Kent’s 2016-17 Spotlight Series features nine performances

Tickets for the Kent Arts Commission’s 2016-2017 Spotlight Series are on sale.

The upcoming season features nine performances, beginning Oct. 15 and running through April 1.

Tickets may be purchased online at kentarts.com, by calling 253-856-5051 or in person at the Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave. N. Hours for phone and in-person sales are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The box office is closed on Sunday.

Spotlight Series is presented by the Kent Arts Commission and Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services and partially funded by 4Culture, WESTAF, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington State Arts Commission, and a variety of business and individual sponsors.

• Reduced Shakespeare Company

“The Complete History of America (abridged): Election Edition”

Saturday, Oct. 15

Kent-Meridian PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $28 general, $25 senior, $15 youth

Just in time for the 2016 Presidential Election, the Reduced Shakespeare Company returns with 600 years of history in 6,000 seconds! The “bad boys of abridgment” go from Christopher Columbus to Neil Armstrong, from George Washington to Barack Obama, yea verily from the Bering Strait to Baghdad, from the New World to New World Order. It’s a 90-minute roller coaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American History. Rated PG-13 for occasional bawdy language and mild innuendo.

• Magical Strings 30th Annual Celtic Yuletide Concert

Sunday, Dec. 4

Kent-Meridian PAC, 3:00 p.m.

Tickets: $25 general, $22 senior, $15 youth

The Boulding Family’s musical celebration of the holiday season is a treasured tradition in Kent. Once again, Pam and Philip Boulding are joined by their children, grandchildren and guests for an afternoon of enchanting Yuletide music, Irish step dancing, drumming and storytelling.

• Windham Hill Winter Solstice

30th Anniversary Concert with Will Ackerman, Barbara Higbie, and Alex DeGrassi

Friday, Dec. 9

Kent-Meridian PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $32 general, $30 senior $15 youth

The name “Windham Hill” became synonymous with the best in acoustic music in the 1980s and 90s. Celebrate the winter solstice and its warm traditions with a concert of acoustic music drawn from the multi-platinum selling Winter Solstice series as well as the artists’ many solo releases. Windham Hill founder and Grammy-winning guitarist, Will Ackerman, and Grammy Award-nominated singer, fiddler, pianist, and songwriter Barbara Higbie, Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer Alex de Grassi and supporting musician, bassist Todd Boston come together to lead this joyous holiday concert.

• The Peking Acrobats

Friday, Jan. 27

Kentwood PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $28 general, $25 senior, $15 youth

The Peking Acrobats perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs; are experts at trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting and gymnastics; and defy gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control. Masters of agility and grace, they push the envelope of human possibility. With their 2016 North American Tour, The Peking Acrobats celebrate 30 years of delighting all ages with exuberant entertainment featuring all the excitement and festive pageantry of a Chinese carnival.

• The Irish Rovers with We Banjo 3

Tuesday, Feb. 21

Kentwood PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $15 youth

In 2017, The Irish Rovers celebrate 50 years of music and one final world tour. These international ambassadors of Irish music consistently charm audiences with their rollicking and rousing performances. Joining The Irish Rovers are special guests, We Banjo 3, an award-winning quartet from Galway, Ireland. The group delivers a ground-breaking mixture of Irish Music and Old-time American and Bluegrass influences with remarkable virtuosity and passion.

• International Guitar Night

Saturday, Feb. 25

Kent-Meridian PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $28 general, $25 senior, $15 youth

International Guitar Night is North America’s premier traveling guitar festival. Each tour, a new cast of guitar luminaries come together for a special evening of solos, duets and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. On this tour, Gypsy Jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt will serve as host and artistic director. He will be joined by three new, incredibly dynamic musicians: Italy’s innovative contemporary guitarist Luca Stricagnoli; brilliant young Brazilian composer/performer Chrystian Dozza, and India’s ground-breaking slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya.

• Seattle Rock Orchestra performs Led Zeppelin I & II

Friday, March 10

Kentwood PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $28 general, $25 senior, $15 youth

Seattle Rock Orchestra (SRO) was born out of the desire to marry the unabashed performance energy of rock ‘n ‘roll with the broader palette of musical nuances treasured in classical music. SRO is a 50+ piece orchestra with strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, choir and a rotating cast of guest vocalists. SRO celebrates and perpetuates the orchestral tradition while exploring the rich history of rock and pop music.

• Kahulanui

Friday, March 17

Kent-Meridian PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25 general, $22 senior, $15 youth

In Hawaiian, Kahulanui means “the big dance.” These “Kings of Swing” create a danceable blend of traditional Hawaiian music and the Big Band Swing that servicemen imported to the Aloha State during World War II. The nine-piece band’s energy and dynamic performances borrow from this sound, keeping Hawaiian Swing vibrant and alive in Hawaii today.

• Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem “American Spiritual”

featuring guest performance by Rainier Youth Choir

Saturday, April 1

Kent-Meridian PAC, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25, $22 general, $15 youth

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem are a melting pot of American folk melody and style. “American Spiritual” leads audiences in a bona fide revival. This charismatic quartet draws from 200 years of roots music to find songs that uplift and connect.