Arts & Entertainment

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The family that plays together stays in tune together

CHAMPAIGN – University of Illinois civil engineering Professor Keith Hjelmstad would be happy to play his violin alone at home. Which he sometimes does.

Often, though, he's rehearsing with his wife, Kara, who plays violin, and their three children, who have all followed in their parents' finger-steps by learning the same instrument.

Auditions set for area productions

Several area community theater groups will have auditions this week and weekend for productions to take place this summer:

– The Paxton Majestic Theatre Group will have auditions from 1 to 4 p.m. May 18 and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. May 20 for the comedy, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Anyone interested should report to the basement of First Lutheran Church, 301 S. College St., Paxton. Enter the north door or watch for signs.

Fingerstyle guitarist to give free workshop on Tuesday

CHAMPAIGN – Fingerstyle-guitar master Doyle Dykes will give a fingerstyle guitar workshop at 7 p.m. Tuesday at C.V. Lloyde Music Center, 102 S. Neil St., C.

Admission is free, but reservations are recommended by calling 352-7031 or visiting the Music Center. The workshop is aimed at guitarists of all skill levels.

Just Desserts & Jazz set Friday

URBANA – The Urbana Band Boosters will sponsor a fundraising evening, Just Desserts and Jazz, starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Urbana High School.

The Urbana Middle School Jazz Band and Urbana High School Jazz Bands I & II will perform. Individual servings of homemade desserts and beverages will be sold by the Band Boosters. This is the second year for the joint year-end jazz concert and dessert fundraiser.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Classics IV: The music goes on for benefit at the Beef House

COVINGTON, Ind. – When Dennis Yost suffered a brain injury in a fall down two flights of stairs, family and friends wondered if the voice that led the Classics IV was silenced forever.

Though the backup musicians changed over the years, Yost has always handled the lead vocals. His unique sound brought the group four gold records, with such hits as "Stormy," "Traces (of Love)" and "Spooky," which is featured on the TV show "Six Feet Under."

Villa Grove teen to join group touring Europe in June

VILLA GROVE – Though Joe Gulick has studied music and played musical instruments since he was 5, he has only just begun to find his musical voice.

After two years in choir at Villa Grove High School, Joe has been recognized for his singing abilities, including a Best of Day distinction for his vocal solo at this year's Illinois High School Association solo and ensemble contest.

Rantoul Theatre Group's spring family show opens May 16

RANTOUL – The Rantoul Theatre Group will present as its spring family show a stage production of "Cinderella," opening May 16 at Grissom Hall Theatre, 914 Arends Blvd., Rantoul.

"Cinderella" will be the only Rantoul Theatre Group production of the 2008 season featuring a large cast of child actors. In addition to 35 children, four adults appear in the play.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Taking doc to market is now Farmer John's life

The documentary "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," a hit at Ebertfest last week, has been shown in 10 countries and subtitled into five different languages.

It's out on DVD, and a shorter version was broadcast by PBS.

Danville Symphony Orchestra concert to feature tap dancer, percussionist

The Danville Symphony Orchestra and its special guest Saturday will perform an unusual concert for its audience.

"Toe Tapping Treasures" at 7:30 p.m. in the Danville High School auditorium, 202 E. Fairchild St., features Lane Alexander, founder and artistic director of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Program's students plan art exhibition

DANVILLE – College Express students will hold an art exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday at Danville Area Community College.

The exhibition will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and from 12:30 to 2 p.m. both days in Room 110 of the Bremer Conference Center, 2000 E. Main St., Danville.

Amasong to present spring celebration twice this weekend

CHAMPAIGN – Amasong, Champaign-Urbana's premier lesbian/feminist chorus, will present its spring concert, "Renewal," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at McKinley Presbyterian Church, 809 S. Fifth St., C.

