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2022-2023 Season Performances

This season at the Moss Arts Center, experience wonder with Acrobuffos' Air Play; drama with Farruquito's Íntimo; tradition with Āhuti from Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company; hope with Soweto Gospel Choir; energy with PUBLIQuartet; joy with Hairspray, part of our Broadway in Blacksburg series; splendor with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and much more.

Ticket Information

Whether you want to attend every show or curate your own experience, we have you covered.

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Seating Charts

The Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre—featuring three levels that seat approximately 1,200—is a superior performance space. Designed with a system of almost infinitely adjustable acoustics and technical aspects, the Fife allows us to showcase artists presenting a range of theatrical and musical styles. There’s no bad seat in the house!

View Seating Charts

October

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    Francesco Turrisi (at left), a white man with dark brown hair and goatee and black framed glasses, wears a dark jacket over a white T-shirt and looks towards the camera. In front of him, Rhiannon Giddens (at right), looks towards the camera, her brown wavy hair half up. She wears a bright yellow dress. Both stand in front of a bright blue background.a raspberry lipstick. They stand in front of a brown backdrop.
    Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi , article

    WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 7:30 PM: Acclaimed musician and Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens collaborates with her band and Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi to forge exultant sounds.

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    Actors from "Andares" kneel on a woven rug and perform. On the left, a person in a maroon shirt and dark shorts wears a round straw hat, multicolored ribbons streaming down from it, the ends tucked under their knees. On the right a person in a turquoise shirt and black and white skirt bends forward slightly, as if praying, with a mustard-colored shawl draped over their head. In the middle, a brown man with short dark brown hair wears a blue button down shirt and sings or speaks, looking towards the camera.
    Makuyeika Colectivo Teatral , article

    WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12-THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 7:30 PM: Woven from ancestral myths, traditional music, and a three-person narrative, "Andares" reveals the extraordinary spirit of Mexico’s remote corners and the astonishing pathways of its humblest of inhabitants.

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    The cast members of Acrobuffos, a woman with purple hair and a yellow jumpsuit and a man with a red beanie and red jumpsuit, each hold a corner of large pieces of yellow and red fabric, respectively, which balloons up into the air because of fans.
    Acrobuffos , article

    SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2 PM: In "Air Play," circus meets science—umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage.

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    Flamenco dancer Farruquito and a female dancer wear all white and clasp hands on stage during a performance. Behind them, musicians and singers perform.
    Farruquito , article

    FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7:30 PM: An international superstar and heir to the most renowned self-proclaimed Gypsy flamenco dynasty, Farruquito is hailed by the "New York Times" as “the greatest flamenco dancer of this new century.”

November

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    Members of the Danish String Quartet stand in a field with a tree behind them, wearing button down shirts and jackets
    Danish String Quartet , article

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 7:30 PM: With a palpable warmth and spontaneity in its music-making, the Grammy-nominated Danish String Quartet is known for impeccable musicianship, exquisite clarity of ensemble, and an expressivity inextricably bound to the music.

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    The cast of "Anastasia" poses onstage, most people are in pairs. In the center is a light skinned Black woman wearing a long red ball gown and crown and a white man in darks pants and a vest.
    "Anastasia" , article

    TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 7:30 PM: Inspired by the beloved films, "Anastasia" transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past.

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    Dancers in "Āhuti" strike poses on a rooftop in front of a clay shingled roof. They wear traditional costumes in oranges, blues, teals, greens, and reds.
    "Āhuti" , article

    SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 7:30 PM: In a fascinating cultural dialogue delivered through movement and music, Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company collaborate in a contemporary fusion of Odissi classical dance from India and traditional Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka.

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    Members of Soweto Gospel Choir perform onstage in colorful traditional costumes. In the foreground, two Black women with long braids and twists dance, arms extended to both sides like a cactus, right leg bent at a 90 degree angle, thighs parallel to the floor.
    Soweto Gospel Choir , article

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7:30 PM: Resounding with sheer jubilation, three-time Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir brings "Hope: It's Been a Long Time Coming," a program celebrating American and South African artists associated with struggles for civil rights and social justice throughout their countries’ complex histories.

December

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    The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra performs "Holiday Pops Spectacular" at the Moss Arts Center. In the center of the image is a guitarist dressed in a Santa costume playing a green electric guitar. The rest of the orchestra surrounds him, and lights on the back wall look like snowflakes.
    Roanoke Symphony Orchestra , article

    SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 4 PM: This much-anticipated holiday music tradition and audience favorite returns to the Moss. Gather your friends and family and savor the spirit of the holidays as the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra fills the theatre with music and cheer.

January

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    Poet Kevin Young, a Black man with short natural hair, a full and well-groomed beard, and small round glasses, stands in front of a mural on a brick wall featuring the faces of Bob Marley and James Baldwin. Young wears a blue plaid button down shirt, navy blue blazer, and a denim-blue pocket square.
    "An Evening with Kevin Young" , article

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 7:30 PM: A groundbreaking voice of his generation, poet Kevin Young is the poetry editor of "The New Yorker," where he hosts the poetry podcast.

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    Machine de Cirque , article

    FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 7:30 PM: Seven zany acrobats and an electrifying musician take in a monochrome exhibit. With a creative spark, they set off an explosion of color in "La Galerie."

