The Lied Center for Performing Arts has announced its full lineup of more than 35 events for the 2025–26 season.
The season features a comprehensive slate of performers in music, theater, dance, comedy, illusion, family events, and more.
“Every season at the Lied is unique, combining encore performances from legendary artists with breathtaking talent that has never graced the Lied Center stage. This season we are thrilled to welcome back many of our favorite artists of all time,” said Lied Center Executive Director Bill Stephan.
‘Create Your Own’ season packages go on sale to the public at 11am on Tuesday, May 13 at liedcenter.org, by phone at (402) 472-4747, and in-person at the Lied Center box office.
The full seasons line up is detailed below.
Disney’s Frozen
- August 15-24, 2025
- 13 performances
For the first time in forever, experience the musical phenomenon that has taken the world by storm! Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney’s Frozen includes all the film’s beloved songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with new music written exclusively for the stage.
In the beautiful mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score including the iconic music from the feature film plus new songs written for the stage, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love.
Metro Jazz Quintet
- September 26 & 27, 2025 at 7:30pm: Broadway Lights & Hollywood Dreams: Greatest Hits from the Broadway Stage & Silver Screen!
- February 6 & 7, 2026 at 7:30pm: My Funny Valentine: Songs of Love from the Rich Tradition of Jazz!
- April 24 & 25, 2026 at 7:30pm: Titans of Jazz: The music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, and more!
Following sold-out 2023-24 and 2024-25 Season performances, experience jazz “club style” with all new programs from the Metro Jazz Quintet in the intimate setting of the Lied Commons. This exciting quintet of superb Nebraska jazz musicians performs a wide variety of music from your favorite legendary jazz composers. The Lied Commons club scene featured table seating, a candlelight atmosphere, and cocktails available for purchase throughout the evening.
TINA: The Tina Turner Musical
- October 8-11, 2025
- 8 performances
TINA–The Tina Turner Musical is the triumphant story of the Queen of Rock n’ Roll set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits! TINA–The Tina Turner Musical presents Tina’s journey against all odds to become one of the world’s most beloved artists of all time. Featuring iconic songs, including “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Proud Mary,” and “Hero”, TINA–The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Katori Hall.
Recommended for ages 14+. The production includes scenes depicting domestic violence, racist language, loud music, strobe lighting, haze, and gun shots.
Hamlet
- October 17, 2025 at 7:30pm
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” Experience Shakespeare’s exhilarating tale of revenge, love, and madness in a groundbreaking collaboration between Toronto dance company Côté Danse and renowned multidisciplinary company Ex Machina. This spectacular fusion of theater and dance combines the artistic visions of Robert Lepage (Cirque du Soleil, The Metropolitan Opera) and Côté Danse’s founder Guillaume Côté in “a can’t-miss dance event of the year” (The Toronto Guardian). Immerse yourself in a world of deceptive appearances, where ghosts and humans rub shoulders among light and shadows in this innovative retelling of the classic Shakespearean drama.
Marilyn Maye
- October 22, 2025 at 7:30pm
- Carson Theater
The legendary Marilyn Maye holds the record for the most guest appearances by a singer on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, with 76 show-stopping features that led Johnny to dub her the “Super Singer.” A timeless icon who has been entertaining audiences for over eight decades, Manhattan’s Queen of Cabaret is thrilled to be part of celebrating Johnny Carson’s 100th birthday. Maye is a consummate entertainer who breathes new life into classics, carrying the torch from her peers who originated tunes of the Great American Songbook. Expect to hear entertaining stories of her time on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson!
Carson Tonight: Johnny’s 100th Birthday Celebration
- October 23, 2025 at 7:30pm
Relive all the magic and laughter of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show with the talented artists who were featured guests during Johnny’s extraordinary 30-year late-night run. This special one-time event is hosted by Seinfeld writer and comedian Pat Hazell with live performances by Master Magician, Lance Burton; comedians Wil Shriner and Carol Leifer; Singer, Marilyn Maye; Variety Acts, Mike Caveney & Tina Lenert and the full UNL Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Greg Simon, plus amazing highlights of Johnny’s most memorable moments and characters. Come join us in celebrating Nebraska’s favorite son on his centennial birthday.
