Prairie Center announces 2016-17 season
The Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts has announced its 31st season of arts and entertainment, a rich and wide-ranging collection of music, drama, history and lectures.
"Just when you think the previous season's lineup can't be beat, the Prairie Center develops a season of entertainment for the coming year that we believe is second to none," said Betsy Armistead, director of Cultural Services.
"This lineup will really strike a chord with audiences, providing a mix of artists and performances that will bring plenty of nostalgia, emotion and innovation to the Prairie Center stage."
The Prairie Center opens the season with a legend in many genres - New Orleans funk, soul and R&B - Aaron Neville kicking things off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, with an intimate performance featuring keyboard player Michael Goods.
Referred to as "one of America's most distinctive voices" by The Washington Post, Neville's career has spanned five decades and includes a host of platinum records, as well as several Grammy Awards.
The center becomes a haven for mystery as the Prairie Center Arts Foundation presents its 10th Mystery at the Theater. The hilarious whodunit takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15. Tickets are $20 and proceeds benefit the foundation.
History buffs will appreciate several shows and lectures that delve into the past. "Ron Keaton as Churchill" leads things off as Chicago actor Ron Keaton portrays Winston Churchill on Oct. 1. Theater critic Chris Jones gives the show high marks, saying Keaton captures "his ideas, his mortality, his response to failure, his vulnerability."
The lecture "Hollywood and World War II" on Oct. 9 explores the impact of this era on American cultural history. "The Queen's Cartoonists" on Oct. 22 reviews the history of cartoon music from the 1920s to present day, from "Looney Tunes" to "The Simpsons." "A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln's Abiding Call" on Feb. 12 (Lincoln's Birthday) discusses the president's life and the country's history.
The Prairie Center honors several music icons with tributes. "Darin Starring Christopher Kale Jones" portrays the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Darin on Oct. 8; Alexis Ralston as "Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song" will fill the Prairie Center with sultry jazz on March 11, 2017; Beatlemania invades March 18, 2017, with "Liverpool Legends"; songwriter Kirsti Manna and national recording artist Jonathan Birchfield recreate the magic of James Taylor and Carole King March 25, 2017, in "You've Got a Friend"; and Dean Bourne and the Robertson Brothers bring the timeless classics of Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers to life in "Orbison and the Everly Brothers Re-imagined" April 8, 2017.
Holidays at the Prairie Center are packed with yuletide charm. It begins with a lecture hall presentation, "Remembering Marshall Field's at Christmas," tracing the store's history from 1852 until 2006.
A Prairie Center holiday favorite is the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble's magical production of The Nutcracker Ballet featuring a cast of more than 100 dancers, complete with grand sets and vibrant costumes running over two weekends Dec. 2-11.
Finally, the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra and Choir's annual "Presto! Holiday Concert" on Dec. 17 combines the music of the season with narration and short vignettes.
Rounding out the season are: Camerata Chicago's "Sweetest Day," presented by one of the top five chamber orchestras in America, on Oct. 16; "The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson" Nov. 18; on Feb. 11, Chris Lemmon chronicles his life's journey and his relationship with his famous father, actor Jack Lemmon, in "A Twist of Lemmon"; Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra performs in "Moonlighting Sonata" Feb. 26, 2017; The Smithereens, whose hits provided a soundtrack for the mid-80s, early-'90s, take the stage April 1, 2017; "Spirits of the Prairie," a wine tasting event to benefit the Prairie Center Arts Foundation, will be April 7, 2017; Screen Test Student Fest, the 11th annual short film festival, will be April 21 and 22, 2017, featuring the works of talented students from all over the world; and Senior Follies, Schaumburg's senior citizen variety show, comes to the stage April 23, 2017.
Tickets can be purchased at www.prairiecenter.org or by calling (847) 895-3600. The Prairie Center is at 201 Schaumburg Court.
If you go
Here's the complete listing:
Aaron Neville Duo: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17
Ron Keaton as Churchill: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1
Darin Starring Christopher Kale Jones: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8
Hollywood and World War II: 2 p.m. Oct. 9
Mystery at the Theater: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and 15
Camerata Chicago Sweetest Day: 3 p.m. Oct. 16
The Queen's Cartoonists: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22
The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18
Remembering Marshall Fields at Christmas: 2 p.m. Nov. 27
The Nutcracker: Dec. 2 through Dec. 11
Presto! Holiday Concert: 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17
Chris Lemmon in "A Twist of Lemmon": 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11, 2017
A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln's Abiding Call: 2 p.m. Feb. 12, 2017
Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra Performs in "Moonlighting Sonata": 3:30 p.m. Feb. 26, 2017
Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song: 7:30 p.m. March 11, 2017
Liverpool Legends: 7:30 p.m. March 18, 2017
You've Got a Friend - The Music of James Taylor and Carole King: 7:30 p.m. March 25, 2017
The Smithereens: 7:30 p.m. April 1, 2017
Spirits of the Prairie: 7 p.m. April 7, 2017
Orbison and the Everly Brothers Re-imagined: April 8, 2017
Screen Test Student Fest: April 21 and 22, 2017
Senior Follies: 2 p.m. April 23, 2017