To celebrate nature and spring, Amasong will weave together music from five continents to tell the story of humanity's connection to the Earth. The songs are by indigenous peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil and the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. Also, the chorus will perform a women's ritual weather song from the Republic of Georgia.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Believing is seeing 'Harvey' opens five-day run Wednesday at Parkland Theatre

CHAMPAIGN – Parkland College theater students will present the classic American comedy "Harvey" by Mary Chase. The show will open Wednesday.

"Harvey" is the Pulitzer Prize-winning story of Elwood P. Dowd, a good-natured, mild-mannered eccentric (famously portrayed by James Stewart in the 1950 film adaptation) who is known in all of the cafeterias and saloons in his small town.

Summer Studio Theatre tickets go on sale Friday

URBANA – The Summer Studio Theatre Company will return to Krannert Center's Studio Theatre for its 18th season with three productions, each with a two-person cast.

The professional, repertory company under the direction of Tom Mitchell, interim head of the University of Illinois Department of Theatre, will present

'Guys and Dolls' to open Little Theatre season

SULLIVAN – Broadlands native Doug Wilson, star of TLC's "Moving Up," "Trading Spaces" and "America's Ugliest," will star as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls," which will open the 51st summer season at the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan.

"Guys and Dolls" will be presented June 11-22.

Country Theatre Workshop raises curtain on remodeled theater

CISSNA PARK – Country Theatre Workshop of Cissna Park will celebrate the completion of its building renovation project with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the theater.

The theater closed in September and over the winter, enclosed its original building in a new one, enlarged the lobby, remodeled the auditorium and built ramps to the new seating levels to provide greater accessibility to people with handicaps. The stage also was enlarged.

Monday, April 28, 2008

'Romance & Cigarettes' wins praise for filming outside box

CHAMPAIGN – Introducing the movie "Romance & Cigarettes" on Sunday at Roger Ebert's Film Festival, Time magazine movie critic Richard Corliss said moviemaking is in a "very timid period."

"Do you know how many movies try to do something different? How many moviemakers in a decade even try it? Four?" he asked.

'Housekeeping' star recalls script as best she ever saw

CHAMPAIGN – After first reading Scottish director Bill Forsyth's script for "Housekeeping," actress Christine Lahti decided it was the best screenplay ever sent to her.

She was being considered for the lead of Sylvie – another actress who had been in the running was Diane Keaton. Lahti said she was told she might get the part if she and Forsyth got along.

Ebertfest: That's a wrap

CHAMPAIGN – The 10th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the Virginia Theatre ended on an emotional but upbeat note, with Chaz Ebert bidding farewell and blowing kisses to the audience as her absent husband listened in over her speakerphone.

"You know I miss Roger," she said as she walked back and forth on the stage, addressing the balcony and main floor. "I want to go back to Roger and tell him about the festival. I'm taking the images back of you so I can share them with Roger in Chicago."

Actress takes aim at doctorate

URBANA – Amy Stoch's excellent adventure has included a hit TV show, cult movies and motherhood. Now she's about to add "Ph.D." to the list.

The actress, who has appeared in "Dallas," "Days of Our Lives" and "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," is a doctoral candidate in the theater department at the University of Illinois.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Academy Award winning director, UI grad returns to town

CHAMPAIGN – Director Ang Lee returned triumphant to his alma mater on Saturday, receiving a standing ovation at Roger Ebert's Film Festival after he first walked on stage, along with a surprise serenade of "Illinois Loyalty"" by the a cappella group The Other Guys.

Lee smiled, nodded and clapped. He thanked Chaz Ebert, who had introduced him as a leading filmmaker who apparently had come out of nowhere, and the audience.

"I'm so proud to be a Fighting Illini," said the 1980 graduate of the UI Department of Theatre and one of the world's leading filmmakers.

Director, distributor 'bask' in warm Virginia Theatre reception

When film consultant Hannah Fisher saw Israeli writer-director Eran Kolirin's directorial debut, "The Band's Visit," at the Cannes Film Festival, she "flat fell in love with it."

The first film showing Jews and Arabs relating together as human beings, it's filled with "much tenderness and humanity," she said Saturday at Roger Ebert's Film Festival, after "The Band's Visit" was shown.

