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Viewers have embraced NBC’s This Is Us, a show that celebrates human connection and the power of family. Fans of all ages overwhelmingly relate to the humor, depth, and vibrancy that Chrissy Metz brings to playing “Kate Pearson” on the beloved series.
This spring, join Chrissy on her This Is Me Tour for an evening of honest conversation about life and its lessons – featuring real advice, tough love, and shared moments of are-you-kidding-me, I-wish-I-was laughter. Chrissy will share the struggles and triumphs of her life, and invites you to join her on a journey toward self-acceptance, embracing the lives we want and deserve.
he Kentucky Center Presents
CHRISSY METZ – THIS IS ME Tour
Friday, April 6, 8 p.m.
The Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theater
Each ticket includes a copy of Chrissy Metz’s memoir, This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today.
Tickets go on sale to the public through The Kentucky Center Ticket Service on Friday, February 9, at 10 a.m., online, by phone (584-7777), and at The Kentucky Center box office (501 W. Main). Standard tickets start at $50, reserved seating, fees apply. VIP Experience tickets are $95, and include priority seating, the book, and a Meet & Greet plus photo opportunity.
Louisville Parks and Recreation has been selected to receive $25,000 as part of the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge (the Challenge) Spotlight Award. Ten winners and five honorable mentions were selected for their ability to address the need to improve opportunities for all Americans – regardless of income, education or ethnic background – to take an active role in healthy living.
Jefferson Memorial Forest, and its award-winning ECHO (Engaging Children Outdoors) has been highlighted as a Spotlight Award winner for identifying creative partnerships and enacting sustainable and replicable programs that address the unique health issues facing Louisville. The goal of Louisville ECHO is to create opportunities in west Louisville where every resident has access to a safe and healthy environment that increases physical activity, reduces stress, and leads to healthier lives through outdoor recreation and environmental education and stewardship.
Louisville ECHO began in 2008 with seed funding from the U.S. Forest Service to provide multiple nature experiences for 4th grade students at three Title I public schools in west Louisville.
With Louisville Metro support; the continued support of the U.S. Forest Service; multi-sector partners such as the Metro Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness and YouthBuild Louisville; and funding partners, including the Aetna Foundation and Wilderness Louisville, Inc. Louisville ECHO has expanded to include multiple complementary components providing meaningful nature experiences for nearly 2,500 youth annually across multiple ages.
“On behalf of our staff and volunteers at Jefferson Memorial Forest, we thank the Aetna Foundation, APHA, and NaCo for this award in support our efforts to sustain and grow Louisville ECHO,” said Bennett Knox, parks administrator for Jefferson Memorial Forest. “We appreciate this award as it recognizes multi-sector and multi-partner nature of Louisville ECHO whereby all involved are working towards the same goal of creating a healthier, more vibrant, community through access to nature within our urban core.”
Photo: KFC Yum! Center
After more than half a century on the road and an unparalleled career that has redefined the cultural landscape and seen Elton John claim his place as a true global icon, the superstar
announced via an exclusive VR180 live stream on YouTube, details of his final tour called ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’.
Kicking off in the U.S. on September 8, 2018, the ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour will consist of more than 300 shows across five continents, hitting North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia before reaching its conclusion in 2021. These dates mark the superstar’s last-ever tour, the end of half a century on the road for one of pop culture’s most enduring performers. Elton’s new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits like no one has ever seen before.
“Performing live fuels me and I’m ecstatic and humbled to continue to play to audiences across the globe,” said Elton. “I plan to bring the passion and creativity that has entertained my fans for decades to my final tour. After the tour finishes, I’m very much looking forward to closing off that chapter of my life by saying farewell to life on the road. I need to dedicate more time to raising my children.”
Tickets for initial shows listed below go on sale to the general public beginning February 2 at 10 a.m. local. Tickets and VIP packages can be purchased at online.
American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets in advance in North America beginning Thursday January 25 at 10 a.m. local time, through Monday January 29 at 10 p.m. local time. A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages will also be available for sale starting Thursday January 25 at 10 a.m. local time. These exclusive offers can include premium tickets, on-stage photo opportunities at Elton John’s piano, backstage tours, limited-edition lithographs, custom merchandise and much more.
The ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ pre-sale is powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan (Ticketmaster’s fan-first technology, built to help artists combat ticket bots and get tickets into the hands of fans that intend to go to the event). Tickets for the tour will be available through registration using Ticketmaster Verified Fan. Registration opens Wednesday January 24 and continues until Saturday January 27. Pre-sale will begin Tuesday January 30 at 10 a.m. and run through Wednesday January 31 at 10 p.m. (all times are local); supplies are limited. Registration is required to participate in the TM Verified Fan Pre-sale.
“It is truly an honor to be associated with Elton John, one of music and pop culture’s most legendary, innovative and unrivaled performers,” said Jay Marciano, Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents, promoters of the global ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. “In a manner and style that could only be conceived by such a renowned artist, Elton’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ concerts will be the ultimate and final opportunity for his millions of fans around the world to experience this generation’s most incomparable and iconic entertainer.”
The news was announced to the world in the very manner that has defined Elton and his creative output over a dazzling career – innovative, daring and constantly taking bold strides into the future.
Centered around a marquee event at Gotham Hall in New York City, the announcement was live streamed globally exclusively on YouTube in VR180, and simultaneously transmitted to venues in Los Angeles and London. The immersive experience at the event – and all around the world thanks to YouTube’s VR180 technology – allowed fans to revisit some of the defining moments that set Elton on his unstoppable path to global superstardom. Transformation, after all, is part of Elton’s DNA, and he adeptly used the latest technology to help him defy space and time, connecting his past and future. Event footage along with additional ‘behind the scenes’ videos in VR180 tracking Elton’s journey, supported by YouTube, will be available at youtube.com/eltonjohn.
“Elton John is always up for doing things differently, using technology to push the boundaries of storytelling and reach fans in new ways. Last year, Elton’s YouTube-supported project “The Cut” gave undiscovered talent the chance to create new music videos for his iconic hits, and now his final farewell tour announcement takes experimentation to the next level – live streaming in VR,” said Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artist Services at YouTube. “We’re honored to deepen our relationship by supporting the exclusive live stream and ‘behind the scenes’ videos in VR for this special moment in pop music history.”
It was also announced at today’s launch that Gucci will be exclusively designing Elton’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour wardrobe. Resplendent at Gotham Hall in a bespoke outfit, Elton discussed his passion for the Italian fashion house which last year unveiled its S/S 2018 collection – designed by Creative Director, Alessandro Michele and inspired by Elton’s inimitable style, referencing original items taken from his iconic style archives.
“American Express has a longstanding relationship with Elton John and we are excited to partner with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” said Walter Frye, VP, Global Entertainment Partnerships at American Express. “We are proud to bring our Card Members access to an international icon we know they love and admire – with access to purchase tickets for his tour before the general public.”
On Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24, the Louisville Orchestra welcomes nationally acclaimed conductor, Thomas Wilkins, to Whitney Hall to lead one of Gustav Holst’s most popular symphonic works – The Planets. This presentation will include HD images from NASA projected on a big screen over the stage. Experience this symphonic powerhouse with stunning images, from the Mars Rover mission and past probe missions Magellan, Voyager, and Galileo. Single tickets range from $27 – $85 and are available by calling 502.584.7777 or visit LouisvilleOrchestra.org.
Created by filmmaker Duncan Copp and produced by The Houston Symphony in cooperation with NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratories, The Planets: An HD Odyssey is a spectacular presentation of the latest images from modern space exploration projected in high definition on a giant screen over the stage, providing a stunning visual canvas as your Louisville Orchestra performs Gustav Holst’s glorious musical score.
“The images in the movie, produced and directed by Duncan Copp, were often astonishing. Photographs from rovers and satellites, radar images and computer-generated graphics were combined to give the audience the impression of circling individual planets and sometimes flying over their awesomely barren landscapes…There is, of course, a film-score-like quality to the music, and combining it with imagery has been done before, though not to my mind with such sophistication.” – The New York Times
Thomas Wilkins is currently the Music Director of the Omaha Symphony, the Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Germeshausen Family and Youth Concert Conductor Chair with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Learn more about Maestro Wilkins at http://www.kaylormanagement.com/Wilkins_Thomas_bio.html.
