Lake Michigan College Mendel Center announces 2024-25 season of performances, speakers

The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center has announced its 33rd season of performing arts and speaker events. The season begins Friday, Aug. 23, with Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the first Lake Michigan College Speaker Series guest.

“We’ve built this season based on the type and timing of programming that has been the most successful over the past few seasons, as well as on feedback from our patrons,” said George Kendall, executive director of the LMC Mendel Center. “The focused schedule offers a diverse selection of high-quality speakers, stage productions, and family programming that will provide enriching and entertaining experiences for audiences.”

The 2024-2025 LMC Mendel Center season lineup is:

LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE SPEAKER SERIES

Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Entrepreneur, 2x Basketball Hall of Famer
Friday, Aug. 23
Grand Upton Hall
$50 | Presentation only (6:30 p.m.)
$85 | Dinner (5 p.m.) & Presentation (6:30 p.m.) Package

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment conglomerate that provides high-quality products and services that focus primarily on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities. Having left the basketball court for the boardroom, Johnson has parlayed the skills and tenacity he acquired on the court into a winning formula for his successful business ventures. During his Lake Michigan College Speaker Series appearance, Johnson will share experiences from his ground-breaking business career and time as a champion on the basketball court.

LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE SPEAKER SERIES

Tim Brown
Former FDNY 9/11 Survivor
Monday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Hanson Theatre
$50

Tim Brown is a retired, decorated 20-year New York City Fire Department firefighter, a survivor of the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, a first responder to the 1993 terrorist attack on the WTC, and a veteran of the New York Urban Search & Rescue Task Force team that responded to the 1995 terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City. Brown lost 93 of his friends on Sept. 11, including his two best friends. Since then, he has been a leader in defending the memory of those lost on 9/11 at Ground Zero as a media commentator on the subject, appearing on Fox News, CNN, MSBNC, and CNBC; dozens of local news programs; and in documentaries.

During his LMC Speakers Series presentation “Truth in History, Patience in Grief,” Brown will share his powerful story of survival and loss and of the heroes and horrors of 9/11.

Marshall Charloff & The Purple xPeRIeNCE
Friday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
Jenkins Theatre
$40 | $45 | $55 | $75

Celebrated Minneapolis all-star band Marshall Charloff & The Purple xPeRIeNCE is the world's premier tribute to Prince. As seen touring globally for over a decade, starring in a Las Vegas residency, headlining Red Rocks Amphitheater, fronting the world’s finest symphonies, and featured on albums with Prince, Charloff has dominated the stage as the most authentic Prince tribute artist in the world. Marshall Charloff & The Purple xPeRIeNCE was officially licensed in 2019 by the Prince estate and GMR, Prince’s publishing company, to perform the music of Prince. They have entertained more than half a million fans to date with hits from the Prince catalog including “Purple Rain,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Kiss,” “1999,” and more.

LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE SPEAKER SERIES

Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, USAF
Fighter Pilot, PGA Professional, Patriotic Philanthropist, and Author of “Fly into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness”
Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Hanson Theatre
$50

Lt. Col. Dan Rooney is a United States Air Force F-16 fighter pilot, two-time Top Gun award recipient, PGA professional golfer, philanthropist, and USA Today bestselling author. Folds of Honor, the foundation he established in 2007, has provided nearly 52,000 life-changing scholarships totaling approximately $244 million to children and spouses of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. He has published two best-selling books, “Fly into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness” and “A Patriot’s Calling: Living Life Between Fear and Faith,” and addressed over 1,000 corporations and groups across America with his motivational presentations.

During his LMC Speaker Series presentation “CAVU: Live Unlimited,” with CAVU being an aviation acronym for “ceiling and visibility unlimited,” Rooney will incorporate messages of leadership, fighter pilot lessons, unlocking talents through faith, and embracing resistance with a resilient spirit.

DISCOVERY SERIES

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland
Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Jenkins Theatre
$35 | $40 | $55 | $80

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland is a breathtaking fusion of circus artistry and beloved holiday melodies. From awe-inspiring acrobatics to gravity-defying aerial feats, every moment showcases the extraordinary skill and boundless imagination of the performers. Captivating for audiences of all ages, the entire family will be swept away on a journey filled with music, marvels, and merriment. This event is part of the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Discovery Series and funded in part by the Gast Young People's Performance Endowment.

The United States Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Jenkins Theatre
Free general admission seating with ticket

From Boston to Baghdad, Tampa to Toronto, the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus have been thrilling audiences of all ages for more than six decades. As the premier touring musical representative for the United States Army, this internationally-acclaimed organization travels thousands of miles each year, presenting a variety of music to enthusiastic audiences throughout the nation and abroad. They return to the LMC Mendel Center for a free community performance that will showcase unparalleled versatility of programming, ranging from orchestral masterworks and operatic arias to Sousa marches, jazz classics, and Broadway musicals. Limit four tickets per person.

DISCOVERY SERIES

The Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience
Sunday, April 27, 2025, 2 & 6 p.m.
Jenkins Theatre
$25 | $30 | $35 | $50

This "pawtastic" cast of performers and four-legged stars will delight you with high-energy excitement from beginning to end. You will witness amazing tricks, big air stunts, comedy antics, dancing dogs, and agility demonstrations, making it the most entertaining show of its kind. These furry phenoms have been featured at Dollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags America, and worldwide during the annual Rose Parade, among many other national TV appearances. All the dogs have been rescued from shelters across the country and trained using positive training methods with a clicker and toy motivation. This event is part of the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Discovery Series and funded in part by the Gast Young People's Performance Endowment.

Tickets for the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center 2024-2025 season are available:

• July 8 – Pre-sale for the previous season’s series ticket holders
• July 15 – Individual events go on sale to the public

Mendel Center Series ticket packages are available by purchasing three or more eligible events. Series benefits include a 10% discount on most events, ticket pre-sale opportunities, and exclusive services.

To purchase tickets or learn more, visit www.TheMendelCenter.com.