The Rialto Center for the Arts kicks off their 2019-2020 series in October. The season brings comedy, music, opera, dance, and Gladys Knight, to name a few! Read more about the Rialto’s season full of spectacular artists.
Photo by Sachyn-Mital.
Red Baraat | Bollywood Funk Party Band
Saturday | Oct 12, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Red Baraat is a pioneering band from Brooklyn, New York. Conceived and led by dhol player Sunny Jain, the group has drawn worldwide praise for its singular sound, a merging of hard driving North Indian bhangra with elements of hip-hop, jazz and raw punk energy.
Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance
Saturday | Oct 26, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Photo by Kyle Froman.
For over 45 years, Ailey II has merged the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Come and see why The New York Times declares, “there’s nothing like an evening spent with Ailey II.”
Gladys Knight
An Intimate Evening with the Empress of Soul
Sunday | Nov 10, 2019 | 6 p.m.
The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has long been one of the greatest. Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her enduring legacy. We are proud to have this seven-time GRAMMY winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer headline our 2019-2020 season!
The Second City – Greatest Hits (Vol 59)
Legendary Sketch and Improv Comedy
Saturday | Nov 16, 2019 | 8 p.m.
After more than a decade’s absence, The Second City comedy team returns to the Rialto with Greatest Hits (vol 59)! This must-see show features the best sketches and songs from The Second City’s history made famous by superstars like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray & more–as well as their trademark improvisation. Please be advised this show is appropriate for ages 17+.
Photo by Timothy M Schmidt.
Gala Holiday Concert
Georgia State University School of Music
Sunday | Dec 8, 2019 | 3 p.m.
Your gateway to the holidays! An Atlanta tradition for over 20 years, the annual Georgia State University Gala Holiday Concert brings together talented student and faculty performers from the School of Music in a joyful celebration of the holiday season.
Celtic Christmas
Presented by The Celtic Company
Saturday | Dec 21, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Sunday | Dec 22, 2019 | 3 p.m.
Captivating audiences for over 25 years, Atlanta’s Celtic Christmas is much more than a concert production. A cast of international and regionally renowned artists weaves a spellbinding performance of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Appalachian music, dance and humor in an evocative, inspiring show that will warm the soul with the music and dance of the ages.
An Evening with Eric Whitacre
Presented by Georgia State University School of Music and CENCIA
Tuesday | Feb 4, 2020 | 7:30 p.m.
Grammy-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular musicians of his generation. Millions of amateur and professional musicians alike have performed his concert music throughout the world. Join Georgia State University’s Choral and Wind Ensembles for an evening of Eric Whitacre’s music conducted by the composer himself.
Johnny Mercer Tribute
Featuring Joe Gransden with A Special Guest
Friday | Feb 7, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Georgia’s own Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics to over 1,700 songs, including four Academy Award-winners. Hard-bop trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden and a special guest (to be announced), with the Georgia State University Jazz band, pay tribute to Mercer’s incomparable legacy by performing a selection of his many hits.
Photo by Henry Adebonojo.
Terence Blanchard
Grammy-Winning Jazz Trumpeter Featuring the E-Collective
Saturday | Feb 15, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Terence Blanchard believes “music and art have the power to change hearts and souls”— a belief brought to life through the music of Blanchard and his E-Collective featuring guitarist Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist David ‘DJ’ Ginyard Jr., and drummer Oscar Seaton.
Ché Malambo
Powerhouse Argentinian Gaucho Dance Troupe
Saturday | Feb 22, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Argentina’s Ché Malambo returns to the Rialto stage with fiery Malambo traditions and virtuosic dancing for an exhilarating and entertaining show that is perfect for the entire family! The all-male company celebrates the unique South American cowboy tradition of the gaucho and presents a thrilling dance and music spectacle unlike anything you have ever experienced!
Photo by Mark Higashino.
Dee Dee Bridgewater
NEA Jazz Master Grammy & Tony-Winning Vocalist
Saturday | Mar 7, 2020 | 8 p.m.
When Dee Dee Bridgewater takes the Rialto stage, we are in for a treat! Over the course of her multifaceted career spanning four decades, three-time GRAMMY winner and Tony Award-winning jazz vocalist Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics.
Capitol Steps
Putting the Mock in Democracy
Saturday | Mar 28, 2020 | 8 p.m.
The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize their Capitol Hill employers. Many of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers. Taken together the performers have worked in eighteen Congressional offices. Their unique and hilarious brand of political comedy leaves audiences in stitches!
Susannah by Carlisle Floyd
Georgia State University Opera Theater
Friday | Apr 10, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Saturday | Apr 11, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Sunday | Apr 12, 2020 | 3 p.m.
Written by Carlisle Floyd during the McCarthy era, Susannah is loosely based on the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders and is one of the most performed American operas. The two-act opera focuses on 18-year-old Susannah Polk, an innocent girl who is targeted as a sinner in a small mountain town in Tennessee.
Photo by Valeria Figallo.
Eva Ayllón
Queen of Afro-Peruvian Soul
Saturday | Apr 25, 2020 | 8 p.m.
The Rialto proudly presents Peru’s most celebrated musical artist, Eva Ayllón, the “Queen of Afro-Peruvian Soul”. Ayllón’s repertoire ranges from the romantic Spanish songs known as “valses” of coastal Peru to the distinctive rhythms brought by African slaves. Ayllón is recognized as the leading proponent of Afro-Peruvian music.
Tom Scott
Grammy-Winning Saxophonist in Concert with the Georgia State University Jazz Band
Friday | Apr 24, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Tom Scott is a renowned composer, arranger, producer, music director and educator. Scott’s 33 solo recordings have earned him 3 Grammy awards. His career as a guest artist spans over 500 recordings with music icons–Barbara Streisand, Quincy Jones, Thelonious Monk, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, the Blues Brothers, Aerosmith and many more!
Tickets can be purchased from Rialto.GSU.edu or by calling the Rialto Theatre Box Office (404-413-9TIX/9849).
Want to know more about the Rialto Center for the Arts? Read our previous issues!
