Archived Press Releases

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 www.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.

Aug. 20, 2007
Moraine Valley’s Fine & Performing Arts Center Calendar Announcements: Aug.-Sept.
Aug 15-Sept. 23
James R. White and Joe B. Milosevich Art Exhibit
Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery
Mon-Thurs: 9a.m.-4:30p.m. and during most performances.
For the past several years, White and Milosevich have embraced an investigation of spirituality as a thematic foundation in their work. Milosevich’s mixed media assemblages celebrate and ponder the mysteries, wonders, and contradictions prevailed in spirituality. White’s ceramic sculptures provide a meditative departure point for contemplating spiritual concern.

Sept. 10 & 11
Open Auditions for “Buried Child”
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
6 to 10 p.m.
Auditioners prepare a two-minute monologue (optional cold readings from the script will be available). People of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds are strongly encouraged to audition. Performances will be Nov. 1-4. To sign up in advance contact Craig Rosen (708) 974-5432 rosen@morainevalley.edu

June 28, 2007
Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center announces summer shows
Cool down with the smooth sounds of the Jazz Ensemble, get patriotic with the Moraine Chorale, or enjoy a new twist on a classic Shakespeare play during summer performances at Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy, Palos Hills.

The Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble will perform its first summer concert Friday, July 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Special guest artist Kevin Fort, an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley, will accompany the band on trombone and piano. Together they will play some of his original compositions. The Ensemble also will play music by jazz greats Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Woody Herman, Lee Morgan, and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

The Stars and Stripes will come alive during the Patriotic Chorale Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Directed by Nick Thomas, assistant professor of Music, the Moraine Valley Concert Chorale, along with a 12-piece instrumental ensemble, will perform an evening of patriotic music, including new arrangements of America the Beautiful America, and God Bless the USA. During the Chorale’s Salute to the Armed Forces people in the audience who have served in the various branches of the Armed Forces will be asked to stand and be recognized. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Moraine Valley’s Academic Theater will present Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors August 2-4 at 7 p.m. Directed by Dr. Craig Rosen, assistant professor of Theater and coordinator of Moraine Valley’s Academic Theater Department, the informal play will use Shakespeare’s language but will follow an improvisational format that includes audience participation. The free outdoor performance will be on campus in the grass courtyard between Building A and the Library ramp. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and a picnic to enjoy during the show.

For more information on Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, visit 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.

Feb. 13, 2007
Exhibition opportunities available in Moraine Valley art gallery
Artists working in any media are invited to submit exhibition proposals for the Moraine Valley Community College Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery’s 2007-08 season. The gallery is inside the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, IL, 60465.

Submissions must include a written proposal, resume, artist statement, 20 images in slide or CD format (Mac), image list and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to Meaghan Callan, Gallery director, at the above address by March 30.
For more information call Callan at (708) 974-4231 or e-mail her at callanm6@morainevalley.edu.

Feb. 13, 2007
Moraine Valley announces open auditions for ‘Life is a Dream’
Actors of various ethnicities, ages and backgrounds are invited to audition for a role in Moraine Valley Community College’s upcoming production of “Life is a Dream” by Calderon de la Barca, translation by Nilo Cruz. Auditions will be from 6 to 10 p.m. on Monday, February 26, and Tuesday, February 27, 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. on Wednesday, February 28.

To audition, performers must prepare a two-minute monologue, classical preferred. Optional cold readings from the script will be available. Performances will be April 27-29 and May 4-6. To register for an audition, call Craig Rosen, director, at (708) 974-5432 or e-mail him at rosen@morainevalley.edu.

Moraine Valley is presenting the regional premiere of a new translation of “Life is a Dream” from 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. The play is a suspenseful story of a king who is forewarned that his son will be a tyrannical ruler. Respecting the omen, he locks the prince away. Releasing and then imprisoning him again, the king convinces his son that it was all a dream and that he was never a prince. Questioning free will and fate, this classic play is an imaginative look at the ethereal nature of fantasy versus reality.

Jan. 4, 2007
‘Late Night’ Sister brings ruler to Moraine Valley stage
Donned in a full-length habit, Sister will take the “class” back to the days of Latin mass, meatless Fridays and that familiar rap across the knuckles during Late Night Catechism at Moraine Valley on Saturday, January 13, at 7:30 p.m. This interactive comedy show will be performed in the college’s Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

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

Late Night Catechism was written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan. They based the show and its sole character, Sister, on their own experiences and a collaboration of stories told by their family and friends about growing up in Chicago’s Catholic schools. In its 13th smash year in Chicago, the show has been performed in cities across the United States and the world.

