Waukegan Park District announces performing arts season schedule
The Waukegan Park District Cultural Arts Division has announced the 2015/16 performing arts season, including three productions by the Bowen Park Theatre Company and the six concerts by the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus.
Find events at brownpapertickets.com or call (800) 838-3006.
Bowen Park Theatre Company opens its 28th season on Friday, Sept. 25 with two short plays under the artistic direction of Jason Clark: Anne Nelson's "The Guy" and Neil LaBute's "The Mercy Seat." There is an 8 p.m. curtain and the show will run until Sunday, Oct. 11, with a 3 p.m. matinee performance. The professional theater company will present two additional plays: John Peilmeier's "Agnes of God" and William Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors." Season tickets for the plays may be purchased at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, 39 Jack Benny Drive, Waukegan. The season ticket package for adults is $40, seniors and military is $30 and student tickets with ID are $20. Single tickets may be purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets or by phone at (800) 838-3006.
The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra will open its music season with "In Nature's Realm" Oct. 25, at 4 p.m., at the Waukegan High School's Brookside Campus-Trapp Auditorium, 2325 Brookside Avenue, Waukegan. The season opener, with Stephen Blackwelder at the baton, will include: Dvorak's "In Nature's Realm," Weber's "Concertino for Clarinet," Fingal's "Cave by Mendelssohn," Delius' "Summer Evening" and "Symphony in C Major" by Bizet. The orchestra ends its season with "Greetings from Prague" May 22 featuring Schubert's "Rosamunde Overture," Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 23" in A Major, Brahms' "Tragic Overture," "Prelude to The Queen of Sheba" by Goldmark and Strauss' "Tales of the Vienna Woods."
The Waukegan Concert Chorus performances under the musical leadership of Randy Casey are held at the First Presbyterian Church of Waukegan, 122 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., downtown Waukegan on Sundays at 4 p.m. The Concert Chorus will begin their season with "A Holiday Celebration" Nov. 15. The featured piece is Vivaldi's "Gloria" along with "Christmas Flourish" arranged by Randol Alan Bass and selected Christmas anthems that will include an audience sing along. The Chorus will end its performance season March 2 with a concert titled, "British Music-Sacred and Secular" and will feature Bob Chilcott's "Requiem" and Old English selections and a Celtic choral suite.
Special concerts round out the remainder of the WSOCC season. The 10th Annual Joseph A. Favero Memorial "Do It Yourself" Messiah and Carol Singalong takes place Dec. 19, 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Waukegan, 128 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. On Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. the Waukegan Symphony will present a Young People's Concert at the Trapp Auditorium with all children and youth 18 and under free and a $5 reduced price ticket for adults. The concert will feature Stookey's "The Composer is Dead." This annual event has become a family favorite by giving audience members an opportunity to meet the musicians on stage and learn more about their instruments.
The WSOCC season ticket package for adults is $65, seniors and military is $50 and student tickets with ID are $36. Students 18 years and younger get in free and children 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Season tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check with credit card purchases at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts in Bowen Park. Single tickets may be purchased at the Benny Center, at the door, online with a credit card through Brown Paper Tickets or at (800) 838-3006. Only cash and checks are accepted at the door.