Concert | Holiday magic When The Roxy Group decided to put on a holiday show they wanted to give
Springfield an unforgettable experience of Christmas splendor and joy. The
result is “Christmas Wishes,” a musical revue of American carols and tap dancing that is sure to entertain
crowds. Hard work went into building beautiful scenery to transport the
audience to a winter fantasyland. Snow falls as the 12-person cast lights up
the stage singing traditional holiday songs, including HereComes Santa Claus, Winter Wonderland, O Holy Night and more. Lavish costumes in shimmering metallic fabrics of copper and bronze
give the show a touch of Broadway glamour. Performing a repertoire of nearly 40
songs with the help of a 10-piece swing orchestra, The Roxy Group makes your
holiday season merry and bright.
Christmas Wishes
Fri.-Sun. Dec. 19-21
Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 S. Sixth St.
217-523-2787
www.scfta.org
Fri-Sat 8 pm
Sun 2 pm
$16 adult, $12 children
Concert | Christmas tradition Every year the Illinois Symphony Orchestra hosts Holiday Pops, bringing together
hundreds of people to enjoy a night of classical music with a Christmas theme.
This year the event features music from the Springfield Youth Performance
Group, Simply Acapella, Sangamon Valley Community Orchestra and more. The
Springfield Showstoppers, a 120-member group made up of first- to fifth-graders
from District 186, entertain the audience with dancing and performances of
traditional holiday songs. The finale of the evening features a performance by
The Saint Andrew’s Pipes and Drum Band. Clad in the purple “Pride of Scotland” tartan, the 60-member band showcases music and dance inspired by the pageantry
and culture of Scotland. A visit from Santa Claus completes the festivities as
he passes out candy canes and spreads holiday cheer.
Holiday Pops
Saturday Dec. 20
Sangamon Auditorium
UIS
217-206-6160
www.sangamonauditorium.org
8 p.m.
$42 and $37
ART | Tattoo art Kevin Veara, well-known tattoo artist at Black Moon, spends his day using the
body as a canvas, but it is his fine art work that is on exhibition at Robert
Morris Gallery. The exhibit features brightly colored paintings of birds, fish
and some insects in their natural habitat. Motivated by the destruction of the environment, Veara’s pieces depict scenes of how nature has been transformed by humans. The
painting above depicts two birds attempting to pollinate a flower, but they can’t because the flower no longer produces pollen as a result of environmental
changes. The work is very detailed and is heavily influenced by Veara’s tattooing. The popularity of his stylized artistry has created a following
that has him booked with tattoo appointments through January.
Kevin Veara Exhibition
Through Jan. 23
Robert Morris Gallery
607 E. Adams St.
217-522-8977
Free
Tue-Fri 10 am-2 pm
Concert | Dig down deep Though Christmas brings joy, if you are away from the ones you love, it can also
be the hardest time. This holiday season 1Up’n Promotions is putting on Music for the Troops, a bash to benefit soldiers
fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The organizers of the event contacted the
National Guard and were informed that Company C, 2-130th Infantry Unit from Litchfield has had a particularly tough time and are now
stationed in Afghanistan. The show features Ol’ Red Shed, Refuse Life, DIGDOWNDEEP, and the country music band Still Kickn. All
proceeds from the concert go towards gifts baskets for the Company C, 2-130th Infantry Unit from Litchfield and Christmas gifts for their children. The people
at 1Up’n Promotions want this to be their biggest event of the year. They are relying
on the kindness of others to donate money, food and items for the silent
auction on the day of the event. The benefit concert is a great way to
celebrate the holidays and show your appreciation for those in the military.
Music for the Troops
Sunday Dec. 21
Capital City Bar and Grill
3149 S. Dirksen Parkway
217-971-4126
12pm-9pm
$10 adults, $5 children
BAND SPOTLIGHT | Los Dropos What exactly is or are the Los Dropos? Core members Matt Wingo (bass, vocals)
and Zach Gilchrist (drums) knocked about as a rhythm section since 2003,
sifting through various musicians until arriving at the current lineup. When
Mario⨠Gutierrez (trumpet) and Robert Holland (guitar, vocals) joined up in
early 2007, Los Dropos as we experience them in the present tense, had arrived.
The addition of the trumpet places the group outside the usual
guitar-bass-drums band scenario and the choice of unusual and obscure cover
tunes sets them apart even more from your average band. Toss in an
ever-increasing number of original tunes and there you have it — a Los Dropos complete package for your listening pleasure.
Los Dropos
with Gypsy Collabo
Friday Dec. 19
Planet
126 E. Jefferson St.
www.myspace.com/losdropos
9 p.m.-1 a.m.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2008.
