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.

The performance is at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, in the acoustically perfect Wentz Concert Hall. Tickets are $25 and $15; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48313.xml.

Hugo Wolf Quartett

Founded at the Vienna University of Music, the Hugo Wolf Quartett has developed from a chamber music lover’s insider tip to one of the most sought-after string quartets of its generation. The four young musicians won the Fifth International String Quartet Competition in Cremona and took first prize at the 45th International G.B. Viotti Chamber Music Competition, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Special Prize and the European Cultural Award for Chamber Music.

Critics praise the quartet; The Los Angeles Times says its music is “Urgent and impassioned, but with an absolute commitment to the ideal values of every note,” and the New York Times says, “One hears in these players, embryonically and in miniature, the qualities that make the Vienna Philharmonic special.”

The name was granted to the quartet by the International Hugo Wolf Society of Vienna. The late Romantic composer Hugo Wolf was situated between the great Viennese music tradition and its departure into the mo­dern period, and his name represents a repertoire stretching from the Classical period to music beyond the Second Viennese School. To learn more, visit www.hugowolfquartett.com.

Members of the quartet will lead a music workshop for North Central students at 4 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Wentz Concert Hall. The workshop is open to the public; admission is $5 at the door.

Women's Chorale

You can catch two performances of three outstanding North Central College ensembles, the Women’s Chorale, Concert Choir and Concert Winds. The ensembles will perform first as part of the Outstanding Alumni Awards & Recognition Program.  at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. The annual Homecoming Concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Both events are in the Wentz Concert Hall.

Starting Thursday, Oct. 22 and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 25, edgy Chicago theatre comes to Naperville with performances of “Love Song” in Meiley-Swallow Hall.

Also this week, North Central College hosts the screening of “The Band Plays On,” a documentary by Naperville Community Television celebrating the 150-year anniversary of the Naperville Municipal Band. The documentary will premiere at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. The band will present a concert immediately following the premiere. Admission is free.

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.

John McLean

Wednesday, Oct. 7, kicks off the North Central College jazz faculty concert series with a performance by guitarist John McLean at 7:30 p.m. in the Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center. The series is a great opportunity to hear great jazz in an amazing venue at affordable prices.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, the College and Anderson’s Bookshops welcome former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who will talk about and sign copies of her book, “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box,” at 7 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center.

Friday, Oct. 9, presents three opportunities for great performances! Chicago a cappella gives classical music lovers and Beatles fans a chance to find common ground when it presents “Baroque and Beatles” at 8 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center.

Also on Friday, The Union, in partnership with The Hope Tour, presents a triple bill of alternative rock artists Fireflight, Remedy Drive and Abandon beginning at 7 p.m. at 129 W. Benton Ave. in downtown Naperville. (Note the venue change.)

Plus, North Central College’s dance series gets underway on Friday with a performance by Chicago Tap Theatre at 8 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall. Be sure to arrive on time to catch opening performances by members of Naperville’s own School of the Performing Arts Dance Ensemble, and bring your tap shoes!

We’re not done yet. On Saturday, Oct. 10, author Sarah Vowell will talk about and sign copies of her book, “The Wordy Shipmates,” at 2 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Then, be sure to enjoy the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Saturday in the acoustically perfect Wentz Concert Hall. The performance by Wisconsin’s largest cultural arts institution is made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and Arts Midwest.

Finally, an exhibit by Native American artist Ramson Lomatewama opens on Sunday, Oct. 11, in the Gallery at Oesterle Library. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Elizabeth Futral

North Central College’s 2009-2010 fine and performing arts season continues this week with several opportunities to appreciate outstanding performers in great venues.

Soprano Elizabeth Futral, who has performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and many other of the country’s best opera companies, headlines at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 in the magnificent Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center. The performance is a chance to hear one of the world’s best coloratura sopranos perform in a world-class concert hall. Tickets are $40 and $50, with discounts available for groups of 10 or more.

