BTE Presents "Andy Warhol's Tomato" Feb. 2 Through March 5, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Andy Warhol's Tomato

Directed by Steve Scott 

Please note: This play contains adult themes and language.

In anticipation of the upcoming exhibition “Warhol: Featuring Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America Collection” hosted by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional Equity company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center presents Vince Melocchi’s “Andy Warhol’s Tomato.” Guest director Steve Scott directs this 80-minute fictitious tale of unlikely friendship and inspiration

 running Feb. 2 – March 5.

It is 1946 in Pittsburgh. An 18-year-old Andy Warhol finds himself in the basement of the working-class bar. Over a summer, Andy gives and gets inspiration, guidance, and friendship from a surprising source. Splash Magazines calls “Andy Warhol’s Tomato,” “a not-to-be-missed study of what goes into achieving the goals of self-understanding and acceptance…an entertaining and often humorous evening out.” The Santa Monica Press says, “If you didn’t know this was fiction, you’d think you were watching Andy’s origin story. A Delicious Tomato.”

“With the highly anticipated ‘Warhol’ exhibition coming the CCMA and MAC later this year, this is the perfect time for BTE to produce this play,” says BTE Managing Artistic Director Connie Canaday Howard. “And in the hands of guest director and long-time BTE friend Steve Scott, the play’s timely message of understanding and tolerance will transform into something audiences will find highly entertaining.”

Melocchi’s first draft of “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” featured a cast of seven. Based on workshop audience feedback, subsequent drafts reduced that to five, then four and ultimately two. This version received its world premiere as part of the Road Theatre Company’s 1981 Summer Playwrights Festival, ushering in the Pacific Resident Theatre’s 1999-2000 season. Said Melocchi in an Aug. 19, 2019 interview in Stage and Screen, “I do hope people walk away from ‘Andy Warhol’s Tomato’ looking at not only Andy in a different light, but also all artists from all walks of life.”

BTE’s production of “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” features BTE Ensemble member and Glen Ellyn’s Bryan Burke +* as Mario "Bones" Bonino, and Wheaton’s Alexander Wisnieski as Andy.

The design team hails from Chicago and Naperville, Ill. and Stoughton, Wisc. and includes Steve Scott (Direction), Jack Magaw (Scenic Design), Rachel Lambert (Properties Design), Aly Renee Amidei+^ (Costume Design), Garrett Bell (Lighting Design) and Christopher Kriz+^ (Sound Design). Stage Manager is Jennifer J. Thusing*. Assistant Stage Manager is Christopher Lindquist. Student Assistant Stage Manager is Carolyn Goldsmith.

Tickets

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents Vince Melocchi’s “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” in the Playhouse Theatre of the McAninch Arts Center located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage Feb. 2 – March 5. There will be a preview performance 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2. Press opening is 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $42. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For group sales information email sarther@cod.edu or call 630.942.4525. For more information about BTE’s season, visit AtTheMAC.org or call the Box Office 630.942.4000. The Box Office is open Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m. and three hours prior to performance.

Related Special Events:

• Pre-show discussion with director and designers: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2

• Post-show discussion with director, actors and crew: Friday, Feb. 10.

ASL (American Sign Language) Performance: Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.

ASL interpreters will be located near the stage for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, seated in an area of the theater that gives the best sight lines to follow the interpretation and the action on stage. To access reserved seating in view of the interpreters for a signed performance, call the Box Office at 630.942.4000 or 630.858.9692 (TDD), or visit AtTheMAC.org for additional information.

About Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

The mission of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is to provide a forum in which artists, scholars, writers, students and community members explore new ideas and provocative issues through the production of quality theater for the enjoyment of its audiences. Since 1986 BTE has staged more than 120 productions.  

