The perennial question that recurs at the conclusion of every Arts & Lectures season — “Can this season be topped?” — is again upon us. Arts & Lectures' answer, which was delivered at the organization’s annual season announcement party on Monday, June 13, at the Four Seasons Biltmore, is a resounding “Yes, we can.”
Let’s take that good news and break it down some. Can we have a season that includes all of the biggest stars that we have come to know and love through Arts & Lectures in the past? Yes, we can have Ken Burns, Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, David Sedaris, and Wynton Marsalis all in the same year. Can those of us who love to explore new things have a string of outrageously interesting Santa Barbara debuts to look forward to? Of course we can. How about Iron & Wine, Canada’s Ballet BC, Ping Chong, and Kamasi Washington — and that’s only to name a very few. What if I’m on a budget but still want to revel in all the great shows that are coming — can A&L help me? Yes, they can, and that’s the big message of the new brochure, which is available all over town and online at artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu . There are a dozen series ranging from Dance to Talking Heads, and from Chamber Arts to National Parks. Sign up for any of those and you will cut your per-show ticket costs dramatically at the same time that you set these great nights into your calendar.
There are too many highlights to list them all, but here are a few tantalizing suggestions: