Hoover Library Theatre 2025-26 season includes Sister Hazel duo, 3 Grammy winners, magician and more

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The Hoover Library Theatre’s 2025-26 lineup includes two members of the Southern rock and country band Sister Hazel and three Grammy Award winners, but there’s a lot more than musicians in this season.

Sister Hazel’s Ken Block and Drew Copeland, who will be performing at the Library Theatre in May, could be considered headliners for the season, but Grammy Award winners Marty Raybon and Linda Davis are teaming up with newer voice Mitch Rossell for a “Heart Behind the Music” country songwriters’ showcase in February.

Raybon is the lead singer of Shenandoah, and Davis, who has three Grammys, is perhaps best known for her No. 1 “Does He Love You?” duet with Reba McEntire. Rossell opened for Garth Brooks on his 2022 stadium tour and placed third in season 18 of “America’s Got Talent” in 2023.

The third Grammy Award winner coming to the Hoover Library Theatre this year is jazz guitarist John Scofield, who will be performing in a trio with Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums in March.

Also in the musical vein will be the New Directions Veterans Choir in November and a “Christmas in Killarney” show in December that combines traditional Irish dance with classic holiday tunes.

The 2025-26 season also will feature magician and illusionist Jason Bishop in October, the national tour of The Acting Company’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” in January and The Peking Acrobats in April.

Tickets cost $40 per show. Tickets for last year’s full-season subscribers go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept.  16, through the Hoover Library Theatre website — thelibrarytheatre.com — or at the Library Theatre box office at 205-444-7888 or 200 Municipal Drive.

New full-season subscribers can begin buying full-season tickets at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, and individual show tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.

Attendees will experience a newly remodeled Hoover Library Theatre, including 250 new seats and new carpet, said Matina Johnson, the library’s fine arts manager.

Here’s a bit more about each act coming to the Hoover Library Theatre stage this season, based on information provided by the Library Theatre and the acts’ websites:

Oct. 23-24, 2025, 7 p.m.

JASON BISHOP

Magician/illusionist Jason Bishop will be performing a fast-paced evening of magic, including comedy, audience participation, sleight of hand tricks, grand illusions and dexterous close-up magic projected onto a large screen. Bishop has stared in two of his own shows on Broadway and has been featured on NBC’s “Today” show, CW’s “Masters of Illusion” and CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” His performances have led him to more than 40 countries on six continents.

Nov.20-21, 7 p.m.

NEW DIRECTIONS VETERANS CHOIR

This choir consists of current and former residents of the New Directions transitional facility, which serves U.S. military veterans who became homeless after their military service. The a capella group sings renditions of pop, doo-wop, soul, gospel and “Great American songbook” standards. The choir landed its big break on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and has since performed on “The Tonight Show” and for members of Congress. The choir was founded by George Hill, a former homeless Marine, and also includes vocalist Michelle Graves, a nurse who has cared for this community of veterans for years.

Dec. 9-10, 7 p.m.

CHRISTMAS IN KILLARNEY

This holiday show was created in 2009 by the 2009 world champion of Irish dance, Scott Doherty, and worldwide touring Irish musician Chris Smith. It combines traditional Irish dancing with classic Christmas tunes. The show is set in the old village of Killarney, Ireland in the late 1920s and showcases what it means to celebrate some of the most iconic holiday traditions the Irish way.

Jan. 27-28, 7 p.m.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

This is part of the national tour of The Acting Company’s adaptation of Charles Dicken’s classic book, “Great Expectations.” This adaptation by Nikki Massoud, directed by Devin Brain, follows the journey of Pip, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, from his time as a working-class orphan to a life of privilege and power. The story includes tales of escaped prisoners, wealthy and terrifying eccentrics, decaying mansions and a young heiress with ruthless intelligence. The story of reinvention includes both comedy and romance.

Feb. 25-26, 7 p.m.

THE HEART BEHIND THE MUSIC, FEATURING MARTY RAYBON, LINDA DAVIS & MITCH ROSSELL

Raybon was the founding lead singer of the country music band Shenandoah from Muscle Shoals. The band was known for No. 1 hits such as “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road” and “Next to You, Next to Me” and the Grammy-winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” duet with Alison Kraus. The band split up in 1997 after Raybon left, but it was reformed in 2000, and Raybon returned to the band in 2014. Davis, a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and mother of Lady A frontwoman Hillary Scott, has three Grammys and is best known for her duet “Does He Love You?” with Reba McEntire. She, her husband and two daughters also put out the two-time Grammy-winning album “Hillary Scott & The Scott Family — Love Remains,” which topped the Billboard top Christian albums chart and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard top country albums chart. Rossell, a prolific songwriter, caught the attention of Garth Brooks and wrote four songs for Brooks and opened for the star with an acoustic guitar on Brooks’ 2022 stadium tour. Brooks also introduced Rossell when Rossell debuted at the Grand Ole Opry.

March 25-26, 7 p.m.

JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO, FEATURING VICENTE ARCHER AND BILL STEWART

Scofield, a three-time Grammy-winning jazz artist, has recorded nearly 50 albums and toured with Miles Davis. His latest release, “Uncle John’s Band,” features Scofield on guitar, Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. Scofield is considered a master composer and jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk-edged jazz and R&B.

April 15-16, 7 p.m.

The PEKING ACROBATS

This show is rooted in time-honored and ancient history and accompanied by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments. Each generation of acrobats adds its own improvements and embellishments to the show, which includes balancing, trick cycling, precision tumbling, juggling and somersaulting while integrating 21st century technology. The Peking Acrobats have been featured on numerous television shows and TV specials, including HDNet TV’s “In Focus” series and NBC/Comcast’s new 3D Channel.

May 7-8, 7 p.m.

KEN BLOCK AND DREW COPELAND OF SISTER HAZEL

Block and Copeland, two of the five members of Sister Hazel, plan to take the audience on a journey through recognizable Sister Hazel favorites such as “All For You,” “Change Your Mind,” “Happy,” and “Champagne High,” plus a few B side deep cuts, some new material, storytelling and laughs. The performance is designed to be reminiscent of their earlier performance days as an acoustic duo from Gainesville, Florida. Sister Hazel became firmly established in rock and alternative music after their song “All for You” topped the adult alternative charts during the summer of 1997 and propelled their album to platinum status. More recently, the band, which has more than a million social media followers, has had four back-to-back Billboard top country albums and landed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry.