Tony- and Grammy-Nominated John Cariani to Perform at Heritage Center with Area Students
By University Relations Staff
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Actor and playwright John Cariani will headline a night of Broadway hits performed by University of Dubuque and area high school students during A Broadway Cabaret with Special Guest John Cariani at 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 2026, in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center.
WHAT: A Broadway Cabaret with Special Guest John Cariani
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 2026
WHERE: John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque
TICKETS: $10
UD faculty, staff, and students free.
Well-known for his recurring roles on TV's Law & Order, Numb3rs, and The Onion News Network, Cariani has also appeared in several films as well as plays and musicals on and off-Broadway and at regional theatres across the country. He's been nominated for a Tony Award for Fiddler on the Roof and two Grammy Awards for Something Rotten! and Caroline, or Change. Additionally, he was in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical The Band's Visit. As a playwright, Cariani is perhaps best known for his first play, Almost, Maine, which has received nearly 6,000 productions and has been translated into over a dozen languages. His other plays, Love/Sick, cul-de-sac, and Last Gas, have been produced over 500 times around the world and have also been translated into several languages. Cariani's newest play, Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars, will soon be published by Concord Theatricals.
During A Broadway Cabaret with Special Guest John Cariani, UD and area high school students will perform a showcase of songs including "Mr. Cellophane" from Chicago, "Waving Through a Window" from Dear Evan Hansen, "Flowers" from Hadestown, and "Astonishing" from Little Women. Cariani will headline the evening with several solo-performed songs such as "Happy People," words and music by Lori McKenna and Hailey Whitters. Jill Klinebriel, UD choral accompanist, will accompany the singers. The cabaret will end with a special group song featuring Cariani with the participating students.
Before the evening performance, students will participate in a workshop and master class with Cariani.
"I'm excited about working with UD and area high school students because I think it's important for young people from far-flung places - places that are far away from the dominant arts and cultural centers in this country - to know that they can make a life in the performing arts," Cariani said. "I didn't know any playwrights or actors or singers when I was growing up. But when I went to college, I learned that people made a living making art. I learned it was possible to be a professional actor or a writer or a musician. I hope my visit helps some young Midwestern people understand what's possible. Also, I hope they realize that good actors and singers and writers are everywhere. At UD. In Dubuque, Iowa. They're not just from LA or New York. Great art and great artists can be from anywhere and everywhere."
An annual music theatre tradition, Joe Klinebriel, MFA, professor of theatre, has hosted the master class and cabaret event for three years in a row. He is grateful for the event's many accomplishments.
"The master class is an invaluable opportunity for both our UD students and area high school students to work with a Broadway theatre professional, whose talents and skills are of the highest caliber," Klinebriel said. "Our theatrical work at UD continues to expand and improve, and it's partly due to the exposure and training opportunities that our students get when they take advantage of events like this. Students get to make real world professional connections, and those connections make an impact that can last a lifetime for the students. If the day's master class sessions improve the creative process, the evening's cabaret celebrates that process and gives students a chance to shine alongside our Broadway guest. The event continues to have exponential rewards for the students who participate."
Tickets may be purchased now! Stop by the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, 2255 Bennett Street; call 563.585.7469; or visit www.dbq.edu/HeritageCenter to purchase tickets. The box office is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 90 minutes prior to events.
Area Student Performers
Kailey Bedtka, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Julien Derks, Dubuque Senior High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Lucas Federonich, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Sydney Haxmeier, Western Dubuque High School, Epworth, Iowa
Aleya Johnson, Clarke University, Dubuque, Iowa
Keenan Klootwyk, Western Dubuque High School, Epworth, Iowa
Haley Mills, Hempstead High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Reid Postma, Dubuque Senior High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Ethan Renne, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Bri Richey, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Owen Ripperger, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Winnie Schroeder, Wahlert Catholic High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Adriana Smith, Dubuque Senior High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Alaina Smith, Dubuque Senior High School, Dubuque, Iowa
Owen Smith, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Asher Soppe, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
Natalie Thuerauf, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa
