Hancher

Asleep at the Wheel will boogie into the holiday season with its Western swing sound—a sound Benson calls “jazz with a cowboy hat.” Or perhaps a Santa hat.

When it came time to choose a piano for the new Hancher facility, we invited Emanuel Ax—one of the world’s finest musicians—to help us make the selection.

Hancher is proud to present special preview performances of the Joffrey Ballet’s new rendition of The Nutcracker. Featuring choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and an updated story and art by Brian Selznick, this Nutcracker is set in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair.

You could call it post-bop Latin jazz. Or you could just call it perfect. Saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Chucho Valdés—revered jazz elders who remain at the forefront of the music—come together for a concert that combines their sensibilities.

Neo-vaudevillian and Hancher favorite Tomáš Kubínek returns to wrestle with Maestro Timothy Hankewich and Orchestra Iowa in this Hancher-commissioned collision of classical music and comedy.

Laurie Lewis embodies music. Sing Out! puts it this way: “It’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that if the ‘Americana’ format wasn’t invented for her, it should have been.”

Cellist Maya Beiser’s art has always been about breaking and blurring boundaries, from her years with Bang on a Can All-Stars to her commissioned solo work. Beiser will perform music by Pulitzer Prize winner and UI alumnus David Lang.

The Migration, Step Afrika!’s new signature work, is based on Jacob Lawrence’s iconic series of paintings charting the African-American movement from south to north in the early 1900s.

The New York Times calls it "the best musical of this century." The Washington Post says, “it is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” It’s The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award®-Winning best musical.

Known as “the people’s diva,” Renée Fleming possesses one of the most beautiful and beloved voices in the world. As one of the first performers on the new Hancher stage, she will enchant you with her peerless soprano voice in this recital performance.