After more than two years being closed to the public, the $13.6 million dollar renovation and expansion of the Alberta Bair has been completed, and now it's time for "performers of the highest-caliber" to showcase the historic theater in downtown Billings.

According to a press release from the Alberta Bair Theater, tickets for the upcoming 2021-2022 season will go on-sale Saturday, July 10 at 8am MDT, as the ABT welcomes back full-capacity audiences beginning September 18.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming full capacity audiences to LIVE entertainment in our beautifully renovated theater in September,” said Ron Yates, chair of the Alberta Bair Theater Board of Directors. With planning for the upcoming season going on now for months, Yates also said that "live performing arts is exactly what many of us need personally while also bringing tremendous tangible and intangible benefits to our community."

While the Strawberry Festival is in full-swing downtown, an open house at Alberta Bair Theater is also planned on July 10, along with tours of ABT on the hour at 11am, 12noon and 1pm.

We can’t wait to have crews loading in shows, and patrons will absolutely love their new experience with the theater’s new lighting, sound, seats, and concessions. An evening at Alberta Bair was the wait! -Jan Dietrich, Alberta Bair Theater, Executive Director

Alberta Bair Theater will kickoff their 2021-22 season on September 18 with Emmy and Tony Award winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth, who has performed to sold-out audiences across the world, including performances on Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, and Royal Albert Hall, according to the press release.

Here's the rest of the 2021-2022 Alberta Bair Theater season line-up of entertainment. Concert and event descriptions provided by Alberta Bair Theater:

 

September 21: John Driskell Hopkins Band

As a founding member, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter of the GRAMMY Award winning Zac Brown Band, John Driskell Hopkins is not one to sit idle when ZBB is not touring

October 1: Quarteto Nuevo

Quarteto Nuevo merges western classical, eastern European folk, Latin, and jazz with an organic feel that packs a wallop! The ensemble’s razor-sharp precision is enhanced by jazzy interludes, lightly rumbling percussion motifs, and mesmerizing rhythms.

October 28: National Geographic Live: Ocean Soul with Brian Skerry

Wildlife photographer Brian Skerry has spent more than four decades exploring the world’s oceans—capturing “the soul of the sea” for National Geographic for more than 20 years.

November 6: Raul Midón

Along with releasing 10 studio albums as a solo artist, Grammy Nominated Raul Midón – dubbed “an eclectic adventurist” by People magazine – has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers, along with contributing to recordings by Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s She Hate Me.

December 2: The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Using huge projection photos, original film footage, and featuring a full live band performing all the hits including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” and many more, this immersive concert-style theater show chronicles the amazing journey shared by the folk-rock duo, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

December 15: Santa Saves Christmas

Santa Saves Christmas brings Santa and his merry band of helpers, who happen to be cirque performers and singers, through town as they try to save Christmas. Just as Santa and his elves pull their sleigh into Alberta Bair Theater, they run out of gas!

December 31: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Since its formation in the early 90s in Ventura, California, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has toured virtually nonstop, performing on average more than 150 shows a year and has produced a sizable catalog of recorded music, with sales of more than 2 million albums to date.

January 28: National Geographic Live: View From Above with Terry Virts

Sometimes, a little distance is all you need to see things in a brand-new way. For astronaut Terry Virts, his newfound perspective was from the International Space Station (ISS), where he installed the Cupola module, granting an unprecedented 360-degree view from the station.

February 2: Compagnie Hervé Koubi

Choreographed by Hervé Koubi, What the Day Owes to The Night is a highly physical, stunningly fluid 65-minute work defying gravity for 13 male virtuoso dancers who are from Algeria and Morocco.

February 18: The Choir of Man

Raise your glass to the international sensation THE CHOIR OF MAN! Yes, the boys are back by popular demand — ready to take America by storm in their third U.S. tour. Known across the globe as “the ultimate feel-good show,” THE CHOIR OF MAN offers over 90-minutes of non-stop adrenaline-packed powerhouse vocals, hair-raising harmonies, and foot-stomping choreography.

February 24: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) is one of the best-known Estonian music ensembles in the world. The EPCC was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who was the artistic director and chief conductor for twenty years.

February 26: International Guitar Night

Proudly celebrating 22 years of touring the United States!  Lulo Reinhardt, Germany’s Latin Swing Master, is joined by Stephanie Jones, contemporary classical guitarist from Australia; Alexandr Misko, two-hand tapper from Russia; and Eleonora “Lele” Strino, jazz guitarist and vocalist from Italy.

March 2: Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl’s amazing tale is now Alberta Bair Theater’s golden ticket! It’s the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film, including “Pure Imagination,” “The Candy Man,” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of Hairspray.

March 6: Nobuntu (3 pm)

Nobuntu, the female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe, has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel.

March 18: National Geographic Live: Untamed with Felipe DeAndrade

Filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade believes animals saved his life—and he wants to return the favor. Raised in poverty, surrounded by addiction and abuse, he felt voiceless. He related to animals, because they too were voiceless, and he fell in love with photography as a way to tell their stories.

March 19: The British Invasion

THE BRITISH INVASION – LIVE ON STAGE is an immersive multi-media show that puts you front and center of pop culture history. Huge projection period photos and original film footage recreate the era’s excitement, fashion, and headlines; all while a full, live band performs all of the hits of the 60s; the iconic British pop sound that swept across America and the world.

March 27: Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (8pm)

Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll. But it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice.

March 30: The Magic of Bill Blagg Live

The MAGIC of BILL BLAGG LIVE! combines his mind-blowing magical talents along with his trademark off-the-cuff personality to take you on a magical journey you’ll never forget! Witness objects float in mid-air, vanish in the blink of an eye and so much more! The MAGIC of BILL BLAGGLIVE! is more than a magic show, it’s an interactive magic experience!

April 1: Aquila Theatre: Shakespeare’s Macbeth

A powerful commentary on unchecked ambition and power, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most influential contributions to world literature. The play, read by millions each year, offers timeless lessons about motivation and human nature.

April 25: An Evening With David Sedaris

David Sedaris is one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. He is a master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers. His new book, The Best of Me (Little Brown/Hachette, Fall 2020), is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays, about which novelist Andrew Sean Greer wrote in The New York Times: “You must read The Best of Me.

April 29: TAIKOPROJECT

The show continues to define a modern American style of taiko, blending traditional forms with an innovative and fresh aesthetic. TAIKOPROJECT became the first American taiko group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest in 2005. They have performed and recorded with Stevie Wonder, Usher, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kanye West, with appearances on the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, and many more.

September 30: Pub Station presents Josh Turner

October 20: Warren Miller’s 72nd Film (National Tour)

For more information, or to get tickets for upcoming shows, CLICK HERE.

CHECK IT OUT: The Best Movie Character Names of the 1980s

 

LOOK: TV Locations in Every State

More From KBUL NEWS TALK 970 AM & 103.3 FM