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2019-2020 Season

Memphis Made Show: Trout Fishing in America
Memphis Made Show: Trout Fishing in America

Trout Fishing in America

Friday, February 28, 2020, 8:00 p.m. $20 adults, $15 students and seniors

Arkansas based Trout Fishing in America is the long-standing and yet seemingly unlikely musical partnership of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet. As individuals, they are about as different as one can imagine. Together, they blend seamlessly in a way that has captured the imagination (and hearts) of audiences of all ages for over four decades and scored them four Grammy nominations. Their willingness to make fun of our most annoying habits in one song, and then touch our hearts with tender and passionate images of family life in the next is what makes the connection between Trout Fishing in America and their audience so real.

Memphis Made Show: Star & Micey
Memphis Made Show: Star & Micey

Friday, November 1, 2019, 8:00 p.m. $20 adults, $10 students and seniors

The band of best friends, brothers and musicians that make up Star & Micey have been together for over 10 years celebrating, loving and making good music.  They’ve toured North America, been signed to two different record labels, opened up for the likes of The Black Keys, DAWES, Dashboard Confessional, CAKE, Steve Miller Band, REO Speedwagon and Shovels and Ropes, to name a few.  They have played the most prestigious festivals including four years at SXSW, NXNE in Toronto, Philadelphia Folk Festival and the International Folk Festival. Their steady, smooth, folksy pop, combined with their fearless friendship and quirky charm, has made them a top Memphis musical export.  Buckman is thrilled to open the third Memphis Made – Center Stage season with Star & Micey.

Zimbabwe’s Nobuntu
Zimbabwe’s Nobuntu

Sunday, October 20, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
$30

Named for the African concept of humbleness, love, purpose, unity and family, Nobuntu is Zimbabwe’s celebrated all-female, a cappella quintet that has drawn international acclaim for its unique blend of indigenous folk, Afro-jazz and gospel.  Performing with the Mbira (thumb piano) and traditional African dance, the group aims to celebrate and preserve its culture, beauty and heritage through art. Nobuntu was recently nominated Musician of the Year at the International Women Awards and has performed throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. The group stops in Memphis during its second US tour to offer music as a vehicle for change, transcending racial, religious, gender and economic boundaries. Sponsored in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission.  www.nobuntu-music.com

 

 

Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke

Saturday, November 2, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
$40

With more than 40 albums and numerous Grammy nominations, acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke is considered one of the greatest and most prominent musicians touring today. Widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, Kottke embraces folk and pop melodies as readily as he assimilates jazz, blues and classical influences. For all his technical brilliance and harmonic sophistication, his music is eminently accessible. This guitar legend will entertain with humorous monologues and vocal and instrumental career highlights, as he celebrates fifty years of making and sharing inventive music.  www.leokottke.com

 

 

An Evening with Gaby Moreno
An Evening with Gaby Moreno

Friday, January 17, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
$35

Guatemalan singer-songwriter-guitarist Gaby Moreno performs in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French and is celebrated for her authentic blend of jazz, blues, soul and 60’s R&B.  Famed for her steady gig on Chris Thille’s Live from Here, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter received an Emmy nomination for co-writing the theme for NBC's Parks and Recreation, won a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2013, scored the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and has five albums under her belt.  She has shared the stage with such luminaries as Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco, The Punch Brothers and Calexico to name a few.  www.gaby-moreno.com 

 

 

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater

Thursday, January 23, 2020, 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. 
Adults $36, Children $31

The world-famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater blends the unique theatrics of Moscow-born Gregory Popovich with the extraordinary talents of his four-legged stars. Each of his 15 cats and 10 dogs was rescued from an animal shelter. Audiences will delight in this extravaganza of European-style clowning, juggling and balancing acts, and of course, very talented pets. This modern-day Dr. Doolittle has been featured on The Tonight Show, David Letterman, America's Got Talent and in People magazine, The New Yorker and USA TODAY.   www.comedypet.com

Sponsored in part by Hollywood Feed and Memphis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency

 

