The Wharton Center marks its 45th anniversary season with a mix of returning icons, emerging artists and works that reflect its growing role as both presenter and creator.
It announced its 2026-27 Performing Arts Season on April 29: A season where standout artists command headlines while emerging artists generate excitement, dance troupes traverse the continent and numerous surprises tell stories.
“We’ve been able to really mature into being a consistent and reliable partner to the community for the level of work that we bring,” said Wharton Center Executive Director Eric Olmscheid. “I wanted to lean into that, so we have really iconic artists in the season … and lesser known, more emerging artists that are not yet icons, but are on their way.”
Performing arts loving audiences will quickly recognize such names as Broadway’s Sutton Foster, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Emmy award-winning actor Richard Thomas, the Berlin Philharmonic Brass and the Count Basie Orchestra.
Patrons can celebrate Michigan State University ties with such artists as Endea Owens and Carmen Bradford. Olmscheid said he had his eye on bassist Owens for some time, even before learning of her MSU connection. She performs with the Stephen Colbert show and has a nonprofit, The Cookout, that serves under-resourced families in New York.
“I loved her approach to work, using music as a nourishment for the soul,” Olmscheid said. “Then to make the MSU connection — this was a no-brainer. I must bring her here.”
Bradford, a singer who is part of jazz royalty and a 2022 Grammy nominee, joined the MSU Jazz Studies faculty in 2024. She began performing with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1983 and is a regular soloist with them. Olmscheid witnessed the way local audiences enthusiastically responded to her during last year’s tribute concert to Clifton and Delores Wharton.
“She is a real, legit, world-class professional right here in our backyard,” Olmscheid said. “Let’s feature her.”
The anniversary theme invites reflection on Wharton’s first season in 1982-83. One of the groups performing in the inaugural year was the Dance Theatre of Harlem. On Feb. 17, 2027, they’ll be back.
Founded in 1967 by Arthur Mitchell, Brock Peters and Cicely Tyson, it is an American professional ballet company.
“The ethos that Arthur Mitchell had when he launched the company was that dance should be for everyone,” Olmscheid said. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to revisit the company and bring them back. That’s just part of their DNA.”
Wharton is nationally recognized as a performing arts center able to attract world-class and global artists despite the relative small size of Lansing. Olmscheid seeks to honor that as he builds a season filled with programming worthy of what they espouse to be.
“We carefully curate fine and performing arts events that are deeply meaningful and really connected to our community,” Olmscheid said. “There’s a little bit of old, returning favorites, a few things that have been requested and some little surprises. It’s like a giant mixing bowl when you’re creating a recipe. You add a little of this and a little of that and when you taste test it you go, ‘oh I need to add a little spice’ or ‘I need to add a little comfort food.’”
Included in that mix are those artists and performances that might surprise audiences.
Olmscheid cites Avi Avital and Ksenija Sidoraova, a mandolin and accordion duet who are part of the classical series.
“They are an unlikely duo,” Olmscheid said. “Avital is the leading mandolin player in the world and the only mandolin soloist to ever be nominated for a classical Grammy. His duo partner is an accordion player. Once you listen, it is super cool.”
Manual Cinema’s “The Fourth Witch” is an interdisciplinary production that mixes live music, live shadow puppetry and actors interacting in real time. The Chicago-based company tells a story based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth that Olmscheid said is “unlike any other performance” most Wharton Center audiences have seen.
Olmscheid recognizes Wharton’s commitment to shaping the future of the arts by commissioning works with other partners to bring exciting storytelling to the Greater Lansing area. Last year, that was “Sally.” This year it is a new work created by a dance company for young audiences called “What Do You Do With a Problem?”
Presenters shouldn’t only buy finished work, Olmscheid said, they should fund and accompany the creative process in a way that supports the artistic ecosystem and launches new work into the world.
Club 750, an intimate, risk-friendly space is entering its fourth year as a place to present artists who might not otherwise be in the main season but who are, as Olmscheid describes, compelling and worth discovering. Next season will feature two three-night blocks, each offering music, Broadway cabaret and comedy. The first series in January 2027 will take place in the Cobb Great Hall with audiences seated on stage with the performers. The March series will take place in the Jackson Lounge.
The dance series celebrates regional diversity by focusing on North America. The season’s arc starts in Canada and travels down to Mexico with Ballets Jazz Montreal, the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez.
The Performing Arts season is available through build-your-own packaging. Any five performing arts events can be bundled as a subscription. If someone wants to mix in a Broadway show, they can purchase any six events across the Broadway and performing arts season. Season subscribers have access to subscriber-only discounts, priority seating, interest-free payment plans and other benefits.
Olmscheid hopes people will take advantage of the model to delve into a season designed with variety and entry points that allow people to secure their favorites while taking at least one artistic risk.
It supports the desire that he has for the community.
“I want everyone to be culturally curious, if that’s at the Wharton Center or somewhere else in the community,” Olmscheid said. “Go to a museum. Go to a symphony. Go to the ballet. Attend a community theater production. Attend professional performances at Wharton Center. Try something you would not have otherwise done.”
WHARTON CENTER 2026-27 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON
VARIETY
An Evening with Sutton Foster, Oct 3, 2026
Manual Cinema’s The Fourth Witch, Nov. 10, 2026
Ana Gasteyer: Sugar & Booze, Nov. 19, 2026
The Acting Company: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Feb. 9, 2027
Yamato-The Drummers of Japan, March 16, 2027
Richard Thomas in Mark Twain Tonight!, May 6, 2027
CLASSICAL
Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax, Dec. 8, 2026
Berlin Philharmonic Brass, Feb. 2, 2027
Midori & Festival Strings Lucerne, Feb 21, 2027
Avi Avital & Ksenija Sidorova, March 18, 2027
DANCE
Ballets Jazz Montréal: Dance Me – Music by Leonard Cohen, Nov. 6, 2026
Dance Theatre of Harlem, Feb. 17, 2027
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, March 2, 2027
JAZZ
Endea Owens & The Cookout, Oct. 9, 2026
Count Basie Orchestra with Carmen Bradford, Jan. 12, 2027
Emmet Cohen Trio, March 3, 2027
CLUB 750
Club 750 Music: Brittany Davis, Jan. 6, 2027
Club 750 Cabaret: Nicholas Rodriguez – Sincerely, Sondheim, Jan. 7, 2027
Club 750 Comedy: John Heffron, Jan. 8, 2027
Club 750 Music: Layale Chaker & Maeve Gilchrist, March 23, 2027
Club 750 Cabaret: Caroline Bowman, March 24, 2027
Club 750 Comedy: Leah Rudick, March 25, 2027
ACT ONE FAMILY SERIES
What Do You Do With a Problem?, Nov. 15, 2026
Three Little Pigs and Other Tales*, Feb. 13, 2027
The Boy Who Cried Wolf*, May 1, 2027
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Wharton Center Performing Arts lineup a mix of icons, innovation and surprises
Reporting by Bridgette M. Redman, For the Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
