'Forbidden Broadway' opens BU's 2008-09 Celebrity Artist Series

BU's 2008-09 Celebrity Artist Series will open with the musical comedy of "Forbidden Broadway: 25th Anniversary Tour" Saturday, Sept. 13, in Carver Hall's Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Shows will be offered at 6:30 and 9 p.m.

"Forbidden Broadway" spoofs more than 20 Broadway shows in each performance, similar to the film parodies "Airport" and "Scary Movie." The latest production, offered during BU's Parents' Weekend, takes a poke at "Wicked," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Billy Joel's Movin' Out," "The Producers," "Mamma Mia!" and other Broadway hits. The show is recommended for all ages. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for BU students and children 12 and younger.

All programs in the Celebrity Artist Series' 23rd season will be presented in Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium, while Haas Center for the Arts is renovated. Tickets for all events are $20 for adults and $10 for BU students and children under 12. Other 2008-09 shows are:

• Inaugural event with Jean-Michel Cousteau, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. A lecture by oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau will commemorate the inauguration of BU's 18th president, David L. Soltz. For more than four decades, Cousteau has pulled from his experience as an explorer, environmentalist, educator and filmmaker to build upon the work of his late father, ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. As president of Ocean Futures Society, Cousteau promotes conservation, research and marine education programs worldwide. A limited number of seats are available for Cousteau's lecture.
• Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, Sunday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats received the National Association for Campus Activities' performing arts campus entertainment award recognizing their combination of acrobatic displays, feats of daring and balance, Kung Fu, costumes and Chinese comedy. Under the direction of acrobatic legends, the Hai family, the company interprets the art form honed by years of training and discipline. The troupe, performing as part of BU's Homecoming Weekend, has been featured on TV and performed at hundreds of universities, performing arts centers and corporate events.
• Adam Pascal Live!, Saturday, Nov. 15, 8 p.m. Adam Pascal, star of Broadway's "Rent" and "Aida" and the feature film, "Rent," will present songs from Broadway and classic rock accompanied by a full band. Highlights of "Broadway State of Mind" will include "One Song Glory" from "Rent," "Maybe This Time" from "Cabaret" and Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." Starting in January 2009, Pascal will again star as Roger in the new tour of "Rent."
• Chestnut Brass Company, Saturday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. The Grammy Award-winning Chestnut Brass Company will perform music for the holidays on ancient and antique instruments such as cornetti, sackbuts, keyed bugles and saxhorns. Beginning as a street band in Philadelphia more than 30 years ago, Chestnut Brass Company now performs a repertoire of swing, big band, chamber, Americana and historic - from Bach to Broadway - in concert halls worldwide. Chestnut Brass Company's appearance at Bloomsburg University includes a workshop on historic instruments; call the box office at (570) 389-4409 for details.
• "Five Guys Named Moe," Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, 8 p.m. In "Five Guys Named Moe," the high-energy entertainers will harmonize, croon, wail, tap and joke their way through 27 Louis Jordan hits. Brought to BU by the same troupe that presented "Ain't Misbehavin' " two seasons ago, the five-man troupe will perform "Let the Good Times Roll," "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't Ma' Baby?," "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Caldonia," "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and "Choo, Choo, Ch'Boogie."
• "Simone on Simone," Friday, Feb. 13, 2009, 8 p.m. Simone follows the tradition of her mother, music icon Nina Simone. With a rich vocal range and a skill for lyrical interpretation, Simone is an artist in her own right. Born Lisa Celeste Stroud, Simone adopted her professional name in tribute to her mother. Her resume includes starring roles on Broadway in "Rent" and "Aida" and a repertoire of pop, soul, jazz, rock and funk presented in venues worldwide. At Bloomsburg University, she will perform music from her big band tribute CD, "Simone on Simone," released in early-2008.
• Ahn Trio, Saturday, March 14, 2009, 8 p.m. The Ahn Trio will return to BU to continue redefining the art and architecture of chamber music. Born in Seoul, Korea, and educated at Juilliard, sisters Maria, Lucia and Angella go beyond the standard piano-trio literature and push the boundaries of their craft. The sisters recently released a new CD, "Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac." The Ahn Trio's appearance will include a master class-style workshop; call the box office at (570) 389-4409 for details.
• Steve Lippia in "Simply Sinatra," Friday, April 3, 2009, 7:30 p.m. Steve Lippia and his 16-piece band will pull the audience back in time with a repertoire of standards. Reminiscent of the young Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Harry Connick Jr., Lippia will perform songs by composers such as Cole Porter, Sammy Cahn and Rogers and Hart. His song list includes Sinatra standards "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Also available to Celebrity Artist Series patrons is membership in the Celebrity Circle. For $35 per person or $50 per couple, Celebrity Circle members will receive advance notice of all shows, a non-transferable reserved parking pass, invitations to special events and the first choice of seats. Service and handling fees are waived for members.

For information on the Celebrity Artist Series lineup and Celebrity Circle memberships or to purchase tickets, contact the box office, temporarily located in the Carver Hall lobby, at (570) 389-4409 or www.bloomu.edu/today/celebrity.php.