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Previous Seasons

Since 1972, NC State LIVE (formerly NCSU Center Stage) has established a regional and national reputation for presenting a professional performing arts season of the highest artistic excellence. Below is an outline of our most recent seasons.

NC State LIVE 2023-2024

MAINSTAGE

  • The Second City – August 25, 2023
  • Cimarrón – September 14, 2023
  • Fatoumata Diawara – September 28, 2023
  • Gaspard & Dancers – October 5, 2023
  • Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – October 20, 2023
  • Zoe & Cloyd – November 7, 2023
  • Trey McLaughlin – November 10, 2023
  • Compagnie Hervé Koubi – January 27, 2024
  • Murielle Elizéon & Shana Tucker – February 8-16, 2024
  • Alexa Tarantino – March 1, 2024
  • Pedrito Martínez – March 23, 2024
  • Small Island Big Song – April 12, 2024

LIVE@Lake Raleigh

  • Charly Lowery – April 4, 2024
  • Laura Gonzqui – April 18, 2024
  • Holler Choir – May 2, 2024
  • Whoop – May 16, 2024

KIDSTUFF & SCHOOL MATINEES

  • Manual Cinema in Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster – October 24, 2023
  • Axis Theatre Company in Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch! February 25, 2024

NC State LIVE 2022-2023

MAINSTAGE

  • Ranky Tanky & Lisa Fischer – September 29, 2022
  • DakhaBrakha – October 21, 2022
  • Kenny Barron & Regina Carter – October 29, 2022
  • David Dorfman Dance – November 7-10, 2022
  • Habib Koité – November 19, 2022
  • Emanuel Gat Dance – December 7, 2022
  • John Pizzarelli – January 21, 2023
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant – February 2, 2023
  • Sylvia Milo’s The Other Mozart – February 17-20, 2023
  • Red Baraat – March 3, 2023
  • CONTRA-TIEMPO (world premiere) – March 31, 2023
  • Daniel Bernard Roumain & Raleigh Civic Symphony (world premiere) – April 15, 2023

LIVE@Lake Raleigh

  • Orquesta GarDel – April 6, 2023
  • Hank, Pattie & the Current – April 20, 2023
  • Laurelyn Dossett and Friends – May 4, 2023
  • Caique Vidal & Batuque – May 18, 2023

Artist Residencies

  • Daniel Bernard Roumain – September 2022 – April 2023
  • CONTRA-TIEMPO and Arturo O’Farrill – September 7-14, 2022
  • David Dorfman Dance – November 7-10, 2022
  • Shana Tucker & Murielle Elizéon – September 2022 – May 2023

KIDSTUFF SERIES & SCHOOL MATINEES

  • Lightwire Theater / The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare – October 16-18, 2022
  • Alphabet Rockers – February 7-8, 2023
  • Red Baraat – March 3, 2023

NC State LIVE 2021-2022

Free Outdoor Concerts

  • The Hamiltones – September  9, 2021
  • Zoe & Cloyd – September 26, 2021

MAINSTAGE

  • Lakecia Benjamin – October 16, 2021
  • Arturo and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble – November 6, 2021
  • Rissi Palmer – December 8, 2021
  • American Spiritual Ensemble – January 27, 2022
  • Las Cafeteras – February 5, 2022
  • Ballet Hispanico – February 11, 2022
  • Ephrat Asherie Dance – March 5, 2022
  • Leela Dance Collective’s SPEAK – April 14, 2022
  • Martha Redbone – April 28, 2022

School Matinees

  • Ballet Hispánico – February 11, 2022
  • Lightwire Theater’s The Ugly DucklingMarch 7 and 8, 2022

LIVE@Lake Raleigh

  • The Collection – April 7, 2022
  • The Barefoot Movement – April 21, 2022
  • Tumbao – May 5, 2022
  • Shirlette Ammons – May 19, 2022

Artist Residencies

  • Leela Dance Collective
  • Rissi Palmer
  • Ephrat Asherie Dance

KIDSTUFF SERIES

  • Lightwire Theater in The Ugly Duckling – March 6, 2022

NC State LIVE 2020-2021

Digital Performances, Artist Talks, and Workshops

  • Leela Dance Collective
  • Las Cafeteras
  • Arturo O’Farrill
  • Lakecia Benjamin and Regina Carter
  • American Spiritual Ensemble
  • Ephrat Asherie
  • Ballet Hispánico
  • Culture Mill

#PackPops Outdoor Pop-up Concerts 

  • Autumn Nicholas
  • Sonny Miles
  • George Hage
  • Jennifer Curtis

LIVE@Centennial (A Drive-in Series)

  • Rissi Palmer – October 23, 2020
  • Violet Bell – April 8, 2021
  • Charly Lowry – April 22, 2021
  • Jack the Radio – May 6, 2021
  • Caique Vidal & Batuque – May 20, 2021

Artist Residencies

  • Shana Tucker
  • Murielle Elizéon and Tommy Noonan (Culture Mill)

