McKendree Presents Series

The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Sunday, October 2, 2011 -- 3 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

Sponsored by The Bank of Edwardsville

 

The most sought after big band in the world combines modern selections with many of the original bandleader’s arrangements from the 30’s and 40’s. No other swing band can match its fame or its legendary jazz sound. Click here to hear their sound, or visit their website here!

The Lettermen
Friday, October 21, 2011 -- 7:30 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

Sponsored by The Cornell Family

The timeless trio holds the record for the fastest sell-out in Hett history—so we’ve brought them back by popular demand. Boasting eighteen gold records and over 10,000 sold-out shows, their return to the Hett is a guaranteed hit. Homecoming weekend starts with a bang (in three-part harmony)! Click here to check out their website, or click here to hear their sound!

Riders in the Sky
Saturday, November 12, 2011 -- 7:30 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

These masters of the Western sound are back in the saddle at the Hett, five years after becoming its first sell-out performance. Known as much for their comedy as for their musical chops, the Grammy-winning Riders are a favorite worldwide with cowboys and cowgirls of all ages. Check out their sound here, or visit their website here!

Jane Monheit: Jazz for the Holidays
Thursday, December 1, 2011 -- 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$22 adult, $18 senior, $10 student/child

To purchase tickets for Jane Monheit, click here.

Sponsored by Fezziwigs

An extraordinarily gifted vocalist, mesmerizing performer and jazz interpreter, Jane Monheit is a Grammy nominated performer who has garnered praise everywhere for her lush virtuosity. Her sincere, romantic interpretations of great songs have made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds.

“Her gorgeous voice is a phenomenon unto itself.” --The New York Times

United States Air Force Band of Mid-America
Monday, December 5, 2011 -- 7:30 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

Back for their annual Holiday concert. Always a huge favorite. Visit the USAF Band of Mid America’s website here, or listen to a performance here!

Dailey and Vincent
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 -- 7:30 p.m

SOLD OUT!

The rock stars of bluegrass make their first appearance on the Hett stage after taking home their industry’s biggest prize: the 2010 Entertainer of the Year Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). The duo received the award for a third straight year. Click here to hear their sound, or visit their website here!

“What a great sound. Not since the Louvin Brothers has music touched me this deep. I expect them to go all the way to the top and stay there.” – Dolly Parton

“Dailey & Vincent make my ear hairs curl and my toes curl. Their name is on the lips of everyone in the know, as far as I’m concerned.” – Bruce Hornsby

Ballet Memphis: S’épanouir and other works
Saturday, February 4, 2012 -- 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$15 adult, $12 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Ballet Memphis, click here.

Funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Now in its 24th season, the always surprising Ballet Memphis is quickly gaining national recognition for its beautiful, moving and evocative work. S’épanouir (“to blossom or open up emotionally and intellectually”) is a momentum-building, soul-inspiring piece where a woman in the depths of emotional and spiritual crisis is lifted to a joyous transformation from others in her community. The 2010 work by New York choreographer Jane Comfort features original music by Memphis saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

Identified by the Ford Foundation as a “national treasure”, the company has performed in Paris, New York, Washington, D.C. and at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow dance festival. Check out a Ballet Memphis performance here or visit their website!

Robert & Grace Renner Welch Performance

Aquila Theatre Company: Macbeth
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 -- 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$15 adult, $12 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Aquila Theatre's Macbeth, click here.

Aquila returns to the Hett with another fascinating and challenging reinterpretation of classical drama. This time, they put their bold stamp on Shakespeare’s brutal tale of murderous ambition. Aquila is the professional company in residence at the New York University Center for Ancient Studies. Check out the Aquila website here! 

“The classics made relevant with superb acting and clever staging” - The New Yorker

"An extraordinarily inventive and disciplined outfit.” - The New York Times

Sponsored by the Robert & Grace Renner Welch Performance Endowment

The fine arts and McKendree University have played an important role in Grace Renner Welch’s life for many years. As a student, she participated in music and theater, played the clarinet and sang in the glee club.

In the 1940s, Grace Renner Welch taught speech and drama part-time at McKendree. She returned in the 1960s to become associate professor of speech communication and English and chair of the division of language and literature. McKendree awarded her the rank of associate professor emeritus of speech communication and English in 1976. In 1983, in appreciation for her many contributions to McKendree, the Alumni Association presented her its highest honor, the Peter Akers Award.

In honor of Robert and Grace Renner Welch’s 60th wedding anniversary in 1995, their family established the Robert and Grace Renner Welch Endowed Performance. As fine arts programming has evolved on campus, this endowment continues to support a selected performance of the season.

