Last at the Kennedy Center in 2018 with the elegant Layla and Majnun, Mark Morris Dance Group adds some spice to this season with a colorful, exuberant new production that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ groundbreaking album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. A smash hit with audiences at its Liverpool premiere, Pepperland is “a gorgeously entertaining and witty tribute to the classic Beatles album” (The Guardian).

Co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center, the evening-length production features an original score by composer Ethan Iverson performed by a unique jazz ensemble of vocals, soprano saxophone, trombone, piano, keyboard, theremin, and percussion. Arrangements of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “A Day in the Life,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Within You Without You,” and “Penny Lane” intermix with six original Pepper-inspired pieces intended especially for Mark Morris’s profound understanding of classical forms: Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio, and the blues. Resounding with ingenuity and musicality, this production is a must-see for dance and Beatles fans alike.

Stay in the theater following the Nov. 13 show for a post-performance talk, free with your ticket.

Dancers, choreographers, composers, creative team members, and/or other artists offer insight into the performance and a chance to ask questions!