NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – For 59 seasons, the Westminster College Celebrity Series has given audiences a reason to take their seats in Orr Auditorium – to hear a favorite artist, discover a new performer, laugh, applaud and share an evening of live entertainment.

After this season, the series will come to an end. The final performance will be April 24.

The performing arts program was launched in 1967 as part of Westminster’s artist-lecture series.

The decision to conclude it was made after the recent retirement announcement of longtime Celebrity Series Director Connie McGinnis.

McGinnis joined the program in 1997 as box office manager, later became assistant director and was named director in 2012 following the retirement of Gene DeCaprio, who led the program for 22 years. DeCaprio died in 2024 at age 97.

“Although it is sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful program, I assure you it is the best decision for Westminster College,” McGinnis said. “If it wasn’t, no one would fight harder for it than me.”

McGinnis said the decision reflects changing audience patterns and the increasing costs of presenting nationally recognized performers, particularly as the program has worked to attract new and younger audiences while maintaining affordable ticket prices.

The series brought touring music, theater, comedy, dance and other live entertainment acts to Orr Auditorium for audiences that came from throughout the two-state region.

Among the many performers who have appeared on the Orr stage are Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Tony Bennett, Ben Vereen, Betty Buckley, Judy Collins, Jackie Evancho, Glenn Campbell, Amy Grant, America, Little River Band, Air Supply and The Commodores. 

Among the performances that stand out to McGinnis is a concert by trumpeter Chris Botti, whom she first saw perform at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.

“I was particularly proud and honored to present Chris Botti,” she said. 

She also remembers presenting Neil Berg, whose productions featuring Broadway performers became audience favorites.

And sometimes, McGinnis said, the most rewarding artists were those whose names weren’t immediately familiar to Westminster audiences.

“Many of the artists I have been most excited about presenting are artists who I knew our audience most likely wouldn’t recognize by name, but their talent was just so unsurpassed I just had to introduce them,” she said.

During her tenure, McGinnis has watched the program’s audience change while remaining focused on its essential purpose: bringing exceptional live entertainment to the region and creating an experience people can share with one another. 

For many longtime patrons, attending a Celebrity Series performance has become a tradition shared with family and friends. Season subscribers have formed friendships with fellow patrons. Alumni return to campus to see a favorite artist, and parents buy tickets to be able to attend shows with their Westminster students, who have long been able to attend performances for free.

“It truly is a community and a family on the nights of shows,” McGinnis said. “Everyone is happy to see one another again and to welcome others and enjoy some of the best talent in the world together.”

That sense of community is what McGinnis hopes will remain part of the program’s legacy.

“I hope they remember the marvelous world-class talent that has been on the Orr stage,” she said. “I hope they remember the joy and smiles and friends made at Celebrity Series.”

The 2026-27 Celebrity Series season opens Saturday, Sept. 26, with Three Dog Night, whose hits include “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” and “One.”

The remaining performances include The Barricade Boys on Oct. 13, Under the Streetlamp’s “Hip to the Holidays” on Dec. 12, The StepCrew on March 6 and “Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney” on April 24.

Season subscriptions and individual tickets are available online or by contacting Georgene Gib, box office manager, at 724 946 7354.

Pictured at top: The StepCrew will perform March 6 as part of the final season of the Celebrity Series at Westminster College.