ASU GAMMAGE KICKS OFF BEYOND SERIES WITH ARIZONA PREMIERE OF AnDa UNION

On Saturday, October 8 at 7 p.m., AnDa Union from China will make its Arizona performance premiere at ASU Gammage. This talented and adventurous ensemble of young musicians from Hohhot, China takes you on a musical voyage into traditions dating back to Genghis Khan and fuses them with a youthful vigor of modern China.

AnDa Union are part of a musical movement that is finding inspiration in old and forgotten songs, drawing on a repertoire of magical music that had all but disappeared during China's recent tumultuous past. AnDa Union hold on to the essence of Mongolian music while creating a form of music that is new. AnDa Union combines different traditions and styles of music from all over Inner and Outer Mongolia, developing an innovation previously unheard of.

“Our music draws from all the Mongol tribes that Genghis Khan unified. We all have different ethnic backgrounds and we bring these influences into our music. There is a wealth of folk music for us to learn, so far our repertoire of songs is like a drop in the ocean”, says Hadanbaatar the group’s drummer. The group describe themselves as music gatherers, digging deep into Mongol traditions and unearthing forgotten music. They are on a mission to stimulate their culture and reengage young Mongols, many of who have forgotten how to speak their own language

Tickets are $25 and $10 for students and on sale now at asugammage.com or by calling 480.965.3434

ANNOUNCING THE 2011-2012 GAMMAGE GOERS VALLEY RESIDENTS SELECTED TO REVIEW ASU GAMMAGE BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS

ASU Gammage has selected eight Broadway theater lovers and savvy social media users to become part of the third season of the ASU Gammage Goers. The Goers have an opportunity to review shows throughout the blockbuster Broadway season and then spread their reviews through their social media outlets. The Goers were chosen from a pool of nearly 100 applicants who applied based on their interest in Broadway and their love for using social media.

“With everyone using social media these days to talk about the things they do and enjoy, we felt this was a great way for people to experience what we present at ASU Gammage and to share their views with people in their networks,” says Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director of ASU Gammage “We want these reviews to be honest and unbiased, we of course hope their experience is positive and they will encourage their friends to see a show as well.”

Gammage Goers reviews will be posted via the ASU Gammage Facebook, Twitter and You Tube pages as well as on the Goers accounts. Each Goer will review approximately three shows per ASU Gammage season.

The Goers include:

Jodi, mom and music teacher from Phoenix

Jessica, high school teacher from Mesa

Jeff, business owner from Phoenix

Tami, an avid animal lover and an Intel employee from Chandler

Krys, dad, musician and online marketer from Mesa

Lorna, ASU student from Gilbert

Tim, dad and tech company account manager from Mesa

Jessie, nonprofit exec from Phoenix

GRAMMY AWARD WINNING BROADWAY SMASH HIT

WEST SIDE STORY

IS COMING TO TEMPE

SEPTEMBER 27- OCTOBER 2

AT ASU GAMMAGE

The tour of the smash hit Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Tempe. WEST SIDE STORY will open at ASU Gammage on September 27 and runs through October 2, 2011. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction will be recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

The new Broadway cast album of WEST SIDE STORY won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album

on January 31, 2010. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway’s finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.”

The new Broadway production began previews at the Palace Theatre on Broadway Monday, February 23, 2009, opened to critical acclaim breaking box office records at the Palace Theatre on Thursday, March 19, 2009, and recouped its $14 million investment after running only 30 weeks. The Broadway production played its final performance January 2, 2011. The musical played 27 previews and 748 regular performances, making it the longest-running production of the groundbreaking musical in Broadway history.The original production, which had held the record, played 732 performances on Broadway.

WEST SIDE STORY is written by three theatrical luminaries: two-time Tony Award winner Arthur Laurents (book) and multiple Tony and Grammy Award winners Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) in his Broadway debut.