Center for the Performing Arts announces the 2024–25 season!
Tickets go on sale starting Aug. 7 for artist events and add-on social experiences
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)—The Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce its 2024–25 season with a schedule of events for everyone in your family-and-friends circle.
The 2024–25 artist events will include “simply the best” nationally touring Broadway; singers and vocal groups; jazz firsts; modern and classical music and dance programs; acrobatic cirque; a viral country artist; and more!
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, to members, and 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, to the public. Tickets will be available to purchase online; by calling 814-863-0255; or in person from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Eisenhower Auditorium. Avoid the $4-per-ticket online service fee when ordering by phone or in-person. (The ticket fee applies for online sales only.)
Make memories together with a ticketed performance, an add-on social experience, or a free, artist-adjacent activity. Or simply revel in your memories and the history of Eisenhower Auditorium as we celebrate the building’s 50th anniversary.
“The activity in the building throughout the next year will be electric,” said Laura Sullivan, marketing and communications director at the Center for the Performing Arts. “We will honor the legacy as we continue to build our new vision for the future.”
Visit 2024–2025 events for a schedule of events, features, and more information about the social opportunities at The Place and The Joyfull events.
FALL 2024 EVENTS
The Move Mix Festival featuring BJ The Chicago Kid will kick off the Center for the Performing Arts fall season. The second annual, free-to-the-community festival will be from 2-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The takeover event will feature a variety of artist performances and workshops inside and outside the building, an homage to the venue’s 50th anniversary.
National recording artist BJ The Chicago Kid will headline a post-festival performance, showcasing his smooth, soulful, R&B and hip-hop-inspired vocals.
Visit Move Mix Festival for more information and to register for free entry. More artists will be announced in August.
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The twelve-man-strong Chanticleer choral ensemble will perform “Sing Joyfully” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26. The “orchestra of voices,” known for a wide range and dazzling clarity, will explore mastery of its collective voice in performances of Renaissance motets, jazz standards and contemporary arrangements of modern songs.
Visit Chanticleer for more details about the Sept. 26 concert in Eisenhower Auditorium, and a Classical Coffeehouse at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.
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An uplifting comeback story like no other, “Tina Turner—The Tina Turner Musical” is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. The production will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, in Eisenhower Auditorium. “Tina” features many of the twelve-time Grammy Award winner’s popular hit songs, and it was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.
Visit “Tina” for more information.
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Dust off the drum kit and tune up your guitar! Round Room Live and Moonbug Entertainment’s new production of “Blippi: Join the Band Tour” brings the energetic and educational antics of global sensation “Blippi” to Penn State in a never-before-seen show at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
"Join the Band” features musicians performing live on stage. Blippi will be joined by Meekah, along with their singing and dancing buddies and real-live musicians. They’ll explore what makes music, including sounds, rhythms and instruments—all through fan-favorite “Blippi” hits.
Visit “Blippi” for information about the event and a Photo Experience add-on ticket option.
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This season, Ailey II marks its 50th anniversary of merging the spirit and energy of the country’s young dance talent with the vision of today’s outstanding choreographers. Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper will lead the company in a presentation of works she said “will move our audiences deeply and leave them forever transformed.” The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit Ailey II online for information.
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The young artists of Le Consort will take the audience on a musical tour in “From Naples to London” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in Recital Hall.
The Quebec-based ensemble’s approach to the Baroque styles of the violin trio sonata genre will be delivered with energy and a fresh ear. The program will include performances of violin trio sonatas by John Eccles, Nicola Matteis, Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Purcell and more.
Visit Le Consort online for more details about the program and a Classical Coffeehouse event on Monday, Oct. 21, in Hintz Family Alumni Center’s Robb Hall.
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Penn State will celebrate a legend of jazz fusion and Afro-Cuban sound with a performance by Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The founder of the trombone front line style and his unconventional approach to Latin music since the 1950s won Palmieri the first Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording, as well as nine other Grammies.
Visit Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra online for more information.
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Ex Machina / Robert Lepage and Cirque Flip Fabrique will tackle the acrobatic world of arena wrestling with “Slam!” The hyper-theatric and kinetic spectacle will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Eisenhower Auditorium, and will feature a gallery of characters in and out of the ring, while the audience cheers its heroes and boos its villains.
Visit Flip Fabrique for more information about the performance and The Place.
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Since 2021, Sam Barber has been performing stripped-down covers of country-roots hits for his fans on TikTok, but he made a name for himself when he made his Grand Ol Opry debut in September 2023. The one-time “American Idol” contestant recently performed sold-out concerts across the United States, and he will bring his popular tour to Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7.
Visit Sam Barber for more information.
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Pairing the bold colors and motifs of Jacob Lawrence’s iconic paintings with a hallmark style of percussive dance, the Step Afrika! ensemble will bring the story of an all-American mass movement to the stage. “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence” will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit Step Afrika! for more information.
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Three-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy will make her Penn State debut with a performance of her third annual “A Joyful Holiday” featuring the McLendon Family. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Eisenhower Auditorium, and will feature a festive mix of sacred, secular and gospel-inspired seasonal favorites.
