Mercyhurst (MIAC) 2026-27 Season: LGBTQIA+ Performances

By Bobbie Fenno

The 2026-27 MIAC Live season at Mercyhurst University brings an eclectic lineup of musicians, Broadway stars, dancers and performers to Erie. Among the season's diverse offerings are artists and allies with personal connections to the LGBTQ+ community. Each brings a different story and perspective to the Mercyhurst stage.

Seth Rudetsky & Beth Leavel - October 17, 2026 - The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series Starring Beth Leavel
Rudetsky has spent decades working behind the scenes and onstage with some of Broadway's biggest stars. He is currently a host on SiriusXM's Broadway channel and has worked as a Broadway pianist and conductor, comedy writer and performer. He is also the co-creator, with his husband James Wesley, of Stars in the House, a livestream series created during the COVID-19 Broadway shutdown that raised more than $1.2 million for the Entertainment Community Fund. This performance features Tony Award-winning actress Beth Leavel, whose Broadway career includes The Prom, giving the concert an additional connection to LGBTQ+ theater and representation.

Rudetsky and Wesley have also been longtime supporters of LGBTQ+ causes. Following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, the couple helped organize Broadway for Orlando, bringing together dozens of Broadway stars to record "What the World Needs Now Is Love." Proceeds benefited LGBTQ+ organizations in Orlando, and the project earned the couple the National Leadership Award from the LGBTQ Task Force.

David Archuleta - December 8, 2026 - Warm Me Up Holiday Tour
Former American Idol finalist David Archuleta will bring his holiday show to Mercyhurst in December. Archuleta publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021. In 2026, he released Devout, a memoir detailing that journey and his experience moving from being a closeted teenager to living openly as a queer man. Archuleta has become an important voice for LGBTQ+ people who have struggled with questions of faith, identity and acceptance.

Betty Buckley - April 17, 2027
Broadway legend Betty Buckley returns to Mercyhurst in April for another MIAC Live appearance. A Tony Award winner best known for roles in Cats, Carrie, Sunset Boulevard and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Buckley has developed a particularly devoted following among LGBTQ+ audiences over her decades-long career.

Often embraced as a gay icon, Buckley has become a beloved figure within LGBTQ+ theater and cabaret communities. Her powerful voice, theatrical performances and long association with Broadway's LGBTQ+ fan base have made her a favorite with queer audiences. Her role as Margaret White in the original Broadway production of Carrie and her work in Cats and Sunset Boulevard have become especially celebrated within musical-theater fandom.

Claybourne Elder - May 7, 2027 - "If the Stars Were Mine"
The 2026-27 season closes with Broadway and television performer Claybourne Elder. If the Stars Were Mine combines cabaret and stand-up comedy with songs by Stephen Sondheim, selections from the Great American Songbook, Whitney Houston and others. MIAC describes the show as a "hilarious and heartfelt" evening showcasing Elder's talents as both a performer and storyteller. Elder is an openly gay actor, singer and writer who has appeared on Broadway in Company, Bonnie & Clyde and Torch Song. He currently stars as John Adams in HBO's The Gilded Age. Elder has spoken about being kicked out of Brigham Young University because he was gay and later building a career in theater.

TICKETS & INFO: Check MIAC's website (https://miac.mercyhurst.edu/events/miac-live) or box office for seating and ticket pricing. Performances span August 2026 through May 2027.

About the Author

Bobbie Fenno Bobbie Fenno (She/Her) joined as a contributing editor in 2025, but has been involved with Erie Gay News as a folding volunteer previously. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor's degree in Business, a certificate in Project Management, and an Associate's in Information Technology. Bobbie is also an active member of the LBT Women of Erie group and was also a board member for the NWPA Pride Alliance for four years (2021-2024).