Fine & Performing Arts

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.

Looking for a free cultural experience in Naperville this summer? Then check out two stunning new exhibits by acclaimed international artists in North Central College’s galleries.

“Meditative Surfaces” will on display through Aug. 21 in the Schoenherr Art Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., and “Tango” will be shown  through Sept. 3 in the Oesterle Gallery, 320 E. School St.

“Tango” celebrates the dance form and features the work of photographer and Buenos Aires native Paulo R. De Andrea.

Toes stab the floor, legs soar and limbs intertwine on the world’s most prestigious stages. A new generation of tangueros-their pizzazz, intricate choreography and smoldering rhythms-bring Argentine tango dancing to many for the first time, fueling its revival. Regional tango festivals are celebrated in cities throughout the world.

“Tango,” is rarely about the professional dancers that mesmerize audiences with what seems like impossible maneuvers of tangling legs, but about everyday men and women who get lost in the cadence of the music and a close embrace, an embrace that is often with a perfect stranger.

De Andrea shares his impression of the dance (“Watching tango dancing can be like spying through a window,”) by going beyond the dance to capture what is reflected in the dancers’ faces and conveyed through their intimacy.

Photographed entirely in the clubs of Buenos Aires, the collection of 40 images from a book project of the same name, starts by briefly introducing viewers to the place where the tango was born, through the mastery of the dance to focus on the elegance of the common dancers in the milongas.
Reality influenced by fantasy or fantasy influenced by reality? This collection evokes that everlasting debate.

The Oesterle Gallery is located at 320 E. School St. De Andrea will donate $50 to the Oesterle Library Fund for every canvas-mounted print sold during the exhibit.

Both exhibits are open to the public. Call 630-637-5375 for gallery hours.

It’s here! North Central College is pleased to announce its 2009-2010 Fine & Performing Arts Season.

The season features a wide variety of shows, from Broadway star Michael Feinstein to music legends Gloria Gaynor and Herb Alpert with Lani Hall and a host of other artists and theatrical productions.

This will be the second season for the College’s magnificent Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center, which was universally hailed for its stunning acoustics by world-renowned artists who performed there during the inaugural season.

This year offers more options for ticket prices and season packages. Patrons may purchase discounted preferred seating for five shows in each of the Performing Arts, Jazz, Classical, Dance and A la Carte Series. Series ticket packages are available now; ticket sales for individual events begin July 15.

The season includes such crowd-pleasing shows as ABBA Mania, Ricky Skaggs Family Christmas, 500 Clown Christmas, River North Chicago Dance Company, Harlem Gospel Choir, Canadian Brass, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, The Fab Four, Monterey Jazz Festival, Boyz II Men, Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Take 6, One Night of Queen, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Shows sure to appeal to families include “Seussical” and “Junie B. Jones.” College and professional theatrical productions include “Pippin,” “Love Song,” Aquila Theater Company’s “As You Like It” and Organic Theater Company’s “Tomfoolery.” North Central College’s student and faculty musicians, actors and artists will be featured in numerous events, and the season includes a full schedule of exhibits planned for the College’s three art galleries.

So be sure to check out some of the amazing Fine & Performing Arts events this season at North Central College!