The Manatee Performing Arts Center and its resident community theater, the long-running Manatee Players, are breaking new ground this season, in more ways than one.

First, the month of October brings two productions most local audience members have probably not seen before. Coming up Oct. 15 through Nov. 1 in the center’s smaller space, the Bradenton Kiwanis Theater, is Carrie: The Musical (based on part-time Casey Key resident Stephen King’s famous book). That’s followed a week later by the first-ever local community production of the six-time Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, in the larger Stone Hall theater, Oct. 22 through Nov. 1.

Producing artistic director Rick Kerby says he snapped up the rights to the latter show “even before it was made completely public to the whole nation, thanks to our licensing agent letting us know in advance. I love to be able to debut something new for our audiences, and I like the story. It’s an important one to tell, with so many heavy issues: teen suicide, cyberbullying, peer pressure—but it’s done with some lightheartedness and funny moments, and the music is just beautiful.” Plus, he adds, “We love the tech side of things here, and our tech team is super excited about this one. We’ll be using our LED backdrop and additional screens we can project on that show the social media side of bullying.”

Of course, bullying also plays a large role in the tale of Carrie, the high school misfit with telekinetic powers whose prom goes seriously wrong. King’s debut horror novel debuted in 1974, with the Brian De Palma-helmed film version coming out in 1976. The 1988 Broadway musical version of the story was a notorious bomb, one of the biggest flops in theatrical history. But the show developed a cult following, and, after being heavily rewritten and downsized to concentrate on the core story, a 2012 off-Broadway production fared much better. Kerby saw and loved that production, and it’s the version Manatee audiences will see. Since both shows feature predominantly youthful actors, at press time he said he expected a large youth turnout at auditions for both, giving him plenty of casting choices. Kerby will direct Dear Evan Hansen, and Neal Addison takes on directing Carrie.

While MPAC focuses on young people onstage in these shows, it’s also centering on youth and education with its construction project, a four-story building, right next door to the theater building on Third Avenue West in downtown Bradenton. Sara’s Studios, funded largely by donors Sara and Steve Bayard and other loyal supporters, is taking shape there to give MPAC more rehearsal and studio space, allowing its educational programming to expand. Since MPAC opened its doors on Third Avenue in 2013, the company has found it increasingly impossible to schedule all the rehearsals and rentals it and the community need and want.

“When we first built this building, it seemed huge to us,” says Janene Amick, CEO of Florida Cultural Group, MPAC’s parent organization. “It’s amazing how quickly we found we didn’t have enough space. Our educational programs can’t grow; even now, when we’re doing our Saturday camps with kids, they can’t use the ballroom, because there’s an event in there.”

The addition of the new building, scheduled to open in early March, will make room for those growth demands. It will also make it possible for other arts organizations in the community to take advantage of the space. In fact, Amick says it was a conversation with Pops Orchestra managing and artistic director and conductor Dr. Robyn Bell that led to the fourth floor of the new space.

“Robyn said the orchestra would love a new, permanent rehearsal home,” says Amick. From that discussion, Amick went on to speak with other groups in need of such space, from wind ensembles to dance studios to choral groups, and the project morphed into a 28,600-square-foot, $12.6 million building. With the addition, teachers will also be able to give voice and piano lessons in an environment both safe and private.

Amick and her team have raised about $11.55 million of their goal so far. She says the base of people who got the current building out of the ground “have stayed with us, supporting new programs, growing our season. People have stretched themselves.” So much so that MPAC is already looking ahead to eventually adding a fourth floor to the current theater building, to provide space for costume construction, lighting storage and more.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in the October shows and the season beyond, call (941) 748-5875 or visit manateeperformingartscenter.com for tickets and info.