Country music stars, full-scale live theater productions, a ballet and even a little disco are booked to perform on the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center stage this season.

The line-up for the center’s upcoming 24th season, put together by BPACC Artistic Director Michael Bollinger, boasts an eclectic variety of national and local acts. Bollinger is in his sixth season managing the suburban venue just south of U.S. 70 and Appling Road.

“I try to program different genres of music because not everybody likes the same thing,” said Bollinger, who during his career has managed arts centers and theaters in Missouri, Virginia and New York. “I feel very strongly that BPACC is an important player in the cultural arts scene in the Mid-South. Our audience is not limited to Bartlett residents.”

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The upcoming season opens on Oct. 7 with a performance by country music star and two-time Grammy Award winner Rodney Crowell. The show is part of his “Word for Word” tour that is also promoting Crowell’s new book by the same name released earlier this month. Crowell will play songs that coincide with stories from the book.

New this season will be Theater by the Lake, with a free outdoor performance of “Macbeth” by the Tennessee Shakespeare Company on Oct. 21.

“I think it’s worth trying, and if we can get an audience, I think it’s something we’ll do every year,” Bollinger said of bringing Shakespeare to the suburb.

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For families and children, this season will include the Pinkalicious musical based on the popular children’s book on Nov. 19, a stage version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” Dec. 9-11, Professor Wow’s Fun-Believable Science Show on Jan. 28, and a youth theater production of Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” March 10-12.

“In this day and age, most kids have never been to a live theater,” Bollinger said. “Most of our family shows also have some educational component.”

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The season features several tribute nights, including Departure: The Journey Tribute Band on Oct. 29, Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenters’ Christmas on Dec. 7, Bee Gees Gold on Jan. 20 and 21, and All About Joel: The Billy Joel Tribute to close out the season on May 6.

“The tribute shows sell out,” Bollinger said. “For the Bee Gees night, we’ve already added a second night.”

During the pandemic, despite difficulty bringing in national acts and social distancing reducing the capacity of the 350-seat auditorium to around 80, Bollinger kept audiences engaged with offerings like 901 Notes, which highlights local talent.

“I thought it was really important for us to remain alive and keep a presence, and I didn’t want to be like a ship dead in the water for two years,” Bollinger said. “With 901 Notes, there are some great musicians here in the Land of Elvis, and each year we try to highlight some of them.”

The season’s 901 Notes on April 15 will feature Bailey Bigger and Star & Micey.

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The BPACC opened in 1999 and is owned by the City of Bartlett.

“I believe the arts are important for a community, and I feel BPACC does a really good job bringing in quality shows as well as encouraging our community to get involved and participate,” Bartlett Mayor A. Keith McDonald said.

Bollinger touts the center’s new LED lighting and Clair Brothers sound system installed three years ago, as well as the intimacy of the performances.

“Even if you’re in the back row, it’s like they’re performing in your living room,” he said.

The center is offering a 25% discount this season to people who buy five shows or more.