BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Auditorium announces its 2023–2024 season schedule that features five Broadway hits, award-winning musicians and performers, and more.

 

The 2023–2024 season is brimming with Broadway magic and acclaimed national tours including the Bloomington debuts of Mean Girls and Come From Away, along with all-time classics and favorites Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Shrek – The Musical, and STOMP.

 

IU Auditorium is also proud to present living legends Patti LuPone and Branford Marsalis, along with exciting performances by Step Afrika! and The Simon & Garfunkel Story. And of course, audiences can rediscover Bloomington traditions including Dennis James Hosts Halloween, Straight No Chaser, and Chimes of Christmas.

 

“It is always exciting to reveal a new season schedule and we look forward to what’s in store in 2023–2024,” said IU Auditorium Executive Director Maria Talbert. “This season is packed with something for everybody with a variety of performances for fans of Broadway, music, dance, and beyond! We encourage patrons to pick five to subscribe this summer to save up to 15 percent off single ticket prices for most shows. We can’t wait to welcome audiences through our doors when the season kicks off in October.”

 

Also in 2023–2024, IU Auditorium will present a diverse array of other can’t-miss performances for audiences to enjoy, including the world-renowned chamber orchestra Academy of St Martin in the Fields featuring Bloomington’s own Joshua Bell, an evening of elegance and laughs with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (aka “the Trocks”), and a special jazz salute to 100 years of Disney with the house band of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem with When You Wish Upon A Star.

 

Purchasing Process in 2023–2024

Once again this season, IU Auditorium subscribers have the opportunity to select their own seats and save up to 15 percent off single ticket prices by picking five to subscribe. Loyalty Points members and new subscribers will be able to place their orders and select their seats before tickets go on sale to the general public. This process is explained online at IUauditorium.com/Subscribe and dates of when subscriptions and pre-orders go on sale are listed below.

 

Dates to Purchase Tickets

June 13–23

Loyalty Points Seat Selection

 

June 26

New Subscribers Seat Selection Begins

 

July 31–August 13

Single Ticket Pre-Order Period

 

August 14

Single Tickets On Sale to the General Public

 

The IU Auditorium 2023–2024 season is presented with support from season partners Curry Auto Center, The Herald-Times, Upland Brewing Company, World Arts, Inc., the Cook Family of Companies, and B97.

 

To see the complete list of events for the 2023–2024 season, visit IUauditorium.com.

 

2023–2024 IU Auditorium Season

 

Step Afrika!

Saturday, October 7

8 p.m.

 

Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, will make its debut inside IU Auditorium this fall. Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is one of the top 10 African American dance companies in the world and has toured in more than 50 countries. The company promotes stepping as a contemporary dance genre through critically acclaimed performances and arts education programs.

 

Step Afrika! creates full-length productions that blend percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances, and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows, they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

 

Patti LuPone

Wednesday, October 11

7:30 p.m.

 

Spend an evening with a true Broadway legend as three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone performs her acclaimed one-woman show titled Don’t Monkey with Broadway.

 

In Don’t Monkey with Broadway, LuPone explores—through indelible interpretations of classic Broadway show tunes by the likes of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin—how her lifelong love affair with Broadway began and the unpredictability of the Great White Way!

 

This will be her first time ever performing in Bloomington and you won’t want to miss it.

 

When You Wish Upon A Star – A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney

Thursday, October 19

7:30 p.m.

 

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating 100 years of Disney through the lens of jazz with a special program titled When You Wish Upon a Star, featuring the newly created house band of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. The band is led by pianist and musical director, Sean Mason, and features vocalists Kim Nalley and Sasha Dobson, who will bring these Disney favorites to life.

 

From Snow White to Lady and the Tramp and Toy Story to The Jungle Book, popular songs from these famous films have been interpreted and recorded by music legends such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Dianne Reeves and many more. “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “He's a Tramp,” “Everybody Wants to be a Cat,” and “The Bare Necessities'' are just a few of the iconic songs which will be celebrated in this look back on the impact of jazz on 100 years of Disney magic!

