The Springfield Area Arts Council is celebrating a successful start to the 2026 Artist in the Park at Food Truck Fridays season after welcoming nearly 200 attendees to the kickoff event on May 29. The organization invites the community to join them for the remaining nine weeks of free live entertainment in downtown Springfield. Held […]
Arts Features
Posted inArts & Culture
“Who’s your daddy?”
Since its world premiere in 1999, Mamma Mia! has been a continuous fixture of the theatrical landscape, drawing crowds with its timeless 70s soundtrack. Co-directors Morgan Kaplan and Andrew Maynerich are on their second go-round of this iconic, disco fever show after having directed it previously at Sacred-Heart Griffin High School. “We wanted to take […]
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An immaculate conception
Jesus Christ Superstar is the 1971 Andrew Lloyd Webber Biblical rock-musical that narrates the last seven days of Jesus’s life in a flashy, pop-filled 90-minute package. There is no intermission, so audiences make it back home for their bedtime prayers, hallelujah! A talent-studded odyssey of love, power and protest, Springfield Theatre Centre’s gender-bending production, co-directed […]
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Nerds’ night out
The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee or Putnam, as it’s lovingly referred to by theater connoisseurs on a time crunch, is a sweetly funny but sincere musical about a small-town spelling bee and the cast of fiercely competitive children (all played by adults) who are vying for first place. It is essentially a comedic A […]
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Mary Lincoln’s dress of defiance
In May 1861, Mary Lincoln posed for what was likely her first official portrait as first lady with the highly respected Washington, D.C., photographer Mathew Brady. He would become renowned for stark Civil War battlefield photos. Before that he was known for photographing America’s leaders and well-known figures. Mary chose a black silk dress embroidered […]
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Less is more at Gallery 1624
If you’re passing by the corner of West Laurel Street and Holmes Avenue in Springfield, you might happen to notice what looks like a miniature house with windows and solar panels standing on a post in the yard of 1624 Holmes Ave. A closer look will reveal an intricate, dollhouse-like interior, designed to showcase tiny […]
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Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo
Continuing on her journey through the decades, local playwright Courtney Wick brings the third story in her trilogy of plays to a colorful conclusion with Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo. Billed as “a gnarly prequel to her previous murder mysteries, Nightmare at the Sweet Dreams Inn and Nightmare at the Hot Mess Hair Salon, Camp Killamanbimbo […]
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Disaster!: A jukebox musical
Most people of a certain age can probably say they’ve at least heard of, if not watched many popular disaster films of the 1970s such as Airport, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and The Poseidon Adventure. Personally, I couldn’t get enough when I was a kid. They were epic. These films boasted major special effects for […]
Posted inSpring Guide
“Seam to Shining Seam” Quilt Show
More than 400 colorful quilts, along with other quilt-related items, will fill the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on March 20 and 21. The 2026 “Seam to Shining Seam” show features quilts made by Springfield-area quilters who are part of Q.U.I.L.T.S – Quilters United in Learning, Teaching and Self-Improvement. Now held every two […]
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Moving forward, looking back
The Last Five Years is back and impressive as ever at The Hoogland Center for the Arts. After a seven-year hiatus, the two-person musical has returned with the same cast of Mary Kate Smith and Damien Kaplan, along with director Craig Williams. All parties involved wanted to rekindle their past show magic with a fresh […]
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The Trojan Women, a Greek tragedy
In one of those rare but welcome departures from local norms, a play is being performed in Springfield that probably hasn’t been done in years, if ever. While Greek tragedy might not be high up on everyone’s list, I hope you make the time to see this one. The story and the production expertly explore […]
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STC’s The Addams Family – An ooky love story
The Addams Family musical is based on a 1964 sitcom which was inspired by the cartoons of Charles Addams. All feature Gomez Addams, his wife Morticia and children Pugsley and Wednesday. They share their home on Cemetery Lane with Uncle Fester, butler Lurch, helping hand Thing and someone’s grandma. They are a close-knit family with […]
