McCain Performance Series returns for star-studded 2026‑27 season

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University's McCain Performance Series returns in September with a lineup of exciting musicians, Broadway musicals, showstopping entertainers and more. Season tickets — discounted packages of seven or more shows — go on sale Monday, June 1.

Stage, sound and spectacle

The 2026-27 performance series will feature several Broadway hit productions, including "Shucked," Meredith Willson's "The Music Man," and "Mrs. Doubtfire," while fans of "Wicked" can hear favorite songs from the hit musical during a performance by the London-based vocal group Gravity.

The lineup will also showcase a variety of vocal and instrumental acts, including Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra; Grammy-nominated country group Little Texas; and "Classic Albums Live Performs The Eagles: Hotel California." In a world premiere performance, Neil Berg and an ensemble of Broadway vocalists will present "50 Years of Country Rock," a show curated specifically for McCain Auditorium.

Returning favorites include "Second City: Laughing for All the Wrong Reasons," Actors From the London Stage's "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Holiday Hits" featuring the Midtown Men.

Experiences for every audience

The season also includes performances tailored to a variety of audiences and experiences. Family-friendly productions include a live-action graphic novel performance, "A Treasure Island Experience: Jane Hawkins and the Pirate's Gold," and "Holidaze," Cirque Dreams' high-flying holiday spectacle. Celtic music and dance fans can experience The StepCrew's blend of musicians and dancers, while "The Sixties Show" offers a multimedia celebration of 1960s music and culture.

In addition, the series will have two performances in unique spaces. Hawaiian ukulele player and songwriter Daniel Ho will perform in the McCain Loft — the auditorium's multiuse space — and the Vienna Boys Choir will perform at Manhattan's First United Methodist Church.

Honoring McCain Auditorium's connection to the Manhattan community, the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra — directed by Rachel Dirks, director of orchestral studies — will present an inaugural headline performance featuring the community-based band Thundering 'Cats.

Ticket and performance details

Season tickets, on sale June 1, offer 10-20% discounts for subscribers to seven or more events. Single tickets will be available online on Monday, July 20, and in person or by phone on Wednesday, July 22. McCain Auditorium is the only authorized ticket outlet for all shows; the theatre cannot honor, refund, replace or exchange any counterfeit or invalid tickets from third-party websites.

Friends of McCain from the 2025-26 season have received brochures at the mailing address on file. To view a season brochure, visit the McCain Performance Series website to download a copy, or call the box office at 785-532-6428 to request a copy by mail.

2026-2027 McCain Performance Series

All shows will be hosted in McCain Auditorium, unless otherwise noted.

• The Second City — "Laughing For All The Wrong Reasons": 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24
• Meredith Willson's "The Music Man": 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29
• Little Texas: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2
• Actors From The London Stage — "Much Ado About Nothing": 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9
• Vienna Boys Choir: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, First United Methodist Church
• "Mrs. Doubtfire": 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9
• Cirque Dreams — "Holidaze": 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3
• The Midtown Men — "Holiday Hits": 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18
• Gravity: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, 2027, 7:30 p.m.
• "Classic Albums Live Performs The Eagles: Hotel California": 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2027
• Manhattan Symphony Orchestra: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, 2027
• Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, 2027
• The StepCrew: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027
• "Shucked": 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2027
• Daniel Ho, Multi-Instrumentalist: 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 5, 2027, McCain Loft
• Neil Berg's "50 Years of Country Rock": 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2027
• "Treasure Island Reimagined — Jane Hawkins and the Pirate's Gold": 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, 2027
• "The Sixties Show": 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 16, 2027

XXX