The Ensemble members are Aly Renee Amidei, Robert Jordan Bailey*, Amelia Barrett* (Associate Artistic Director), Bryan Burke* (Business Manager), Robyn Coffin, Rebecca Cox, Lisa Dawn, Nick DuFloth, Jon Gantt, Loretta Hauser, Connie Canaday Howard* (Managing Artistic Director), Christopher Kriz^, Kimberly Morris, Michael W. Moon, Kurt Naebig*, Laura Leonardo Ownby, Galen G. Ramsey*, William “Sandy” Smillie, Kelli Walker and Norm Woodel. For more information about BTE, visit btechicago.com.

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity; +Denotes member of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble; ^Denotes member of United Scenic Artists

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The DuPage Foundation, Benevity, Choose DuPage, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program, The Norm Woodel Inspiration Fund, The Illinois Arts Council, and a gift from Dr. Thomas R. Scott and the late Shirley Klein Scott of Glen Ellyn through the College of DuPage Foundation and the generous support of the College of DuPage Trustees and the McAninch Arts Center Staff.

About “Warhol" Featuring Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America Collection (June 3 – Sept. 10, 2023)

The Warhol exhibition will feature 94 works from “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America Collection” on loan through Bank of America’s Art in our Communities® program. In addition to the Bank of America collection, which will be on display in a dedicated space in the exhibition, there will also be over 100 works from the College of DuPage Permanent Art Collection.

The exhibition will encompass both the CCMA and the MAC, unfolding across roughly 11,000 square-feet of exhibition space. Educational and interactive elements will include a biographical exhibition highlighting key points in Warhol’s life and career, video installation, interactive mural, children’s print factory area, Studio 54 and Silver Cloud Room experiences and Central Park-inspired outdoor café, creating an immersive, multifaceted exhibition focused on the life and work of one of the most influential artists of the past century. For more information visit Warhol2023.org.

About The MAC

McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.  For more information visit AtTheMAC.org.

 

Biographies

Vince Melocchi (Playwright) is originally from Western Pennsylvania. While attending Penn State University, and short on credits, he took the only class still open, "Principles of Playwriting." Having never written a play before, he called his late father Ronald who advised him, "Write what you know, son." That night Melocchi began work on his one-act play "Making Moves", about a group of janitors in a Western Pennsylvania hospital. "Making Moves" was produced at Penn State the next year. He went on to attend the Professional Training Program for actors at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco. While at ACT, he worked in the "Plays in Progress" unit, focusing on the reading and development of new plays. Eventually, he moved to Southern California to act professionally in film, television and stage. Soon, Melocchi become a member of the award-winning Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble (PRT), where he was given a chance to hone his skills as both actor and writer. As a member of PRT, Vince co-created "The Writers Group at PRT" with fellow actor/writer Valerie Dillman. It was in that writer’s workshop that his critically acclaimed, Ovation award-nominated full play "Lions" was born. After various workshop stagings and readings, “Lions” was produced as part of PRT's 2008 season. After its sold out run at PRT, "Lions" was published by Samuel French. Along with his full-length plays, “Julia,” “Lions,” “Figures,” “The Pact,” “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” and “Saints,” Melocchi’s writing includes a number of one act plays, including: “Bully,” “The Last Linen Day” and “Making Moves.” Melocchi is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Steve Scott (Director) returns for his ninth production at BTE, where he most recently directed “The Cake” in 2019. For over 30 years he served as Producer at the Goodman Theatre, and is currently an artistic associate and board member at the Goodman. His directing credits there include “The Santaland Diaries,” “Ah, Wilderness,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” Horton Foote’s “Blind Date,” the world premiere of Tom Mula’s “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” and six editions of “A Christmas Carol.” Scott has directed at a wide variety of professional companies in Chicago. Recent productions include “Mothers and Sons” at Northlight, “Richard III at Promethean,” “King Lear” and “The Humans” at Redtwist (where he is a company member), “Why Torture is Wrong…and the People Who Love Them” at Eclipse Theatre, “Next to Normal” at the Dunes Summer Theatre (where he is artistic director),” Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at the Skokie Theatre, and “Summer and Smoke” and “Stage Door” at the Theatre Conservatory of the College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he has been on the faculty for over two decades. He has also taught at Columbia College Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, and the Latin School of Chicago; and serves on the board of Season of Concern. For his work as a director, Steve has received six Jeff nominations, an After Dark Award, and numerous Broadway World nominations. He received the 2017 Special Jeff Award for his contributions to the Chicago theater community and the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the League of Chicago Theatres.

