Extending the experience beyond the performance

During the 2012-2013 season, we were engaged by many great performances, but also by exciting exchanges between artists, patrons, sponsors, students, and educators that extended the experience of performance.

Princess Fiona greets audience members backstage at Shrek The Musical

• To kick off the 2012-2013 season in style, we turned the performance of The Midtown Men into a grand event including a silent auction, pre-show dinner, and a special up-close performance by The Midtown Men for the dinner attendees.
• Opportunities to interact with performers are always exciting experiences. Princess Fiona from Shrek The Musical met with several young fans before the performance, posed for photos, and answered questions about life as a professional actress. The smaller, more intimate setting of the Kitchen Sink series has created a casual post-show atmosphere where audience members can interact with the performers.
• UIS students attending The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were able to receive course credit by participating in a post-show discussion as part of the University’s Engaged Citizenship Common Experience program.
• Whenever possible, we facilitate workshops and masterclasses, because they offer the opportunity for local artists to interact with and learn directly from professionals.
• Young tap dance students worked with one of the greats, Savion Glover, to enhance their understanding of rhythm and meter.
• Area guitar players attended a workshop with Stanley Jordan, learning about his practice methods.
• A handful of local musicians and composers sat down with the members of Time for Three to discuss their creative process.
• The Springfield Choral Society worked with Jace Wittig, music director of Chanticleer, in a master class setting to give more depth and emotion to pieces they were preparing for an upcoming concert.
• The Class Acts series of daytime educational performances, sponsored by PNC Bank, welcomed nearly 14,000 students, teachers, and chaperones and the learning opportunities extended beyond just seeing the performances. Teachers were provided with study guides that connected the themes in the shows to subject areas beyond the fine arts, which helped them achieve Illinois State Learning Standards and develop 21st century skills.
• Teachers have even more opportunities to broaden their experiences in fine arts by participating in professional development workshops. Sangamon Auditorium and Springfield Public Schools are a partnership team in the Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program, and in 2012-2013, hosted workshops on topics including assessment in the arts, music of the Underground Railroad, and using shadow puppetry to enhance literacy.
• Thanks to a generous grant from the PNC Foundation’s Grow Up Great initiative, all students in the Springfield Urban League’s Head Start program were introduced to arts and culture learning opportunities and attended two Class Acts performances. Sangamon Auditorium staff visited each Head Start classroom to read a story book and lead activities that would help prepare the young students for the experience of attending a live theatrical performance. The Head Start students, staff, and their families were also invited to attend the evening performance of 3-Legged Tale and participate in interactive craft projects in the lobby before the show.

Gearing up for a new season

It's a busy time of year at Sangamon Auditorium.  Though the stage may be cleared from our closing performance of the season, last night's Rock of Ages, we are busy, busy, busy as we look to what's coming up in the next month.

Here are the broad strokes about what's happening:

• One month from today, the Springfield Muni Opera opens its summer season with the first-ever local community theater production of Les Miserables. Tickets for the Muni are sold through the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office and the entire season of events went on sale just this morning.  Tickets are available for purchase at 217.206.6160 or online.  
• Our ushering and event staff are in the midst of a busy few weekends of high school and college commencements, which began with the UIS commencement exercises last Saturday.  Coming up, we will host SIU School of Medicine, and Pleasant Plains, Sacred Heart-Griffin, Auburn, North Mac, Rochester, and Williamsville High School exercises.  It's a lot of details to coordinate.  We are grateful to our fantastic volunteer staff who see us through these events!  
• And finally...we look forward to announcing a new Performing Arts Season on May 30.  Watch the mail and media outlets for all the information about what you can expect from 2013-2014 at Sangamon Auditorium! 

Singin' 'bout the "change"

It's back, and it is once again causing hilarious conversations in our administrative offices.

What am I talking about?  Menopause, of course!

Menopause: The Musical, that is.

The hilarious hit makes its triumphant return to Sangamon Auditorium tonight and tomorrow.  This show's turnout never ceases to amaze me.  Though I haven't hit the age mark personally, I can understand how there is a real communal experience of being in an audience of those who understand what they're seeing on stage PERSONALLY, or through the eyes of someone they love and who is likely sitting right next to them.

If you've missed it in its inaugural presentation in Springfield two years ago, you will want to check it out.  Especially if you know anything about the "CH-CH-Change of life."

Menopause: The Musical
Monday and Tuesday, April 29 & 30, 2013
7:30 p.m.

Chanticleer and the Springfield Choral Society

Last Sunday was a magical day in Springfield with the men's vocal ensemble Chanticleer.

That afternoon, 53 singers from the Springfield Choral Society, under the direction of Marion van der Loo, participated in a Master Class taught by Jace Wittig, music director of Chanticleer.  The Choral Society is preparing for their upcoming concert of Rachmaninoff's "All Night Vigil" on April 27 and were able to present a few of the movements from the piece to Mr. Wittig and work with him to refine their singing of it.

Chanticleer music director Jace Wittig works with the Springfield Choral Society.

