John James Audubon — that is, a reasonable facsimile of the famous American artist — makes a local appearance Saturday as part of the Illinois State Museum’s “Bird is the Word” event. Storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis, who plays the role of Audubon, will regale visitors with stories of the artist’s adventures in wild America in […]
Arts Features
Posted inArts & Culture
A community comes to terms with itself
Randi Collins-Hard is directing The Laramie Project at Parkland College in Champaign, currently running through Oct. 12. The Laramie Project has been the most-produced play in the United States the past couple of years. Springfield saw a production here in 2002. What makes the Parkland production unforgettable is the fact that Collins-Hard has cast 73 […]
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Backstage pass
Springfield Theatre Centre’s 56th season began last week with Neil Simon’s latest Broadway comedy, The Dinner Party. The production winds up this weekend, with performances October 3 through 5. Set in a Paris restaurant, the play brings together three divorced couples in a chance encounter. The show, directed by Darin Harms, features Linda Castor, Rob […]
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Backstage Pass
OK, I admit it: I saw Muni Opera’s The Wizard of Oz three times. It was just one of those special productions in which the audience and the actors each contribute to making an uncommon theatrical event. What did the audience bring? Well, the kids brought their imaginations, for one–and whoever says that kids these […]
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Backstage pass
Some shows keep coming back every few summers–Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Peter Pan. This summer it’s The Wizard of Oz at the Springfield Muni, opening this weekend and running through August 17. Directed by Leigh Ann Smith, this Oz is based on the 1988 version produced by London’s Royal Shakespeare Company–it’s close to the […]
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Backstage pass
This week marks the return of the Ken Bradbury and Robert Crowe musical Abraham!, playing July 18 through 27 in the outdoor amphitheater at Lincoln’s New Salem. Now in its seventh year, Abraham! follows Lincoln’s early years at New Salem. Returning in the title role is Nathan Carls. The ensemble features Greg Floyd, Bob Large, […]
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Backstage pass
Summer has started on a high note, with some memorable performances so far: Cynda Wrightsman’s “Lizzie Curry” in New Salem’s 110 in the Shade was heartbreaking and moving; and Titanic at the Muni boasted many powerful singers. Now comes Muni Opera’s second show of the season: Big, the Broadway musical based on the hit 1987 […]
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Backstage Pass
Last week the new theater season took off with Rich McCoy’s production of The Hobbit at the Springfield Theatre Centre. The show has three more performances this weekend, January 17-19. Jason Goodreau plays Bilbo Baggins. Goodreau has become one of the most visible talents onstage here, having performed in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat […]
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Backstage Pass
The Springfield Muni Opera opens this weekend with the Broadway show Titanic: the Musical (June 6-8 and 11-15). With a score by Maury Yeston (Phantom), Titanic won five Tony Awards six years ago, including Best Musical. The tragic story was turned into a stage musical almost a year before the release of the 1997 blockbuster […]
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Summer onstage 2003
Summer theater has experienced a bit of a boom in central Illinois over the past few years, with more eclectic choices offering something for everyone. Springfield’s Muni Opera breaks new ground with two area premieres–Titanic (June 6 through 15) and Big (June 27 through July 6). Director Paul Presney Jr. has been working on Titanic […]
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Backstage Pass
Theater has always held a mirror up to society, and the view is often unflattering. The old Shubert Theatre in Chicago usually hosts traveling musicals, but this weekend wraps up The Exonerated, a powerful play by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen. The script, culled from actual interviews and court transcripts, relates the stories of six […]
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Anatomy of a Playwright
Eve Ensler, the 49-year-old author and sometime performer of The Vagina Monologues, is on a pay phone at the Denver International Airport. She’s about to board a transpacific flight bound for Melbourne, Australia. “My head is spinning,” she says. In the six years since The Vagina Monologues opened off-Broadway, the play has turned into an […]
