Velveteen rabbit image
Motown Spectacular poster image
Echo event logo
8 p.m., May 23
8 p.m. May 9, 10, 16 & 17; 2 p.m. May 10, 11, 17 & 18; 7 p.m. May 15
1 & 4 p.m., May 10, 24-25; 1 p.m., May 11, 18; 10 a.m. & 1 p.m., May 17
1 and 4 p.m., June 7, 8 & 14

8 p.m., Aug. 22

TBA, Aug. 19

8 p.m., July 25

8 p.m., July 11-12; 2 p.m., July 13

10 a.m.-1 p.m. (prejudging); 5 p.m. (finals), Aug. 30

TBA, Oct. 25-Nov. 9
TBA, Nov. 22-Dec. 21
8 p.m., Oct. 31

The Tempe Symphony Orchestra opens its 34th season under the direction of Dr. Richard Strange. Free. Tickets required.

8 p.m., Sept. 26
7 p.m., Sept. 26
7-9 p.m., Oct. 9
Sept. 13-Oct. 5
Sept. 6-Jan. 10
8 p.m., Sept. 6
8 p.m., June 27
1 and 4 p.m., June 15 & 21; 1 p.m., June 22
TBA, June 26
3 p.m., June 8
5 p.m., June 1
6-10 p.m., May 30
7:30 p.m., June 6-7
8 p.m., May 29-30
Through Aug. 2




























Royal Epic Clothing and XPOZ Magazine present "The Summer Showcase."                                                                            Buy Tickets

Blue Note recording artist and Lincoln Center jazz trumpet virtuoso Marcus Printup will be accompanied by Judy Roberts on vocals and piano; Greg Fishman, tenor sax; Todd Chuba, drums; and Ted Sistrunk, bass.
                                                                                               Buy Tickets
Desert Dance Theatre plays host to this new dance artist showcase featuring different emerging dance artists and groups, as well as professional companies from around the state. This network of Arizona dance artists will share an exciting weekend of dance.                                         Buy Tickets

A deliciously dark comedy that visits the world of five very different women, all bridesmaids at the reception of a wedding comes to TCA. These women have more in common than can be imagined. They are women, striving to be one thing: themselves.                                                                   Buy Tickets

From the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair, young Alexander knows that this is going to be a downright disaster of a day. From carpool calamities to school shenanigans, the day just gets worse until a move to Australia seems to be the only thing that might make life worth living.        Buy Tickets

As one of the most highly regarded trombonists in the world, Wycliffe Gordon enjoys an extraordinary career as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger and educator. He will be joined by Armand Boatman, Jerry Donato, Dom Moio, Scott Wilson and Dwight Kilian.                                                 Buy Tickets

New York-based singer-songwriter Dar Williams brings her special blend of folk-pop to Tempe. Williams' sixth studio album features a thoughtful brand of folk/pop applied to a handful of covers, along with her potent original tunes.

The Arizona Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the ultimate Big Band led by Valley trumpet legend Fred Forney, is an organization of the finest musicians and the most accomplished jazz soloists in the greater Phoenix Metropolitan area.                                                                                                Buy Tickets

Nova Ballet presents an energetic, global mix of movement featuring James Jeon’s intuitive, eastern style Inner Moves and the celebratory Adiemus by David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris set to the ethnic tribal sounds of composer Karl Jenkins. Program subject to change.                                  Buy Tickets

Childsplay brings back this wonderful tale of a small boy who receives a stuffed velveteen rabbit as a Christmas gift. With the help of the boy’s fanciful imagination, he and the rabbit have many adventures and are destined to become best friends.

Benny Green is considered one of the top jazz pianists in the world. This hard bop player"graduated" from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messingers and is compared to Bud Powell in style and influence. Accompanists will be Scott Wilson, Dom Moio, Dwight Kilian and Delphine Cortez.                                   Buy Tickets

7:30 p.m., Oct. 13

After the death of their baby sister, 12-year-old Willa Jo and Little Sister are whisked away from their mom to live temporarily with Aunt Patty, who has a million rules about everything. This poignant, new play traces a family’s journey of acceptance and understanding in the face of loss.

After constant misbehaving, Miss Nelson gives the kids in Room 207 the lesson of their lives when Miss Viola Swamp becomes the substitute who cancels recess, doubles arithmetic and gives 12 hours of homework. The surprising ending will have audiences snickering in their seats.

The event falls on the one-year anniversary of the opening of the TCA. The exhibition will feature works on paper, art made of paper and artists inspired by paper, a tradition for first anniversaries.

Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy a family-friendly performance of classical and contemporary dance under the direction of Ib Anderson. Free.     

Audiences of all ages can make paper arts and prints and meet some of the artists whose work appears in this juried show.

Jeff Coffin, internationally acclaimed saxophonist/composer and two-time Grammy Award winning member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, rejects all labels and categories other than "music" and "musician." Accompanists are Scott Wilson, Ted Sistrunk and John Lewis.                               Buy Tickets

The Motown Spectacular Show Live is a tribute to Motown’s famous hit-makers. This breathtaking show captures the magic and nostalgia of yesteryear with the timeless music everyone loves. Celebrate Hitsville USA, featuring special guest: The Dancing Machine Review.                 Buy Tickets

The Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders was founded in 2003 to offer quality, drug-free bodybuilding, fitness and figure competitions in the United States.                                                                                    Buy Tickets

Former Count Basie singer Dennis Rowland and Valley Jazz Diva Margo Reed – two of Arizona’s most cherished jazz vocalists – take the same stage together backed up by The Jazz Experience.                                                                                               Buy Tickets

Dream of meandering streams flowing through desert valleys, creating beautiful worlds of mesquite and wild flowers. This wonderful new play, celebrating the restoration of the Rio Salado riverbed, explores the beauty and fragility of life in the Sonoran desert.                                          Buy Tickets

Blues-rock guitar virtuoso, vocalist and songwriter Joe Bonamassa kicked off 2007 with the honor of Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine’s readership. Bonamassa plays a mix of heavy blues, big rock and textured acoustic tracks.

A delightful memory game is played between Sonny Boy and his mother, shedding light on a life well-lived. As the game progresses, two very different views of Grandmother emerge and the play explores the way life colors memory and - of course - vice versa.                                          Buy Tickets

Tempe Community Chorus, founded in 1991, performs choral music productions under the direction of Cary Burns. It is dedicated to the performance of varied, mixed-voiced music for the benefit, education and enjoyment of its members and audiences from the surrounding communities.

The 2008 Echo Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards honor the leaders of the valley GLBT community. A. Beck and Micheal Weakly from 1n10 play host to the third annual awards presentation starring your favorite entertainers and personalities.                                                                            Buy Tickets

Young performers dazzle audiences with special productions reminiscent of the Tony awarded show "Blast!" The performance features powerful music from a complete cast of 150 and showcases solo dancers, a zany tuba section, new percussion and drumline productions and more.      Buy Tickets

The tradition of Trompe L'oeil, a French term for "fool the eye," dates back centuries. Local artists in numerous media employ methods and techniques used in trompe l'oeil to create imagery that fools the viewer into believing that it is real or as real as a photograph. Free.


 

 

 

 

 

JAMN Jazz: Wycliffe Gordon                                                         Studio

Childsplay: "Velveteen Rabbit"                                                   Theater

JAMN Jazz: Benny Green                                                           Theater

Childsplay: "Getting Near to Baby"                                                Studio

Tempe Symphony Orchestra opening concert                            Theater

JAMN Jazz: Jeff Coffin                                                               Lakeside

Ballet Under the Stars                                                        Amphitheater

Paper Cup Exchange: TCA Biennial - Paper                                Gallery

Childsplay: "Miss Nelson is Missing"                                            Theater

TCA Biennial: Paper                                                                     Gallery

Motown Spectacular Show                                                            Studio

OCB Arizona: Natural Bodybuilding, Figure & Fitness Competition             Theater

JAMN Jazz: Dennis Rowland & The Jazz Experience                    Studio

Live Nation: Dar Williams                                                            Theater

JAMN Jazz: The Arizona Jazz Masterworks Orchestra                  Studio

Novaballet: "Concert One"                                                          Theater

Live Nation: Joe Bonamassa                                                       Theater

Childsplay: "A Little Bit of Water"                                                  Studio

Tempe Community Chorus: "Mid-Year Concert"                          Theater

Childsplay: "In My Grandmother's Purse"                                      Studio

Echo Magazine's Readers' Choice Awards                                  Theater

The Summer Showcase                                                              Theater

A Night at the Show with The Academy Drum & Bugle Corps     Theater

Desert Dance Theatre: "Genesis Dance Series"                            Studio

JAMN Jazz: Marcus Printup, trumpet                                             Studio

Tempe Little Theatre: "5 Women Wearing the Same Dress"         Studio

Childsplay: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible...Bad Day"     Theater

Masters of Illusion: Unveiling the Mystery of Trompe L'Oeil         Gallery



 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tempe Center for the Arts ~ 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway ~ Tempe, AZ 85281