As happens in the fall semester, about halfway through the spring semester a plethora of arts-related events at UVa start popping up on Facebook. These events range anywhere from student-spearheaded concerts to professional arts festivals, but all are exciting ways to get UVa students and the greater Charlottesville community in the spring spirit. Here are a selection of several arts-related events that I'm particularly excited for this spring!
1. UVa Drama's Shipwrecked!
Despite my initial impressions, this is not actually a one-man show about Louis De Rougemont. However, it does promise to be a thoroughly entertaining production that will be docking at the Drama Department this Spring. I always look forward to seeing UVa Drama's experimentally challenging and technically impressive productions, and this will hopefully fall into that same category.
2. UPC Presents: Springfest
UPC has been ramping up the hype for this event on Facebook recently, with posts teasing the upcoming announcement of the headlining Springfest concert act. While this event may not be directly tied to any of the arts-related CIOs on grounds, it does celebrate live music, a worthy art itself. Rain dampened the festivities at last year's Springfest, but let's hope that the weather does not interfere with the spring cheer of this year's event.
3. University Singers Spring Concert
After an exciting tour to the Southeastern United States over winter break, and a thrilling workshop and concert with the creators of Les Mis and Miss Saigon last month, the USingers are back on April 7th for their spring concert. They will be celebrating the African-American choral tradition, singing many beautiful, musically intricate selections that are sure to dazzle the audience at Old Cabell Hall..
4. Chamber Singers Spring Concert
If you're not available to attend the USingers concert this April, make sure you come out for the UVa Chamber Singers concert the following week, on April 14th. The Chamber Singers are largely also USingers who sing in this smaller choral ensemble as well. They tend to do works very stylistically different than do the USingers, so diversify your musical palette this spring and plan to see both concerts!
5. Spectrum Theater's Pride and Prejudice
Also coming to grounds this April is a very special production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, adapted from the original novel into a play. This production is particularly noteworthy because it will be taking place outside in Garden VIII, which is sure to add a gorgeous Victorian aesthetic to the play. If you enjoy relaxing outdoors on the Lawn on sunny spring afternoons, consider sliding over to Garden VIII during the weekends of April 14th or April 21st for a unique theatrical experience.
6. Bryan Cranston at JPJ
Earlier this semester, the announcement of Bryan Cranston as this year's Speaker for the Arts series set UVa students aflurry with excitement. Cranston has acted in such a wide variety of settings, from Broadway to sitcoms to Emmy-winning dramas, that he'll surely have a lot to say regarding his acting career. I am not sure if there are still tickets available to this exciting talk, occurring on March 26, but it is surely worth inquiring at the UVa arts box office or trying to snag one from a friend.
7. All of the a cappella concerts
As happens about halfway through every semester at UVa, a cappella concert season is just about upon us. There are too many a cappella groups and concerts to name here, but if you're interested in opening the second half of your semester with an entertaining concert, AVP is first on the schedule this semester with concerts next weekend in McLeod Hall. As I've said before here, AVP always delivers a fantastic show, and they're a great way to kick off the concert season here in A Cappellaville aka Charlottesville!
8. Tom Tom Founders Festival
If you're looking for a broader artsy experience this spring, complete with delicious food stands in addition to music and other artistic celebrations, look no further than the Tom Tom Founder's Festival this April. Tom Tom is noted for partnering with hundreds of Charlottesville community organizations for a week of, as the website states, "music, art, innovation, and food." There are also hundreds of speakers at this year's festival sharing throughts about all of these subjects, and more, so be sure to check out this year's festival.
9. UVa Drama's New Works Festival
In addition to producing Shipwrecked!, this spring UVa Drama is highlighting student-written work in its New Works Festival. These one-act plays have all been recently written by UVa students and are being premiered at this festival. New Works is yet another fabulous opportunity to revel in the myriad of artistic opportunities at UVa and enjoy supporting the artistic endeavors of your fellow Hoos.
10. First Year Players's Little Shop of Horrors
If, at the very end of April, when all you see in your near future is Foxfield, finals, and Beach Week, consider stopping by the SAB to check out First Year Players's spring semester show, Little Shop of Horrors. This production is technically ambitious (of course, constructing the plant presents a bit of a challenge) but promises to be thoroughly entertaining. Spookiness isn't only reserved for late October.
This list is certainly not comprehensive of all of the fantastic artistic events happening at UVa throughout the rest of the semester, so be sure to check out the UVa Arts Box Office and the McIntire Department of Music websites for the most up-to-date information on these and other events. Even if you don't consider yourself "in tune" with the arts scene here at UVa, dipping your toe in and attending one or two of the events on this list could be the most rewarding and memorable activity you do all semester.
