The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting Trevor Noah for a moderated discussion alongside his “The Daily Show” colleague, Roy Wood Jr., on March 7.
Wood and Noah are going to engage in a dialogue on a range of topics, possibly including their work together on “The Daily Show,” the state of the world today, hosting the Grammys and more.
“He’s such an important voice, Trevor is,” said Tom Dunn, executive director of the Tilles Center. “He brings, I think, international perspective to the challenges here in the U.S. and some youth and some energy, and we’re delighted to have him here.”
Noah was the host of “The Daily Show” for seven years, after he took over the late-night comedy show from John Stewart. He is from Johannesburg, South Africa, and has written a memoir about his childhood during the apartheid – the strict system of racial segregation that was in place until 1991.
“Bringing Trevor Noah here, I think, is a bit of a statement booking to sort of tell our community that we are interested in younger artists from all perspectives,” Dunn said. “We’re very intentionally looking to reach out to younger and exciting voices and to bring them into the Long Island community.”
The Tilles Center hosts a range of events, from orchestras to theater to comedy and more. For example, the center put on performances of an original play about the seasons devised and created for kids and adults on the autism spectrum, Dunn explained.
“There’s a little bit of everything and there is something for everybody,” Dunn said.
The Tilles Center also has an educational aspect as part of Long Island University-Post. It hosts matinees for students on field trips, sends teaching artists into schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties and brings the performing arts to “tens of thousands of learners of all ages.”
“We leverage the visiting artists who come here for the benefit of the LIU students and of students in the neighboring areas,” Dunn said. “That degree of experiential learning, where Tillis can complement the academic experience, is very, very important to the work that we do here.”
More information about the Tilles Center and how to buy tickets to see Trevor Noah can be found on their website.
The key takeaway is that “you do not need to travel to New York City for world-class, live entertainment,” Dunn said.
