WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Convocations has announced its 2024-25 schedule, kicking off its 122nd season with a lineup of global and well-known acts.
Ticket sales for Purdue Convocations' new season kicked off Wednesday, according to a news release, offering several family-friendly productions, musical acts and Q&As.
“Convos has always been about finding powerful stories and putting them on stage, and this season isno different. Whether it is a classical Greek myth, a contemporary tale of youth today, or the music ofthe creative giants throughout the centuries, these are experiences that bind us together as people —regardless of our age or circ*mstances,” Purdue Convocations Executive Director Todd Wetzel said.“Importantly, since Convos is self-supporting, it is your enthusiastic ticket purchases and generous giftsthat enable us to bring the world-class culture that this community has loved for the past 122 years.”
Here is the 2024-25 season line-up:
'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Live in Concert
Sept. 15 at 6. p.m. in Elliot Hall of Music. Tickets start at $26.
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Building on the success of the sold-out global shows of the first Oscar-winning Spider-Man animated Spider-Verse film comes the highly anticipated sequel: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" to captivate audiences in concert venues worldwide.
29th annual West Lafayette Global Fest
Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. in downtown West Lafayette. No tickets are required.
Experience a celebration of cultures at the 29th annual West Lafayette Global Fest. Join Purdue Convocations for an unforgettable day filled with vibrant performances, mouthwatering international cuisine and engaging cultural exhibits and activities.
'Dear Evan Hansen'
Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliot Hall of Music. Tickets start at $39.
Declared “theatrical magic” by The Washington Post, "Dear Evan Hansen" is the first musical to take a groundbreaking look — from the points of view of both the parents and young people — at our complex, interconnected and social media-filled lives.
Evan Hansen is a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for — the chance to finally fit in. What follows is a poignant, funny and powerful musical about how even though it can be hard, we can find each other — and ourselves — along the way.
A Conversation with Yo-Yo Ma
Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. in Elliot Hall of Music. Tickets are free with RSVP.
Purdue President Mung Chiang and the Purdue Presidential Lecture Series present the renowned cellist, recording artist and humanitarian leader Yo-Yo Ma in a special engagement moderated by PBS NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown. Through personal anecdotes, thoughtful inquiry and musical interludes, Yo-Yo Ma explores how culture can help us all seek truth, build trust and act in service of one another.
The Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet
Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. Tickets start at $17.
Isaiah J. Thompson, 2023 American Pianists Awards winner and recipient of the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz, hails from West Orange, N.J. Beginning his musical journey at The Calderone School of Music, he later studied at The Juilliard School, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Thompson has collaborated with jazz luminaries like Ron Carter and John Pizzarelli and made his recording debut on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records.
Beyond performance, he contributed to the Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for Motherless Brooklyn and earned accolades including the Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. Thompson’s artistry radiates love, spirit and personal experiences, reflecting his enduring passion for jazz.
Thompson’s spirit-filled jazz artistry reflects his passion for jazz, as he joins the long list of amazing pianists to perform on Purdue’s magnificent Steinway D concert grand piano.
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical
Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliot Hall of Music. Tickets start at $39.
An uplifting comeback story like no other, The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.
One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows were seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history. Featuring her much loved songs, The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Katori Hall.
Terence Blanchard’s 'Fire Shut Up In My Bones' Excerpts in Concert
Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in Elliot Hall of Music. Tickets are free with RSVP.
Presented by the Purdue University Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event will feature Terence Blanchard and The E-Collective, The Turtle Island Quartet, and special guest vocalists Libretto by Kasi Lemmons.
Rewind to September 2021 when the Metropolitan Opera (NYC) had been shuttered for over a year, the storied institution opened its season with the first work in its 138-year history written by an African American composer Terence Blanchard’s new masterpiece, "Fire Shut Up In My Bones."
This “concert excerpt” version, adapted for Terence Blanchard and his band, the E-Collective, features the intrepid Turtle Island String Quartet and guest soloists, plus visuals by Andrew F. Scott. This work reveals the depths of Blanchard’s capacity to create a new musical world filled with pathos, humanity and resilience.
Mingus Big Band
Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. Tickets start at $27.
Charles Mingus, born in 1922, was a virtuoso bassist, prolific composer and legendary bandleader. Influenced by Duke Ellington, Mingus blended the essence of gospel music, New Orleans jazz, and New York vibrancy into a joyous jam. The Mingus Big Band, formed posthumously in 1979, embodies his legacy with a decades-long residency at iconic NYC jazz clubs.
With numerous Grammy nominations and 10 albums, the band honors Mingus’s ethos by keeping each performance fresh and spontaneous. Beyond accolades, the band nurtures emerging talents, reflecting Mingus’s impulse to constantly evolve. Whether captivating critics or dazzling audiences worldwide, The Mingus Big Band stands as a testament to the enduring brilliance of Charles Mingus.
'Hadestown'
Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets start at $39.
Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show from celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) is a love story for today … and always.
Intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife, Persephone — "Hadestown" is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.
'Pretty Woman: The Musical'
Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets start at $39.
"Pretty Woman: The Musical," based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell ("Hairspray," "Kinky Boots," "Legally Blonde").
Featuring an original score by Grammy winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ‘69,” “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, "Pretty Woman: The Musical" will lift your spirits and light up your heart.
'Hamlet'
Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. and March 1 at 3 and 8 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. Tickets start at $26.
Regarded as one of Shakespeare’s finest works, "Hamlet" continues resonating with modern audiences some 400 years after it was originally produced. Set against a backdrop of murder, scandal and the supernatural, "Hamlet" contains more than a few of Shakespeare’s most famous passages concerning “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”
Actors from The London Stage return to Purdue for an encore weeklong residency, deftly combining minimal staging with essential props and simple costumes. Each actor shares responsibility for the direction of the play and performs two or three major roles (as well as several minor ones). Through imagination and collaboration, the cast conjures Shakespeare’s immortal words and worlds into being.
'Chicago'
April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets start at $39.
In the whirlwind of Chicago’s Jazz Age, two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses — vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart — become fierce rivals as they compete for headlines amid a media frenzy.
Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle dazzling audiences for 28 years.
Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte, 'Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300'
April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. Tickets start at $31.
Baroque superstars Les Arts Florissants are joined by fast-rising violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte in “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300,” commemorating the work’s original publication in 1725. The program frames these iconic masterpieces afresh, setting them alongside music Vivaldi would have known in Venice and compositions that were in turn inspired by his bold vision.
Les Arts Florissants, founded in 1979 by William Christie, are celebrated pioneers in the revival of Baroque music. Renowned for their period instrument performances, they excel in interpreting the works of composers like Vivaldi, Handel and Monteverdi.
Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte is renowned for his captivating performances and deep musical sensitivity. With a repertoire spanning from Baroque to contemporary works, he enchants audiences worldwide with his exquisite artistry and profound interpretation.
