It's always nice to be on the stage, and I have my favorite folks with me here.

I know I say that all the time, but I love you guys so much.

Sean and Ricky, thank you guys for joining me.

We're here at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and you guys have a phenomenal lineup.

This is our first time talking in 2026.

So we're back in school back in session and we're ready to go at this I love the lineup that you guys have this year.

Oh thanks.

Yeah.

Let's go ahead and get started.

Great.

Yeah.

Like you said students are back.

We're ready to kick off the spring semester.

And we do that with our presenting series.

So our live performances, we do that with Uzima Drum and dance.

So that's amazing.

They're great at South Bend own African drumming and dance ensemble that we have worked with for well over a decade, probably 15 or Kelly has been a part of that.

Kelly is amazing and we love her.

She's great.

And so this year they're continuing this sort of MLK celebration.

They, they do a performance and, honor and spirit of MLK this year, it's called Asha prepare you the way.

So sort of take it for.

Yeah.

What is that?

So it's it's sort of taking the path less traveled.

And Asha, sort of, you know, peace be with you.

So I love that.

Exactly.

So, again, this is part of the Notre Dame's larger walk.

The walk week and spirit of MLK.

I mean, that's where, you know, we've we've been collaborating with Uzima every year on wonderful, wonderful.

And when is the date for that one?

That is Saturday, January 24th.

And that's one that you want to get your tickets for.

Oh, absolutely.

I know it's a big crowd that comes out for that.

And you know it sells extremely well.

It's affordable.

It's just a great way to support our local artistry, our local artists, the wonderful artistry of Uzima.

So please.

Yeah, come on out.

And I love I mean, I've been to these before.

People get up in an audience and they're dancing along with it too, right.

That's the spirit is very fun, very.

Absolutely.

All right.

What do you have after that?

And then we have, you know, we we bring in, we have a small series of guest organists.

So we have four organist every year.

And so in the spring semester we have two of those.

Our first one is Nicole Simental and she's actually a graduate of the Sacred Music program.

So she's coming back as an alumna to perform, works by Bach and Mendelssohn and Buxtehude, on the organ.

And this, a lot of people don't realize.

I didn't even realize because I'm looking around.

And where is the organist?

Not in here, but we have a small organ hall, so it's, only 80.

It's intimate, but it's a very large volume of space with lots of wonderful acoustics.

The sound bounces around for for 4.5 seconds.

How long has the organ been here?

The organ, when the organ was, commissioned and built, when the building was built.

So just about 20 years ago, 21 years.

They built the building around the organ.

You know, that's the way to do it.

Exactly, exactly.

Yeah.

But it's, you know, we could take a tour some other time of the organ to heart.

But the space was built for that instrument, which was built in the style of the 17th century Northern Germanic.

We can get pretty nerdy if you want those details.

I mean, people love that.

Exactly.

In fact, Books to Huda, which is one of the works that Nicole is playing, is perfectly situated on that.

And wonderful, wonderful.

And like you said, it's a smaller space.

So again, you want to make sure you get your tickets.

Exactly.

And again, prices are very, very affordable always which I love.

Yeah.

Awesome.

Thank you guys.

And then we continue on.

It doesn't stop there.

We have a little, something for everyone.

We've talked about dance organ, and now we have a performance by actors from the London stage.

Notre Dame's, Shakespeare Notre Dame program brings in the actors from the London stage every semester.

These are five actors that play all of the roles.

At this case, as you like it.

Oh, that's a good one.

That's a good one.

You know, lots of, you know, mistaken identity and fun.

It's it's a blast.

But to have all five actors play all of the roles, which just maybe the the tip of a hat or a flower to designate different roles as a it's a lot of fun.

Very interesting.

It's about the text a distills it down.

There's not heavy scenery, it's just that you really get to understand and play and up the text of Shakespeare.

I love that I know I've talked to the Shakespeare folks in a number of time here, and they always are just so phenomenal and so wonderful to to speak with you.

So I'm glad that you guys have them coming in.

That's coming in January, end of January.

Correct.

January 28th through the 30th.

So a couple of performances for three performances.

But those sell out because a lot of classes come.

They take up a lot of seats.

So come get your tickets soon because those are that is almost sold out okay.