REVIEW: The Merry Widow at the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn, IL

NEW PHILHARMONIC EXPANDS ITS OPERA PROGRAMING WITH 

THREE PERFORMANCES OF 

Franz Lehár’s “THE MERRY WIDOW” 

AT THE MAC JAN. 24-26

Pictured Katherine Weber (far R) with cast in Act I

All photos are by John Cebula Esq. 

Guest Review
By Catherine Hellmann

I am very much a City Girl. It takes a strong lure to get me to the suburbs, even though my elder daughter brags, ”Mom, there is always free parking!” But the long haul out to Glen Ellyn at College of DuPage (where, yes, there was indeed plenty of free parking) to the McAninch Arts Center on a dreary night to see The Merry Widow was worth the drive. 

The Merry Widow is an operetta by Franz Lehar which means it has spoken dialogue interspersed between songs; this production is sung in English but still has the supertitles above the stage so nothing is missed. All of these factors make the performance much more palatable to patrons who may not be “opera people.” 

Plus, it is a funny script and story. 

Set in Paris, Baron Zeta from the fictional country of “Pontevedro” is concerned that his troubled nation is going to go (sssh! Don’t say this word!) “bankrupt.” A plan is hatched to keep the money from a rich young widow in their principality. A “Cinderella story” is explained where a poor farmer’s daughter, Hannah Glawan, was wooed relentlessly by a very wealthy older man until she finally agreed to marry him. He died shortly after their nuptials, leaving her with millions. Hannah is pursued by all the eligible bachelors in Paris, who are more interested in her purse holdings than her. “It’s not me they’re in love with, it’s my bank account,” she laments.  

Pictured: Alisa Jordheim in Act II

Hannah’s old love was a boy from her childhood, now known as the Count Danilo Danilovitch. At their first reunion, he is upset that she married the old man. Hannah tells him,”When one is a woman and poor, one does what she has to do.” The Count actually still loves her, but feels that if he courts Hannah now, it will appear to be only for her money. I doubt this will be seen as much of a “spoiler” if I reveal that the two original lovers do wind up together at the end, and Pontevedro is saved! All’s well that ends well.

Adding to the humorous plot is the blatant affair the Baron’s wife, Valencienne, is conducting with a local Frenhman who is an officer. The Baron refers to his wife as “a symbol of virtue” as she repeatedly sneaks away with her lover, Camille de Rosillon. The Baron’s cluelessness is an amusing motif; Baritone Aron Wardell does a nice job as the foolish Baron. Valencienne (a lovely Katherine Weber) calls herself a “respectable wife,” but is anything but that description. 

Another funny, ongoing bit is the list of honorary titles given to the Baron by his embassy secretary, Njegus, played by Michael LaTour, who is also the Stage Director and Choreographer for this production! “Your Bigness,” “Your Vastness,” “Your Sageness,” and “Your Epicness,” he schmoozes. 

The show is set in the 1920s which allows the women to be decked out in gorgeous sequined flapper dresses. Their gowns are simply gorgeous. Thank you, Kimberly G. Morris, for the eye candy in wardrobe design. 

Pictured L-R: Allison Selby Cook, Brooklyn Snow, Erika Morrison, Katherine Weber

Other standouts are the petite but mighty soprano Alisa Suzanne Jordheim as the title character. She has the vocal chops to pull off this demanding role. 

Just last week, I was privileged to see the “Rising Stars in Concert” at the Lyric Opera and praised the brilliant Ryan Opera Center which trains young artists. The Count was played ably by baritone Jesse Donner, and he is a recent graduate of that program from 2017. His voice was not only gorgeous, but his acting was playful as well.