They don't make 'em like that any more

James Bond, not the actor but one of the projectionists for Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the Virginia Theater, said working in film has become a luxury for most filmmakers.

"It's almost to the point now where there's not even a choice," Bond said Thursday between films. "People have to work in the digital domain, at least the young, independent market."

Biopic rooted in writer-director's notion of suicidal glory

CHAMPAIGN – Like many young men, Paul Schrader once was enamored of the notion of suicidal glory.

"As a young man, I totally bought into it," the director and screenwriter said early Saturday morning at Roger Ebert's Film Festival after his biopic, "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters," was screened.

Irish-American piper to perform at UI

URBANA – One of the most respected performers on the Irish bagpipe, Kieran O'Hare, will perform at 8 p.m. May 15 at the Channing-Murray Foundation on the University of Illinois campus.

O'Hare not only plays the uilleann pipes, but also concert flute and tin whistle. Born into an Irish-American family, O'Hare started playing at home while in his teens. He moved in 1991 to Dublin, Ireland, where he received a degree in modern history from Trinity College. He now lives in Chicago with his wife, fiddler Liz Knowles.

The Chorale to present young artists scholarship concert

CHAMPAIGN – The Chorale presents "Encore," its free young artists scholarship concert, at 4 p.m. May 4 at First United Methodist Church, 210 W. Church St., C.

Donations are encouraged and go to The Chorale's scholarship fund. The three winners of the 2008 scholarship are Emelinda Escobar and Jennifer Roloff, both of Urbana, and Derek Maninfior of Mattoon. Escobar, a violinist, is the daughter of Urias and Margaret Escobar; Roloff, an oboe player, is the daughter of Jeff and Susan Roloff; and Maninfior, a pianist, is the son of Mark and Susan Maninfior.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Moving film took writer-director home – and audience with him

CHAMPAIGN – Chaz Ebert said Friday at Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the Virginia Theatre that she had promised earlier in the week not to cry over her husband's absence from the event.

"It's allowed to cry over the movies," she said after Jeff Nichols's "Shotgun Stories" was screened.

Actor says 'Canvas' first step to taking apart social stigma of mental illness

CHAMPAIGN – Joey Pantoliano said Thursday night at the Virginia Theatre that he always wanted to be an actor, someone whom people would recognize on the streets.

It happened beyond his expectations. He has appeared in more than 100 films, among them "The Matrix," "Memento" and Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun," and has won numerous awards, including an Emmy in 2003 for his supporting role in the HBO hit series, "The Sopranos."

Farmer's doc reaps event's first standing ovation

CHAMPAIGN – The first standing ovation of the 10th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival greeted the close-to-home documentary, "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," on Friday evening.

The seventh film of the 13-film festival is about Farmer John Peterson, a quirky farmer who turned his longtime family farm in northern Illinois into a hippie/artist commune before losing it.

Urbana High teens not shaken up by ceiling mishap

URBANA – For students performing in the Urbana High School musical, "All Shook Up," the show must go on – even if their performance space is shut down.

Sometime before school Friday, part of the ceiling fell in the high school auditorium, where the students planned to open their show next Thursday.

Frederick Douglass actor sets area stops

CHAMPAIGN – Actor Fred Morsell will visit Champaign libraries on Sunday and Monday to portray 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Morsell will recreate some of the escaped slave's most famous speeches and highlight the history and life lessons they contain.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Writer-director dedicates screening of 'Delirious' to absent film critic

CHAMPAIGN – The "disastrous distribution history" of his film "Delirious," which opened the second day of Roger Ebert's Film Festival on Thursday, left writer-director Tom DiCillo "dumbfounded, lost and bewildered."

So much so that he e-mailed five questions to Ebert, whom he had never met. The critic replied to every single one.

Celebration fest offers full musical bill this weekend

CHARLESTON – Eastern Illinois University's annual Celebration: A Festival of the Arts runs today, Saturday and Sunday on the EIU campus, presenting a variety of music and art.