Very good to know.

All right.

Let's move a little bit into we got some movies some movie theater.

All right.

Let's do this.

So we start we have our annual.

We are now in our third decade of the Notre Dame.

Yes.

Of the Notre Dame Student Film Festival, which compiles some of the best films that were made by students as part of their courses.

Over the last year.

Okay.

And it is a short film festival.

So you have, you know, anywhere from a three minute to about 12 minute, short films, some documentaries, some narrative and showcasing a lot of different genres, a lot of different styles and a lot of plucky ness that, you know, you have at 3 a.m.

and you're a 21 year old, you make a movie.

I remember I did a film class in college, too, and I remember that's exactly what we were doing, all working in the editing bay, you know, putting something together at three.

Yeah.

It's, let's put on a show, slap something on the screen and say, I wonder what great stuff comes out of that.

It does.

It's very interesting.

And then you have a chance to vote as well.

So the audience is a jury member.

And then there's kind of a festival award to.

And that happens that evening same time that well that's on Sunday Sunday.

That was the culminating screening of it.

And that is the last weekend in January.

And we have as well with that or sorry, the the 23rd through the 25th.

Okay.

Is that one.

Okay.

And then we also have, burning down the classic starting.

This is our community class.

So, for two hours of film, you can sign up for this course, and it's 12 weeks, and we are unpacking, French actresses.

And it's all built around a guest appearance by ice America, who is incredibly important in the French language cinema world for making it more inclusive and understanding.

And she's going to come to campus and give a talk.

And she's a filmmaker.

She's an actress out of West Africa and Paris.

And so what we did was look at some of the old guard French films and centered around female performances.

And then we'll be looking at kind of the more decolonize films after spring break.

I love all of the the thought process that she's put into these years.

So now I tell you this all the time, but you're amazing.

And you did.

It's, well, that's a lot of fun and and but this is a community, so they can participate in the class too.

So we have we'll have talks, we have conversations, we'll have readings.

And it's every Thursday at 630.

We're starting with Eight Women, which is a film that showcases generations of big French, language actresses.

By Francois.

And I need to know French to watch these.

We have some subtitles.

Okay, okay.

But, it's a great way to brush off, you know?

Whatever.

Later.

I think I saying, like, the only word I know in French.

Then you bring your dictionary.

Yeah.

And some quick fingers, and that translates everything for me.

So this is a film where you see a lot of them, and then we're going to go back chronologically and kind of work through.

So we have Hiroshima mon Amour, Band of Outsiders, Godard's big film.

That kind of starts in some ways the French New Wave are really kicks it off.

And then, Agnes Varda is Jane B for Agnes V, which is a film that profiles Jane Birkin in a very interesting way.

Okay.

So that will be running the entire semester.

You can check it out, sign up and get you.

Yeah, yeah.

And what was the first date that that starts then that starts on January 22nd.

Okay.

And if I jump in halfway, can I do that or do I need to do the whole time?

You can pick individual titles as well.

So if you might see a one that you're not in for the pound but you're in for a penny, you can come check that out too.

Okay.

And then we also have some new releases.

So we're showing, for those of you who maybe didn't catch us on Netflix or want to see it again, alongside a lot of other people, we have the new Knives Out mystery.

Wake up Dead Man Eye, which has a really interesting Catholic underpinning to it, which many women expect.

Interesting to unpack here.

We have Jafar Panahi is Palme d'Or winner.

It was just an accident.

This is the, master Iranian filmmaker.

Yeah.

You just heard about that one, too?

Yeah, yeah.

A lot of these you might have seen if you watch the Golden Globes, I did.

Yeah.

So I'm looking at this list of the Oscar nominees.

If you're trying to get those films, we'll be highlighting a lot of them.

During the, during the spring semester.

Another one that you might see is sentimental Value out of Scandinavia.

And then to, Ronnie and Mary Brunson had worked on a couple of different films, if I like.

So I kick You.

That's one that Rose Byrne won the Golden Globe for.

And then, Marty Supreme that.

Yep.

Tim.

Timmy Chowmein.

Yeah.

Once.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

So we have a great line up here.

Let's jump back into some performances because I know we have another organist playing.

Exactly.

So, getting us through sort of mid-February.

