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May 21, 2008
Swing into summer with Moraine Valley Jazz ensemble

The Moraine Valley Community College Jazz Ensemble is recruiting new members to play during the summer session. Prospective members ages 16 and over should be experienced jazz instrumentalists who play saxophone, trombone, trumpet, guitar, piano, acoustic bass, or drum set. Trombone and trumpet players who can improvise over written chord changes are especially needed.

The ensemble will meet Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in Room F127 in the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Center on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The first rehearsal will be Tuesday, June 10, and the concert performance will be Thursday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Participants may enroll in this course for college credit (MUS 151-200) or take it as a noncredit course (MU4-308-200). Tuition is $69 plus a $14 fee, and the noncredit course fee is $25.

Registration for summer classes is underway. Students who have applied to the college can register in person at the Admissions, Records and Registration Office, located in the College Center on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, by calling (708) 974-2110 (TTY for the hearing impaired 708-974-9556), or online via the college’s Web site at www.morainevalley.edu.

For more information about the Jazz Ensemble, call Douglass Bratt, director, at
(708) 974-5215 or e-mail him at bratt@morainevalley.edu. Information on all credit and non-credit classes is available in the summer 2008 class schedule or online at morainevalley.edu.

For new media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

May 6, 2008
Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements

Through May 16
Juried Student Art Exhibit
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
An exhibition showcasing the breadth and depth of emerging art students who are either currently enrolled in or have taken art classes within the past year at Moraine Valley.

Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m.
Aladdin
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: Adults $8, Children $6
The Arabian Nights come to life with AlphaBet Soup’s wild and wacky adaptation of the story about a poor boy named Aladdin who wins the heart of the princess. Aladdin is not alone in his adventures as he is aided by his trusted monkey, Yazoo, and channels the ghost of Elvis. Recommended for preschool-third grade.

Monday, May 12, 6-9 p.m.
Open auditions for The Compleat Wrks of Wilm Shkspr (abridged)
By Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
Room F150
Callbacks: Wednesday, May 14, 6-9 p.m.
Comic monologue preferred. The outdoor performances will be July 31-Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.
For more info, contact Dr. Craig Rosen at rosen@morainevalley.edu or (708) 974-5432.

May 27-Aug. 6
Gallery 2008-Juried Community Art Exhibit
Reception/Awards Ceremony: Saturday, May 31, 2-4 p.m.
Mon.-Thurs.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Area residents are invited to share their artwork in a juried exhibition celebrating local artists.
Entries due Monday, May 19 or Tuesday, May 20 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Entry form available at morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For tickets or more information on any performance, contact the Box Office at (708) 974-5500, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

May 2, 2008
Moraine Valley art students display winning work

Art students at Moraine Valley Community College submitted their best artwork for judging in the college’s Juried Student Art Exhibit, which is on display through May 16 in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills.

The Best of Show Award was presented to Katya Hervatin, of Chicago, for her silver gelatin print “Sally #2.” First place went to Joana Bueta, of Oak Forest, for her ceramics piece “Man vs. Machine.” Kevin Sullivan, of New Lenox, won second place for his untitled infra-red silver gelatin print, while Cole Reynolds, of Oak Lawn, took third place for “Death of a Dead Day,” a linoleum print. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Ewa Mrugala, of Palos Hills, for her oil on canvas “Compilation Inspired by Remedios Varo” and Kohei Imai, of Tinley Park, for “Screwed,” a mixed media piece.

The Moraine Valley Community College Purchase Award went to Jeremy Studencki, of Orland Park, for “Some,” a hand-colored silver gelatin print that also will become part of the college’s permanent student art collection.

The Moraine Valley Juried Student Art Exhibit showcases the breadth and depth of art students who are currently enrolled in or have taken art classes within the past year at the college. This year, 22 students entered artwork into the exhibition.

The Student Art Exhibit was juried by Rafael Vera, a local artist who teaches at Northeastern Illinois University and College of DuPage. He has Master and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides the community an opportunity to view both locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits are free and available for viewing Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

The Arabian Nights will come to life at Moraine Valley Community College with a wild and wacky adaptation of “Aladdin” on Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children.

This Theater for Young Audiences performance portrays a poor boy’s adventures to win the heart of the Princess. Aladdin is aided by his trusted monkey, Yazoo, and the ghost of Elvis. The show is presented by Chicago-based theater company AlphaBet Soup Productions, and the book adaptation, music, and lyrics are by Mark A. Pence.

