Convos Stories

August 23, 2019

20 Years Later, RENT Resonates Through Timeless Themes

When RENT opened in 1996, its glum stage reflected East Village settings mired in poverty, addiction, and disease. Twenty years later, luxury condos replace tenements, and foodies dine where squatters sought shelter. Suddenly, criticism suggesting gentrification rendered Rent irrelevant mirrors...

August 23, 2019

5 Fun Facts About RENT

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway…and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world....

August 22, 2019

Margo Price: Diamond in the Rough

You can get Margo Price’s life story in a number of ways. One is by sitting with her at an East Nashville café where, this being East Nashville, the place will be crowded with musicians both aspiring and established—among them the...

August 22, 2019

Minimalism Brings Down Barriers In “The Color Purple”

In the current revival of “The Color Purple,” rural Georgia meets spare minimalism. The action takes place on a plain wooden stage. Props are few: a cluster of well-worn chairs, woven baskets, some fabric, a Bible. Even less would be...

August 22, 2019

6 Star-Studded Facts About The Color Purple

By Kristen Day Chances are, you've heard of The Color Purple. But how well do you know these famous facts about the show? The Color Purple made its Broadway debut in 2005. The producers included Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones....

August 5, 2019

Story Pirates study published

Purdue Convocations will publish data from a research study on the intersection of literacy and the performing arts. Purdue Convocations conducted a study of the “Story Pirates” theatre education program to investigate its effect on children’s writing skills. Several key...

July 17, 2019

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cameron Graves

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the house pianist for the party at the end of the universe,” Cameron Graves is revitalizing funk, jazz, soul and fusion with kaleidoscopic, kinetic energy. Get to know the visionary composer, keyboardist, and pianist below...

June 14, 2019

Purdue Convocations presents its 2019-20 season

Purdue Convocations' 2019-20 season will feature more than 30 events, including an array of Broadway musicals, lectures, theatre, music and concerts. In addition to the following performances, Purdue Convocations and the Purdue Student Concert Committee will continue to announce additional...

May 21, 2019

Measuring the Magic of Theatre

Theatre is magical. For a few hours, we sit down and are completely immersed into a different world. The performances we see promote connections with the actors on stage and fellow audience members. Theatre transports us to different places and...

May 3, 2019

Fan favorites of the Convos 2018-19 season

Another season has come and gone here at Convos. With so many wonderful artists and performances, we had to ask our staff what their favorite performance was this year! Dr. Amanda Mayes, Manager of Education “My favorite show was Frankenstein...

April 1, 2019

Todd Wetzel, assistant vice provost for Student Life—wins North American Award

West Lafayette, IN—Purdue Convocations is pleased to announce that Todd Wetzel, assistant vice provost for Student Life at Purdue University and executive director of Purdue Convocations, was recently awarded the 2018 North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents Award for...

March 25, 2019

5 Reasons You Have to See Spamalot

1. The Broadway production (Spamalot) won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was followed by two successful West End runs. 2. [Spamalot] features a chorus of hunky men and sexy dancing girls, eye-popping sets, lavish costumes, plenty of fun...