The Lyceum Series’ 2006-07 season takes off Oct. 9 with a performance from The 5 Browns.
“[The Lyceum Series] is an opportunity for the students to see fine arts,” Lyceum Series director of public relations Jim Walsh said. “The 5 Browns are a group of five brothers and sisters. They all play the piano. We’ve heard a lot of good things about them while working on the contract.”
Lyceum Series marketing director Tairus Henry said the group is one of the top classical artists around.
“They’ve been No. 1 on the Billboard classical charts for 20 weeks running,” Henry said. “They’ve appeared on NBC, the Today Show, and they’ve been featured on Letterman. They’re a very popular classical group.”
The selection of acts for each Lyceum Series season is a careful process.
“The performing arts committee, which is 24 members of students, faculty and staff, go through a process of selecting them,” Walsh said. “They base it on the quality of the artist and the money they have available to get that artist. If they see somebody they want, they’ll go after them as long as they have the funds to do that.”
With a new addition to funds, this year’s Lyceum Series could prove to be one of the best.
“With this season, we had more funds available to go and secure some of the bigger names,” Henry said.
The series should appeal to a very diverse audience as well, Henry said.
“The series is all about bringing a cultural side to Mississippi State University,” Henry said. “We look for a different mix. Something to relate to each demographic. It’s a cultural event to expose students to a lot of different programs they wouldn’t get to see here.”
The 5 Browns are only the beginning of this year’s season. On Nov. 13, premier New York dance group Ailey II will present its African dance stylings to MSU. Then, on Jan. 18, Flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook and jazz vocalist Sophie Milman will take the stage, both of whom are well renowned and have large followings. On March 6, The Acting Company will perform Jane Eyre.
“They’ve been internationally renowned for this performance,” Henry said.
The final act of this year’s Lyceum Series will be The Canadian Brass on April 23. This five-piece brass ensemble has been performing for 35 concert seasons.
The acts are not the only thing to look forward to in this year’s Lyceum Series. The majority of the acts will be performed in the newly renovated Lee Hall Auditorium.
“They’ve struggled [in the past with] having the right venues to do the performances that they want to bring, and it has limited their ability to attract certain things here,” said Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs and Lyceum Series contributor. “Even though we had the auditorium before, it was old, it was un-air conditioned and therefore it was just not the kind of venue that the acts that they’re trying to attract (would be used to).”
The improvements to the theater include air conditioning, heat, state-of-the-art dressing and restroom facilities for the performers, seating for audience members with disabilities, cushioned seats and an entirely redone, larger stage.
All of this year’s acts will be performed in the Lee Hall Auditorium except for The Acting Company’s performance of Jane Eyre, which will be in McComas Hall Theatre. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Student admission is free with a student ID card Admission will be available for the general public at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens 65 and over and $8 for children 3 to 12. For more information on ticketing and the artists, visit www.msstate.edu/dept/lyceum/info.html.