Lindsey Wilson Department of Theatre to present ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ March 26-27, March 29.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (02/25/2026) For lovers of musical theatre, Lindsey Wilson University’s V.P. Henry Auditorium will be the place to be at the end of March.
The Lindsey Wilson Department of Theatre will present A Grand Night for Singing at 7 p.m. CT on March 26-27 and at 2 p.m. CT on March 29 in V.P. Henry Auditorium.
The musical review will span seven decades of the musical stage — from Cole Porter’s Anything Goes of 1934 to Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked of 2003.
“This will cut across generations and appeal to everyone who enjoys musicals,” said theatre graduate assistant Kassidy Phelps ’24, who will direct the production.
With the exception of the late-20th century jukebox musical Mamma Mia!, all of the selections will be from original productions, many by giants of the musical theatre, including: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific, State Fair); Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof); Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly!); Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Into the Woods); Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (Camelot, My Fair Lady) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera).
“I didn’t want anything super modern,” said Phelps. “That’s because I wanted to shed light on the golden age of musicals that got us to where we are now.”
Other musicals to be featured include Dale Wasserman and Mitch Leigh’s 1965 Man of La Mancha; Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin’s Annie; Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s Les Miserables; Burton Lane and Lerner’s often forgotten On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s record-setting A Chorus Line; and Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking Rent.
Phelps said that “it’s been fun to introduce students to older, classic musicals.”
“When younger people think of musical theatre, they tend to think of modern shows, so a lot of them hadn’t heard about some of the classic shows that we’ve included in the production,” she said.
Phelps said she also wanted the show to be uplifting, so even selections from some of the darker or more cynical shows — such as Les Miserables, Rent and Sweeney Todd — will feature more optimistic and hopeful tunes.
“People will enjoy this production because there will be a lot of positive energy,” said Phelps. “It will be a fun night and a great tribute to the musical theatre.”
The Lindsey Wilson Department of Theatre will present “A Grand Night for Singing” at 7 p.m. CT on March 26-27 and at 2 p.m. CT on March 29. To purchase tickets, go to lindsey.edu/theatre or contact the Lindsey Wilson Theatre Department at theatre@lindsey.edu or 270-384-8044.
Lindsey Wilson University theatre graduate assistant Kassidy Phelps ’24, left, confers with Reilly Wells ’26 of Columbia during a rehearsal of “A Grand Night for Singing,” which will be presented March 26-27 and March 29 at V.P. Henry Auditorium.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)