IU Auditorium announces 2011-12 season lineup

School’s out for summer in a week, but before students throw away their worries for the summer, the IU Auditorium is announcing next year’s season.
 
The upcoming season is filled with stage legends, TV personalities and Broadway shows.

The Auditorium season will include a performance by Bernadette Peters, a one-night stand-up comedy show by Jon Stewart, the San Francisco Jazz Collective, Dennis James, a musical performance by Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, “Shrek the Musical,” “Chimes of Christmas,” “Stomp,” Evidence, A Dance Company, an evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert, “In the Heights,” “South Pacific,” the European Union Youth Orchestra and “Young Frankenstein.”

The Indiana Daily Student sat down with Director Doug Booher to ask about the upcoming season.

IDS What inspired you to choose next year’s lineup?
BOOHER Well, we wanted to make sure we did two things when planning next year’s season. One thing we want to make sure we focus on is providing the highest quality possible.
We are very excited to have Jon Stewart, “In the Heights” and “Young Frankenstein” as a part of our lineup. The second thing we wanted to focus on was to book the hottest shows off of Broadway.
We want to really reach the student population and not just show the same shows of the last 20 years.

IDS The Auditorium has a lot of big names and celebrities coming by next year. Why is that?
BOOHER One of the things we try to do season after season is to have a celebrity focus. Bernadette Peters is recognized as a Broadway legend and is known for her film and television work.

She is going to kick off our season. Students and nonstudents will have an incredible night watching her perform. Jon Stewart will also have a lot to say, I’m sure. He will perform a very rare stand-up show. We are very excited to have him at the front end of our season. Anthony Bouradain is also going to be a great program. He and Eric Ripert are going to have a one-night performance where they talk the latest trends in culinary arts, eating and traveling the world.

It should be a highly entertaining and a maybe controversial talk. I imagine without censoring, Anthony Bourdain is very likely to say things that will turn heads
onstage.

IDS Is there anything you think people should know about the season?
BOOHER We are really encouraging students to place their orders before the summer. We are expecting a lot of tickets sold in the summer, and we want to make sure students are able to get their tickets before they sell out.