February

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    The members of string quartet PUBLIQuartet stand outside on a suspension bridge holding their instruments, the city skyline visible behind them.
    PUBLIQuartet , article

    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 7:30 PM: Bursting with rockstar energy, the Grammy-nominated PUBLIQuartet is changing the perception of string quartets with its creative, interactive programming and modern interpretation of chamber music.

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    A heavyset white woman with dark 60s-coifed hair with a blue gingham bow in it lays in her bed, as if the camera is above her. The carpet is pink shag, the sheets light pink, and the comforter light pink with blue and brown ovals of varying sizes. On the nightstands next to her head is a lamp, an alarm clock, and a box of Dots candy.
    "Hairspray" , article

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 7:30 PM: Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world?

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    A Japanese man in black operates a large puppet, while illustrated monsters swirl on a projection behind them.
    "Akutagawa" , article

    FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18: Magic abounds through tales of the supernatural in this new stage work, which uses bunraku puppets, video projection, and live music to explore the creative process of Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

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    Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jacquelin Harris, photo by Dario Calmese. Harris, a light skinned Black woman with medium length braids, is draped in a gold dress, her face tilted towards the sky. The background is a similar gold tone to her dress.
    Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , article

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28-WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 7:30 PM: Celebrate over 60 years of unparalleled artistry when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to Blacksburg!

March

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    Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jacquelin Harris, photo by Dario Calmese. Harris, a light skinned Black woman with medium length braids, is draped in a gold dress, her face tilted towards the sky. The background is a similar gold tone to her dress.
    Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , article

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28-WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 7:30 PM: Celebrate over 60 years of unparalleled artistry when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to Blacksburg!

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    Author Viet Thanh Nguyen, an Asian man with dark brown hair cut long on top and with a fade on the sides, wears a grey patterened button down shirt in front of a sea glass green background.
    "An Evening with Viet Thanh Nguyen" , article

    THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 7:30 PM: Viet Thanh Nguyen’s writing is bold, elegant, and fiercely honest. Globally reimagining what we thought we knew about the Vietnam War, his remarkable debut novel, "The Sympathizer," is a "New York Times" best seller and Pulitzer Prize winner.

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    Puppeteers perform "Book of Mountains and Seas" on stage. On the left, lit with white light from above, puppeteers maneuver a large puppet that somewhat resembles diftwood and somewhat resembles a human figure using ropes on pulleys. On the right is a red round paper lantern.
    "Book of Mountains and Seas" , article

    FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 7:30 PM: A daring new music theatre work by composer Huang Ruo and puppeteer, designer, and director Basil Twist, "Book of Mountains and Seas" is a modern take on ancient Chinese creation myths that are relevant to our current climate change struggle.

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    Country musician Rissi Palmer, a light-skinned Black woman with curly brown hair, wears a black leather jacket and a white shirt, and stands in the street in front of run down red brick commercial buildings. She holds an acoustic guitar by the neck and props the body up on her left shoulder.
    Rissi Palmer , article

    THURSDAY, MARCH 30-FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 8 PM: As a passionate voice for country artists of color and those who have been marginalized in mainstream country music, Rissi Palmer's gift lies in reaching across all musical boundaries.

April

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    Shirlette Ammons, a Black woman with natural hair cut into a fade, sits on stool in a library row wearing jeans, a grey t-shirt with rolled sleeves, black scarf, and black framed glasses. She smiles lightly at the camera.
    Shirlette Ammons , article

    FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 8 PM: Shirlette Ammons is a Durham, North Carolina-based poet, musician, emcee, and film creative whose highly collaborative work defies genre and interrogates her own relationships to gender, Blackness, and Southernness.

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    Sonny Miles, a Black man with medium length twists and a full beard, wears a white button down t-shirt and a silver hoop nose ring in one nostril. He sits and holds an acoustic guitar. Behind him are draped two pieces of fabric, one heavier, possibly red velvet, and one thinner, a light green sheer fabric. He looks towards the camera with a neutral expression, lips slightly parted.
    Sonny Miles , article

    FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 8 PM: Citing gospel, funk, and neo-soul as his biggest influences, Winston-Salem singer and multi-instrumentalist Sonny Miles fuses catchy, relatable lyrics with soulful compositions to create a unique sound.

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    A black and white photograph of the destroyed Coventry Cathedral after an air raid.
    Opera Roanoke and Blacksburg Master Chorale , article

    SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 4 PM: Opera Roanoke, Blacksburg Master Chorale, Virginia Tech Choirs, and the Georgia Boy Choir come together for a production of Benjamin Britten’s "War Requiem."

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    Cécile McLorin Salvant, a light-skinned Black woman with a closely shaved head and round thin wire-framed glasses, wears a plum lipstick and a white lace vest over a purple longsleeved shirt. Behind her is a wall of stained glass, each pane a different shade of purple, blue, red, or pink. The panes are all diamon-shaped and are arranged horizontally. Two flower arrangements of similar colors are on either side of her, one in the foreground and one in the background.
    Cécile McLorin Salvant , article

    SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 7:30 PM: MacArthur Fellow and three-time Grammy Award winner, singer, and composer Cécile McLorin Salvant brings historical perspective, a renewed sense of drama, and a clear-eyed take on jazz standards and her own original compositions.