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Arts NC State 
NC State LIVE

FULL 2024-25 Season

Arrive curious. Leave inspired.

NC State LIVE | MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES

Deedee Bridgewater standing outdoors wearing sunglasses and a white dress

Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet
SEPT 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Audience favorite, Dee Dee Bridgewater, is a triple Grammy-winning jazz vocalist. In addition to the collection of Grammys, Dee Dee won a Tony for her role as Glinda in the 1975 Broadway production of The Wiz, she’s an NEA Jazz Master and she serves as Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations. Join us in Stewart Theatre for this powerful homecoming!

INFO & TICKETS 
Nobuntu band posing on a rock

Nobuntu
OCT 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Returning to NC State LIVE’s stage by popular demand, Nobuntu, an all-female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, thrills audiences with their rich harmonies and a song selection that spans traditional Zimbabwean rhythms to gospel and R&B. Be treated to an evening of pure voices, combined with lively percussion, traditional instruments such as the mbira (thumb piano) and vibrant dancing.

INFO & TICKETS 
Larry & Joe performing playing banjo and harp

Larry & Joe
OCT 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

On a mission to show that music has no borders, Larry Bellorín, a legend of Llanera music from Monagas, Venezuela has teamed up with Joe Troop, a Grammy-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. As versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters, the duo are electric!

INFO & TICKETS 
Huang Yi and another dancer on stage with a light from KUKA the robot

Huang Yi’s
HUANG YI & KUKA
NOV 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer and inventor Huang Yi and his robot companion KUKA blend razor sharp precision and stunning artistry, harmoniously weaving together the art of modern dance and the science of mechanical engineering.

BONUS EVENT: Stay for a chat with the artists and local experts on A.I. and humanity.

INFO & TICKETS 
Matthew Whitaker wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket sitting outdoors on steps

Matthew Whitaker
JAN 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Pianist Matthew Whitaker is a star on the rise. This 3-time Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award winner has played the Apollo Theater, The Today Show, 60 Minutes and is an advocate for people with disabilities. With his exceptional talent and his effortless charm, a concert with Matthew is a sheer delight.

INFO & TICKETS 
Sunny Jain looking in a mirror, black and white photo

Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East
FEB 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Called the “Hendrix of dhol” by Manchester Salon (UK), Sunny Jain is most known for founding the pioneering band Red Baraat, which has electrified our stage many times. Sunny’s back with a new project exploring his roots as a first-generation South Asian–American raised on jazz and progressive rock and a penchant for inducing joy wherever he goes.

INFO & TICKETS 
Wakka Wakka Productions’ The Immortal Jellyfish Girl puppet and actor on stage

Wakka Wakka Productions’ The Immortal Jellyfish Girl
MAR 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

A New York Times Critic’s Pick, this post-apocalyptic puppet play (for adults and older children) blends innovative projection, original music, and captivating puppetry by Wakka Wakka Productions that soars through dimensions unconfined by time, gravity or biology. “Humor, emotions, and storytelling verve” – The New York Times

Read more 
DakhaBrakha band in motion, black and white photo

DakhaBrakha
MAR 23 at 3 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Returning for their third appearance to close our mainstage season, we’re thrilled and grateful DakhaBrakha will be making the trek to Raleigh from Kyiv, Ukraine. A fusion of Ukrainian folk and whimsical theatricality, their hypnotic sound has inspired audiences across the world. We couldn’t be more thrilled that DakhaBrakha is back to close our Mainstage season!

INFO & TICKETS 
dinners sharing a meal in 1887 bistro

BISTRO & A SHOW

Before select NC State LIVE performances join us in NC State’s 1887 Bistro for an elegant three-course prix fixe meal. It’s the perfect beginning to a night out. And you don’t have to park twice!

DATES:
-September 26
-November 15
-January 24
-March 23

Reservations required.

SEE MENUS & LEARN MORE 

FAMILY MATINEES

Lightwire Theater's glow in the dark dinosaur on a dark stage

Lightwire Theater’s Dino-Light
OCT 20 at 3 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

This glow-in-the-dark adventure is visually stunning and has been praised for its cutting-edge blend of electroluminescent puppetry and music. Loved by audiences all over the world and Semi-finalists on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Lightwire Theater makes dinosaurs glow in this inventive tale!

Recommended for creative minds ages 5 to 10 and their grown ups.

INFO & TICKETS 
Huang Yi’s HUANG YI & KUKA on stage

Huang Yi’s
HUANG YI & KUKA
NOV 16 at 3 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer and inventor Huang Yi and his robot companion KUKA blend razor sharp precision and stunning artistry, harmoniously weaving together the art of modern dance and the science of mechanical engineering.

BONUS EVENT: We’ll have a robot party for families after the show!

Recommended for curious minds ages 8 and up and their grown ups.

INFO & Tickets 
Wakka Wakka Productions’ The Immortal Jellyfish Girl

Wakka Wakka Productions’ The Immortal Jellyfish Girl
MAR 8 at 3 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Looking for an adventurous outing for your tweens and teens? This action-packed puppet play set in the year 2555 follows an orphan and a jellyfish girl who might just save us all. The stunning production by creative geniuses Wakka Wakka Productions soars through dimensions unconfined by time, gravity or biology.

Recommended for inquisitive minds ages 10 and up and their grown ups.

INFO & TICKETS 

SPECIAL EVENT:
Dasan Ahanu’s
Saints & Aints
James B. Hunt Library
March 28 & 29

Nationally recognized Triangle-based poet Dasan Ahanu will be in residence with NC State LIVE for 2024 – 25 academic year. During his residency, Dasan will create a new work of theatre called Saints & Aints, which will premiere in the cutting-edge James B. Hunt Jr. Library – a place where Dasan often sits to write his poetry. Saints & Aints is part Sunday service reinterpretation, part juke joint reimagining and part underground dance club escapism. This work invites the audience into a communal celebration of life, faith and joy!

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Dasan Ahanu standing outdoors at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham
Specators enjoy live music from a bluegrass band at Live at the Lake, 2022. Arts NC State at Lake Raleigh. Photo by Marc Hall

LIVE@Lake Raleigh
April 10 & 24 | May 8 & 22

WOLFPACK WELCOME WEEK

The Second City on AUG 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Stewart Theatre

Join NC State LIVE for hilarious sketch comedy and improv from The Second City – the group that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Carell!

STUDENTS: Get your tickets August 19 before they go on sale to the general public on August 21.

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Members of The Second City laughing on stage

SPECIAL EVENT:

Tablao Flamenco
at the Lincoln Theatre
SEPT 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Experience the magnetic energy of flamenco dance and music. Tablao Flamenco brings a fresh approach to a night of flamenco, transforming the Lincoln Theatre in Downtown Raleigh into an intimate nightclub like those found in Andalusia, Spain.

This special event is not available as part of our subscription package. 6+ Subscribers will get 25% Off tickets!

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Tablao Flamenco Dancers on stage

It Takes a Village

NC State LIVE is supported in part by grants from the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission, South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.