The Lineup for the Bass Performance Hall has been announced and hits its mark! The lineup features a return of audience favorites, a celebration of peace, a variety of musical showcases and a tribute worthy of an icon.
The 2022-2023 series kicks off with the previously announced return of Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Bass Hall for one night only August 23. October hosts a trio of music and dance, with A Tribute to Peace – North Texas Welcomes Kyiv City Ballet – Presented in Partnership with Texas Ballet Theater and Performing Arts Fort Worth, at Bass Hall October 3, followed by guitarist Monte Montgomery making his return to McDavid Studio on October 15, and a night of soul when the Aretha Franklin tribute R.E.S.P.E.C.T. takes the Bass Hall stage October 19. The holidays bring in festive favorites and old friends with An Evening with Slaid Cleaves on November 18 at McDavid Studio, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical at Bass Hall November 21-22, followed by Holidays with the One O’Clock Lab Band on December 2 at McDavid Studio. Then in the spring, Our Planet Live In Concert takes the Bass Hall stage March 21. The series closes with the One O’Clock Lab Band Spring Showcase May 5 at McDavid Studio. Individual tickets to these newly announced shows are on sale now!
“We are so excited for this jam-packed Popular Entertainment Series,” said Performing Arts Fort Worth President and CEO Dione Kennedy. “This 2022-2023 Series hosts longtime friends of the Hall and welcomes new acts sure to inspire and entertain audiences. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate 25 years of Bass Performance Hall than with this incredible lineup.”
Take a detailed look at the lineup here:
LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND (August 23, 2022, at Bass Hall)
A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of Americana, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Whether touring as a ‘Duo’ or with his ‘Acoustic Group’ or ‘The Large Band’, Lovett’s live performances show not only the breadth of this Texas legend’s deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences, making him one of the most infectious and fascinating musicians in popular music. Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers. His oeuvre, rich and eclectic, is one of the most beloved of any living artist working today.
Lovett is a four-time Grammy Award® winner including Best Country Album, Best Country Duo/Group with Vocal, Best Pop Vocal Collaboration and Best Country Male Vocal.
A TRIBUTE TO PEACE – NORTH TEXAS WELCOMES KYIV CITY BALLET – PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS BALLET THEATER AND PERFORMING ARTS FORT WORTH
(October 3, 2022, at Bass Hall)
Performing Arts Fort Worth and Texas Ballet Theater are proud to present in partnership A Tribute to Peace – North Texas Welcomes Kyiv City Ballet. This neo-classical work, choreographed by Ekaterina Kozlova and Ivan Kozlov, comes to Bass Hall as part of a new tour for the Kyiv City Ballet, marking the company’s first performances in the United States and the only tour stop in Texas. The evening will kick off with a mixed repertory from Texas Ballet Theater.
The day before Ukraine was invaded in February, the Kyiv City Ballet unknowingly took one of the last flights out of Kyiv. The company flew to Paris to begin a long-planned tour. They have not returned home. The country of France sheltered them and the company has been performing throughout France, and now Europe, since the invasion began.
“We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with US audiences, through Ukrainian artists” said Ivan Kozlov, Artistic Director. “Touring the States for the first time with a range of ballets makes an important global statement. It demonstrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”
The Kyiv City Ballet’s mission is to bring joy to audiences through ballet by bringing exemplary artists to theatres around the world. In the past decade, the company has successfully toured throughout dozens of countries on four continents.
