The 2008-09 season of Syracuse University's Pulse performing arts series features a selection of
free events in addition to ticketed concerts by nationally recognized performers. Season
highlights include an SU Family Weekend concert by pop-a cappella musical group
Rockapella ("Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?"), a Black History Month performance
by Rochester-based dance company Garth Fagan Dance and a Women's History Month
concert by Tony Award-winning actress and singer Idina Menzel (Broadway's "Wicked").
Pulse, presented by SU's Division of Student Affairs, provides SU undergraduates and, in turn,
the Central New York community with out-of-classroom opportunities to attend and
participate in programs, performances, exhibitions and events in the performing and visual
arts.
"As Syracuse University students explore the arts in the classroom, the Pulse program
continues that exploration in many and various venues. It is a wonderful opportunity for
students and their families to enrich their SU experience by witnessing the power of the arts to
change the world around us," says Thomas V. Wolfe, interim senior vice president and dean of
student affairs.
Ticket prices for Pulse performances (with the exception of free events and Family Weekend
promotions) are $5 for students with valid SU I.D.; $15 for SU faculty, staff, alumni and Pulse
partners; and $20 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the Schine Student Center
Box Office. For more information, call (315) 443-4517.
"From Sonnets to Spirituals" with soprano Anita Johnson
Sunday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m.
Hendricks Chapel
Free admission; no tickets required
Paid parking in the Irving Garage
The performance is a joint presentation of Pulse, the Malmgren Concert Series, the 2008
Syracuse Symposium and The College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the
Office of Alumni Relations. Award-winning soprano Johnson will perform settings of Michelangelo
sonnets by Schubert, Wolff and Britten. The program also includes a generous offering of
heartwarming spirituals. The concert is part of "Rethinking Michelangelo," a series of lectures,
concerts and special events that complements "Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth," an
unprecedented exhibition at the SUArt Galleries now through Oct. 19. For more information,
visit http://michelangelo.syr.edu.
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO)
Monday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m.
Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College
Free admission; no tickets required
Free parking in the Irving Garage; patrons should alert the attendant that they are on campus
for Pulse-SSO
The SSO, under the direction of Daniel Hege, will perform a program that includes Haydn,
Wagner, Copland, Bernstein and Larsen. The performance is also supported by Syracuse
Symposium. The SSO, Central and Northern New York's fully professional resident orchestra,
performs 200 full-orchestra and chamber ensemble concerts throughout the region during its
39-week season.
Rockapella
Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m.
Goldstein Auditorium, Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center
Tickets required; limit one ticket per SU student; $15 family tickets available
Free parking in Waverly, Marion, Lehman and Harrison lots
Certifiably unique pop-a cappella musical group Rockapella will perform as part of SU Family
Weekend. Often imitated but never duplicated, Rockapella has been seen and heard on
television over the years, including in numerous national commercials, talk shows and for five
seasons as regular on-camera comic relief, soundtrack and theme-song crooners on the award-
winning PBS program "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" The original quartet, a
group of Brown University alumni, was formed for the sheer love of performing. The five-man
powerhouse-whose sound has become an infectious blend of soul, rock, R&B and jazz-has
advanced across the United States, selling out shows, recording CDs and appearing on radio
and television everywhere. The undisputed kings of contemporary a cappella music, Rockapella
continues to offer proof of their boundless ability to inspire and attract devoted fans, both new
and old.
Garth Fagan Dance
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, at 8 p.m.
Tickets required
Goldstein Auditorium, Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center
Free parking in Lehman and Harrison lots
The Rochester-based dance company will perform in celebration of Black History Month. Now
in its 37th season, Garth Fagan Dance has been cited for excellence and originality with a New
York Governor's Arts Award. The company's distinctive movement quality comes from years
of training in "Fagan Technique," the teaching method company founder and artistic director
Garth Fagan developed hand in hand with his own dance vocabulary when he formed the
ensemble in 1970. The technique draws on many sources, including ballet, modern, Afro-
Caribbean and post-modern dance styles. Five winners of "Bessie" Awards (New York
Performance Awards) have graced company ranks, including Fagan, Norwood Pennewell,
Steve Humphrey, Natalie Rogers and Sharon Skepple.
Idina Menzel
Thursday, March 19, at 8 p.m.
Goldstein Auditorium, Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center
Tickets required
Free parking in Lehman and Harrison lots
The Tony Award-winning actress and singer will perform in concert in recognition of Women's
History Month. The performance is co-sponsored by UEncounter. Menzel reached Broadway
superstardom in two career-defining roles: her Tony Award-winning performance originating
the role of Elphaba, future Wicked Witch of the West, in the musical blockbuster "Wicked"
and her Tony-nominated performance originating the role of Maureen Johnson in the
revolutionary musical "Rent." Recent film credits include Disney's romantic fable "Enchanted,"
"Rent" and "Ask the Dust." She recently released the solo album "I Stand," a powerful
collection of songs penned by the actress-singer-songwriter. Menzel has been inspired by artists
Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand-triple threat performers who have conquered stage and
film and have also found success as recording artists. Her performance at SU provides her
ultimate challenge: a solo artist singing her own songs.
Pulse is a model program recognized for quality, diversity, innovation and collaboration that
celebrates and expands the cultural climate of SU by programming the best offerings of local
arts organizations, paired with performances by internationally renowned visiting artists. The
performing arts series seeks to raise the caliber of SU's cultural programming while increasing
the number of participating students. For more information, visit http://students.syr.edu/pulse.