Moana: The Live-to-Film-Concert
- October 28, 2025 at 7:00pm
Set sail with Moana in this unforgettable experience! Disney Concerts and AMP Worldwide present Disney’s Moana Live-To-Film Concert North American tour, featuring a full-length screening of the beloved movie on the Lied Center’s giant screen, accompanied by live performances of a unique on-stage musical ensemble of top Hollywood studio musicians, Polynesian rhythm masters and vocalists, celebrating the music and songs from this award-winning Walt Disney Animation Studios’ classic including GRAMMY® Award-winning hit “How Far I’ll Go”.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
- November 2, 2025 at 7:00pm
Experience an evening of unparalleled artistry and musical mastery with the sensational Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by nine-time GRAMMY® Award winning trumpeter and music director Wynton Marsalis. Bringing the art form of jazz from the heart of New York City to audiences around the world, this sensational 15-member ensemble celebrates the spirit of jazz and its enduring influence performing a vast repertoire from historic compositions to newly commissioned works.
Dog Man: The Musical
- November 9, 2025 at 4:00pm
Based on the worldwide bestselling hit series by Dav Pilkey, Dog Man: The Musical is a hilarious and heartwarming production following the chronicles of Dog Man, who with the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime?? Find out in this epic musical adventure featuring the hilarity and heart of beloved characters from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club. Recommended for ages 6+.
Soweto Gospel Choir
- November 13, 2025 at 7:30pm
With their concert entitled “PEACE,” the multi-Grammy® and Emmy Award®-winning SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR presents a joyful program of South African freedom songs, traditional spirituals, and classics. The inspirational concert will also feature the spirited music of Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen, and more! For more than 20 years, the Choir has celebrated the unique power of African gospel music and has established itself as “nothing less than an international treasure.” Heralded by Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey, SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR excites audiences worldwide, uplifting the soul and spreading joy through its earthy rhythms, rich harmonies, brilliant costumes, and infectious spirit.
An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma
- December 4, 2025 at 7:30pm
Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 GRAMMY® Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as the Lied Center’s inaugural Artist of Distinction. Experience his return to the Lied Center for a special one-night-only performance!
Canadian Brass Christmas
- December 5, 2025 at 7:30pm
The world’s most famous brass quintet returns to the Lied Center to make the holiday season merry and bright! Featuring original arrangements and signature takes on beloved holiday classics including, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Christmastime is Here” the spirit and sparkle of Canadian Brass has earned them a loyal legion of fans worldwide.
A Christmas Story: The Musical
- December 16-21, 2025
- 8 performances
From the songwriting team behind the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen and the Academy Award-winning film La La Land, A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, brings the classic 1983 movie to hilarious life on stage! Set in 1940s Indiana, a young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. An infamous leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa, and a tripledog- dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Nominated for three 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the Associated Press calls A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL “a joyous Christmas miracle.”
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
- December 23, 2025 at 7:30pm
MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for 40 years! Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of dazzling multimedia effects – capturing the spirit of the season.
Hadestown
- January 16-18, 2026
- 4 performances
Welcome to HADESTOWN, where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show from celebrated singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and original director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812) is a love story for today…and always.
Intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — HADESTOWN is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.
Gabriela Montero, Piano
- January 26, 2026 at 7:30pm
Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique compositional gifts have garnered her critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage. The New York Times proclaimed “Montero’s playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power … soulful lyricism … unsentimental expressivity.”
Celebrated for her exceptional ability to improvise, in her Lied Center return Montero will perform a real-time improvised score for a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s film The Immigrant, in addition to classical selections.
Cirque Kalabante
- February 5, 2026 at 7:30pm
Cirque Kalabante’s unforgettable ‘Afrique en Cirque’ celebrates the beauty and artistry of African culture as acrobats execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. This vibrant spectacle of colorful rhythms, innovative choreography, and jaw-dropping acrobatics represents the strength, agility and joys of life in Guinea. Prepare for an unforgettable journey!
Van Cliburn Gold Medalist
- February 8, 2026 at 4:00pm
Once every four years, a new gold medalist emerges from the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. As Nebraska’s official Van Cliburn presenter since 1994, the Lied Center presents the newly awarded Van Cliburn Gold Medalist for the first time. With previous winners including Yunchan Lim, Olga Kern, Vadym Kholodenko, and Jon Nakamatsu, the Cliburn is widely considered to be “one of the most prestigious contests in classical music” (The New York Times).
The Best of the Second City
- February 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
Celebrating its 65th anniversary year, the world’s most influential name in comedy returns to the Lied Center! From the stages that launched icons like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Keegan-Michael Key, and so many more comes The Best of The Second City! This high-energy show blends our signature improv comedy with hilarious songs, classic characters, and timeless sketches – handpicked from our rich comedy archive, written by the world’s funniest minds, and reimagined by today’s boldest comedic voices. Step into the legacy that’s been redefining comedy for 65 years.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
- February 19, 2026 at 6:30pm
Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling “Pigeon” picture books, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party! Featuring an innovative mix of songs and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping.
