Carpentersville trustee to take the stage in "Annie"
Want to see a different side of Carpentersville Trustee Doug Marks?
Then be sure to buy tickets to the musical "Annie," which is running for its final weekend Friday through Sunday at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin.
Marks plays Bert Healy, a radio host for NBC's Oxydant Hour of Smiles Show. Marks opens the second act as Healy, but you'll hear him throughout the show in the chorus and offstage as the radio announcer.
Right now, Marks is known more for questioning ordinances he feels are obsolete and for his efforts to save taxpayer dollars than he is for his music.
But on Tuesday night, at the coaxing of other trustees, he briefly burst into song for the board and sang the first verse of "Fully Dressed."
If you watch the televised board meetings on Fridays, you can catch his board performance near the end of the meeting.
"Annie" is a family affair for Marks, as his kids have roles in the show as well.
His daughter Tiana, 11, plays one of the orphans and his son Scott, 25, has several roles in the show, including one as Mr. Bundles, the laundry man.
Marks got involved with the show after taking his daughter to the audition and feared organizers would cancel the show because there weren't enough men to fill certain roles.
So the next day, Marks sent an email offering to do whatever he could to ensure the show went on, even if it meant getting onstage himself — he honed his singing and acting skills while performing in various rock bands and in high school theater productions.
"This isn't about me, it's about doing something for other groups and I don't have to be doing something centerstage to have a good time," Marks said.
The show runs at 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
To order tickets, which are $15 each, call the Hemmens box office at (847) 931-5900 or visit www.hemmens.org, or the theater in person at 45 Symphony Way.
Car show fundraiser: Don't forget about the antique car show this weekend in Carpentersville that will help pay for the maintenance of the fire department's 9/11 memorial. The show will be held Sunday at the corner of Route 31 and Main Street. Registration runs from 8 a.m. to noon, but the public can start coming at 9 a.m. Public voting begins at noon and awards will be given out at 3 p.m. Organizers will give dashboard plaques out to the first 120 cars. After that, trophies will be given to the top 50 cars, as selected by attendees.The memorial is dedicated to those firefighters and civilians who were killed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Earlier this year, the department raised more than enough money through donations to create the memorial. But it still needs money for ongoing upkeep. For more information about the show, call Humberto Garcia at (847) 800-5124.Y Lenore Adkins covers Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Hampshire, Huntley and Sleepy Hollow. To reach her, send an email to ladkins@dailyherald.com or call her at (847) 608-2725.