Just Announced MPR and the Fitzgerald announce upcoming spring programming, including a star-packed season of Wits

Coming off another well-reviewed fall season of its long-running Talking Volumes series, MPR is back for another round of events at the Fitzgerald Theater. And, while we wouldn’t exactly call chats with Jennifer Egan and discussions of books about zombies stuffy, MPR’s newly announced spring lineup looks like it’s going to be a lot looser, packed to the brim with rock music and a slate of very funny comedians.

• On April 29, MPR will welcome the second annual Minnesota Varsity event, a statewide classical music showcase put on by highly talented high school students who still find room for the likes of Debussy and Tchaikovsky on their iPods next to Pitbull and Taylor Swift.

• In May, the Fitzgerald will welcome MPR standby Jeremy Messersmith for a night called Muse For Music, which will find Messersmith and host Dave Mondy examining the origins and stories behind an eclectic batch of songs from the likes of Sigur Ros, Radiohead, and Bruce Springsteen.

• Sticking with the analytical music theme, June will host Works For Words, in which Chris Koza will curate an evening that explores the importance of lyrics in contemporary rock, pop, and folk music. We can’t wait to hear what they say about Nicki Minaj’s “Stupid Hoe.”

• Tying The Knot: Songs For Fathers will take place in honor of Father’s Day and will celebrate the vital role of fathers in the African American culture through a combination of songs, stories, dance, and artwork. Hosted by T. Mychael Rambo, the night will also feature performances by the likes of Marion McClinton, Rohan Preston, and Bruce Henry, among others.

• Of course there will be another season of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. (Just a reminder, Keillor’s allegedly set to retire in 2013, so get in while there’s still time.) But most of the buzz will be going to the third season of MPR’s wildly popular multi-genre storytelling and music series, Wits. The comedian-heavy current lineup includes Andy Richter, Fred Willard, Paul F. Tompkins, Reggie Watts, Tim Meadows, and Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac, in addition to Aimee Mann, who seems to be shouldering most of the musician burden at the current moment. Tickets for the shows (spanning March through June) go on sale Valentine’s Day and are likely go quickly if last year’s sale was any indication.