 

(This production is not affiliated with, sponsored, or authorized by The Walt Disney Company.)

 

Dennis James Hosts Halloween

Wednesday, October 25

7:30 p.m.

 

An evening of mysterious happenings is in store as Bloomington’s favorite musical mastermind, Dennis James, hosts “Mystery Night” for his annual incarnation of Dennis James Hosts Halloween. This year’s spooky spectacular will feature a live radio reenactment along with Sherlock Holmes-themed films with James providing the soundtrack on IU Auditorium’s 4,543 pipe organ.

 

Back by popular demand for a second-straight year, live actors will return as students from IU’s Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance take the IU Auditorium stage for a live reenactment of an episode of the 1940s radio drama Inner Sanctum titled “The Voice on the Wire.”

 

James will also present his traditional silent films with live accompaniment for a 1928 classic cartoon of Felix the Cat in “Sure Locked Homes,” followed by the 1924 thriller Sherlock Jr. starring Buster Keaton. Don’t miss this family-friendly night of mystery that is sure to be a treat!

 

Mean Girls

Friday & Saturday, October 27 & 28

7 p.m.

 

Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and original director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). 

 

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
 

New York Magazine cheers, “Mean Girls delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!”

 

Come From Away

Wednesday & Thursday, November 1 & 2

7:30 p.m.          

 

Broadway’s Come From Away is a best musical winner all across North America and makes its Bloomington debut in November!

 

This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

 

Newsweek cheers, “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!”

 

On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.

 

Chimes of Christmas

Saturday, December 2

2 and 7:30 p.m.

 

The Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers return for their annual holiday concert, Chimes of Christmas. This year promises to once again be the jolliest family-friendly event of the season! This holiday concert, now with over six decades of tradition, will feature a revue of contemporary songs, favorite carols, and classical choral arrangements, including special guests and ensembles from the Jacobs School of Music.

 

The Singing Hoosiers, directed by Dr. Chris Albanese, are a Bloomington favorite with over 70 years of tradition in contemporary vocal performance. They have entertained audiences across the United States and in more than 25 countries spanning Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Caribbean.

 

Don’t miss out on one of Bloomington’s longest-running traditions as the Singing Hoosiers and their guests come together to make your holidays merry and bright!

 

Straight No Chaser

Wednesday, December 13

7:30 p.m.

 

Indiana University’s own Straight No Chaser returns to IU Auditorium for another sensational performance as part of their 2023 Sleighin’ It tour. It’s packed full of pop and holiday a cappella classics and new favorites, with a little humor sprinkled in.

 

Since their days at IU, Straight No Chaser has become a worldwide sensation with a massive fanbase and a long list of accolades including two RIAA Gold Certified albums, over 1.5 million concert tickets sold, and more than two million albums sold worldwide. They are the real deal with a captivating sound of nine unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense.

 

Straight No Chaser at IU Auditorium has become a longstanding Bloomington tradition. Don’t miss what is sure to be special night when the guys return again to where it all began!

 

STOMP

Saturday, January 20

8 p.m.

 

A Bloomington favorite returns with STOMP, an explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, utterly unique and unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. Matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and more will fill the stage with magnificent rhythms and energizing beats.

 

This unique musical experience of choreographed percussion, movement, and physical comedy has been inspiring audiences for over three decades—proving that, with a little creativity, rhythm and music can be born out of almost anything.

 

Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse-pounding electrifying show. As the Boston Globe says, “If you haven’t seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!” Grab your seats for STOMP and see what all the noise is about.

 

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

Thursday, January 25

7:30 p.m.

 

Three-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the Branford Marsalis Quartet return to IU Auditorium for an evening of unparalleled artistry which has made them the gold standard among jazz ensembles.

 

Marsalis is known for his excellence in both classical and jazz genres, and his arrangements and interpretations bear influence from a broad musical background. From his initial recognition as a young jazz lion, he has expanded his vision as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and educator, crossing stylistic boundaries while maintaining an unwavering creative integrity.