The New Philharmonic was conducted by Music Director Kirk Muspratt. “Cookies with Kirk” follows the performance with the gleeful cast rushing first to the lobby for sweet treats. Wow. I don’t get dessert at the Lyric...maybe the suburbs aren’t so bad…

Mark your calendars: In the spring, there will be two concerts At the MAC on April 18 and 19 celebrating Frida Kahlo. Written by Mexican composers, the works feature a soprano soloist with tenor Jesse Donner singing and a 100-voice chorus.  From June to August, there will be an “exclusive exhibit of Kahlo’s original artwork on loan from the Delores Olmedo Museum in Mexico City,” according to their press release. 26 pieces will be on display. It is the largest Frida Kahlo show in the Chicago area in 40 years. 

Timed tickets for the art exhibit are only $18 plus fees.  Call (630) 942-4000 for tickets. Only 30 untimed tickets are available each day of the exhibit. 

And, there is ample FREE parking. 

Catherine Hellmann is an Ohio transplant in love with the Windy City and all it has to offer...even if it involves traveling in the Chicagoland area. She has a daughter in the ‘burbs, another who goes to school in downtown Chicago, and her son lives in the college town of Ann Arbor.  

Pictured: Katherine Weber and James Judd in Act II

Pictured: The cast of “The Merry Widow” in Act I

Alisa Jordheim (Soprano), Jesse Donner (Baritone), Katherine Weber (Soprano) and James Judd (Tenor) Star in Staging by Michael La Tour, Stage Director of New Philharmonic’s Sold-Out Operas, “Die Fledermaus (2019) 

and “The Mikado” (2017) 

New Philharmonic, under the musical direction of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, opens 2020 with Franz Lehár’s popular operetta “The Merry Widow,” featuring a libretto by Viktor Leon and Leo Stein, at the McAninch Arts Center. Due to the growing popularity of New Philharmonic’s winter operas a performance on Friday, Jan.24 at 7:30 p.m. has been added to the regular two performance run. Other performances are Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. This operetta, staged by Michael La Tour, will be sung in English. A free MAC Chat will take place one hour prior to each performance.

“The Merry Widow” is based an 1861 comedy play, “L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) by Henri Meilhac and revolves around a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband. New Philharmonic’s production will be set in the audacious, stylish, fun and madcap 1920s. 

So many men, so little time. Hannah Glawari has all the money to save the bankrupt country of Pontevedro and all the eligible bachelors in Paris, but what she really wants is her long-lost love. Count Danilo, forbidden to wed Hannah when childhood sweethearts, has been charged with saving Pontevedro, but Hanna’s recent widow’s fortune has turned the tables. The most ravishing of operettas concludes with a party a la Café de Maxim’s complete with dancing girls.

“The Merry Widow” stars Alisa Suzanne Jordheim (soprano) as Hannah Glawari, Jesse Donner (baritone) as Count Danilo Danilovitch, Katherine Weber (soprano) as Valencienne and James Judd (tenor) as Camille de Rosillon; with Aaron Wardell (Baron Mirko Zeta), Evan Bravos (Vicomte Cascada), Matthew Greenblatt (Raoul de St. Brioche), Douglas Peters (Bogdanovitch), Brooklyn Snow (Sylviane), Reuben Lillie (Kromow), Allison Selby Cook (Olga), Ian Hosak (Pritschitsch), Erika Morrison (Praskovia), Lisa Kristina (Zo-Zo) and Stage Director La Tour in a cameo role as the clerk Njegus. They will be supported by a 20-person ensemble of chorus, grissettes and supers. 

The design team includes Kimberly G. Morris (costume/wig/makeup design), Elias Morales (lighting design), and Jon Gantt (projections design). Stage manager is Isabelle Rund. 

Tickets

New Philharmonic, under the direction of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, presents “The Merry Widow” at the McAninch Arts Center, located on the campus of College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $59. For tickets or more information, call 630.942.4000 or visit AtTheMAC.org.

