Legends, favorites highlight schedule

The Elgin Community College Arts Center will feature legendary performers, genre-defying artists as well as some returning favorites during the 2012-2013 CenterStage and Club season. 

The season includes acclaimed musicians Victor Wooten, Mavis Staples, and Mose Allison; comedian Robert Klein; and return performances by fan favorite Under the Streetlamp. Tickets to all performances go on sale August 1.

The season opens Saturday, Sept. 29, with a return performance by the renowned The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life.
As the culmination to a full week of educational programming, the theatre will present their stage presentation of The Things The Carried by Tim O’Brien. Directed by Wynn Handman and performed by actor Billy Lyons, this stage presentation was developed in collaboration with the book’s acclaimed author.
The Things They Carried, inspired by O’Brien’s experiences serving in the Vietnam War addresses the complex issues of war and a soldier’s struggle within it. This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, funded by the national Endowment for the arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council, General Mills Foundation, and Land O’Lakes Foundation.

Grammy-winning recording artist Victor Wooten returns with a new stellar band on Saturday, Oct. 13. A member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Wooten has recorded and performed with artists like Branford Marsalis, Mike Stern, Bruce Hornsby, Chick Corea, Dave Matthews and Prince. His sonic eclecticism embraces a range of styles—jazz, funk, pop, soul, gospel, world music and more. He’ll be joined by Krystal Peterson, a young singing sensation from Cincinnati, and longtime collaborators J. D. Blair, Derico Watson, Anthony Wellington, Steve Bailey, and Dave Welsch.

After selling out the Blizzard Theatre three years in a row, Under the Streetlamp returns for two shows on Thursday, Oct. 18. Fresh off the smash success of their 2012 PBS special, the former Jersey Boys castmates exude the irresistible rapport of a modern day Rat Pack as they croon hits from the American radio songbook. Under the Streetlamp delivers an unforgettable evening of Doo-Wop, Motown, old time Rock ‘n’ Roll and all of your favorite songs from The Drifters, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Four Seasons, and many others.

LEO, winner of the 2011 Best of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Award, makes its way to ECC for its Chicago-area premier on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27. Magical, hilarious, surprising, and moving—LEO is an acrobatic show about a man who literally loses his sense of gravity and departs on a logic-defying adventure, exploring his dreams and desires through astounding physical feats. The newest creation of the innovative Berlin-based production company Circle of Eleven, LEO is perfect for theatregoers of all ages and leaves audience members wondering which way is up and which way is down. LEO is directed by the Montréal actor and director Daniel Briére and based on an original idea by its multi-talented performer Tobias Wegner.

Jazz icon Mose Allison performs on Saturday, Nov. 3. As pianist, singer, and composer, Allison’s musical style, a unique blend of jazz and blues, and his profound lyrical wit have made him a legend among musicians and fans alike. His career has spanned over five decades, throughout which he’s been performing continuously. Revered as a musician, his songs have been covered by The Who, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, and The Clash.

Chicago’s very own Mavis Staples graces the ECC Arts Center stage on Saturday, Nov. 17. A true gospel/soul superstar, Staples began singing with The Staple Singers, her family’s groundbreaking gospel-folk group, in 1954. Since then, she’s become a rhythm and blues legend, while never forgetting her gospel roots. A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner, Mavis has been nominated for Grammys in five genres and won for Best Americana Album in 2011 for You Are Not Alone, a collaboration with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.

The awe-inspiring sounds of San Jose Taiko will resonate throughout the Blizzard Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 18. Japanese taiko drumming will be taken to the next level as this ensemble mixes African, Latin, jazz, and other rhythms into the mix.

Celebrate a Christmas tradition when the Ruth Page Civic Ballet performs their namesake’s staging of The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 8, and Sunday, Dec. 9. Page’s Nutcracker is a performance Chicago-area audiences have grown up with since it was first performed in 1965 at the Arie Crown Theatre.

Fans of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd will not want to miss tribute band Echoes of Pompeii as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the recording “The Dark Side of the Moon.” The band will perform this historic album live complete with the traditional Pink Floyd treatment fans love to watch. They’ll also treat the audience to other Floyd favorites.

Hundreds of area performers, a dozen grand pianos and three performances mark the return of American Grands on Saturday, Jan. 26. This event, in its 18th year, features generations of pianists performing side-by-side during this much-anticipated event.

