'DuPage Daze' to raise funds for Outreach Community Center

More than 75 performers will take the stage this weekend to sing, dance and re-create a significant chunk of DuPage County's earliest history.

It very easily could have been called "DuPage the Musical."

But the creative minds behind "DuPage Daze" confess they have a tough time putting any label on the original production, which will be performed Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, in the ministry center of First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, 715 N. Carlton Ave.

"It's billed as a variety show. I don't like to call it that," said Georgia Hamilton of Wheaton, the show's musical director. "But there's enough in it for everybody."

Winfield resident Martha McMillen wrote the original script after spending a year researching the period of DuPage history from 1730 to the 1890s. Her work included compiling sheet music for more than a dozen folk songs written during that time.

Now McMillen's script and the folk songs are at the heart of the production, which will be performed by a large cast of mostly seniors citizens.

One of the groups participating in "DuPage Daze" is the Silvertones, a chorus of area seniors that's sponsored by Wheaton Park District. Dancers from two other groups - the Snappy Tappers and Step In Time Dancers - also will help tell the story.

"It's a spectacular tribute to the fascinating early settlers of DuPage County," said Linda Dolan, manager of Wheaton Park District's leisure center. "The story re-creates authentic incidents from the history of the country."

"DuPage Daze" is the third in a series of benefit shows organized to help raise money for the Outreach Community Center in Carol Stream. The previous shows were "Radio Daze" in 2006 and "Hollywood Daze" in 2007.

Hamilton said the Carol Stream center plays a vital role in assisting seniors who live alone, are indigent and need support.

"They have a really fine program there," she said.

But before they could have three performances for audiences expected to reach as many as 400 people per show, the cast and crew of "DuPage Daze" spent months preparing. Rehearsals started in September.

In that time, a number of changes were made to the script to keep the show to about two hours.

"We had to cut, cut, cut. Otherwise, we would be there for four or five days," McMillen said jokingly.

Still, she said she believes the revisions have made the production "much better," thanks to Hamilton's suggestions.

Dennis Brown, one of the actors, said he believes audience members will be both entertained and educated by the show.

"It's amazing what happened before America was built," he said. "Basically, the whole of America was just a lump of land that anybody could do anything they wanted with. And look what it turned into. It's amazing."

While it's great to be so close to opening night, Hamilton said it's also "a little scary"

"But it is what it is," she said. "And I think that we will have an entertaining show for the audience. I know that our performers enjoy doing it."

Tickets are $15. For details or to buy tickets, call (630) 665-1415.

<p class="factboxheadblack">DuPage Daze</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 3 and 7 p.m. March 7 and 3 p.m. March 8</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, 715 N. Carlton Ave., Wheaton</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $15</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 665-1415</p>