An exciting weekend at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS!

It was an exciting weekend at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS! Friday, January 30 brought us both a Class Acts and a Family Series performance of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. For the Class Acts performance, over 1,000 children and their teachers from as near as Springfield and as far away as Bunker Hill and Litchfield joined us for puppet performances of some of their favorite storybooks. Following the performance, the puppeteers led a post-show discussion with the audience and showed them how some of the puppets were made.

Friday evening, families joined us for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, first in the lobby and then in the Auditorium for the main event. Activities in the lobby included puppet-making, visiting with *actual* bunnies from Henson-Robinson Zoo, and learning about the moon from UIS astronomy faculty, Dr. John Martin.

On Saturday, January 31, visiting artists Jay Ungar and Molly Mason performed alongside the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band and the Springfield International Folk Dancers at “An Early Birthday Party for A. Lincoln.” This unique event came about through months of hard work on the part of many parties involved. Todd Cranson, assistant director of co-curricular music at UIS and conductor of the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band, collaborated with Jay and Molly to create a program that would honor our 16th President while also highlighting the talents of the performers involved, even creating new arrangements for the band. Here are Todd Cranson and Rose Schweikhart-Cranson pictured with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason:

Amy Zepp, a UIS graduate student, worked to coordinate the Springfield International Folk Dancers’ participation in the event. Here are some of the dancers:

Following the concert, the audience and performers congregated in the lobby for birthday cake, made from a Mary Todd Lincoln recipe. The cake was cut by Auditorium Director Bob Vaughn and UIS Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Margot Duley.

For more information about this event, please visit:
http://www.uis.edu/newsbureau/events/2009/01/early-birthday-party-to-be-held-for.html