The Police guitarist to kick off The Barns at Wolf Trap’s upcoming season

TysonsReporter.com August 8, 2023 at 2:18pm

Red Baraat (courtesy Wolf Trap Foundation) — The Brooklyn fusion band Red Baraat will perform at The Barns on Oct. 28 (courtesy Wolf Trap Foundation)

The guitarist from The Police, a “Glee” crooner and even Emily Dickinson will pay a visit to The Barns at Wolf Trap over the next year.

The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts unveiled an initial lineup of performances today (Tuesday) for the 2023-2024 season at its 382-seat indoor venue, which primarily operates from October through May after the park’s Filene Center concludes its summer season.

Tickets for the newly announced shows will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. this Friday (Aug. 11). They’re already available for purchase by Wolf Trap members, who are donors of $80 or more.

The upcoming season will feature performers from a variety of genres, including rock, musical theater, folk, comedy and chamber music, according to Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO Arvind Manocha.

“The Barns gives everyone the chance to enjoy their favorite artists in a uniquely intimate setting, and this season continues to underscore Wolf Trap’s commitment to providing diverse and innovative performances for our patrons,” Manocha said in a statement. “We can’t wait to share the rest of this season’s lineup.”

Still performing at 80 years old, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Andy Summers will open the season on Oct. 13 with his “The Cracked Lens + A Missing String” tour, which combines music, photography, theater and short story readings.

Other highlights include jazz from the Branford Marsalis Quartet on Oct. 17-18, the 10th anniversary tour of indie/folk band The Lone Bellow on Nov. 26-27, and a holiday concert by actor and singer Darren Criss on Dec. 2-3.

Criss’s “A Very Darren Chrissmas” show is among several shows aimed at musical theater fans. The Barns will also host singer Linda Eder on Nov. 2, Broadway actor Stephanie J. Block on Feb. 9-10 and Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young on March 1.

In addition, the season will feature chamber music curated by artistic advisor Wu Han, starting on Nov. 3-4 with violinist Pinchas Zukerman celebrating his 75th birthday by playing work by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák.

The Orion String Quartet’s farewell tour (Nov. 19), the music of Beethoven (March 10 and April 19) and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (Jan. 28), and Emily Dickinson’s poetry (April 5) will also figure into the chamber music lineup.

A full breakdown of the season from the Wolf Trap Foundation can be found below.

The 2023–2024 season is set to begin the weekend of October 13 and 14 with Andy Summers of The Police (Oct. 13) and local folk icons Magpie (Oct. 14). The month is filled with remarkable performances, including two nights of unforgettable jazz with the Branford Marsalis Quartet (Oct. 17 + 18); Pablo Cruise and Jim Messina (Oct. 20 + 21) in a dynamic double billing; influential bluegrass musician Sam Bush (Oct. 22) paying tribute to his longtime friend, collaborator, and bluegrass innovator John Hartford; an interactive audience experience with Max Weinberg’s Jukebox (Oct. 25 + 26); enchanting selections from The New York Arabic Orchestra (Oct. 27); the return of everyone’s favorite party band Red Baraat (Oct. 28); and the soulful sounds of Madison McFerrin (Oct. 29).

November will see country bluegrass sensation Kathy Mattea (Nov. 8 + 9); collaborative singers säje (Nov. 10); British rockers The Fixx (Nov. 15); a tribute to music legends with Newmyer Flyer: Van Morrison’s Moondance and Bruce Springsteen’s The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (Nov. 25); The Lone Bellow’s 10th anniversary tour (Nov. 26 + 27); and singer/songwriter Joan Osborne (Nov. 30).

The new year kicks off with Irish folk-rocker Foy Vance (Feb. 2); an iconic homage from 1964: The Tribute (Feb. 7 + 8); sketch comedy, songs, and improvisation with Comedian Rhapsody: The Best of Second City (Feb. 14-17); and virtuosic guitar stylings at International Guitar Night (Feb. 28 + 29).

March plays host to musical storytelling and songs with Dancing with the Celts (March 13 + 14) as they dance through the journey of the Irish crossing the Atlantic, and The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, The Blue Ridge Girls, and Ashlee Watkins & Andrew Small (March 23) share the sound of the Crooked Road and traditional Appalachian string band music. In April, over 40 local musicians and singers will take the stage for Bandhouse Gigs: Tribute to Mark Knopfler & Dire Straits (April 6). The month will close out with three shows from the 35th Annual Evening of Comedy (April 26 + 27).

This season Broadway fans will be enchanted by Linda Eder’s (Nov. 2) repertoire of hits; a gleeful holiday celebration by acclaimed singer and actor Darren Criss during two nights of his A Very Darren Crissmas show (Dec. 2 + 3); the wicked and versatile voice of Stephanie J. Block (Feb. 9 + 10); and the return of John Lloyd Young (March 1) as he brings classic hits from across the decades.

Chamber Music at The Barns returns for a 2023–2024 performance season curated by Artistic Advisor Wu Han. The season opens with Zukerman: A Musical Birthday Celebration (Nov. 3 + 4), with famed violinist, Pinchas Zukerman, celebrating his 75th birthday by performing Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák. Other notable performances include the farewell tour of the Orion String Quartet (Nov. 19); Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Imagination: Coleridge-Taylor, Hahn, Ysaÿe, Bloch (Jan. 28); the world-renowned The Sitkovetsky Trio (Feb. 11); Wu Han, David Finckel & Friends (Feb. 23); Instrumental Odd Couples: Beethoven, Rossini, Duruflé, Britten, Hummel (March 10); the poetry of Emily Dickinson set to music in Emily: A Musical Portrait (April 5); and String Magic: Beethoven, Françaix, Bridge, Mendelssohn (April 19).