INFORMATION FOR
Watch Highlights from the 2023-24 Performance Season
About WP Presents
WP Presents! strives to bring to campus high caliber touring artists across a range of disciplines including acoustic and world music, contemporary folk music, theatre, dance, family programming and other eclectic fare. The series is built on a foundation of excellence and continuously seeks innovative programming to serve the campus, and the community.
A multitude of artists including The 5th Dimension, Arlo Guthrie, Carl Palmer of Emerson Lake & Palmer, David Crosby, Darlene Love, DMC of Run DMC, Graham Nash, Johnny Ventura, Judy Collins, John Sebastian, Jim Messina, Los Lonely Boys, Pete Davidson, Roy Haynes, Robert Cray, Southside Johnny, and Wanda Sykes, have graced our stage. We have presented works from national theatre tours of The Second City, Moscow Ballet, Aquila Theatre Company, Literature to Life, TheaterWorks USA, Vital Theatre, and the National Theatre of the Deaf. All Family Performances are sensory friendly productions presented by a variety of artists and theater companies. Many of our visiting artists conduct educational outreach programs, for both the community at large and the University.
The Doo Wop Project begins at the beginning: tracing the evolution of Doo Wop from the classic sound of five guys singing harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits on the radio today. In their epic shows The Doo Wop Project takes audiences on a journey featuring foundational tunes from the Crests, Belmonts and Flamingos through the vocal artistry of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and The Four Seasons all the way to DooWopified versions of modern hits from Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, and Sam Smith.
Featuring stars from the Broadway hits Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical, and A Bronx Tale, The Doo Wop Project brings unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate—and in some cases entirely reimagine—the greatest music in American pop and rock history.
Tickets: Gold Circle $65; Orchestra/Front Loge $55; Rear Loge $45
Discounts are available for WP employees, students, senior citizens, and groups of 10 or more by calling or visiting the Shea Center Box Office.
StevieMac faithfully recreates Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks’ solo recordings with striking accuracy. Diane Lutz gives a stunning performance as Stevie Nicks with spot-on vocals and visuals that magically capture Nicks’ stage presence. Andie Baldwin recreates Christine McVie with the look, sound and note-for-note piano playing that Christine was known for. Steve Ronson captures every essence of Lindsay Buckingham from his commanding vocals to his iconic guitar sound, style, and spirit.
StevieMac performs the greatest hits from Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, including: Stand Back, Rhiannon, Gold Dust Woman, Don’t Stop, Stop Dragging My Heart Around, Silver Springs and so many more!
Your audience will be on their feet, singing along to all the hits!
Tickets: Gold Circle $45; Orchestra/Front Loge $40; Rear Loge $35
Starring Leighann Lord, Julia Scotti, and Carole Montgomery
What began as a fun way to work with her friends has exploded into a comedy brand of its own. When Carole Montgomery (a stand-up comedy veteran of over 40 years) started in the business, you would never see two female comics on the same show. Fast forward to today’s comedy scene and nothing has changed, even though there are way more women in comedy.
Funny Women of a Certain Age (FWOACA) was created to give older women comics a chance to be seen and be heard. Frustrated by how women are portrayed in show business once they hit the age of 50, Carole decided to do something about it. It was only a few years ago that she had the idea to create a show that would travel to different cities and showcase a rotating cast of older female comedians. In no time at all, Carole’s idea become a Showtime special that made history and broke ratings records. It was Showtime’s highest rated premiere of a stand-up show in 2019! Two more specials followed and now they’re touring the show nationally.
The women who appear in FWOACA are all brilliant, funny, and vibrant – and it just so happens that they are all a certain age. These are the women who paved the way – blazed the trail - for the female comedians you see performing today.
“These comedians don’t hold back!” – New York Times
“It’s a hit!” – Today Show
Tickets: Golden Circle $45, Orchestra Aisle Seats $39, Orchestra/Front Loge $35, Rear Loge $29
Through the years, Darlene Love continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and superb performances. Her film Twenty Feet from Stardom was not only awarded an Oscar, but it was also soon followed by a Grammy Award for the soundtrack. Her Billboard hits include He’s A Rebel, The Boy I’m Gonna Marry, Wait ‘Til Bobby Gets Home, He’s Sure the Boy I Love, and the legendary #1 holiday classic Christmas Baby Please Come Home. Darlene Love received her industry’s highest award when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Industry icons Bette Midler and Bruce Springsteen are on record as Darlene’s biggest fans. Rolling Stone has proclaimed Darlene Love to be “one of the greatest singers of all time” and that certainly rings true, but perhaps Paul Shaffer says it even more concisely: “Darlene Love is Rock N’ Roll!”
