This week in the arts, hear the harrowing sounds of the Littlefield Organ Series’ Halloween show; see the first performance of the School of Drama’s 2017-18 season; enjoy a guest recital from a “leading champion of contemporary American piano music”; experience a special collaboration between the UW Symphony and Seattle Symphony Orchestra; and catch performer that听Rolling Stone calls the听“biggest pop star in Mali” at Meany Hall.
LITTLEFIELD ORGAN SERIES: HALLOWEEN ORGAN CONCERT
October 27 |听Kane Hall, Walker-Ames Room
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK
Through November 5 | Meany Studio Theater
It鈥檚 The Golden Age of Hollywood, and the streets of Los Angeles teem with aspiring starlets. When Vera Stark鈥攎aid to 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Sweetie Pie,鈥� Gloria Mitchell鈥攍ands a groundbreaking role in an antebellum epic, she turns Hollywood on its head and paves the way for future generations of black actresses. Seventy years later, film buffs still wrestle with the life and legacy of this controversial star, for whom fame and fortune could only be achieved by joining the apparatus of a deeply racist industry. Hilarious and incisive, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage鈥檚 screwball comedy is sly satire at its most urgent and satisfying.
GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: URSULA OPPENS, PIANO
November 2听|听Brechemin Auditorium
Long recognized as the leading champion of contemporary American piano music, Ursula Oppens鈥� original and perceptive readings of other music, old and new, have earned her a place among the elect of today鈥檚 performing musicians, a status evident in her Nov. 2 recital of music by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Carter, Corigliano, and Nancarrow. She also leads a master class with UW piano students on Nov. 1.
UW SYMPHONY WITH SEATTLE SYMPHONY HORNS
November 3 | Meany Theater
David Alexander Rahbee conducts the University Symphony and horn players from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra (including principal horn and School of Music faculty artist Jeffrey Fair) in a program of music featuring Beethoven, Schumann, and Dvorak.
FALL OPEN HOUSE AT THE HENRY ART GALLERY
November 3听| Henry Art Gallery
Join听the Henry Art Gallery听for听their Fall Open House to celebrate the opening of our museum-wide exhibition The Time. The Place. Contemporary Art from the Collection.听There will be art, drinks, and music by KEXP DJ Larry Rose!听Cheese Wizards will be onsite and will offer many styles of grilled cheese sandwiches for purchase.
HABIB KOIT脡 AND BAMADA
November 4听|听Meany Theater
Hailing from the West African nation of Mali, guitarist and composer Habib Koit茅 has been named the biggest pop star of the region by Rolling Stone. His artistry and magnetic personality have made him an international star, placing him firmly among the leading figures in contemporary world music. Koit茅鈥榮 most recent release, So么 (which translates to 鈥渉ome鈥�), looks squarely at his native land, a country torn apart by violence, at a time when a real feeling of home couldn鈥檛 be more vital.