Kentucky Performing Arts Reveals New 40th Anniversary Season

Kentucky Performing Arts celebrates its 40th arts season with a wide variety of exciting and diverse entertainment offerings at The Kentucky Center, the historic Brown Theatre and Old Forester’s Paristown Hall.

While Kentucky Performing Arts (KPA) is celebrating this 40-year milestone, there is also a strong focus on the future.  The organization’s new Strategic Plan is centered on KPA’s mission to connect and inspire through the arts.  Deepening and strengthening its continued commitment to removing barriers and creating spaces that are innovative, accessible, and welcoming for artists, organizations, and audiences. Bolstering KPA’s position as an arts and culture leader and employer that builds upon an environment of joy, belonging and growth. 

The new season is representative of this KPA’s Mission, Vision, and Values. To view the current season lineup at kentuckyperformingarts.org.

New shows are booked throughout the year. And Kentucky Performing Arts’ calendar is constantly changing. To stay informed and receive presale invitations, create a Kentucky Performing Arts’ eClub account at KentuckyPerformingArts.org/login. Be sure to follow Kentucky Performing Arts on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, or Instagram for the latest ticket availability updates.

Frequent attendees are encouraged to become Kentucky Performing Arts Donors. Donors at the $120 level and above enjoy perks including waived processing fees, priority seating, VIP hospitality, and an exclusive ticketing hotline. CLICK HERE for more information.

Here are some of the highlights of The Kentucky Performing Arts Presents 2023-2024 performance lineup:

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show

September 15-17 various times

The Kentucky Center-Whitney Hall

Fans of all ages will get to see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli as they’ve never seen them before as the Heelers embark on their very first live theater show in the U.S. featuring puppetry, live actors and iconic sets.

Kentucky Performing Arts and ICON Concerts presents

Steve Treviño - America's Favorite Husband Tour

September 16 at 8:00pm

Brown Theatre

He can “speak wife fluently,” he never calls “the guys” for help on a home project, and he knows better than to “make his own decisions,” since decision-making is a privilege reserved solely for his wife, Renae. Steve Treviño’s relatable approach affirms his status as one of the country’s fastest-rising comics, viewed over 223 million times, selling out shows coast-to-coast, amassing over two million total social media followers, and headlining specials for Amazon, Netflix, Showtime, and more.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Brian Culbertson - The Trilogy Tour

September 27 at 7:30pm

The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater

Over the course of crafting a 25-album catalog and architecting nearly 40 Billboard Number one singles as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Brian Culbertson has charted his own unique course in music.

Kentucky Performing Arts and SaveLive present

Chelcie Lynn: 2 Fingers and A 12 pack

October 4 at 7:00pm

The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater

Chelcie Lynn is a comedian, actress, and internet personality extraordinaire. She started building a fan base in 2014 when her sketches featuring her alter ego, “Trailer Trash Tammy”, went viral. She was named one of Variety’s Top 10 comics to watch in 2021.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Pat Metheny

October 6 at 8:00pm

The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater

Metheny first burst onto the international jazz scene in 1974. Throughout his career, Pat Metheny has continued to redefine the genre by utilizing new technology and constantly working to evolve the improvisational and sonic potential of his instrument. Metheny's versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument.

Louisville Public Media presents

An Evening with David Sedaris

October 17 at 7:30pm

Brown Theatre

An Evening with David Sedaris, author of the previous bestsellers Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular National Public Radio contributor will be live on stage for one night only, following the release of his newest book Happy Go Lucky This is a unique opportunity to see the best-selling humorist in an intimate setting.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Live in Concert

October 20 at 7:30pm

Brown Theatre

Featuring a soundtrack that blends symphonic orchestral music with hip-hop, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert pairs a screening of the Academy Award®-winning animated film with live musicians and turntables featuring a DJ scratcher live on stage.

Outback Presents and Kentucky Performing Arts present

James “Murr” Murray

October 21 at 7:00pm

Brown Theatre

James Murray is a writer, executive producer, and comedian, best known as "Murr" on the hit TV show Impractical Jokers on truTV and The Misery Index on TBS. For more than a decade, Murr and his lifelong friends Sal, Joe & Q have been making audiences laugh across the country. and now he’s bringing the laughs to you!

AEG Presents and Kentucky Performing Arts present

Nurse Blake: Shock Advised Tour

October 24 at 8:00pm

Brown Theatre

Blake Lynch, aka Nurse Blake is a nurse, creator, internationally touring comedian, healthcare advocate, and keynote speaker. Hailed as a “genuine phenomenon” by The New York Times, Blake worked in trauma centers around the country before his career in comedy. As a way to cope with the stress of his nursing job, Blake started posting original comedy videos aimed at his profession.