Master stand-up comedian Robert Klein dishes out the laughs on Saturday, Feb. 9. Klein, the first comedian to film an HBO comedy special and an alumni of Chicago’s famous Second City, is certain to entertain audiences as he has for more than 40 years. Klein has filmed a total of nine HBO comedy specials, appeared on The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman over 100 times, and appeared in films like The Owl and the Pussycat, Primary Colors, and Radioland Murders. This performance is co-presented by Congregation Kneseth Israel in celebration of its 120th anniversary.

Shades of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bob Dylan will be heard by audiences during a return performance by singer/songwriter duo Dala in The Club Friday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, Feb. 16. Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine’s performances feature ethereal harmonies, astonishing musicianship, and delightful doses of humor. Dala was a hit with audiences and performers alike at the 50th anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival, has opened for Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens, and captivated Elgin audiences in 2011.

Audiences will experience the South African rhythms and sounds of Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Saturday, Feb. 16. The ensemble’s lush harmonies and gospel-tinged songs have captivated audiences around the world for decades. Formed in the 1960’s, the Grammy-winning a cappella group found international fame when they were featured on Paul Simon’s Graceland, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Blues guitarist Matt Andersen will perform in The Club on Sunday, Feb. 23. Andersen won Memphis’s famed International Blues Challenge in 2010, beating contestants from 11 countries. Fans of Joe Bonamassa, John Hiatt, and Warren Haynes are certain to enjoy Andersen’s rocking blues, soulful voice, and slashing slide guitar.

Guitar legend Les Paul called Frank Vignola the “greatest guitarist [he] ever had the pleasure of sitting next to.” Audiences can witness Vignola’s stunning virtuosity and technique for themselves during two intimate performances in The Club on Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16.

All it takes is one audience suggestion in order for The Improvised Shakespeare Company, to instantly create a fully-improvised and hilarious theatrical masterpiece using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. The show hails from Chicago’s famed iO Theatre and according to the Chicago Tribune “channels Monty Python as often as the Bard.” The troupe will perform on Saturday, March 16.

Tim Piper portrays legendary artist John Lennon in Just Imagine on Saturday, April 6. This acclaimed production features an astounding performance by Piper as Lennon. The show effortlessly transports the audience to an imaginary world where John Lennon comes alive once again. Audiences will be able to celebrate the life and music of a legend as they’re led from his childhood in Liverpool to his time as a social icon.

2CELLOS will apply their world-class skills to works by Coldplay, U2, Nirvana, and AC/DC during a performance on Thursday, April 11. These classically trained cellists found fame after posting a “dueling cellos” version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” on YouTube in 2011. They’ve since joined Elton John on his 2012 tour and appeared on Glee, The Tonight Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Acclaimed singer/songwriters Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky will perform as the super group Red Horse on Saturday, April 13. The three artists formed the group in 2010 and perform originals by each songwriter and breathe new life into the classics of American roots music.

Biographer James Gavin explored the man and myth behind jazz legend Chet Baker in James Gavin’s Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker on Sunday, April 14. The performance, based on Gavin’s 2002 book on Baker, contains a mix of spoken word, film, and, of course, jazz performed by Spider Saloff (vocals), Art Davis (trumpet), and Dennis Luxion (piano).

The season ends on Friday, May 10 with a performance by guitarist David Lindley in The Club. Known for his many years playing with Jackson Browne, Lindley effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass with African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, Turkish, and more music styles. His live performances feature an incredible array of string instruments from all over the world.

Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC box office located in the arts center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday (phones only on Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 4).
To purchase tickets by phone, call 847-622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted. The Arts Center is located in Building H at 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Patrons also have the opportunity to add dinner to many of the performances at the Arts Center. Dinners are prepared by ECC’s award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program and served in Spartan Terrace Restaurant, which is conveniently located in Building I off the Arts Center lobby.
Dinners are served prior to the performance and include three delicious courses. CenterStage dinners are $35 and include wine; Club dinners are $24 and wine is sold by the glass.
Visit elgin.edu/arts for more information about the ECC Arts Center, including video clips of upcoming artists and events, the Standing Room Only blog, and links to the Arts Center’s Twitter and Facebook pages.