2017-2018 McCain Conversations
SING ABOUT IT: What Makes A Cappella Great
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Cadence A Cappella
Join K-State’s own a cappella student group, Cadence, as members discuss — and sing plenty of fun examples — how a cappella became so popular and the major groups that have influenced this art form.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Home Free.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Home Free” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires May 18.
An American from the Outside
6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by David Mackay, Assistant Professor of Acting/Directing, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Identifying David Sedaris’ comedy is not an easy task. His literary chops elevate him above a stand-up comedian, yet when you hear his work spoken aloud there is a delicious performative element at play. Layered into the difficulty of pigeonholing David Sedaris is the fact that he is often identified as one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers; nonetheless, he has not lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. This discussion will look at David Sedaris’ insightful comedic viewpoint of life as an American abroad.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of David Sedaris.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “David Sedaris” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires May 15.
LAGQ Return of The Renaissance Men
6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Dr. Wayne Goins, Director of Jazz, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
When does the past meet the present? Since 1980, these four legendary guitarists have mastered the art form of classical music and extended their expertise into other genres such as contemporary, jazz and pop. Come and bathe your ears into the myriad musical styles of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet!
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Los Angeles Guitar Quartet” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Cindy Lauper, Harvey Fierstein and their 1980s-tinged underdog hit!
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Professor Jerry Jay Cranford, Broadway performer, 30-year Actors’ Equity member and K-State Theatre faculty
From its moderate out-of-town reception to its reworking before opening, the team hadn’t anticipated the success to a show that was not considered as commercial as other more highly anticipated productions of the season.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Kinky Boots.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Kinky Boots” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Austen and Her Legacy in the 21st Century
6:30 p.m. Friday, March 2, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Karin Westman, Department Head & Associate Professor, Department of English, Kansas State University.
Many people look to Jane Austen for inspiration, drawing upon her characters, her narrative style, and her themes as they create their own art. We will consider how Austen’s work has inspired others across a range of genres and decades, both to create other novels and to adapt her work for film, television, and web series. We’ll conclude by looking into the fan response to Austen work, both in print and online, and Austen’s iconic role in popular culture.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Sense and Sensibility.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Sense and Sensibility” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Hamlet, Clown Prince
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Donald Hedrick, Kansas State University English Department Donnelly scholar and the College Arts and Sciences Gaches Lifetime Teaching Award recipient.
What is it about the most famous play of all time that still fascinates and pleases actors and spectators, readers and political leaders, philosophers and comedians, dissidents in dictatorships and managers in corporations, and even psychologists and Supreme Court justices debating an “insanity defense” for Hamlet? Along with a brief history of performance and criticism, the presentation includes viewpoints on Hamlet — Shakespeare’s only student tragic hero — from a panel of Professor Hedrick’s Shakespeare students.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Hamlet.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Hamlet” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Rogers and Hammerstein: Pushing the envelope of musical theatre as political and social commentary
6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Professor Jerry Jay Cranford, Broadway performer, 30-year Actor’s Equity member and K-State Theatre faculty
From their earliest collaborations, they searched for dark themes to layer into their often ill-perceived treacly musicals.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Sound of Music.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Sound of Music” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Piano Quartet — a rarity among chamber music ensembles
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Slawomir Dobrzanski, Professor of Piano, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
The talk will focus on the history and evolution of the piano quartet and its celebrated composers and interpreters, along with some anecdotes from the history of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires March 16.
Frankie Valli and the Actors Who Play Him
6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Jennifer Vellenga, Professor of Theatre, Associate Director in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
From Newark, New Jersey to Manhattan, New York and Manhattan, Kansas to Las Vegas, Nevada ...will the real Francesco Stephen Castelluccio please stand up? Exploring Frankie Valli and the many actors who have played him on stage and screen.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the Jersey Boys.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Jersey Boys” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires Feb. 28.
The Temptations: Crossing the Divide — Catching, and Keeping, the Attention of America
6:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Alfred Cochran, Professor of Music School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
This presentation will briefly explore the styles and artists that preceded The Temptations’ entry onto the national music scene in 1962 and then move to the story of the group’s amazing rise to success with Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. We’ll then discuss the musicians’ equally amazing ability to hold the nation’s attention over the five decades since they first captivated our collective attention.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of The Temptations.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “The Temptations” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires Feb. 28.
“Hey, Where’s the Guy With the Stick?”
