What's On
Displaying events between 01 July 2027 and 31 July 2027
Michael Starring Ben - The Magic of Michael Jackson
Take a journey back in time to remember Michael Jackson – the man, the music and the magic.
Michael Starring Ben is a hit theatre production starring the UK's ultimate Michael Jackson tribute star, Ben Bowman. Not only does he look and sound like the King of Pop, but he's honed his routine so carefully that audiences truly believe they are watching Michael Jackson himself.
The show features a live band, dazzling costumes and the performer's iconic dance routines. It also showcases the greatest hits of Michael Jackson and also of The Jackson 5 including Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller and Man in the Mirror.
Please note that this is a tribute production not associated with or endorsed by the Michael Jackson Estate.
Dates: Fri 09
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Schubert's Fifth Symphony
The Orchestra of Opera North rounds off the season with a delightful afternoon concert.
Directed by its Leader, Katie Stillman, there’s an American accent in parts, on American Independence Day. Jessie Montgomery’s Banner draws on the country’s national anthem – alongside other patriotic songs’ – in an exploration of the USA’s many complexities and contradictions. In doing so she asks, ‘What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today’s multicultural environment?’
Set in 19th-century Pennsylvania, the Pulitzer-prize winning ballet Appalachian Spring depicts the wedding day of a young frontier couple. It is rich with the quintessential ‘Americanness’ – wide, open harmonies, rhythmic vitality – that we associate with Aaron Copland. And there’s also a cameo for the famous Shaker tune ‘Lord of the Dance’ ‘Tis the gift to be simple.”.
We also hear two works that hark back a century earlier. A musical tribute to the writer and philosopher Ludvig Holberg, Grieg’s suite for string orchestra is modelled on a series of dances popular during Holberg’s time. It’s a romp, cast through the prism of Grieg’s rich compositional style. And, to finish, Schubert’s Fifth Symphony. Written when the composer was just 19, this work is a cheerful tribute to the Classical style of his beloved Mozart. But hidden within its sunny exterior lies a rich, experimental and forward-looking mechanism.
Part of the Kirklees Concert Season 2026–27
Programme
Jessie Montgomery Banner
Grieg Holberg Suite
Copland Appalachian Spring
Schubert Symphony No. 5
Pre-concert talk 3.10pm
Performers
Katie Stillman director
Orchestra of Opera North
Dates: Sun 04
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