Production popularity brings 'Glee' back to Children's Theatre of Elgin

Fans of the hit FOX television show, "Glee," won't have to wait until September to see their favorite New Directions show choir rehash some of the hit music gracing our culture today.

The Children's Theatre of Elgin, in conjunction with the Fox Valley Theatre Company, will present their summer production, "Camp Glee: Songs of Summer," today through June 27.

Although the plot of the production mirrors that of "Glee," producer Greg Cherry said it is unrelated from the show, save a few songs shared between the two.

"It more reflects the current struggle in many schools to continue funding their arts programs. We're bringing that to life," he said.

"Camp Glee: Songs of Summer," takes place in any and every show choir room: a school contemplating cutting funding to their arts program unless drastic measures and the team's successes can be reached.

This is not the first summer for the production, Cherry said. "Glee" has always been a popular choice among the companies' students, and each time the production is selected, the only details changed are the musical numbers.

Cherry was not sure how many times the production has been selected, but said this will be the second consecutive summer the production will be staged.

"We elect a youth board every year who are in charge of selecting what play we produce for the following year," Cherry said.

"Every year, they come back and want to do some kind of showstopper thing. I always ask if we're wearing it out, and sometimes we are and sometime we're not, but we continue to get such a positive response from this, so we must be doing something right."

"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey; "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé; "The Hoedown Throwdown" by Miley Cyrus and "Splish Splash" are just some of the many songs featured in the production.

When asked whether or not the influence of "Glee" on American pop culture would help the overall impact of "Camp Glee," Cherry said, "We hope so, but we're not sure. You never really know. The kids seem to be enjoying it."

With over 130 children and adults in the cast, Cherry said a production of this magnitude is very hard to organize, but it gives each participant the opportunity to be on the big stage.

Participants are broken down into several different age groups, color-coded depending on their particular age range. Cherry said that the production will not be about each team competing against one another, but instead will be about presenting their talent to the audience.

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, June 18-19, 25-26, and 3 p.m. Sundays, June 20 and 27 at ECC's Blizzard Theatre. Tickets are $10. Call (847) 214-7152 or visit cteelgin.com