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Wharton Center for Performing Arts company history timeline

1982

12-13, 1982: Barnum becomes the first Broadway tour to appear at Wharton Center.

1985

March 1985: Wharton Center gift shop opens.

1986

In 1986, the First Lady presented an award to MSU officials recognizing the Wharton Center's outstanding landscape.

1987

May 1987: New ticketing system purchased for the box office.

20-25, 1987: Cats comes to Wharton Center for the first of many visits.

31, 1987: Diamonds & Pearls, a New Year’s Eve gala featuring Pearl Bailey, honors 75 years of performing arts at MSU.

1992

1992: William Wright becomes Wharton Center’s second Executive Director and served for 11 years.

1993

Fall 1993: Wharton Partners program established, a new initiative in Wharton Center’s arts education outreach.

1997

September 1997: Shirley Pasant’s $1 million gift renames the Festival Stage as the Shirley K. and Athanase J. Pasant Theatre.

October 1997: The first donor appreciation concert is presented, featuring soprano and comedienne B.J. Ward.

1998

April 28–May 24, 1998: Miss Saigon booked for an extended run, celebrating Wharton Center’s 15th anniversary.

2000

April 2000: Wharton Center introduces online ticketing Oct.

27, 2000: First Wharton Center world premiere jazz commission, Urban Griot by Doctor Billy Taylor.

2002

April 26, 2002: New York composer Jonathan Dawe debuts his world premiere commission, Wharton Center Concerto, celebrating the center’s 20th anniversary

2006

2006: Seats 4 Kids scholarship ticket fund distributes more than 400 tickets through local community service agencies enabling economically disadvantaged children to attend performances.

2007

July 11-22 2007: Wicked debuts at Wharton Center, selling out its two-week run

2009

March 17–April 19, 2009: The Lion King comes to Wharton Center, necessitating the removal of seats to create aisles for the animals to enter for the opening number.

May-October, 2009: Wharton Center completes facelift and 24,000 square foot. expansion, adding space backstage for major Broadway productions and room for larger dance and classical companies, as well as increased patron amenities.

2014

2014: Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity launches a collaboration with MSU’s College of Arts and Letters’ Department of Theatre: ĭmáGen, in which high school and college actors perform alongside professionals to workshop a Broadway-bound musical

2016

October, 2016: Wharton hosts its first Sensory-Friendly Performance at the ĭmáGen performance of Temple.

2019

2019: Pollstar magazine’s mid-year issue ranks Wharton Center at #51 in the top 200 theatre venues in the world, regardless of size.

2022

After 17 years as Executive Director, Brand announced his final season at Wharton Center, retiring by June 2022.

© 2022 Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

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Founded
1982
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Headquarters
East Lansing, MI
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