KC Spotlight: An exquisite dance fantasy from Cloud Gate – on sale now!

Plus Harry Connick, Jr., Disney’s Frozen in Concert, Bluey’s Big Play, The Roots’ Black Thought, FREE outdoor events & more! [View this email in your browser.]( [Kennedy Center]( [Kennedy Center]( “A sensationally big, indulgent and visually arresting expression of cultural memory” —The Times Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: 13 Tongues Oct. 20–22 | Eisenhower Theater Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, the first contemporary dance company in any Chinese-speaking community, blends its roots in Asian mythology, folklore, and aesthetics with a modern sensibility. In this breathtaking new production, Artistic Director CHENG Tsung-lung recalls his mother’s stories about “Thirteen Tongues,” a legendary street artist in the 1960s. CHENG transforms his childhood memory of the sights, sounds, and vitality of Bangka—Taipei’s oldest district—into an exquisite fantasy world. [GET TICKETS NOW]( The Kennedy Center’s COVID-19 policy is changing—please [visit our website]( to learn more. What’s On at the Kennedy Center [NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA]( NSO Family Concert: Sleepover at the Museum Oct. 15 | Concert Hall Imagine spending your birthday at the museum! Join Mason and his friends for a musical and scientific scavenger hunt through the many exhibits that make any museum special in this National Symphony Orchestra concert with music and story by Karen LeFrak based on her book of the same name. [Get Tickets]( [Jazz]( Chucho Valdés presents “La Creación” Oct. 16 | Concert Hall Legendary pianist and composer Chucho Valdés performs his jazzy, epic new work for big band, Batà drums, and Creole voices. Joined by the Yoruban Orchestra, Valdés explores the story of creation through Santería ritual music, the blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. SPECIAL OFFER: Save 25% on Orchestra seats! [Get 25% OFF Tickets]( [Performances for Young Audiences]( FREE! Jacqueline and Jason’s Block Party! Oct. 16 | 1–6 p.m.REACH Plaza Join us for a day of music, games, and food! This fun-filled day includes jazz and show choir performances, Double Dutch and roller skating demos, hopscotch and fort building—and so much more. Food and refreshments will also be available for purchase. Reserving tickets is not required, but recommended. [FREE—Register Now!]( [Fortas Chamber Music Concerts]( Polonsky-Laredo-Ngwenyama-Robinson Oct. 18 | 7:30 p.m.Terrace Theater Violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson (of the former KLR Trio) join pianist Anna Polonsky and acclaimed violist/composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama to premiere Ngwenyama’s new piano quartet Elegy—a Kennedy Center co-commission written in response to the social reckoning of 2020. [Get Tickets]( [Washington National Opera]( Two thrilling new productions open this month! Il trovatore Oct. 22–Nov. 7 | Opera House Jealousy. Sorcery. Vengeance. Forbidden love. A mother’s past haunts her as she struggles to protect her son in Verdi’s powerful and dramatic masterpiece. [Get Tickets]( Elektra Oct. 29–Nov. 12 | Opera House Tragedy follows Elektra—sung by superstar soprano Christine Goerke—in Richard Strauss’s epic opera inspired by the Greek tale. [Get Tickets]( [Hip Hop Culture & Contemporary Music]( ON SALE NOW! Culture Talks A Conversation on Creativity with Coodie & Chike Oct. 19 | Terrace Theater Award-winning duo Coodie & Chike are known for their groundbreaking music videos for “Through the Wire,” “Jesus Walks,” and “Window.” With the release of their new Netflix series jeen-yuhs, these visionary artists join renowned multi-hyphenate Mimi Valdés for an intimate conversation about their journey and approach to storytelling. [Get Tickets]( Culture Talks / THE ROOTS RESIDENCY Black Thought: Streams of Thought Oct. 23 | Terrace Theater Encompassing art, inspiration, and creative consciousness, acclaimed lyricist/writer/composer Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter’s Streams of Thought conversation series returns. Join us for this intimate discussion between The Roots front man and renowned visual artist and 2018 MacArthur Fellow Titus Kaphar. [Get Tickets]( Make your holiday unforgettable—spend Thanksgiving week at the Kennedy Center! Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin Nov. 19–Dec. 18 | Family Theater [Get Tickets]( Harry Connick, Jr. A Holiday Celebration Nov. 21 | Concert Hall [Get Tickets]( Bluey’s Big Play Nov. 22–27 | Eisenhower Theater Two performances added! Sat., Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. & Sun., Nov. 27 at 11 a.m. [Get Tickets]( FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA! NSO Pops: Disney’s Frozen™ in Concert Nov. 25 & 26 | Concert Hall [Get Tickets]( Kansas City Ballet: The Nutcracker Nov. 23 & 25–27 | Opera House [Get Tickets]( Shear Madness Ongoing performances! Theater Lab [Get Tickets]( 💙💙💙 💛💛💛 Benefit Concert For Ukraine Joshua Bell, violin New Era Orchestra of Kyiv Tatiana Kalinichenko, conductor Oct. 18 | Concert Hall Featuring works by Beethoven, Bruch, and Ukrainian composers Valentyn Silvestrov and Myroslav Skoryk [Get Tickets]( JUST RELEASED The first album of our complete Beethoven symphonies recording project with the National Symphony Orchestra! ▶️ [Listen now to Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3]( first in our cycle of digital releases on our label, culminating in a complete box set to come in 2024. Beethoven: Symphonies  Nos. 1 & 3 Gianandrea Noseda conducts the National Symphony Orchestra ▶️ [Listen now to Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3]( first in a cycle of digital releases on our label, culminating in a complete box set to come in 2024. [Learn More]( “Noseda’s Third was a charm, deferential to the symphony’s deliberate designs but deliberate enough to enhance its details in high resolution, polish its surface, restore its gleam.” —The Washington Post [NEXT at the Kennedy Center]( A new primetime series from the Kennedy Center & PBS Premieres Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET Episode One: Let My Children Hear Mingus [NEXT at the Kennedy Center]( spotlights cultural leaders from the worlds of Hip Hop, jazz, folk, comedy, modern dance, and more. Captured to match the unique style of our featured artists, each episode weaves together performances filmed live at the Center with intimate off-stage moments, contextualizing their significance and impact on American culture. Episode One: Let My Children Hear MingusOct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS Celebrates jazz icon and social activist Charles Mingus at 100. Through performances and conversations, we explore how his outsized personality and inimitable style pushed boundaries and paved the way for future generations. [Learn More]( [The Kennedy Center Gift Shop]( [The Kennedy Center Gift Shop]( Commemorate our 50th Anniversary with limited-edition gifts! [Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Mug]( [Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Baseball Cap]( [Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary T-shirt]( [Shop the Kennedy Center Collection]( [Shop the Kennedy Center Collection]( Kennedy Center exclusive face masks Stock-up on our best-sellers! [Shop Face Masks]( [Shop All >]( *$7 Flat Rate Ground Shipping for orders $65+ * Applies to ground shipping in the continental U.S. Keeping you safe Effective October 18, masks are optional but welcomed in all Kennedy Center spaces for visitors and staff. We ask that you respect others’ choices, and alert a staff member if you have any concerns. Protocols are subject to change in compliance with revisions to national and local guidelines regarding COVID-19. Visit our [website]( to learn more. See you soon! There’s something for everyone at the Kennedy Center! See [what’s on now](. For tickets and information, call us at 202-467-4600. The Kennedy Center is open to the public Mon.–Sun., 10 a.m.–midnight. The Hall of States Box Office is open Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sun. 12–9 p.m. [Victura Park]( is open Thu.–Sun., 10 a.m.–8 p.m. [facebook]( [The Kennedy Center welcomes guests with disabilities.]( [View email in browser.]( | [Forward this email.]( You are receiving this email based on your preferences. [Edit preferences.]( | [Unsubscribe.]( Please do not reply to this email. Add info@kennedy-center.org to your address book or safe list to ensure delivery. We respect our patrons’ privacy. [Read our privacy policy.]( [Contact center & FAQs.]( The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566 Instant Charge (202) 467-4600