Indianapolis, IN

‘Glee’s’ Matthew Morrison and ‘Wicked’ stars will perform in Indianapolis this year

Published

1 year ago

January 7, 2025

‘Glee’s’ Matthew Morrison and ‘Wicked’ stars will perform in Indianapolis this year

A main character from the TV comedy series “Glee” and several stars from Broadway’s “Wicked” will sing at The Cabaret this year.

Matthew Morrison, who played energetic glee club leader Mr. Schuester, will deliver a deeply personal show with “Rhythms and Revelations” in March and lead free masterclasses for more than 500 local high school students while he’s in Indianapolis. Fans of Broadway’s “Wicked” will recognize Norbert Leo Butz, Derek Klena and Patti Murin from the New York and touring shows.

The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St., announced a 2025 winter-spring season that’s chock-full of Tony and Grammy award winners and star singer-songwriters who will share behind-the-scenes stories as they perform works that have been central to their personal and professional lives.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $150, with discounts for students and those ages 35 and under. Tickets are on sale now for Butz’s February show at thecabaret.org. The pre-sale for subscribers and donors who give $250 and more starts at 10 a.m. Jan. 9. General ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 14.

Here is The Cabaret’s schedule from February through mid-June.

Feb. 14-15: Norbert Leo Butz. Starred in Broadway musicals “Catch Me If You Can” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” — for which he won Tony and Drama Desk awards — as well as on TV and film. Butz’ Indianapolis show also will include original compositions and covers from the likes of Tom Waits and Elton John.
March 7-8: Matthew Morrison. Along with “Glee,” known for his turns in Broadway’s “Hairspray” and “The Light in the Piazza.” In describing “Rhythms and Revelations,” Morrison writes that he’s “stepping outside of all the characters I’ve played” as he explores his own authenticity and vulnerability.
April 4: Jazzmeia Horn. Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and arranger whose albums include “A Social Call” and “Love and Liberation.” With big band album “Dear Love—”, Horn includes poetry and spoken word while talking about her community, love and herself.
April 12: Ball State’s Next Generation. Showcase performed by students in the university’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
April 25-26: Derek Klena. Merges his experience of fatherhood with music that’s shaped him over the years. Klena’s credits include Broadway’s “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Wicked,” and he’s appeared on TV in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Quantico.”
May 2: The Big Broadway Sing-Along. Sing-along celebrating Broadway with Indianapolis favorites Scott Semester and Sean Baker.
May 9-10: Joaquina Kalukango. Especially known for her Tony Award-winning performance in Broadway’s “Paradise Square,” other stage credits include “Slave Play” and “Into the Woods.” Kalukango also played Betty X in the film “One Night in Miami.”
May 16-17: Patti Murin. Star turns include Broadway’s “Wicked” and “Frozen” as well as TV credits that include Hallmark Channel movies and “Royal Pains.” Her show “Once Upon a Stage” explores balancing motherhood and a performing career.
June 13: Bashiri Asad. Indianapolis-based artist who’s a 2025 Cabaret Artist in Residence. In “The Everyday SoulSinger,” audiences will hear the style that Asad calls “IndySoul,” which includes influences from shoo-wop style singing groups, classical music, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder.

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

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Indianapolis, IN

St. Benno Fest returns to the Athenaeum

Published

6 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.

Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.

St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.

“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “

The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.

There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.

Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.

“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”

St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.

Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.

“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”

The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.

Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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Indianapolis, IN

Lawrence mayor’s address: Growth, safety and health focus

Published

18 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Lawrence mayor’s address: Growth, safety and health focus

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — Lawrence Mayor Deb Whitfield on Thursday evening delivered this year’s State of the City address, outlining her vision for the city’s future.

Her address focused on community growth, development, public safety and the Live Longer in Lawrence initiative. The initiative was designed to reduce barriers to health care for residents.

The city also plans to emphasize arts and culture to ensure Lawrence’s 49,800 residents feel connected to the community.

The Democratic mayor emphasized her administration’s commitment to turning goals into tangible results. “In Lawrence, we are not in the business of ideas that sit on the shelf. We are turning vision into momentum. We are making plans and putting them into actions. We are taking opportunities and turning them into results.”

This story, created from a script aired on WISH-TV, was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

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Indianapolis, IN

Overdose deaths among Black residents in Indianapolis decreased with IU project

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Overdose deaths among Black residents in Indianapolis decreased with IU project

Charlotte Crabtree said her work with the MACRO-B project began with cold-calling Indianapolis residents. As director of community outreach at Overdose Lifeline, she tried to get her foot in the door to share more about free and potentially life-saving services.

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