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.

Michael Feinstein

Feinstein is one of the premier interpreters of American popular song and has been a household name since the success of his 1988 one-man Broadway show “Isn’t It Romantic?” He maintains a busy touring schedule and is nationally recognized for his commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art and preserving its legacy for the next generation.

He performs at 8 p.m. Sat., Nov. 14 in Pfeiffer Hall. Get information about tickets at http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48322.xml.

ABBA Mania performs at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15 in Pfeiffer Hall. The world’s No. 1 touring ABBA tribute concert, ABBA Mania has been delighting audiences of all ages since 1999, selling out theaters and concert halls internationally. ABBA Mania is not only for life-long, diehard ABBA fans of the Swedish supergroup, but for the new generation of fans who never had the opportunity to see ABBA live. Hit after hit includes “Dancing Queen,” “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” “Take A Chance On Me” and many more.

Information about tickets is available at http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48323.xml.

Based on the poems of T.S. Elliot’s “Old Possums Book of Practical Cats,” “Cats” is a story of the tribe of Jellicle cats who gather in a junkyard the night of the Jellicle Ball to celebrate who they are.

“Cats” will be staged in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5; 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7; and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Tickets are only $15/adults and $10/students and senior citizens.

A special performance for school groups will be held 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Tickets are $5; chaperones and teachers are free. “Cats” is perfect entertainment for the entire family.

Call the Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or buy tickets online.

Cats

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

“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.