For pop music fans, Gloria Gaynor performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Pfeiffer Hall. She’ll perform her 1978 disco classic “I Will Survive” and many other hits. Tickets are $55, $50 and $35.

The first theatrical performance of North Central’s season takes place this week with four performances of “The Poet and the Rent,” David Mamet’s children’s play about a young poet who struggles to find balance between writing the poetry he loves and paying his rent. “The Poet and the Rent” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, and Friday, Oct. 2, with two performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3 in the “black box” Madden Theatre at the Fine Arts Center. Tickets are just $5/adults and $3/students and senior citizens.

Finally, new art exhibits open soon in North Central’s three galleries. Next up is an exhibit featuring the works of two North Central College students, Tamarra Love of Aurora, Ill. and Danielle Clark of Sparta, Wisc. Their ceramic and sculptural work will be featured in “Les Femmes Faithful” Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 in the Gallery at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. Love and Clark explore themes of faith and the search for spirituality in their works.

For more information about all fine & performing arts events, call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show.

Alpert’s trumpet playing has earned him five No. 1 hits, eight Grammy Awards, 15 gold albums, 14 platinum albums and a staggering 72 million albums sold worldwide. Alpert and The Tijuana Brass propelled Latino music into the pop music limelight in the 1960s, at one point outselling The Beatles two to one. His popular tunes “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “This Guy’s in Love with You” and “Rise” were recorded either as leader of the Tijuana Brass or as a solo artist. Alpert was the “A” in A&M Records, an independent, visionary record label of the last half century yielding successful acts like the Carpenters, Carole King, Billy Preston, Peter Frampton, Cheech and Chong, and many more.

Hall first rose to international fame as lead singer for Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 whose hit songs included “The Look of Love,” “The Fool on the Hill,” “Scarborough Faire” and many more. She is celebrated worldwide for her fluency in singing with equal finesse in English, Portuguese and Spanish. All of Hall’s musical endeavors have highlighted her expertise as a powerful jazz/pop song stylist and a masterful interpreter.

For their Naperville concert, Alpert and Hall have crafted an evening of music from a wide treasury of jazz, both American and Brazilian, as well as American popular standards. Tickets for their Sept. 27 show are $60 and $45; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48285.xml.

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall

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!

What a year for fine arts it’s been at North Central College! A year that saw the opening of the acoustically perfect Wentz Concert Hall, with performances by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and many others.

The Wentz has drawn critical acclaim from artists who have experienced the world-class concert hall. Jeff Lindberg, artistic director for Chicago Jazz Orchestra, recently said, “Wentz Concert Hall is a sorely needed addition to the Chicago-area cultural scene.

“It is a moderately sized hall that is flexible enough to accommodate every type of performing group, from chamber music to jazz to a full symphony orchestra. The sound is always warm and clear in Wentz’s very intimate setting. Bravo to everyone involved in the creation of Wentz Concert Hall!”

Watch this space on June 22 for exciting news about North Central College’s 2009-10 performing arts season!

Womens Chorale

This season’s schedule of fine & performing arts events at North Central College is winding down. There’s still time to catch FREE events this week! And be sure to check back on June 22 for exciting news about the 2009-10 season.
On Friday, June 5, North Central College’s 39-member Women’s Chorale will give a preview performance for its upcoming concert tour to Europe June 15-24. The free performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., and will feature works by Holst, Friderici, Henderson, Hatfield, Clausen and others, as well as the commissioned piece “Breath of God” by Gwyneth Walker. Directed by Ramona Wis, Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts, faculty members will also perform, including flutist Marie Bennett, pianist Barbara Vanderwall and sopranos Linda Ogden Hagen and Victoria VerHoven.
On Saturday, June 6, join the North Central College Flute Choir and members of the flute studio for an afternoon of chamber and solo flute music under the direction of applied music faculty member Marie Bennett. The “Flute Extravaganza” starts at 4 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Admission is free.

On Sunday, June 7, North Central College’s NCC Express show choir will sing and dance to a collection of Broadway and contemporary tunes for its year-end performance at 6 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave.