The State Theatre is the Starship Enterprise of the Lehigh Valley arts and entertainment scene, and perhaps beyond.

Shelley Brown, President and CEO of the State Theatre, has gone where few arts venue administrators have gone before in the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in announcing the 94th season of the Easton arts center, scheduled January 2021 through June 2021.

In some kind of way, it’s symbolically reminiscent of William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk who, at the beginning of each episode of the “Star Trek” science-fiction television series (1966-1969), announced the mission thusly: “To boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Or, to quote the 1971 hit from Ringo Starr, who celebrated his 80th birthday July 7 and whose tour was to have stopped June 6 at the State Theatre, because of the coronavirus pandemic, “You know it don’t come easy.”

Says Brown in the July 21 press release announcing the 2021 season, “We look forward to presenting a season of shows beginning in January 2021.

“We will begin with general admission shows as we ease back into our beautiful building, and also decide closer to show times what the show lengths will be and whether there will be intermissions.

“We are preparing diligently to welcome audiences back to enjoy fabulous entertainment together again,” Brown says.

National tours scheduled for the State Theatre in 2021 include “Fiddler on the Roof,” the 25th anniversary of “Rent,” as well as “Jersey Boys,” “Hairspray” and “Riverdance.”

Concerts include the Early Elton Trio, Big Eyed Fish: Dave Matthews Band Tribute, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, The Fab Faux, “Trifecta of Folk Greats”: Kingston Trio, Brothers Four and Limelighters, Englebert Humperdinck, Motones & Jerseys: In Concert, “One Night of Queen,” and Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band.

The 2021 Freddy Awards are also scheduled.

Tickets for the new season went on sale to State Theatre members Aug. 4 and go on sale to the public, 10 a.m. Aug. 12.

Tickets and memberships are available at: www.statetheatre.org.

The State Theatre Box Office remains closed to in-person sales. Phone orders are temporarily suspended.

Here’s the State Theatre January - June 2021 season:

“A Night with Vic DiBitetto,”

8 p.m. Jan. 9, 2021. VIP tickets include post-show meet and greet with DiBitetto.

Early Elton Trio: 50th Anniversary Triple Play

, 8 p.m. Jan. 29, 2021. Performance of Elton John albums, “Tumbleweed Connection,” “11-17-70” and “Madman Across the River,” by Jeff Kazee of Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes (piano, vocals), Rich Pagano of The Fab Faux (drums, vocals) and John Conte of Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes (bass, vocals).

“The Daily Show Writers’ Comedy Tour,”

8 p.m. Jan. 30, 2021. The writers for “The Daily Show,” the longest-running program on Comedy Central, features Kat Radley, David Angelo, Matt Koff and Joseph Opio.

Big-Eyed Phish: Dave Matthews Band Tribute,

8 p.m. Feb. 6, 2021

“Fiddler on the Roof,”

7 p.m. Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, 2021. The musical masterpiece from Tony Award-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize-winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick includes the songs “Tradition,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were A Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life (L’Chaim!).” The national touring production is by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher and Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers,

7:30 p.m. March 11, 2021. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers’ fuse bagpipes with popular songs, including Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and AC-DC’s “Thunderstruck.” With the Liberty High School Grenadier Pipes & Drums.

The Fab Faux,

with The Hogshead Horns and The Creme Tangerine Strings, 8 p.m. March 13, 2021. VIP tickets include post-show meet and greet.

“The Irish Comedy Tour,”

8 p.m. March 17, 2021. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Detroit native Derek Richards, Boston-born Mike McCarthy, Nova Scotia’s Damon Leibert, and from Inchicore, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, Derrick Keane.

“Rent,”

3 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 27, 2021. The 25th anniversary “Farewell Season of Love” is the final national tour production of Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical.

“Trifecta of Folk Greats”: The Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four and The Limeliters,

7:30 p.m. April 10, 2021

Engelbert Humperdinck,

7:30 p.m. April 14, 2021. Hear some of the crooner’s best-known songs, including “Release Me” and “After the Lovin,’” in a career spanning more than 50 years, with 160 million records sold, including 64 gold albums and 35 platinum albums, four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Motones & Jerseys: In Concert,

7 p.m. April 15, 2021. The music of Marvin Gaye, The Drifters, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and many more is celebrated.

“B - Underwater Bubble Show,”

7:30 p.m. April 16, 2021. Inspired by Cirque du Soleil, the show’s effects include lasers, snow cannons, soap-bubble tornadoes, theatrical fog, smoke rings, smoke-filled soap bubble machines and optical illusions with references to “Pinocchio,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Peter Pan.”

“One Night of Queen,”

7:30 p.m. April 17, 2021. Gary Mullen & the Works, in its 13th year of touring the United States, recreates the look, sound and showmanship of arguably the greatest rock band.

“23rd Annual Elvis Bash,”

3 p.m. April 18, 2021. Scot Bruce portrays the young Elvis. Mike Albert portrays the “Vegas-style” Elvis. Both are backed by The Big E Band.

“Jersey Boys,”

7:30 p.m. April 22, 2021. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning true-life musical about Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons features Top 10 hits, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night).”

“Oh What a Night of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Volume II,”

7 p.m. April 24, 2021. The concert includes Kenny Vance and the Planotones, Shirley Alston Reeves (original lead singer of The Shirelles), Cleveland Still & The Dubs, The Mystics and The Fireflies.

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band,

7:30 p.m. June 7, 2021. The North American tour with the All-Starr Band, including Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Gregg Rolie, Warren Ham, Gregg Bissonette and Hamish Stuart, brings Ringo back to the State Theatre for the first time since 2012 and follows the former Beatles’ drummer’s 20th studio album, “What’s My Name.”

“Hairspray,”

7 p.m. June 15 and June 16, 2021. The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2002, is based on the 1988 comedy movie written and directed by John Waters (and partly filmed in 1987 at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, South Whitehall Township), which became a movie musical in 2007. The Tony Award-winning musical comedy includes the songs “You Can’t Stop the Beat!,” “Welcome to the ‘60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” “It Takes Two” and “Ladies Choice” in an all-new touring production that reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team of Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell.

“Riverdance: 25th Anniversary Tour,”

7 p.m. June 23, 2021. The Grammy Award-winning score by composer Bill Whelan has been rerecorded and Producer Moya Doherty and Director John McColgan have reimagined the show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs.

State Theatre January - June 2021 season: www.statetheatre.org

Information: 610-252-3132

Paul Willistein is editor of the Focus features section in the eight Lehigh Valley Press newspapers and on the eight Press websites. Email Paul Willistein: pwillistein@tnonline.com; friend Paul Willistein on facebook and follow Paul Willistein on Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.