth and depth of traditional Irish music.

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Club Hancher: Dreamers' Circus
Music

Dreamers’ Circus

Sunday, March 8, 2020
Music

Dreamers’ Circus

Sunday, March 8, 2020
Nikolaj Busk (piano and accordion), Ale Carr (Nordic cittern), and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (violin) view their Nordic folk roots as a point of departure rather than a fixed destination. The trio blends this adventurous attitude with outstanding musicianship to recast tradition into something startlingly original.

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Robert Battle, Artistic Director
Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Robert Battle, Artistic Director
Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
The extraordinary dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater make their first appearance on the new Hancher stage. The performance will close with Revelations, Ailey’s masterwork that is as powerful today as it was when it debuted in 1960.

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Cancelled
Club Hancher: Melissa Aldana Quartet
Music

Melissa Aldana Quartet

Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Music

Melissa Aldana Quartet

Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana first picked up the alto, but an encounter with the music of Sonny Rollins led to a switch to tenor. When she was 24, she became the first female—and first South American musician—to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition.

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Cancelled
Los Angeles Master Chorale, Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)
Music | Theater

Los Angeles Master Chorale

Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)
Orlando di Lasso, composer
Peter Sellars, stage director

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Music | Theater

Los Angeles Master Chorale

Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)
Orlando di Lasso, composer
Peter Sellars, stage director

Saturday, March 28, 2020
A Renaissance masterpiece—depicting the grief of St. Peter after his disavowal of Christ—is brought stirringly to the concert hall by one of the country’s finest vocal ensembles. Famed director Peter Sellars crafted this dramatically staged performance piece, focusing the themes through a contemporary lens.

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Cancelled
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Broadway

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Friday–Saturday, April 3–4, 2020
Broadway

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Friday–Saturday, April 3–4, 2020
BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

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Cancelled
Boston Pops on Tour
Music

The Boston Pops On Tour

Lights, Camera…Music! Six Decades of John Williams
Keith Lockhart, conductor

Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Music

The Boston Pops On Tour

Lights, Camera…Music! Six Decades of John Williams
Keith Lockhart, conductor

Tuesday, April 7, 2020
John Williams' scores for Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, E.T. (The Extraterrestrial), Jurassic Park, the Indiana Jones films, and many more have made him a household name. Under the baton of Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops celebrates a nearly forty-year association with Williams.

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Cancelled
Bill Nye
Lecture

Bill Nye

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Lecture

Bill Nye

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Best known for his Emmy-winning run as Bill Nye the Science Guy, audiences revere this good-natured Renaissance Man's infectious blend of humor, intellectual curiosity, and devotion to solving some of the world's most complex challenges through science.

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Cancelled
ETHEL + Robert Mirabal
Music

ETHEL + Robert Mirabal

The River

Saturday, April 18, 2020
Music

ETHEL + Robert Mirabal

The River

Saturday, April 18, 2020
The members of the string quartet ETHEL and Native American artist Robert Mirabal invoked the spirit of flowing water and the power of collaboration to create The River. The work draws on influences from around the globe, reinforcing the centrality of water in all of our lives.

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Cancelled
Steve Kroft
Lecture

Steve Kroft

Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Lecture

Steve Kroft

Tuesday, April 21, 2020
A collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Law. Few journalists have achieved the impact and recognition that  Steve Kroft’s work has generated for 29 seasons on 60 Minutes, the most watched news program on television.

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Cancelled
Compagnia TPO, Farfalle
Theater

Compagnia TPO

Farfalle

Friday–Sunday, April 24–26, 2020
Theater

Compagnia TPO

Farfalle

Friday–Sunday, April 24–26, 2020
Compagnia TPO is renowned for interactive performances that bring children into the art—not as a gimmick, but as a central part of the artistry itself. Farfalle combines dance, images, digital design, and the joy and wonder of the young people in the audience.

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Cancelled
Slingsby Theatre Company, Emil and the Detectives
Theater

Slingsby Theatre Company

Emil and the Detectives

Thursday–Saturday, April 30–2, 2020
Theater

Slingsby Theatre Company

Emil and the Detectives

Thursday–Saturday, April 30–2, 2020
Young Emil is traveling by train when a nefarious stranger makes off with the family’s hard-won money. With projections, shadow puppets, and unerring storytelling instincts, Slingsby Theatre Company will have your kids—and you, too—cheering for Emil’s band of crime solving friends.

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Cancelled
Danish String Quartet
Music

Danish String Quartet

Monday, May 4, 2020
Music

Danish String Quartet

Monday, May 4, 2020
Perhaps the most in-demand string quartet in the world today, the Danish String Quartet stand out “not because they’re shinier or plusher or pushier than the rest,” raves The Guardian, “but because of their nimble charisma, stylish repertoire, and the way their light and grainy shading can turn on a dime.”

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Cancelled
Hancher Culinary Arts Experience
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Hancher's Culinary Arts Experience

Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

Wednesday, May 6, 2020
On a quest to bring you the best wood-fired pizza you’ve ever tasted, Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza is bringing the ovens to Hancher for a one-of-a-kind backstage dinner.

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