It’s been a long time in the making, and officials at the McLean Community Center are gearing up for a season of in-person performances.
“We are excited to welcome back audiences to The Alden,” center executive director Daniel Singh said. “As performing-arts director Sarah Schallern Treff, her staff and I curated this season’s shows, we were considering themes like ‘recovery,’ ‘reimagining,’ ‘reaffirming’ and ‘reconnecting’ with each other in the midst of a pandemic.”
“We took the common beginning of these words – ‘re’ – and looked at what the musical note re signifies in the solfege scale,” Singh said. “The note ‘re’ is about transitions, about returning or going towards something. Keeping this framework in mind, this fall, we are offering several programs that are familiar and comforting, but we also have new directions for our patrons to explore with us.”
In a nod to current conditions, masks will be required of audience members and seating capacity has been limited. Full details are available at www.aldentheatre.org.
The current schedule of events for the upcoming few months:
• The Okee Dokee Brothers, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-17, 1 and 4 p.m. each day. Tickets $15 for McLean residents, $20 for others.
As the GRAMMY-winning Okee Dokee Brothers, Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander, have built a plaid-shirted national following with their outdoor adventure-themed albums, “Through the Woods,” “Can You Canoe?” and “Winterland.” The Okee Dokee Brothers believe that, as long as folks are singing together, there’s a glimpse of hope for our world.
• The Borisevich Duo, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2 p.m. ($5/$10).
The Borisevich Duo, featuring pianist Margarita Loukachkina and violinist Nikita Borisevich, is an internationally acclaimed violin and piano duet, frequently performing across the United States and Europe.
• Pilobolus “Come to Your Senses”, Sunday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ($30/$40).
Engage with childlike wonder in the miracle of your senses through both classic and brand-new repertory that begins by examining our biology and ends by utilizing the senses in a refreshing immersion in the biosphere.
• “Joy to the World: A Christmas Musical Journey” with Damien Sneed, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. ($20/$30).
Award-winning multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer and arts educator whose work spans multiple genres. “Joy to the World” takes the listener through Damien Sneed’s original arrangements of gospel, jazz and classical favorites.
• A Klezmer Hanukkah with Alexandria Kleztet, Saturday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m. ($15/$20).
Hanukkah comes early this year, but the Alexandria Kleztet keeps the party going with festive Klezmer tunes and a little jazz thrown in.
In addition, there will be a “virtual” workshop featuring Native American fusion music from D’DAT on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., in preparation for the group’s performance at The Alden in January.
D’DAT’s music mixes three American art forms – jazz, native southwest and hip-hop styles – to create a sound that is uniquely theirs. The workshop represents a great opportunity for musicians of all ages to learn directly from the artists and ask questions.
The Alden Theatre opened in conjunction with the McLean Community Center in the mid-1970s, and was named in honor of civic leader Robert Ames Alden.
For tickets, a full schedule and information, see the Website at www.aldentheatre.org.