The Newman Center hopes for a new wave of student audience members as it continues its season into the new year. While the center is home to multiple programs including the Lamont School of Music, the Newman Center Presents series brings performers from all over the world for students, faculty and community members to enjoy. 

While DU faculty and staff attendance is higher, the student turnout at these performances are often low, due to other competing obligations. “Research shows that students are most likely to come to the show at a presenting performing arts center if they have a friend in the show or if their professor requires them to go,” said Aisha Ahmad-Post, Executive Director of the Newman Center. Only about 5% of the Newman Center Presents audience members are students. 

“We send out newsletters to promote our shows but as a student, I was getting a bunch of newsletters from different departments. most of the time I would just delete them,” DU Alumni and Artistic Operations Assistant Iden Sheng said. “Sometimes attending a show is the last thing on our list.” 

The season was released on May 1, 2023, and started off with “Dog Man: The Musical” last September. Since then, the center has featured the Martha Graham Dance Company, Okaidja Afroso: Jaku Mumor, Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily: Love In Exile and Samara Joy. 

Ahmad-Post is excited to bring even more diverse media and performers to the stage for this winter and spring, differentiating the center from other Denver venues. 

The process of mapping out a season involves a number of conversations and considerations. 

“We’re always looking for a strong mix of diverse forces,” said Ahmad-Post. Most known and appreciated for dance and Jazz music, the center looks to uphold those traditions while always leaving room for the new. 

“It’s not necessarily a science,” Ahmad-Post explained. When selecting performers for the season, she thinks about who hasn’t had a seat at the table yet, and how those voices can be uplifted. Creating a diverse combination of programming is a priority for the Newman Center, and the upcoming season represents that perfectly. 

When arranging this season, Ahmad-Post explained that she also prioritizes “something that connects and resonates with local Denver art communities and with students on campus.” 

While many performing arts centers follow a theme every season, the Newman Center is different. “If I choose a theme in advance and I try to swap people into that, it can feel a little forced,” said Ahmad-Post. She explains that Denver performing arts venues don’t have the same choices in variety and number of artists compared to bigger cities like New York City or San Francisco. “I would hate to leave anybody out because I wanted to try to push a theme.” 

The energy that students can expect from the Newman Center this year is more concrete, with the aim being “a bit on the edge,” as Ahmad-Post puts it. By bringing in new music genres and mixes of traditional and contemporary pieces, the Newman Center is pushing the audience to try new things. “If you are anywhere in the world, you have access to the internet, so things are changing rapidly. People are blurring genres and boundaries and I think that is really interesting,” said Ahmad-Post. 

The Center also wants to support underserved voices in Denver, according to Ahmad-Post. “There are certain populations that I think we tend to gravitate towards when people are talking about diversity on stage or in representation, but there is just so much out there,” Ahmad-Post explained.

The Newman Center Presents team aims to include a diverse group of performers each and every season. “I am really excited for Small Island Big Song. They are coming in February. It’s a collection of different Pacific and Indian Islanders and their show is explaining their shared seafaring heritage and also tying it into sustainability and eco conservation and I just think that’s really cool,” said Sheng. 

The diverse mix of performances in the 2023-24 Newman Center Presents season encourages the audience to be inclusive and dynamic, while also encouraging their own artistic boundaries to be pushed. “Enjoying something you didn’t know anything about before you went in there is one of the greatest experiences there is,” said Ahmad-Post. 

While bringing back the same performers every year builds loyalty between the artist and audience, Ahmad-Post described a sense of urgency “to bring voices and excitement and new things to Denver in a way that only the Newman Center really can because we are a mission-driven presenting organization on a university campus.” 

Sheng’s work at the Newman Center is just one example of how students can get involved with the center during or after their time at DU. Sheng had attended a couple Newman Center performances while he was a student. During his time working at the Newman Center, he has learned many “back-end” skills in the operation realm of things. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, other than just they come and perform for us,” said Sheng.

All DU community members can get into any Newman Center Presents show for 15 dollars, using the discount code DUST. Students are encouraged to attend performances, but there are a number of other ways to get involved.

As a nonprofit organization, the Newman Center provides many real world experiences for students interested in essentially any field. This includes marketing, analytics, production, event planning, education and more.  

“I did it in college and it was a huge part of me launching my career,” explained Ahmad-Post. “There are a lot of different things that are directly applicable to other career pathways.” 

Whether you want to attend a show or get even more involved as an employee or volunteer, “there is something for everyone,” said Sheng. For updates on the upcoming Newman Center Presents performances, visit their website.