season

Wheaton Drama’s next production is the Michael Brady play “To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday.” The poignant and often funny family drama won the 1983 Oppenheimer Award for Best Play.

David, who is mourning Gillian, his beloved late wife, has withdrawn from his family and taken an early retirement from teaching. Concerned about his disconnection from life, his family conspires to bring him back into the world during a special summer weekend. The cast features Traci Cidlik as Kevin, Jeni Dees as Esther, Katie Kanturek as Rachel, Erica Pezza as Cindy, Ish Rios as Paul, Lisa Schmela as Gillian, and Craig Witt as David.

Appearing in his own show is visual artist, poet, storyteller and actor Tony Fitzpatrick, coming to 16th Street Theater, a part of the North Berwyn Park District. He will perform in “This Train,” directed by Artistic Director Ann Filmer, and running Jan. 21 to 30 at the Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16th St., Berwyn.

There are bums. There are tramps. There are hobos. And then there’s Fitzpatrick. Some guys just can’t fit in. Fitzpatrick delves into the hobo alphabet for a musically entertaining, visually rich night of theater, say organizers. The production includes musicians Sally Timms and John Rice.

Fitzpatrick’s artwork can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the National Museum of American Art in Washington, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His work also appears on album covers including The Neville Brothers' “Yellow Moon” and Steve Earle's “El Corazon” and “The Revolution Starts Now.”

Laura Dwyer is already making plans to celebrate Halloween by going to a haunted house. But the Batavia resident is not going alone.

She prefers the company of friends for a spooky, yet possibly comical outing at a haunted house.

“It’s more fun with friends,” she says. “Your friends are there to laugh hysterically at you when you scream and run away and you’re there to laugh at them. You don’t want to go alone.”

A comedy, a musical, a mystery and a holiday classic make up the 2010 season for Noble Fool Theatricals in St. Charles.

The critically acclaimed Orion Ensemble launches its 2009-2010 season in classic Orion fashion with a program combining the popular and the unusual.
 

The group offers concert series in Geneva, Chicago and Evanston. The suburban performance begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Fox Valley Presbyterian Church of Geneva, 227 East Side Drive.

Program

    •    Franz Schubert's Trio in B-Flat Major for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 99 (1827-28)
    •    Bohuslav Martinu's Sonatina in C Major for Clarinet and Piano (1957)
    •    Alexander Arutiunian's Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano (1993)

The Orion Ensemble will perform in October in Geneva, Evanston and Chicago. SUBMITTED PHOTO

It’s a happy 60th for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, whose anniversary season will launch with famed guitar ensemble The Romeros. The milestone year also features a new Family Fun Series ready to engage a fresh generation of music lovers. Julie Griffin, the ESO’s chief operating officer, shares some coming highlights with us.
 

Julie Griffin, chief operating officer of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, previews some of the high points as the organization prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary season. It includes the new Family Fun Series. STAFF PHOTO BY MARK BUSCH

What’s in store with The Romeros?
Spanish and South American flair. They are wildly popular and have had many works composed just for their quartet.
 

The Romeros will kick off the new season. WEB-SITE PHOTO

The Albright Theatre Company in Batavia has announced their 2009-2010 season, beginning with "Thumbs" by Rupert Holmes on Sept. 11.

With glowing reviews from everyone from George Harrison’s sister to Monty Python’s Eric Idle, The Beatles tribute band, “The Fab Four,” brings the best of mop top mania to the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage with an 8 p.m. performance Saturday, Sept. 12, in Glen Ellyn.

Concert organizers say the players are known for their attention to detail as they perform record-perfect renditions of The Beatles’ most popular hits. Musicians Ron McNeil (John), Ardy Sarraf (Paul), Michael Amador (George) and Rolo Sandoval (Ringo) present a myriad of the quartet’s hits, such as “Please Please Me” to “The White Album.” From their vocals to the smallest detail, including Sarraf’s left-handed playing as Paul, the quartet pays homage to one of the world’s most beloved bands.
 
For ticket information, call the MAC Ticket Office at (630) 942-4000 or visit www.atthemac.org. The center is at 425 Fawell Blvd.

For its 56th subscription season, the DuPage Symphony turns its focus to nature with orchestral masterpieces by Respighi, Tchaikovsky, Grofe, Schumann and Strauss as centerpieces of five concerts. The “In Nature’s Realm” season is designed to provide a singular opportunity to examine our human perception of the natural world through music. Subscription packages, available only through Aug. 31, offer a 25 percent savings off the single ticket price.

The DSO’s series opens Saturday, Oct. 17, and will include a concerto appearance by internationally acclaimed pianist Andreas Klein, who has been invited to perform at Ravinia Festival 2010. Concerts are presented in North Central College’s new Wentz Concert Hall.

The Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra's Maestro Stephen Alltop has announced a collection of exciting programs for the 2009-2010 season entitled “Monumental Music,“ a tribute to the everlasting worth of the musical masterpieces that form the foundation of the season.

Maestro Stephen Alltop conducting the Elmhurst Smphony Orchestra. SUBMITTED PHOTO