The green room. Every venue in show business has one. It's a place for performers to relax before, during and after a show and the energy varies, depending on which artist walks through the door: Excited, nervous, calm. We welcome you to join us and take a look at what goes on behind the scenes look at the theater. Welcome to the green room!
Shannon Hall, a Wisconsin Union Theater venue, has welcomed an impressive roster of performers over the years, from acclaimed musicians to celebrated comedians. Among its most memorable guests? Broadway stars who have graced the stage with show-stopping talent. Here's a look at some of the legendary performers who brought their Broadway magic to Madison.
His magnificent hair reaches for the sky, and his music reaches beyond the traditional boundaries of jazz guitar.
When Caroline Shaw returns to Shannon Hall on April 16, she does so alongside one of today’s most dynamic chamber ensembles, the Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet. Together, they offer a glimpse of where classical music is headed next.
It’s easy to say that both Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera are legends in their own right. With around 29 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards between them, they have proved time and time again to be standout jazz musicians. Not only that, these two are best friends both on and off the stage.
In 2026, Miles Davis and John Coltrane would have each turned 100, a centennial that underscores their lasting impact on jazz.
On Feb. 28, pianist Emmet Cohen will bring their music to Shannon Hall with “Miles and Coltrane at 100,” revisiting the sound of these two artists, who helped shape the genre.
Over the past three decades, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company has brought the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) work that asks audiences to look closely at the world around them and at the people who move through it.
Most great nights at a theater start with a ticket. The Campus Arts Ticketing Box Office serves as the central access point for hundreds of performances each year, including all Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) events. From student productions to world-class touring artists, the box office, which is headquartered on the first floor of Memorial Union, is where audience members take their first step into many campus arts experiences, supported by a team that keeps ticketing and front-of-house operations running smoothly at desks where they help audiences and behind the scenes.
On Feb. 7, 2026, acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran will take the stage at Shannon Hall to present a moving tribute to the Harlem Hellfighters and James Reese Europe. This powerful live multimedia performance pays tribute to the legacy of Lt. James Reese Europe, a trailblazing Black composer, bandleader and World War I hero, through reimagined soundscapes and archival footage.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s (WUT’s) 2025-2026 Classical Series.
The Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) team at the Wisconsin Union has many devoted people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the programming, performances and excitement we love center stage. Ted Harks’s role as the website and systems administrator impacts nearly everyone who steps foot into WUT’s performance spaces or visits the website. If you’ve purchased tickets to a WUT event online, chances are, you’ve interacted with Ted’s work without even knowing it.
