Cowan Center Director Terri Holland talks about the upcoming season at the Cowan Center. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Update, Feb. 25, 2025 8:30 a.m.: Due to a family emergency, Jane Pauley is unable to travel to Tyler for the scheduled Distinguished Lecture event on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at The University of Texas at Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center. The lecture has been canceled. Please contact the Cowan Center box office if you have questions. Box office hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

The R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center at The University of Texas at Tyler on Tuesday announced the performances coming to Tyler and East Texas as part of its 2024-25 season.

“We are just so excited to start our season,” said Terri Holland, director of Cowan Center. “It’s always probably the highlight of our year to get to share with everybody and then to watch them come in and experience the theater.”

For the 28th season, the Cowan Center will present some of Broadway’s biggest hits, roof-raising concerts, shows with magic and acrobatics, children’s programs and two distinguished lectures by television talents.

“(It’s) always exciting to bring in new artists and to build a new audience back after COVID,” Holland said. “We’re still on that track to just let people know that we’re here and let them know that this is something for them to experience these live performances, which is so different from any other way of seeing a show.”

This year’s theme is “Imagine. Dream. Believe.” which is a culmination of the upcoming production numbers and shows coming for the new season. Holland hopes the incoming shows will spark more interests in the performing arts from the younger generation.

“It’s very important … that they cultivate an interest,” she said. “It helps them start to develop an understanding of what it is to go to the theater to experience that live performance, that back and forth between the artist and, and for them and they get to see that it’s ok to interact with them and hopefully build on that.”

The 2024-25 Cowan Center Season: “Imagine. Dream. Believe.”

The Performing Arts Series (PAS), the Cowan Center’s signature series, is comprised of four larger-than-life performance events, including Michael Feinstein in “Because of You” My Tribute to Tony Bennett Featuring the Carnegie Hall Ensemble (Sept. 26), Lance Burton Master Magician & Friends (Oct. 5), Cirque Dreams Holidaze (Nov. 19), and Momix Presents Alice (March 4, 2025). Performing Arts Series season package prices range from $204 — $254. PAS subscribers may add tickets to the Oct. 24th performance of STOMP to their order now.

The Broadway Series includes three big musicals, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations (Jan. 21, 2025), Pretty Woman – The Musical (March 12, 2025), and The Cher Show (April 5, 2025). Broadway Series package prices range from $153-$261. Subscribers may add tickets to the Feb. 6, 2025 performance of Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’ to their order now.

The BIG Series features Hotel California – A Salute to The Eagles (Nov. 7) and Beatles to Bourbon Street featuring The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra (Feb. 13, 2025). BIG Series package prices range from $84 — $120.

The Distinguished Lecture Series features Alex Guarnaschelli (Oct. 29) and Jane Pauley (Feb. 25, 2025). Distinguished Lecture Series package prices range from $48 — $84.

Arts in Education shows are jointly presented by UT Tyler Cowan Center with Young Audiences of Northeast Texas and Discover Science Place. This year’s offerings are The Magic School Bus – Lost in the Solar System (Nov. 13 and 14) and Dog Man: The Musical (Jan. 28, 2025). School groups may begin calling the Cowan Center Box Office starting Sept. 9th to request group orders at 903-566-7424 or download a school order form at cowancenter.org/buytickets.

According to Holland, who has been with Cowan Center for 24 years after starting out in the box office and various positions, choosing the right performances is a year-long process.

“(There’s) a lot of communication back and forth with going and watching showcases and seeing shows to develop what we think would be an interest here in Tyler and bringing things we haven’t brought before because we’re always trying to bring in new artists that haven’t been here before or just haven’t been available,” she said.

New subscribers can place an order beginning this Thursday at 9 a.m. Cowan Center Circle members may buy tickets to individual shows beginning Aug. 19th. Tickets for each individual show go on sale approximately four weeks before the event.

To purchase season tickets, patrons are encouraged to call the Cowan Center Box Office at 903-566-7424.

For the 2024-25 season, the Cowan Center offers four subscription series with the Performing Arts Series (season tickets as low as $204), Broadway Series (season tickets as low as $153), BIG Series (season tickets as low as $84), Distinguished Lecture Series (show package as low as $48). PAS subscribers may add tickets to STOMP to their orders and BWAY subscribers may add tickets to Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’ to their orders. The Arts in Education Events are all ticketed individually.

All events are performed in the Cowan Center located on the campus of The University of Texas at Tyler (3900 University Boulevard – FAC 1120, Tyler, Texas 75799).

“If you haven’t experienced live theater, look through our offerings, see if there’s something that interests you, come and try us out,” Holland said. “If you’ve been here for 27 years, then we welcome you back!”

More information about the new season can be found at www.CowanCenter.org.