The headline act will be Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, who will perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The bluegrass pioneer and Grammy Award-winner has performed and recorded professionally for more than 60 years. His music was featured in the Coen brothers' film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Woody Guthrie's granddaughter to perform

URBANA – The Urbana Free Library will present live music by Woody Guthrie's granddaughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie, and her husband, Johnny Irion, at 7 p.m. Monday at the library.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Concert to pair Symphonic Band I, Wind Symphony

URBANA – The University of Illinois Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band I will share a concert starting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center.

The Wind Symphony, directed by James F. Keene, will perform Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" by Leonard Bernstein; Concerto in F by George Gershwin, with pianist Gloria Yen; "Savannah River Holiday" by Ron Nelson; and "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral" by Richard Wagner.

Red Mask Players looking for directors

DANVILLE – The Red Mask Players, a Danville community theater group, is looking for directors for its 2008-09 season.

Applications, including additional details on director responsibilities, are available at www.redmaskplayers.com.

Couple's love of film led them to romance

CHAMPAIGN – In movie parlance, Chuck and Eileen Kuenneth of Chicago "met cute" in one of Roger Ebert's continuing-education film classes at the University of Chicago back in the 1980s.

Now they're married and in their third year of attending Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign.

British actors feel right at home at C-U fest

British actor Timothy Spall finds the Illini Union intriguing. That's where he and his wife, Shane, and other guests of Roger Ebert's Film Festival are staying.

"My wife and I, we both feel about 195 because the average age around there is 19," he said. "We feel like we're from 'Jurassic Park.'"

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Fourth Street Gallery is drawing artistic-minded to Covington

The first thing someone might notice when approaching the Fourth Street Gallery on the Square in Covington, Ind., is that it is part of a growing group of destination shops.

The gallery has only been open a couple of months, but there was a fairly steady ringing of "chimes" as various people entered to bring in art, take a look around or visit with co-owner Deb Duncan and artist-in-residence Cheryl Harris.

Masters of Percussion star says he's just 'great student' of drumming, nothing more

URBANA – As a tabla player, Zakir Hussain is considered a phenomenon, a national treasure of India.

As one of the architects of the "world-music" movement, he has collaborated with many of the world's great artists, among them Mickey Hart, John McLaughlin and George Harrison.

To see, or not to see

URBANA – Relaxing on the patio outside the University of Illinois president's home Wednesday evening, British actor Timothy Spall was pondering whether he would sit through the four-hour movie "Hamlet."

The versatile Spall plays Rosencrantz in the film, which opened the 10th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the Virginia Theatre shortly after the reception at the UI president's home.

"We're both seriously jet-lagged," Spall said of himself and his wife, Shane. "It's a toss-up."

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Ebertfest's star will be absent tonight

CHAMPAIGN – The 10th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival opens this evening at the Virginia Theatre without the main man.

In his blog today, the Chicago Sun-Times movie reviewer and Urbana native wrote: "After consulting with my doctors, I have decided it may not be prudent to try to make the journey today with a fractured hip."

Monday, April 21, 2008

Jordin Sparks concert at Assembly Hall canceled

CHAMPAIGN – The Jordin Sparks concert at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall, scheduled for Friday, has been canceled. An Assembly Hall press release said the former American Idol winner can't perform due to an "acute vocal cord hemorrhage condition."

"Sparks has been ordered to strict vocal rest and will not be able to perform anywhere until her condition improves," the release said.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

'Housekeeping' Forsyth proud of picture – but done directing

CHAMPAIGN – Bill Forsyth's name in the '80s was synonymous with Scottish cinema, but he hasn't directed a movie since his last, "Gregory's Two Girls," released in 1999.

"I just didn't enjoy it very much," he said via an international phone call to his home near Glasgow. "I was never comfortable making movies, I must say. I didn't know the rules. I didn't know what was expected of me.

