The Righteous Brothers, Sheena Easton, and More to Perform at Pepperdine University

August 14, 2023 – Malibu, CA – The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University announces its iconic 2023–2024 season featuring the Righteous Brothers: Bill Medley and Bucky Heard; two-time GRAMMY winner Sheena Easton; and legendary acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke. Discover new worlds from the fantastical feats of Cirque Mechanics in Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus; to the mesmerizing movements of dance companies like Versa-Style Dance Company and JIG, a Trinity Irish Dance Company Production; to journeying down the rabbit hole in MOMIX’s Alice; and roarsome fun for the whole family with Dinosaur World Live. Throughout the season, audience members will enjoy inspiring melodies, comedy, and spectacle from living legends and rising stars—right in the heart of Malibu.

"We are thrilled to announce our 2023–2024 season of innovative, unique, entertaining, and diverse performances," said Rebecca Carson, managing director for the Center for the Arts. "This season, we are offering 29 professional presentations, including 16 Pepperdine debuts. Returning friends and new audiences can expect a season filled with joy, wonder, and delight."

Our season kicks off in September with Pepperdine alumnus and photographer Ted Grussing (JD ’74) sharing the natural wonders of Sedona and Northern Arizona as seen through his lens and pianist Andrew von Oeyen in residency. Also this fall, experience jazz’s must-see powerhouses, including GRAMMY nominated vocal supergroup säje; electrifying vocalist Veronica Swift; nostalgic and new When You Wish Upon a Star: A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney featuring musical director Sean Mason and vocalists Kim Nalley and Sasha Dobson; and festive fun with The Queen's Cartoonists Holiday Hurrah.

Revel in the evocative storytelling of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Richie Furay; John Tesh: Big Band Live; Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the '70s; and Trailblazing Women of Country: A Tribute to Patsy, Loretta, and Dolly featuring Miko Marks and Kristina Train. And explore the timeless music of can't-miss classical crossover artists Chad Lawson and Time for Three; violinists Diana Adamyan and SooBeen Lee, and bassoonist Eleni Katz; in addition to Young Concert Artists (YCA) on Tour featuring Chinese violinist Lun Li; Danish cellist Jonathan Swensen; Spanish/Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smit; American tenor Daniel McGrew; and American bass-baritone Joseph Parrish.

Laugh and sing along to our showcase of musical theatre, comedy, and family favorites featured in Animaniacs in Concert; On Broadway, Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation; The Reduced Shakespeare Company presents The Complete History of Comedy (Abridged); and The Boy Who Cried Wolf from tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal. 

Throughout the season, Seaver College Fine Arts Division and Theatre Department students will present productions of The Merry Widow; This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing; The Music Man, and the annual Dance in Flight. The Pepperdine Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Pickford Ensemble, and Jazz and Wind Ensembles will present a selection of classical performances, and guitar virtuoso Christopher Parkening will conduct two master classes in Raitt Recital Hall.

Explore the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts 2023–2024 season brochure or the Center for the Arts website for a complete list of upcoming performances. The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts is on the Pepperdine University campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA. Parking is available during performances next to Smothers Theatre for a fee and in the Theme Tower lot with a shuttle service at no charge. All programs and artists are subject to change. Season subscription packages and individual tickets are now on sale. Subscribers receive a 10 percent discount on the best seats and exchanges without fees. Purchase tickets by calling our Box Office at 310.506.4522 from 12 to 5 PM, Tuesday through Friday, and two hours prior to curtain time or online at arts.pepperdine.edu/events.

About The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts
Delighting more than 50,000 patrons and participants annually with live performances, art exhibitions, and local outreach opportunities, the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts serves as a hub for the arts on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Three performance spaces, including the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 124-seat Raitt Recital Hall, and the “black box” Lindhurst Theatre, host hundreds of performances, rehearsals, and master classes throughout the year. The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, a dynamic, two-story exhibition space, showcases a revolving selection of modern and contemporary art with a focus on art made in California.

Media Assets
Download a photo of The Righteous Brothers
Download a photo of Sheena Easton
Download a photo of MOMIX: Alice 1 | 2
Download a photo of Cirque Mechanics in Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus 1 | 2
Download a photo of säje
Download a photo of SooBeen Lee, violin

Additional photos available upon request

 

Media Contact

Ericka Sherrill
Marketing and Publicity Manager, Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts
ericka.sherrill@pepperdine.edu
310.506.4055