2024-2025 Season Brochure Text-only version

[Cover image displays the Carpenter Center logo with a 30th Season mark and the text: 2024–2025. Featured on the cover are Jason Moran, Kandace Springs, Jim Curry, Stella Cole, and A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. At the bottom is the California State University, Long Beach logo.]

30th Anniversary Season

Welcome to the Carpenter Center’s 2024–2025 Season!

Our 30th Anniversary Season captures the excitement of live performances with an irresistible lineup of artists and shows. Highlights include our 30th Anniversary Gala with Hamilton’s Renée Elise Goldsberry, illuminating evenings with Ira Glass and Isaac Mizrahi, breathtaking concerts with Jason Moran, Kandace Springs, and Keyon Harrold, and passionate evenings of dance—including a Carpenter Center commissioned premiere with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham! Don’t miss rousing tributes to folk and rock heroes, plus holiday shows, intimate midweek cabaret performances with optional dining, and our Arts for Life Community Connections performances!

As you explore our season in the pages ahead, consider becoming a series subscriber. You’ll secure the best seats at the best prices, including discounts on all of our shows all season long. As a valued subscriber, you’ll also receive priority access to next season’s performances!

Thank you for thirty years of support and for joining us in our new season to experience the transformative power of live performances!

Megan Kline Crockett
Executive Director

The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center celebrates the legacy of our founding benefactors by presenting emerging and legendary artists who engage and entertain our diverse arts community. Enjoy our lobby’s permanent Carpenters Exhibit when you attend your next performance. You’ll discover displays of many of the Carpenters’ awards and memorabilia—including iconic photographs, hit arrangements, and original instruments!

The Carpenter Center is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, near the 405, 605, and 22 freeways. Safe and convenient parking operated by CSULB is located directly in front of the Center in parking lot G12. For the latest parking and attendance information, visit our frequently asked questions page at carpenterarts.org/faqs.

Purchase tickets online at carpenterarts.org!

30th Anniversary Gala Featuring Renée Elise Goldsberry

SAT, APR 26, 2025
TIME TBA
Celebrate the Carpenter Center’s 30th anniversary with Renée Elise Goldsberry, the Tony Award-winning star of Hamilton, and special guest Richard Carpenter. This milestone event will be an evening to remember! Tickets available this fall

WIT & WISDOM SERIES

An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi
SAT, APR 19, 2025 AT 8PM
“a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.” —The New York Times 

Isaac Mizrahi brings along his jazz sextet for a panache-filled evening of delicious fun, from pop-culture gossip to tunes by Cole Porter, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and more! The iconic fashion designer, performer, host, writer, and producer was most recently seen as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago and has an annual residency at NYC’s Café Carlyle.

An Evening with Ira Glass
Seven Things I’ve Learned
SAT, DEC 14, 2024 AT 8PM

Take an intimate journey into the creative process of one of America’s foremost storytellers! Ira Glass is the charismatic creator, producer, and host of This American Life, the iconic weekly public radio program with millions of listeners around the world. Glass illuminates how thought-provoking stories are made in this live multimedia performance that includes lessons and revelations from his career as a Pulitzer Prize-winning interviewer, producer, and broadcaster.

An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi
SAT, APR 19, 2025 AT 8PM
“a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.” —The New York Times
Isaac Mizrahi brings along his jazz sextet for a panache-filled evening of delicious fun, from pop-culture gossip to tunes by Cole Porter, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and more! The iconic fashion designer, performer, host, writer, and producer was most recently seen as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago and has an annual residency at NYC’s Café Carlyle.

SINGLE EVENTS

Keyon Harrold Presents Foreverland
SAT, OCT 5, 2024 AT 8PM
“Keyon Harrold is the future of the trumpet” —Downbeat Magazine
Jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold returns to the Carpenter Center for a dazzling performance featuring evocative selections from his new album Foreverland. An inventive, multidisciplinary, genre-fluid artist (he cites Radiohead, Fleet Foxes, Fela Kuti, and John Coltrane as influences), the trumpeter has toured and recorded with Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Cirque du Soleil, and contributed all of the trumpet playing in Don Cheadle’s Grammy-winning Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead.

Kandace Springs
FRI, NOV 8, 2024 AT 8PM
“Kandace has a voice that could melt snow.” —Prince
Critically acclaimed soul-jazz pianist and vocalist Kandace Springs enthralls in this uplifting evening that includes stirring songs from her latest release Run Your Race, written after the passing of her late father Kenneth “Scat” Springs. Influenced by legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Norah Jones, Kandace Springs captures the personal and heartfelt in this extraordinary tribute to her father, who sang backup for everyone from Garth Brooks to Aretha Franklin. Performed on our intimate cabaret stage!

Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad
SUN, DEC 15, 2024 AT 6PM
The three-time Grammy-winning band spices up Christmas standards with the energetic rhythms of Latin jazz! From the dance-inducing NYC salsa sound, to the spirit and flair of the Caribbean, it’s a festive night of holiday cheer.

Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings
SAT, FEB 1, 2025 AT 8PM
“the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” —Rolling Stone
Pianist Jason Moran (Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center) celebrates the enduring legacy and extraordinary genius of Duke Ellington with selections from Ellington’s vast and enduring canon. A recent recipient of awards and fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation and Ford Foundation, Moran has produced fifteen albums and brought jazz history to life with his monumental touring works that have also explored jazz giants Thelonious Monk and Fats Waller. Moran performs brilliantly reimagined solos of his Duke Ellington favorites in this extraordinary evening of vibrant jazz.

The Klezmatics & Mostly Kosher
THU, DEC 12, 2024 AT 8PM
A double-bill treat with the bands The Klezmatics and Mostly Kosher! For over 25 years, the Grammy Award-winning “Jewish roots band” The Klezmatics have inspired generations and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture with their music. This evening of song also includes Mostly Kosher, the acclaimed klezmer-rock band whose original voice resounds with themes of social justice, human dignity, and mutual understanding. A night of joyous song and superb musicianship!

Marshall Charloff & Purple Xperience
SAT, DEC 21, 2024 AT 8PM
Back by popular demand! The five-piece band from Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis will have you partying like it’s 1999 with hits like “Little Red Corvette” and “Purple Rain.” Lead singer Marshall Charloff (who recorded with Prince on the album 94 East) perfectly channels Prince’s vocal and guitar magic in this electrifying night with the most authentic production of Prince and The Revolution! As an added treat, this special Purple Xperience concert also includes holiday classics to ring in the season.

Capitol Fools
SAT, JAN 18, 2025 AT 8PM
Political humor is back in session with the Capitol Fools! Featuring former members of the comedy troupe Capitol Steps, Capitol Fools delivers plenty of laughs for both sides of the aisle with fresh political satire and song parodies.

WOW! SERIES

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular
SAT, NOV 9, 2024 AT 8PM
The cult favorite returns! Experience the original master recordings of Pink Floyd with mind-blowing visuals in the ultimate laser light show! A multi-generational experience and a rite of pas sage for any Floyd fan, Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular sets classics from Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall to an impressive display of cutting-edge effects, including high-powered lasers and large-screen video projection.

Legends in Concert: The Eras of Taylor Show
SAT, JAN 25, 2025 AT 8PM
Calling Swifties of all ages! Experience Legends in Concert’s tribute to Taylor Swift with tribute artist Christina Shaw. Shaw shines, capturing the electrifying stage presence of the global superstar in hit after hit. From “Shake It Off” to “Blank Space,” Shaw’s astonishing vocals will have you feeling all of the energy, emotion, and intimacy of the pop star’s chart-topping anthems. Are you “…Ready for It?”

The Magic of Jen Kramer
SAT, MAR 22, 2025 AT 8PM
Straight from her own headlining show in Las Vegas, magician Jen Kramer thrills with mind-blowing magic and jaw-dropping fun for all ages! A member of the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Academy of Magical Arts, and Hollywood’s world-famous Magic Castle, Jen Kramer has brought her world-class sleight of hand and creative magic to Penn & Teller: Fool Us and was International Magicians Society’s Female Magician of the Year!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT SERIES
 

Take Me Home: The Music of John Denver starring Jim Curry
SUN, OCT 6, 2024 AT 2PM
Cherish the optimism and generosity of America’s Troubadour in this heartfelt celebration of John Denver’s tender music and caring message, including hits like “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Country Roads.” Jim Curry perfectly captures John Denver’s spirit—his voice was heard in the CBS TV movie Take Me Home: The John Denver Story and he led the only full-length John Denver tribute to headline in Las Vegas!

Some Enchanted Evening
SUN, NOV 10, 2024 AT 2PM
Celebrating a century of musical magic from beloved Broadway shows, Some Enchanted Evening is a jazz-steeped sojourn exploring a bevy of the American Songbook’s most enduring hits from the golden age to today, combining time.less music and dance. Led by Emmy-nominated trumpeter and crooner Benny Benack Ill, the performance features the lavishly gifted singer and social media sensation Stella Katherine Cole and tap dance phenom Jabu Graybeal.

Rumours: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show
SUN, FEB 2, 2025 AT 2PM
Rumours embodies Fleetwood Mac’s legendary persona in all its youthful glory, from period-accurate equipment and meticulous costumes to spot on musical performances. Formed in the summer of 2012 in L.A., Rumours made their debut at the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Strip and quickly rocketed to worldwide exposure on AXS TV’s World’s Greatest Tribute Bands. From “Dreams” to “Gypsy” and more, relive the rock and roll magic of Fleetwood Mac and an era when music was still an unbridled cultural experience and bands weren’t afraid to put on a show!

