Fine & Performing Arts

There’s great fun for the whole family this weekend when Theatreworks presents “Seussical” at North Central College.

Characters like Horton the Elephant, the one-feathered bird Gertrude McFuzz and the Cat in the Hat come to life in this production of the musical by Broadway veterans Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

Two performances of “Seussical” will be presented at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 in Pfeiffer Hall. Tickets are just $10/adults, $5/children 12 years and younger.

Also this week, North Central College’s Jazz Studies Program will present its annual fall “Great Evening of Jazz” with performances by all its student jazz ensembles on at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Wentz Concert Hall.

Directed by the College’s jazz faculty, the featured ensembles will be the Jazz Combos led by guitarist John McLean, saxophonist Mitch Paliga and drummer Jack Mouse; the Vocal Jazz Ensemble directed by vocalist Janice Borla; the NCC Big Band under the direction of trombonist T.S. Galloway; the NCC Jazz Guitar Ensemble led by McLean; a Chamber Jazz Group directed by trumpeter Doug Scharf; and the Jazz Saxophone Quartet under the direction of Paliga.

Repertoire will include compositions and arrangements by such jazz luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Don Grolnick, Bobby Troup, Janice Borla and others.
Tickets for “a Great Evening of Jazz” are just $5/adults, $3/students and seniors.

Call 630-637-SHOW (7439) to reserve tickets.

What a weekend! Since Thursday, Oct. 8, North Central College’s fine & performing arts venues have played host to Madeleine Albright, Chicago a cappella, Chicago Tap Theatre, author Sarah Vowell, artist Ramson Lomatewama and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra!

A Chicago Tribune critic caught the MSO performance, saying, “The hall boasts a noteworthy acoustic profile … Warmth, reverberation and a “present” sonic profile are valued commodities.”

This week, the public is invited to the opening of an exhibit, “Two Roads: Of What I Think and What I Think About,” by artist Pieter Favier. The opening reception is from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, in the Schoenherr Art Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. The free exhibit is on display Oct. 16 through Nov. 13.

Also on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., the Student Songwriting Showcase takes place at The Union, 129 W. Benton Ave., featuring original works by 17 talented North Central students.

And on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m., catch the opening of DuPage Symphony Orchestra’s season with a performance of Dvorak’s “In Nature’s Realm,” in the Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center.

Enjoy the fine & performing arts at North Central College.

You can enjoy a concert virtually every night this week at North Central College! Call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show for a full schedule or to order tickets.

On Tuesday, May 19, North Central’s own Concert Winds ensemble under the direction of Larry Van Oyen, associate professor of music and director of bands, presents its final concert of the year, in the Wentz Concert Hall.

If jazz is your thing, you’ll want to catch “A Great Evening of Jazz” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in Wentz Concert Hall, featuring North Central’s Big Band, Jazz Combos and Vocal Jazz Ensemble performing a variety of jazz arrangements under the direction of the jazz studies faculty.

If you’d rather appreciate how amazing vocal ensembles sound in the Wentz Concert Hall, come see North Central’s 16-voice Chamber Singers wrap up its inaugural season with its “Metamorphosis” concerty at 7:30 p.m. Thursday May 21. Enjoy a cappella music from Bach to the Beatles!

Tickets for these three shows are only $5/adults, $3 students-seniors!

To wrap up the week leading up to Memorial Day, you can catch the final weekend of the family-friendly musical “Honk!” in Pfeiffer Hall as young actors and singers are featured in North Central College’s first spring community musical theatre production. “Honk!” is an award-winning show based on Hans Christian Anderson’s story of the Ugly Duckling. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, May 22 and at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, May 23.