PROGRAM: Hilliard Lyons Coffee Concert: Friday, February 23, 2018 11AM
Brown-Forman Classics Concert: Saturday, February 24, 2018 8PM
The Kentucky Center, Whitney Hall Thomas Wilkins, Conductor | Kent Hatteberg, Choursmaster | Women of the University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale
+ CLAUDE DEBUSSY:: Nocturnes
JAMES BECKEL:: Toccata for Orchestra
GUSTAV HOLST:: The Planets
+ Saturday evening performance only
Due to the high demand by school groups, there is limited seating for Friday morning’s Coffee concert.
Opus 3 Artists is the exclusive representative for “The Planets: An HD Odyssey.”
Mayor Fischer today announced the names of seven experts and community leaders who will serve on his new Public Art and Monuments Advisory Committee.
Originally announced in December, the Committee is charged with developing a set of principles for evaluating Louisville’s existing public art and monuments.
Committee members represent a range of disciplines and perspectives, including art, history, community building, business and political science. The members include Tricia Burke, Carolle Jones Clay, Dr. Dewey Clayton, Ashley Haynes, Dr. Tom Owen, Dr. Chris Reitz and Cathy Shannon. Reitz and Shannon represent the Commission on Public Art.
The Committee’s first meeting will be from 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 in the auditorium of the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library (301 York Street). From 5-5:30 p.m., Committee members will available for a meet-and-greet discussion format and the public is also invited to provide written comments during this time. Following the discussion, Committee members will summarize what they heard in the discussion and then discuss future meeting dates and public input strategies.
The scope of work for the Committee for January through June 2018 will include:
- review processes, actions and outcomes employed by other cities;
- develop strategies to receive public input;
- work with Metro staff to gather and review historical research;
- consider public opinion, historical research and the multi-disciplinary perspectives of Committee members in developing principles; and
- produce a report outlining the Committee’s methods of inquiry and findings on the matter of establishing principles to guide decisions on whether to alter, preserve or remove public art and monuments.
The set of principles that the Committee is tasked with developing will acknowledge the complexities of Louisville’s past, as well as the values that matter to us today. They will be comprehensive, rather than specific to current controversies, and informed by the work of the city’s Commission on Public Art, Compassionate City initiatives, and Historic Preservation Advisory Task Force.
The Committee will consider the historical representation of our city’s existing public art and monuments and develop principles that aspire to make public spaces welcoming and reflective of our diverse community. The principles will guide the administration’s deliberation on whether to alter, to preserve or to remove public art and monuments that may be interpreted as honoring bigotry, racism and/or slavery.
As the Committee begins its work, agendas and associated documents will be made available at Louisville Metro Public Art’s webpage: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art
Photo: KFC Yum! Center
Kevin Hart announced he is expanding his widely successful and massively hysterical ‘The Kevin Hart Irresponsible Tour,’ adding over 100 new dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia. Produced by Live Nation, the new dates will kick off March 23 in Baltimore, MD and hit all new cities including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Paris, London, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, and more. See below for full routing and on sale details.
Tickets for the newly added dates will go on sale to the general public starting Wednesday, January 31 at 12pm ET at LiveNation.com
Hart’s last multi-city domestic and international WHAT NOW comedy tour sold out large venues all over the world, including being the first comedian to sell out an NFL stadium, selling over 50,000 tickets in one show at Lincoln Financial Field. Internationally, he sold out over a dozen arenas in the European market, selling over 150,000 tickets, and sold out arenas across Australia, selling 100,000 tickets. Hart’s hit comedy tour grossed over $100 million worldwide.
2017 was a banner year for Hart, his memoir I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons debuted at Number One on the New York Times Bestseller list and remained on the list for ten consecutive weeks. The book also topped records on the Audible platform, selling over 100,000 copies in the first five weeks. Earlier in the year Hart voiced a title character in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. To close 2017, Kevin appeared in the Sony reboot of the classic film Jumanji alongside Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black. Jumanji has been Kevin’s highest grossing box office release to date, the movie has made over $800 million worldwide.