Gunhild Carling
- February 20, 2026 at 7:30pm
Known as “the wonder woman of jazz”, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling truly can do it all! A master of instruments including trombone, bagpipes, recorder, banjo, ukulele, harp, and sometimes up to three trumpets at once, Carling brings high-energy vintage swing to the stage with jaw-dropping skill and theatrical flair. Postmodern Jukebox has featured her talents in several videos that have gone massively viral, including a singing/tap dancing/ten-instrument jazz cover of Pharrell’s “Happy.” A dazzling entertainer with style to spare, All About Jazz raved “Sweden’s Gunhild Carling is truly a musical experience to behold.”
Boston Pops
- February 28, 2026 at 7:30pm
Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, known affectionately as “America’s Orchestra,” performs an exciting program honoring the United States’ 250th Anniversary while celebrating the movie music of iconic composer John Williams. Williams composed the music for more than one hundred films, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones and was the 19th conductor of the Boston Pops succeeding the legendary Arthur Fiedler. The orchestra remains one of the most recorded, familiar, and beloved ensembles in the world today.
The Music Man
- March 5-8, 2026
- 5 performances
There’s trouble in River City when a fast-talking salesman gets his heart stolen by the town librarian. Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize – this, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall. Featuring songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Trouble,” “’Til There Was You,” “Pickalittle,” and “Gary, Indiana,” The Music Man is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation.
Olga Kern, Piano
- March 10, 2026 at 7:30pm
With a vivid onstage presence, dazzling technique, and keen musicality, pianist Olga Kern is widely recognized as one of the great artists of her generation, captivating audiences and critics alike.
In 2001, Olga launched her U.S. career at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, winning a Gold Medal- the only woman in the last 50 years to do so. Olga performs riveting recitals throughout the world, playing at the Hollywood Bowl, Gilmore Piano Festival, and Chamber Music San Francisco as well as with top-tier ensembles, among them the St. Louis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, and Filamonica della Scala.
Angels Theatre Company Presents: The Rocket Men
- March 12-22, 2026
- 8 Performances
- Carson Theater
Six women step into the roles of the former Nazis who sent us to the moon to share a story about the team that formed the backbone of NASA in the most unlikely of places… North Alabama. Told through the point of view of Heinz Hermann Koelle, a lesser-known young German rocketeer who joined this “Operation Paperclip” team several years later, the play explores the dynamic relationship of Wernher von Braun and Koelle as these two have set their sights on space exploration and colonization beyond the moon. Still, as the play counts down to the launch of Apollo 11, Koelle is befriended by a Jewish engineer who is hell-bent on exposing the truth: the Germans’ technology is based on the V-2 rockets built by slave labor more tied to Koelle’s world than he can imagine. A startling new play about the intersection of scientific exploration and moral responsibility, The Rocket Men asks what it means “to be an American.”
The Rocket Men is a new play by award-winning playwright Crystal Skillman. This unique production is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere happening across the country with The Phoenix Theatre, Synchronicity Theatre, and Angels Theatre.
The Fab Four
- March 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
The Fab Four is undoubtedly the Ultimate Beatles Tribute! With uncanny, note-for-note live renditions of the Beatle’s classics, the Fab Four will make you think you are back in time rockin’ with John, Paul, George and Ringo. This loving tribute to the Beatles has amazed audiences around the world, and along the way picked up an EMMY Award for their hit special on PBS. With The Fab Four on stage, you’ll hear record-perfect live performances of such classics as “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday,” “A Day In The Life,” “Penny Lane,” “Here Comes The Sun,” “Hey Jude,” and many more!
Stars of American Ballet
- March 19, 2026 at 7:30pm
Praised by The Boston Globe as “An unapologetic showcase of virtuosity,” Stars of American Ballet brings together today’s most remarkable ballet talents to highlight the rich diversity and expressive range of contemporary and classical dance. With a program including George Balanchine’s Apollo, Petipa’s timeless White Swan Pas de Deux, and Twyla Tharp’s Brel solo, these works celebrate the artistry, emotion, and versatility that define the evolving landscape of ballet. Featuring a cast of principal and soloist dancers from the New York City Ballet and other renowned companies, in addition to live music for select pieces, this collective returns to the Lied Center celebrating a glorious evening of ballet masterpieces.
