Curtains up

Big time Broadway shows are the Wharton Center’s bread and butter, and next season is no exception. The season features eight Broadway musicals, a lineup Wharton Center Executive Director Mike Brand describes as a “Broadway bonanza.”

“A lot of producers wanted to be on our season,” Brand. “We had a difficult time saying ‘no’ to everyone.”

Hit musicals “Motown the Musical,” “Matilda” and “Dirty Dancing” will make their first appearances at Wharton Center next season, while “Jersey Boys” and “The Book of Mormon” return. For a more traditional Broadway experience, the Wharton Center is bringing revivals of “The Sound of Music” and “Rogers Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

The season also features an evening with Kristin Chenoweth, who rocketed to fame with runs in Broadway’s “Wicked” and the television show “Glee.” Chenoweth will perform songs from her best-known roles and favorites of Broadway and beyond.

“This show with Kristin was years in the making,” said Diane Willcox, Wharton Center director of marketing and communications.

In fact, the season features several performers who have been on the Wharton Center’s wish list for years, said Brand. Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang, vocalist Bobby McFerrin, and Twyla Tharp Dance — celebrating its 50th anniversary — all make their Wharton Center debuts next season.

Lang headlines the classical music series, which also includes violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The series will also feature concert by singers in the Metropolitan Opera’s development program, which has helped launch the career of singers like Renée Fleming and Deborah Voigt.

“This is an opportunity to see these singers before they become the Carmens of tomorrow,” said Willcox.

McFerrin will bring a special “Bobby Meets Michigan” program to the Wharton Center stage in February. The “Bobby Meets…” series of concerts taps into local talent to create a unique, collaborative stage show.

“Local artists will be able to connect with Bobby’s team,” explained Willcox. “He’ll set up a single rehearsal, and then he’ll work with them to integrate their work into his show.”

Twyla Tharp Dance will bring an exciting program of dance set to an eclectic set of music, including compositions by John Zorn and J.S. Bach. The season’s dance series also offers an intriguing pairing: Dynamic tap dancer Savion Glover will join legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette in a celebration of kinetic energy.

“It’s amazing how percussion can become lyrical,” Willcox said. “It’s all about rhythm.”

Next season’s jazz series offers both established superstars and young talent. The Mack Avenue Superband, under the direction of bassist Christian McBride, features a formidable cast of jazz talent, including Gary Burton on vibraphone, Tia Fuller on saxophone and Sean Jones on trumpet.

“If this concert was just Christian McBride, I would be thrilled,” Willcox said.

The Mack Avenue Superband is made up of the top musicians from Detroitbased Mack Avenue Records. The jazz series will also feature a pairing of two musical giants, Afro-jazz pioneer Hugh Masekala and Blood, Sweat & Tears keyboardist Larry Willis, as well as an appearance by rising star Bria Skonberg.

“(Skonberg) is making a huge impact on the jazz world,” Willcox said.

The connection to Detroit is strong this season. In addition to “Motown” and the Mack Avenue Superband, the Wharton Center’s theater series includes “Ernie,” a play penned by Mitch Albom based on the life of revered Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

Wharton Centers international offerings, however, are also impressive. Next season features the National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China, the Band of the Royal Marines with the Pipes, Drums of the Scots Guard, Irish music stalwarts the Chieftains and Indian music phenom Zakir Hussain.

Hussain, master of the Indian tabla drums, has taken up the mantle of India’s premiere musical ambassador. As a member of world electronic band Tabla Beat Science and Mickey Hart’s all-star percussion group, Planet Drum, Hussain has pushed the boundaries of tabla performance and brought Indian music to broader audiences.

In another first, the Wharton Center has convinced Clifton Wharton Jr. to take the stage at his namesake performing arts center as part of its World View lecture series. Wharton will be interviewed by MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon on his legacy, including his time as president of MSU and chancellor of the State University of New York system, his appointment as U.S. deputy secretary of state and his election as the first black chairman and CEO of a major U.S. corporation.

The Wharton Center’s full 2015-16 season is available at whartoncenter.com