Announcing National Geographic Live Speaker Series with an Explorer, Marine Biologist, and an Astronaut Supported by U.S. Cellular

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The U.S. Cellular Stage at the Bijou Theatre is thrilled to announce an upcoming guest speaker series with National Geographic Live beginning March 10 at the Bijou Theatre.

The series will consist of three unique guest speaker engagements. Series subscription packages for all three speakers are on sale now and start at the discounted price of $102 plus applicable fees. Call 865-684-1200 to purchase a series subscription. Individual tickets to each engagement go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26 at the Tennessee Theatre box office, Ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000. There will be a presale for all U.S. Cellular customers starting today at 10 a.m. EST. U.S. Cellular customers can text the word “OFFER” to 68572 for a presale code to purchase tickets early. Message and data rates may apply.

The series kicks off March 10 with “Beauty and the Bizarre” featuring explorer and photographer Anand Varma. Varma is a science photographer who works to tell the story behind the science of everything from primate behavior and hummingbird biomechanics, to amphibian disease and forest ecology. Varma started photographing natural history subjects while studying integrative biology at UC Berkeley, and spent several years assisting other photographers before receiving a National Geographic Young Explorer grant to document the wetlands of Patagonia. He has since become a regular contributor to National Geographic as well as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

On April 7, the U.S. Cellular Stage at the Bijou will host “Standing at the Water’s Edge” with Cristina Mittermeier. Mittermeier is a Mexican-born marine biologist and photographer who specializes in conservation issues. As a writer and a photographer for the past 25 years, Mittermeier’s work centers on the delicate balance between human well-being and healthy ecosystems. Mittermeier is also a writer and series editor of her own publishing company Earth in Focus, and has produced 24 stunning coffee-table books on conservation issues. Her work has been published in prestigious scientific publications including “Science and Nature” as well as in more popular publications and magazines including National Geographic.

The third and final engagement in the series will be literally out of this world as astronaut Terry Virts brings “View from Above” on May 12. As a NASA astronaut, pilot of the space shuttle Endeavour and crew member on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, Virts spent 200 consecutive days in space as commander of the International Space Station—one of the longest continuous space mission of any NASA astronaut.

Tickets are $37 or $60 plus applicable fees for each individual engagement. Buy all three and save by purchasing a subscription, which offers discounted tickets – all three shows for $102 or $162 plus applicable fees.

For more information, visit www.Knoxbijou.org.

About National Geographic Live

National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live’s critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Currently, National Geographic Live events are held in a variety of cities around the world, including, Seattle, Tampa, Los Angeles, Florence and Calgary. In each of these cities, speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration onstage alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information, visit www.natgeolive.com.

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or www.nationalgeographic.com.

About the Historic Bijou Theatre

The U.S. Cellular Stage at the Bijou Theatre is a historic non-profit theatre located in downtown Knoxville, Tenn. Built in 1909 as an addition to the Lamar House Hotel, the building has served as a hotel, civil war hospital, vaudeville theatre, and movie house. After a restoration and grand reopening in 2006, the Bijou Theatre is a beloved performance venue known for its impeccable acoustics and intimate atmosphere hosting more than 100 music and performance art events each year.

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don't and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. For the third time in a row, U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance, according to J.D. Power’s twice- annual U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com.

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