As students return to class at the University of Iowa, the second half of Hancher Auditorium's 45th season is about to kick off.
With Broadway shows, jazz masters, acclaimed orchestras, imaginative dance troupes and a noted crooner or two, the next five months at Hancher have something for everyone.
Here's a guide to 10 highlights from the rest of Hancher's 2017-18 season.
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The Daily Iowan - Friday, January 19, 2018
African-American artists at the University of Iowa showcased their creativity in an event Thursday evening highlighting race-related social justice and progress through a wide range of artistic expression.
The event featured spoken-word poetry, music, theater, rap, and photography.
The event, Four Movements Towards Freedom: A Creative Showcase, was part of a series of events observing Martin Luther King Jr. week on campus.
Presented at Hancher, it followed a variety of other events including Che “Rhymefest” Smith’s keynote address, the King Day of Service, an anti-racism workshop, and much more.
Little Village - Friday, January 19, 2018
The updated Flyover website vows to “take the under out of representation,” and their lineup delivers.
Programming will continue to include fashion-focused events, musical performances, discussions and artist exhibitions including a collaboration with Hancher to exhibit the work of (totally bonkers in the best way) costume designer Machine Dazzle. Iowa City audiences might be familiar with Machine Dazzle through his work with Taylor Mac.
Press Citizen - Tuesday, January 16, 2018
One of the most gorgeous food and drink venues in Iowa City is someplace you may not have thought of: the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, 141 E. Park Road. Hancher will open its third-story Stanley Cafe from 5 to 7:30 p.m. every Thursday during the school semester for drinks and eats at the cafe. No matter if there's an event at Hancher that night or not, you can take in the architecture and design beauty that is Hancher while also getting a full meal or just some drinks.
Iowa City Press Citizen - Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Paul Brohan may be new to his job as Hancher Auditorium's programming director, but the role of planning seasons and helping create creative opportunities at Big Ten universities is something he's been doing for years.
From 2004-2014, Brohan worked at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, first as the associate director of cultural participation then as the director of artistic initiatives.
The Daily Iowan - Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Two acclaimed artists will visit Hancher tonight to share holiday music rooted in their Celtic heritage. Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy meld contemporary folk with traditional Celtic music — forming a style that pushes the boundaries of genre. Their internationally renowned fiddling should put families in the holiday spirit.
Iowa City Press Citizen - Sunday, December 10, 2017
The new Hancher Auditorium has attracted plenty of attention since it opened last year, but the entertainment venue got a brand-new platform Saturday when it was the (alleged) site of a (supposedly) very uncomfortable scholastic spelling bee on "Saturday Night Live."
The live NBC sketch show returned from a commercial break just after 11 p.m. with an establishing shot of Hancher's exterior; an introduction and signage on the set indicated that the second round of an Iowa City school district bee was about to begin, broadcast on a local Iowa Public Radio affiliate, KSUI 91.7 FM.
The Gazette - Sunday, December 10, 2017
Straight No Chaser added a most welcome chaser to its Hancher mix Friday night. After an hour of silky smooth a cappella harmonies shaking up pop tunes and standards, the nine vocalists added nearly another hour of holiday favorites, turned upside down and inside out.
Vocal mash-ups are the hallmark of this wildly popular ensemble. Formed in 1996, Straight No Chaser rose out of Indiana University obscurity into a YouTube viral sensation in 2007 with its hilarious take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” — laced with Toto’s “Africa,” half a dozen carols and a little dreidel. That led to a record deal and launched a professional journey that has the group selling out concerts far and wide.
The Daily Iowan - Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Terence Blanchard, a Grammy-Award winner on trumpet, and his band, the E-Collective, have created a groove-infused R&B album titled Breathless. The musicians will shine at Hancher at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Breathless is a political force to be reckoned with, and it casts a bright light on the social injustices that still occur in the United States. Eric Garner, a resident of Staten Island, New York, was put in a chokehold during an apparent arrest. Garner repeatedly told the police officer, “I can’t breathe,” but those three words were his last. In Garner’s memory, Blanchard and his crew forged Breathless in hope of expanding the view of raw and horrific social injustice.
Blanchard also writes music about large incidents that spark but never ignite a flame in the general public. Currently immersed in writing music for his next album, he means to tilt the light on cities in which police shootings have occurred.
The Daily Iowan - Thursday, November 16, 2017
Hailing from Boston, chamber orchestra A Far Cry operates as an “artistic wheel.” While all of the string musicians, also known as “criers,” act as the spokes, each of them take turns working as the axis, with a chance of being the musical director.
The unique set of musicians will roll its way to Hancher at 7:30 p.m. today, collaborating with Grammy-winning jazz singer Luciana Souza on the project “The Blue Hour.”