Krannert Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2024-25 performance season in a press release Friday morning. The venue’s 55th year of operation will see everyone from University students and faculty to Grammy-award winners performing on its five stages.
Julieanne Ehre, Krannert Center’s recently appointed assistant director for programming and engagement, was quoted in the release expressing a focus on bringing joy to the Champaign-Urbana community.
“In my first year of overseeing programming at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, my guiding light was ‘joy,’” Ehre said. “Our team focused on bringing our diverse community together through joyous events that highlight our common humanity.”
Krannert Center’s 2024-25 season will officially kick off Sept. 6 with an Opening Night Party featuring a hip-hop theme before being headlined by reggae band Soja.
Three renowned orchestras will visit the Foellinger Great Hall in the coming year from across the globe. These include the London Philharmonic Orchestra performing Oct. 15, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing Nov. 7 and the Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra of Moravia performing Feb. 16.
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Additional notable musical acts coming to C-U for Krannert’s upcoming season include American jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd on Oct. 23, Michael Feinstein’s musical tribute to Tony Bennett featuring the Carnegie Hall Big Band on Nov. 9 and Grammy-award winning soprano Renée Fleming on Jan. 25, who will present her work “Voice of Nature — The Anthropocene Recital.”
On the theater front, Chicago’s own sketch comedy and improv troupe, Second City, will present a 65th-anniversary show, “The Best of Second City,” on Oct. 19. Theater artist Geoff Sobelle will present his show “Food” Mar. 6-8 and Broadway’s Mandy Patinkin will perform with opera star Nathan Gunn Apr. 9.
Dance will also be featured at Krannert Center with LaTasha Barnes’ “The Jazz Continuum” on Sept. 14 and the return of the Mark Morris Dance Group and Musical Ensemble on Feb. 20 and 21, among other visiting acts throughout the year.
The venue will additionally be hosting usual visits from University students involved in Dance at Illinois’ annual “October Dance” Oct. 10-12, Lyric Theatre at Illinois’ production of “Oklahoma” Nov. 12-16 and Illinois Theatre’s production of “Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” Nov. 14-16.
The full schedule of Krannert Center’s 2024-25 season can be found here.
