With midsummer barely upon us, it may seem like jumping the gun to broach the subject of fall and winter happenings on the arts and entertainment front.

But for those who like to plan ahead with certainty, there's plenty to talk about as three of the area's performing arts lineups are unveiled.

Currently on sale, or about to go on sale, are the series at the University of Illinois' Krannert Center in Urbana, the U of I at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium and Millikin University's Kirkland Fine Arts Center Decatur.

Following is a look at each of the schedules.

Kirkland Fine Arts Center

Millikin University's performing arts venue, located on the campus in Decatur, can be reached for season subscription and individual ticket information at (217) 424-6318.

w Sept. 11: Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln, world premiere of historical rock musical by composer-performer DBR (Daniel Bernard Roumain) postulating a meeting of Charles Darwin and Abe Lincoln.

w Sept. 20-21: Scrap Arts Music, the ensemble that performs music formed from industrial waste matter (artillery shells, scrap metal, etc.).

w Oct. 5: Lincoln and Liberty, Too! A Celebration of Lincoln and His Music, a concert featuring the Civil War-era Saxton Cornet Band.

w Feb. 10: Sweet Honey in the Rock, all-female a cappella blues-gospel-jazz-rap-etc. group.

w Feb. 28: Tiempo Tango Chicago and Binelli-Ferman Duo, an all-tango extravaganza.

w April 3-4: The Gordons, The Special Consensus and Poplar Grove Bluegrass Band, a trio of bluegrass bands from around the country.

w April 4: Asleep at the Wheel, the long-running (36 years) Western swing specialists.

Krannert Center

The University of Illinois' performing arts venue, housing multiple theater spaces, is located at 500 S. Goodwin Ave. in Urbana. The box office number is (217) 333-6280.

w Sept. 19: The Builders Association - Continuous City, world premiere of production merging technology and theater.

w Sept. 20: Yo La Tengo and Grampall Jookabox & High Places, indie rock bands.

w Sept. 23: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit and featuring violinist Robert Chen.

w Sept. 26: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, modern troupe directed by Jim Vincent.

w Sept. 27: Bang On a Can All-Stars with Glenn Kotche & Lee Renaldo, rock-jazz-classical ensemble, with Wilco's Kotche and Sonic Youth's Renaldo in 12-hour performances marathon.

w Oct. 2: Sphinx Chamber Orchestra and The Harlem Quartet, black and Latino chamber ensembles.

w Oct. 3-4: Druid - The Playboy of the Western World and Shadow of the Glen, Irish theater troupe performing two plays each night.

w Oct. 6: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Camerata Salzburg, violinist and Austrian chamber ensemble.

w Oct. 7: Blind Boys of Alabama and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, septuagenarian gospel group and New Orleans jazz legends.

w Oct. 10: Compania Flamenco Jose Porcel, flamenco song-and-dance troupe.

w Oct. 14: k.d. lang, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

w Oct. 23: Richard Goode, classical pianist.

w Oct. 30: Guarneri String Quartet, a "Farewell Tour" performance by the 45-year-old string ensemble.

w Nov. 6: Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra, Asian-American jazz fusion.

w Nov. 12: Song & Dance Ensemble of West Africa, which blurs African music styles with Moorish and European folk traditions.

w Nov. 15: Dresden Staatskapelle, German orchestra conducted by Fabio Luisi, with cellist Jan Vogler.

w Nov. 19: Takacs Quartet and Muzsikas with Marta Sebestyen, Hungarian chamber ensembles.

w Nov. 19-20: Bebe Miller: Necessary Beauty, an intersection of dance and multi-media elements.

w Jan. 23-24: LeAnne Howe's Chocktalking on Other Realities, Choctaw Nation poet-author-playwright in one-woman show.

w Jan. 23-24: Russian National Ballet Theatre, performing "Sleeping Beauty."

w Jan. 30-31: East Village Opera Company, or, heavy metal rock meets Verdi and Bizet.

w Feb. 3: Ingrid Fliter, Argentine classical pianist.

w Feb. 10-11: National Acrobats of China, the gravity-defying Chinese troupe.

w Feb. 19: Hugo Wolf Quartet, Viennese chamber ensemble.

w Feb. 24: Kodo, Japanese percussion ensemble.

w Feb. 26: Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, in its first-ever U.S. tour, conducted by Dere Gleeson, with pianist Conor Linehan.

w March 3-4: Cirque Eloize's Nebbia, the third part of the Montreal circus' "Sky Trilogy."

w March 5: Angela Hewitt, Bach keyboardist par excellence.

w March 13-14: Mark Morris Dance Group, performing "Sergey Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet on Motifs of Shakespeare."

w March 15: Aswat, Arabian music ensemble with Simon Shaheen

w March 17: Jupiter String Quartet, winners of the Cleveland Quartet Award.

w March 18: Afro-Cuban All-Stars, Cuban jazz ensemble.

w April 4: Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble in Songs of Ascension, collaboration between vocal ensemble and visual elements by Ann Hamilton.

w April 7: Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band, first collaboration between the jazz legends since 1976.

w April 14: National Philharmonic of Russia, making a return trip to Krannert under the baton of Vladimir Spivakov, with pianist and Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist Denis Matsuev.

w April 15; Mariza, singer of fado, the traditional music of Portugal.

w April 16: Pacifica Quartet, award-winning string quartet in residence at U of I.

w April 21: Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, African-Latin American-Caribbean modern troupe, performing "The 2 Year Old Gentlemen and One Shot."

w April 22: Charles Rosen, Pulitzer Prize-nominated pianist and music scholar.

w April 24: Bobby McFerrin + Polygraph Lounge, a cappella singer and music parody duo.

w April 25 and 28: Anne Bogart's Siti Company, contemporary physical movement theater ensemble.

w May 2: Joshua Redman, jazz saxophonist.

Sangamon Auditorium

The University of Illinois at Springfield's performing arts venue is located on the campus in Springfield. The box office number is (800) 207-6960.

w Oct. 4: Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway, touring musical revue.

w Oct. 16: Compania Flamenco Jose Porcel, flamenco song-and-dance troupe.

w Oct. 24: An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash, reunion of longtime rock cronies.

w Oct. 31: The Capitol Steps, political comedy troupe.

w Nov. 7: Song & Dance Ensemble of West Africa, which blurs African music styles with Moorish and European folk traditions.

w Nov. 10: The Pajama Game, national tour of musical.

w Nov. 22: Cherryholmes, the family bluegrass band in a Christmas show.

w Dec. 13: Ira Glass, Radio Stories & Other Stories, one-man show by host of NPR's "This American Life."

w Jan. 23-24: Russian National Ballet Theatre, performing "Giselle."

w Jan. 31: Jay Unger & Molly Mason, Grammy-winning acoustic duo in "An Early Birthday Party for A. Lincoln."

w Feb. 3: Rain: The Beatles Experience, Fab Four tribute band.

w Feb. 8: National Acrobats of China, the gravity-defying Chinese troupe.

w Feb. 16: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, national tour of Tony-winning musical.

w Feb. 21: Ensemble Galilei with NPR's Neal Conan, in "First Person: Stories From the Edge of the World."

w Feb. 28: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, all-star jazz band.

w March 6: Susan Werner, folk singer.

w March 13: Reduced Shakespeare Company's History of America (abridged), touring theater parody.

w March 16: Hairspray, national tour of musical.

w April 13: Annie, national tour of musical.

w April 16: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, modern troupe directed by Jim Vincent.

w April 22: Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, touring theater-circus show.