Visit Samara Joy for more information.
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Penn State School of Music will feature its popular “Mosaic” performance at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The annual concert features the school’s most talented ensembles and soloists for a unique, fast-paced concert experience.
Visit “Mosaic” for more info.
SPRING 2025 EVENTS
In its Penn State debut, Compagnie Hervé Koubi will present “What the Day Owes to the Night” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The contemporary and theatric dance piece uses explosive movement to metaphorically retrace company founder Koubi’s family history. The program features music by Johann Sebastian Bach, and Hamza El Din with Kronos Quartet, as well as traditional Sufi music.
Visit Compagnie Hervé Koubi for more information.
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Vocal ensembles from Delaware, Penn State and regional high schools will raise their voices in song in “A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” The event will feature a program of popular spirituals and gospel hymns performed by Elevation, Essence of Joy and Essence 2, Ltd., Hatboro-Horsham High School Madrigals Choir, and Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School Concert Choir.
The general-admission 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, concert in Eisenhower Auditorium will feature vocal and choral hymns and protest songs that celebrate the legacy of civil-rights champions.
Visit “A Choral Tribute” for information.
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Thrice-nominated for the Grammy Award for her 2023 album “Phoenix,” alto saxophone artist Lakecia Benjamin will make her Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Eisenhower Auditorium. She has performed her fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and Latin dance music on stage with legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys and The Roots.
Visit Lakecia Benjamin for more information.
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Circa returns to Penn State with an aerial tale of finding your true self at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22, in Eisenhower Auditorium. In “Duck Pond,” created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble, the Australian contemporary circus will reimagine the classic ballet “Swan Lake” as an acrobatic spectacular—featuring Tchaikovsky’s music paired with Circa’s signature physicality, cheeky humor and contemporary energy.
Visit “Duck Pond” for more information.
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“Dear Evan Hansen,” declared “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history” by The Washington Post, takes a groundbreaking look—from the point of view of both the parents and young people—at our complex, interconnected and social media-filled lives. The touring Broadway production will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit “Dear Evan Hansen” for more information.
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On the heels of the popular Netflix series “Wednesday,” the Center will host a return performance of “The Addams Family” at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. A comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, “The Addams Family” is a delightful musical comedy based on the bizarre and beloved characters by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams.
Visit “The Addams Family” for more information.
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David Lang’s “Before and After Nature” is a meditation on the natural world, both before human existence and after humans are gone. The performance—at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in Eisenhower Auditorium— features Lang’s music and text; video design by Tal Rosner; and is performed by Bang on a Can All-Stars, with the Penn State Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Christopher Kiver.
Visit Bang on a Can All-Stars for more details.
ADD-ON SOCIAL EVENTS
The Place
For the ultimate night out, get access to The Place at Eisenhower Auditorium. At The Place, you can gather and unwind for an hour before selected events. It’s a separate ticketed option that gives you a chance to arrive early and relax with a beverage or two and light snacks before taking your seat at the performance.
Events featuring The Place option are:
- Flip Fabrique, Oct. 30
- Lakecia Benjamin, Feb. 26
- Bang on a Can All-Stars, April 9
The Joyfull
The Center for the Performing Arts and Student Affairs invite you to replenish (your body and soul). When our bodies are hungry, we need to eat. But when our souls are hungry, we crave a different kind of nourishment. Join us for evenings of joyful expression, where we forge connections and leave with full bellies and full hearts.
Mark your calendar for these Joyfull dates:
- Oct. 14
- Nov. 11
- Dec. 1
- Jan. 21
- Jan. 29
- March TBD
- April 6
Visit The JoyFull online for more information.
ACCESSIBILITY
American Sign Language translation
ASL translation will be provided for several performances:
- “Tina—The Tina Turner Musical,” Oct. 6
- “Blippi: Join the Band Tour,” Oct. 10
- Ailey II, Oct. 17
- “Dear Evan Hansen,” March 27
- “The Addams Family,” April 1 and 2
Contact the Arts Ticket Center via email at artstix@psu.edu or by calling 814-863‑0255 to discuss ASL seating preferences. If ASL translation is needed for any event during the season, please contact the Arts Ticket Center at least two weeks before the event.
Audio Description service
Audio Description will be provided at no additional charge for several performances:
- “Tina—The Tina Turner Musical,” Oct. 6
- Ailey II, Oct. 17
- Step Afrika!, Nov. 13
- “Dear Evan Hansen,” March 27
- “The Addams Family,” April 2
The service is also available for events upon request. Call the Sight Loss Support Group of Central Pennsylvania at 814-238-0132 to make a reservation at least two weeks before the event.
Sensory accommodations
The center welcomes patrons of all sensory sensitivities to its performances. Eisenhower Auditorium is certified by KultureCity as a sensory-friendly venue. Upon request, patrons can sign out a variety of items to accommodate your visit, including noise-reducing earmuffs, anti-strobe glasses, lap pads and fidget toys.
Learn more about the center’s available Accessibility services.
