With its 2022-23 annual season set to kick off next month, Germantown Performing Arts Center has announced a handful of new individual shows for the fall.
The venue has confirmed that bestselling author and humorist David Sedaris will appear at GPAC’s Duncan-Williams Performance Hall on Oct. 19, in support of his latest books, “Happy-Go-Lucky” and “A Carnival of Snackery.”
GPAC’s roots music offerings get a boost with a pair of shows: On Sept. 23, country and bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder will perform. On Oct. 7, Old Crow Medicine Show will play songs from its latest album, “Paint This Town.”
As part of its ongoing relationship with the Mempho Music FestivalGPAC will also present a special event with keyboardist, Rolling Stones sideman and former Allman Brothers Band member Chuck Leavell.
“An Evening with Chuck Leavell” is set for Sept. 29. The event will feature a screening of footage from the documentary “Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man.” Afterward, Leavell will perform solo and share stories from his life and career. The evening will be moderated by Grammy-winning Memphis producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang.
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Tickets for “An Evening with Chuck Leavell” and David Sedaris go on sale this Friday at 10 am
Tickets for Old Crow Medicine Show and Ricky Skaggs, along with passes for the 2022-2023 GPAC season, are available now.
To purchase go to GPACweb.com.
GPAC’s 2022-23 season: What acts are performing?
In addition to these individual shows, the 28th annual season at GPAC — which will feature multiple concert programs, including the Center Stage Series, Jazz Series and Acoustic Music Project Series — will launch in September.
The GPAC season will feature performances by Stax Records great Mavis Staples, Bluff City-born jazz legend Charles Lloyd, hitmaking trumpeter Herb Alpert and acclaimed folk duo The Milk Carton Kids.
Alpert — leader of the iconic Tijuana Brass — will kick off the GPAC season on Sept. 16 in a performance with his wife, singer Lani Hall.
The show is part of GPAC’s Jazz Series, which will also include performances by Indonesian pianist Joey Alexander (Oct. 15), Memphis Music Hall of Famer Charles Lloyd and his Ocean Trio, featuring Gerald Clayton and Anthony Wilson (Nov. 4), and Delfeayo Marsalis & Uptown Jazz Orchestra (Nov. 19). The Jazz Series will resume in 2023 with shows by Grammy-nominated songstress Stacey Kent (Jan. 14) and three-time Grammy winner Cécile McLorin Salvant (Feb. 9).
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GPAC’s Center Stage series will begin Oct. 1 with a concert by “Wicked” star and Broadway performer Jessica Vosk. Concerts will continue with R&B and gospel veteran Mavis Staples (Oct. 8), and Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience with Marcella Simien (Oct. 22). The 2023 portion continues with dance company Pilobolus (Feb. 11), Step Afrika! (March 5) and ends with a show by Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn (April 15, 2023).
The third series in GPAC’s programming will be focused on the Acoustic Music Project, “a program designed to inspire and uplift young musicians from across the United States.” GPAC notes that the program will bring “twenty or so young string players ranging from 18-25 years old to come to GPAC for 10 days of creativity and learning, intended to spark years of musical growth.”
The musicians will participate in an intensive week of music instruction alongside acoustic music masters, including Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. In addition to the teaching sessions there will be a shows with The Milk Carton Kids (Jan. 21) and Fleck, Meyer, Zakir Hussein and Rakesh Chaurasia (April 21), and a concert presenting the participants of the Acoustic Music Project (April 22 ).
