A comprehensive look at what's scheduled for local performing arts venues and organizations in the upcoming months, as featured in our 2025 Fall Arts Issue.
Click the following links for more 2025 Fall Arts listings: Visual Arts • Dance • Literary & Film Events • Festivals & Events
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
Amadeus Lex
This is a selection of upcoming performances taking place in Lexington. Amadeus Lex will present additional performances in Berea, Frankfort and other surrounding areas. Visit the website for the full list of performances.
- “Pastoral Sounds.” Aug. 17 at Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church
- “Suite Hébraïque.” Oct. 4 at Carrick Theatre (Transylvania University)
- “Souvenir de Florence.” Jan. 9 at St. Raphael Episcopal Church
- “Courage & Creativity.” March 14 at St. Luke Church
Grammy-nominated multi-platinum Irish singing sensation Celtic Woman bring their Symphony Christmas Tour to EKU's Center for the Arts on Dec. 14. Photo furnished
EKU Center for the Arts
1 Hall Drive, Richmond • (859) 662-7469 • www.ekucenter.org
This is just a handful of upcoming highlights. Visit the venue’s website for a full list of events.
- Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman Project: Playing Music from Old & In the Way. Oct. 17
- Vitamin String Quartet: Music from Taylor Swift, Bridgerton and more. Oct. 19
- Straight No Chaser: Holiday Road. Oct. 26
- Watchhouse. Nov. 9
- Celtic Woman: Symphony Christmas Tour. Dec. 14
Grand Theatre
308 St. Clair St., Frankfort • www.thegrandky.com
This is just a handful of upcoming highlights. Visit the venue’s website for a full list of upcoming events.
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. Sept. 6
- Rising Appalachia. Sept. 13
- Vienna Boys Choir. Oct. 17
- The Lovin’ Spoonful. Oct. 24
- American Spiritual Ensemble. Jan. 16, 2026
Artist and composer Michael Cruse will perform at the Jazz! Live at the Library series on Dec. 11. Photo furnished
Jazz! Live at the Library
www.jazzartsfoundation.org/jazz-at-library
The free monthly concerts of this long-running series are presented on the second Thursday of the month (7-8:15 p.m.) at the Farish Theater in the Central Branch of the Lexington Public Library, 140 E. Main St.
- Ryan McGillicuddy Group. Sept. 11
- Pat Harbison & Isaac Stephens. Oct. 9
- Jamey Aebersold Quartet. Nov. 13
- Michael Cruse. Dec. 11
Lexington Opera House
Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. • www.lexingtonoperahouse.com
Broadway Live! And Variety Live productions:
- “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Oct. 10-12
- “Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol.”Dec. 26-28
- “Hadestown.” Feb. 6-8, 2026
- “The Music Man.” Feb. 20-22, 2026
- “Chicago.” March 20-22, 2026
- “Spamalot.” June 19-21, 2026
Other Lexington Opera House Events:
This is just a handful of upcoming events. Visit the venue’s website for the full schedule.
- “Napoleon Dynamite LIVE!” Sept. 17
- The Steeldrivers. Sept. 19-20
- Villalobos Brothers. Sept. 21
- World Ballet Company: “Cinderella.” Oct. 8
- Randy Travis: More Life Tour. Oct. 23
- Heather McMahan: The Bamboozled Tour. Oct. 24
Lexington Philharmonic
The Witching Hour. Oct. 11. LexPhil’s 2025-’26 season will kick off with a thrilling program in which mystery, imagination and music collide. The night will begin with “This Midnight Hour” by Anna Clyne, an atmospheric work inspired by two works of poetry. Then acclaimed pianist Spencer Myer will join the orchestra for Liszt’s “Totentanz“ (Dance of Death). The evening will conclude with Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.”
Heartsong: Mendelssohn, Guo and Rachmaninoff. Nov. 22. This program will bring together three deeply expressive works that speak to love, memory and emotional resilience. It will open with the Kentucky premiere of Moni Jasmine Guo’s “the sound of where i came from” (Xiāng Yīn), a musical reflection on Guo’s hometown of Taiyuan, China. Next, renowned violinist Tai Murray will join LexPhil for the “heart’s jewel” of violin repertoire, Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto.” The program will close with Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 2,” a sweeping expression of vulnerability and triumph.
Cathedral Christmas. Dec. 12-13. LexPhil and The Lexington Singers return to the Cathedral of Christ the King for this holiday tradition of timeless orchestral and choral works. This awe-inspiring musical experience in a divine setting will transport all to a place of peace that evokes the spirit of the holiday season.
Twist & Shout: The Music of The Beatles — A Symphonic Experience. Jan. 23, 2026. This show celebrates The Beatles in America, beginning with their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964, and following their journey through the USA. The show will include early #1 hits like “Love Me Do,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Yesterday,” and more.
Jubilee & Joy: Green & Beethoven. Feb. 21, 2026. Under the baton of music director Mélisse Brunet, this show will begin with “TESTIFY!” by 2025-2026 Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence Brittany J. Green. This vibrant sonic tapestry is inspired by the rhythms and harmonies of Green’s childhood memories of church and the joyful sizzle of her mother’s tambourine playing. Then, LexPhil will be joined by The Lexington Singers for Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9.”