Kentucky Performing Arts and Production Simple present

Pod Save America Live

October 28 at 8:00pm

Brown Theatre

Pod Save America will bring its signature no-BS conversations about politics to cities across America. Former Obama administration officials and co-hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, and Dan Pfeiffer will be joined by politicians, journalists, comedians, activists and more to break down the political news of the week that makes us laugh, cry, and scream into the void.

Brown-Forman Midnite Ramble Series

Dance Theatre of Harlem

November 3 at 8:00pm

The Kentucky Center-Whitney Hall

Considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times), Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program.

Program:

Allegro Brillante by George Balanchine

Higher Ground by Robert Garland

Nyman String Quartet No. 2 by Robert Garland

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Kip Moore - Damn Love World Tour

November 9  7:30pm

Old Forester’s Paristown Hall

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore recently released the title track off his forthcoming fifth studio album Damn Love. Known as “one of country’s more thoughtful artists” (Billboard), Moore has toured the world earning acclaim and a rabid fanbase as an all-in performer in each setting, consistently selling out headlining shows internationally with huge followings in The U.S, The U.K, Europe, Australia and Canada.

Glenview Trust Enriching Life Series presents

The Old Friends Acoustic Tour starring Ben Rector with Jordy Searcy

November 9 at 8:00pm

The Kentucky Center-Whitney Hall

Ben Rector has amassed over a billion streams across all platforms and his records have topped numerous Billboard charts, with his last two records landing at #1 on Billboard's US Folk and #2 on Billboard's US Rock and US Indie charts.

Kentucky Performing Arts and Round Room present

Peppa Pig's Sing-Along Party!

November 18 at 2:00pm

Brown Theatre

Peppa, George, Mummy Pig, and Daddy Pig are throwing a Sing-Along Party and you are invited! In this new show you can join in the fun as Peppa and friends teach some of their favorite songs. Dance, clap, and sing with Peppa and her family along with Pedro Pony, Suzy Sheep, and Gerald Giraffe.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Chris Isaak – It’s Almost Christmas Tour

November 21 at 7:30pm

Brown Theatre

Over the course of his forty-year career, Platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated singer and actor Chris Isaak has performed to sold-out crowds across the globe with his longtime band Silvertone. Newly released Everybody Knows It’s Christmas is Isaak's second career Christmas album and features 13 tracks of originals and covers.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Jake Shimabukuro – Christmas in Hawai’i

December 13 at 7:30pm

The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater

Ukulele master and jolly ambassador of aloha, Jake Shimabukuro, will bring joy to the world this upcoming 2023 holiday season by delivering a special gift for all with the debut of his highly anticipated holiday show, Jake Shimabukuro – CHRISTMAS IN HAWAI’I. $2 from every ticket will be donated to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund.

Brown-Forman Midnite Ramble Series presents

Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar

February 17 at 7:30pm

The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater

Trey M. McLaughlin is a passionate vocalist, educator, composer, arranger, and clinician. Known for fusing together an eclectic mix of musical genres, he arranges and performs original works with his own touring and recording ensemble, The Sounds of Zamar, who concluded their first national tour in the 2018-2019 season.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

Michael W. Smith

March 24  7:00pm

Brown Theatre

Michael W. Smith has been releasing new music regularly and performing around the world to sold-out crowds for the last 35+ years. During his storied career, he's written and recorded more than 36 number one songs, been bestowed with three GRAMMY® Awards and 45 Dove Awards, one American Music Award, was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has sold more than 15 million albums.

Kentucky Performing Arts presents

MOMIX: Alice

March 28  7:30pm

Brown Theatre

Seamlessly blending illusion, acrobatics, magic, and whimsy, MOMIX sends audiences flying down the rabbit hole in Moses Pendleton’s newest creation, ALICE, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland.

Louisville Public Media and Kentucky Performing Arts present

An Evening with Ira Glass – Seven Things I’ve Learned

June 1  8:00pm

Brown Theatre

Ira Glass is the host and creator of the public radio program This American Life. The show is heard each week by over 5 million listeners on public radio stations and podcast.  

Kentucky Performing Arts and Emporium present

Brad Williams: Tour ‘24

June 29 at 7:00pm

Brown Theatre

One of the most in-demand comedians working today, his first one-hour special, “Fun Size,” was the highest rated special on Showtime. His second, “Daddy Issues,” prompted The New York Times to write “No one is doing stand-up comedy more hilariously than Brad Williams.”

Visit kentuckyperformingarts.org for additional performances coming to Kentucky Performing Arts’ family of venues.

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