10-year-old puts his art where his heart is: Helping others

CHAMPAIGN – At age 10, Ben Carlton already has an altruistic streak.

"He's long on empathy," said his mother, Tiffany Carlton.

Among random acts of kindness he performs is helping younger kids go down sliding boards at parks.

Radio personality to emcee Amasong concert

BLOOMINGTON – WGN Radio personality Kathy O'Malley will emcee a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Westbrook Auditorium in Presser Hall at Illinois Wesleyan University featuring Amasong, Champaign-Urbana's premier lesbian/feminist chorus, and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus.

O'Malley, of "The Kathy and Judy Show," is known for her witty personality. Both Amasong and the Gay Men's Chorus are award-winning groups that are returning to Bloomington after having presented a concert there in 2005 that drew more than 300 people.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Ebert breaks hip, but show will go on

CHAMPAIGN – Roger Ebert says his 10th annual film festival, opening Wednesday at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, must go on, even in the event he is unable to attend.

On Friday, his wife, Chaz Ebert, said her husband is recovering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago from surgery to repair a minor hip injury.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

UI music, theater, dance faculty collaborating on opera

URBANA – Faculty members in three departments of the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts are collaborating to present the obscure, seldom-heard French Baroque opera "Armide."

The late-life masterpiece by Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) and Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) opens Thursday in the Tryon Festival Theatre at Krannert Center, with nods to both Baroque-era staging, gesture and dance and contemporary technology.

Illinois native enjoying himself touring in musical 'Evita'

Chasing his dreams has led B.J. Scahill to South America – and into the limelight with Eva Peron.

Schaumburg native Scahill is an ensemble member in "Evita," the touring Broadway musical that arrives at 7:30 p.m. April 23 to the stage of the University of Illinois Assembly Hall. The production revolves around the life of the dynamic, larger-than-life persona of Peron, wife of the former Argentine dictator, Juan Peron, and a champion of the working class.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Disabled students helped design products featured in exhibit

URBANA – University of Illinois senior psychology major Ji hae Lee, who uses a wheelchair to get around, said most products designed for people with disabilities focus on function.

"They're really ugly and institutional looking," she said. "I am not willing to use the products because they're so stigmatized."

Red Herring memories resurface at reunion

URBANA – There's a saying that's been applied to both the '60s and the '70s, that if you remember them, you weren't really there.

Not true. A few dozen former or current hippies spent the weekend at the Red Herring Coffee House talking about burning draft cards, watching psychedelic films, preaching peace, listening to Dan Fogelberg, working while under the influence of a weedy substance and eating veggie food.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Progressive rocker still exploring musical frontiers

URBANA – The All Music Blog says that throughout his long career, Keith Emerson has proven himself perhaps the greatest, most technically accomplished keyboardist in rock history.

That gives Emerson pause.

World music center opens this weekend at UI

Study abroad programs tend to deeply affect students, and that was the case for a group that ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown took to Indonesia in 1971.

Nearly half of the 18 students with him, including Philip Yampolsky, ended up making the music of Indonesia their life's work.

Former TV actor's show to benefit Sullivan theater

SULLIVAN – The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan will present on April 19 the benefit performance "Rag to Riches: An Intimate Evening with Eddie Mekka," who portrayed Carmine in the hit TV series, "Laverne and Shirley."

Mekka is returning to the Little Theatre, where he played the title role of "Pippin" in 1979 and was in "Dames at Sea" in 1983.

There's trouble in River City, but not on stage in Danville

DANVILLE – When Jesse Pierce asked Angie Mansfield to consider directing "The Music Man" for Danville Light Opera, she was led where she hadn't planned to go.

A veteran of more than 20 musicals from both sides of the lights, Mansfield originally told Pierce, "No way. I don't like classic scripts."

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Guatemalan master weaver sharing her craft with peers, public

A master weaver from central Guatemala is visiting Champaign-Urbana, sharing her traditional artistry with not only other weavers but also the public.

