The Young Auditorium is always putting on new events, sohere’s a little schedule preview of all the things going on in January and February.

The year will begin with a 75th anniversary celebration of the film “The Wizard of Oz.” Get your voices ready for a Sing-A-Long screening of the movie on Jan. 24. The classic movie will be shown on the Young Auditorium big screen with subtitles displayed like a giant karaoke screen for each audience member to join in. When subtitles are included in a movie, I tend to read the words more than watch the movie which can be a bit annoying. Yet, I think the showing will be a grand time for all those who can’t get enough of the classic film, and are ready to show off their “Wizard of Oz” movie knowledge.

If “The Wizard of Oz” isn’t your thing, “Aladdin” will take the stage shortly after on Feb. 7 with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. When I was in high school, I took part in a few Missoula productions. The traveling group prepares youth to take the stage in just one week. The musicals are simple and cute. Who doesn’t love to see four to five year olds sing a song in cute costumes with a choreographed dance that is typically just skipping and wiggling? If you find yourself looking for something to do on a Saturday, “Aladdin” might be just the thing.

On Feb. 14 and 19 two bands will visit UW-Whitewater. First on the 14, will be the 1950’s rock band The Diamonds. These folks were on the “Happy Days” soundtrack, in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and in the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame. A dinner and a movie might be nice for Valentine’s Day, but if you prefer music over the big screen, The Diamonds might be the way to go.

Five days later the brass group known as Dallas Brass will perform their repertoire of classical works, Dixieland, swing, Broadway and Hollywood hits. At first this sounded like a standard brass concert with little interaction, but after watching a YouTube performance video, I found the group is a bit more whimsical and have an energy that makes them more exciting.

The child-themed plays continue with “Curious George” on Feb. 22. This event definitely seems to be more geared toward families with small kids. This play won’t have gruesome scenes or lengthy monologues about racism or freedom, so if that’s what you are looking for, I wouldn’t suggest this play. If you have a younger sibling or cousin, however, who enjoys light and airy themes about friendship, this would be the perfect event for you.

For the last event of February, “Calling All Jitterbugs!,” will be sure to get you out of your seats on Feb. 28. To me, this is the most exciting event for the early Spring 2015 semester. Dancing is not for everyone, and a majority of my friends would say it isn’t for me either, but this workshop teaches the audience each step, so my flailing may actually have a rhythm. Again, this event is geared toward children age two through 10 and their families, but I say who cares? The Doo-Wop inspired performance could be fun for all ages.

Overall, I think January and February’s Young Auditorium events were scheduled with a younger crowd in mind. Not to say these events would not be fun for people of all ages, I just hope to see some more adult-themed performances as the semester goes on.

For more information on shows visit:www.uww.edu/youngauditorium