Current Events
View the full Hett calendar.
McKendree presents 2017-2018
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
Tuesday, September 19, 2017, @ 7:00 p.m.
In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government. A powerful, documentary-like examination of the response to an occupying force.
Not rated; 2 hours, 1 min.
FREE!
Winona LaDuke
Wednesday, September 20, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Winona LaDuke is an internationally renowned Native American activist and advocate
for environmental, women’s, and children’s rights. She is the founder of the White
Earth Land Recovery Project; founder and co-chair of the Indigenous Women’s Network;
and co-founder of Honor the Earth, with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls.
Their work with Honor the Earth earned LaDuke, Ray, and Saliers the distinction of
“1997 Woman of the Year” by Ms. Magazine.
She is a former two-time U.S. vice presidential candidate who joined consumer advocate
and activist Ralph Nader on the Green Party ticket in the 1996 and 2000 presidential
elections.
LaDuke is the author of six books—including her most recent, The LaDuke Chronicles—who has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues. She has
been profiled in publications including People, Sierra, E, and Minnesota Monthly magazines.
$5; Reservations Recommended
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
Friday, September 29, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Straight from Nashville, five-time Grammy winner and Music City legend Marty Stuart
(“Hillbilly Rock,” “Tempted,” “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’”) brings his band to the
Hett for a honky-tonkin’, boot tappin’ homecoming concert. An eclectic performer and
flamboyant showman, Stuart bridges the strong traditional-bluegrass-gospel past of
country music with the newer rockabilly, Southern Rock, contemporary sound.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Stuart was obsessed with country music. He
learned the guitar and mandolin as a child and at age 12, began his music career with
the Sullivan Family, a bluegrass group. As a teenager, he moved to Nashville to join
legendary bluegrass master Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass. After six years playing
behind Johnny Cash, he was ready to pursue a solo career with his own band in 1985.
A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1993, he now occupies the dressing room that
once belonged to his heroes—Ernest Tubb and the Texas Troubadours, Marty Robbins,
and Porter Wagoner.
Generously supported by David, Lynn, Jerry and Sharon Cornell
$30 Adult, $28 Senior, $15 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Tango Buenos Aires: The Spirit of Argentina
Saturday, October 7, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Making its Hett debut, this dramatic, passionate and thrilling company of dancers
and musicians brings the essence of Argentina to the stage. Tango Buenos Aires is
one of Argentina’s great cultural exports, known throughout the Americas, Europe,
and the Far East as the most authentic and uncompromising representative of the tango.
The sensuous dance was influenced by African and Spanish immigrants and the milonga, a style of singing often performed by gauchos, the Argentine cowboys. In the beginning the tango was an ill-famed dance fashionable
in bars, dance halls and cabarets. The choreography allows for a lot of creativity,
requiring breaks in the rhythm and perfect coordination between the dancers, who hold
each other very close.
Tango’s constant companion is the piano, although it has been accompanied by the violin,
guitar and flute. Nowadays, the most typical instrument is the bandóneon, which is an accordion similar to the concertina.
“Repeatedly crafted swirling, fast-paced tapestries of movement, laced with proud
postures and sensual couplings.” - The Washington Post
Generously supported by Dr. Betsy Gordon
$28 Adult, $26 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Concussion (2015)
Tuesday, October 10, 2017, @ 7:00 p.m.
Will Smith stars as pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.
Rated PG-14; 2 hours, 3 min.
FREE!
Jamelle Bouie
Tuesday, October 17, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Jamelle Bouie is the chief political correspondent for Slate Magazine, where he writes about national politics, as well as a political analyst for CBS News covering campaigns, elections, and national affairs. His work has appeared online or in print in The American Prospect, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The New Yorker online. Based in Washington D.C., he is a native of Virginia Beach, Va., and attended the University of Virginia, where he graduated with degrees in political and social thought, and government. He uses film cameras, reads comic books, and enjoys heirloom beans.
$5; Reservations Recommended
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005)
Monday, October 23, 2017, @ 7:00 p.m.
A documentary about 20 male inmates in a Kentucky prison who form an unlikely Shakespearean acting troupe.
Not rated; 1 hour, 33 min.
FREE!
Broadway's Next Hit Musical
Friday, October 27, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Every song is fresh. Every scene is unscripted and new. Every night is different.
