Celebrity conductor Morihiko Nakahara will lead the show with his trademark charisma and fun-loving verve. Selections will include the following holiday classics:

• Selections from the Polar Express film soundtrack
• Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” featuring a surprise guest conductor
• Setting of “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” narrated over Elgar’s “Nimrod”
• Audience sing-a-long of familiar carols
• “We Three Basses,” a fun setting of “We Three Kings” featuring three bass players from the SC Phil. It’s not often you hear a contrabass solo with orchestra, let alone a contrabass section feature.
• Ralph Vaughan Williams’ gorgeous “Fantasia on Greensleeves”
• Victor Herbert’s “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland”
• James Stephenson’s brilliant orchestrations of familiar Holiday carols and songs

The booking is part of Harbison Theatre’s first performing arts season, planned in-house and designed to bring fresh, innovative programming to the thriving Greater Columbia

Gregory has performed for corporations including the Coca-Cola Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Hewlett-Packard and Kroger. The veteran comedian’s reach transcends his live repertoire, as his voice is heard weekly on syndicated radio shows such as “Rick and Bubba,” “John Boy and Billy,” and “Bob and Tom.” These broadcasts have introduced Gregory’s down-South, infectious comic act to over 220 cities nationwide.

Gregory is sure to bring something different to Harbison Theatre, one of the Greater Columbia area’s newest performing arts venues. Thus far, the Signature Series has featured sold-out engagements by the award winning dance company, Pilobolus, as well as the big band musical ALL HANDS ON DECK!.

Having gotten his start at The Punch Line comedy club in Atlanta, Gregory is able to delight audiences without resorting to vulgarity, which sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes for a lighthearted night out.

Tickets for James Gregory are $28, $32 and $35 and can be purchased at http://www.harbisontheatre.org.

Facebook event invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/442043589152508/

Pilobolus, founded in 1971 at Dartmouth College, is known as one of the most influential dance companies in the country, having won a Primetime Emmy Award among other honors. Based in Connecticut, the company recently premiered their most recent work at the Joyce Theater in New York, arguably the world’s epicenter of modern dance performance.

This summer, the company was featured in The New York Times on multiple occasions, in particular for its collaboration with indie rock band OK Go, which resulted in a hip, engaging music video featuring Pilobolus’ choreography. (This piece, All Is Not Lost, is part of the program for the Harbison Theatre performances.) The name “Pilobolus” comes from a fungus which is capable of shooting its own spores as high as six feet into the air.

The booking is a direct result of the new 400-seat performing arts venue’s dedication to bringing excellence, innovation and entertainment to the Greater Columbia area. Says Director of Theatre Operations, Katie Fox, “The caliber of performance onstage at Harbison Theatre reflects Midlands Technical College’s commitment to excellence in education, economic development and civic participation.” Fox adds, “Our region is home to intelligent, interesting people, and we are confident they will find acts like Pilobolus engaging and thought-provoking.”

As a part of their visit, Pilobolus will offer a private master class to members of area dance companies, dance students, and dance teachers. Those interested should contact the theatre directly.

Tickets for Pilobolus are $25, $27, and $30 and can be purchased at www.HarbisonTheatre.org.

PROGRAM FOR OCTOBER 12 and 13 PERFORMANCES BY PILOBOLUS:
RUSHES (2007) This is the first of Pilobolus’ International Collaborators Project, resulting from a mix of movement languages born out of a series of conversations and a laboratory workshop. Co-Artistic Director Robby Barnett and world-renowned dance-theatre makers Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak discover hybrid terrain in a remarkable exploration of the range and intensity of deep collaboration. The result: an isolated community of broken dreams. Jacques Tati meets Gogol in a breakthrough for Pilobolus’ constantly morphing aesthetic.

ALL IS NOT LOST (2011) is the live companion to Pilobolus’ video collaboration with the Grammy-winning band OK Go. Playing with multiple perspectives, gravity, and dimensionality, the piece changes the way we look at dance through a kaleidoscopic view of human connection.

GNOMEN (1997) This is a Pilobolus classic. A quartet for men, Gnomen’s lyrical exploration of relationships emerges from an unusually inventive physical vocabulary and is dedicated to the memory of the company’s friend and colleague, Jim Blanc.

DUET (1992) A classic, rarely performed duet that has not been shown in almost a decade, DUET is revived for the company’s 40th anniversary. The intense attraction and affection between two women turns into a struggle for power and domination. A tender, loving, and intense physical relationship is portrayed on stage, exploring themes of intimacy, misunderstanding, and the hope of successful union.