This performance is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

To purchase tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. For information on upcoming shows, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 27, 2008
Moraine Valley Foundation gala features Las Vegas theme

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…unless it’s the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, Starry, Starry Night, whose Las Vegas-themed event includes a performance by legendary Chicago entertainer Ron Hawking, a silent auction, and food and drinks. The 14th annual event will be Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $100 per person, and proceeds will benefit the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Hawking will star in “The Men and Their Music” at 8 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater. His performance will be a celebration of the greatest male vocalists of all time and will include a repertoire of iconic numbers from music legends, a live orchestra, and back-up vocalists.

Guests will enjoy delicious cuisine, prepared by area restaurants, representing some of the well-known casinos, drinks, and entertainment from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in classrooms that will be converted to Las Vegas hotel rooms. Get “All Shook Up” with Elvis impersonator Bob West and American-style cuisine at the Hard Rock Hotel. Be astounded by Mr. D’s Magic while eating Italian food at MGM Grand, and enjoy the Nick Thomas Trio and a silent auction at the Bellagio. Other options include Asian food at Mandalay Bay, Caribbean food at Treasure Island, and desserts and coffees at Paris.

Starry, Starry Night also will feature a raffle for roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas for two, a $1,800 piece of jewelry from Tiffany’s, and six months of a digital starter from Comcast. Raffle tickets cost $15 for one or $50 for four. They will be available for purchase at the event or can be bought in advance in the Foundation’s office, Room B240, Building B.

Starry, Starry Night is sponsored by Pepsi Americas.

For more information about Starry, Starry Night or to purchase tickets to the event or raffle tickets, call Christine Bennett, Foundation coordinator, at (708) 974-5480.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 27, 2008
Moraine Valley to exhibit “Constructed Realities” by Tyler Hewitt

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Constructed Realities” by artist Tyler Hewitt in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run through April 17. Hewitt will give a demonstration and talk about the exhibit on Wednesday, April 16, at 12:30 p.m.

As a culminating end to his fall sabbatical, Hewitt, an assistant professor of Photography and Design at Moraine Valley, will exhibit his work on alternative printing processes in photography. The exhibit reflects an interest in how information is organized and presented and how the display of information affects people’s interactions with and understanding of that information. From museums to shop windows, displays are created to guide thoughts, feelings, and interactions with these created spaces. They strip away some aspects of the world while heightening others. “I photograph these spaces not as a straightforward documentation of how materials are used or displayed but as an examination of an expressive manner or subtle subversion of their intended function,” said Hewitt.

Hewitt has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan. His award-winning work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in several states.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

March 13, 2008
Thodos Dance Chicago to grace Moraine Valley stage

Thodos Dance Chicago, one of the elite contemporary dance companies in Chicago that exclusively presents the work of American choreographers, will perform at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s Dorothy Menker Theater, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy, Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

In addition to performing some of the company’s favorites, the audience will witness recently premiered works, including “Camarilla,” a fast-paced athletic work following the journey of three couples through relationships set to music by the White Stripes and the Black Keys, and “Cascade,” a beautifully lyrical work set to Maurice Ravel’s “Jeux d’eau,” commissioned by Ravinia Festival as part of its 2007 One Score, One Chicago programming. The dance company was founded in 1992 by Melissa Thodos, an Evanston native who has combined her extensive classical and modern dance background with gymnastics training to create a unique style of dance that is fast paced, highly athletic, and entertaining. The ensemble is composed of well-rounded artists who teach, choreograph and perform to bring contemporary dance to a wider audience. Their appealing unique style incorporates a variety of dance forms created and performed with innovative flair.

Thodos Dance Chicago was the only American dance company invited to the International Istanbul Dance Festival and the Ankara Music and Dance Festival and has toured in Scotland. It also performs annually in Chicago’s month-long Fall Festival of Dance and for audiences about 50 times a year. For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

For more information or to order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Feb. 21, 2008
The Count Basie Orchestra to headline at Moraine Valley

The Grammy Award-winning Count Basie Orchestra, featuring bandleader Bill Hughes, will perform its swinging jazz on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater in Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Limited tickets are still available and cost $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble has been invited to open for The Count Basie Orchestra and will perform on stage prior to the headliners.

