Stocker Arts Center announces jam-packed 2024-2025 season

The only good news about the summer flying by is it means we're that much closer to the upcoming Stocker Arts Center season of song, dance, film and theater. The Elyria-based venue last night announced its jam-packed 2024-25 season. The programming is the first full season selected by Stocker Arts Center Director Erin Miller, who last year took over for Janet Herman Barlo. "Janet was here for so long, it would be irresponsible for me to try to do a major switch," she said. "First, I'm not that much different from her, but also that would be a huge shock to our patron constituency. I'm just sort of moving on while going on into sort of the same types of programming." Miller spent the entire 2023-24 season immersing herself into all things Stocker Center, which she said really shines when presenting performing artist series types of events such as classical dance, music and Broadway. "I had the whole year to spend time getting to know some of the patrons and getting to see the things that they really enjoyed," she said. "So I approached this season as sort of going back to the basics." Before looking toward this season, Miller actually found inspiration from previous Stocker Center Director Kasson Crooker, who she said decades ago booked various types of acts — including a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra and prestigious dance companies. "Programming since the pandemic has gone away from that," she said. "People are doing a lot of tribute acts because that's super popular right now, so I'm going more into the single artists." That includes Michelle Foster's "Welcome Home — The Legacy of Carole King" on Nov. 1, as well as Chris Mann's "Bennett: From Gershwin to Gaga — Celebrating the Tony Bennett Songbook" on March 28. "The biggest feedback I heard was that we need to bring Broadway back," she said. "Times have changed technologically speaking since we used to have Broadway touring shows come here to Stocker. "They've become super technically advanced. Some of those productions that are touring out there right now physically won't fit into this space, so last season I started the Broadway Sessions." Featuring coordinator, director and sometimes performer Joanna May Cullinan, Broadway Sessions this year includes three shows — "The Music of Stephen Schwartz" (Oct. 5), "Beloved Broadway Flops" (Nov. 2) and "From Page to Stage" (March 15) — as well as a full-length production of "Songs for a New World" (Feb. 22-23). "This is putting my own stamp on the season, trying to bring some of that self-produced theater back into Stocker, which has been gone for a bunch of years," she said. Another focus on the upcoming season is appealing to younger audiences with Miller pointing to "Gangstagrass" (Feb. 21). "I'm taking a risk on some new things, specifically a group called 'GangstaGrass,' which is a fusion of bluegrass and traditional rap," she said "It seems like a strange combination until you look at the roots of rap that come from bluegrass in the African diaspora. So it's a natural pairing that going to hopefully appeal to all ages but may be intriguing for some of our younger crowd as well." For more information, visit Stockerartscenter.com. Contact John Benson at ndiffrence@att.net.