LATEST IN Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center

Media Coverage: October 2024

Stories about the university, its scholars and their expertise are often covered by local and national news media. Media Coverage highlights some of the top stories.

MORE IN Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center
Wind Ensemble to start season with Touhill performance

Wind Ensemble to start season with Touhill performance

The University Wind Ensemble will perform its first concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Area youth to ‘Get Hip’ at Touhill

Area youth to ‘Get Hip’ at Touhill

Presented by PNC Arts Alive and Jazz St. Louis, “Get Hip!” will introduce kids of all ages to the great American art form known as jazz while also teaching core values like responsibility and leadership.

Pianist to bring tango sound to Touhill stage

Pianist to bring tango sound to Touhill stage

Pianist Polly Ferman has performed Latin American music on some of the most prestigious stages in the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall. At 8 p.m. Oct. 6 she will bring her international repertoire to the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Doors will open at 7:10 p.m. for a pre-show discussion. Tickets are $10-$20.

Improv company channels bard through comedy

Improv company channels bard through comedy

No two productions by The Improvised Shakespeare Company are exactly alike. For example, they performed their on-the-spot original production of “The Cupboard of Lost Dreams; or, the Taming of Lady Macbeth” on a spring swing through Des Moines, Iowa. The audience suggested the faux production that night. And the company cobbled together on the fly its hilarious improvisational take on fake Shakespeare.

Bryan Adams to perform ‘Bare Bones’ set at Touhill

Bryan Adams to perform ‘Bare Bones’ set at Touhill

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams has sold more than 65 million records, toured six continents and achieved No. 1 status in more than 40 countries over the course of his 35-year career. And with hits like “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Summer of ’69,” “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” he’s considered one of the most successful songwriters of the last three decades.

MADCO dancers get personal in ‘Outburst’

MADCO dancers get personal in ‘Outburst’

MADCO’s 36th season opener is being heralded as a “choreographic coming out” of the amazing artists behind the dance company in residence at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

New member joins Arianna String Quartet for 2012-13 concert season

New member joins Arianna String Quartet for 2012-13 concert season

Audiences taking in the Arianna String Quartet this fall will notice a new face among the group. There’s a new member. Internationally acclaimed performer Julia Sakharova has joined the quartet as a second violinist, replacing violinist David Gillham.

Classes to begin Monday; events, moves under way

Classes to begin Monday; events, moves under way

The countdown’s begun. Fall semester classes at the University of Missouri–St. Louis start Monday and campus activity has moved to warp speed in anticipation of the students’ arrival. A few renovations and office moves are still under way.

Hip-hop violinist goes from LA streets to Touhill stage

Hip-hop violinist goes from LA streets to Touhill stage

Josh Vietti is not your typical classically trained violinist. That has less to do with his preferred laidback stage attire (usually including a baseball cap and T-shirt) than his sound. The hip-hop violinist is making a name for himself as a genre-defying artist less likely to play Tchaikovsky than Kanye or “Kashmir.”

Top dancers to tap at Touhill

Top dancers to tap at Touhill

As dance styles go, tap won’t be confused for contemporary. But it certainly isn’t dead yet. Need proof? Exhibit A: The St. Louis Tap Festival, now in its 21st year.

Tedeschi Trucks Band to play bluesy Touhill show

Tedeschi Trucks Band to play bluesy Touhill show

While Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have been spouses for more than a decade, their musical marriage is just two years old. But they’ve packed in plenty of accolades in that time as leaders of the 11-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band including a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album for TTB’s debut “Revelator.”

Big Muddy Dance Company to jazz up Touhill stage

Big Muddy Dance Company to jazz up Touhill stage

The art form of jazz has roots that run deep in many American cities, including St. Louis. The Big Muddy Dance Company taps into the city’s jazz heritage for its performances. The downtown St. Louis-based company will next present its eclectic repertoire of new and classic dance works at the University of Missouri–St. Louis

Celebrated choral groups to converge at Touhill

Celebrated choral groups to converge at Touhill

Many of the world’s best a cappella voices will fill the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall during a pair of performance June 23 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Touhill makes St. Louis ‘Hot List’

Touhill makes St. Louis ‘Hot List’

The University of Missouri–St. Louis has snagged a ranking in a St. Louis magazine that puts out an annual “Hot List” of the 100 things to love about St. Louis.

Spoken-word ballet to make debut at Touhill

Spoken-word ballet to make debut at Touhill

The world premiere of “A Life Unhappening” will meld choreography with the written word for a spoken-word ballet performance exploring the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on three generations of one woman’s family. The St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association has teamed up with writer and producer Adam E. Stone for the performance, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. May 11 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

National entertainer envisions change

National entertainer envisions change

Tom Sullivan has been blind since shortly after birth. But that hasn’t stopped him from gaining national recognition as an award-winning actor, singer, author, producer, humanitarian and inspirational speaker.

Arianna String Quartet mentors high school chamber groups

Arianna String Quartet mentors high school chamber groups

The Arianna String Quartet is taking a hands-on approach to fostering music education in the area. The Arianna, composed of four associate professors of music at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, is the university’s resident quartet.

Grammy winner headlines 2012 Jazz Festival

Grammy winner headlines 2012 Jazz Festival

As a sideman with more than 20 years experience, bassist Christian McBride is no stranger to winning Grammy Awards. But never has he basked in Grammy glory as a bandleader – at least not until the most recent awards were handed out.

