Getting Ready for the 09-10 Season

Summer is supposed to be a time to relax, but Sangamon Auditorium staff is busy preparing for the 2009-2010 season. Current subscribers and Friends should watch their mail at the end of June for the brand new season brochure, and our season will officially be announced to the public on July 9. Until then, here are some important dates you need to know:

Friday, July 24 - the last day current subscribers can renew their subscriptions

Monday, August 10 - individual tickets for Visiting Artist and Family events go on sale to Friends at the Terrific level and above (If you want to take advantage of this pre-purchase opportunity, you can join Friends by calling the Ticket Office at 217.206.6160 or 800.207.6960)

Monday, August 24 - individual tickets for Visiting Artist and Family events and Create Your Own Series packages go on sale to the public

Monday, September 21 - the 2009-2010 season opens with An Evening with Garrison Keillor

Individual tickets for Broadway shows go on sale approximately 6 weeks before the performance.


We're excited about the events coming this season, and we're looking forward to sharing them with you!

The Dreaded Parking Problem

It seems parking is always a problem for big events at the Auditorium, and unfortunately there’s not much we can do about it (outside of completely redesigning the campus layout). But we can offer a few tips to help you. Free parking is available in lots A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and I, as shown on this campus map.

Use the teardrop if you want valet service (which costs $8) or if you need to drop off a passenger. Otherwise, try to avoid this area; it gets very congested.

"Premium parking" is in Lot E. This normally costs $5, but if you become a Friend of Sangamon Auditorium – at the Terrific level or above – you get at least 2 vouchers for free premium parking.

The closest accessible parking is available just south of the premium parking area (Lot E) by the Auditorium loading dock. To get to these spaces, use the small road that runs along the south edge of Lot E; it’s marked with a sign for Auditorium Receiving.

The biggest tip is to arrive early! UIS has night classes Monday-Thursday, so if you’re arriving for a 7:30 p.m. show, some of the closer parking may already be full of commuter students who arrived for a 6 p.m. class. If you arrive late you may not be allowed in the hall right away; some performers want to avoid distractions in the audience and they specify when people are allowed inside.

The campus police are not shy about giving parking tickets, so don’t try to create your own space at the end of a row or in the grass.

If you don’t mind some walking and you want to avoid traffic you can use Lot B. It’s a huge lot and I’ve never seen it completely full. If the weather is bad you can enter Brookens Library, go to Level 1 (a.k.a. the basement) and use the tunnels to get to the PAC.

My favorite place to park is Lot C. Even though it feels a little farther away, it’s actually the same distance as the very popular Lot D. As an added bonus, if you go east when you leave, you can cut through Lot B to get out to University Drive (a.k.a. the circle road) and completely avoid the intersection at teardrop.

Hubbard Street Brings Incredible Artistry to Springfield

On Thursday, April 16, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presented an amazing evening of dance artistry on the Sangamon Auditorium stage. For me, the event was one of the most anticipated of our 2008-2009 Visiting Artist Series, and it definitely satisfied my quest for truly fine performing arts events in Springfield. State Journal-Register Arts & Entertainment editor Brian Mackey captured the experience beautifully in his Thursday, April 23 column. Take a read, if you like, and be sure to visit this blog often for more information about some of the feats of incredibly artistry that take place at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Dance troupe graces Springfield
Column by Brian Mackey
The State Journal-Register

UIS Theatre to stage first Shakespeare play

The instructions were coming fast.

Critique. Encouragement. Next.

“Orlando, ‘How bitter it is to look at happiness through another man’s eyes.’ ... You can still go a little further with that being hard for you.”

“Audrey, let’s cut the sniffing of the armpits. But, boy, I appreciate trying stuff like that.”...

Article by Brian Mackey
The State Journal-Register
Read the Article

"Annie" is tonight!

When Kary Walker was a rehearsal pianist, right out of high school, for a show being choreographed by Patsy Swayze — yes, the mother of actor Patrick Swayze — he spied a man in a suit telling people what to do...

Article by Dru Willis
The State-Journal Register
Read the article

Hubbard Street dancers push physicality to its limits

Glenn Edgerton, the associate artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, remembers the first time he saw the “The Constant Shift of Pulse” in rehearsal. That night, he attended a basketball game. “They were so timid in their movements compared to what I’d just seen in the studio,” Edgerton said.

Article by Brian Mackey

The State Journal-Register
Read the Article

Sneak Preview! Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

If you're curious about what Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will perform at Sangamon Auditorium - here is your sneak preview! The company is planning to present 3 pieces during the performance on Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. Off Screen uses music from movies, focusing on the progression of moods and feelings found in both film and music. The Constant Shift of Pulse is an intricate and visually powerful piece that illuminates the purity of movement as the dancers test the boundaries of trust and release. The third work, Minus 16, features unexpected music choices, ranging from Dean Martin to cha cha to traditional Israeli folk music. Ideas and thoughts of the choreographer and HSDC dancers captured in audio recordings add another layer to this work.

Here's a clip of HSDC performing another work titled Extremely Close.