UIS Students at Sangamon Auditorium

As a department of the University of Illinois Springfield, Sangamon Auditorium is fortunate to have a rich relationship with UIS students.  Now that a new freshman class has moved into the dorms and the campus is full of first-week-of-classes activity, it seems appropriate to highlight some of the ways we engage with UIS students.

• UIS students receive a discount of up to 50% on ticket purchases for most events in our performing arts season.  
• Each year, some Sangamon Auditorium events are included in the ECCE Speaker Series.  Students enrolled in the ECCE course earn credit for attending and discussing the events. 
• Whenever possible, Sangamon Auditorium includes UIS students in special projects related to performances.  Recently, students and faculty in environmental studies collaborated with Fifth House Ensemble for a unique performance called Listen to the River.  Student musicians had the opportunity to perform on stage alongside members of the US Army Field Band and Chorus and theatre students attended workshops with members of The Acting Company. 
• Sangamon Auditorium employs student workers backstage, in the administrative offices, and in the Ticket Office.  

Keep up with other ways we connect with UIS students on our website.  Welcome back, students!

ZZ TOP on sale now!

ZZ TOP lay undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact. Of course, there are only three of them – Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard -- but it’s still a remarkable achievement that they’re still very much together after more than 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio. With the release of each of their albums the band has explored new ground in terms of both their sonic approach and the material they’ve recorded. ZZ TOP is the same but always changing.

ZZ TOP’s music is instantly recognizable, eminently powerful, profoundly soulful, and 100% Texas American in derivation. The band’s support for the blues is unwavering both as interpreters of the music and preservers of its legacy. They have sold millions of records over the course of their career, have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms, and are true rock icons; but, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done. They’re real and they’re surreal and they’re ZZ TOP.

For tickets, call 217.206.6160 or 800.207.6960 or buy online.

Staff picks for Create-Your-Own

Now is the perfect time to purchase your very own, made-just-for-you "Create Your Own" Series package.  In this unique package, you choose any four events from among those in our 2013-2014 Performing Arts Season brochure.  You get early access to Broadway tickets by purchasing this package, and you get a discount on many of the tickets in your package.

I asked our staff to choose their own "Create Your Own" Series package, and here are the choices from ten of our staff.  For anyone keeping score, Alvin Ailey is the big winner with seven staff selections; Blue Man Group a close runner-up with six staff selections, and Million Dollar Quartet in third place with four staff selections.

Jen Tibbs, Coordinator of Public Information and Marketing
Foreigner
Blue Man Group
Jersey Boys
Alvin Ailey

Mindy McCaffrey, Volunteer Coordinator:
Masters of the Fiddle
The Ten Tenors
Million Dollar Quartet
Alvin Ailey

Sarah Brust, administrative office student worker
Cyrille Aimee
Blue Man Group
Judy Carmichael
Alvin Ailey

Alice Bettis, Administrative Aide
Blue Man Group
Mannheim Steamroller
Jersey Boys
Million Dollar Quartet

Nafia Khan, Marketing Graduate Assistant
The Ten Tenors
Foreigner
Alvin Ailey
Jersey Boys

Bob Vaughn, Auditorium Director
Iris DeMent
Cyrille Aimee
SFJAZZ Collective
Alvin Ailey

Elise Robertson, Event Administrator
Marty Balin
Foreigner
Blue Man Group
Million Dollar Quartet

Brandy Stabler, Development Assistant
Blue Man Group
Million Dollar Quartet
Foreigner
Junie B. Jones

Amy Zepp, Audience Development Coordinator
Blue Man Group
Hungarian State Folk Ensemble
H.M.S. Pinafore
Alvin Ailey

Carly Shank, Director of Audience Development
Hello, Dolly!
Alvin Ailey
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Cyrille Aimee

What are *your* four choices?

Create Your Own Series Packages available today!