MONTE MONTGOMERY (October 15, 2022, at McDavid Studio)
Hailing originally from Birmingham, Alabama, guitarist and singer-songwriter Monte Montgomery has proudly called Texas home since he moved to the Lone Star State at the age of 12 in 1979. The Austin-based six-stringer first gained notoriety in 1999, when as a relatively unknown talent he delivered a jaw-dropping live performance on an episode of the PBS series Austin City Limits. He has been named one of the “Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitar Players” By Guitar Player Magazine, has won the “Best Acoustic Guitar Player” Award at the Austin Chronicle’s Austin Music Awards seven years in a row. He has also composed music for the FOX TV series Last Man Standing.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (October 19, 2022, at Bass Hall)
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is the ultimate tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The elevated concert experience brings a community together with timeless music that speaks to the complicated human condition, honoring the impassioned and transcendent music of one of America’s most beloved singer-songwriters. Rejoice while you are taken on an intimate musical odyssey guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat and dancing! The production journeys through Aretha Franklin’s courageous life of love, tragedy and triumph starring a live band, supreme vocalists and a night full of music by one of the greatest artists of all time. “Natural Woman,” “Think,” “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me,” “Chain of Fools,” “Respect” — all your favorite hits in one evening celebrating the iconic songstress!
AN EVENING WITH SLAID CLEAVES (November 18, 2022, at McDavid Studio)
Singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves has been wowing audiences since the early nineties. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen and more, this Austin-based musician continually strives to bring the same depth and sense of storytelling to his craft.
The characters in Slaid Cleaves’ songs live in unglamorous reality. They work dead-end jobs, they run out of money, they grow old, they hold on to each other (or not), and they die. With an eye for the beauty in everyday life, he tells their stories, bringing a bit of empathy to their uncaring world. Described as “terse, clear and heartfelt” (NPR Fresh Air), his songs speak to timeless truths. “I’m not an innovator. I’m more of a keeper of the flame,” he says.
“Songs are so accessible. You don’t need an education to fully appreciate them, you don’t need a lot of leisure time to spend on them, you don’t need to learn the language of song. We seem to be born with it,” Cleaves explains. “With no preparation at all, they can bring you to tears in a matter of seconds. I remember being three or four and getting a lump in my throat when I heard Hank Williams sing.” Now over thirty years into his career, Cleaves admits that it’s sometimes hard to stay inspired. “I do become jaded,” he says. “I wonder that, at this point in my career, I’ve had no real national success. No impact on the culture, as my heroes had. The music that I love just doesn’t seem relevant to mainstream culture. But then, I have no interest in what mainstream culture offers either.”
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL (November 21-22, 2022, at Bass Hall)
See all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. It’s a classic adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us.
HOLIDAYS WITH THE ONE O’CLOCK LAB BAND (December 2, 2022, at McDavid Studio)
Jazz up your holidays with the University of North Texas’ One O’Clock Lab Band! The Grammy® – nominated jazz ensemble returns to the intimate McDavid Studio for its annual Holidays with the One O’Clock concert. Celebrate the yuletide season as the One O’Clock’s big band takes on all of your favorite holiday anthems.
OUR PLANET LIVE IN CONCERT (March 21, 2023, at Bass Hall)
The landmark Emmy Award®-winning Netflix series that took the world by storm is now a live concert event! Our Planet Live In Concert combines breathtaking HD cinematography with all-new orchestrations by Oscar®-winning composer Steven Price performed by a live onstage orchestra. A journey of discovery across our planet featuring narration by legendary broadcaster David Attenborough, this mesmerizing concert is a spectacular celebration of the planet we call home – welcoming audiences to be fully immersed into the wonders of earth’s wildlife and their habitats. A donation will be made to the World Wildlife Fund for each concert.
Academy Award®-winning composer Steven Price states, “I can’t wait for the audience to experience the music of Our Planet live. Using a combination of the most memorable sequences from the Netflix series exclusively designed for this show, the incredible musicians plan to take you on a journey that celebrates the wonders of our planet – the one home we all share – whilst showing the urgent need to treasure and protect it.”
ONE O’CLOCK LAB BAND SPRING SHOWCASE (May 5, 2023, at McDavid Studio)
Seven Grammy® nominations! Multitudes of great composers, performers, and educators all throughout the music world. Over 60 recordings and a tradition that just keeps swingin’…The One O’Clock Lab Band returns to McDavid Studio for their spring showcase to close out the 2022-2023 BNSF Popular Entertainment Series.