Magda Sotz Mux, a native of Chiq'a'l (San Juan Comalupa), is showing at the Spurlock Museum on the University of Illinois campus her intricately woven po't, or woman's blouse, which was commissioned by the museum.

Circus cancels one of five shows scheduled for UI Assembly Hall

CHAMPAIGN – The 6 p.m. Sunday, April 20, circus performance by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall has been canceled, but the other four Ringling Bros shows will go on at the hall.

People who purchased tickets for the 6 p.m. April 20 show need to contact the Assembly Hall Box Office at 333-5000 as soon as possible about exchanging their tickets for one of the other performances at 7 p.m. Friday, April 18; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 19; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20.

Writer cancels UI appearance

David Foster Wallace, one of America's leading contemporary writers, has canceled his April 11 appearance here as part of the Carr Reading Series on the University of Illinois campus.

Wallace, an award-winning author of novels, short stories and books of essays, was to have spoken at the Levis Faculty Center. Wallace, the son of professors at the UI and Parkland College, grew up in Philo.

Master drummer, group to perform Ghana music, dance

URBANA – A master drummer and high priest from Ghana will perform as part of the "Rhythms & Dances of Africa" event from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., U.

Midawo Gideon F. Alorwoyie and the Afrikania Cultural Troupe of Ghana will present Ewe drum and dance styles. Alorwoyie, now a professor of music at the University of North Texas, is one of the leading traditional drummers of the Ewe style.

Indian tarbla artist to play free concert

URBANA – The tabla player Subrata Bhattacharya and accompanists will perform at 7 p.m. Monday in the Main Lounge of Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory St., U.

Indian refreshments will be served following the program, which is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the parking garage across the street.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Die-hard Ebertfest fans not deterred by obstacles for tickets

CHAMPAIGN – It's 7:10 a.m., it's dark, 39 degrees out – isn't this supposed to be spring? – and two friends are the first in line for individual tickets at Roger Ebert's Film Festival.

Jo Ellen Brown and Jeannette Lewin, Champaign friends for 21 years, have barely slept. Lewin had just gotten back Thursday night from Florida, her tan glowing in the morning chill as evidence.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Film critics join lineup for annual film festival event

CHAMPAIGN – Roger Ebert will be getting a little help from his friends during his 10th annual film festival in Champaign.

Time magazine movie critic Richard Corliss, Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips and Richard Roeper, Ebert's Sun-Times colleague and partner in the weekly movie-review television program "Ebert & Roeper," will fill in for him onstage during Ebertfest, or Roger Ebert's Film Festival, April 23-27 at the Virginia Theatre. They will take turns questioning festival guests after the screenings.

'Hoopeston' hits the big screen

NEW YORK – New York independent film fans, who might not be able to find Hoopeston on a map, know a little more about the small Vermilion County town today.

A feature-length documentary titled "Hoopeston" premiered Thursday night at the New York Underground Film Festival, which was founded in 1994 and is known for innovative, experimental and sometimes controversial films.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Veteran British actor to appear at Ebertfest

Screen, stage and television actor Timothy Spall will be a guest at Roger Ebert's Film Festival with the screening of "Hamlet." The 1996 movie, directed by Kenneth Branagh, will open the festival at 7 p.m. April 23.

Individual tickets to the 13 movies in Ebertfest go on sale starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Virginia Theatre box office. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and students. Call 356-9063 for information. Festival passes sold out soon after they went on sale in previous years.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Local painter's landscape picked for national park's exhibition

Martha Seif started what she calls her "canyon series" when her daughter, an Idaho resident, urged her to take an interest in the geographical features common in the West.

Seif, who has studied art at Parkland College since 1994, is known in the local art community for her paintings of flowers and landscapes. She tackled the canyon challenge after friends, Jack and Sally Paxton of Urbana, brought her photographs they took at Zion National Park, St. George, Utah.

'Jesus Christ Superstar' opens Thursday at Virginia Theatre

CHAMPAIGN – The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company will present the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar." It opens for four productions starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.

