"The Consul" comes to Northwestern

This Thursday, May 21st Menotti’s The Consul opens at Northwestern University in Cahn Auditorium (600 Emerson Street, Evanston, IL 60201).

Directed by Jay Lesenger and conducted by the award-winning Joel Revzen, this operatic thriller tells the tale of Magda Sorel, a woman trapped within an unidentified totalitarian European nation. With a revolutionary for a husband, Sorel finds herself face to face with the secret police. Hoping to save her and her family from her countries dark oppression, she attempts to obtain a visa, all too rarely granted, from the consul of a neighboring country. The Consul tale of her epic journey to escape tyranny has fascinated audiences since its opening on Broadway in 1950. Winning both the Pulitzer Prize for music and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for best musical, this was Gian Carlo Menotti’s first full-length opera. Performed in English, this will be the first time this thought-provoking opera has been seen at Northwestern.

Show Times:
Thursday, May 21st – 7:30PM
Friday, May 22nd – 7:30PM (Cover Cast, No Costumes or Orchestra – Free)
Saturday, May 23rd – 7:30PM

Ticket Prices:
General Public - $18
Senior Citizens and Northwestern Faculty/Staff - $15
Students with valid IDs - $8

For more information please call the Pick-Staiger Concert Office at (847) 491-5441 or visit the Pick-Staiger Web site at http://www.pickstaiger.org/.

Don’t miss out on this great event!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

Mayfest Battle of the Bands

Hello guys and dolls!

What are you up to this weekend? I know! Northwestern organization Mayfest Productions is hosting their annual Battle of the Bands for two nights at Nevin’s, where ten bands will be competing for a chance to play Dillo Day, “the best day at Northwestern” for most students. It will be featuring a variety of music from R&B to Math Rock to Hip-Hop to traditional rock n’ roll. This will mark Mayfest’s first fundraising event leading up to the big day, and other events to follow include a Sing-a-Long to Aladdin and a Battle of the DJs, where the winner will also win a slot on the Dillo Day artist lineup.

Dillo Day is an all-day festival with non-stop music for ten hours and free goodies, and students take the day to celebrate the end of the school year. The winners of the two battle will have the privilege to perform alongside very famous (and still confidential!) bands, and in front of thousands of students. If you’re interested in hearing what Northwestern’s music scene is like, check out Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands on either Thursday, May 14th or Friday, May 15th. Tickets are only $5 and proceeds to go to making Dillo Day even more awesome than it already is.

The list of bands performing is below (lineup on the day of will be a different order)

Thursday May 14th

The Royal Senders
Looney and the Tunes
The Earth is a Man
The Classics
Band Called Catch

Friday May 15th

Mind at Large
Rotimi and the Rainmakers
Right on Red
Slow, Weird and Melodic (SWAM)
Lolita

Hope to see you there on both nights!

This is Kristina signing out…

Mee-Ow meets The Beatles this weekend!

Mee-Ow just keeps coming up with more and more witty titles and themes for their shows, and the theme of their Winter mainstage is no different. "Dr. Pepper's Homely Joke Brigade," referring to the Beatles' infamous album, is a variety show consisting of quick improvisations, a brief sketch comedy, and "rock and roll" musical numbers. The audience plays a key role in their show by coming up with the most ridiculous topics to start their improv from.


As North by Northwestern best puts it, Mee-Ow is "Northwestern's only short-form improvisational troupe, and is a group of eight undergrads who are talented enough to meet the group's triple-threat standards." It's no wonder that they've turned Northwestern grads into famous comedians like Kirsten Schaal (from Flight of the Conchords).

If you're up for a fun night of British accents and awkward dancing, you should check out Mee-Ow in Dr. Pepper's Homely Joke Brigade this weekend in Norris' Louis Room.

February 27th: 8 pm and 11 pm
February 28th: 8 pm and 11 pm
*Could not find ticket prices
Have a great weekend, and stay out of rain puddles!
This is Kristina signing out...

Franz Lehár's “The Merry Widow” Opening at Northwestern

Northwestern’s first opera with new director Jay Lesenger, “The Merry Widow,” is bound to be a great success. Lesenger has brought about a new, exciting era of opera to Northwestern with precise direction and a light-hearted attitude. “I just love Jay Lesenger. He is such a wonderful director,” said Drew Selcke, a sophomore Vocal Performance major and member of the “Merry Widow” chorus.

The opera, about a wealthy widow from Petrovenia who lives in 1900s Paris, will be performed in an English translation by renowned American lyricist, composer, and Northwestern alumnus Sheldon Harnick. Filled with can-can girls, champagne, waltzing, and some very exciting man-tights, this opera is sure to be fun and entertaining for everyone. Held at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson Street, on the University’s Evanston campus the production runs through Sunday. Times are as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 26: 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 28: 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1: 3 p.m.

Tickets are $18 for the general public; $15 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $8 for students with valid IDs.

For more information, call the Pick-Staiger Concert Office at (847) 491-5441 or visit the Pick-Staiger Web site at http://www.pickstaiger.org/. To order tickets by phone, call the Pick-Staiger ticket office at (847) 467-4000.

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

Evanston Hears a Who! - Seussical Opens Tonight at Northwestern

Feeling lonely this Valentines’ Day weekend? Want a place to take that special someone? Come see Seussical at the Northwestern Louis Room Presented by the Jewish Theatre Ensemble!

