For its 121st season, Purdue Convocations announced over 20 events.
All tickets are available for purchase online at convocations.org/tickets or by phone at 765-494-3933. Tickets are also available at the Stewart Center Box Office at 128 Memorial Mall, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the summer.
Donors to Purdue Convos are given the title “Friends of Convocations,” and receive priority seating, early access to ticket sales, priority points and website recognition at the entry level.
Other donation levels receive more benefits, including entry to the pre-show club, parking passes for events, invitation to a meet-the-artist event and more.
28th annual West Lafayette Global Fest
The 28th annual West Lafayette Global Fest takes place in Chauncey Plaza on Sept. 16 from 3 to 10:30 p.m. Featuring dozens of booths and multiple performance areas, this diverse celebration is free.
Main stage performers include Arabic flamenco jazz artist Farah Siraj and Cuban hip-hop act Telmary. Other performances include, the Purdue Chinese Performing Arts Troupe, Okinawa Yuyukai, Black Voices of Inspiration, Dance 2XS Purdue, McGovern Irish Dancers and more announced soon.
Grandmaster Flash
This audiovisual lecture/demonstration for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop is an educational and interactive experience with one of the “founding fathers” of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash. He will be at Purdue on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.
As the architect of the quick mix theory, Flash will demonstrate how he used his knowledge of electronic repair as a teenager to experiment with different styles and techniques to bridge the gap between musical genres.
Tickets for the event at Loeb Playhouse are free with limited availability.
Briscoe
Brisco, a folk rock duo, after opening for Noah Kahan in the spring at Elliott Hall of Music, will return to Loeb Playhouse on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets are $15 each, and adult tickets are $20 each.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert
Experience the Marvel Spider-Verse live with a screening of the Academy Award-winning animated film paired with a live orchestra, band and turntables on stage.
Tickets cost between $25 and $50 depending on location and ticket type. The show is Oct. 22 at 6 p.m at Elliott Hall of Music.
Mean Girls
“From comedian and playwright Tina Fey, Mean Girls tells the story of a naïve newbie named Cady, who falls prey to a trio of high school frenemies, as she adjusts to the suburban life of a teenage girl.”
Tickets for this event at Elliott Hall of Music are between $35 and $80. Watch the musical on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Humans 2.0 by Circa
Circa, an Australian circus company, is coming to Purdue on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. In its new show, Humans 2.0, performers climb and catch each other during a series of stunts that “must be seen to be believed.” Tickets are between $22 and $36 at Loeb Playhouse.
Las Cafeteras present Hasta la Muerte: A Day of the Dead Show
Las Cafeteras, an East Los Angeles band, will be performing its Hasta La Muerte show at Loeb Playhouse to celebrate Día de Muertos on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event cost between $24 and $32 depending on location and ticket type.
Kronos Quartet: Five Decades Project
As part of its farewell tour, Kronos Quartet returns to Purdue to perform its Five Decades Project. The quartet’s performance at Loeb Playhouse, on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m., will cost between $24 and $32 to see.
Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience
Johnny Cash’s music has been lifted from archival concert footage and recordings, allowing him to perform his biggest hits with a live band again at Loeb Playhouse. For $30 to $42, audience members can hear Cash once again on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.
Emmet Cohen Trio & Friends
Jazz pianist Emmet Cohen returns to Loeb Playhouse on Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. after recording a live album at Purdue in 2022. Tickets to see him live are between $24 and $32.
Call of the Wild
Jack London’s tale Call of the Wild is coming to Loeb Playhouse as a multimedia story told with projected illustrations. The production, on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m., uses 180-degree projection that surrounds the performer and provides scenic, artistic and historical context to the show. Tickets to see Buck’s story cost between $15 and $20.
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Each year, Purdue celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a commemorative event that honors his civil rights and social justice work. This year, at Elliott Hall of Music, the Dance Theatre of Harlem will elevate this annual event with their performance. This free event is on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix
On Jan. 19 at 8 p.m., jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin will be coming to Loeb Playhouse to perform songs from her latest album, “Phoenix.” Her music pulls from jazz, soul and funk, and her performance at Purdue will kick off the 34th Purdue Jazz Festival. Tickets for this event cost between $24 and $32.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Actors From The London Stage will come to Fowler Hall on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 to recreate Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Five actors don multiple roles, with minimal props and costumes, on stage to interpret the text as a blueprint for a performance. Both shows begin at 8 p.m., and tickets cost between $24 and $32.
Counterpoint
The duo of classical pianist Conrad Tao and dancer/choreographer Caleb Teicher bring their interpretation of Bach, Mozart, Brahms and Gershwin to Loeb Playhouse on Feb. 8. Counterpoint threads together stylistically varied, landmark pieces in this event at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost between $24 and $32.
Hairspray
Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy is coming to Elliott Hall of Music on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Follow Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show, The Corny Collins Show. Tickets for this show cost between $35 and $80.
TEDxPurdueU: Recurrence
TEDxPurdueU will explore how recurrence influences our lives at a deeper level on Feb. 17 beginning at noon. Experts from Purdue and beyond present their work in presentations that are 18 minutes or less. Tickets for this event at Loeb Playhouse cost between $12 and $17.
Melissa White, violin and Pallavi Mahidhara, piano
Violinist Melissa White made history in 2022 as concertmaster of Recollective Orchestra, the first all-Black orchestra to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. Now, White makes her first visit to Purdue with pianist Pallavi Mahidhara on Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the musicians’ performance at Loeb Playhouse cost between $15 and $20.
The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
Ms. Frizzle and her students get lost on their way to the planetarium and end up in space in “The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System.” The performance offers a thrilling and educational experience for the whole family on Feb. 25 at Loeb Playhouse. Tickets for the event, which begins at 3 p.m., cost between $15 and $20.
Come From Away
After 9/11, a small town in Newfoundland welcomed 7,000 stranded travelers. During that week, cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but this musical tells the real story as uneasiness turned into trust and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Watch “Come From Away” at Elliott Hall of Music on April 3 at 8 p.m. for $35 to $80.
Shrek the Musical
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film, the Tony Award-winning musical is coming to Elliott Hall of Music on April 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost between $35 and $80.