American Stories. Apr. 18, 2026. The 2025-’26 season finale will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America. It will begin with “Made in America“ by Joan Tower, followed by Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” narrated by former Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House. After intermission, LexPhil will perform the world premiere of “Black Dandelions: An American Triptych” by 2025-’26 Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence Brittany J. Green. It features text from three Black women poets, including former Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson. The show will close with Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.”
The Lexington Theatre Company
www.lexingtontheatrecompany.org • Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St.
“A Christmas Carol.” Nov. 20-23. This Charles Dickens Christmas classic takes a whole new approach in Alan Menken and Lynn Ahren’s spectacular musicalized version. Delight in the holiday favorite as Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by the spirits of Christmases past, present and future — each hoping to change his curmudgeonly ways.
Norton Center for the Arts
Newlin Hall, 600 West Walnut St., Danville • www.nortoncenter.com
This is just a handful of upcoming highlights. Visit the Norton Center’s website for a full list of this season’s events.
- Rodney Atkins. Sept. 19
- Taimaine. Nov. 19
- Marty Stuart. Nov. 21
- Nathan Meltzer. Jan. 16, 2026
- Marlon Wayans. Feb. 15, 2026
- Ira Glass & Jad Abumrad. Feb. 21, 2026
- Louisville Orchestra. Feb. 27, 2026
Outside the Spotlight
Outside the Spotlight is a long-running Lexington music series presenting under-the-radar, experimental jazz and improvised music events from national and international artists. Performances are generally donation/pay-what-you-want and are held at smaller venues. Venues will be announced as the shows approach.
- Tim Daisy & Chris Corsano. Sept 20 (part of the Equinox Jazz Festival)
- Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, Christoph Erb, Gabby Fluke-Mogul Quartet. Oct. 20
- Friends & Neighbors. Dec. 1
The Singletary Center will host a conversation with multi-media artist Ebony G. Patterson on Oct. 23. Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Singletary Center for the Arts
405 Rose St. • finearts.uky.edu/singletary-center
Additional Singletary Center Fall Programming:
- Jo Koy: Just Being Koy Tour. Oct. 3
- An Evening with Ebony G. Patterson. Oct. 23
- Scott Frieman: Deconstructing the Beatles’ “Abbey Road.” Oct. 22
- “The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller”: A film by Sam Green with live score by Yo La Tengo. Oct. 24.
- The Lexington Singers & Lexington Singers Children’s Choir: The Music of Elaine Hagenberg. Nov. 2
- Josh Johnson: The Flowers Tour. Nov. 14
- Sal Vulcano: Everything’s Fine Tour. April 11, 2026
Singletary Center Expansive Sounds Series
The SCFA Expansive Sounds Series represents a new direction in the programming at the Singletary Center, exploring innovative, adventurous and genre-defying artists. For listeners interested in new ideas, new sounds and unconventional approaches, Expansive Sounds seeks to stimulate the imagination with groundbreaking avant-garde, electronic, rock, jazz and ambient artists from across the country and around the globe.
Don Slepian: “Sea of Bliss” 45th Anniversary Tour. Sept. 11. With a career spanning decades of innovation and acclaim, Don Slepian is a composer, performer and music technologist celebrated as a pioneer in the ambient and new age music movement, blending classical influences with cutting-edge electronic techniques.
Tortoise. Nov. 12. For over 30 years, Tortoise has shaped the sound of modern music. Hailed as pioneers of the post-rock movement, this Chicago-based group blends jazz, rock, electronic and experimental elements into something entirely their own. The New York Times calls them “a live marvel,” while Pitchfork describes their sound as “a planchette moving over a Ouija board—guided, but unpredictable.”
Chuck Johnson & Clarice Jensen. Mar. 21, 2026. Chuck Johnson is a composer and musician who approaches his work with an ear towards finding faults and instabilities that might reveal latent beauty, with a focus on pedal steel guitar, experimental electronics, and composing for film and television. Clarice Jensen is a composer and cellist who has developed a distinctive compositional approach, improvising and layering her cello through shifting loops and a chain of electronic effects to open out and explore a series of rich, drone-based sound fields.
Studio Players
www.studioplayers.org • Performances take place at Carriage House Theatre, 154 Bell Ct. • 7:30 p.m. ppening night, Fri., and Sat.; 2:30 pm. Sun.
- “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.” Sept. 11-14, 19-21, 26-28.
- “Having Hope at Home.” Nov. 13-16, 21-23, 28-30.
- “Murdered to Death.” Jan. 15-18, 23-25, 30-31, Feb. 1, 2026.
- “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Mar. 19-22, 27-39, Apr. 3-5, 2026.
- “Ken Ludwig’s The Gods of Comedy.” May 21-24, 29-31, June 5-7, 2026.
Troubadour Concert Series
www.troubashow.com • Shows take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Theatre, 200 Main St. Visit the event website for more details.
- Tommy Emmanuel. Oct. 14.
- Over the Rhine Holiday Concert. Dec. 10.
University of Kentucky Opera Theatre
- “Hansel and Gretel.” Oct. 3-5 at the Lexington Opera House.
- “A Nation of Others.” Mar. 6-8, 2026 at the Lexington Opera House.