JMU’s Forbes Center announces 2024-25 Masterpiece Season

The Forbes Center for the Performing Arts at James Madison University has announced its 2024-25 Masterpiece Season lineup.  

Subscription packages and single tickets go on sale to the public Tuesday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online, at the box office or by calling 540-568-7000.  

This season also coincides with the center’s 15th anniversary. 

Notable performances this year include: 

• Brittney Spencer, a recent Billboard Hot 100 artist, in collaboration with Beyoncé in her song, “Blackbiird.” 
• The Grammy award-nominated band Plena Libre. 
• The critically acclaimed solo play “Tennessee Rising.” 
• Irish music’s leading contemporary voice, Lúnasa.
• Acclaimed playwright and actress Leslie McCurdy in “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman,” a Forbes Family Fun show.
• Percussion All-Stars from the Silkroad Ensemble, conceived of by Yo-Yo Ma.
• Houston Ballet II, the second company of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth largest ballet company. 
• A comic compendium of the world’s greatest books in “All the Great Books” (abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Company.  

For families looking to enjoy the performing arts, Forbes Center presents five Forbes Family Fun shows to enjoy this season: “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman,” a one-act performance invoking the ‘spirit’ of Harriet Tubman from her childhood to elder years; Holidayfest, featuring favorite songs and readings from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”; the annual audience carol-sing; and “Pirate School: Sea Dreams,” a solo show set to an original cartoon-inspired musical score. Other family-friendly shows include: “Rusalka: The Littlest Mermaid”; the School of Music’s inaugural family opera featuring a magical musical journey into the ocean; and finally, “The Vanishing Elephant,” a story of resilience and friendship that comes to life through large-scale puppetry, illusion and magic. 

This year, the JMU Family Weekend tradition JMU POPS! transforms into POPS PLUS!, a College of Visual and Performing Arts collaborative arts celebration for student scholarships. Attendees will be treated to performances by five of JMU’s premier musical ensembles alongside a School of Theatre and Dance lineup. Additionally, guests can participate in a silent auction featuring more than 20 original artworks by students, faculty and alumni from JMU’s School of Art, Design, and Art History. Tickets are available for general admission, with the option to enhance the experience by attending an exclusive gala pre-show cocktail reception in the Atlantic Union Bank Center Club Room. 

The 2024-25 Forbes Center Masterpiece Season is sponsored by Kathy Moran Wealth Group. Visit http://kmwealthgroup.com or call 540-434-7470 for more information.  

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit https://jmuforbescenter.com/.