On Wednesday, Sept. 7, Leach Theatre will begin its 25th anniversary season with a gala event featuring a special performance by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception including hors d’oeuvres and live music by St. Louis-based pop-jazz duo Bryan and Lola on the patio of Castleman Hall. At 7:30 p.m. the SLSO will perform a concert, which will include pieces from Beethoven, Wagner and Schumann. The performance will be conducted by the newly appointed resident conductor Gemma New. Attire for the Gala will be black-tie optional. For tickets to the event, call the Leach Box Office at 341-4219 or visit leachtheatre.mst.edu.

On Sept. 21st, 1991, Leach Theatre hosted its first performance on the Leach Theatre stage, a performance by stars of the Bolshoi Ballet. This gala event was a precursor to the first full 1991-1992 Campus Performing Arts Series that included six events. Since that first year, Leach Theatre has expanded both the number of events held annually at the theatre as well as adding additional programming to the Leach Theatre calendar. It now includes Leach Special Events, Family Events, School Outreach programming and Family Film events. Additionally, many events held annually are hosted by both faculty and student members of Missouri S&T and by community organizations.

The current season includes nine Campus Performing Arts Series performances: Capitol Steps, Page by Page, The TEN Tenors, STOMP, Frank Almond – A Violin’s Life, Vienna Boys’ Choir, 42nd Street, Shades of Bublé and the Russian National Ballet Theatre. The three Leach Special Performances will be 4D Theatre with Mark Nizer, Letters Home and Sing Along with the Muppet Movie.