The more I hear people discuss Seussical, the more I start to think that there is quite a stigma associated with the show. With a reputation like no other, Seussical is famous for having flopped on Broadway and for being picked up and loved by high school theatre departments every where. A combination of Dr. Seuss books (including Horton Hears a Who!, The Cat in the Hat, and many more), Seussical has become one of the most popular musical to be performed off of Broadway.

However, this is no Seussical you have ever seen of or heard of before. Character driven and immensely imaginative, this production focuses on the fun and creative aspects of the show. The costumes are modern and bright, the set is simple and clean, and the lights dazzle and brighten up this interpretative world of Seuss.

Director Madeline Scheffler said that she chose the show for many reasons. “As someone invested in theatre for young audiences, I wanted to do a show that was appropriate for all ages,” said Scheffler, her vision highly focused on imagination. She wanted both kids and adults to feel that they themselves could create this world on their own with everyday household items turned into magical Seuss objects. Primarily consisting of ladders, trunks, and a slew of props, the set for the show is unlike any Seussical set before. “Seussical itself is just such a fun show. It makes me want to smile, think, and question, and I wanted to be able to share that with others,” Scheffler said with excitement, and I think that goal has been more than accomplished.

Interactive, bright, and just plain fun, Seussical is a show that you will not want to miss. So come out to the Northwestern Norris University Center, Louis Room to see Seussical this Valentines’ Day weekend!

Thursday – 8:00pm
Friday – 8:00pm and 11:00pm
Saturday – 2:00pm and 9:00pm

Reserve tickets at http://www.jewsonstage.com/ or at the Norris Box Office. Pre-sale tickets are SOLD OUT for Friday at 8:00, so buy or reserve your tickets soon!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.

Happy Weekend!

The upcoming weekend of warm weather should be encouragement enough to check out all of these fantastic fine arts events happening right on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

The Block Museum is currently exhibiting Robert Mapplethorpe’s Polaroids. Although some photos should not be seen by all audiences, this display of one of the most celebrated and controversial artists of our time is surely one you don’t want to miss out on!

Check it out: Exhibit Tour!
Saturday, February 7th, 2009
2:00-3:00 PM (the museum is open from 12-5 PM on weekends)
Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art 40 Arts Circle Drive

Another exhibit that will actually be ending this Sunday (Feb. 8th) is Silent Longing by Petra Kralickova at Northwestern’s Dittmar Gallery. This is a truly unique exhibit of the artist’s perceptions of the physical body through basic forms, textures and colors.

Check it out: Saturday, February 7th - Sunday, February 8th, 2009
10 AM-10 PM every day
Norris University Center, Dittmar Gallery, 1999 Campus Drive

On the theatrical side of things, Wallis Works-in-Progress: Twice Told will be presenting twice this Saturday! This adaptation of three stories by the great American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, will certainly entertain the whole family.

Check it out: Saturday, February 7th, 2009
2 PM and 8 PM
Hal and Martha Hyer Wallis Theater 1949 Campus Drive

Another enticing theatrical production is The Sins of Sor Juana, which is ending this Sunday. The Sins of Sor Juana by Karen Zacarías is a historic fantasy of self-determination and self-expression exploring the real life of the 17th-century poet and her quest for artistic freedom and social equality. Don’t worry; there are two more shows left!

Check it out: Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 7th and 8th, 2009
8 PM on Sat, 2 PM on Sun
Josephine Louis Theater

Last but surely not least, the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra will be performing the following selection of pieces on Saturday, February 7th.
Alberto Ginastera, Variaciones ConcertantesAlberto Ginastera, Harp ConcertoRobert Schumann, Symphony No. 2 in C Major

Check it out: Saturday, February 7th, 2009
7:30 PM
Pick-Staiger Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive

I hope you find some time for fine arts this weekend, because you only have to look right in your backyard to find these wonderful happenings!

This is Kristina signing out…

“We’re Off to See the Dolphin Show!” – Wizard of Oz Opens Tomorrow!

Feeling a little gray under this cold and windy weather? Feeling like you’re not in Chicago anymore (but rather the Arctic)? Why not warm up this weekend with a fun trip to Oz with the Northwestern Dolphin Show production of The Wizard of Oz!

Now in its 67th year, the Northwestern Dolphin show is the largest entirely student-produced musical in the country. This year the tireless group has taken on the timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz.

"We are thrilled to bring Oz to life on stage for a whole new generation to experience and appreciate. This production is certain to continue The Dolphin Show's tradition of celebrating the arts and entertaining both the Northwestern and Chicagoland communities," said executive producer and president Zachary Baer.

Director Katie Spelman feels that “The Wizard of Oz has been a part of every American childhood [and] seventy years later, Oz's message of love and the importance of family and friends is incredibly relevant. It has been an honor to translate the story we all know and love to the stage, telling it from a modern perspective."

The show opens tonight in Cahn Auditorium (600 Emerson St.)! The performance schedule is as follows:

Friday. January 23rd (8:00pm)
Saturday, January 24th (8:00pm)
Sunday, January 25th (2:00pm)
Friday, January 30th (8:00pm)
Saturday, January 31st (8:00pm)

$25 for the general public
$20 for seniors
$10 for children/students

For more information on ticketing, click here, call the box office at (847) 467-4000, or visit the box office at Pick-Staiger on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Don’t miss this great event!

-L.A.U.R.E.N.