Bios
Alisa Jordheim (Hannah Glawari) has been seen at the MAC in New Philharmonic’s 2017 and 2018 New Year’s programs, New Philharmonic 2017’s “The Best of Broadway: Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber” and in the role of Yum-Yum in the New Philharmonic’s 2017 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” ​ This past November she made her company debut as Clotilde in Pacini's “Maria, regina d'Inghilterra” with Odyssey Opera. Other performing credits include her acclaimed performance as Soeur Constance in Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” at the 
Caramoor International Music Festival, Gilda in “Rigoletto” with San Diego Opera, Ninetta in “La gazza ladra” with Teatro Nuovo and concert performances including Mozart's “Exsultate, jubilate” with the Milwaukee Symphony and Mozart's “Mass in C Minor” with the Bel Canto Chorus. Honors and awards include recipient of a 2016 Sullivan Foundation Award and 2015 Sullivan Foundation Career Development Grant, winner of the 2015 Bel Canto Regional Artists Competition, and winner of the Edith Newfield Scholarship in the 2013 Musicians Club of Women Music Scholarship Competition in Chicago. Jordheim was recently featured in Fred Plotkin's "40 under 40: A New Generation of Superb Opera Singers" on WQXR, New York's Public Radio station.  

Jesse Donner (Count Danilo Danilovitch) was most recently seen at the MAC in New Philharmonic’s 2019 production of Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus.” His just performed the role of Danilo in the St. Petersburg Opera production of “The Merry Widow,” and his other performances this season include his debut as Rodolfo in Union Avenue Opera’s production of Puccini’s “La Boheme,” a return to the Louisville Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Verdi’s “Requiem” and Handel’s “Messiah” and his concert debut with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. Previous seasons’ credits include Toledo Opera’s Fall Gala Concert, featured soloist for Chicago Philharmonic’s “Concert for Peace,” the role of Ismael in Union Avenue Opera’s production of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and the role of Emporer Alteum in Cedar Rapids Opera’s production of Puccini’s “Turandot.” Donner was a resident artist at Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2014-2017. Honors and awards include the 2015 Luminarts Fellowship and the Bel Canto grand prize, the 2014 George Shirley Award for Opera Performance, a special encouragement award from the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions, and 1st place in the 2012 Michigan Friends of Opera Competition. 

Katherine Weber (Valencienne) was seen earlier this season in New Philharmonic’s “Ode to Joy” concert. Other past performances with New Philharmonic include the roles of Rosalinde in Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus” (2019), and Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata” (2017). Weber garnered acclaim in the title role of Chicago Opera Theater’s 2018 Chicago premiere of Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta.” Other performing credits include soloist in Beethoven's “Mass in C,” Vivaldi's “Gloria” and Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Winona Oratorio Chorus and Orchestra and two seasons with Opera for the Young, in Madison, Wisc., where she toured in the title role in Dvořák’s “Rusalka” and Pamina in Mozart's “The Magic Flute.” She was featured soloist with the Florentine Opera and soprano soloist in Handel's “Messiah” at her alma mater, Viterbo University. Honors and awards include regional finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions twice (2017, 2015), recipient of the Award of Excellence and the Lew Cady Memorial Award (both from Central City Opera), the Bain Fellowship from Indiana University, and two-time winner of the Schubert Club Competition and four time encouragement award winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

James Judd (Camille de Rosillon) was most recently seen at the MAC in the September “Ode to Joy” concert and in the role of Alfred in New Philharmonic’s January 2019 production of Strauss II’s “Die Fleidermaus.” He has sung with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and The AIMS Festival Orchestra. Judd’s past operatic roles include Monostatos in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” Ferrando in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” the title role in Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito,” Asgar in the U.S. premiere of Hajibeyov’s “Arshin Mal Alan” and Claude in the world premiere of Nettles' “The Fall of Stag Lee.” He has performed at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colo., where he won their prestigious concerto competition. Judd also sings with many professional choruses, including the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Judd holds a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance at The University of Iowa as well as Bachelor of Music in both Education and Vocal Performance from SUNY Fredonia.