This performance at Moraine Valley is sponsored by Barry Gaw of Re/Max 10 and is partially supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council.
For more information or to purchase 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.

November 30, 2006
Moraine Valley announces open auditions for ‘Sojourner Truth’ play
Adults of various types and ages are invited to audition for one of six paid roles in Moraine Valley’s upcoming Theater for Young Audiences production of “A Woman Called Truth—a play celebrating the life of Sojourner Truth.” Auditions will be 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, December 12, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills and 4-7 p.m. Thursday, December 14, at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Exact locations will be provided during the audition registration.

To audition, performers must prepare 32 bars of an a cappella folk song and a two-minute monologue. Daytime rehearsals will begin in January. To register for an audition, call Lori at (312) 208-5242, or e-mail her at loricepa@yahoo.com.

Performances will be February 13-23 at 10 a.m. for area schoolchildren except for an 11 a.m. matinee performance for the public on Saturday, February 17.

“A Woman Called Truth—a play celebrating the life of Sojourner Truth” portrays the life of Sojourner Truth, who was born into slavery and spent her life struggling for freedom. She is one of America’s most revered 19th century figures due to her courageous strength of body, mind and spirit. Her own words, along with spirituals and folk songs, chronicle her life.

For more information about Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center or its 2006-07 season lineup, 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.

November 28, 2006
Moraine Valley Art faculty to showcase ‘Youthful Indiscretions’
The Art Department faculty members at Moraine Valley are more than just teachers—they’re also working artists who create and show their work. These artists will display their early and recent art during the Moraine Valley Faculty Art Exhibit through January 17 in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. An opening reception will be November 30 at 2 p.m.

The title of the show is “Youthful Indiscretions: Early to Recent Works by Moraine Valley Art Faculty.” The intent of the exhibit is to demonstrate a progression in style and techniques as faculty and adjunct faculty move forward in their careers.

Faculty members who will display work in this exhibit include Erik La Gattuta, coordinator of the Art program and Painting and Drawing instructor; Tyler Hewitt, assistant professor of Studio Art: Photography and Design; Irene McCauley, associate professor of Art and coordinator of Digital Art/Design; and Lynn Peters, assistant professor of Sculpture and Ceramics. Adjunct faculty members participating in this exhibit include Mary Burns, Janine Patten, Susannah Papish-Horner, Pamela Badzginski, Kathy Schonauer, and Tom McDonald.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free and available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For more information, call Meaghan Callan, the Gallery director, at (708) 608-4231, or 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.

November 14, 2006
Christmas ghosts to haunt Scrooge in holiday classic at Moraine Valley
Relive Ebenezer Scrooge’s magical journey guided by ghosts of the past, present, and future in his quest for the true meaning of Christmas during the Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s production of A Christmas Carol Friday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m. The show will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater in Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

A Christmas Carol is packed with laughter, pageantry and gorgeous costumes. Every memorable detail of Charles Dickens’ classic tale springs to life, from spine-chilling ghosts to heartfelt renditions of traditional British carols. Crotchety Scrooge, lovable Tiny Tim, and all the fascinating characters that audiences have come to love make this enchanting story a treasured family holiday event.

The Nebraska Theatre Caravan production artfully recreates 19th Century London complete with backdrop scenery evoking the chilling poverty and luxurious wealth of the era. Not a traditional musical, it features original vocal arrangements, imaginative interpretations of 19th Century dance, and the traditional melodic sounds of a woodwind and piano quartet.

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

For more information or to purchase 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.

November 14, 2006
Moraine Valley Theater for Young Audiences presents Alexander’s bad day
Alexander is having one of those days. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to be precise, and Moraine Valley’s Theater for Young Audiences is showcasing it on Saturday, December 16, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $6 for children and $8 for adults.

Children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade will associate with Alexander’s bad day from the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair, to having an argument with his best friend, to going to the dentist and then having to eat lima beans for dinner—and all he wants to do is escape to Australia.

This Theater For Young Audiences production is based on the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. The music is by Shelly Markham.

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

For more information or to purchase 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. 7, 2006
Academic music shows at Moraine Valley inspire a festive spirit
Enjoy the rum-pum-pum of the drum, the jingling of the bells, and the heralded angels singing at Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, where a December program of holiday music entertainment will add to the season’s joyful spirit.

