Weidner Center to announce 2013-14 Performing Arts Season lineup July 17

The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will announce its 2013-14 Performing Arts Season lineup during a special event for patrons, friends and the campus community at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 on the Weidner Center mainstage.

The 21-show, 24-performance season is described as offering a wide variety of titles designed to appeal to audiences of all kinds. Weidner officials responsible for programing the series — which includes Broadway, comedy, dance, family entertainment and more — say they expect the lineup to appeal to longtime Weidner audiences and less familiar newcomers alike. The season’s first title has been announced, with comedienne, author and Emmy winner Kathy Griffin set to present “An Evening with Kathy Griffin” at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2013-14 Performing Arts Season, a lineup of shows that builds upon the success of the first year of our five-year revitalization plan,” said Weidner Center Executive Director Kate Green. “Once again, this season offers something for everyone, including wildly popular touring productions and the finest in Broadway, comedy, music and more. Community input remains paramount in all we do, and this season reflects that. We’re so excited to share it, and to prepare for another terrific year.”

The lineup announcement comes on the heels of a successful inaugural season of UW-Green Bay’s five-year Strategic Plan to reinvigorate its signature performing arts venue. UW-Green Bay Chancellor Tom Harden in late 2011 outlined tentative budgetary and staffing structures for the Weidner Center, part of a comprehensive plan for the venue’s future. That plan has four primary goals: enhancing the Weidner’s Performing Arts Series (traditionally referred to as “mainstage” programming); increasing access to the venue for faculty, staff and students; providing more opportunities for various community groups; and continuing an emphasis on K-12 educational programing. The Weidner in May announced its 2013-14 Stage Doors Education Series, a collection of 10 titles and 19 performances that provide learning opportunities for students throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

Building on the success of a successful 2013-14 Performing Arts Season that included 16 shows and 18 performances, the Weidner has continued to build pathways for its future. In August 2012, Kate Green was named executive director of the Weidner Center, following a nationwide search. Part of an identified priority to increase staffing levels, the position was restored after being shelved in 2005, when UW-Green Bay stepped back from being the venue’s primary programmer. The Weidner Center currently is conducting a nationwide search for a director of marketing, a crucial position that will help bolster revitalization efforts as the Strategic Plan continues to move forward.

UW-Green Bay worked with an outside consultant and numerous stakeholder groups to establish a sustainable plan for the Weidner Center’s future. Individuals from those groups will be among those in attendance during the July 17 season lineup announcement, for which invitations were sent earlier this spring. Members of the news media are invited to attend and cover the event. A news embargo on the lineup will be lifted as soon as it is announced during the event, and the full schedule will be posted online at www.WeidnerCenter.com by 7 p.m.

The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, located near the center of UW-Green Bay’s bayshore campus on the northeast side of the city of Green Bay, is known for its elegant design and the acoustic excellence of its 2,000-seat main hall, Cofrin Family Hall. It also houses two smaller performance spaces, the Fort Howard recital hall and the Jean Weidner Theatre, along with a dance studio and grand foyer. The center is a home for UW-Green Bay music and theatre productions, the Green Bay Symphony, community events and productions, and performances by visiting artists and touring companies.

For more information on the Weidner Center, visit www.WeidnerCenter.com, call 800-895-0071 or 920-465-2726, or follow the venue on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Weidner-Center-for-the-Performing-Arts/15015305278) and Twitter (@WeidnerCenter).

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