Michael La Tour (Stage Direction/ Njegus) has worked professionally as an actor, singer, dancer, mime, clown, designer, choreographer, director and producer. He is on staff at The Ryan Opera Center of The Lyric Opera of Chicago as a master teacher and stage director (Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” Verdi’s “La Traviata, Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus,” Presgurvic’s “Romeo et Juliette”). His most recent work seen by MAC patrons was New Philharmonic’s 2017 sold out production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” Other directing credits include Kentucky Opera (Puccini’s “La Boheme,” Bizet’s “Carmen,” Presgurvic’s “Romeo et Juliette”) and Opera Moda (Mechem’s “Tartuffe,” Adamo’s “Little Women,” Hoiby’s“A Month in the Country”). With Peter Amster, he has co-directed and choreographed “Side By Side By Sondheim” for Pegasus Players, Hwang’s “M. Butterfly” for Apple Tree Theatre (After Dark Award for choreography) and the grand opening of The Harris Theater in Millennium Park. 

Pictured Center: Alisa Jordheim surrounded by cast members Matthew Greenblatt, John Kouns, Danius Grablaukas, Reed Pence, William Ortega, Ben Adair, Matthew Byerly and Evan Bravos

About New Philharmonic

New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, Ill., has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than 40 years. It continues to thrive with the goal to give innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. The orchestra was honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2017 ICO Award for Professional Orchestra of the Year. Today, under the direction of Kirk Muspratt, named 2018 Conductor of the Year (Professional Orchestra) by Illinois Council of Orchestras, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually. 

About the MAC
The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. 

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit AtTheMAC.org or facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.

Support for New Philharmonic is provided in part by Brookdale-Glen Ellyn; ST|G|P Sullivan Taylor | Gumina & Palmer, P.C., the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; WFMT 98.7 FM, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation. This production of “The Merry Widow” is supported by an anonymous Soloist Sponsor.

Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462. 

Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. 

Pictured in Act III: Foreground L-R:  Erin Perry, Crystal Chandler. Lori Fimoff, Lisa Kristina, Molly Chesna, Kaitlin Tienen, Sara Solis; Background: Ben Adair, Reed Pence and Meghan Smeenge

New Philharmonic, under the musical direction of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, with staging by Michael La Tour, opens 2020 with Franz Lehár’s popular operetta “The Merry Widow,” libretto by Viktor Leon and Leo Stein, at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd.,Glen Ellyn, Ill. Performances are Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $59. For tickets or more information, call 630.942.4000 or visit AtTheMAC.org. 

All photos are by John Cebula Esq. 

“Opus Cactus” To Open McAninch Arts Center's 30th Season With Whimsical Wonder

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chi, IL

MOMIX BRINGS THE DYNAMIC FULL-LENGTH MULTIMEDIA DANCE SPECTACULAR

“OPUS CACTUS” 

TO THE MAC SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) opens its 30^th Anniversary Season Performance Series with MOMIX’s full-length multimedia spectacular “Opus Cactus,” Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m.This mesmerizing production explores the wonders of the desert through dynamic acrobatic images of cacti, slithering lizards, fire dancers and more. New York Times hails Opus Cactus as “exploding with a sense of magic, danger, sensuality, quirkiness, humor and beauty.”

After a 10-year hiatus, “Opus Cactus” returns with a new look, fresh energy and fun surprises. Set to a hypnotic mix of music from J.S. Bach to new age to tribal, this prop-laden piece of 19 seamless vignettes uses low-flying trapeze, harnesses, belly dollies, vaulting poles, oversized fan, puppets and skirts, a swing-like hammock, a rolling metal sculpture and outrageous costumes to transport audiences to the exotic world of the desert.

Sections such as “Dream Catcher,” “Pole Dance,” “Ostrich of the Imagination,” “Gila Monster,” and “Desert Blooms” showcase the virtuosity and versatility of the dancer-illusionists. The dancers include Steven Ezra, who was a 2011 finalist on “America’s Got Talent” with the shadow performance troupe Catapult; Jonathan Eden, who joined MOMIX in 2004; Jason Williams who has been touring with the company since 2011; Greg DeArmond who has been with the company since 2014; Anthony Bocconi, formerly with the Lar Lubovitch Dance company, now with MOMIX since 2015;  Rebecca Rasmussen, a member of the company since 2006; and Sarah Nachbauer, a 10 year veteran of MOMIX. Two more dancers will be announced at a later date.

