Presented by The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
Show Dates
Wed Nov 13, 8pm
Thu Nov 14, 8pm
Friday, Nov 15, 8pm
Sat Nov 16, 2pm and 8pm
The Kennedy Center says:
Last at the Kennedy Center in 2018 with the elegant Layla and Majnun, Mark Morris Dance Group adds some spice to this season with a colorful, exuberant new production that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ groundbreaking album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. A smash hit with audiences at its Liverpool premiere, Pepperland is “a gorgeously entertaining and witty tribute to the classic Beatles album” (The Guardian).
Co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center, the evening-length production features an original score by composer Ethan Iverson performed by a unique jazz ensemble of vocals, soprano saxophone, trombone, piano, keyboard, theremin, and percussion. Arrangements of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “A Day in the Life,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Within You Without You,” and “Penny Lane” intermix with six original Pepper-inspired pieces intended especially for Mark Morris’s profound understanding of classical forms: Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio, and the blues. Resounding with ingenuity and musicality, this production is a must-see for dance and Beatles fans alike.
“High-spirited humor, eccentric charm, and a joyous musical sensibility… guaranteed to raise a smile”—The Times (UK)