As the leaves change, the fall semester promises a lineup of big-name performances at Iowa State.

Although students and residents await opening night, there is a lot more work than meets the eye to draw acts to the Cyclone State.

Stephens Auditorium, a part of the Iowa State Center, is hosting such acts as Chicago, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “RENT” and San Jose Taiko.

“Programming the Season at Stephens is a multi-faceted project, involving many people and hours,” said Patti Cotter, performing arts program manager at the Iowa State Center.

For a performance to be booked at the Iowa State Center several factors must be considered, including sales potential, audience appeal and scheduling.

Above all, Cotter said, the show must appeal to the community.

“Every performance is assessed for its potential to add to the quality of life in central Iowa by offering a fun, enriching or culturally diverse experience,” she said.

Many of these concerns are answered in conferences held between Iowa State Center staff and artists’ agents.

Before final booking selections are made, the staff meets three times each year with the Performing Arts Council, an ISU advisory committee whose members represent the interests of faculty, staff, students and community members.

“These meetings allow the committee members to review potential bookings, get feedback from their colleagues and other contacts in the community and make suggestions,” Cotter said.

“This invaluable input is combined with statistics on past shows, reviews of peer institution programs and comments from other presenters to narrow the field of potential shows.”

Performances that interest students are a focus during booking. Cotter said it often is a challenge to bring in popular groups like the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.

“The larger shows generally bypass the secondary market, like Ames, and go for new venues like in Des Moines,” said Mark Miller, director of contemporary programming at the Iowa State Center.

“We definitely try to get shows that appeal to students, but often times a lot of these appeal to a general audience.”

On campus, students are still interested in attending despite the older audience.

“I think that most of the shows coming up, like Chicago, do attract the entire Ames community, but I still am interested in attending them,” said Bryan Janssen, junior in civil engineering.

With plenty of events scheduled for this year’s season, the Iowa State Center staff is trying to make sure there is something everyone will like.

“We hope to inspire ISU students with new sights, sounds and ideas and refresh them with the power of the arts. Truly, there is something for everyone at Stephens Auditorium,” Cotter said.