Arts Features

Oklahoma! debuted on Broadway more than 80 years ago, and its celebration of small-town life and enduring American spirit has made it a cornerstone in the community theater repertoire. The Muni’s co-directing team, Ann Opferman and Gil Opferman, have been involved with four productions of Oklahoma! during their lifetimes. “There are still 700-plus productions of […]

The current run of Grease at The Legacy Theatre glows with happy memories and non-stop grins. Director and producer Scott Richardson said, “I only saw Grease once, at the 1994 London production with Debbie Gibson, and it was a trip.” The show is brightly entertaining with resounding energy, especially in its iconic song-and-dance numbers choreographed […]

In 2010, a controversy erupted in the Itawamba County School District in Indiana. A lesbian student wanted to bring her girlfriend to the school prom and the school refused, choosing instead to cancel the prom for all students. A second prom was scheduled which was also canceled, a lawsuit was filed with the ACLU, a […]

The opening moments of Muni’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, impeccably directed by Kevin Kulavic, are as impressive as the two hours of captivating theater that follow. The bells ring out, an enormous and intricate stained-glass window (beautifully designed by Tracy Tester) is illuminated, and a fully robed choir solemnly appears into the eerily lit […]

When Theatre in the Park began in 1976, it was known as The Great American People Show, a nonprofit theater company focused on American history, particularly the life of Abraham Lincoln. For about 20 years, the popular company performed at Lincoln’s New Salem. In 1995, Illinois designated The Great American People Show as the official […]

Something Rotten!continues its run June 4-7 at the Springfield Muni. Performances start at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are available at TheMuni.org or at The Muni box office beginning 90 minutes before each performance. Something Rotten! premiered on the Muni stage as a boisterous, splashy and somewhat inappropriate parody that gleefully skewers both Shakespearean comedy and […]

Dancing at LughnasaThe play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 6; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8., plus 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8. Tickets are $22 for adults or $20 for seniors over 60 and students. Call 217-523-2787 or go to hcfta.org to reserve tickets. […]

Pvt. Albert Cashier fought in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. A favorite of those he fought with, he was hiding a secret that didn’t come out until he was in his 60s, when he applied for his Civil War pension – that Cashier was really born Jennie Hodgers. Cashier’s life […]

“What’s going to happen is going to happen. Just make sure it doesn’t happen to you.” – Max Detweiler in The Sound of Music. Two characters in The Sound of Music, Max and Elsa, choose to remain neutral for the sake of comfort and safety during the rise of Nazi Germany in 1938. Their attitudes […]

“That’s What She Said” is an empowering and entertaining night of storytelling where local, notable women share personal stories of strength, courage and inspiration. It is a one-night-only affair celebrating the resilience and triumphs of women in our own community. The proceeds will be used to directly support the Children’s Advocacy Center of Illinois. CACI […]

Last week, I watched the courageous and artful William Wyler film The Children’s Hour. Originally a play, it’s based on a true story from 1810 about two Edinburgh school teachers whose lives were destroyed when one of their students falsely accused them of engaging in an “unnatural” relationship. During the intro, I learned about how […]

“His hands look like they’re possessed,” whispered a man sitting near me during the performance by piano virtuoso Aristo Sham at the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s concert at the UIS Auditorium last Friday, Feb. 7. There was indeed something preternatural about Sham’s playing, with rapturous glissandos and indelible melodies emanating from fingers that seemed to dance […]