Live from Laurel Canyon Presents James & Joni: Their Stories, Their Songs
SUN, MAR 9, 2025 AT 2 PM
Delight in the iconic music of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in this afternoon concert brimming with the early hits, the legendary classics, and the personal stories behind the songs you know and love. Presented by audience-favorite Live from Laurel Canyon, this afternoon of incredible music and illuminating stories features some of the most well-versed musicians in the country.

DANCE SERIES

Pilobolus re:CREATION
SAT, DEC 7, 2024 AT 8PM
Step into a realm where imagination knows no limits. The boundaries of gravity and creativity blur, offering an intimate window into creativity itself. Pilobolus’s re:CREATION brings their celebrated collection of repertory to audiences with a transformative odyssey of reinvention that rediscovers, redefines, and recreates timeless narratives through new visions of history, myth, and the innate human need for expression.

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
SAT, OCT 12, 2024 AT 8PM
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham returns to the Carpenter Center’s dance stage for a deeply moving evening of contemporary dance repertoire, including the world premiere of a Carpenter Center-commissioned work by Paul Singh! Led by renowned choreographer Kyle Abraham, the company continues to celebrate diverse cultures with choreographic brilliance.

Ballet Hispánico CARMEN.maquia
SAT, MAR 15, 2025 AT 8PM
“An experience unlike any other…CARMEN.maquia continues to haunt us in the most beautiful way.” —Latina Magazina In this full-length Picasso-inspired contemporary take on Georges Bizet’s beloved classic Carmen, NYC-based Ballet Hispánico captivates with physically charged and sensual movement choreographed by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. Witness this unforgettable fusion of traditional flamenco and tango with classical and contemporary techniques.

CABARET SERIES

ADD ON DINNER/BEVERAGE SERVICE 6:00–6:45PM / PERFORMANCE 7PM
Every seat is on the stage and less than 40 feet from the artist! Plus, you have the option of enjoying dinner or bar service before the show!

Melissa Errico - A Noir Romance
WED/THU, NOV 13–14, 2024 AT 7PM
Tony-nominated Broadway star Melissa Errico celebrates the sexy, swinging music of noir that came to life in American movies of the ‘40s. Luxuriate in romance and mystery in this seductive evening filled with Melissa’s trademark mischief and wit.

Burnham Sings Bublé
WED/THU, JAN 15–16, 2025 AT 7PM
“Burnham gives a joyously electric performance.” —San Francisco Chronicle Broadway star David Burnham (Wicked, A Light in the Piazza)returns to celebrate the songbook of 5x Grammy Award-winner Michael Bublé! Burnham captures Bublé’s wit and charm, infusing hits like “Cry Me A River,” “I Haven’t Met You Yet,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “Home,” and “Sway” with all of Bublé’s sincerity and richness.

Julia Keefe
WED/THU, FEB 5–6, 2025 AT 7PM
The internationally acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist Julia Keefe made a splash on the New York jazz scene with her masterful command of the Great American Songbook, opening for the likes of Tony Bennett. Keefe and her quartet return with fresh takes on jazz classics.

Stella Cole
WED/THU, APR 16–17, 2025 AT 7PM
Be transported back in time to a bygone era with skyrocketing star Stella Cole. Her voice, personality, and presence shine as timelessly as her inspirations Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. Her gorgeous covers of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Julie Andrews have garnered her more than a million followers on social media!

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS EVENTS

Jarabe Mexicano
FRI, JAN 31, 2025 AT 8PM
Border band Jarabe Mexicano captures the nostalgic spirit of their roots with upbeat cumbia, spirited rock and roll, Mexican folk, and Tex-Mex all complemented by stunning harmonized vocals in Spanish and English.

Symphonic Jazz Orchestra
FALL 2024 AND SPRING 2025
Comprised of some of the top musicians in the country, the 68-member orchestra conducted by music director Mitch Glickman returns for rich explorations of the intersection of jazz and classical music. SJO have played with renowned jazz soloists like George Duke, Dave Grusin, Christian McBride, and Lee Ritenour.

Tien Hsieh
FRI, MAR 21, 2025 AT 8PM
Join us for a moving evening featuring the artistry and virtuosity of classical pianist Tien Hsieh. A prizewinner of competitions including the Los Angles International Liszt Competition and Pacific Piano Competition, Hsieh is also a recipient of the prestigious Roy M. Rubinstein Award from the Manhattan School of Music.

Arts for Life tickets are available online 60 days prior to performance dates.

Support Arts for Life -  THANK YOU!

These events are possible thanks to the support of sponsors and donors like you. Gifts in any amount are gratefully accepted at any time. All gifts are tax deductible and gifts over $100 are acknowledged in our Carpenter Center program. Thank you for helping us share the arts throughout Southern California!

To donate to our Arts for Life program visit www.carpenterarts.org/donate.