The musical traces the last seven days in the life of Christ from his entrance into Jerusalem to his crucifixion as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Originally a concept album recorded in 1970, the rock opera is one of the earliest works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

'Return to Forbidden Planet' sends Shakespeare into space

CHAMPAIGN – In a review of the 1956 sci-fi movie "Forbidden Planet," based on William Shakespeare's "The Tempest," a New Yorker critic wrote, "It's a pity they didn't lift some of Shakespeare's language."

Perhaps playwright Bob Carlton read that before writing his rock-and-roll musical "Return to the Forbidden Planet," a hybrid based on the movie and "The Tempest." In the musical, Carlton lifts the bard's language from not only "The Tempest" but also other Shakespeare plays.

WWHP whips up all-star lineup for '08 shows

Farmer City radio station WWHP-FM, 98.3, "The Whip," annouces a stellar lineup of acts for its 2008 concert series.

Artists set to perform are Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry; Justin Townes Earle, son of alt-country icon Steve Earle; Western swing/honky tonk artist Wayne "The Train" Hancock; Southern roots-rock musician Paul Thorn; Texas blues-rocker Carolyn Wonderland; and Americana/alt-country musician Dale Watson.

Rock Against Rape show set for Saturday at Highdive

CHAMPAIGN – The fifth annual Rock Against Rape show, set for 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Highdive in downtown Champaign, features a five-band lineup headlined by local singer-songwriter Angie Heaton.

Tickets to the show are $4, and additional donations are accepted. All proceeds benefit Rape Crisis Services of Champaign.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Famed director to attend this year's Ebertfest

CHAMPAIGN – Acclaimed director and University of Illinois graduate Ang Lee is one of the highlights of the 10th annual Ebertfest at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.

The film festival, hosted by noted film critic, Urbana native and UI grad Roger Ebert, takes place April 23 to 27. Other guests scheduled to appear at the festival, with films hand-picked by Ebert, include director Paul Schrader, actor Joey Pantoliano, a return performance by the Alloy Orchestra, director William Forsyth, actress Christine Lahti, actress Aida Turturro, choreographer Tricia Brouk and more.

EIU Department of Music will present 'The Four Seasons'

CHARLESTON – Eastern Illinois University's Department of Music will present Antonio Vivald's "The Four Seasons" at 4 p.m. Sunday in Wesley United Methodist Church, Charleston. The concert will feature the Eastern Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Concert Choir and special guest artists Charlotte Mattax and Maureen Murchie.

Under the direction of Richard Robert Rossi, the Eastern Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir will perform three of the 22 recently discovered Graduals and Offertories by Joseph Matthias Kracher. These compositions, thought to be missing, were found in the Wimmer Library Collection at St. Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania. As part of his doctoral work, Rossi transcribed the works ("O Magnum Mysterium," "Omnes de Saba Venient" and "Reges Tharsis") which will be heard during the concert.

College students going joke-for-joke in comedy contest

URBANA – If you attend the University of Illinois and think you're a funny-man (or funny-woman), then you can compete for the title of "The Country's Funniest College Student."

RooftopComedy.com, an Internet comedy channel, is behind the competition, which features students competing from 32 colleges from around the country, including the UI. The first event takes place April 2 at the UI, but the time and campus location have yet to be nailed down.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Monica Mancini joins Hamlisch, UI Jazz Band at Krannert

URBANA – Growing up in California as a child of legendary movie composer Henry Mancini was nothing out of the ordinary to Monica Mancini, who performs with Marvin Hamlisch on Thursday evening at Krannert Center.

"He would get up and go to work, and my mother would do the same thing," she recalled. "We went to school and did homework. It was really normal."

A career crafted from 'always making stuff'

HOMER – Bruce Vetter, a leather artisan by trade, has been making things with his hands since he was a boy. He attributes his creativity to his unusual education. Learning – self-motivated and self-directed – is for him a lifelong commitment, something he always actively sought.

