The Wolf escapes with pardon in Batavia

The audience clearly chose to find the defendant, The Wolf, guilty Sunday at a joint performance of the Batavia High School drama club and the Fox Valley Philharmonic Orchestra in a presentation of "Peter vs. The Wolf."

But they were probably surprised when the judge pardoned the obviously guilty wolf because he is on the endangered animals list.

The play is a sequel to the story in Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," in which a brave Russian boy, despite his grandfather's warnings, saves two of his animal friends, a bird and a cat, from the same fate that befell his other friend, the duck.

It was presented at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre inside the high school with the admission price going to support the drama club.

The fourth annual production presented the orchestra on stage performing Prokofiev's music and included the characters of Peter, a district attorney, a judge and, of course, the wolf in a courtroom setting.

Members of the orchestra were called as witnesses during the trial.

During the concert's intermission, children had the opportunity to try their hands at playing various instruments in the philharmonic's "Instrumental Petting Zoo."

After the intermission, children were invited take turns being the "maestro" when "Kids Conduct the Philharmonic."

The family-friendly concert closed with the composition "Tubby the Tuba," where the orchestral story of Tubby and his good friends, Peepo the Piccolo and Mr. Frog, musically unfolds.

This concert was partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.