Ready for theatre, music? Major arts events returning to the Lexington calendar
Another late summer Lexington music event is returning this year: Picnic with the Pops will be back for its 41st year on Aug. 14 at the Meadow at Keeneland. The annual event, which features the Lexington Philharmonic and a competition for best table decoration, was called off in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s event will feature the touring event “Revolution – Music of the Beatles – A Symphonic Experience” that also includes a multi-media show with imagery and rare photographs of the iconic band, according to a news release.
Table holders will be able to renew their tables, with information coming in the mail, according to the Picnic with the Pops Commission. General admission will be determined at a later date, according to the announcement. For more information, go to Lexpops.com.
Broadway Live Season
The Lexington Opera House will announce the new lineup of shows for the 2021-22 season with a virtual broadcast 7 p.m. May 20 online at Lexingtonoperahouse.com or Facebook.com/LexOperaHouse.
Pioneer Playhouse
Pioneer Playhouse School of Drama, 840 Standford Dr. in Danville, will reopen June 11 with a schedule of three plays: “Clue: On Stage,” “Southern Fried Funeral” and “Jeeves in Bloom.” The season also will feature a special stand-up comedy weekend featuring Joe Deuce on Aug. 13-14. A live music weekend Aug. 20-21 will conclude the summer. Tickets on sale now at Pioneerplayhouse.com.
Beat of the Heartland
The Lexington Philharmonic is hosting a collaborative outdoor performance with Lexington hip-hop artist Devine Carama. Beat of the Heartland will be June 12 at Loudoun House, 209 Castlewood Dr.
Devine Carama will perform with a string quintet from the philharmonic, and the performance will feature local vocalists and poets. The 7 p.m. concert will be preceded by a community festival in partnership with the Lexington Art League, featuring food vendors on-site. The event is free, but capacity is limited. Registration for the event opens at noon May 10 at LexPhil.org.
Crystal Wilkinson honored
Recently named Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson also was named among the 2021 O. Henry Prize winners chosen by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for her short story, “Endangered Species: Case 47401.”
Wilkinson, who is an English professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, was inducted as Kentucky’s first black female poet laureate on April 23. She is the author of “The Birds of Opulence,” winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. Her next book, “Perfect Black,” will be released in August.
Tahlsound Concert Series
Tahlsound Music Festival will host monthly concerts on Southland Drive in front of Critchfield’s Meats Retail Store. Reservations for socially distant pods are available at Tahlsound.com. Concerts are 6 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month through September.
Kentucky Ballet Theatre streaming show
Kentucky Ballet Theatre presents a virtual spring performance “Making a Pointe!” now through May 31. “Making a Pointe!” was filmed at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center a couple of weeks ago. It presents a variety of short pieces in different styles – classical, neo-classical, and contemporary ballet – featuring Kentucky Ballet Theatre’s professional dancers. Go to kyballet.com to purchase tickets, which are $30. Kentucky Ballet Theatre is a professional ballet company located in Lexington.
LexPhil at Lexington Farmers Market
The Lexington Philharmonic will bring live orchestral music to the Saturday Lexington Farmers Market in May and April from 10 a.m. to noon. Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, 251 W. Main St. Schedule of performers at Lexphil.org