DISCOUNT PROGRAMS
Arts Engagement Family Program
Families who meet a household income eligibility requirement of $75,000 and below are invited to complete the Arts Engagement Family Program application for reduced ticket prices to Center for the Performing Arts events. The “Blippi: Join the Band Tour” Photo Experience ticket is not available for this offer.
Visit Family Program online for more information and to apply.
Free Student Ticket Program
Thanks to a generous donor, a limited number of free tickets will be made available to Penn State students for each of the Center’s events, if the event has not sold out. Students can visit the Arts Tickets Center box office in Eisenhower Auditorium from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the day of the event or the Friday prior to a weekend event to claim a free ticket while supplies last.
These tickets are not available to Penn State students who are attending a performance as a class requirement. Students must show a valid Penn State student ID.
Visit Discounts for more details about our ticket programs.
PARKING
Patrons can prepay for parking using the online portal Park Mobile. The fee, per event, will be $5.50 per car in advance and $10 the day of the event. Parking is assigned for a deck near the event and will be searchable by that event.
Visitors who have a Penn State parking permit must show proof of the permit when event parking operations are in effect. Visit Parking for more information.
ANYONE CAN BECOME A MEMBER
Center for the Performing Arts members can purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public. It’s easy to become a member, and memberships are available at various levels, including the Student level. Visit membership online for more information about levels and benefits.
200 ACRES EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 2025
The fully narrated 200 Acres app experience, a solo walk “through memories of wildness,” is available to download to a smartphone and to use at one’s leisure.
The walking tour app, which offers fresh perspectives on the university’s original land, history and purpose, is a creative partnership between the Center for the Performing Arts and theater artist Marike Splint. 200 Acres leads the user on an introspective, prompted walk along an accessible one-mile route, leaving from the patio of Eisenhower Auditorium and ending at The Arboretum at Penn State.
Visit www.200acreswalk.com/ to download the app and for more information.
Find the Center for the Performing Arts on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sapphire sponsors
TIAA
Dick Brown and Sandy Zaremba
Gold sponsors
Foxdale Village
Kish
Patricia Best and Thomas Ray
Pieter W. and Lida Ouwehand
Silver sponsor
Shih-In Ma
Bronze sponsor
Susan and Lewis Steinberg
Support provided by
Janelle Bessette and Keith Karaoke Access Endowment
John L. Brown and Marlynn Steel Sidehamer Endowment
Nina C. Brown Endowment
Norma and Ralph Condee Chamber Music Endowment
Eisenhower Auditorium Endowment
Sidney and Helen S. Friedman Endowment
Glenn and Nancy Gamble Endowment
Robert and Sonia Hufnagel Endowment
Debra Lee Latta and Dr. Stanley E. Latta Endowment
McQuaide Blasko Endowment
William E. McTurk Endowment for Program Support
Mary Ann O’Brien Malkin Program Endowment
Pieter and Lida Ouwehand Endowment
Penn State International Dance Ensemble Endowment
Dotty and Paul Rigby Classical Music Endowment
Gerald B. M. and Sylvia Stein Memorial Endowment
Ex Machina and FLIP Fabrique would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the City of Quebec for their financial support.
“Duck Pond” is co-commissioned by QPAC and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Art House Wyong, Frankston Arts Centre, HOTA-Home of the Arts, Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre.
Thank you to the Penn State School of Music for hosting the Le Consort concert.
A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.
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CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 2024–25 PRESENTATIONS
Move Mix Festival *
Featuring BJ the Chicago Kid
2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14
Eisenhower Auditorium
Chanticleer
“Sing Joyfully”
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26
Eisenhower Auditorium
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6
Eisenhower Auditorium
“Blippi: Join the Band Tour”
6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10
Eisenhower Auditorium
Ailey II
Francesca Harper, Artistic Director
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17
Eisenhower Auditorium
Le Consort
“From Naples to London”
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22
Recital Hall
Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23
Eisenhower Auditorium
Ex Machina / Robert Lepage and Cirque Flip Fabrique
“Slam!”
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30
Eisenhower Auditorium
Sam Barber
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7
Eisenhower Auditorium
Step Afrika!
“The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence”
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13
Eisenhower Auditorium
Samara Joy
“A Joyful Holiday”
Featuring The McLendon Family
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3
Eisenhower Auditorium
School of Music presents
“Mosaic”
4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8
Eisenhower Auditorium
Compagnie Hervé Koubi
“What the Day Owes to the Night”
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22
Eisenhower Auditorium
“A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Featuring Elevation
Essence of Joy and Essence 2, Ltd.
Hatboro-Horsham High School Madrigals Choir
Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School Concert Choir
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24
Eisenhower Auditorium
Lakecia Benjamin
7:30 p.m. Feb. 26
Eisenhower Auditorium
Circa
“Duck Pond”
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble
7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22
Eisenhower Auditorium
“Dear Evan Hansen”
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27
Eisenhower Auditorium
“The Addams Family”
7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2Eisenhower Auditorium
David Lang’s “Before and After Nature”
Music and text by David Lang
Video design by Tal Rosner
Performed by Bang on a Can Allstars
With Penn State Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Christopher Kiver
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9
Eisenhower Auditorium
*Free event, donation suggested
Artists, programs, dates and times are subject to change.