First we have, bespoke in by Emorja Roberson, who's a doctoral student here at Notre Dame a number of years ago who now teaches at Emory University.

But he's coming back and sort of the culminating, week of the walk, the walk week with a performance called bespoke in, which is sort of a gospel spoken word, hip hop, sacred music, evening, celebrating the complexity of blackness.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

And then we do move on to Christian McBride and Ursa major.

Christian McBride is, as well known jazz bass player with his ensemble Ursa major.

It's a jazz quintet.

He hosts, Jazz Night in America on NPR.

Some folks know that.

There you go.

But he's coming to perform.

In addition to that, he'll be, a clinician for the Collegiate Jazz Fest, which has been going on here at Notre Dame since, I believe, 1959, so well over 50 years, that festival has been running.

And he'll be acting as a clinician to give these students.

And that's a special one because that was happening on Valentine's Day.

So Friday night is a great jazz date night.

Grab dinner somewhere near here and come on in for a wonderful evening.

And then finally, we do the guest organist, who's actually performing at the basilica.

So not in this building, but just across campus.

And that wonderful large instrument, David Joni's so he's sort of closing out our organ series for the semester.

And then that takes us through mid-February.

Perfect.

All right.

We have a couple more that are coming up, too.

Yeah.

Let's crank out these.

So we have our professor think of other films.

These are Sunday at 1 p.m.. They're dollars again.

And, for pop, a dollar for popcorn.

We have a sports theme this year, so we'll be leaning into the Winter Olympics a little bit later on in March.

But until then, we have Bend it Like Beckham.

Give me a soccer ball.

Remember the Titans.

Give me a yes.

Okay.

We have the Karate Kid from.

Is it the classic hand?

Oh, the new one for maybe your children.

Yeah.

Not a sister, but a classic to some, and, giving us martial arts.

The Miracle Season, which is a film about Iowa actually targeted to Iowans here.

And volleyball film and then BMX bandits.

So it's a really funny movie.

You're already laughing.

So that's why I don't think you can, but it's Nicole Kidman before she has Nicole Kidman.

Oh.

It's a lot of kids haven't heard of the tough stuff on bikes.

All right.

And another note, we have a it's not with Nicole Funder, but, Sunday or Saturday, January 24th at 1 p.m.. We have an alarm coming in.

Who created a new TV show that's debuting on WNIT, and its called Phoebe and J, and this is a show that encourages literacy and uses science, to back its programing so kids are able to read more easily.

Absolutely.

And so we're going to have a sneak peek of that.

Come see the show before anyone seen it.

Oh that's right, it will be coming out.

Man is going to be there.

It's going to be a whole deal.

So people can come see some episodes and then learn from DVD who will be here.

The Nerd Dame alum to talk about, you know, how she got it.

Industry, how you create shows like I love that and learn a little bit about how the programing that you and your children might love is made and why it's important to to have that.

Yeah, I love it.

Absolutely.

All right.

And I know we have Black History Month coming that's starting.

So we have with the initiative on race and Resilience.

We have a small capsule series of interesting movies.

We have Douglas Circus, Imitation of Life, a remake from the 30s that he made in the 50s about a black woman, who is passing, and Hedda, a reimagination of the it's in play.

And then lastly, black news terms and conditions, which is, great.

Is it a comedy?

No.

I said, oh, wow, that's repatriation.

And it's, Afrofuturism, and it's about zeppelins that take, a gallery show across the slave trade and it's, it's, a really interesting injury and something that you probably aren't going to see, you know, every day on TV.

And I'm just like, this is why you do all the work that you do, because this is the stuff that people maybe don't have an opportunity to see otherwise.

And it's offered right here in our backyard.

And I love watching it.

I love watching it with other people.

That's part of the joy.

So you can come out and bandy about with your seat mates and you know, people around you and talk about these wild things that people are making.

Awesome.

Now let's just talk real quick.

Where can people get tickets for everything and find the schedule of events?

Performing arts dot indeed, Edu has all of these as well as many, many other events and performances and screenings that are taking place.

And I love that these are all open to the community, so everyone's welcome.

You don't have to be a student here or a professor here.

This is all open to the community.

So thank you guys so much.

Thank you.