Tickets go on sale to the public August 10
Photo Source: www.govst.edu
University Park, IL–(ENEWSPF)—July 27, 2015. To commemorate 20 years of great entertainment is no small achievement; it is to honor the past and celebrate the future. The Center for Performing Arts’ 2015-16 programming lineup will do just that. The Center will bring back past fan favorites, like improv comedy with Whose Live Anyway? and Salt Creek Ballet’s The Nutcracker; and welcome today’s popular sounds, among them 10-time Grammy award winners Take 6 and three-time Grammy- nominated Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues performing with seven other Chicago blues icons.
“There will be something for every family in the Southland,” says Executive Director, Lana Rogachevskaya. “Whether you are moved by electrifying dance, soulful music, thought-provoking theatre, or family-friendly events; we’ve got it live at the Center, and it’s affordable and close to home.”
Opera fans won’t want to miss Viva Italia, on Sunday, September 20. Complete with a sampling of Italian favorites like pasta and wine, this Opera Up Close experience visits Italy, the birthplace of opera, with a program that features five singers performing Act 3 of La Boheme, Puccini’s timeless love story, as well as Neapolitan songs, arias, duets and ensembles from operas by Verdi, Donizetti and Rossini. Patrons are seated on the stage with the performers for this intimate taste of Italy.
October showcases comedy, dance and family fun. Join Emmy-nominated Ryan Stiles and other TV comedy stars for some hilarious improvised comedy and song, or bring the family to see the inquisitive, lovable little monkey, Curious George. If you like Alvin Ailey dance, try PHILADANCO! at 45, celebrating Joan Myers Brown and James Brown, pioneers in dance and music.
November celebrates The Big Read, as GSU’s Theatre and Performance Studies program presents Ray Bradbury’s science fiction tale, Fahrenheit 451. Governors State University is one of 75 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive a grant to host a Big Read project. Fahrenheit 451 is a gripping story that is at once disturbing and poetic. Bradbury takes the materials of pulp fiction and transforms them into a visionary parable of a society gone awry, in which firemen burn books and the state suppresses learning. Bringing to light the dangers of censorship, Fahrenheit 451 is more relevant today than when Bradbury wrote it. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. A list of Big Read activities and events is available on the Center’s web site.
Concluding November will be Chévere de Chicago, a leading Latin/Jazz band, mixing Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Jazz, Blues, and just about everything else together into an exciting and unique collage of sound. This performance will feature Grammy award-winner Howard Levy and special guest trumpeter Grammy-nominated Victor Garcia (of CALJE Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble) and nine talented band members. Celebrate the holidays in December with Salt Creek Ballet’s The Nutcracker and Take 6.
The second half of the season highlights Chicago-based artists and local actors in a mix of shows including Porchlight theatre’s tribute to the music of Fats Waller in Ain’t Misbehavin, Sweet Home Chicago Blues, baby Broadway Seussical, and Southland Area Theatre Ensemble’s Sondheim on Sondheim. You can even go on an epic journey through Spain when Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater presents A Night of Spanish Dance featuring “Bolero” and “Mil Clavos.” This 40th anniversary tribute for the company highlights Maurice Ravel’s most popular work, The Bolero, and combines flamenco and contemporary dance styles. A sampling of food and wine native to the region will be offered as an add-on ticket.
For Tickets, Dates, Times and Information:
Online: www.CenterTickets.net
By Phone: 708.235.2222
In Person at the Box Office: 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL
Box Office Hours: Monday- Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (open to 6 p.m. on Thursdays) & 2 hours prior to all performances
Groups of 10 or more, students, seniors and patrons who purchase a flex package of four or more shows are eligible for discounts.
The Center for Performing Arts is honored to be supported by generous foundations, agencies, sponsors and individual supporters. Made in Chicago Series is supported by The Chicago Community Trust. PHILADANCO! at 45 is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest Touring Fund. A portion of GSU’s arts programming is made possible by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. If you would like to donate to the Center for Performing Arts please visit www.CenterTickets.net for details.
Governors State University is located at 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL 60484. Conveniently located off of I57 (Sauk Trail exit), the Center for Performing Arts is easily accessible from all neighboring south suburban communities. Parking is free. For best GPS directions always use the location search term “Governors State University” only.
Source: www.govst.edu
