Summer theatrical fare covers all the bases

No matter what your taste in theater might be, whether it’s light musical comedy, modern musical bombast, prize-winning drama, kid-friendly shows or Pythonesque parody, at least one of the regio

ARTIFICATION of Springfield

A mural project is set to bring beauty to downtown

“It used to be scary down this way.”Barry Friedman, owner of the Alamo, 115 N. Fifth St., is reminiscing about conditions in downtown Springfield prior to the 2005 opening of the Abraham L

Symphony season goes out on a high note

Maestro Alastair Willis has great expectations for coming years

This past weekend marked the end of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 20th anniversary season, which was the first under the musical direction of Maestro Alastair Willis. Willis did not conduct

Gus’s new gig

Gus Gordon takes the helm of the Hoogland Center for the Arts

“At a certain point I realized I was a clone,” says Gus Gordon of his 22-year tenure as chief meteorologist at WICS-TV Channel 20. His tone is more amused than bemused, and entirely withou

Feet first

Kimberly Conner’s Jump In has red carpet premiere

Midway through the filming of Jump In, director Kimberly Conner of Springfield faced a day of personal reckoning.“We were on day five of a 10-day shoot,” she recalls. “My emotions we

Housing with Hope

Hope Springs Apartments helps build independence for tenants with mental disabilities

“I love this palace,” beams Joann, sitting on a flower-patterned couch as mid-morning sunlight floods her one-bedroom apartment. A Spongebob Squarepants episode plays muted in the backgrou

One hell of an awards show for Springfield hip-hop

Torch Tuesday blows the roof off the sucka… respectfully

Nobody can accuse the crowd at Torch Tuesday of not knowing how to party. Springfield’s most prominent showcase for regional hip-hop talent presented the second annual Torch Tuesday Awards on Ja

Genders bent here

Hedwig is a “transformative” rock musical

“The word of the day is ‘immersion,’” says Legacy Theatre owner Scott Richardson, and truthfully there are few more appropriate terms to describe the Legacy’s production

Art for every need

The arts scene in Springfield finds vitality in niche markets

“We’re grateful that we still have this nice space to be in. It’s really made a big difference to what we’ve been able to deliver to the community,” says Janet Seitz Carl

Henry Rollins brings a ‘talking show’ to the Hoogland

Former Black Flag singer is on a tour of state capitals

Henry Rollins is no Abe Lincoln.But that doesn’t stop the 51-year-old punk rock icon, TV personality, author and blogger from incorporating sections of the 16th president’s 1838 speech to