Swedish Jam Factory
Swedish Jam Factory

Friday, January 31, 2020, 8:00 p.m. 
$28

Swedish Jam Factory is a dynamic duo, making up and breaking rules as it goes along. Thomas Bergstig and Isaac Middleton met in Memphis at Playhouse on the Square. What started as killing time between scenes, developed into a fascinating art form that defies genre.  Pioneering a new hybrid of tap dance and musical expression, they found international fame on Sweden’s Got Talent. Imagine Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor, frenetically pounding away at the piano, guitar, ukulele, accordion and saxophone, as their synchronized taps provide the percussion. It’s a high-energy, quick-footed, rollicking good time that leaves audiences in awe and dancing in the aisles.  facebook.com/SwedishJamFactory

 

 

Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Sunday, February 9, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
$38

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's sordid history is as fascinating as its distinct New Orleans musical gumbo of jazz, funk, riffing and bebop.  In 1977, The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club assembled a traditional Crescent City house band comprised of the youth of Fairview Baptist Church. These Benevolent Societies provided a sort of insurance for the uninsurable African-Americans of the time, which included a brass band for funerals and entertainment throughout the year. The seven-members adopted the venue's name to become The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. It soon became a second line staple and a musical draw all its own. Today, these living legends are credited with revolutionizing and revitalizing New Orleans jazz with fifteen albums, countless awards and infectious live performances. ww.dirtydozenbrass.com

Sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and South Arts

 

 

The Flying Karamazov Brothers
The Flying Karamazov Brothers

Sunday, March 29, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
$35

They’re not brothers. They’re not Russian. And their feet seldom leave the ground. But as entertainers, The Flying Karamazov Brothers are as wonderfully strange and exciting as their exotic name implies. These wild-haired, flame-throwing, knife-tossing, kilt-and-tutu-wearing performers have been pushing the show-biz envelope for over 45 years. Their comedic blend of awe-inspiring juggling, musical ingenuity and off-kilter clowning have taken the troupe from the streets of San Francisco to Carnegie Hall, Broadway and Hollywood. These eccentric comic geniuses wield a laugh-out-loud evening for the entire family.  www.fkb.com

 

 

An Evening with Oleta Adams
An Evening with Oleta Adams

Saturday, April 18, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
$40

Since the runaway success of her platinum selling, debut album Circle of One and the impassioned hit single “Get Here,” Oleta Adams has inspired fans across the globe with journeys of the heart. Her career skyrocketed when she partnered with Tears for Fears, opening on tour for the English band and remaining on stage each night to accompany on vocals and piano.  With numerous Grammy nominations and ten albums spanning her 30-year career, Oleta’s songs draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of soul, R&B, urban and popular music. www.oletaadams.com

 

 

Catapult Shadow Dance Theater
Catapult Shadow Dance Theater

Sunday, September 29, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
$30

Catapult is the art of the human body’s ability to transform, as talented dancers work behind a screen to seamlessly create impossibly imagined silhouettes that surprise and entertain. Catapult Shadow Dance flowered from the brain of Pilobolus alum, choreographer and creative director Adam Battlestein. The theatrical art form is a balletic combination of dance, story telling and sculpture that first attracted national attention as a finalist on American’s Got Talent.  Audiences of all ages will be awed, amazed, dazed and unable to see shadows the same way again! www.catapultentertainment.com

 

 

Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent

Sunday, September 15, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
$40

One of today’s most celebrated Americana-folk performers, Arkansas’ Iris DeMent grew up immersed in gospel and traditional country music. Her seven solo albums have garnered her several Grammy nominations, and her countless collaborations and recordings include a who’s who of music with such luminaries as John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Susan Tedeschi, 10,000 Maniacs, Merle Haggard, Ralph Stanley, Delbert McClinton, Keith Sykes, Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle and many more. She is revered for her pure, evocative vocal style and spare, heartfelt song craft. DeMent’s music appears on countless soundtracks and television shows and has been covered by numerous artists across the musical spectrum. www.irisdement.com

 

 

Filling the Air with Annie Freres and Weightless Aerial
Filling the Air with Annie Freres and Weightless Aerial

Friday, September 13, 2019, 8:00 p.m. $20 adults, $10 students and seniors

Annie Freres and Weightless Aerial present Filling the Air, a night of enchanting acrobatics, dance and cabaret.  Legendary entertainer Annie Freres has starred in countless local productions like Drowsy Chaperone, Shrek and Ladies and Legends at Theatre Memphis and Mamma Mia at Playhouse on the Square.  Her powerful vocals and captivating stage persona are renowned throughout the area. Callie Compton’s Weightless Aerial and Hoop Rebel join Annie on the Buckman stage with astounding physical feats for a night of musical standards and amazing acrobatics.