Wausau’s Grand Theater unveiled today a blockbuster lineup of performers to mark the venue’s centennial season, which kicks off in November following a $17.5 million renovation. The upcoming season features the venue’s largest Broadway lineup in history, alongside comedy and music legends like Jay Leno and Wayne Newton.
“This has to be one of The Grand’s most exciting seasons in decades, not only for the caliber of performances, but also for the thrill of experiencing the transformation of this entire facility,” executive director Sean Wright said. “We understand how important The Grand is to the community and this region of the state – roughly half of ticket holders come from outside the Wausau area. We wanted to create a season lineup that lives up to the moment of the Second Century renovation project.”
It all starts on Nov. 7, when Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton, comes to Wausau for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Expect to hear Newton’s signature tunes like “Danke Schoen” and “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” as the veteran performer lights up the renovated theater with his renowned voice and world-class showbiz pedigree.
Wright said the Grand’s leadership was looking for a performer of Newton’s stature and legacy to kick off the special 100th anniversary season.
“It’s a re-opening that requires a big name, a glamorous night, and Wayne Newton checks those boxes,” Wright said. “He’s been performing for six-plus decades on his own and brings the stories and songs of the others that he’s crossed paths with through the years. He has a really fantastic band of musicians that perform alongside of him. We thought it was just the perfect way to re-open.”
But the special celebration doesn’t stop there. Throughout the calendar, the Grand’s 100th anniversary season features big-time names including legendary comedian and longtime late-night TV host like Jay Leno, Riverdance’s 30th anniversary tour, four Broadway touring productions and classic rock act Blood, Sweat & Tears.
While the flashy renovations, like new paint, flooring and seating, will catch the eyes of audiences this fall, it’s actually the backstage and technical improvements that are keeping big name acts and Broadway touring productions coming back to the Grand. This season, the Grand will feature the most Broadway productions in the venue’s history. These shows are: “Clue” (Nov. 9-10), “Hadestown” (Feb. 15-16), “The Book of Mormon” (March 26-27) and “Beetlejuice” (April 13-14).
“It’s absolutely huge to be the smallest market in the country to do a multi-night, multi-show Broadway series as we are, and our patrons have shown that they love it,” Wright said. “But it’s not just our traditional patrons. We draw patrons from truly all across the state of Wisconsin. We actually have Broadway subscribers up in the U.P. of Michigan who come specifically for Broadway shows. Obviously there’s something about seeing a Broadway show in a historic theater our size that makes it unique.
“And then there’s a huge economic impact just from the tour itself. All these tours are bringing in casts and crew of anywhere from 50-60 members and those folks are staying two to three nights in our community and patronizing our businesses, plus the 50-60 stagehands that we’re bringing in for each of the show days. It is a major production on many levels to bring a Broadway show to Wausau, and we think that the impact is felt beyond just the stage.”
One name is conspicuously missing from the newly announced lineup, however. A Dec. 17 Christmas show will be performed by a currently unannounced country artist, whose identity won’t be revealed until later this month. Wright did drop a couple hints to City Pages, though. He indicated the performer needs to complete other Wisconsin shows before the announcement can be made.
“This will be the first Christmas tour ever for this specific country artist, so really excited to have them at the Grand,” he said.
With a total of 38 shows scheduled between November 2026 and June 2027, the reopening season promises to have something for everyone. Individual show tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 7, with “The Book of Mormon” becoming available one day earlier on July 6.
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