The 2006-2007 season of the University of Missouri-Rolla Campus Performing Arts Series will feature eight professional productions. All performances in the series will be held at Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall on the UMR campus, 10th and Main streets in Rolla.

Season tickets are now on sale. They are $160 for adults and $125 for those age 18 and younger, and will be available through Friday, Sept. 8. Current season ticket holders must reserve seats on or before Monday, July 3, to keep the same seats as last season, or upgrade seats. Tickets for individual performances go on sale Monday, Sept. 11. For more information about the 2006-2007 UMR Campus Performing Arts Series, call the Leach Theatre Box Office at (573) 341-4219.

The series begins with folk musician Arlo Guthrie at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. The eldest son of beloved singer, writer and philosopher Woody Guthrie, Arlo gave his first public performance at age 13 and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world of the 1960s. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician, playing the piano, six and 12 string guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments, Guthrie is a natural born storyteller, whose tales and anecdotes figure prominently in his performances. Other performances to be featured during the 2006-2007 UMR Campus Performing Arts Series include:

• Brentano String Quartet, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. Since its inception in 1992, The Brentano String Quartet has been singled out for its technical brilliance, musical insight and stylistic elegance. Named after Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars believe to have been Beethoven’s mysterious “Immortal Beloved,” and to whom he wrote his famous love confession, the quartet maintains a strong interest in the music of our time.

• Moscow Chamber Orchestra, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8. Always a magnet for the most talented and brilliant musicians in Moscow, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra has long been an inspiration to such Russian composers as Dmitri Shostakovich and is considered a Russian national treasure. The MCO’s 50th anniversary season will feature music written or arranged for the orchestra, in addition to music long associated with the group’s illustrious history.
• Tap Kids, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. Eight of the nation’s most talented young tap dancers take to the stage in this rousing, joyous celebration of American youth culture. In a series of musical vignettes, Tap Kids tells the story of a group of school kids facing challenges both monumental and mundane as they prepare for the big school dance.
• Golden Dragon Acrobats, 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. Golden Dragon Acrobats, the world’s leading Chinese acrobatic troupe, represent the best of this honored tradition, mixing award winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes and ancient and contemporary theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.
• Aquila Theatre Company in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, 2007. Shakespeare’s vision of uncompromising true love is one of the greatest stories ever told. In the vibrant city of Verona, star crossed teenage lovers follow their passion for each other against all odds in this tragic and beautiful story of eternal love. The compelling events that unfold make the story as gripping and dynamic to a contemporary audience as it was to Londoners 400 years ago.
• Leahy, 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, 2007. Born of a fiddle-playing father and a step-dancing mother, the eight Canadian siblings that make up Leahy are known as the pride of Lakefield, Ontario, but their music has found international acclaim. Difficult to pin into one musical genre, Leahy’s sound has been compared to jazz, country, bluegrass, and Celtic sounds. Their live shows combine their musical talents with lively step dancing for a truly eclectic performance.
• “Aida,” 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Based on the Verdi opera, this contemporary version of Aida features music by the legendary Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. This epic and classic tale of love, loyalty, betrayal and courage tells of a love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love.

Additional funding for the UMR Campus Performing Arts Series is provided by the UMR Endowment for the Performing Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Heartland Arts Alliance, the James and Vera Olson Fund for the Arts, the Maxwell C. Weiner Endowment for the Performing Arts and Rolla radio station KKID.