NC State LIVE 2019-2020

LIVE@The Pour House Music Hall

  • Les Tireux d’Roches – August 27, 2019
  • Amythyst Kiah – September 10, 2019

MAINSTAGE

  • Regina Carter – September 28, 2019
  • Nobuntu – October 4, 2019
  • CONTRA-TIEMPO with live music by Las Cafeteras – October 25, 2019
  • Nella – November 2, 2019
  • Canadian Brass – November 16, 2019
  • Marcus Robers and the Modern Jazz Generation – January 24, 2020
  • Shana Tucker – February 15, 2020
  • YAMATO – The Drummers of Japan – February 28, 2020
  • L.A. Theatre Works’ SEVEN – March 26, 2020 [Canceled due to COVID-19]
  • Leela Dance Collective’s SPEAK – April 17-18, 2020 [Postponed due to COVID-19]

KIDSTUFF SERIES

  • TheaterWorksUSA’s Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends – October 27, 2019
  • Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar – March 22, 2020 [Canceled due to COVID-19]

LIVE@Lake Raleigh SERIES
[Postponed due to COVID-19]

NC State LIVE 2018-2019

MAINSTAGE

  • Lucky Plush Productions’ in-progress showing of Rooming House – September 15, 2017
  • John Pizzarelli Quartet with Catherine Russell in Billie & Blue Eyes – September 23, 2017
  • Aquila Theatre Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility – October 3, 2017
  • Philadanco! and Rennie Harris Puremovement’s Straight Outta’ Philly – October 18, 2017
  • Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio with Ruy Lopez-Nussa and Julio Cesar Gonzalez – October 26, 2017
  • Red Baraat – November 11, 2017
  • The Birdland All-Stars featuring Tommy Igoe – February 3, 2018
  • Urban Bush Women’s Hair and Other Stories – February 9, 2018
  • Somi – February 24, 2018
  • ETHEL with Robert Mirabal The River – March 15, 2018
  • Marc Bamuthi Joseph/The Living Word Project’s peh-LO-tah – March 28, 2018
  • L.A. Theatre Works in The Mountaintop By Katori Hall – April 17, 2018

KIDSTUFF SERIES

  • Theatreworks USA Pete the Cat – October 22, 2017
  • Theatreworks USA Dragons Love Tacos and Other Stories – March 11, 2018

LIVE@Lake Raleigh SERIES

  • Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba – April 12, 2018
  • Holy Ghost Tent Revival – May 10, 2018

NC State LIVE 2016-2017

MAINSTAGE

  • The Capitol Steps – September 10, 2016
  • An Evening with Martin and Langston, starring Danny Glover and Felix Justice – September 16, 2016
  • Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio – October 22, 2016
  • The Other Mozart – November 11-12, 2016
  • Billy Childs: Reimagining Laura Nyro – November 19, 2016
  • The Hot Sardines’ Holiday Stomp – December 3, 2016
  • The HillBenders’ The Who’s TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry – February 18, 2017
  • Camille A. Brown & Dancers’ Black Girl: Linguistic Play – February 25, 2017
  • The Nile Project – March 15, 2017
  • Aquila Theatre in The Trojan War Our Warrior Chorus – March 30, 2017
  • Black Grace – April 11, 2017
  • ETHEL’s Documerica – April 22, 2017

KIDSTUFF SERIES

  • Theatreworks USA’s Click, Clack, Moo – October 29, 2016
  • Theatreworks USA’s Teacher from the Black Lagoon – March 4, 2017

NC State LIVE 2015-2016

MAINSTAGE

  • BANDALOOP –  September 17-18, 2015
  • Blackbird, Fly –  September 22-23, 2015
  • The Kenny Barron Trio – October 24, 2015
  • Emel Mathlouthi – October 29, 2015
  • A Simple Space by Gravity & Other Myths – November 5-7, 2015
  • Art of Time Ensemble – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – November 14, 2015
  • The Swingles – December 10, 2015 (postponed)
  • John Pizzarelli – February 6, 2016
  • Yamato – The Drummers of Japan – February 20, 2016
  • Kellylee Evans – February 27, 2016 (canceled)
  • Cameron Carpenter  – March 19, 2016
  • CONTRA-TIEMPO | Urban Latin Dance Theatre – April 9, 2016
  • Acoustic Africa  – April 16, 2016
  • The Swingles – April 29, 2016

KIDSTUFF SERIES

  • Skippyjon Jones, Snow What – October 17, 2015
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar – April 3, 2016

NCSU Center Stage 2014-2015

MAINSTAGE

  • The Hot Sardines – September 5, 2014
  • SFJAZZ Collective – October 18, 2014
  • Lucky Plush Productions: The Queue – October 24-25, 2014
  • Nano Stern – November 1, 2014
  • DakhaBrakha – November 13, 2014
  • The Swingle Singers – February 17, 2015 (canceled due to winter weather)
  • Aquila Theatre: The Tempest & Wuthering Heights – February 27-March 1, 2015
  • Regina Carter – March 20-21, 2015
  • Teatro Hugo & Ines – April 10-13, 2015