Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Announces 2018/19 Season; Bernadette Peters, Bob Dylan, Eddie Izzard, and More

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall announces its 2018-2019 season. Filled with outstanding classical performances, top-notch comedians, Sarasota premieres, returning crowd-favorites, and a Broadway lineup like never before, the 2018-2019 season has something for everyone and is set to be the best one yet!

Mary Bensel, Executive Director of the Van Wezel, shares her excitement about the upcoming season: "I'm thrilled to be expanding our Broadway footprint this year with three full weeks of Disney's mega musical hit The Lion King and a week of Emilio and Gloria Estefan's On Your Feet!. Complementing our biggest Broadway season ever are some of Broadway's brightest stars: Bernadette Peters off her triumphant turn on Broadway in Hello, Dolly!, Alan Cumming, Lea Salonga, Linda Eder. I am really excited to be presenting Stephen Stills and Judy Collins together and can't wait to experience the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with Maestro Zubin Mehta conducting his final tour de force American tour."

Additional highlights of this season include performances by American icon Bob Dylan, sixteen-time Grammy-winner David Foster, Grammy-award-winning contemporary jazz artist Kenny G and more household favorites. Renowned comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Howie Mandel, Eddie Izzard and Jay Leno take the stage for unforgettable nights of laughter. Grammy nominee Tony Orlando, Million Dollar Quartet legend Jerry Lee Lewis, soulful superstar Pattie LaBelle and the "Empress of Soul" Gladys Knight bring their unmistakable voices to the Van Wezel, among many other star-studded performances! The Boston Pops, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, will breathe life into Hollywood favorites in Lights, Camera, Music...Six Decades of John Williams and the enchanting Russian National Ballet performs the sparkling production of The Sleeping Beauty. Additional Broadway shows include Stomp, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Something Rotten!, Finding Neverland and more!

Public on-sale is September 8th at 10:00 AM. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office, online at www.vanwezel.org or by phone at (941) 953-3368.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski