APR 29, 2024 - Midland Center for the Arts is excited to announce its 2024/25 season. Featuring a lineup of captivating performances from Broadway hits and symphonic classics to cutting-edge contemporary dance and global music, the Center is looking forward to welcoming audiences to a season of journey and discovery.

"The Center will be undergoing tremendous change this year, and I look forward to embarking on this season of exploration with you,” said Jon Loos, President and CEO of Midland Center for the Arts. “Our long-anticipated renovation will be well underway before this season begins. As we work on improving your experience at the Center, we will continue to bring you the finest performing artists and events available from around the globe, produce the highest quality local productions and concerts, ensure a welcoming and pleasant environment, and deliver exceptional customer service.”

The Broadway & Beyond series brings some of the biggest shows in the country to the Great Lakes Bay Region, kicking off with the acclaimed and gripping mythical love story Hadestown; followed by the sensational Dear Evan Hansen, the first contemporary musical about connection in the digital age; an unforgettable, electrifying experience for the whole family in STOMP; the smash-hit musical following The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Ain’t Too Proud; and the true story of the life and music of the legendary Tina Turner in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical.

The Midland Symphony Orchestra opens the season with Firebird & Friends, featuring guest violinist and 2024 Sphinx Competition Robert Frederick Smith Prize winner Nathan Amaral; followed by the return of the re-envisioned, treasured holiday classic The Nutcracker with the Grand Rapids Ballet; the annual Holiday Pops, which will welcome Broadway power couple Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Wicked) and Kevin Massey (Memphis, A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder) for a night of festive favorites; an immersive, multi-media marvel on stage, Outer Space: The Infinite, where Eric Whitacre’s powerful score is accompanied with a film featuring extraordinary galactic imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope; An Enchanting Journey, exploring Mozart and Mahler with Detroit Opera Resident Artists; and finally, a celebration of Gershwin with the award-winning Bay City pianist Kevin Cole, in Rhapsody in Blue.

Center Stage Theatre produces some of the most thrilling, high-quality community theatre in the Great Lakes Bay region. They begin their season with 80’s nostalgia and hot rock ‘n’ roll in Rock of Ages on the outdoor summer stage; followed by the touching comedy-drama centered around six Southern women, Steel Magnolias, known for its cherished film adaptation starring Dolly Parton, Sally Fields, and Julia Roberts. Then, Center audiences travel over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road for a beloved tale come to life on the Auditorium stage, The Wizard of Oz; next is the transcendently powerful stage adaptation of Anne Frank's renowned writing, The Diary of Anne Frank, portraying a spirited young woman confronting unimaginable horrors with wit, fierce honesty, and unwavering hope; and ending the season in the spring is Merrily We Roll Along, the compelling showbiz fable about friendship and the high price of success with a score of Stephen Sondheim’s best songs.

The MATRIX:MIDLAND series celebrates the inspiring nexus of science, history, art, and entertainment. Featuring cutting-edge contemporary dance and global music performances, including genre-bending, exciting music from Ben Folds; a journey through history, folklore, and true-life accounts of supernatural encounters with objects that seem to possess a life of their own with podcasters/TV stars Greg and Dana Newkirk in Haunted Objects Live!, perfect for the Halloween season; innovative, classical renditions of the music of Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, BTS, and more with Vitamin String Quartet: The Music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton, and Beyond; and a festive and fun end to the series with plenty of star-power in Jane Lynch’s A Swingin’ Little Christmas featuring Kate Flannery, Tim Davis & The Tony Guerrero Quintet.

The fresh Windows On Our World series features four unique performances that explore culture and perspective, including Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Cuba, who is influenced by Afro-Cuban jazz, funk, and pop; Chinese-American jazz band leader, composer, saxophonist, and singer Stephanie Chou and her jazz rhythm section in Stephanie Chou Quintet; Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, a celebration of the up-tempo sounds and syncopated rhythms of zydeco – blending blues, R&B, indigenous, soul, Afro-Caribbean, Cajun, and early Creole music; and the stunning percussive and contemporary dance group STEP AFRIKA!.

Don't miss a single moment of this Season of Journey and Discovery! Subscriptions provide the best seats at the best prices. Subscribers also enjoy exclusive benefits, including ticket discounts, priority seating before tickets go on sale to the public, and flexibility with their package purchase. To become a subscriber and ensure that you won't miss any of these incredible performances, visit MidlandCenter.org/Subscribe.

ABOUT MIDLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Midland Center for the Arts is a leading cultural destination in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay region. It offers a dynamic blend of art, science, history, music, theater, dance, and film experiences, all conveniently located under one roof. This vibrant institution, housed in a notable architectural structure, caters to artists, students, historians, and audiences alike. Boasting a 1,500-seat auditorium, a 400-seat theater, an interactive museum of science and art, the Midland County Historical Society, and Studio School art studios, there's no shortage of entertainment and enrichment opportunities. Explore more at midlandcenter.org.