Wachholz College Center fall lineup features world-renowned choir and family-friendly musical

A lineup of music, theatre, dance and family entertainment makes up the Wachholz College Center's fall Performing Arts Series.  

The series celebrates creativity, culture and the transformative power of live performance, offering memorable experiences for audiences of all ages. This fall, WCC continues its commitment to diverse, world-class programming with a lineup featuring internationally acclaimed musicians and a special family production from the renowned Jim Henson studio.

The Performing Arts Series kicks off on Oct. 18 with the world-renowned Vienna Boys Choir bringing centuries of choral tradition to the McClaren Hall stage. Boys have sung at Vienna's Imperial Chapel since at least 1296. 

In 1498, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I established a Court Chapel in Vienna, specifying that boys be included among the singers. Today, the former imperial ensemble is a private, non-profit organization with a primary and grammar school serving 330 boys and girls ages six to 19, with a curriculum centered on choral music and singing. 

The choir’s education, recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage, is open to all, regardless of origin, gender, nationality or religion. There are currently 90 active choristers divided into four touring choirs, all performing as the Vienna Boys Choir. 

On Nov. 1, innovative ensemble CelloGayageum takes the stage. Founded in 2016 by Austrian cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Korean gayageum virtuoso Dayoung Yoon, the duo bridges the soulful depth of Western classical music with the mesmerizing elegance of Korean gug-ak (traditional music).

The gayageum is a traditional Korean plucked zither with a resonating chamber and 12 silk or nylon strings stretched over movable bridges. Yoon and Kim’s unique collaboration celebrates the beauty of connection between instruments, histories and people. With original compositions rooted in Korean folk melodies and infused with global sensibilities, CelloGayageum creates a sound that is at once ancient and refreshingly modern.

Closing out the fall Performing Arts Series is Jim Henson’s musical "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live" on Nov. 11. Written and directed by John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Shrek the Musical, Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk), this family-friendly interactive live musical features both new and classic Fraggle songs, eye-popping immersive stage effects and all the hilarious, heartwarming magic that has kept Fraggle Rock captivating generations of audiences for over 40 years.

Featuring fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this all-new musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock. With lots of music, laughter and imagination, it’s an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles.

Tickets for all WCC Performing Arts Series performances are on sale now at wccmt.org or by calling the ticket office at 406-756-1400.

    CelloGayageum takes the stage at the Wachholz College Center Nov. 1. (Courtesy photo)
  

    Jim Henson’s musical "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live" is at the Wachholz College Center on Nov. 11. (Courtesy photo)