Something old, something new, something borrowed and something with blues.

That sums up the just-announced Weber State University theater season.

Something old would be “The Tempest,” written more than 400 years ago by William Shakespeare. The new is “9 Circles,” a contemporary drama.

Something “Borrowed” is “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” a 2012 musical that tells a new story with classic songs from the late, great George and Ira Gershwin.

And adding the rhythm and blues, along with a good dose of rock ‘n’ roll standards and novelty songs, will be “Smokey Joe’s Cafe.”

“The shows we picked were a little bit different,” said Jenny Kokai, WSU professor of theater. “We’ve had themes in recent years, but we didn’t want to force a theme, so we looked at the needs of the students we had in terms of different types of shows.”

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The range of works selected to stretch student’s acting chops also benefits the audience seeking variety, Kokai said.

“We are super excited, and the students at AAT (Associated Actors and Technicians) will be doing ’35MM,’ another show with another perspective. There’s going to be a lot of fantastic stuff going on.”

All shows will be presented in the Browning Center at Weber State, 3848 Harrison Blvd., Ogden. Tickets are $10 to $12, and are available now through www.weberstatetickets.com.

Here’s the lineup:

• “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, 10, 13-17, 2 p.m. Oct. 17, Allred Theater. Directing is Jim Christian, WSU director of musical theater.

Set in a cafe, this 1995 musical review showcases 39 pop standards from the 1950s-’70s, including “Kansas City,” “Fools Fall In Love,” “Yakety Yak,” “Hound Dog” and “Spanish Harlem.” The show ran on Broadway for 2,036 performances, and the original cast album won a Grammy.

• “9 Circles,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 14, 17-21, 2 p.m. Nov. 17, Eccles Theater. Theater professor Tracy Callahan directs this play by Bill Cain.

“I was very intrigued by the storyline,” Callahan said. “Basically, it’s Dante’s ‘Inferno,’ about a young man who signs up for the military, and the military knew he had social and mental dysfunctions, but they needed bodies, and what happens is this horrific incident, which happened in real life.”

The young man is brought back to answer for his involvement in war crimes.

“Each scene is one of the nine circles, and it’s about how he changes though the whole incident,” the director said.

“There are a lot of things people can go to and have pure entertainment. What I am more interested in is social theater, and raising awareness through theater. That is where my passion is.”

• “35MM: A Musical Exhibition,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2-6, 2 p.m. Feb. 6, Eccles Theater. This AAT production is student-produced, directed and designed.

This multi-media musical review, by Ryan Scott Oliver, features projected images and original songs inspired by the moment captured in the photos.

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• ‘Nice Work if You Can Get It,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26, 27, March 1-5, 2 p.m. March 5, Allred Theater. Jim Christian directs.

This Tony Award-winning tale from America’s prohibition era features hidden identities, scrambled romances and the music of George and Ira Gershwin. The production is based on the book by Joe DiPietro.

Besides the title song, some of the classics are “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “‘S Wonderful,” “Fascinating Rhythm” and “Looking for a Boy.”

• “The Tempest,” 7:30 p.m. April 15, 16, 19-23, 2 p.m. April 23, Eccles Theater. Kokai directs.

“The Tempest” tells the story of a stolen dukedom, powerful magic, a sea storm and an island shipwreck, and revenge and resolution, with a love story thrown in.

“I don’t think we’ve ever done ‘The Tempest,” Kokai said. “It’s the last play Shakespeare wrote on his own, five years before his death. A lot of people think Prospero parallels Shakespeare himself, with Shakespeare giving up the magic of the stage.”

Kokai was drawn to the play in park for it’s island setting.

“I am somebody who writes a lot about water, and we have a lot of issues with water in Utah and as a planet as a whole,” Kokai said. “Our relationships can change with oceans changing, and we are seeing more storms.”

Besides the season announcement, Weber State University is excited about improvements to performance spaces, funded by grants, Kokai said. Lighting and sound systems have been or are being upgraded, as are stage floors.

Contact reporter Nancy Van Valkenburg at 801-625-4275 or nvan@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @SE_NancyVanV; on Facebook at facebook.com/SE_NancyVanV.