Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall executive director Mary Bensel admits that scheduling the 2024-25 season of shows “was a little harder than normal,” following last year’s record-breaking run of the blockbuster musical Hamilton. “It turns it up to bringing something equally spectacular to the stage,” she says.

She hopes she’s done that with the announcement of the rest of the season, following earlier release of the Broadway show lineup, which included the first-time appearance here of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. “The biggest show out there we hadn’t had was Moulin Rouge,” she says. “We are lucky to get that for a week” at the height of the season, in March. (Other previously announced Broadway shows include Clue, Funny Girl, Beetlejuice, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Tina—The Tina Turner Musical, Les Miserables and The Addams Family.)

As far as new shows, Bensel singles out a few she’s particularly excited about, including comedian Leslie Jones (perhaps best known for her stint on Saturday Night Live), entertaining here on Nov. 22. “She’s so talented and funny,” Bensel says. “And I’ve never worked with Arsenio Hall before. I’m hoping he will be on stage together with Jay Leno [when they appear March 14], but I don’t know yet.”

Bensel is also happy to add “an exciting new performer to the schedule (on March 12), singer Matteo Bocelli, “who has “a fairly famous father,” she quips (meaning internationally known tenor Andrea Bocelli). “Besides a voice to die for, he’s not bad on the eyes, either.”

And then there’s the arrival of longtime music star and record producer Herb Alpert with wife, songstress Lani Hall, on Feb. 12. “Apparently they have driven by the Van Wezel on numerous occasions,” Bensel relates, “and had been after their agent to get them booked here. I love the music they’ve done over the years, and I hope it will be popular with the seniors in the audience.”

Among other highlights per Bensel: Dancing with the Stars standout Derek Hough (“I could see him dance every night of the week”), presenting a holiday show on Dec. 4; Twyla Tharp Dance: Diamond Jubilee, on March 4, celebrating the dance maker’s 60 years of creating work; and, offering sounds for the pop-rock-loving crowd, the Yacht Rock Revue, on Jan. 23. “That was a real hit last year,” Bensel says, “with people here in yacht hats and boating jackets. Such a fun, fun show.”

Since the Broadway season announcement, Bensel says the hall has added an extra performance both of Tina and The Addams Family, due to demand. But she says there are also still a few open dates remaining in the season, and some shows to be added “always come up at the last minute.”

“We don’t really have to top last season; we can complement it,” she sums up.

A few other performances coming this season: The Commodores, comedian Lewis Black, a Debbie Gibson holiday show, Frankie Avalon, TV food personality Alton Brown, the Branford Marsalis Quartet, and tributes to the Carpenters, Whitney Houston, ELO, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Elton John and ABBA. Tickets for all shows go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7; purchases can be made in person at the box office, by calling (941) 263-6799 or visiting vanwezel.org, where you can also find the complete schedule.