Hart’s newest business venture is his digital platform the LOL NETWORK – Laugh Out Loud, the comedy brand and multi-platform network founded by Hart in partnership global content leader Lionsgate. Hart’s next feature film is Night School for Universal, a film in which he co-wrote, produces and stars in – all under the Hartbeat production banner. The comedy follows a group of misfits who are forced to attend adult classes in the longshot chance they’ll pass the GED exam.
The Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Frazier History Museum, and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts – all partners in downtown Louisville’s Museum Row on Main — are teaming up to offer $5 deals for Kentucky and Indiana residents throughout February. The Ali Center, Slugger, and Frazier museums will be offering $5 admission rates to locals throughout the month, and patrons of the Kentucky Center’s SCENE at the Center will receive a $5 off restaurant orders of $50 or more.
The annual promotion encourages locals to explore attractions close to home at a time when the long winter is just about over, but yet the temperatures are still not conductive for most outdoor activities. To take advantage of the museum offer, guests must show proof of residency in Kentucky or Indiana, such as a driver’s license or alternate I.D. while purchasing tickets. Others in the party will also receive the $5 admission, a substantial savings over $12 – $15 regular ticket prices. The offer cannot be combined with other discounts, and does not apply to special tours or events.
Here are special offerings or activities by the Frazier History Museum, Muhammad Ali Center, The Kentucky Center for the Arts, and Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory described below:
Frazier History Museum: The Frazier History Museum is where the world meets Kentucky and in February it’s through outstanding exhibits and exciting programs. Family Gathering: Linda Bruckheimer’s Kentucky celebrates the beautiful, heartbreaking, sometimes funny and always authentic photography of acclaimed photographer and native Kentuckian, Linda Bruckheimer. The Lewis & Clark Experience takes guests on an immersive and educational journey with the Corp of Discovery. A Valentine’s Day themed Second Saturday program on February 10th tackles candy, cards and other crazy Feb’ 14 traditions and on February 23rd our 25,000 Toy Soldiers come alive with a curated conversation and cocktail event celebrating W.Britain’s 125 years in the Toy Soldier business.
Muhammad Ali Center: In January, the Ali Center began major renovations on its Lobby and Retail Store, both of which will provide the Center the opportunity to deliver a better overall visitor experience and more contemporary private event space. Additionally, the much needed upgrades will offer a fresh and modern appearance to its retail store, while also supplying better functionality. A major part of the overall improvements will be a custom designed terrazzo floor in the Main Lobby, which will present a striking and welcoming impression upon entering the Center, and providing better durability for this high traffic area. During this estimated 3-month renovation period, guests must enter and exit the Center at the street-level Group Entrance. Visitors will still have access to the Center’s award-winning exhibits and can still expect an excellent museum experience during Black History Month and beyond.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: February marks the final month of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s exhibit, Ali & Aaron: United in The Fight. Muhammad Ali and Hank Aaron were both titans of the American sports scene, and have much in common as heroes who endured racism and faced down challenges with conviction. The original art installation explores the historic role both played in the fight for civil rights, and inspires guests to examine their own convictions and beliefs.
All three attractions are also members of Museum Row on Main, which offers seven exciting attractions within four blocks of Downtown Louisville’s historic Main Street. In addition to the $5 February promotion, Museum Row on Main partners offer $1 off admission to guests who show a ticket stub from another member museum that charges admission. A deeply discounted combo admission called The Main Ticket is also available. For more information about the Main Ticket, click here or to purchase your package, click here.
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts: Before enjoying a performance at The Kentucky Center, celebrate the culinary arts at SCENE at the Center! The Kentucky Center’s small plates eatery offers bar and food service two hours prior to most performances in Whitney Hall and the Bomhard Theater. Throughout February, just mention “Museum Row on Main” and receive $5 off orders of $50 or more. Take a look at SCENE’s menu here.
