UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State has announced its 2025-26 season, highlighting top and emerging artists who celebrate global interconnectedness, creative collaborations, and the practice of cultural appreciation.
Visitors can expect fan-favorite Broadway musicals; forays into the worlds of contemporary and classical chamber music; thunderous jazz and Japanese drum beats; music from the Middle East, Egypt, Ukraine and West Africa; modern dance explorations of history and literature, and much more. See a Iist of events at All Events online.
Fall 2025
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Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band, Wednesday, Sept. 10, Eisenhower Auditorium: Three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. will lead a high-energy big band featuring the top emerging artists in jazz. Visit Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band online for more information.
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“The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,” 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, Eisenhower Auditorium: Dancer-educator Lynnette Overby revisits the history of abolitionist author Frances Ellen Watkins Harper in a theatrical choreography production. Visit Frances Harper online for more information.
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Move Mix Festival featuring Mohamed Abozekry Sextet, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, Eisenhower Auditorium: Virtuoso oud prodigy Mohamed Abozekry, on tour as part of international arts organization Center Stage, makes fusion of Sufi calls, modal jams and secular poetry at the Center’s third annual free community block party. Kikora Franklin also will perform a new dance work. Visit Move Mix Festival online for more information. Register online.
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Momix “Alice,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, Eisenhower Auditorium: Momix “Alice” follows a rabbit hole through classic literature with this illusory, contemporary dance adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland.” Visit Momix online for more information.
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Kurbasy, “Songs of the Ukrainian Forest,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, Recital Hall: The indigenous music collective Kurbasy presents an audio-visual theatrical exploration of a country’s proud people through a collection of art songs, lullabies and legends. Kurbasy is on tour as part of the international arts organization Center Stage. Visit Kurbasy online for more information.
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Disney’s “Moana Live-to-Film Concert,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, Eisenhower Auditorium: Disney’s “Moana Live-to-Film Concert” North American tour is a screening and live orchestral performance of the music and songs from the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios’ classic. Visit “Moana” online for more information.
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Isidore String Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, Recital Hall: Isidore String Quartet performs inviting, youthful versions of Western classics and contemporary works by Joseph Haydn, Antonín Dvořák and Gabriella Smith. Visit Isidore String Quartet online for more information.
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Soles of Duende, “Can We Dance Here?”, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, Eisenhower Auditorium: Three artists speak an unspoken language through the movements of flamenco, tap and Indian classical dance. Visit Soles of Duende online for more information.
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“Six,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday, Nov. 18–20, Eisenhower Auditorium: The six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of twenty-first century girl power! Visit “Six” online for more information.
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An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson, “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies—Part 1,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, Eisenhower Auditorium: Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of this generation’s most celebrated educational thinkers, will dissect Hollywood films including “Star Wars,” “Frozen,” “Armageddon” and other film favorites for what they got right or wrong about the world of science. Visit Neil deGrasse Tyson online for more information.
Spring 2026
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Drum Tao, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, Eisenhower Auditorium: Renowned for its dynamic choreography, striking visuals and thunderous rhythms, Drum Tao delivers a performance that is a full-body experience inspired by the world of Japanese entertainment. Visit Drum Tao online or more information.
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Terri Lyne Carrington, “We Insist! 2025,” featuring Christie Dashiell, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, Eisenhower Auditorium: The four-time Grammy Award-winning drummer and the jazz vocalist will revisit songs from the “free” jazz era in a bold reimagining of the seminal album “We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite.” Visit “We Insist! 2025” online for more information.
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Cirque Kalabanté “Afrique en Cirque,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, Eisenhower Auditorium: Cirque Kalabanté founder Yamoussa Bangoura and his company will transport you to a place where the beauty of traditional African arts is illuminated and combined with the virtuosity of contemporary cirque performance and a live Afro-jazz soundtrack. Visit Cirque Kalabanté online for more information.
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“Hadestown,” 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, March 2 and 3, Eisenhower Auditorium: The winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album is a love story for the ages by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and original director Rachel Chavkin (“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”). Visit “Hadestown” online for more information.
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Peppa Pig, “My First Concert,” 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26, Eisenhower Auditorium: In this family show, kids can discover exciting orchestral pieces from Mozart to Beethoven with cheeky and loveable Peppa Pig. Visit Peppa Pig online for more information.
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Decoda, affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall, with special guest Ringdown, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, Recital Hall: Community-minded chamber ensemble Decoda teams up with vocal duo Ringdown for a themed performance of folk-inspired, contemporary tales. Visit Decoda online for more information.
