The bright lights of The Noorda stage are ready to shine as a new season opens up filled with a variety of colorful talent and a new ticket system to include the UVU campus community in the arts.

Starting this semester, UVU faculty and staff get 20% off the general admission price to any Noorda show. Student tickets will be $17 for any seat to any show. Additionally, students can watch any academic show for just $2. Leadership is working to establish a $2 student rush element to the ticket system in the future, where leftover seats can be purchased for $2 on a first-come-first-served basis. The public is also welcome to attend Noorda performances.

These changes stem from wanting to make the center more ingrained into the UVU community, according to Alex Malone, executive director for the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts.

“I think it’s important to engage our people here on campus. They spend their waking hours here, so we want to be a place of not only broadening their cultural horizons but also entertainment and fun, and having that positive experience on campus,” Malone said. “I also think it’s important to be judicious stewards of the university and the state’s resources, and one way to pay that forward is to ensure that our UVU community sees the value and sees the power of what we do here.”

The changes come just in time for the new star-studded season featuring many acts ready to make their returning debut from the pandemic. Despite many thinking that the arts were cancelled completely, the Noorda still held more than 125 performances last year.

“I know part of the story that was told was that we were dark all last year — but we weren’t,” said Malone. “We did student performances all through COVID year, streamed and screened, relearning our trade and our craft to ensure that the students had a viable and a valuable educational experience.”

Now that The Noorda is ready and safety precautions continue, we’re excited to welcome adoring crowds back to see more than 200 acts and shows like award-winning performer and violin master Joshua Bell, vocal superstars Voctave and Chanticleer, and ensembles such as Ballet Folklorico and Diavolo. The Noorda is also the Utah County home of the Utah Symphony.

Spectators can see a variety of talent from acrobatics with the Peking Acrobats group, vocal and instrumental music by Goitse, and even theatrical performances like “Alice in Wonderland.” Student performances will also be featured as a central part of the season.

Noorda Center performances not only enrich the culture at UVU and within the state, but they also give students a chance to experience performing on a stage and work with industry professionals, all while gaining a degree that is going to make them more employable when they graduate.

This season will feature past and present UVU students as they partner with professionals on a number of shows, according to Courtney Davis, interim dean of the School of the Arts.

“Many of our presentations, such as our collaborations with Ririe Woodbury, Repertory Dance Theater, and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will feature current and former UVU students performing alongside professional artists on the Noorda Series,” Davis said.

As the pandemic is still looming, the Noorda Center staff will be implementing precautions to ensure that guests feel safe and welcome.

“The Noorda Center is very lucky in the sense that we have a new building, so some of our air controls, air handling, and airflow is modern — it is state of the art,” said Malone. “We have digital controls of our air handling and airflow, we have easy access to filters, and we are working with Facilities to make sure that our air handlers are working as efficiently with as much air changeover as possible.”

Additionally, CDC guidelines will be followed in terms of cleaning, and masks, while not required, are welcomed and will be available at the box office for anyone who wants one.

“Our staff is still engaged in high-impact cleaning, so cleaning the areas that are going to be most touched, most used, and making sure that people stay safe. We are trying our best to get back to normal while keeping everyone safe,” Malone said.

For season tickets, visit uvu.edu/thenoorda.