Tickets: Gold Circle $85; Orchestra/Front Loge $75; Rear Loge $60
The Wizards of Winter - featuring members who have performed with Classic Rock Giants – The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rainbow, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult and Trixter, along with Broadway and Theater veterans, perform a Christmas Holiday rock opera titled “The Christmas Dream”. Weaving a story based on their latest album The Christmas Dream, along with music from their self-titled CD and their album The Magic of Winter, The Wizards take their audience on a musical journey in search of the meaning of Christmas. This 11-member ensemble boasts soaring vocal harmonies, precision string instrumentation, powerful percussion, and stunning keyboard work, layered around a rich storyboard that evokes memories and emotions of December’s past! From rock and pop to ballads, and even a visit from Mrs. Claus – there is something for everyone. Celebrate the Season with Wizards of Winter!Tickets: Gold Circle $59; Orchestra/Front Loge $49; Rear Loge $39
The Great American Soul Book delivers a journey through the decades of Motown, R&B and other iconic Soulful music that inspired generations. This is no oldies show. It is a high energy tribute that highlights the music that made us groove, made us move and filled dance floors and concert halls in the 60’s, 70’s 80’ 90’s and beyond.
The show is performed by the American Soul Band, featuring four lead choreographed male lead singers who will remind you of the Temptations with their smooth harmonies and moves, while covering many of the biggest hitmakers from the decades that followed. Deanna Carroll, who for years toured as Dianna Ross in Lady Supreme, is joined by incredible background singers, bringing the songs of the most iconic Ladies of Soul to life. Their show, The Great American SoulBook will wow audiences with the music of The Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Luther Vandross, Sam and Dave, James Brown, Anita Baker, Babyface, Peobo Bryson, R. Kelly and so many more.
This is feel good music, that will have you singing along and on your feet, dancing to hits that will appeal to many generations of music lovers. This is a band that will never forget its roots in Motown and classic R&B, but continues the audience’s journey forward, as they pay homage to the most recent decades of soulful hits made famous by the next generations of superstars. American Soul brings the party to a concert near you…don’t miss it.
Admission: Gold Circle $45; Orchestra/Front Loge $40; Rear Loge/Accessible Seating $35
For close to four decades, the members of Big Head Todd and The Monsters—Todd Park Mohr [vocals, guitar, keys, sax, harmonica], Brian Nevin [drums], Rob Squires [bass, vocals], and Jeremy Lawton [keyboards, lap pedal/steel guitar, vocals]—have continued to both throw down in the studio and light up stages worldwide. Rallying around a core vision, the platinum-selling Colorado quartet kick out the kind of blues-drenched rock ‘n’ roll bangers that make you want to rev the engine a little louder, sing along like no one’s looking, and live a little freer. This holds true on their 12th full-length offering, Her Way Out.
As the story goes, Todd, Brian, and Rob unlocked their musical partnership during high school when they started jamming in the early eighties. Fast forward to 1986, they adopted the moniker Big Head Todd and The Monsters. BHTM released 2 successful independent records on their own BIG Records, Another Mayberry (1989) and Midnight Radio (1990) before drawing the attention of music industry titans and signing with Irving Azoff, Chuck Morris, and Frank Barsalona in 1992. They broke nationally with the platinum-certified staple Sister Sweetly (1993) which yielded four top 10 rock radio hits. They continued to progress with Strategem [1994] and Beautiful World [1997] which yielded several more rock radio hits including Boom Boom featuring John Lee Hooker. The band is continually touring and recording and has continued to put out albums that have received critical acclaim from both fans and press.
Among other milestones, their music literally reached the heavens when they played “Blue Sky” live at NASA Mission Control, delivering a celestial wakeup for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. They’ve toured and recorded with many rock and blues legends including B.B. King, Neil Young, The Allman Brothers, Hubert Sumlin, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Dave Matthews Band, The Eagles and their personal favorite Robert Plant. Not to mention, they attained hometown hero status by headlining Red Rocks Amphitheatre 35 times in addition to earning induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2023.