Bandleader Bill Hughes has played with The Count Basie Orchestra since 1952, taking only a six-year break in the late ’50s. A self-taught trombonist, he leads 18 performers who are committed to upholding Basie’s “American Institution,” including a core group of musicians who were selected by Count Basie himself.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Jan. 15, 2008

Moraine Valley to host multimedia art exhibit by international artist Jeremy Drummond

Moraine Valley Community College will host selections from “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” by Canadian artist Jeremy Drummond in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, located in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run February 4 to March 7. A reception will be held Thursday, February 7, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Drummond’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” is a look into the transformative nature of contemporary North American suburban culture – one that often upholds tradition over recognizing transition. This body of work employs various media such as sound, video and photography to reveal diversity, humor and irony within this often generalized context. “For the past few years I have focused primarily on issues relating to contemporary suburban environments,” said Drummond. “Rather than reiterating stereotypes, I attempt to introduce issues of diversity and difference within this seemingly ubiquitous context.”

Drummond teaches Digital Media at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art Video from Syracuse University in New York. He also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario. His work has been exhibited in festivals, galleries and museums throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Drummond’s videotapes are distributed internationally through several video companies.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec 21, 2007
Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements: January-February

Lloyd Wassenaar Art Exhibit
Through Jan. 31
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Wassenaar captures Chicago through the eyes of a tourist with his head bent skyward to view the tops of buildings through the lens of a camera. The often distorted and disorienting views of Chicago buildings are animated through his photographs.

Late Nite Catechism 2
Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: seating is very limited
See Sister for more memories and instruction on Latin mass and meatless Fridays. Beginning with an overview of heaven and hell as a Catholic version of Chutes and Ladders, Sister tells us where we have gone wrong. No one is excused from her firm belief that “sometimes we feel guilty because we are guilty.”

Natalie MacMaster
Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: seating is very limited
Fiddler Natalie MacMaster is considered one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on both the Celtic and folk music scenes. MacMaster’s performances are a testament to her incandescent musicianship and boundless energy, featuring foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-rendering ballads, and world-class step dancing.

Jeremy Drummond Art Exhibit
Feb. 4-March 10
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most performances
Jeremy Drummond’s work deals with the relationship between people and their environment, both on an intimate level and a grand scale. In Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, factual documents serve as a point of departure in the investigation of perception and representation within contemporary suburban environments. Through painted works, sound, video and photography, Drummond blends cultural and visual information to reveal humor, irony and diversity within this often generalized, seemingly ubiquitous context.
 

The Diary of Anne Frank
Feb. 9, 11 a.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: adults $8, children $6
Adapted from The Diary of a Young Girl, this play is the story of a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family who are forced into hiding by the Nazis during World War II. For over two years, Anne commits to her diary her experiences and fantasies while the world around her crumbles.
Recommended for grades 5-8.

The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance
Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
Tickets: adults $20, seniors & students $15
Dressed in magnificent costumes and playing traditional Tibetan instruments, the Tibetan Drepung Loseling monks perform ancient temple music and dance for world healing. The multiphonic singers have perfected the art of overtone singing, and their performance brings their ancient culture alive on stage. The public also is welcome to observe the monks construct a mandala sand painting, listen to lectures, and enjoy a photo exhibit, all free of charge, in the week leading up to this performance.

Barefoot in the Park
Feb. 29-March 2, March 7-8
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
Tickets: adults $12, seniors & students $10
At the heart of this romantic comedy is a newly married couple from opposite upbringings: Paul Bratter, a conservative young lawyer, and Corie, a free-spirited soul. This Neil Simon classic play follows this young couple as they encounter the complex reality of their differences.

Dec. 18, 2007

Late Nite Catechism 2 coming to Moraine Valley, almost sold-out
Donned in her full-length habit, Sister will return to “class” in the sequel to last year’s hit presentation of Late Nite Catechism at Moraine Valley Community College. See Sister take on the new sins of the Millennium during Late Nite Catechism 2 on Saturday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the college’s Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. A few tickets still remain, and the cost is $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

Catholics and non-Catholics alike will laugh their sins off during Late Nite Catechism 2 part stand-up routine, part catechism class. Audience members, or “students,” will join Sister for a hilarious lesson on Catholicism in which they are encouraged to ask and answer questions.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Dec. 18, 2007
Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster to perform at Moraine Valley

Limited tickets are still available for world-class fiddler and step dancer Natalie MacMaster’s whirlwind performance of Celtic and folk music at Moraine Valley Community College on Sunday, January 27, at 3 p.m. MacMaster will take the stage in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors.

