McAninch Arts Center streaming fall season
The sudden shift in the weather sealed it, but in all honesty I have had one rather depressing thought looming inmy head since the end of August: Winter is coming.
Winter is hard enough in the Midwest without a pandemic keeping many people fromdoing many indoor activities, from going to the gym to dining out to hitting the multiplex.
One of the more recent holiday traditions I started inmy familywas seeing the always excellent Second City touring company’s show. My sons are in their 20s, and many holiday events and shows are geared toward little ones. After having said for several years, “we should go to that” about the Second City holiday show, I finally pulled the trigger a few years ago and learnedmy sons really like improv comedy.
Luckily, this yearwe won’t have to miss it.
TheMcAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage has announced an all-streamed fall 2020 season.
As mostmajor suburban theaters remain shuttered towait for a chance to open to patrons, these streams can provide some badly needed new entertainment.
AndNorth Central College announced thisweek that Jim Brickman will perform in an interactive Zoom concert at 7 p.m. Dec. 4. Tickets, which go on sale Sept. 18, are $40-$125. Proceeds will benefitNorth Central College Fine& Performing Arts. Go to jimbrickman.com.
McAninch Arts Center Director DianaMartinez said staying closedwas never an option. “I never wanted to cancel our season; there’s too great a need for cultural and human connection right now. Whenwe realized the impactCOVIDwas having on the arts and artists, our staff had several meetings to discuss options andways to stay relevant, while also keeping people safe.”
Livestreamingwas considered as a safe choice for audiences of theMcAninch-basedNew Philharmonic, but what about the performers? The performers badlywanted to get back towork, but obviously safetywas amajor concern,
Martinez said.“We listened to industrywebinars and read studies on what it takes to make it as safe as possible to perform, and shared information and kept looking at possibilities.”
It hasn’t been easy. “We had to change thewaywe do everything. We examined thewaywe could make things safer from rehearsing and performing outside, to making special instrument masks, reconfiguring dressing rooms with partitions, adding plexi-shields to music stands, logistics of PPE and cleaning protocols.”
They also had to create safe spaces both onstage and backstage, even assigning restrooms, Martinez said.
Then they set towork figuring out howto sell and distribute tickets.
“We are grateful to The
JCS fund (a private, anonymous donor’s fund) and the DuPage Foundation who stepped forward with a generous matching grant to help us produce the first JohnWilliams Concert, and truly, it is the only reason itwas possible to try this,” Martinez said.
It’s paying off, too, as “95% of our subscribers have kept their subscription and will enjoy the season online,” Martinez said.
Some people said they did notwant towatch
shows online, and donated their ticket costs. Only a “handful” asked for refunds, Martinez said.
Sounds like I’m not the only one looking for things to do. Maybe you’ll find a new tradition for your family in this list.
Tickets are currently on sale for the following shows. Tickets are sold per household. Not all performances will be livestreamed fromMcAninch stages.
“TheMagic ParlorAt Home” featuring magician DennisWatkins: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and Sept. 25; 8 p.m. Sept. 19. Tickets: $65.
United States Air Force Shades of Blue Big Band: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Tickets: free.
Student Ensemble Concert featuring the CODChamberOrchestra, Chamber Singers and SmallGroup Jazz Ensemble: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets: $7.
CollegeTheater’s “The Laramie Project: 10Years Later:” ByMoisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephen Belber; directed by Connie Canaday Howard. Filmed and produced on Zoom. 7 p.m. Oct. 15-17 and Oct. 22-24; 3 p.m. Oct. 18 and Oct. 25. Tickets: $16. Mature audiences.
College FacultyRecital: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22. Tickets: $7.
NewPhilharmonic: TheMusic of John Williams: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and 3 p.m. Oct 25. Tickets: $40.
“AChristmas Carol:” by Charles Dickens, adapted byWilliam J. Norris; directed by Amelia Barrett. 7 p.m. Nov. 27; 3 and 7 p.m. Nov. 28-29. Tickets: $16.
DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3. Tickets: $7.
The Second City: “I SawMommy Kissing the Second City:” 7 p.m. Dec. 5. Tickets: $30.
CollegeMusic Chamber Orchestra: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets: $7.
CollegeMusic Small Group Jazz Ensemble: 12 p.m. Dec. 10. Tickets: $7.
CollegeMusicChamber Singers: 7:30 p.m. Dec.
10. Tickets: $7. NewPhilharmonic: “Holiday Sing-Along with the Symphony:” 7p.m. Dec. 12; 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets: $40. Ticket buyers will be emailed a song sheet of lyrics.
Presley, Perkins, Lewis & Cash: “Million Dollar Christmas:” 7:30 p.m. Dec.
19. Tickets: $50. NewPhilharmonic: NewYear’s Eve Concerts featuring soprano Alysa Jordheim: 2 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31. Tickets: $50.
Tickets are available at atthemac.org. Thewebsite also offers some free lectures and music performances.
Wendy FoxWeber is entertainment editor and columnist for the Lake County News-Sun, the BeaconNews, the Daily Southtown, Naperville Sun, the PostTribune, the Courier-News and Pioneer Press.