In a wonderful case of serendipity, we get to enjoy the artistry of Georges Seurat in two media: a major exhibition in Chicago and an upcoming Springfield production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Sunday in the Park with George.The exhibition and the musical are anchored by the same visual element: Seurat’s masterpiece, A Sunday on La […]
Arts Features
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Backstage pass 7-29-04
It’s always good news when a theater introduces a new show, especially during the summertime when a typical line-up consists of the tried-and-true. And it looks like Theatre in the Park’s decision to stage a little-known show like The Spitfire Grill has not deterred audiences from making the short trek to New Salem. The Spitfire […]
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Manning adds studio space, launches anti-Kerry series
Springfield artist Michael Manning says that most of his friends are liberals, and so he expects that his newest project will “drive them crazy.” Manning, who served two tours of duty with the Marines in Vietnam, has started a series of 15 posters featuring U.S. Sen. John Kerry. The posters are, to put it mildly, […]
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Cooperation makes it easy
Passersby can’t help but notice the vibrantly decorated furniture and vivid display windows. Colors of every shade and objects of every shape draw visitors to the violet building on Sixth Street that once housed a Mel-O-Cream shop. Inside, works of art cover the bright-blue walls; hundreds more fill shelves and counters. Where customers used to […]
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On the line with the chorus
When A Chorus Line opens Friday night at the Springfield Muni Opera, I wonder, how will the show play to a new generation? Will they realize that they’re witnessing what was a groundbreaking musical when it premiered almost 30 years ago? A Chorus Line tracks the fortunes of a group of Broadway dancers auditioning for […]
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Prairie Art Alliance thrives in new location
Since moving in January from its location on North Fifth Street to the Hoogland Center for the Arts, the Prairie Art Alliance has acquired more than a vastly improved venue for its gallery and activities — it has also taken on a new executive director. Patrick Shavloske began his new role on Feb. 26. Already […]
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The return of a favorite to New Salem
Opening this weekend at Theatre in the Park, New Salem’s outdoor amphitheater, is the drama Your Obedient Servant, A. Lincoln. The return of the John Ahart play, which ran for many summers at New Salem, has been a long time coming. Ahart gave producers Pat and Kari Anderson and Dave and Shelly Flickinger the rights […]
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Little theatre production pairs highly regarded stage veterans
The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan launches its new season with a whopping good show, the ageless Hello, Dolly!, featuring two lead performances that could not be better Ñ Anna McNeely in the title role and Michael Haws as Horace Vandergelder Ñ and an ensemble of singers and dancers that literally lifts the […]
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Stage brights for Memorial Day weekend
Continuing a recent spate of new, innovative theatrical offerings, Memorial Day weekend features several interesting area openings: • Theater student Matthew Schwartz conceived and directs a show he titles Different Stages, playing for one performance at the Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Friday, May 28. The show examines relationships, and incorporates scenes and […]
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Local artists sell out (or at least try to)
Hot on the heels of last weekend’s Old Capitol Art Fair comes another Springfield art show. And this one couldn’t be more different. Local artists, loosely banded together under the banner of Manifest Destiny Art Troupe, will host their second annual Extravaganza Cabaret for Starving Artists. The all-day and all-night (so they say) festival includes […]
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Backstage Pass
Springfield stages are busy these days, with more new and experimental works being staged here than in most communities of comparable size. Here are just a few of the new shows being hatched locally: This weekend, Springfield Theatre Centre’s production of Holes continues, with a large-cast production headed by young Sam Germann and a near-professional-quality […]
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The art of reaching middle age, without a crisis
In 1961, the now-defunct Springfield Central Area Development Association invited community organizations to help plan a one-day art fair. The rather lofty goal was to launch an event that would help turn Springfield into a “model capital city to be observed by other cities of the nation as a source of pride and emulation.” Now […]