Considered one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on both the Celtic and folk music scenes, MacMaster’s performances are a testament to her incandescent musicianship and boundless energy. Featuring foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-rendering ballads, and quick jigs and reels, she is equally adept at setting the house on fire with her exceptional band as she is at hypnotizing a crowd while alone in the footlights.

MacMaster hails from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she first picked up a fiddle at age 9. She fronts a top-notch orchestra that includes instrumentalists who play guitar, bass, piano, bagpipes, whistles, and drums. She has performed with Paul Simon, Luciano Pavarotti, Alison Krauss, Carlos Santana, and more. She has recorded and released seven albums in the U.S. and Canada and has received a Grammy nomination and Canadian Juno Awards.

Additional information about this and other upcoming performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. To order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.
For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.

Nov. 26, 2007
Moraine Valley announces open auditions for ‘Barefoot in the Park’

Actors of various ethnicities, ages and backgrounds are invited to audition for a role in Moraine Valley Community College’s upcoming production of “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon. Auditions will be from 6 to 10 p.m., Monday, December 10, in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Callbacks are scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m., Wednesday, December 12.

To audition, performers must prepare a contemporary monologue. Optional cold readings from the script will be available. Roles are for actors between the ages of 18 and 60. Performances will be February 29 through March 3 and March 7 and 8, 2008. To register for an audition, call Craig Rosen, director, at (708) 974-5432 or e-mail him at rosen@morainevalley.edu.

For more information about Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center or its 2007-08 season lineup, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Nov. 26, 2007
Young audiences to ‘rock’ during Schoolhouse Rock Live! at Moraine Valley

The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs will appear live on stage at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, December 15, at 11 a.m. The Theater for Young Audiences musical presentation of Schoolhouse Rock Live! will light up the Dorothy Menker Theater stage in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! introduces a whole new generation to various characters that help a nervous school teacher, Tom, teach his students through imagination and music. The audience will enjoy such beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs as “Just A Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction.” Children just discovering the pop-culture phenomenon and “Generation X-ers” seeking a taste of nostalgia alike will delight in this sure-fire entertainment that is simply good, clean and educational fun.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! has received rave reviews locally, Off-Broadway and internationally since its inception in 1993. It was developed for the stage by Theatrebam Chicago, which was founded in 1992 by theater professionals, educators and alumni from Northwestern University and the Theatre School of DePaul. Their mission is to create dynamic theater productions that attract and engage new and young audiences by creating new works, reinterpreting familiar texts, and building educational programs.

Details about this and other performances at Moraine Valley are available at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

For more information or to order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

Nov. 16, 2007
Moraine Valley announces holiday shows

Moraine Valley Community College will help usher in the holidays with a variety of music and theater entertainment at its Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills.

The Jazz Ensemble’s Winter Concert will kick off the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 30, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Come back at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 1, for the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers performance of “Merry Christmas Music!” The theater will come alive with Christmas songs including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Swing We Now of Christmas,” and the choral medley of “Christmas on Broadway.” Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

On Sunday, December 2, at 3 p.m., celebrate the season with the Concert Band’s Winter Concert featuring classic band selections, marches, holiday music, Broadway show tunes and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble will perform its Winter Concert at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 6, in the Angeline Oremus Theater. Enjoy an evening of clapping, drumming, sound effects, mallet melodies and more. Admission is free.

Rounding out the college’s holiday presentations will be the Theater for Young Audiences’ production of “School House Rock” at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 15, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught Generation X history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs is back to instruct a new generation. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for children.

For more information or to purchase tickets to any of the above-listed events, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

Nov. 14, 2007
Moraine Valley to host photography exhibit by Lloyd Wassenaar

Moraine Valley Community College will host “Chicago City Views” by local artist Lloyd Wassenaar in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. The exhibit will run December 12 to January 31.