Mr. Wittig was quite familiar with the selections, and it was interesting to me to take in how much of what he had to offer the group had to do with understanding the nuances of meaning of the Russian lyrics and understanding the context in which this piece was written.  It brought such a wonderfully human element to the music that, I believe, sometimes gets lost in singers' desire to achieve musicality in details related to more traditionally-discussed elements such as tone, tuning, and dynamics.  Mr. Wittig disclosed that much of Chanticleer's own rehearsal time is devoted to these similar discussions of lyrics and composer intent.

The concert that evening by Chanticleer was magical.  Because Chanticleer sings without a conductor, each of the twelve individual singers must coordinate their efforts brilliantly.  The piece that ended the first half of the concert, Canticum calamitatis maritimae, was especially mesmerizing and solidified for me many of the important elements that had been discussed at the afternoon Master Class.  Through whispering and sighing, in addition to more musical passages that invoked a Siren's call to men at sea, this piece created something of an audio work of art - I'd almost go so far as to call it an audio "painting" - that left one of the most lasting impressions of the performing arts season for me.

Kids and arts events

How old should your child be before you start bringing him to arts events?  As a lover of the arts and the parent of a toddler, my first inclination is to declare that if your child is old enough to hold his head up, he's old enough to be at an arts event!  But upon deeper reflection, I realize there are many factors to take into consideration.  

3-Legged Tale, coming up April 22 on the UIS Family Series

What kind of arts event is it?  Will there be enough color, light and sound to hold his attention?  I brought my then-six-month-old to a performance of Drumline and the heavy beat, rhythmic movement, and creative lighting held his attention beautifully.  Conversely, he did not fare as well a year later at a holiday-themed acoustic performance by Boston Brass.  

How loud will it be?  If it is going to be especially loud, please get some child-sized noise-canceling headphones to protect your child's hearing.  My son loves wearing his (whenever he comes across them at home, he wears them around his playroom for an hour or more).  If it is going to be especially quiet, consider if your child might need to talk to you during the performance and how that might negatively impact the other patrons around you.  I have generally found that mid- to louder-sounding events minimize my son's distraction to other patrons.  His questions and fidgeting have not been distracting at blues events and classic Broadway musicals, especially those that have music and color throughout, like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  

Where will you be seated?  If you have concerns about your child being distracting to other patrons, is there a place you can be seated that can limit your child's ability to be distracting?  Some theaters have "cry rooms" where parents and children can see and hear the performance acoustically separated from other patrons, when necessary.  When this is not available, purchasing an aisle seat best enables a quick exit if your child becomes problematic.  

How long will the performance be?  Most venues can let you know the length of the performance in advance of the event.  If there will be an intermission, would you feel comfortable enjoying just half of the show with your child before leaving?  I have done this many times, and the long-term result is that it doesn't diminish mine or my son's experience; the shorter length is usually just perfect for him.  

Do I have to pay full-price for my child's ticket, or do I need a ticket at all if they will sit on my lap?  Ask!  Most theaters have a specific policies in place.  At Sangamon Auditorium, we require everyone to have an actual ticket, but "infant passes" do not cost anything; these tickets are for children under age 2 who will sit in an adult's lap.  Child/youth tickets at our venue apply to anyone high school or younger and are usually discounted 50% (some events are restricted, however).  

Will there be other children in the audience?  Sangamon Auditorium is pleased to offer the UIS Family Series and there are always plenty of children and families on hand!  Not only are the events selected for families with very young children, but many of the events actually encourage audience participation in the form of "oooohs" and "ahhhhs" and other shout-outs from young patrons.  You will not feel out-of-place with your infant or toddler in this audience!  I hope you will consider joining us for our next Family Series event, the Earth Day-themed 3-Legged Tale on Monday, April 22!

An orchestra of voices...the best of the best!

Coming up on April 14 at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS is the outstanding male vocal ensemble Chanticleer.  It has been ten years since we saw Chanticleer on our stage and that's much too long to wait!  While they are known for classical fare also, it's difficult to resist posting a pop gem like this when writing about their work:

In addition to the concert at 7 p.m., Chanticleer's music director, Jace Wittig, will conduct a master class with the Springfield Choral Society that afternoon as they prepare for their upcoming concert of Rachmaninoff's "All Night Vigil."  We are so pleased to bring artists to our community who can, on occasion, advise, inspire, and even collaborate with local artists.  It is an important part of our role on campus and in the community.  

IHSA event this weekend

Sangamon Auditorium is proud to serve as a multi-use venue for important community events.  In some cases, this means hosting non-arts events such as commencements, inaugurations of elected officials, and even a conference by a regional food company (that event has included samples of food at booths in the lobby...always a tasty day!)

But this week, we are pleased to host the Illinois High School Association State Finals for Drama and Group Interpretation.  It is especially exciting to see high school students from around the state descend upon the Public Affairs Center for performances in the drama (fully-produced with sets and costumes, in Sangamon Auditorium) and group interpretation (less fully-produced, in the Studio Theatre) for this state finals in these drama events.

Most of the attendees at these events are the other high school participants and their parents, but the public is welcome to attend, free of charge.  These are some of the most exciting plays produced by high schools across the state.  Having watched a few over the seven years Sangamon Auditorium has hosted the event, I encourage you to check it out.  Events run all day and into the evening on Friday, March 22 and for the first part of the day on Saturday, March 23.  Check the schedule to see if there are particular productions that might interest you personally!