The New Year is jam-packed with exciting performances at the Ferst Center for the Arts. From dance to music to comedy, the second half of the 2007-2008 season features something for everyone. The series includes performances by popular stand-up comic Paula Poundstone in addition to several acclaimed artists, including Tony and GRAMMY award winners and nominees, Peter Schickele, Irvin Mayfield, Savion Glover and Audra McDonald as well as a unique collaboration with musicians Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby.”

• The Ferst Center kicks off the New Year on Jan. 19 with the humor, wit and impeccable timing of The Flying Karamazov Brothers. Guests will enjoy the brothers’ fun new show, Fourplay, filled with good juggling, bad jokes, music and a touch of philosophy.
• On Jan. 22, Tania Perez-Salas Compania De Danza will make their Atlanta debut and showcase extravagant, sensual theatrics unparalleled in the world of Mexican contemporary dance.
• The month closes with lively exploration of jazz with a performance by GRAMMY nominated trumpeter Irvin Mayfield as the band leader of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, serving up sizzling New Orleans jazz, blues, swing and spirituals on Jan. 27.
• In February, five-time GRAMMY award winner and great 20^th century satirist Peter Schickele performs in What’s Your Sign? on Feb. 1. The composer, musician, author and satirist is internationally recognized as one of the most versatile artists in the field of music.
  
• The African Children’s Choir brings Africa to the rest of the world, and on Feb. 2 the new choir selected from some of Africa’s most desperate villages will inspire hope for the future while performing at the Ferst Center.
• On Feb. 15, an unprecedented union of jazz and tap finds legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and his trio joined by Tony Award winning choreographer and Atlanta tap favorite Savion Glover. Expect sparks to fly when Glover’s fleet meet Tyner’s blues-based percussive keyboard style.
• The Cirque-Works Birdhouse Factory is a magical place where workers are acrobats, machines power high-flying trapeze stunts and trampoline-launched workers defy the laws of physics. Audiences will giggle at the antics and be enchanted by the story of laughter, love, flight and the making of birdhouse on Feb. 16.
• To end the month, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company will pose questions about personal morality in the throes of public opinion, retelling three stories to a score by Daniel Bernard Roumain on Feb. 23.
• March begins with 24-year-old Chinese pianist and global sensation Yundi Li. As one of the youngest contestants ever to claim top honors at the International Chopin Piano Competition, guests will be amazed by Li’s exquisite phrasing and sparkling technique on March 14.
• Saxophonist Mindi Abair continues to define the less traditional future of jazz. Named Best New Artist in 2003 at the National Smooth Jazz Awards, her mix of pop, soul and jazz will mesmerize guests on March 15.
• Stand-up comic Paula Poundstone has been delighting crowds around the country on her hilarious national tour and will perform at the Ferst Center in Atlanta on March 28. Paula’s ability to create humor on the spot is legendary and with her casual air, impeccable timing and razor-sharp wit, she improvises with a crowd like a jazz musician.
• On March 29, pianist Bruce Hornsby and multi-instrumental virtuoso Ricky Skaggs will draw from their deep roots in mountain music for a surprising and unforgettable concert. These two icons bring masterful renditions of new music and greatest hits like The Way It Is, End of the Innocence, Mandolin Rain and new hit The Dreaded Spoon.
• Earning three Tony Awards before the age of 30, Audra McDonald is often compared to Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand. She will captivate the audience on March 30 with her unique force, blending luscious, classically-trained soprano with an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling.
• The 2007-2008 season ends in April with a sparkling and lavish recreation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado by the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Britain’s oldest opera company will perform a rendition of the original 1885 operetta, using Gilbert’s own prompt book for the direction. The company features 70 artists, including an orchestra, for this project which took four years to complete and will come to the Ferst Center on April 5.

Tickets are selling fast for these 2008 performances. For more details and to order tickets, visit www.ferstcenter.org for online purchases or call 404-894-9600 to order by phone. Special 2007-2008 five-show ticket packages – at a 20 percent discount off individual tickets – are also on sale and may be ordered from the Ferst Center Box Office at 404-894-9600.