This Semester at the Cowan Center

As a new semester begins at UT Tyler, the Cowan Center has an outstanding lineup of shows, events, and lectures for students and the local community.  The first half of the 2013-2014 season proved to be one of the most exciting to date, with amazing performances from legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen Lang in “Beyond Glory,” and from Dr. Carl Wieman, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series. This semester has the potential to be even better, as outstanding shows are coming to Tyler.

Members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem

In the Performing Arts Series, we will see performances from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as from the cast of “Godspell.” From the Dance Theatre of Harlem comes “Believe Again,” a program of ballet dance that has acquired unparalleled acclaim from global audiences. The Dance Theatre of Harlem is a multi-cultural dance institution with a legacy of unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences across the country.  “Godspell” is the musical from Grammy-nominated composer Stephen Schwartz, based on a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew, tied together with a variety of modern and traditional music. It can be described as a tale of friendship, loyalty, and love that has been traveling around the world in theaters since 1971.

Two other musicals will travel to Tyler, Texas to be part of the Cowan Center Broadway Series.  First is “Million Dollar Quartet,” the Tony-award winning musical that tells the story of the famous recording session with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, featuring famous songs from all four musicians.  Next is “The Addams Family,” the hit musical comedy from four-time Tony Award winning director Jerry Zaks.  Based on the hit 1964 TV show, it brings the dark, entertaining world of the Addams family to life for audiences nationwide.

The Braithwaite Series will offer two shows this semester.  First is "The Official Blues Brothers Revue," a show that combines the comedy and hit songs from the original movie, and pays homage to Chicago's rich history of blues, gospel, and soul music. Next is a performance from Jim Belushi and the Chicago Board of Comedy, in which they will hold an improvised sketch show for the audience to participate in. 

See this movie because
Bill Murray is in the cast.

In the Distinguished Lecture Series this season, we have Charles Krauthammer and Robert Edsel.  Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer has been a political speaker and commentator for over three decades, garnering national attention as a member of the Reagan Administration as one of the writers of the “Reagan Doctrine” during the Cold War.  Since then, he has been a highly influential commentator with The Washington Post, The Weekly Standard, and The New Republic.  Robert Edsel is the author of the non-fiction books, Rescuing Da Vinci, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, and Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis. One of his works is being adapted to the big screen, “Monuments Men,” adapted to the screen and directed by George Clooney.

For ticket and showtime information, be sure to check the Cowan Center website for more information!  We are looking forward to another fantastic semester from the Cowan Center!