EIU Media Relations

EIU’s Doudna Fine Arts Center releases 2023-24 premier event schedule

Tickets now available for upcoming performances

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Doudna Fine Arts Center will host a variety of premier-level events and shows throughout the 2023-24 academic year. The Doudna Fine Arts Center’s premier events are meant to entertain regional citizens in and around the EIU and Coles County communities through lively visual and musical performances.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center’s 2023-24 season premier-performance lineup includes:

• A Cirque Night Out :: Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; Come and witness the high-flying spectacle featuring performers from the Boston Circus Guild. The Boston Circus Guild is a collaborative membership-based organization of over fifty musicians, artists, circus performers, dancers, and event producers from the New England area. Ticket prices are $25.
  • Make the night more special by making this a package purchase! On Saturday, September 9, the Doudna Fine Arts Center also will host its 15-year Gala Celebration, beginning at 5 p.m. with a private dinner on the Theatre stage, followed by the 6:30 p.m. Cirque performance. The evening will conclude with a dessert reception in the Concourse, featuring a special encore presentation by the Boston Circus Guild! Tickets for the combined anniversary Gala and exclusive post-show Cirque performance are $125—be sure to select the Gala Package option at doudnatix.com.  
• Second City “Comedian Rhapsody” :: Friday, September 22, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; The Second City is the premier brand in improv-based sketch comedy and education dedicated to entertaining, inspiring, and transforming through courageous comedy. Famous alums include Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Harold Ramis, Quinta Brunson, Aidy Bryant and Keegan-Michael Key, to name a few. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Abilene :: Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall; Abilene is a collective of artists whose cinematic compositions marry classical and modern elements with an emphasis on narrative storytelling. Through experience, they have discovered that the use of electronics, percussion, household items, and singing on top of traditional textures is engaging, timely, and allows for imaginative narrative through compositions. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Children of Eden :: November 2/3/4/10 & 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. and November 5 & 12, 2023 at 2 p.m. in the Theatre; From musical theatre greats Stephen Schwartz and John Caird comes a joyous and inspirational musical about parents, children and faith...not to mention centuries of unresolved family business. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Handel’s Messiah :: Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 3 at 4 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; Handel's Messiah is the most famous, most-performed oratorio in all of history-telling the story of the birth and life Jesus. With full orchestra, mass choirs, and vocal soloists, the Messiah is an immersive dramatic experience that has thrilled millions of listeners and musicians since its premiere in 1742. This is a concert you don't want to miss! General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Kashmir: The Live Led Zeppelin Tribute Show :: Friday, January 19, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; Kashmir, the nation's #1 Led Zeppelin tribute show, is the most authentic representation of Led Zeppelin on the modern national touring scene. Each of the 4 band members assumes their individual role with pinpoint accuracy. Kashmir possesses the live stage show, sound, and likeness to bring audiences and fans back to the days when the mighty Led Zeppelin ruled the musical landscape. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• 15-time Grammy Nominee Fred Hersch (Opening 64th Annual Jazz Festival) :: Friday, February 2, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre; A fifteen-time Grammy nominee, Fred Hersch is a pervasively influential creative force who has shaped the music's course over more than three decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist. He has been proclaimed "the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade" by Vanity Fair, "an elegant force of musical invention" by The L.A. Times, and "a living legend" by The New Yorker. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Chicago Dance Tap “Unleash the Beats” :: Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; A celebration of Tap Dance and Live Music from the 1920s to the future! Chicago Tap Theatre presents this celebration of the best in tap dance, from historical pieces from the past to the innovative and compelling original work for which the company is known. High production values and dynamic performances are the hallmark of this family-friendly, accessible show. Ticket prices are $25.
• Marielle Kraft :: Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Doudna Recital Hall; When you hear Marielle Kraft's music or experience her candid live shows, you feel as though you already know her. The indie pop singer/songwriter, now based in Nashville, displays craftsmanship beyond her years, following suit to artists like Shawn Mendes, Maisie Peters, and Taylor Swift. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• WindSync :: Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; WindSync has established itself as a vibrant chamber ensemble performing wind quintet masterworks, adapting beloved music to their instrumentation, and championing new works by today's composers. This personal performance style, combined with the ensemble's three-pronged mission of artistry, education, and community-building, lends WindSync its reputation as "a group of virtuosos who are also wonderful people, too" (Alison Young, Classical MPR). General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.
• Red Hot Chili Pipers :: Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall; The Red Hot Chili PIPERS - (NOT the Peppers!) are a 9-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers - who have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing to Melbourne and everywhere in between. It's Bagpipes. It's Rock. It's Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland. General ticket prices are $25, with EIU employees and senior-aged citizens tickets at $20, and EIU student tickets at $15.

Groups of four (4) or more will save $5 on each ticket purchased for all the above premier performance events.

Eastern Illinois University’s Doudna Fine Arts Center, located on EIU’s Charleston, Illinois campus, is a cultural beacon for residents of Central Illinois and beyond, presenting performances by EIU students and faculty, by school and community groups across the region. More information about the Doudna Fine Arts Center and its various performances is available at https://www.eiu.edu/doudna/index.php. For tickets to these and other Doudna performances, visit https://doudnatix.universitytickets.com/ or call the Doudna Fine Arts Center Box Office at (217) 581-3110.

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.