Enriching Lives of Michigan Residents
Wharton Center for Performing Arts has a long history of presenting quality programs. For more than 25 years, the Center has generated state and national prominence for its success with touring megahits and sold-out sensations, making producers, performers and patrons turn their attention toward mid-Michigan. However, at its core, Wharton Center is more than a space to entertain; it is a place to educate and engage.
A Vibrant Past
During the 1970s, MSU President Clifton Wharton and his wife Dolores described the arts as a humanizing, unifying force in our world, bringing people together across vast cultural, social, economic and geographic divisions. Their desire to create a world-class performing arts center for the residents of Michigan became a reality in the fall of 1982.
Since the inaugural performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Wharton Center has become a dynamic and evolving cultural resource. From Broadway blockbusters like Phantom of the Opera, Disney’s THE LION KING, and WICKED to world-renowned orchestras, dance companies, jazz legends and more, Wharton Center hosts an impressive line-up of more than 100 performances each season, attracting patrons from throughout the state and region.
Beyond the Stage
Today, Wharton Center is about much more than the performances that grace its stages. Whether it’s the countless programs that integrate the arts and academics or the engagement activities that take Wharton Center into the community or unique programs like Seats 4 Kids, a scholarship fund providing tickets to economically-disadvantaged children, a key part of Wharton Center’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen the value of the arts in everyday life.
“Recent cuts in local, state and national funding have created a void in arts education,” says Michael Brand, Wharton Center’s executive director. “We’re able to help fill that void by integrating the arts into the academic experience and into people’s lives with a diverse array of programs.”
Programs such as the Act One School Series, Jazz Kats-Jazz For Kids, and the Young Playwrights Festival integrate performing arts into K-12 curriculum for more than 30,000 children each year. Master classes, artist residencies and community engagement activities help ensure that the arts remain a relevant part of people’s lives, regardless of age and background.
The new MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center will umbrella these existing education programs as well as additional participatory learning opportunities both at Wharton Center and throughout the state for audiences of all ages.
The Best and Brightest
As Wharton Center embarks on the first major renovation in the facility’s 25-year history, patrons can still expect a stellar season full of the very best in performing arts. This season’s Wharton Center line-up features fifteen weeks of Broadway including the return of the smash hits WICKED and Disney’s THE LION KING. Add to that hundreds of performances from Broadway to jazz to classical, dance, and music from around the world, Wharton Center offers an extraordinary array of entertainment options.
The MSU Board of Trustees unanimously gave “authorization to proceed” at their April 18th meeting. Bloomfield Hills-based TMP Architecture/TMP Associates Inc. designed the expansion and renovations. Lansing-based Christman Company will lead the construction process, which is scheduled to begin this month. The new addition is scheduled to be completed in May 2009; renovations to existing space will be completed by September 2009.
Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University ushered in a new era on Monday, May 19, with the official groundbreaking for the Center’s 24,000-square-foot expansion. The ceremony took place at 1:30 p.m. on Wharton Center’s north plaza and included remarks from MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, MSU Board of Trustees vice chairperson Melanie Foster, Wharton Center executive director Michael Brand, and the special announcement of a $2.5 Million gift from the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.
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