Beginning today, you may purchase your Create Your Own Series tickets.  Quite simply, here's how Create Your Own Series works:

1. Select four or more events from our Performing Arts Season.  This includes all event in our Broadway, Visiting Artists, Family, and Kitchen Sink Series.  
2. Select the number of tickets you want to each event.  In other words, you may select varying numbers of tickets to each event and still qualify each ticket as part of the Create Your Own Series package.

Here's how you benefit from purchasing a Create Your Own Series purchase rather than purchasing individual tickets to the shows you want to see:

1. Receive up to a 15% discount on many of the tickets you purchase.  
2. Enjoy early access to UIS Broadway Series tickets.  Individual tickets to UIS Broadway Series events are not yet on sale. 

Purchase your Create Your Own Series tickets by calling the Ticket Office at 217.206.6160 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Why Subscribe to the UIS Broadway Series?

Jersey Boys

Here are some reasons why a subscription to the UIS Broadway Series might be a great choice for you:

1. SAVE $$$
   Benefit from the ticket discount available to subscribers.
2. SPEND TIME WITH SOMEONE
   Make plans now to treat yourself and someone special to a few fun evenings at the theater.
3. SEE THE BEST
   See the best of Broadway ranging from classics like Hello, Dolly! to exciting new shows like Memphis.
4. ENJOY EARLY ACCESS
   Get access to prime seats before they go on sale to the public.
5. SAVE TRAVEL COSTS
   See great professional productions without the expense of traveling to Chicago or St. Louis.
6. BE BROADWAY "HIP"
   Stay up-to-date with the newest Broadway shows coming to Springfield for the first time.
7. SECURE THE SAME SEATS
   Enjoy the same great seats at every performance and renew those same seats year after year.
8. BUY LOCAL
   Show your support for the local economy and for the local presentation of professional theater. 
9. ACCESS ADDITIONAL EVENTS
   Take advantage of your pre-purchase opportunity to keep your same seats if shows are added to the series.
10. ENJOY!
    Experience the magic that only happens during a live performance. 

To subscribe to the UIS Broadway Series, visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217.206.6160 or 800.207.6960, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a ticket seller will help you put together your subscription package.  Packages start at as little as $197!

Visit http://www.uis.edu/sangamonauditorium/tickets/subscriptions.html for more information about packages available. For best seating options, NOW is the time to purchase your 2013-2014 Broadway subscription!  

Willie Nelson is coming!

We're pleased to announce that music legend Willie Nelson is coming back to Sangamon Auditorium on Friday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets will go on sale on Friday, July 26 at 10 a.m.

Read the State-Journal Register announcement here.

All about choices

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre

It's a fine line: giving patrons the choices they want without overwhelming them with too many options.

We've made the same basic package options available for the past seven seasons, but we could always provide an additional explanation to help patrons understand their choices.  Here's the nitty-gritty of what we offer:

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

Subscriptions offer patrons a same-seat opportunity and the very best value for their money.  Subscriptions are series-driven, and they work slightly differently in each series:

BROADWAY - Fixed packages are available.  Choose any one of these configurations this year:

• Package 1 - All six Broadway events
• Package 2 - Memphis, Hello, Dolly!, Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family
• Package 3 - Blue Man Group, Memphis, Hello, Dolly, Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family
• Package 4 - Memphis, Hello, Dolly!, Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family

FAMILY - Our Family Series includes three events this year.  The Family subscription includes these three events.

VISITING ARTISTS / KITCHEN SINK - To subscribe to our Visiting Artists / Kitchen Sink series, select at least a total of six events from among the ten Visiting Artists events and six Kitchen Sink (Studio Theatre) events.  This subscription offers a lot of choice and value.

CREATE YOUR OWN SERIES 

As an alternative to a true traditional subscription, patrons may elect the Create Your Own Series option.  Create Your Own buyers select at least four events from among any of our series events and receive a savings by making this advance series purchase.  Create Your Own series buyers are not guaranteed the same seat.  

For the full listing of our season events, visit our website.