Wind Ensemble to start season with Touhill performance

St. Louis Wind Symphony wraps season with Touhill show

The St. Louis Wind Symphony will perform its final concert for the season at 3 p.m. April 22 in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Choral, orchestra groups to share stage

Choral, orchestra groups to share stage

University of Missouri–St. Louis performance groups University Orchestra and University Singers will share the stage for a free concert at 7:30 p.m. April 23 in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Global disease prevention expert to speak at the Touhill

Global disease prevention expert to speak at the Touhill

The saying that HIV knows no boundaries is highlighted in the work carried out by Kim Bouldin-Jones, an internationally recognized educator who specializes in HIV, sexual transmitted diseases and global disease prevention.

Storytellers share their tales at 33rd annual festival

Storytellers share their tales at 33rd annual festival

Sixty storytellers from throughout St. Louis and the U.S. will unite in May to entertain guests at an award-winning four-day festival presented by the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The 33rd Annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival will comprise 80 events at 20 locations throughout the St. Louis region.

Muny to perform musical theater for middle schoolers

Muny to perform musical theater for middle schoolers

The Muny wants to get middle schoolers into musical theater. To do so, the theater organization has designed an interactive and lively show called “Muny 4U” at 7 p.m. April 13 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Nationally acclaimed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet to perform at Touhill

Nationally acclaimed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet to perform at Touhill

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet boasts top-flight dancers in an electric and engaging repertory hailed by The New York Times as “a breath of fresh air.” Combining rugged athleticism with liquid grace, the company’s frisky programs continue to fuel its skyrocketing national reputation.

Cobra Starship to descend on Touhill for Mirthday

Cobra Starship to descend on Touhill for Mirthday

If you can believe Gabe Saporta, he started Cobra Starship when an introspective desert trip turned trippy with hallucinations that followed a venomous snakebite. Supposedly the snake spoke, telling the then lead singer of emo-punk band Midtown to stop taking himself so seriously.

Studio recital promises wonderful evening of piano music

Studio recital promises wonderful evening of piano music

Piano students at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will present a wonderful evening of piano music at 7:30 p.m. April 11 in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL.

‘Sum of Motion’ headed to Touhill stage

‘Sum of Motion’ headed to Touhill stage

Dance students will put on an eclectic performance when they take to the stage for the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ spring dance concert, “Sum of Motion.”

Musical potpourri coming to Touhill stage

Musical potpourri coming to Touhill stage

Like popular, ethnic and classical music? A concert at the University of Missouri–St. Louis next month will offer a one-stop shop for fans of all three genres. The third annual collaborative event between the University Percussion Ensemble, Afro-Cuban Ensemble and Vocal Point will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 10 in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

MADCO dancers get personal in ‘Outburst’

MADCO celebrates 35 years of movement

Known for its fresh, athletic style, it’s hard to believe MADCO, the dance company in residence at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, turns 35 this year. The repertory company will celebrate its anniversary with evening performances March 30 and 31 in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Rapper Common to bring his message to UMSL

Rapper Common to bring his message to UMSL

It’s not very often a rap star gets invited to a university to talk about his life. That’s about to happen at 7 p.m. April 3 when Common, known as the King of Conscious Hip Hop, appears at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri–St. Louis

A 4-letter reason why St. Louis doesn’t suck

A 4-letter reason why St. Louis doesn’t suck

Provocative headline, eh? It’s actually borrowed, slightly modified, from a December article in Forbes Magazine (“St. Louis Doesn’t Suck”). Forbes Writer Aaron Perlut, tired of the media dissing his adopted hometown, laid out a great case for all the good things about the city, from affordable housing and a strong employment base to rich cultural activities and a collection of outstanding education resources.

Music great Herbie Hancock to play Touhill

Music great Herbie Hancock to play Touhill

Herbie Hancock is more than five decades into his genre-defying career as an acclaimed pianist, bandleader and composer. He’s won 12 Grammy Awards and an Oscar for scoring “Round Midnight.”

Lisa Ling highlights Women’s History Month

Lisa Ling highlights Women’s History Month

Noted journalist and TV host Lisa Ling has traveled the world for the last decade reporting on violence in all its forms and the devastating effects it has on humanity. She often focuses on women and children – bride burning in India, gang rape in the Congo, child trafficking in Ghana. She is also well known for her role from 1999 to 2002 as co-host of the daytime television talk show “The View.”

Joffrey Ballet to stage sensual works at Touhill

Joffrey Ballet to stage sensual works at Touhill

The Joffrey Ballet will flex its muscles as one of the world’s most illustrious dance companies when it performs this weekend at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The performances, presented by Dance St. Louis and Wells Fargo Advisors will begin at 8 p.m. March 9 and 2 and 8 p.m. March 10 in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL.

St. Louis Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to Stan Kenton

St. Louis Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to Stan Kenton

Innovative, sometimes controversial and unquestionably influential, Stan Kenton made an inimitable mark on big band jazz. As The New York Times noted, “Mr. Kenton was the last major jazz band leader to emerge from the Big Band Era of 1934-45, and his was one of only a handful of bands that survived when that era came to an end.”

Arianna String Quartet to premiere new work at Touhill

Arianna String Quartet to premiere new work at Touhill

The centerpiece for the third Arianna String Quartet concert this season will be the world premiere of David Stock’s Quartet No. 9. Stock wrote the work for the Arianna, the resident quartet at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The composition will be performed during the concert “Arianna String Quartet: World Premiere” at 8 p.m. March 2 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL.

Opera Theatre to present ‘The Elixir of Love’

Opera Theatre to present ‘The Elixir of Love’

Cap off the month of love with a musical about, what else…love.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Opera Theatre will stage a two-day run of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” at the end of February. The opera is one of the genre’s most delightful gems and promises to be an intoxicatingly fun evening of musical seduction.