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Cora Cooper, Professor of Violin, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
This McCain Conversation will discuss the conductorless orchestra and how artistic and other ensemble decisions are made. It will once and for all explain why the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra says, “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Conductor!”
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra With Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Orpheus Chamber Orchestra With Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires Feb. 28.
Swan Lake From flop to flawless
6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Kate Digby, Assistant Professor of Dance, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Explore the journey of this preeminent ballet from the first, critically panned staging in Moscow in 1877 to the classic choreography that has been delighting audiences for over 100 years.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Swan Lake.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Swan Lake” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires Feb. 28.
“Berlin Stories” Cabaret and its Inspirations
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Presented by Dr. Shannon Blake Skelton, Assistant Professor of Theatre School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Kander and Ebb’s revered musical ”Cabaret” not only captures the culture of Weimar Germany, but also serves as an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories.” This multimedia presentation will explore the radical culture of Weimar Germany and examine Isherwood’s depiction of Germany between the wars.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Cabaret.
Hosted by the K-State Student Union. Please present your “Cabaret” McCain ticket at Chick-fil-A in the K-State Student Union for one free breakfast or lunch sandwich. Offer expires Jan. 31.
Mannheim Steamroller and the Promise of the New
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, Kirmser Hall, McCain Auditorium
Host: Dr. Alfred Cochran, Professor, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
This preconcert talk will explore the Fresh Aire series of recordings; the music they contain, including the phenomenally popular Christmas albums; and why they have had such a potent appeal to people the world over. This program marks the 40th anniversary of the first Fresh Aire recordings and the 30th anniversary of the group’s first Christmas album.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis.
From Rome to the Flint Hills: A History of Children's Choirs
2 p.m. Sunday, December 17, Kirmser Hall, McCain Auditorium
Host: David Wood, Instructor, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
A historical tour of the use of children's voices in the Christian church and in the concert hall. Speaker David Wood will detail the many ways young people were utilized and composed for in a variety of musical situations in the Western classical tradition.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Flint Hills Children's Choir.
Canceled: Dianne Reeves: What a Beautiful Life!
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, Kirmser Hall, McCain Auditorium
Host: Dr. Wayne Goins, Director of Jazz, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Dianne Reeves defies category — she fully embraces jazz, blues, Latin, R&B and pop music. It is what makes this lady of song so special. Indeed, this Grammy Award-winning vocalist truly has had a beautiful life, and she is coming to the Little Apple to share it with you — don’t miss it!
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Dianne Reeves.
A Sad Tree, A Sad Boy: Finding Meaning in the Holidays Through Charlie Brown
6 p.m. Wednesday, December 6, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Host: Shannon Skelton, Instructor, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
A multimedia presentation exploring the world of “Peanuts,” its creator Charles Schulz and the development of the television classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
A Tribute to the Best
6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Host: Steven Maxwell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
The Beatles were the most influential band in the history of rock and roll. Come find out how they did it and why it changed EVERYTHING!
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of The Fab Four.
Jake Shimabukuro Hitchhike to Nashville
6:30 p.m. Monday, October 16, Kirmser Hall, McCain Auditorium
Host: Wayne Goins, Ph.D., Director of Jazz, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
Jake Shimabukuro has been stunning audiences around the globe with his virtuoso performances as the greatest ukulele player the world has ever seen. But how did he pluck his way from Hawaii to Nashville on only four strings? Come to Dr. G’s preconcert lecture to hear this amazing story!
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Jake Shimabukuro.
A (Not- HistoryOf Short) Monty Python
6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 5, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Host: Shannon Skelton, Instructor, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State University
A multimedia presentation that showcases the history of Monty Python and explores some of the most influential sketches by the revered troupe.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Jake Shimabukuro.
Join the Party!
6:30 p.m. Friday, September 29, Beach Museum of Art
Host: Steven Maxwell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State Unversity
The B-52s’ music can be called new wave, post-punk, pop, rock and psychedelic. But we should really just call it FUN! Come see and hear how this band went from eclectic to hit-makers.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of the B-52s.
A Revisit to the Revival
6:30 p.m. Sunday, September 24, Bluemont Room, K-State Student Union
Host: Steven Maxwell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Kansas State Unversity
How did CCR go from playing “jukebox” tunes to become the voice of 1960 Rock and Roll? Find out at this McCain Conversation.
Coffee and light desserts provided. Free to all ticket holders of Creedence Clearwater Revisited.