HoCo Event Preview 2: Stage On The Hill

Graceland University hosts Legacy: A Celebration of the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Shaw Family Auditorium of the Shaw Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free and open to the public.

Throughout the performance, the audience is encouraged to share in the joyous energy of the evening echoing the spirit of Let The Good Times Roll. “I’m looking forward to celebrating our new Performing Arts major,” Cara Phipps, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Theatre Program Coordinator, said. “Legacy is an evening of coming together to present an entertaining evening of memories from Graceland’s performing arts archive.”

The annual production of Legacy honors the collective performing arts, both Music and Theatre, at Graceland University. This year, Legacy draws inspiration from past Graceland University performances for the programming of the evening. These works create a direct connection between generations of students and alumni.

The evening’s program is a collaborative effort on the part of the Performing Arts faculty. The newly-minted Performing Arts major at Graceland University is a unique program that offers three distinct tracks: Business and Entrepreneurship, Dramatic Media, and Performance Studies. Kimberly Manuel, Associate Professor of Theatre, serves as Department Chair. The faculty includes Phipps, Parker Worden, Director of Bands and Music Program Coordinator, and Leah Holder Wyman, Visiting Assistant Professor and Director of Choral and Vocal Studies.

Programming includes the Graceland Band performing the school’s traditional Fight Song under the direction of Parker Worden, the concert choir, directed by Dr. Leah Holder Wyman, taking the stage with some Graceland classics, and students from the Theatre Program presenting beloved scenes and musical numbers from plays and musicals of yore.

Graceland University’s production of Legacy remains a central feature of Homecoming weekend as alumni, students, faculty, and community members gather for an evening of memories. The night’s events conclude with the singing of Graceland’s Alma Mater, bringing together performers and audience members in celebration of university community and school pride.

“Join us as we celebrate Graceland’s 100th Homecoming in a way only the performing arts can!” Phipps said.