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Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, Eisenhower Auditorium: The golden age of Broadway is represented with this revival set in River City to a fast-talking salesman’s scheme in the Tony Award-winning musical. Visit “The Music Man” online for more information.
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Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain 40th Anniversary Tour, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9, Eisenhower Auditorium: The cheeky, entertaining seven-member acoustic ensemble will return Stateside to tour in celebration of its 40th anniversary. Visit Ukulele Orchestra online for more information.
'The Joyfull' events
"The Joyfull" program returns with free community events that invite participants to savor the culture of visiting and local artists, while filling their bellies, souls, and spirits with food, sounds and sights that offer an intimate arts-based experience.
Events include:
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Feast Edition, 6 p.m. Oct. 13, Alumni Hall, HUB-Robeson Center
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Soles of Duende Edition, 6 p.m. Nov. 4, Alumni Hall
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Cirque Kalabanté Edition, 6 p.m. Feb. 10, Hintz Family Alumni Center
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Fanoos Ensemble Edition, 6 p.m. Mar. 24, Hintz Family Alumni Center
“'The Joyfull' events provide engagement through all of our senses, and we are thrilled to offer them for a second year,” Center Audience and Program Development Director Amy Dupain Vashaw said.
Visit "The JoyFull" online for more information and to register.
School-Time Matinees
The center’s School-Time Matinees, events geared toward young people using arts-based teaching methods, follow Pennsylvania standards and instill confidence and curiosity in their students via fun, out-of-classroom learning programs.
All events are at 10 a.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium:
- “Ada Twist, Scientist & Friends,” TheaterWorks USA, Oct. 27
- Drum Tao, Jan. 27
- Cirque Kalabanté, “Afrique en Cirque,” Feb. 12
“These performances provide opportunities for students to imagine the kind of adult they might want to become,” said Medora Ebersole, the center’s education specialist.
Visit School-Time Matinees online for more information.
Accessibility
American Sign Language interpretation
ASL interpretation will be provided for several performances:
- “The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,” Sept. 19
- “Ada Twist, Scientist & Friends” School-Time Matinee, Oct. 27
- “Six,” Nov. 20
- Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Dec. 2
- Cirque Kalabanté School-Time Matinee and main event, Feb. 11 and 12
- “Hadestown,” March 3
- Peppa Pig, March 26
- Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” April 7
Contact the Arts Ticket Center via email or by calling 814-863‑0255 to discuss ASL seating preferences. If ASL interpretation is needed for any event during the season, contact the Arts Ticket Center at least two weeks before the event.
Audio description service
Audio description will be provided for a number of events:
- “Six,” Nov. 20
- “Hadestown,” March 3
- Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” April 7
Reservations are required and must be made at least two weeks before the event. Call the Sight Loss Support Group of Central Pennsylvania at 814-238-0132 to reserve the service.
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 visit our Quiet Room on the Lounge Level, and they can temporarily 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 all of the Center’s available Accessibility services.
Tickets
Call 814-863-0255 or visit Center for the Performing Arts for more details and to purchase tickets.
Learn more about the Arts Ticket Center app, a new and streamlined way to buy, store and manage tickets to all of the Center’s events from your smartphone.
Visit 2025–2026 events for more details, including related free workshops, panel discussions, pre-event activities, community engagement opportunities and "The Joyfull" events.
Ticket discount programs
The Center for the Performing Arts tries to make the season’s programming as accessible to as many patrons as possible. Thanks to our generous donors, there are a variety of programs that offer discounted or free tickets, including:
• Arts Engagement Family Program
• Free Student Ticket Program
• Group Discount
• Penn State Employee Discount
• Penn State University Park Student Discount
No discounts apply for "An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson."
Join our mailing list
Be the first to learn about program updates, presales, free events and more by joining the Center for the Performing Arts Arts Insider mailing list, where you can subscribe to the bi-weekly “Looking Forward” and the monthly, educator-centric “CoStarring You” digital newsletters.
Credits
The Penn State School of Music hosts the Kurbasy, Isidore String Quartet and Decoda events. “The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper” is presented in collaboration with Penn State College of the Liberal Arts Center for Black Digital Research. A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.
Mohamed Abozekry Sextet and Kurbasy are on tour in the United States as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U. S. Government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management Inc.
The engagement of Soles of Duende is made possible in part through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Find the Center for the Performing Arts online
The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State aspires to create connected, sustainable and equitable communities, where everyone experiences joy, belonging and creativity. For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.