The IU Auditorium unveiled its 2019-2020 season last week to mark the university’s bicentennial celebration. The 14-show season kicks off in October and finishes off in April.
"We at IU Auditorium are thrilled to present the 2019-20 season as part of Indiana University's bicentennial celebration," said IU Auditorium executive director Doug Booher in a press release. "This milestone season is packed with something for everybody including four Bloomington Broadway premieres.”
Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer
The ensemble of three virtuosos will perform classical, bluegrass and world music at 8 p.m. Oct. 5. Fleck is widely considered the world’s premier banjo player with 14 Grammy Award wins. Percussionist Hussain won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album. IU alumnus and bassist Meyer has worked with Yo-Yo Ma.
Trevor Noah
Emmy Award-winning Trevor Noah is best known as the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. He will return to Bloomington to kick off Homecoming weekend with two stand-up comedy performances at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Oct. 11.
“Dennis James Hosts Halloween”
Cinema organist and IU alumnus Dennis James will return for this annual show at 7 p.m. Oct. 24. He will bring the classic silent film “The Lost World” to life on the IU Auditorium’s 4,543 pipe organ.
“The Book of Mormon”
The nine-time Tony Award-winning musical will perform eight shows from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 at the IU Auditorium. The show won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2011. The comedy follows two Mormon missionaries sent from Salt Lake City to preach in a Ugandan village.
"STOMP"
The stage show will return to Bloomington at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the IU Auditorium. The group uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theater performance and musical experience through rhythms, acrobatics and pantomime. The energizing beats in the show are created with objects such as matchboxes, brooms and garbage cans.
“Chimes of Christmas”
The Jacobs School of Music’s Singing Hoosiers will perform in this festive event at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the IU Auditorium. Directed by Assistant Professor of Music Chris Albanese, the annual concert features contemporary songs, favorite carols and classic choral arrangements.
Straight No Chaser
The a cappella group was formed at IU in 1996 and will return back to Bloomington for a holiday performance at 8 p.m. Dec. 13 at the IU Auditorium. The show is filled with pop hits, holiday classics and humor.
Minnesota Orchestra
The Grammy Award-winning orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 22 at the IU Auditorium. The group is led by Osmo Vänskä and ranks among the top symphonic ensembles in America. They perform about 175 programs yearly.
“Les Misérables”
The musical will return to the IU Auditorium for eight shows from Feb. 4 through Feb. 9 after its first visit in 1989. The show is based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel and follows the life of an ex-convict in the aftermath of the French Revolution in 19th century France. The musical has won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 1987.
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
The company, based out of Chelsea, New York, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 22 at the IU Auditorium. The group has performed in over 200 cities in 40 countries. It has been acknowledged for its collaborative method of creation and regarded as an innovative force in the world of dance-theater.
“The Color Purple”
The musical will makes its Bloomington debut at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 25. The show won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival and is based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The musical spans 35 years in the life of Celie, a teenage AfricanAmerican girl living in Georgia who was given to an abusive husband by her abusive father.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
The five-time Grammy Award-winning singing group will perform at 7 p.m. March 10 at the IU Auditorium. The group assembled in the 1960s in South Africa and was influenced by traditional South African music. They have collaborated with some of music’s biggest artists over the years, such as Dolly Parton and Stevie Wonder.
“Waitress”
The Broadway hit musical will make its Bloomington debut at 7:30 p.m. March 31 and April 1 at the IU Auditorium. The Tony Award-nominated musical is based on the 2007 film and features music from seven-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles. The show follows Jenna, a waitress and expert piemaker, who dreams of getting out of her small town and marriage.
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical will play four shows from April 17 to April 19 at the IU Auditorium. The show tells the story of the early life and career of American singer Carole King. The musical uses King’s songs as well as other contemporary songs by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article had an incorrect location the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. The IDS regrets this error.