It’s all improvised and it’s all funny!
The next great American musical could be written by YOU, at the Hett! Master improvisers
gather made up, hit song title suggestions from the audience and create a spontaneous
evening of music, humor and laughter. The audience votes for its favorite song and
watches as the cast turns it into a full-blown improvised, Broadway-style musical—complete
with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plot twists galore.
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical has been performed at The Triad, Tribeca Film Festival
and at the New York Musical Theater Festival, among many others. Under the direction
of improv veterans Rob Schiffman and Deb Rabbai, TheaterWeek hailed the show as “brilliant” and The New York Post called it “remarkable.”
“Hilarious!” - The New York Times
“At last! A musical of, for, and by the people.” – Time Out NY
$20 Adult, $18 Senior, $10 Student/Child, $5 McKendree Faculty/Staff, McKendree University
Students FREE
Hot Sardines
Thursday, November 9, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Take the brassy, syncopated sounds of a Roaring Twenties Parisian cabaret, add a sultry
voiced siren, and you have the Hot Sardines. Fueled by the belief that classic jazz
feeds the heart and soul, the ensemble is on a mission to make decades-old music sound
new again and transport listeners to a different era.
Bandleader Evan Palazzo and lead singer Elizabeth Bougerol met in 2007 through a Craigslist
ad about a jazz jam session above a Manhattan noodle shop. She was a London School
of Economics-educated travel writer who grew up in France, Canada and the Ivory Coast.
He was a New York City-born and raised actor. The unlikely pair bonded over their
mutual love for Fats Waller. Influenced also by such greats as Dinah Washington, Louis
Armstrong and Billie Holiday, they began playing open mic nights and small gigs and
in 2011, headlined Midsummer Night Swing at New York’s Lincoln Center.
The Hot Sardines’ self-titled debut album—named by iTunes as one of the best jazz
albums of 2014—spent more than a year on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
“Simply phenomenal, crisp musicianship going hand in hand with immaculate and witty
showmanship.” - The Times of London
“One of the best jazz bands in NY today.” - Forbes
Corporate Sponsor: Country Financial
$28 Adult, $26 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Jeanne Marie Laskas
Tuesday, November 14, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Jeanne Marie Laskas is The New York Times best-selling author of Concussion (2015) and the 2009 GQ article “Game Brain” (which inspired the film “Concussion”), about a forensic pathologist whose medical discovery put him in the NFL’s crosshairs.
Laskas is the author of six other books, include the award-winning Hidden America (2012). Formerly a contributing editor at Esquire, and a syndicated columnist (“Significant Others”) at The Washington Post Magazine, she has written for national magazines for 20 years. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, Allure, Ladies Home Journal, and in numerous anthologies. She is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh,
where she is director of The Writing Program, and founding director of The Center
for Creativity. She lives on a horse farm with her husband and two daughters.
$5; Reservations Recommended
Milk (2008)
Wednesday, November 29, 2017, @ 7:00 p.m.
Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk, an American activist who fought for gay rights and in 1977 became California’s first openly gay elected official.
Rated R; 2 hours, 8 min.
FREE!
United States Air Force Band of Mid-America
Tuesday, December 5, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 7, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
The musical ambassadors of Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base
return to the Hett for THREE wonderful nights of patriotic, joyful, and uplifting
music sure to put you in the holiday spirit!
The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America’s Concert Band is composed of 45 enlisted
professional musicians who represent the professionalism and excellence found every
day throughout the U.S. Air Force. The ensemble’s diverse repertoire ranges from symphonic
band masterworks and traditional marches to modern compositions and jazz. The band
also features professional vocal soloists performing a wide variety of popular, classical,
patriotic, and holiday selections. A guaranteed holiday favorite!
FREE!
State Street Dance Company and Hett present: The Nutcracker
Friday, December 15, 2017, @ 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 16, 2017, @ 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts and State Street Dance Company proudly co-present
the timeless holiday classic, featuring local dance talent and principals from leading
professional companies. The Nutcracker, a two-act Russian ballet with a famous score by Pyotr Iliych Tchaikovsky, premiered
in 1892 and has become a beloved Christmas season tradition. This enchanting adventure
follows young Clara and her Nutcracker doll from a lavish Christmas party to a fierce
battle with the evil Mouse King. Their magical journey continues through the Land
of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets, featuring the Sugar Plum Fairy.