Her Way Out came to life organically. For two years, they hosted “Monster’s Music Monthly,” serving up either a new song or a new version of a classic online. Working out of Jeremy’s home studio, they parlayed this momentum into their latest LP. In the end, the future looks as bright as ever for these longtime friends.
Prices: Gold Circle $75; Orchestra/Front Loge $60; Rear Loge $50
Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you’re bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. “A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence,” says the San Francisco Chronicle. Gross, who has been host of Fresh Air since 1975, when it was broadcast only in Greater Philadelphia, isn’t afraid to ask tough questions. Fresh Air not only covers popular culture, it’s become part of it. The program and Gross have been name-checked on Saturday Night Live, Girls, HBO’s Eastbound and Down, and How I Met Your Mother. Gross played herself on an episode of The Simpsons and has been a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Gross began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York, where she hosted and produced several arts, women’s and public affairs programs, including This Is Radio, a live, three-hour magazine program that aired daily. Two years later, she joined the staff of WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as producer and host of Fresh Air, then a local, daily interview and music program. In 1985, WHYY-FM launched a weekly half-hour edition of Fresh Air with Terry Gross, which was distributed nationally by NPR. Since 1987, a daily, one- hour national edition of Fresh Air has been produced by WHYY-FM. The program is broadcast on nearly 600 stations and became the first non-drivetime show in public radio history to reach more than 5 million listeners a week.
Fresh Air with Terry Gross received the Peabody Award in 1993 for its “probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight.” In 2022 the show was awarded the Peabody Institutional Award “for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.” Terry Gross has received a Gracie Award in the category of Outstanding Radio Personality from American Women in Radio and Television; the Edward R. Murrow Award for her “outstanding contributions to public radio;” the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for outstanding service to the American literary community; the 2008 Columbia Journalism Award given in recognition of exceptional journalistic performance; the Modern Language Association’s Phyllis Franklin Award for Public Advocacy of the Humanities; the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community; the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the Audio Vanguard Award. In 2015, Gross was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2023 she was named the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion, an award presented by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation; this commendation is presented in recognition of devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers. Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004.
Tickets: Gold Circle $55; Orchestra/Front Loge $50; Rear Loge/Accessible Seating $40
One of the most commercially successful musical genres of all time, Yacht Rock has built a loyal and unwavering fan base who are today's prime ticket buying audience. Yacht Rock Gold Experience brings all your favorite hits from the late 1970's-early 1980's to new generations of music fans. Celebrating the smooth sounds of the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Boz Skaggs and so many more, Yacht Rock Gold engages fans with amazing harmonies and musicianship that brings audiences back to a time when music made you feel good and soothed the soul. An evening with Yacht Rock Gold satisfies audiences craving hit song after hit, great visuals and a note for note performance. Yacht Rock Gold Experience is the Yacht Rock tribute you’ve been looking for and they are ready to bring the Yacht Party to YOU! Put on your captain’s hat and let’s party “All Night Long.”
Yacht Rock Gold Experience features four lead singers, delivering incredible harmonies, accompanied by a six-piece rhythm section with dancing horns that bring audiences to their feet, show after show.
Tickets: Gold Circle $45; Orchestra/Front Loge $40, Rear Loge $35
The international touring show, “The Beat Goes On” features American singer/ actress Lisa McClowry's portrayal of the Goddess of Pop in her one-woman Broadway-style live stage show. Lisa is completely convincing as CHER with every aspect of playing Cher down pat including her singing and speaking voice, the walk, the talk, the costumes, the makeup, and the mannerisms. In addition, the show incorporates a live band, LED walls, video, multiple costume changes, dynamic dialogue, humor, and fun audience participation. You can expect to hear Cher’s hits spanning from the 60’s to now including: I Got You Babe, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves, I Found Someone, If I Could Turn Back Time, songs from ABBA - from Cher’s Dancing Queen album, Woman’s World, Welcome to Burlesque, Believe and so much more! The show has been met with incredible reviews, multiple sell-outs, and standing ovations! Lisa McClowry is a life-long singer and entertainer with over thirty years in the entertainment industry as a trusted, reliable source and talent with twenty-five music albums, multiple lead roles in theatrical productions, movies, commercials. Her original music plays on radio today.
Tickets: Diamond $60; Gold Circle $45; Orchestra/Front Loge $40; Rear Loge $37
The WP Presents! events are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
