The Hett Announces its 2024-2025 Season

(LEBANON, Ill., July 24, 2024) – The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts (the Hett) at McKendree University is proud to announce the lineup for its 2024-2025 season, featuring acclaimed performers and returning favorites.

Reserved seats for all programs may be purchased by the general public starting Monday, Aug. 12 at noon. Friends of the Hett will be able to purchase their tickets beginning Monday, Aug. 5 at noon. Buy tickets online at theHett.com, the box office, or by calling (618) 537-6863 (1-800-BEARCAT, ext. 6863). All events are open to the public and held at the 479-seat performing arts center on campus. Ticket prices vary per event with discounts for seniors, students and Friends of the Hett.

“We’ve got a great season in store,” said Michelle Magnussen, director of the Hett at McKendree University. “There’s something for everyone at the Hett: great music, thought-provoking speakers, inspiring theatre and dance, and so much more – right here in the Metro East. We anticipate many of our shows selling out quickly. We hope to see you soon!”

Preview the new season online at theHett.com. The 2024-2025 season features the following acts:

Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Rockland Road is known for their impeccable blend of soaring harmonies and high-energy live shows. With harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Journey, Pentatonix, and The Eagles, this multi-instrumental band with a legendary legacy will take you on a musical journey across multiple generations and genres, celebrating great music with emphasis on harmony.

Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.: The Reduced Shakespeare Company presents The Complete History of America, Abridged: Special Election Edition. Called a “trio of modern Marx Brothers” by The Boston Herald and “intellectual vaudeville” by The New York Times, The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a touring American comedy troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics.

Oct. 3, 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.: William Davis, the Illinois Region President for Deaconess Illinois and Chief Administrative Officer at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill., comes to the Hett to share his 15 years of executive leadership experience in southern Illinois. The public is welcome to stop by the Hett lobby at 8:30 a.m. for Business Over Breakfast, hosted with the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce and McKendree Lanter Lecture participants.

Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.: The Ozark Mountain Daredevils is a powerhouse band from Springfield, Mo., that has always been indefinable in terms of music genres, producing sounds of country-rock and electric bluegrass all on the same record. This show is part of their final farewell tour.

Oct. 17, 10 a.m. (Arts Ed., grades K-12): The Music of Lewis and Clark follows the amazing adventures of Lewis and Clark with a musical journey from St. Louis, up the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains and all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.: Sierra Green and the Giants features “the Queen of Frenchman Street,” Sierra Green, a modern soul liminary rising from New Orleans’ heart. She embodies a fusion of timeless soul with an irresistible contemporary allure, evoking the depth and grit of the genre’s raw essence. Each moment she’s behind the microphone holds the promise of an unforgettable evening.

Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.: Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas features a world-class ensemble of musicians, dancers and singers from both sides of the Atlantic. This show has graced packed concert halls to critical acclaim nationwide, recreating on stage the now-famous Rambling House, the remote cottage in the west of Ireland where the neighbors gather each year for a communal night before Christmas.

Dec. 13, 10 a.m. (Arts Ed., grades K-12) and 7 p.m.; Dec. 14, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.: The USAF Band of Mid-American Concert Band presents a stunning concert that will bring holiday cheer to concertgoers of all ages.

Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m.: Grand Allusion recreates the music of STYX with exceptional instrumental performances and vibrant harmonies. They remain true to the original recorded music while translating it into an exciting concert experience, making them one of the best STYX tribute shows available.

Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m.: Barron Ryan is a storytelling composer and pianist who combines all of his musical influence into an auditory adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool. Audiences have called him “an absolute talent” and “wonderful entertainer.”

Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.: Chicago Tap Theatre is one of the most critically-acclaimed, well-regarded dance companies in Chicago. Chicago State Standard has described this troupe has been described as “a collision of unparalleled footwork, live music and storytelling that dares the rest of the tap world to elevate its game.”

March 22, 7:30 p.m.: TAKE3 seamlessly merges hits from Elvis and the Beatles to Bach and Beethoven, living at the intersection where pop, rock and classical fusion collide. Described by audiences as a mini-Trans Siberian Orchestra experience, TAKE3 is nothing short of exhilarating and has electrified audiences at venues and performing arts centers throughout the nation.

April 26, 7:30 p.m.: 7 Bridges: The Ultimate Eagles Experience is a stunningly accurate tribute to the music of the Eagles. By combining incredible musicianship, vocal precision and stage presence without the use of backing tracks or harmonizers, 7 Bridges masters the exact aura of an Eagles concert.

April 29, 10 a.m. (Arts Ed., grades K-12), 6 p.m.: Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny, a whimsical presentation by Mermaid Theatre, feature endearing rabbit characters as the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dreamlike imagery infuse young readers with a comforting sense of security.

The George E. McCammon Memorial Distinguished Speaker Series includes the following:

Oct. 8, 7 p.m.: The Reverend Naomi Tutu, daughter of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, is a race and gender justice activist whose experiences in growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa have taught her that our whole human family loses when we accept situations of oppression.

April 8, 7 p.m.: Leah Wietholter is the CEO and founder of Workman Forensics in Tulsa, Okla. A licensed private investigator and Certified Public Accountant who has worked for the FBI, she has honed her industry expertise to create the Data Sleuth Process – a scalable, data-first approach to forensic accounting engagements and fraud investigations.

The Discovery Series performances include the following acts:

Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.: Mike Sonderegger Dueling Pianos features local musician Mike Sonderegger, who has spent 16 years performing and entertaining in various piano bars throughout the nation, especially The Big Bang in St. Louis, Mo.

March 2, 3 p.m.: Masterworks Chorale presents Give My Regards to Broadway, a stunning show that brings to the stage classic popular music and tunes from the golden age of Broadway and other beloved Broadway and jazz standards.

Visit thehett.com for more information about these shows and the student performances from McKendree Theatre and the Department of Music.

-McK-