MEGAWATT (2004) An electrifying experience. A full-throttle, full-company piece, blends startling energy with an ironic take on the excess and high-voltage state of the world we live in. Ultra-dynamic moves accompany the music of Primus, Radiohead and Squarepusher; a breathtaking display of the company’s physical endurance and prowess. It has been called “…fascinating and rebellious, an important work of dance.” (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Facebook event invite: http://www.facebook.com/events/343683395708323/

Throughout Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, Harbison Theatre will feature six other shows as a part of the Signature Series, including the comedian James Gregory on November 16, 2012, and the South Carolina Philharmonic on December 2, 2012.

“The entertainers of the WWII era supported the U.S. armed forces not only on USO tours abroad, but also at home, where public support of the military was a crucial part of the war effort,” notes Katie Fox, Director of Theatre Operations. “ALL HANDS ON DECK! is a fun, family-friendly salute to our war veterans, and we are so pleased to be presenting this vibrant production at Harbison Theatre.”

Act One brings a war-bond drive to Columbia, South Carolina. Ted Crosley (the Bob Hope type) hosts the show, which features John Handley (Hollywood’s favorite new tenor), Daisy Maxwell (“the sweater girl”) and Betty Blake (“the blonde bombshell.”) All goes as planned until an urgent telegram informs the group that bad weather has forced a hasty departure in order to make it back to San Francisco for a live radio broadcast on Armed Forces Radio. Instead of leaving as instructed, Crosley and his gang decide to stay and do the live station broadcast from Harbison Theatre.

Act Two becomes a live radio show with a live studio audience. On-air antics, classic commercials, timeless songs and hilarious, impromptu skits power the radio show. The performance comes full circle with a big patriotic finish that pays tribute to both active duty and veteran members of the United States armed forces.

ALL HANDS ON DECK! is the second show of Harbison Theatre’s inaugural season. Throughout Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, the new, state-of-the-art performing arts venue will feature international touring shows and the best of the Midlands’ arts scene, from Pilobolus Dance Theatre and Squonk Opera to the South Carolina Philharmonic and the Southeast Family Puppet Slam.

The 27,000-square-foot, 400-seat Harbison Theatre was founded in 2010 and serves the greater Columbia area from its location on the Midlands Technical College Harbison Campus in Irmo, S.C. Technical specifications are some of the most robust in the state. Numerous local cultural organizations have already begun presenting music, dance, theatre and other programming at the venue, as well.

Tickets for ALL HANDS ON DECK! are $22 and can be bought via the Harbison Theatre website: http://www.harbisontheatre.org

Facebook event invite: http://www.facebook.com/events/161734773961976/

Columbia, S.C. (August 28, 2012): There’s a story to be told, and Story Squad is on the job! Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College in Irmo, S.C. will host the daytime Family Series show, Story Squad, on September 22, 2012 at 2 p.m.

Story Squad kicks off the inaugural season at the new, 400-seat performing arts venue, which will present seven Signature Series and three Family Series shows between September 2012 and May 2013. Delighting children and adults alike, Story Squad is comprised of a band of actors, musicians and visual artists who combine high-tech theatrical elements with robust, oral, visual and musical traditions to create a fun, educational feast for the ears and eyes.

Part of the Harbison Theatre’s Family Series, this 60-minute matinee performance of Story Squad: “Once Upon a Time” Remixed is a collection of original productions which showcase talent and technology in fun, engaging ways that will surprise and enthrall audience members of all ages. Story Squad Captain Darion McCloud and his cast of performers have collaborated with Harbison Theatre’s new Technical Director, Aaron Pelzek, and Katie Fox, Director of Theatre Operations, to utilize the theatre’s sophisticated lighting and sound capabilities to add depth, dimension and delight to the proceedings.

“The show is a true melding of our theatrical technology with the Carolinas’ rich performing arts traditions,” notes Fox, “Our hope is to capture the imaginations of our young audience members and inspire them to create their own Story Squad adventures after the curtain falls.”

Darion McCloud is the Captain of the Story Squad, with James Robinson on percussion, The Dubber and Marcus Thomas on guitar, and Eboni Raimm and Latrell Brennan on vocals.

The Story Squad performance will include the following:

The Creation Poem by James Weldon Johnson

The creation story is told in an engaging way, punctuated by the soulful chorus, “And God said, ‘That’s good!” Actual mountains will rise from the stage; lighting design will simulate the formation of the sun, and the creation of the moon will be emphasized with lit stars.

