With the start of the school year, the music and theater seasons in Ann Arbor are firing up once again.

So, below is a list of the big concerts and theatrical highlights of the ’09-’10 season. This list includes concerts at the larger venues and stage events likely to be among the most popular.

But make sure you also regularly check the schedules and Web sites of the smaller, more intimate concert venues like The Ark, the Blind Pig and the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater, who, between them over the next few months will present such great acts as Michelle Shocked, Steeleye Span, the Cowboy Junkies, Guy Clark, Mike Gordon of Phish, The Bad Plus, the Bill Charlap Trio and many others.

Also keep an eye out for the many other productions being staged by the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, Performance Network, the Purple Rose, the Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter and the theater departments of the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.

Since most of the concerts listed below are at either the Michigan Theater or Hill Auditorium, we’ve listed the address and phone numbers for those two venues separately at the bottom of this page.

Sept. 10-13, “The Producers,” Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, 322 W. Ann St.: The storyline of this classic, which debuted in the ‘60s on Broadway, is now a very familiar one, due to its very high-profile revivals/remakes in recent years. A scheming producer and accountant realize they can make more money by staging a Broadway flop than by presenting a successful one. The Civic’s interpretation is directed by Wendy Sielaff. Details: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Web site and A2CT ticket info.

Sept. 15, Regina Spektor, Michigan Theater: Spektor has been causing a stir among critics and fans alike the last few years with her sometimes-quirky and eclectic piano-pop She’s Russian-born, but emigrated to New York as a youth and received many years of classical piano training. Her latest album, “Far,” was released in June and won effusive reviews. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Sept. 17-Dec. 19, “Escanaba,” Purple Rose Theatre, Chelsea: The final installment of Jeff Daniels’ Yooper trilogy is its “origin story,” wherein Alphonse Soady is completing his new deer camp when a hyped-up James Negamanee bursts in, being chased by a black bear. And thus, the “Escanaba” story begins. Details: Purple Rose Theatre Company Web site.

Sept. 25, Ani DiFranco, Michigan Theater: DiFranco is a unique artist who, early on, defied music-industry logic by eschewing the major-label approach and releasing her discs on her own label. Her music was initially categorized as “folk-punk,” but she later added pop and jazz elements. Her latest album is “Red Letter Year.” Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Sept. 26, Grizzly Bear, Michigan Theater: This unique and experimental folk-rock band merges traditional instrumentation, melodic vocal harmonies and electronic effects. The group's May release, “Veckatimest” debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top Ten chart. Rolling Stone opined that the disc was “already a front-runner for 2009’s most gushed-over art-rock record.” Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Sept. 28, Brandi Carlile, Michigan Theater: Carlile was only 23 when she released her major-label debut, but her organic brand of folk-rock has won over critics and fans alike, with songs brimming with emotions and observations that make her sound wise beyond her years. Carlile's latest CD, “The Story,” was released in 2007. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Oct. 1-18, “Sweeney Todd,” Encore Theatre, Dexter: This musical thriller, by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, has also received some high-profile revivals and remakes of late, including the film starring Johnny Depp. It tells the infamous tale of an unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London to seek revenge and wreak bloody havoc. Details: The Encore Theatre Web site.

Oct. 2, Umphrey’s McGee, Michigan Theater: These guys create an ambitious form of improvisational jazz-rock fusion, drawing both the jam-band crowd and open-minded progressive rockers. Their musical alchemy also includes folk, metal and funk. But they also deliver memorable melodies and tightly woven vocal harmonies. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Oct. 7, Punch Bros with Chris Thile, Power Center: Thile was a the pretty-boy focal point of Nickel Creek, the bluegrass/newgrass band that drew on pop elements to build a big following. He’s been playing with the Punch Brothers since 2006. The acoustic ensemble - pulling together five of the hottest pickers on the scene -- energetically fuse jazz, bluegrass and classical music. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Oct. 15-18, “Evita”: A production of the University of Michigan School of Music, presented at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. The rousing “Evita” tells the story of Eva Peron, an actress who marries the ruler (Juan Peron) of Argentina and wins the support of the people. The U-M production is directed by Linda Goodrich, with musical direction by Catherine Walker Adams. Details: U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance Web site.

Oct. 15, Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar, Hill Auditorium: To rock fans, Ravi Shankar is best known for his performance at Woodstock and his association with George Harrison. But he’s enjoyed a long and storied career since then, and is India’s most prominent musical ambassador. He performs in concert with his daughter, Anoushka, who mixes electronica, jazz, flamenco, and Western classical music. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Oct 16, Wilco, Hill Auditorium: Wilco’s music has never stayed static. The group started out in the alt-country camp, then went in a more pop direction, then got experimental, then turned to a country-folk-rock sound, etc. - and never lost its mojo with the critics or the fans along the way. And the group has done it while changing personnel seemingly with every album. The band’s latest release is “Wilco (The Album).” Details: Live Nation Web site.