State Street Dance Company is a semi-professional ensemble housed in O’Fallon’s dancestation
school of dance. Dancestation provides a fun, enjoyable, non-competitive, and nurturing
environment for dance students ages three to 18. Good ballet training is the basis
for success in most areas of dance so strong emphasis is placed on ballet techniques
but jazz, tap, modern dance, pointe, hip-hop and Broadway classes are offered as well.
Generously supported by Dr. Frank Spreng and Mrs. Jane Spreng
Corporate Sponsor: Mathis, Marifian and Richter Attorneys at Law
$20 Adult or Senior, $10 student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Moscow Festival Ballet: Don Quixote
Sunday, January 21, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Leading dancers from across Russia, forged under Bolshoi Ballet veteran Sergei Radchenko’s
direction, perform a new production of the timeless tale of chivalrous ideals – Don Quixote.
The full-length, three-act ballet concentrates on the love affair between Kitri and
the barber Basilio from Volume Two of Cervantes’ masterpiece. The characters of Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza merely serve as a thread to link various scenes of the ballet.
A striking pas de deux performed by Kitri and Basil during their wedding festivities is famous for its flair
and stamina.
The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when Radchenko, legendary principal
dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, brought together the highest classical elements of the
great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company. In addition
to commissioning new works from within Russia and abroad, it specializes in 20th century full-length ballets.
The company tours throughout Europe, Asia, and extensively throughout the U.S.
“This was an afternoon that deserved ‘bravos’ within minutes of the opening steps.” — Las Vegas Review-Journal
“An impressive performance of a classical ballet, energized with dramatic expression
and sensational steps.” — The Chronicle; Durham, North Carolina
Generously supported by Mr. Randy Wells
$26 Adult, $22 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours
Saturday, February 3, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Canada’s classic rock curators return to the Hett for a fourth time to recreate one
of rock’s greatest selling albums of all time (45 million), performed note for note,
cut for cut. The drama-filled 11th studio album by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac was released on Feb 4, 1977.
Hits include “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” Go Your Own Way,” “The Chain,” and “You Make
Loving Fun.”
Founded in 2003 by musician Craig Martin, Classic Albums Live is a Toronto-based collective of musicians who perform rock albums
in their entirety. Professional studio musicians and vocalists go to great lengths
to faithfully research and recreate every sound as it is heard on the original album.
Unlike a tribute band, Classic Albums Live shows are treated like recitals, as an
entire album is perfectly executed, followed by a second set of the band’s greatest
hits.
Corporate Sponsor: theBank of Edwardsville
$26 Adult, $22 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Doktor Kaboom!
Monday, February 12, 2018, @ 9:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Using comedy as a tool for learning, the hilarious Doktor Kaboom teaches kids about
the fundamentals of science. Sporting chrome goggles, an orange lab coat, and motorcycle
boots, “Doktor Kaboom” is an over the top German physicist with a passion for science
that knows no bounds. The character is the creation of actor-comedian David Epley,
who is also a U.S. Army veteran and a former firefighter and EMT.
Epley grew up expecting to be a research physicist. Then a biomedical engineer. Then
a mathematician, an astrophysicist, a chemical engineer, a marine biologist. So, of
course, he became an actor. For almost 30 years he has written, directed, and performed
original comedy shows at outdoor festivals, street performances, and on stage. In
2006, he decided to bring science, his original passion, back into his life. Blending
science and theater has been a dream come true, he says, opening multiple doors, and
leading to the most fulfilling work of his career.
$15 Adult, $12 Senior, $8 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
VOCES8
Sunday, February 18, 2018, @ 3:00 p.m.
The eight beautifully integrated voices of VOCES8 weave a magnificent a cappella sound. Formed in 2005, the versatile British vocal ensemble performs a diverse repertoire
ranging from early English and European Renaissance choral works to jazz, pop and
original arrangements. The members are sopranos Andrea Haines and Emily Dickens; counter-tenors
Chris Wardle and Barnaby Smith; tenors Blake Morgan and Sam Dressel; baritone Rob
Clark and bass Jonathan Pacey.