Dirty Dancing in Concert
- March 22, 2026 at 7:00pm
DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT is the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience! Enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT brings a thrilling new experience to the 80s classic. Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an encore party that will take you back to the time of your life as you sing and dance along to your favorite Dirty Dancing songs. Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years – live!
The Philadelphia Orchestra
- March 26, 2026 at 8:00pm
The world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra returns to Nebraska for a historic concert marking only their third performance on the Lied Center stage, and the first performance at the Lied in more than 20 years. Praised by The New York Times as “a formidable musician and a powerful communicator” as well as “a conductor with a vision”, Marin Alsop leads the orchestra in a program featuring Beethoven’s dramatic Leonore Overture No. 3, Brahms’ intricate Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn, and Schumann’s masterwork Symphony No. 2.
Red Hot Chilli Pipers
- April 4, 2026 at 7:30pm
Get ready for a bagpipe-powered concert like you’ve never seen before! The Red Hot Chilli Pipers (yes, pipers) fuse traditional Scottish music with classic rock anthems—from Queen to AC/DC—with explosive energy and humor. “Bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent, and a show that leaves you breathless!” — BBC Scotland. A global phenomenon that’s equal parts rock concert and Highland fling—prepare to be blown away.
Capital City
- April 9-12, 2026
- 5 performances
- Carson Theatre
Money. Corruption. Murder. Welcome to Capital City. In this searing original play inspired by Nebraska author Mari Sandoz’ infamous novel Capital City, the Great Depression has split the people of a fictional Midwestern city in two: the rich and the poor. What lengths will the have-nots go to gain back their land, homes, and dignity? How far will the haves go to make sure they control it all?
Performed in Animal Engine Theatre Company’s signature physical style, actors create a richly detailed portrait of shanty towns, high society balls, striking workers, backroom schemes, and more with just their bodies and song.
An original commission from the Lied Center of Nebraska, Animal Engine returns to the Lied after performing their popular Willa Cather-inspired epic Henrietta Solway in 2023.
Sons of Serendip
- April 16, 2026 at 7:30pm
Billboard charting classical-crossover quartet, Sons of Serendip, won the hearts of fans and judges alike as finalists on America’s Got Talent (NBC) with their ethereal and emotionally stirring interpretations of pop music, arranged with a unique blend of vocals, harp, piano, and cello. Sons of Serendip has lifted up audiences across the world including collaborations with the Boston Pops, Cynthia, and at Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Vision Tour. From heartwarming ballads to powerful anthems, Sons of Serendip delivers an unforgettable musical experience steeped in grace and soul.
The Moth
- April 17, 2026 at 7:30pm
True stories, told live.
Hailed as “New York’s hottest and hippest literary ticket” by The Wall Street Journal, The Moth brings the power of personal storytelling to millions of people each year. In its 25-year history, The Moth has presented more than 50,000 stories, told live and without notes, by people from all walks of life to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth Podcast is downloaded more than 100 million times a year, and The Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour airs weekly on more than 575 public radio stations nationwide.
The Mainstage is the quintessential Moth experience, a two-act show where the storytellers and a notable host share true personal stories, without notes. Experience true stories live as they’re recorded for future episodes of The Moth Podcast and Moth Radio Hour.
The Moth Mainstage is recommended for ages 16 and up (or age 13 with parental guidance)—some stories may contain mature content and language.
REZA
- April 18, 2026 at 7:30pm
REZA has taken the art of illusion to a new level, delivering his rock concert-style magic show to audiences across the globe! Back by popular demand, his thrilling production “Edge of Illusion” features the most incredible cutting-edge magic in existence today, with breathtaking, signature grand-scale illusions, including making motorcycles and helicopters materialize out of thin air, live on stage. Witness the impossible!
- SUFFS
- May 5-10, 2026
- 7 performances
- Nebraska premiere!
Direct from Broadway, comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. Winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.
Recommended for ages 10+. Mature language.
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
- May 22, 2026 at 7:30pm
Universally regarded as one of rock and roll’s finest and most versatile entertainers, Peter Noone is second to none! Star of stage, screen, and record, Noone’s performances are the stuff of legend, deftly delivering a broad palette of music that defined a generation.
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone is a must-see concert featuring some of the biggest hits of the 1960s, including “I’m Into Something Good,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” and many more. With 20 top 40 hits and over 60 million records sold, Peter Noone is the real deal.
Glenn Miller Orchestra
- June 18, 2026 at 7:30pm
The most popular big band in the world brings back to the stage timeless classics like “Tuxedo Junction,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” Get “In the Mood” for an elegant evening of swing as the 17-piece orchestra dazzles and delights in their return to the Lied Center!