 

The Branford Marsalis Quartet, formed in 1986, remains his primary means of expression and will join him for the Bloomington performance. The quartet’s most recent album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, was met with critical acclaim, earning a Grammy nomination and is considered the group’s most emotionally wide-ranging and melody driven release to date.

 

Hairspray

Tuesday & Wednesday, February 6 & 7

7:30 p.m.

 

You can’t stop the beat! Hairspray, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon, is coming back to Bloomington. Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world?

 

Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the ‘60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” Hairspray is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times)

 

This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring Hairspray to a new generation of theatre audiences.

 

Don’t miss this “exhilaratingly funny and warm-hearted musical comedy.” (The New Yorker)

 

Jesus Christ Superstar

Tuesday & Wednesday, February 20 & 21

7:30 p.m.

 

As part of its 50th Anniversary Tour, a mesmerizing new production of the iconic musical Jesus Christ Superstar returns to the IU Auditorium stage in 2024.

 

With lyrics and music by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane,” and “Superstar.”

 

This production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades. Appealing to both theater audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring.

 

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (the Trocks)

Saturday, February 24

8 p.m.

 

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, brings its internationally beloved troupe of dancers to Bloomington as part of its landmark 50th anniversary season, featuring gems from the company’s groundbreaking repertoire. Founded in New York City in 1974, the company, affectionately known as the Trocks, has grown from its roots in late-late shows in off-off Broadway lofts to become a global touring sensation, performing from Tokyo to Toronto and everywhere in between. 

 

The company dances with razor-sharp wit and breathtaking pointe work, performing polished parodies of works that span the classical ballet canon. Revered by ballet aficionados as well as by those who don’t know a plié from a jeté, the Trocks are “a guaranteed hoot for people who know nothing of ballet and an absolute must for those who think they know the originals.” (Sydney Star Observer)

 

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Tuesday, March 26

7:30 p.m.

 

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF), led by music director and Bloomington native Joshua Bell, is making its way across the pond to IU Auditorium! ASMF is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras, renowned for fresh, brilliant interpretations of the world’s greatest orchestral music.

 

Since its formation in 1958, unrivalled live performances and a vast recording output—including the 1969 best-seller Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film Amadeus—have given the orchestra an enviable international reputation for its distinctive, polished, and refined sound.

 

Under Bell's direction, and with the support of leader/director Tomo Keller and principal guest conductor Murray Perahia, the ensemble continues to push the boundaries of player-directed performance to new heights, presenting symphonic repertoire and chamber music on a grand scale at prestigious venues around the globe.

 

Shrek – The Musical

Tuesday & Wednesday, April 9 & 10

7:30 p.m.

 

“Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek....” And so begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Yes, your favorite ogre is back in the hilarious stage spectacle, Shrek – The Musical, based on the smash-hit, Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film.

 

This Tony Award-winning fairy tale musical adventure features songs from Jeanine Tesori and a sidesplitting book by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, and brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life. USA Today raves it is “altogether irresistible!” You’ll be a “believer” too as there’s more to the story than meets the ears.

 

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Thursday, April 25

7:30 p.m.

 

The internationally acclaimed hit theatre show The Simon & Garfunkel Story will make its Bloomington debut next spring. This immersive concert-style production chronicles the amazing journey shared by the folk-rock duo, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. It tells the story from their humble beginnings as Tom and Jerry, to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s and their dramatic split in 1970. The show culminates with the pair’s famous “The Concert in Central Park” reunion in 1981 which had more than half a million fans in attendance.

 

Using state-of-the-art video projection, incredible lighting, and a full live band, the show is a moving and powerful concert featuring all the hits including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” and many more.

 

With more than 100 million album sales since 1965, Simon & Garfunkel’s perfect harmonies and songs that poignantly captured the times made them one of the most successful folk-rock duos of all-time garnering 10 Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.