VOCES8 tours extensively throughout Europe, North America and, Asia, and is heard
regularly on international television and radio. The ensemble’s two albums, “Eventide”
and “Lux,” have been at the top of the classical chart upon their release. Inspiring
creativity and excellence through music, the singers lead a series of workshops reaching
over 20,000 people annually worldwide and their innovative education work has been
praised by UNESCO.
“The singing of Voces 8 is impeccable in its quality of tone and balance. They bring
a new dimension to the word ‘ensemble’ with meticulous timing and tuning.” – Gramophone Magazine
“The slickest of the lot... fans of a cappella ought to hear this.” – BBC Radio 3
Generously supported by Mr. George Obernagel
$26 Adult, $24 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Dr. Mario Livio
Wednesday, February 21, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Mario Livio is an internationally renowned astrophysicist who has worked for 24
years with the Hubble Space Telescope. He is a Fellow of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. He has published more than 400 scientific papers on
topics ranging from Dark Energy and cosmology to black holes and extrasolar planets.
Livio is also the author of five popular science books, including The Golden Ratio (a national bestseller for which he received the Peano Prize and the International
Pythagoras Prize) and Is God A Mathematician? His most recent book, Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein, was on The New York Times Bestseller List and was selected by The Washington Post as one of its “2013 Best Books of the Year.”
$5; Reservations Recommended
Russian String Orchestra
Tuesday, March 6, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
The 14-piece orchestra, under the creative baton of founder and Music Director Misha
Rachlevsky, has mesmerized audiences around the world since 1991. Featuring some of
finest young string players in Russia, the orchestra is known for its warmth, creativity,
and captivating concerts. Its signature quality is the depth and variety of its repertoire,
from early baroque to compositions written on commission. The orchestra prides itself
in offering interesting and often unique programs not only for its home audience but
also on tour.
The orchestra’s discography of over 30 CDs has received widespread international acclaim,
such as the Diapason d'Or award in France, Critics Choice in London’s Gramophone, Critics Choice in The New York Times, and Record of the Year award in Hong Kong.
Generously supported by the Robert and Grace Renner Welch Endowment
$26 Adult, $24 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
TAO: Drum Heart
Wednesday, March 28, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Japan's most celebrated company of martial arts drummers combines musicianship, athleticism,
humor, and choreography with the ancient art of taiko drumming to create an explosive
and dazzling experience. Offering a modern take on a timeless art, TAO artists play
pounding melodies with extreme precision on traditional Japanese drums.
“Drum Heart” is the latest production from the internationally acclaimed percussion
troupe. The energetic performance features highly physical, large-scale drumming,
contemporary costumes, precise choreography, and innovative visuals.
Established in 1993 in Japan, TAO has performed hundreds of sold-out shows for more
than six million spectators worldwide. Critics rave about the extraordinary precision,
energy and stamina of its highly trained, expressive performers.
“Extraordinarily talented percussion artists … The crowd was unmistakably wowed.”
— Chicago Tribune
“The highly acclaimed debut of Drum TAO in Broadway will represent not only Japanese
entertainment but Japan itself.” – Newsweek
Corporate Sponsor: Country Financial
$32 Adult, $30 Senior, $15 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Anat Cohen Tentet
Tuesday, April 10, 2018, @ 7:30 p.m.
Voted “Clarinetist of the Year” for eight years in a row by the Jazz Journalists Association,
Anat Cohen returns to the Hett after her showstopping performance at our 10th Anniversary Gala. This time she brings a tentet of collaborators and explores new
instrumental possibilities within her music. With her 10-piece band, Cohen is able
to create a tapestry of sound and an evocative, exciting experience centered around
the clarinet.
Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, the New York City-based clarinetist-saxophonist
has won over audiences throughout the world with her expressive virtuosity and delightful
stage presence. Her seventh album Luminosa, an interpretative collection of Brazilian classics, was released in 2015.
“…the most interesting clarinetist of her generation” — The Boston Globe
“Cohen not only proved to be a woodwind revelation of dark tones and delicious lyricism,
but also a dynamic bandleader who danced and shouted out encouragement to her group…” – DownBeat
$26 Adult, $24 Senior, $10 Student/Child, McKendree University Students FREE
Additional Links
Student Performances
McKendree Department of Music
McKendree Department of Theater