Because of Lozo Brown

A child with a new neighbor on his street assumes the worst before even meeting him, recounting all of the ways that this new neighbor must be a big scary bully. The child finds out, of course, that things are much different than they seem.

Fireflies

Told entirely via lighting effects and background speech and sound, Fireflies was developed specifically for the Harbison Theatre stage. Lightning bugs communicate with each other across the stage, find each other and move forward into the world.

“The Story Squad includes not only the performers onstage, but all of our audience members, too” notes Fox, “They’ll be clapping, snapping, and striking scary poses. Everyone will play a part in the performance!”

Story Squad is the first show of Harbison Theatre’s inaugural season. Throughout Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, the new, state-of-the-art performing arts venue will feature international touring shows and the best of the Midlands’ arts scene, from Pilobolus Dance Theatre and Squonk Opera to the South Carolina Philharmonic and the Southeast Family Puppet Slam.

The 27,000-square-foot, 400-seat Harbison Theatre was founded in 2010 and serves the greater Columbia area from its location on the Midlands Technical College Harbison Campus in Irmo, S.C. Technical specifications are some of the most robust in the state. Numerous local cultural organizations have already begun presenting music, dance, theatre and other programming at the venue, which played host to a sold-out crowd for the first-ever TedXColumbiaSC event in January 2012.

Tickets for Story Squad are $9-$10 and can be bought using this eTix link: http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?performance_id=1650562

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/337391146343875/

Signature Series performances will feature the best in local, national and international talent, presenting excellence in dance, music, musical theatre, film and comedy. Family Series performances will showcase talent and technology in fun, engaging ways that will surprise and enthrall adults as much as children.

“The mission of Harbison Theatre is to offer a high caliber of cultural enrichment and entertainment to the public, while serving as a valuable resource for the Midlands Technical College community,” notes Katie Fox, Director of Theatre Operations. “By hosting acclaimed acts from major cities as well as our region’s brightest performing arts groups, we hope to contribute to the rich cultural landscape which is already thriving here in the Midlands.”

The 27,000 square-foot Harbison Theatre was founded in 2010 and serves the greater Columbia area from its location on the Midlands Technical College Campus in Irmo, South Carolina. Numerous local cultural organizations have already begun presenting at the theatre, which played host to a sold-out crowd for the first-ever TEDx ColumbiaSC event in January 2012.

Technical specifications are some of the most robust in the state, featuring an automated 17-line rigging system, an ETC Eos lighting console, a Yamaha LS9-32 sound system with wireless microphones and a full complement of soft goods including a white cyclorama and scrim. The handicap accessible venue also houses a rehearsal room, dressing room space for 22 and five classrooms.

“This facility is a tremendous asset to the college and the local community,” says MTC President Dr. Marshall (Sonny) White, Jr. “We are appreciative of our county councils and local officials for helping to fund such an important addition to the college’s Harbison Campus.”

 Find the Harbison Theatre 2012-2013 season listing here!

September 29, 2012

7:30 pm

Reminiscent of a WWII USO show and radio broadcast, this musical comedy reminds us all of a time when everyone played their part in building a stronger country.

Tickets for this event will go on sale soon! 

Saturday, September 29, 2012: All Hands on Deck! - Revisit the days of Bob Hope’s USO tours through music and song.

Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13, 2012: The Best of Pilobolus – The world-renowned contemporary dance troupe performs audience favorites.

Friday, November 16, 2012: Comedian James Gregory – Everyone’s favorite Southern comic brings his act back to the Midlands for the first time in years!

Sunday, December 2, 2012: The SC Philharmonic performs Holiday Pops – Start the holiday season with a touch of class as Morihiko and the Philharmonic play all of your traditional favorites, only at Harbison Theatre!

Thursday, February 14, 2013: Valentine’s in Casablanca – One of cinema’s most epic, classic romances, the film Casablanca will screen along with dessert and champagne in the lobby.  Spend a romantic night with your Valentine at Harbison Theatre!

Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, 2013: Squonk Opera presents Mayhem and Majesty – It’s like no opera you’ve ever seen or heard! Amazing original music and fantastic visual spectacle landed Squonk Opera on America’s Got Talent, but the group has been performing around the country for more than a decade.  Harbison Theatre will be their premier performance in South Carolina!

Saturday, April 6, 2013:  The SC Philharmonic performs Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Enjoy one of the world’s most enduring works of classical music performed by the peerless musicians of the South Carolina Philharmonic.

Harbison Theatre offers a full calendar of arts events, and knowing your preferences will help us present acts that interest you!

Please complete our audience interest survey.