Moses Pendelton (choreographer and MOMIX artistic director) formed the MOMIX in 1981 as an offshoot of the dance company Pilobolus, which he co-founded while a senior at Dartmouth College in 1971 and performed with as full-time member with the company until 1980.

Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX, now in its 36^th year, is a company of dancer-illusionists celebrated for its ability to conjure up a world of surrealistic images using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body. In addition to stage performances world-wide, the company has frequently worked on special projects and in film and television. MOMIX has made five Italian RAI television features broadcast to 55 countries (including the USSR and China) and has performed on Antenne II in France. MOMIX was featured in PBS’s “Dance in America” series and one of the first IMAX films in 3-D, “IMAGINE”, which premiered at the Taejon Expo 93 and was subsequently released at IMAX theaters world-wide. MOMIX has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Denmark, England, Austria, Ireland, Holland, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. The company is based in Washington, Conn.

Tickets:

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents MOMIX in “Opus Cactus,” Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $42-$52. New for 2016-2017: for selected shows, the MAC offers the VIP Experience featuring a private, pre-show cocktail and hor d’oeuvres, reception and coffee and dessert at intermission. The VIP experience is available for this event for an additional $30 per person. For tickets or more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000.

About the MAC

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, and houses three performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), plus the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college’s academic programming and the Lakeside Pavilion. The MAC, now celebrating its 30^th Anniversary, has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org, facebook.com/AtTheMAC or twitter.com/AtTheMAC.

 *Events, dates, artists and prices subject to change.

The MAC’s 2016-2017 Season is made possible in part with support by The DuPage Foundation, Hilton  Lisle/Naperville, Brookdale-Glen Ellyn; The JCS Arts & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Smith Financial Advisors, Inc; SlTlG Sullivan Taylor & Gumina, P.C.; Follett’s College of DuPage Bookstore; Paramount Theatre; WFMT 98.7 FM; WBEZ 91.5 FM; WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation. 

Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.

Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.  

OPENING: BUFFALO THEATRE ENSEMBLE BACK WITH MUSICAL WINNER “DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER”

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: BUFFALO THEATRE ENSEMBLE OPENS 2016-2017 "YEAR OF THE PHOENIX" SEASON WITH MARC CAMOLETTI’S TONY-NOMINATED COMEDY “DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER”  DIRECTED BY KURT NAEBIG SEPT. 8 – OCT. 9 After a three-year hiatus Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) opens its 2016-2017 “Year of the Phoenix” Season in the McAninch Arts Center’s intimate Playhouse Theatre with Marc Camoletti’s “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” directed by BTE Ensemble member Kurt Naebig,* Sept. 8 – Oct. 9. This production marks the return of the professional Equity company as the MAC’s resident theater company. There will be a preview performance on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.; press opening is Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Performances run through Sunday, Oct. 9. Hidden identities and outrageous situations take center stage in this hysterically funny sequel to Camoletti’s “Boeing Boeing.” The Chicago Tribune has hailed “Don’t Dress for Dinner” as “…a comedy of confusion that almost collapses under the weight of duplicity, mistaken identity, and extramarital affairs, but somehow stays in the air like a precarious but well-built soufflé;” and the Guardian lauds,“Hurtling along at the speed of light, this breathtaking farce is a near faultless piece of theatrical invention.”  “Don’t Dress for Dinner” was a smash hit in Paris, under the title of “Pyjamas Pour Six” where it played for more than two years. After London producer Mark Furness commissioned playwright Robin Hawdon to do a rewrite of the play, it was retitled “Don’t Dress for Dinner” and went on to run for six years at the U.K.’s Apollo and Duchess Theatres. It has since played in theaters throughout the English-speaking world and had its Broadway debut in 2012, where it was nominated for two Tony Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards and featured Jennifer Tilly in the role of Suzanne.

