African rites Musicians from Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Benin,
The Ivory Coast and Mauritania have come together to preserve the arts of
West Africa. In an exciting display of ethnic pride, The Song and Dance
Ensemble of West Africa will perform oral and musical ritesunique to its people. The
sound is a combination of Congolese Soukous and West African Mandingo mixed
with reggae and Latin music traditions. The ensemble was formed in 1970 to
revive folkloric music and to foster the arts and culture of the indigenous
people of West Africa. Since then, the group has become popular in Europe
and the U.S. with music that is known to make people move.
Friday Nov. 7
Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa
Sangamon Auditorium
UIS
217-606-6160
www.sangamonauditorium.org
8 p.m.
$32-$37
Frisky games A factory full of frustrated employees and a lying
boss are the perfect recipe for love in the musical The Pajama Game. The story follows
the courtship of Babe, Union Head of the Sleep Tite Pajama Factory, and
Sid, the new factory superintendent. Initially, Babe rejects Sid because
her workers’ needs are not being met. Despite the odds the two make a
love connection that gains Babe support for her cause. Though they fall in
love, the workers are disgruntled when they don’t see the 7 1/2-cent
raise they have been fighting to receive. Sid saves the day when he
stumbles on a secret that calms his love life and wins the hearts of his
employees.
MondayNov. 10
The Pajama Game
Sangamon Auditorium
UIS
217-206-6160
www.sangamonauditorium.org
7:30 p.m.
$36-$46
Cloud 9 Sexual repression in the Victorian Era is juxtaposed
against the sexual liberation of 1970s London in the satire Cloud 9. In the two-act playthe politics of sexuality and
sexual identity in society are examined. The sexual restraints of the
Victorian Era are revealed as the characters attempt to overcome their
inhibitions in British Colonial Africa. In Act 2 the characters find
themselves 100 years later in the swinging scene of 1978 London, having
aged only 25 years, and sexually liberated. Using unconventional methods
like cross-gender casting and role doubling, the play explores how sexual
restrictions are formed and eradicated.
Fri-SunNov. 7-9 Nov. 13-15
Studio Theatre
Lower level of PAC, UIS
217-206-6160
8 p.m. Fri & Sat, 2 p.m. Sun
$12 general Admission, $10 seniors, $8 UIS
faculty/staff
Kentucky bluegrass The sound of the Kentucky hills brings all kinds of
folks together and this weekend those folks are expected at the Downstate
Indoor BluegrassMusic
Festival. Every year bluegrass musicians gather under one roof to play
banjos and say farewell to the summer festival season. Bluegrass fans from
as far as Switzerland come to enjoy the sounds of well-known musicians like
Bobby Osborne, The Grascals, Rhonda Vincent and more. As a way to bring
variety to the lineup, event coordinators booked Kazu Murakata, a Japanese
banjo player. This year, the current buzz group is Dailey & Vincent.
The duo won the Entertainer of the Year award, Vocal Group of the Year and
Album of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.
Fri-SunNov. 7-9
Downstate Indoor Bluegrass Music Festival
Crowne Plaza Hotel
3000 S. Dirksen Parkway
217-243-3159
www.bluegrassmidwest.com
2:30pm Fri, 10:30 Sat, 10 am Sun
$25 Fri, $20 Sat, Sun $10, weekend pass $50
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2008.