Swing in the holidays during the Jazz Ensemble’s Winter Concert in the Dorothy Menker Theater at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 1. This spirited program will feature the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, and holiday selections. Guest vocalist Meredith McGuire and music faculty members Mark O’Connor and David Braun will accompany the ensemble. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Return to the Dorothy Menker Theater Saturday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. to enjoy “Merry Christmas Music!” performed by the Moraine Chorale and Chamber Singers. The theater will come alive with holiday songs including Winter Wonderland, Yuletide Fanfare, and a medley from the movie White Christmas. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Warm up your winter evening during the Concert Band’s performance of holiday selections, marches, Broadway show tunes, and classics by Hoist, Sousa, Grundman, and Grainger on Sunday, December 3, at 3 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater. Admission is free.

The Little Drummer Boy has some competition this year. The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble will perform an eclectic mix of music from Rossini to Mancini, Japanese Taiko drumming to Mexican marimba music, and holiday medleys in the John and Angeline Oremus Theater Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information or to purchase tickets to any of the concerts, 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.

Oct. 12, 2006
Three Mo’ Tenors to cross eight musical genres during Moraine Valley show
Where else can the versatile sounds of Usher, Pavarotti, Sondheim, and Marvin Gaye be heard coming from the same vocal chords than at a Three Mo’ Tenors performance? This impressive musical trio will grace the stage in the Dorothy Menker Theater in Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, on Friday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $35 for students and seniors.

Three Mo’ Tenors, conceived, directed and choreographed by Marion J. Caffey and produced by Willette Murphy Klausner, take their audience on a passionate musical journey spanning 400 years of operatic, jazz, gospel, soul, spiritual, new school, Broadway and blues music in one evening. The tenors have developed a rousing musical repertoire demonstrating extraordinary breadth, and through song and explosive choreography, elevate the stature of African-American tenors in the music world. The audience will enjoy hits such as Love Train, Midnight Train to Georgia and Verdi’s La donna e mobile.

Because of the exceptional vocal demands of the show, two equally exceptional casts alternate performances. The tenors featured at the Moraine Valley show will be Kenneth D. Alston, Jr., Ramone Diggs and Phumzile Sojola. Their impressive, combined resumé includes numerous operatic roles with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Boston Modern Opera Project, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, and Music Academy of the West, to name a few. They also boast individual accomplishments such as performing at the 2004 Republican National Convention and Rosa Parks’ historic lying in state and with the Lexington Philharmonic, Knoxville Symphony, Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, and American Spiritual Ensemble.

Three Mo’ Tenors opened in New York City to critical and audience acclaim in August 2000. It is conceived, directed and choreographed by Marion J. Caffey, a former song and dance performer turned writer and director. His first writing effort, Cookin’ at the Cookery, has played more than 35 productions and was the New York Times critic’s choice as best musical of 2003. He has directed or choreographed at least 15 other productions.

Klausner, a woman with substantial business acumen who is passionate about the arts, has -more-produced the show since 2001. Formerly vice president of Marketing and Marketing Research at MCA Universal Studios, she has produced five shows in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and on Broadway. She serves on various boards of directors and committees and with her attorney husband are the founding members of the American Institute of Wine and Food.

The show’s notable performances include the White House, J.F. Kennedy Center, the NAACP Image Awards Show, and a PBS “Great Performances” special. RCA has released a recording of the show.

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

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Moraine Valley Box Office at (708) 974-5500. Phone orders are subject to a $1 per order handling fee. To learn more about future shows at the Fine and Performing Arts Center, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Oct. 10, 2006
Audrey II to invade Moraine Valley stage in Little Shop of Horrors
“Feed me, Seymour!” That can only be the familiar ravings of the infamous alien plant in the off-Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors. Audrey II will take over the Dorothy Menker Theater stage in Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, during the college’s Academic Theater production of Little Shop of Horrors October 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. and October 29 at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

Little Shop of Horrors is a twisted tale of a geeky floral shop assistant, Seymour Krelborn, who finds a bizarre plant after a solar eclipse that he takes in and names Audrey II after the girl he loves. He quickly learns the plant has a unique appetite for blood and tries to keep it alive by feeding it from his own fingers. But as Audrey II grows, it persuades Seymour to kill, bribing him with fame, money, possessions, and the love of Audrey, who is already dating a sadomasochistic dentist. Seymour discovers the plant isn’t really a plant at all, but an alien that has come to Earth to take over the world.

The biggest draw of the show will be the ’50s and ’60s music performed by a live rock band that will sit on the stage during the performance. They will play music that is very much from the show’s era as well as featured songs Somewhere That’s Green, Feed Me, and Suddenly Seymour.

This production of Little Shop of Horrors will be directed by Kevin Bellie, the artistic director at Circle Theater in Forest Park. Bellie studied at Columbia College with a directing concentration and has been a director for 23 years. He is a three-time recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Awards, which are Chicago’s version of the Tony Awards. He is also currently working on a Noble Fool Production of Roasting Chestnuts and a revival of Meet Me in St. Louis. He was recommended to direct at Moraine Valley by the show’s musical director, Carolyn Brady.

Bellie said he brings a fun, Sci-Fi aspect to the show that a lot of people can connect with. “It will be a little bit melodramatic, and the characters can be over the top, but it will be done in a fun way,” he added. “I’m encouraging people to see the stage show even if they have seen the movie because it is a touch different. The audience will see surprises they may not expect.”

The cast list for this production is:
Seymour: Jim Lis, Chicago
Audrey: Lauren Salagaj, Palos Heights
Audrey II (voice): Bill Klideris, Homer Glen
Orin Scrivello, DDS: Reid O’Connell, New Lenox
Mr. Mushnik: Luke Simone, Orland Park
Ronette: Stefani Bishop, Rio
Bernstein: Patrick Butterfield, Beverly
Ms. Luce: Sarah Brandt, Mt. Greenwood
Skip-Snip: Matt Murphy, Evergreen Park
Crystal: Susie Rios, Chicago
Chiffon: Lindsey Salagaj, Palos Heights

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 more information on Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Oct. 5, 2006
Moraine Valley hosts “In the Throes of Being” exhibit by Mary Porterfield
“In the Throes of Being,” an exhibit by local artist Mary Porterfield, will show October 13-November 17 in the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. An artist’s reception will be held October 19 at 2 p.m.

Porterfield’s work is influenced by her experience as an occupational therapist to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. She uses space consisting of multiple, altered perspectives to represent a loss of familiarity and comfort. Visual metaphors, such as animals, represent the freedom and independence that are often lost with progressive memory loss. Figures and forms are repeated to demonstrate the blurring of time and the monotony of daily routines in institutionalized settings.

“Recently my work has become more personal, representing my own difficulty in letting go of the hardships of my patients,” said Porterfield. “I now find myself exploring my own personal struggle to separate myself from the tragedies of my patients. I paint both what I fear and what I covet. In allowing my paintings to become more personal, I hope that they might become more universal.”

Porterfield is an adjunct instructor at Northeastern Illinois University and the Harrington School of Design, both in Chicago. She earned a Master in Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University. She also studied figure drawing and painting at St. Louis Community College, drawing and painting at the St. Louis Artist’s Guild, and art history at St. Louis University. Porterfield has shown her award-winning work in solo and group exhibitions around the country and has been published many times.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized artists. Exhibits in the Art Gallery are free and available for viewing Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

For more information, call Meaghan Callan, the Gallery director, at (708) 608-4231, or visit www.morainevalley.edu/fpac.

Sept. 26, 2006
'In The Mood' musical revue to replace Ferguson show at Moraine Valley
Take a retro look at the life and time of America’s “greatest generation” during In The Mood, a 1940s musical revue featuring the music that moved the nation’s spirit. The tour will stop at Moraine Valley’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, on February 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.
This performance will replace the Maynard Ferguson show that was cancelled because of his death. Subscribers who have already received tickets for the Maynard Ferguson performance will be reissued new tickets for In The Mood.

The In The Mood singers and dancers, accompanied by the String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra, will take you back to a time when everyone was listening and dancing to the same music—up-tempo Big Band rhythms and mellow, intimate ballads—from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and The Andrews Sisters. Authentic arrangements, costumes and choreography will complement the swing, rhythm, jazz, brassy, romantic, and sentimental music of this important time.

The USO, a non-profit organization that bridges the American public with the military, brought In The Mood to the steps of the National Archives in Washington D.C. in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of WWII. The performance was a smashing success and continued to tour the U.S. as part of the official entertainment for the USO’s commemoration activities. In 11 years of touring, the show has performed at a Clinton Presidential Inaugural Ball and toured Europe. In The Mood continues to perform across the country.

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

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.

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