“Don’t Dress for Dinner” is set in a country house in France on the evening when Bernard’s wife, Jacqueline, is scheduled to be out of town visiting her mother. Bernard takes advantage of the situation and plans a dinner for himself, his mistress, Suzanne, and old friend Robert. Bernard is unaware that Robert is having an affair with Jacqueline, who immediately cancels her visit to her mother when she learns of Robert’s arrival.

Catering the dinner is the smart and sassy Suzette. Due to the similarity in Suzette and Suzanne’s names, Robert mistakenly assumes Suzette is Bernard’s mistress, and the things quickly spiral into a quagmire of suspicions and farcical old-fashioned hanky-panky, ultimately culminating in each character gaining a new sense of respect and commitment to the relationships in their lives. Says director Naebig, “What a blessing it is to have the talented BTE Ensemble together again!  The dedication these theater artists have to their craft, coupled with their desire to help to teach and boost the careers of budding actors in the COD theater program, is something quite extraordinary. I’m so excited BTE is back up and running, and I’m especially pleased to have the honor to direct one of the funniest plays of the last 30 years. Both our loyal supporters and new subscribers are going to love this show.”   The cast for “Don’t Dress for Dinner” includes Chicago’s Robert Jordan Bailey* (Robert); Downers Grove’s Connie Canaday Howard* (Jacqueline); Chicago’s Nick DuFloth (George); Chicago’s Rebecca Cox (Suzette); LaGrange’s Laura Leonardo Ownby (Suzanne) and Western Spring’s Brad Walker (Bernard). The design team includes Lombard’s Kurt Naebig* (Director); Aurora’s Michael Moon* (Set Design); Addison’s Kimberly Morris (Costume Design); Glen Ellyn’s Jon Gantt* (Lighting Design); Lenox, Iowa’s Galen Ramsey* (Sound Design); Chicago’s Brad Sauper and Jillian Luce (Properties Design) and Muncie, Ind.’s Jon Tovar (Fight Choreographer). Tickets: Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents Marc Camoletti’s “Don’t Dress for Dinner” directed by Kurt Naebig in the Playhouse Theatre of the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage Sept. 8 – Oct. 9. There will be a preview performance on Thursday, Sept. 8; press opening is Friday, Sept. 9. Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. (Sept. 17 and Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m.) and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35. Rush discounted priced tickets (subject to availability) may be purchased in person at the box office from noon – 2 p.m. on the day of the performance. For tickets or more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. In addition to “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s 2016-2017 three-play “Year of the Phoenix” season includes David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Good People” directed by Connie Canaday Howard (Feb. 2-March 5) and Alan Ayckbourn’s “Improbable Fiction” directed by Bryan Burke (May 4-June 4). Throughout this “Year of the Phoenix” Season BTE seeks to build financial stability, establish a sustainable structure through engagement with manifold communities. BTE Company members and visiting artists are a vital part of both the college’s educational mission and the fabric of the community through programming that includes producing a three-show season beginning with the 2016-2017 season, creating master classes for students, presenting demonstrations of theater arts, hosting performance talk backs and subscriber nights, and participating in community outreach.    Since 1986 BTE has staged more than 110 shows. In 2013, BTE went on hiatus, following the College of DuPage’s decision to not house BTE. This past April, following a strong more than two year campaign by BTE supporters, the COD board reconsidered. Currently, BTE is scheduled to receive a financial commitment from COD for the first two years of operation while BTE establishes itself as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes, and the relationship will be reviewed. For more information about BTE visit BTEChicago.com. * Denotes Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Company member  The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, and houses three performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), plus the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college’s academic programming and the Lakeside Pavilion. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org, facebook.com/AtTheMAC or twitter.com/AtTheMAC. The McAninch Arts Center is supported in part by the College of DuPage Foundation. Programs at the MAC are partially supported through funding from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.