The Wharton Center is making it easier for students to take advantage of the venue's musical and theater events - by making it cheaper.

As of the past Saturday, the center's box office opening day, students are able to purchase tickets to concerts and Broadway shows for significantly cheaper prices.

Concert tickets are $15, while MSUFCU Broadway at Wharton Center shows are $25, in comparison to the regular $50.

Wharton Center's spokesman Bob Hoffman said the drop in student-ticket prices has been made in effort to draw more students to the on-campus entertainment center.

"I would like to see more students come to Wharton Center. We have something almost every single night of the week," said Hoffman, an MSU alumnus.

Hoffman said Wharton Center has something for everyone and realizes its main patrons include people from all walks of life: students, blue-collar workers and white-collar businesspeople.

Concerts are sponsored by the Michigan Radio Wildcard Series and include artists such as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Yerba Buena, BeauSoleil and Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Dr. John.

The upcoming season's Broadway shows include "Chicago," Mel Brooks' "The Producers," and "Little Shop of Horrors."

Hoffman said he is particularly excited for the Oct. 21 Pilobolus Dance Theatre performance.

"I never was really a fan of dance before. But the Pilobolus Dance Theatre artists can do acrobatics, illusion and humor."

The Michigan Radio Wildcard Series starts out with political commentator Mark Russell for a Sept. 17 show called "The Laughter and Song of Politics."

Welcome to Wharton '04-'05

MSUFCU BROADWAY

• Oklahoma!, tickets on sale now
• The Producers, the Mel Brooks musical, tickets on sale Monday, Oct. 18
• Chicago, tickets on sale Sept. 20
• Movin' Out, on sale Dec. 6
• Disney's On The Record, on sale Jan. 17
• Little Shop of Horrors, on sale Feb. 7

MICHIGAN RADIO WILDCARD

• Sept. 17 - Mark Russell: The Laughter and Song of Politics
• Oct. 15 - The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
• Oct. 20 - Yerba Buena
• Oct. 21 - Pilobolus Dance Theatre
• Oct. 27 - Celebrating the Blues with Dr. John & his band, Charlie Musselwhite & Shemekia Copelend
• Nov. 9 - Garrison Keillor and Phillip Brunelle with the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra
• Nov. 14 - Ballet Internationale: Sleeping Beauty
• Nov. 18 - Ethel
• Nov. 19 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• Dec. 4 - The Glorious Sounds of the Holidays
• Dec. 18 - A Classic Holiday with the MSU Children's Choir and the Beaumont Brass Band
• Dec. 19 - A Christmas Carol
• Jan. 16 - The Scholastic's Magic School Bus - Live!
• Jan. 21 - Porgy & Bess
• Jan. 22 - Over the Rainbow:Celebrating a Century of Harold Arlen Starring Tom Wopat & Faith Prince
• Jan. 23 - St. Petersburg State Ballet Theatre: Romeo & Juliet
• Jan. 28 - The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra with special guest Nnenna Freelon
• Feb. 8 - Lizt Alfonzo Dance Cuba
• Feb. 10 - Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center World Premiere Commission by Melinda Wagner
• Feb. 11 - Russell Gunn & Ethnomusicology
• Feb. 13 - The Western Wind My Funny Valentine
• Feb. 16 - BeauSoleil & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Feb. 19 - VocalEssence: WITNESS
• Feb. 20 - Soweto Gospel Choir
• Feb. 22 - Kevin Kling
• Feb. 26 - The Chieftains
• Feb. 27 - David Finckel & Wu Han
• Mar. 16 - Juilliard String Quartet
• Mar. 25 - Lincoln Center Afro-tin Jazz Orchestra
• Apr. 1 - Stefon Harris Quintet
• Apr. 10 - Opera Verdi Europa Carmen
• Apr. 15 - River North Chi. Dance Co.
• Apr. 28 - Professors of Jazz at MSU (PJMSU)
• May 1 - Ralph Votapek: A Life at the Piano

ACT ONE FAMILY

• Nov. 7 - Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping & Other Stories
• Dec. 5 -Junie B. Jones
• Mar. 26 - Jack and the Beanstalk
• May 22 - The Adventures of Curious George