Wassenaar uses a camera with a poor plastic lens to capture a distorted view of Chicago’s tallest buildings. A sense of the tourist can be found in his color photographs, which seldom show the street level, as if the viewer is always walking with his or her head bent skyward to view the tops of buildings for the first time. “The lack of building support is important because it is easy to become disoriented when looking up and feeling as if both yourself and the buildings are animated,” said Wassenaar. “This contradicts what the viewer knows to be the truth about buildings—that they are solid, straight and secure.”

Wassenaar is an adjunct faculty member in the Art Department at Moraine Valley and Joliet Junior College. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Science degree in Studio Arts from Illinois State University in Normal. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been published, and his award-winning work has been exhibited in Illinois, New York, North Dakota, and China. He also shows a collection at Benedictine University in Lisle.

Moraine Valley’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free to the public and are available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Oct. 18, 2007
Second City to perform famed comedic improv at Moraine Valley

A traveling troupe of six lively and talented Second City comics will deliver an evening of cutting-edge, topical humor during its newest theatrical tour “One Nation, Under Blog” at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City is famous for its hilarious and intelligent sketches and musical and improvisational acts. In “One Nation, Under Blog,” the company’s satirical skits are mined from the day’s headlines and the worlds of politics, entertainment and media. The skits are guided by the audience and performed spontaneously, making the evening an unmapped adventure sure to lead its spectators to uproarious fits of laughter.

The Second City has produced an assortment of professional humorists, including such stars as Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Martin Short, John Candy, and Chris Farley, as well as current comic entertainers Rachel Dratch (currently on Saturday Night Live) and Ryan Stiles (from The Drew Carey Show and Whose Line Is It Anyway).

Details about this and other performances can be found at www.morainevalley.edu/fpac. For more information or to order tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee.

Sept. 17, 2007
Moraine Valley announces its 2007-08 performance season;
subscription packages now available

The Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center’s 2007-08 season is a journey of cultural performances that will whisk theater-goers to the mystical world of Chinese acrobats and Tibetan Monks’ “Sacred Music, Sacred Dance,” to the music and dance era of the 1940s to Celtic music and back to Chicago for improv comedy and modern dance.

The Fine and Performing Arts Center is now offering one or all four of the following subscription packages at a savings. Individual tickets also are available with prices ranging from $6 to $30.

Destination: World Adventures Spotlight Series Subscription—$120 (a $35 savings)
Subscribers will enjoy six performances featuring world-class artists, including plate-spinning acrobats, ’60s revival music and Irish fiddles on the Dorothy Menker Theater stage.

• Golden Dragon Acrobats Oct. 13
• “In the Mood”—a 1940s Musical Revue Nov. 8
• Christmas With the Kingston Trio Nov. 27
• Natalie MacMaster Jan. 27
• Tibetan Monks “Sacred Music, Sacred Dance” Feb. 14-16
• Count Basie Orchestra March 1

Destination: The Windy City Chicago Artist Series Subscription—$60 (a $29 savings)
Enjoy top-notch Chicago artists without the hassle of going downtown.

• Second City “One Nation, Under Blog” Nov. 17
• Schoolhouse Rock Live! Dec. 15, Theater for Young Audiences Production
• Late Night Catechism II Jan. 19
• Diary of Anne Frank Feb. 9, Theater for Young Audiences Production
• Thodos Dance Chicago April 5
• Aladdin May 10, Theater for Young Audiences Production

Destination: Melody and Harmony Academic Music Series—$30 (an $18 savings)
Nicholas Thomas, Moraine Valley choral director and assistant professor of Music, produces four concerts featuring the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers.

• Fall Concert Oct. 6
• Merry Christmas Music! Dec. 1
• Opera—Again and Again! March 8
• Broadway/Motion Picture Spectacular May 3

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Doug Bratt, also will perform three concerts: a Winter Concert on Nov. 30, a Swing Dance on Feb. 29, and a Spring Concert on May 2. Tickets for the Jazz Ensemble shows are available on an individual basis.

Destination: Lights, Camera, Action! Academic Theater Series—$30 (a $6 savings)
The Academic Theater Department will feature three performances not to miss!

• Buried Child by Sam Shepard Nov. 1-4
• Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon Feb. 29-March 2, March 7-8
• Boy Gets Girl by Rebecca Gilman May 1-4

For a season brochure or more information on these and other performances at the Fine and Performing Arts Center, call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Tickets can be purchased in person, by mail or over the phone. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and one hour prior to all performances.