an art and performance festival FEBRUARY 17-19 Picture yourself at The Grand this spring: Envision a colorful cultural celebration with interactive activities, an opportunity to see a brand new type of performance, find classes for arts education, buy homemade decor, and experience a true explosion of creative energy from all different corners and perspectives in our community. This is Macon Art eXplosion (MAX). So what is Macon Art eXplosion? Macon Art eXplosion (MAX) is an all-weekend, radically inclusive artist-centered cultural celebration with interactiv ..read more

Nov. 28, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Julia Rubens, (478) 301-2933 or rubens_ja@mercer.edu Mercer Music at Capricorn to Host Inaugural Music Business Summit MACON, Georgia – Mercer Music at Capricorn will host its inaugural Music Business Summit on Feb. 25, 2023. The one-day conference will feature leading music entrepreneurs, managers, musicians and technical experts presenting on a variety of topics designed to help musicians, sound technicians and producers sharpen their skills, network and achieve greater success in the music business. “As a young musician and songwriter ..read more

Media Contact: Julia Rubens rubens_ja@mercer.edu 478-301-2933 ATLANTA – The Grand Opera House was awarded a grant by Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2023. A total of 213 organizations were awarded 253 grants that provide more than $3.1 million in funding to arts organizations throughout the state. The Bridge Grant will provide operating support funding to 134 organizations, the Project Grant will help fund 59 arts projects, and the Arts Education Program Grant ..read more

After a disruption in touring productions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Broadway season will be held at The Grand Opera House with tickets on sale now for a subscription to all three shows. All Broadway shows have two nights of performances, so you can pick a subscription for Night #1 or Night #2. Become a subscriber and save! Enjoy over 10% savings for your Broadway tickets at The Grand and make the experience your own in your guaranteed seats. Season Ticket Prices Gold Circle : $230 (plus tax) Area 1: $210 (plus tax) Area 2: $180 (plus tax) Area 3 and Box Seats: $140 (plus tax) B ..read more

July 29, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Julia Rubens, rubens_ja@mercer.edu or 478-301-2933 MACON — Veteran arts administrator and Mercer University alumnus Dr. Frank E. Wood has been named executive director of Macon’s historic Grand Opera House, effective Oct. 17. He succeeds Joe Patti, who resigned in May to pursue other professional opportunities. Dr. Wood, who was director of arts marketing and communications at Mercer from 1995 to 2001, currently serves as vice president for advancement at The College of the Florida Keys, and for the past 17 years has also served as executive di ..read more

Pictured is Joe (left) with Macon Film Festival volunteers shortly after re-opening The Grand after COVID-19 closures in 2020. Joe Patti has served as the executive director of The Grand Opera House since 2018. He will be leaving The Grand on June 30th for new endeavors. This blog is his reflection on some of his time spent in this role. Back around 2008 I heard someone read the poem “The Secret” by Denise Levertov. Since then it has been something of a personal value statement for me. The Secret By Denise Levertov Two girls discover the secret of life in a sudden line of poetry. I who don’t k ..read more

In anticipation of announcing our new season, we’re doing a look back at some of our favorite events over the past season. Come back to The Grand’s website and social channels on July 15th to hear why “The Grand is a place for me” for 2022-2023! The first annual Macon Art eXplosion (MAX) was, appropriately, a mishmash of ideas in itself. The staff had mused over several years about a grand festival to welcome people back to the space after the COVID-19 pandemic closed doors. We had often thought about types of programming that would make people feel more welcome at The Grand. We had discussed ..read more

The Grand is an active part of the community in Macon and as a part of Mercer University. We often take on college students as interns and student workers, showing them the ropes at our historic home. Over the summer, we have Leah Duval coming on as a marketing guru intern. Here’s more about Leah: Hello! My name is Leah Duval. I am currently a senior at Florida State University studying to obtain BA in Music and a BS in African American Studies.  Growing up in Macon, I was immediately engulfed into the arts culture here. As a little girl I took ballet lessons in the heart of downtown, too ..read more

A year-long process of participatory research and interviews will culminate in the first presentation of an original play about Macon’s historic Pleasant Hill neighborhood and the impacts of blight on Saturday, April 23 at The Grand Opera House, with 2:30 and 7:30 PM showtimes. Healing a Haunted House will take audiences on an interactive journey of the neighborhood’s past, present, and future, asking all Macon-Bibb citizens to ponder about the neighborhood’s restoration. Supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly and with funding f ..read more

This semester, our Arts Marketing intern, Lidya Dereje, captured what it was like to attend one of our shows. From the beautiful details everywhere in the architecture to the seamless hospitality in our front of house to the smiles and clapping with spectacular entertainment, check out what it’s like to see a show at The Grand yourself. From Lidya: Watching a show at The Grand was extremely memorable. It was great to connect with and see different types of people, whether it be audience members or performers, mixing in the space. It really shows the way in which the arts bring us all together ..read more