Oct. 23-25; 29-31, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” an Eastern Michigan University Theatre production: This famous musical is a dizzy romp about a lazy but shrewd Roman slave who, in order to win his freedom, must figure out a way to bring together his young master and a virgin courtesan. The EMU production, directed by Pirooz Aghssa, is presented at The Quirk Theatre, Best Hall and East Circle Drive, Ypsilanti. Details: Eastern Michigan University Theatre Web site.

Oct. 23, Emmylou Harris, Michigan Theater: One of the most beloved figures on the country-folk-pop scene, Harris has easily moved in and out of various styles - bluegrass, country-rock, pensive folk - for more than 30 years, and, starting in the 1990s, she developed an ambient, atmospheric folk-pop sound. And, along the way, she’s consistently received affirmation in the industry, winning 12 Grammy Awards. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Oct. 27, Richard Thompson/Loudon Wainwright III, Michigan Theater: This will truly be one of the highlights of the fall concert season. Thompson, a Brit, is a revered guitar hero whose blazing solos draw not from the blues, but from the seductive but ominous drone of Celtic music. He also writes songs that can be harrowing, melancholy or sardonic, and he posses a quick, sometimes goofy wit. The latter might also be said of Wainwright, one of the more incisive and admired songwriters of American folk-pop music in the last 30 years. He can write about his deceased mother with extreme poignancy, then turn around and toss a sardonic jape about a sexual experience he’d rather forget. He’s also been composing for films and has a second career as an actor. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Oct. 30, Robin Williams, Hill Auditorium: Some always suspected, while watching Williams’ perpetually-manic onstage antics, that he might one day blow a gasket. Whether that was the cause or not, Williams did cancel a series of shows in March when he took ill — and ended up requiring heart surgery. He’s back, making up those dates with this “Weapons of Self-Destruction” tour. Details: Live Nation Web site.

Nov. 11, Keb’ Mo’, Michigan Theater: His real name is Kevin Moore, but as Keb’ Mo,’ he’s a singer-songwriter who has taken the blues and added folk and pop-music elements to create something that appeals to those outside of the traditional blues audience. Onstage, he’s a charismatic performer with a seemingly ever-present smile. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Nov., 20, Patti Lupone, Hill Auditorium: Lupone is a Broadway star and Tony Award-winner. Right on the heels of her acclaimed turn as Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” Lupone, on this night, lends her powerhouse voice to Broadway classics, selections from the likes of “Hair,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Funny Girl,” “West Side Story,” “Peter Pan,” “Evita,” and more. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Dec. 5, Lisa Lampanelli, Michigan Theater: The celebrated “queen of mean,” Lampanelli is an equal-opportunity offender. Her Web site boasts that she is a “cross between Don Rickles, Archie Bunker, and a vial of estrogen.” Except Rickles and Bunker never told jokes as graphic as Lampanelli’s. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Jan. 8, Souad Massi, Michigan Theater (presented by University Musical Society): Massi, a singer/songwriter/guitarist who grew up in a hardscrabble Muslim household in an Algiers suburb, started out singing for the Algerian political rock band Atakor. Her current acoustic-based music draws on rock, country, and the Portugese fado, but also incorporates Asian musical influences and instruments like the oud. Details: Michigan Theater Web site.

Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hill Auditorium: Even before their 1986 collaboration with Paul Simon, Ladysmith was deftly mixing the tricky rhythms and harmonies of their native South Africa with the sound and message of Christian gospel music. And ever since, Ladysmith has been opening the doors to South African culture with their concerts and recordings. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Feb. 17, Bela Fleck and the Africa Project, Hill Auditorium: Fleck, a banjo virtuoso, has fused many styles over the years, and this synergy is based on his travels to Africa to discover the origins of the banjo. The film “Throw Down Your Heart” followed Fleck’s musical explorations in Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali. For this show, Fleck collaborates with some of Africa’s most talented musicians. Details: University Musical Society web site.

March 17, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Hill Auditorium: This in an annual event at Hill, with Marsalis bringing the extremely talented and inspiring 15-member orchestra to town to dig deep into their vast repertoire, which spans the jazz idiom from vintage compositions to newly commissioned pieces to new interpretations of trad-jazz standards. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

April 1-May 9, “Little Shop of Horrors,” Performance Network: The campy classic gets another high-energy interpretation. Plot line: Seymour is a shy floral assistant who becomes famous when he discovers a profane, soul-singing plant. Dark-humored twists ensue when it turns out the plant needs to fed a constant supply of fresh blood. Details: Performance Network Web site.

April 10, Baaba Maal with special guests NOMO, Michigan Theater (presented by University Musical Society): The music of Maal, a Senegal native, has ranged from modern-day Afro-Pop to interpretations of traditional West African music - and also adds funk, rock, and blues to the mix. Opening act NOMO is a group of University of Michigan School of Music grads who stir up a heady Afro-Pop brew of their own. Details: University Musical Society Web site.

Photos: Top, "The Producers" at the Civic Theater; bottom, Grizzly Bear.

Kevin Ransom is a freelance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.