‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ Blues Traveler among 14 shows coming to WVU’s Canady center
"Jesus Christ Superstar" is among 14 performances scheduled during the 2023-24 season at West Virginia University's Canady Creative Arts Center.
"The Book of Mormon" is among 14 performances scheduled during the 2023-24 season at West Virginia University's Canady Creative Arts Center.
Pamela Raith
“Little Women” is among 14 performances scheduled during the 2023-24 season at West Virginia University’s Canady Creative Arts Center.
The band Blues Traveler is among 14 performances scheduled during the 2023-24 season at West Virginia University’s Canady Creative Arts Center.
Four Broadway musicals and five concerts are among the 14 nationally-touring performances coming to West Virginia University’s Canady Creative Arts Center in Morgantown during the 2023-24 season.
The performances, all held in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre, include a 50th anniversary celebration of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 10. The musical, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, was originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. In 2017, the show won an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. The production is set against the backdrop of the 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 score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and “Superstar.”
The upcoming season kicks off with the old-time string band Old Crow Medicine Show on Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. The band’s most well-known song, “Wagon Wheel,” was co-written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor, a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show.
The band’s latest album “Paint This Town” features what American Songwriter calls “a breathtaking set of songs that reflects their usual combination of inspiration and abandon.”
Other performances include:
Mountain Stage with Kathy Mattea featuring Vince Herman, Larry & Joe and Kat Wright at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15
Mountain Stage has been the home of live music on public radio for 40 years. Each two-hour episode, produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, hosted by West Virginia native and Grammy Award-winner Kathy Mattea and distributed by NPR Music, can be heard weekly on more than 280 stations across America and around the world. This event will feature performances by Vince Herman, a founding member of Leftover Salmon; multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters Larry & Joe, who perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music; and Kat Wright. Each live show is recorded for air on NPR. Three additional Mountain Stage performances (Jan. 14, March 24 and April 28, 2024) are part of the University Arts Series. Artists performing on these dates will be announced closer to each show.
Blues Traveler at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23.
Blues Traveler has played more than 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people. Their single, “Run-Around,” was the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history and earned them a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The band played a key part in the reemerging jam band scene in the ’90s and spearheaded the H.O.R.D.E. touring musical festival. Their latest album, “Traveler’s Blues,” earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2021.
“The Book of Mormon” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8
The national tour of “The Book of Mormon” has won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, since opening in March 2011. This production features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. The tour is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner based on the original Broadway direction and choreography.
“Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 27
“Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis” has been celebrating the holiday spirit for more than 35 years. The Grammy Award-winning band has sold more than 41 million albums and their holiday CDs occupy top positions on Billboard’s Seasonal Chart every year. America’s favorite Christmas tradition will feature a compilation of Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas classics and captivating multimedia effects.
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28
Award-winning principal ballerinas and world-class dancers from the top ballet academies of Eastern Europe and Asia will integrate impressive acrobatics into the beloved classical ballet. Clara’s magical journey through the Snow Forest to the Land of Peace and Harmony is set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.
Performances slated for 2024 include “The Cher Show” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 12; “Johnny Cash – The Official Concert Experience” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23; “Little Women” at 7:30 p.m. on March 18; and The Temptations & The Four Tops at 7:30 p.m. on May 2.
Subscription packages for the series are now on sale at the WVU Event Ticket Center or by calling 304-293-SHOW (7469). Packages begin with four events, with subscribers choosing the shows and seats for each. The deadline for subscription packages is Aug. 21.
Any tickets remaining after the subscription period for “The Book of Mormon” will go on sale Thursday, Aug. 24, at 10 a.m. at ticketmaster.com. All other University Arts Series events will go on sale as single events Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. at the Arts & Entertainment Box Offices in the Mountainlair and Canady Creative Arts Center, by phone at 304-293-SHOW (7469) and online at ticketmaster.com.