Soweto Gospel Choir
Thursday, March 22, 2012 -- 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$20 adult, $15 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Soweto Gospel Choir, click here.

The two-time Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir embodies the evocative sounds of South Africa like no other group and brings it to life – full of vibrant color, rhythm and rich harmony. The choir has sold out concerts all over the world and performed with U2, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. Check out their sound here, or visit their website here!

“The music was both meticulous and unstoppable… the songs were both spirited and spectacular!” – The New York Times

“Mesmerizing, beautiful and phenomenally resonant. Working with the Choir with their energy and positivity has been one of the major events of my recent years.” – Robert Plant

The Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra
Saturday, October 15, 2011 – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 27, 2012 – 7:30 p.m. (with the McKendree University Choir)

Ticket Prices
$15 adult, $12 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Belleville Philharmonic, click here.

Founded in 1867, the Belleville Philharmonic is the nation’s second oldest, continuously operated symphony orchestra, a historic part of Southern Illinois and a cultural gem. The BPO performs with the McKendree University Choir, under the direction of Robert Charles Howard.

Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 2 p.m.

Tickets are free for the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Performance and require no reservation.

Saint Louis Wind Symphony
Sunday, November 20, 2011 – 3 p.m.

Tickets are free for the Saint Louis Wind Symphony Performance and require no reservation.

Established in 1998, this all-volunteer concert band’s mission is to give St. Louis area music educators opportunities to perform. The versatile ensemble’s repertoire embraces both classical and contemporary woodwind compositions, patriotic marches, show tunes, jazz and more.

Saint Louis Symphony Mondays
November 14, 2011 – 7:30 p.m.
March 19, 2012 - 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are free for the Saint Louis Symphony Performances and require no reservation.

Our partnership with Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra continues, featuring Symphony musicians performing in smaller ensembles. The Hett’s exceptional acoustics provide an exquisite chamber music experience. For additional information on the Saint Louis Symphony visit their website here.

Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra
Sunday, May 6, 2012 -- 3 p.m.

Tickets are free for the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, however reservations are highly encouraged. To make a reservation, click here.

Our partnership with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra continues. Symphony Monday features Symphony members in smaller, chamber ensembles. The Hett’s exceptional acoustics provide an exquisite chamber music experience.

 

Family Series

Official Family Series Media Sponsor 

 

Mark Nizer
Sunday, September 18, 2011 -- 3 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$12 adult, $10 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Mark Nizer, click here.

Expect the impossible when the outrageous comedian and juggler extraordinaire brings his hilarious show to the Hett – in 3-D! The unique daredevil can juggle a bowling ball, a lit propane torch, a buzzing chainsaw and an electric carving knife, all at once. Check out his website here, or preview a performance here!

“Without a doubt the hottest juggler on the entertainment market, Mark Nizer is simply incredible.” – Entertainment Magazine

“He just keeps getting better and I didn’t think that was possible.” – Bob Hope

COCA Presents: The Little Dancer
Saturday, December 17, 2011 -- 2 p.m.

Ticket Prices
$10 adult, $8 senior, $5 student/child

To purchase tickets for Little Dancer, click here.

A holiday tradition – COCA’s Ballet Eclectica enacts the imaginative tale of Degas’ famous statuette who comes to life, and finds herself inside famous works of art. Little Dancer is a co-presentation with St. Louis’s Center of Creative Arts and its Family Theatre Series.

Little Dancer is a co-presentation with St. Louis’s Center of Creative Arts and its Family Theatre Series.

ScrapArtsMusic
Thursday, March 8, 2012 -- 7:30 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

Fans of Blue Man Group and Stomp will appreciate these Vancouver-based percussionists, who create kinetic musical instruments from industrial scrap and use them to deliver intricate rhythms, raw energy and athletic choreography. Vastly entertaining, you’ve never seen anything like ScrapArts before (unless perhaps you caught their performance during the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies).  Check out their website here, or watch a performance here! 

“Sexy, ultra physical… visually riveting!” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Recycling can pay rich musical dividends!” – Topeka Capitol Review

World Champion Trinity Irish Dancers
Monday, April 22, 2012 -- 3 p.m.

SOLD OUT!

It’s not Riverdance – this is the real deal, steeped in the ancient traditions of Celtic dance. Mark Howard founded this company in 1990 to provide professional experience for his best students. Since that time, it has been hailed as a national treasure and has competed and performed all over the world. Check out a performance here, or visit their website here!