Comedian Colin Jost Joins 2018-19 Bailey Hall Mainstage Series of Acclaimed Artists

Subscription packages are on sale now

Davie, Fla. (August 28, 2018) – An evening with music superstar Lee Ann Womack, a humorously disquieting look at perceptions of body image and race, the thrill of the greatest flamenco dancer of the century, improvisational comedy that makes every night a world premiere and an inspirational view of our world from space comprise the innovative and exhilarating events in the newly-announced 2018-19 Bailey Hall Mainstage Series.

"This series doesn't offer six shows, it promises to deliver six unique 'experiences,' that grab you in your seat, offer a new perspective and give you something to think and talk about after the curtain goes down," said Dr. Dan Barnard, Broward College associate dean of cultural affairs and director of Bailey Hall. "We aren't in 'show' business where it is enough to show you something. We are in the 'involve me' business."

Lee Ann Womack kicks off the mainstage series on Saturday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. From her solo blockbuster hits including "I Hope You Dance," to her duets with Willie Nelson ("Mendocino County Line") and George Strait ("Good News Bad News"), Womack has built a career on songs that slice life wide open to let the pain and desire pour out; her music is the ultimate form of connection, unvarnished and true. With six albums and international chart-topping singles to her credit, she has earned six Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, a Grammy Award and more than 40 nominations. According to NPR, "She could sing the periodic table or the label on a can of baked beans or an essay about the various ways paint dries and it would sound thrilling." Tickets are $50-$85.

The ground-breaking performance ensemble Urban Bush Women takes the stage on Saturday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. Crafted from personal narratives, kitchens and living rooms, social media and YouTube, Hair & Other Stories is a radical re-imagining of an earlier work (HairStories, 2001) and features the choreography of Samantha Speis and Chanon Judson in collaboration with the company, new music compositions by The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack and Monstah Black) and stage direction by Raelle Myrick-Hodges. Wonderful and humorously disquieting, Hair & Other Stories explores perceptions of body image, race, gender identity and economic inequities. Dance Magazine says the dancers' bodies in Urban Bush Women "...carry urgent letters to the world, stories bursting to be told. Healing stories, motivating stories, transformational stories." Tickets are $19-$49.

Comedian Colin Jost joins the lineup of the mainstage series on Friday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. Jost described as "funny and engaging hails from Staten Island New York is one of the head writers for Saturday Night Live (SNL) since 2005, co-hosts the Weekend Update aired on SNL. He has won four Writers Guild Awards, a Peabody Award and has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for his writing on "SNL." Jost who will host the 2018 Emmy Awards also wrote and starred in the Paramount/Netflix film "Staten Island Summer," based on his days as a lifeguard growing up in New York. Tickets are $45 to $75.

Hailed as "the greatest flamenco dancer of the century" by The New York Times, Farruquito ignites the stage on Friday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. Born Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya, this heir to the most renowned Gypsy flamenco made his first appearance on Broadway at the age of four alongside his grandfather, "EL Farruco." He has created and directed more than 15 works and made it his life's mission to share the purest form of flamenco while also broadening its influence by collaborating with film directors, conductors and other artists. Tickets are $26-48.

Broadway's Next Hit Musical on Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. is all improvised and all funny as a troupe of master improvisers create a spontaneous evening of music and laughter. Working from audience suggestions, the cast creates hits songs on the spot for an unscripted awards show. The audience then votes for its favorite song and watches as comic wizards turn it into a full blown musical complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue and plot twists. The New York Post declared Broadway's Next Hit Musical has "A spontaneity, wit and inventiveness that must be seen to be believed!" Tickets are $26-48.

Bella Gaia (Beautiful Earth) blasts off on Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. and lets audiences "Discover what it's like to be an astronaut," according to The Washington Post. This immersive, live multimedia performance combines stunning NASA imagery of the Earth from space, data visualizations and stirring live performances of music and dance from around the world woven together by an orbiting flight path from the International Space Station. Director, composer and violinist Kenji Williams created this multimedia journey in partnership with NASA to share the inspiration offered by astronauts who speak of the life-changing power of seeing the Earth from space. Tickets are $19-49.

Subscription Packages

The six Bailey Hall Mainstage events are available on subscription for $135-275 and are on sale now. Tickets to individual events in the series will go on sale July 15.

Three additional series for the 2018-2019 season are also on sale: the six concert South Florida JAZZ & Bailey Hall season is available for $205-$255; The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, a program of South Arts, offers its six-film series for $30-$55; and the Rosemary Duffy Larson Classical Series of six concerts is offered on subscription for $75.

An all-inclusive "Everything Pass" with admission to all 24 events offers a 35 percent savings and is available for $375-$500. The Everything Pass with seating in Zone A also offers more than a $200 value in other exclusives.

The Pick 6 Pass allows ticket buyers to create their own six-show package for $205-275. Student and senior discounts are also available throughout the season.

Subscriptions are available now by visiting www.baileyhall.org or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and one hour prior to an event. Tickets to individual events are now on sale.

The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.

ABOUT BAILEY HALL:

Bailey Hall offers Broward College students, faculty and the South Florida community with highest quality cultural entertainment and programming which is hip, smart, engaging, and authentic. The College uses its various music, theater, and film series to incorporate an academic component for its fine arts and visual arts students through master classes, workshops and participation. Recently, Bailey Hall underwent a $5.6 million renovation to improve the experience, sound and atmosphere.

ABOUT BROWARD COLLEGE

Serving approximately 56,000 students annually, Broward College provides residents with certificate programs, two-year university-transfer degrees, two-year career degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. The mission of the College is to provide high-quality educational programs and services that are affordable and accessible to a diverse community of learners. For more information, visit www.broward.edu.