PHOTO COURTESY OF UApresents The Kronos Quartet, sponsored by NASA, will showcase its talent this spring at Centennial Hall. As part of UApresents' "Our Shared Earth" season, the quartet will showcase its music to the backdrop of images from the space program.

With an ongoing war on terror and an "axis of evil" accentuating the difference between American political and economic ideologies with those of unfriendly foreign powers or militants, UApresents has chosen to celebrate the vast and beautiful cultural diversity spanning across the globe.

The theme of the upcoming season, "Our Shared Earth," is an exploration of cultural and performing arts from all over the world intended to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of different global traditions and how, in some cases, those traditions have blended to form new art forms and experiences.

"Through art, we are trying to understand each other culturally," said Mark Rasdorf, the director of communications and audience development at UApresents.

By featuring performing arts pieces from around the world, UApresents hopes to open cultural doors to its audiences by immersing them with pieces by world-renowned musicians, dancers and artists.

In its "World Rhythms" segment, UApresents will feature such acts as "Yamato," an ancient Japanese drum performance by the Wadaiko drummers of Japan, Senegalese pop star Baaba Maal, whose music can be heard in the motion picture "Blackhawk Down," and the 50th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival.

"Jazz is something that is consistently popular on campus," said Rasdorf. "We (always) try to include jazz performances."

A segment titled "Africa in America," Rasdorf said traces the blending of African cultures into the American mainstream through art, dance and music.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UApresents Three dance companies from Africa will begin their U.S. tour in Tucson with the "Africa in America" segment of UApresents' multicultural-themed performances.

In 2001, UApresents hosted choreographer Rennie Harris who combined a Shakespearean masterpiece with a hip-hop flavor and gave audiences Rome & Jewels. This year, Harris has been invited back to wow audiences with his new dance and hip-hop presentation "Facing Mekka."

"Choreographer [Harris] explores a much broader, more spiritual dimension in ÎFacing Mekka,' a multi-media epic which is earning critical and popular acclaim around the country," said Rasdorf.

Centennial Hall will also feature Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry Jam," a poetic translation of the HBO comedy special performed by nine highly acclaimed poets.

Highlighted in the "Africa in America" segment is "Movement Revolution: New African Dance," featuring three dance companies ÷ from Madagascar, Burkina Faso and South Africa. The companies will be starting their American tour in Tucson.

"They will be coming to Tucson two weeks before the show and then set up and have their first show here and then move on around the country," said Rasdorf.

On March 26, Centennial Hall will be host the NASA-sponsored Kronos Quartet; a string ensemble featuring visual effects provided by the space program.

"Over the years, we have built an ongoing relationship with Kronos Quartet. Their substantive body of work, together with a fearless sense of experimentation and innovation embody an aesthetic central to our vision for the artists we present," said Rasdorf. "This season's ÎSun Rings' is a stunning multimedia work that pairs a commissioned score by Terry Riley with the mysterious sounds of deep space."

Projected on a screen behind the performers, effects include "spacescapes" of stars, planets and other celestial entities which, combined with the string quartet and deep-space sounds collected through radio waves, create a cosmic ballet.

Of course there are the Broadway shows too.

This season, Tucson will be treated to showings of Mel Brooks' new hit musical comedy, "The Producers." Also showing are Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Starlight Express," "42nd Street," "Riverdance," and "Urinetown: The Musical," a unique romantic-comedy about a couple who fall in love during a water shortage in their city.

Getting tickets

Several options are given to those wishing to purchase tickets to one or several of UApresents performances this season, and for those who are also members of the campus community (students, faculty, staff, or just about anyone who holds a valid student ID) there are a few opportunities:

At some select shows, CatCard holders can get a 50 percent discount off the ticket price. It should be noted that some of the Broadway shows might not honor student discounts, Rasdorf said.

Also, as part of the UApresents ARTSventure program, tickets to selected shows will be offered at half price three hours before curtain to those shows not sold out. This does not apply to any Broadway shows however.

"Other than that," said Rasdorf, "eligible events are announced by our Box Office and our Web site (www.uapresents.org) the morning of the performance and the tickets then go on sale three hours prior to the performance, at the Centennial Hall box office only and in person only. ARTSventure tickets are not available by phone or Web."

"ARTSventure is a program we launched three years ago. It is intended as an incentive for people to try something new, as well as providing yet another means of affordability to the broadest cross section of our community," Rasdorf said.

Tickets for individual performances go on sale to the campus community on Sept. 4 at 7 a.m., and to the general public on Sept. 7 at 8 a.m. Ticket sales continue throughout the season.