Vetter and his work will be featured on public television's "Heartland Highways" program series, set to air at 7 p.m. Fri. April 4. The show will repeat at midnight and again at 4 p.m. on Sun. April 6. The program can be viewed on WEIU Insight Cable channel 14, Clear Vision channel 12 (in Brocton channel 6), Charter Cable channel 5, and DishNetwork and Direct TV channel 51.

Choreographer to visit Parkland before UI shows

URBANA – Fans of modern-dance choreographer Mark Morris will have a chance to meet him in person and at a venue other than Krannert Center, where his Mark Morris Dance Group will perform this week for the eighth consecutive year.

Morris will be at the Parkland Art Gallery Annex in the Parkland Library, 2400 W. Bradley Ave., C, at 7 p.m. Wednesday for a conversation with Mike Ross, director of Krannert Center. The event is free and open to the public.

'Evening of Music for Grownups' to benefit arts center

A fundraising concert aimed at fans of chamber music and traditional dance tunes, "An Evening of Music for Grownups," takes place at 8 p.m. Friday at Techline, 24 E. Green St., C.

The concert features University of Illinois faculty musicians and members of the Community Center for the Arts, also known as C4A, and the traditional acoustic group Oberon, the Possum King. Tickets are $15, and proceeds benefit C4A. Wine, coffee and dessert are included in the price.

'Accomplice' to open at Danville theater

DANVILLE – Ed Sant describes his latest directing project as "diabolically clever and very adult."

"Accomplice" opens its three-week run at 8 p.m. March 28 at the Kathryn Randolph Theater, 601 N. Vermilion St.

Area troupes set April auditions

Area theater companies in Hoopeston and Cissna Park will have auditions in April for their summer productions.

The Artistic Repertory Theatre in Hoopeston will have auditions from 3 to 5 p.m. April 5 for Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" at the Academy, 203 E. Main St., Hoopeston.

Two UI grad students to give piano, viola recital

DECATUR – Two graduate students at the University of Illinois will perform a faculty and guest recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Perkinson Music Center at Millikin University.

Christine Bock will play viola and Jennifer Garrett the piano. The recital is free and open to the public. Their program will feature "Sonata for Viola Alone, Opus 25 No. 1" by Paul Hindemith; "Polonaise for Viola and Piano" by Rudolf Haken, a UI professor of music; "Sonata for Viola and Piano No. 1" by Bohuslav Martinu; and Concert Piece for Viola and Piano by Georges Enescu.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Locally molded ceramics artist showing sculptures at gallery

URBANA – Monticello High School art teacher Kim Allison always knew that art would remain a big part of Jacob Foran's life. But she's impressed with how far her former student has come.

At only 24 years of age and having just completed two bachelor's of fine arts degrees, the young ceramics artist already has been juried into a number of national and international exhibitions.

'Good News' for locally rooted bluegrass group

On the Charlie Sizemore Band's new album, there's a song called, "Alison's Band," which has a musician dreaming of playing in Champaign native Alison Krauss's band.

It's a case of "been there, done that" for John Pennell, who plays bass for the Charlie Sizemore Band, which performs at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Iron Post in downtown Urbana. And Pennell didn't write the song, either. The song credit, with its tongue-in-cheek lyrics, goes to band leader Sizemore.

Dance Weekend starts Friday at UI; newcomers welcome

URBANA – The English and American Dance Weekend will take place Friday, Saturday and next Sunday at the Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St, U, on the University of Illinois campus.

Everyone is welcome; no partner is needed. Dance experience is recommended for some of the dances and workshops but is not a requirement for many of the other weekend events.

Christian rock's Newsboys to play in Danville

DANVILLE – Between San Antonio, Texas, and Southhaven, Miss., one of the most popular Christian rock groups now based out of Nashville but with roots in Australia will stop off in Danville for a concert.

In January, Newsboys took The Rock Across Australia 2007 honors as Artist of the Year, as well as Song of the Year honors for "Something Beautiful." They have sold more than 6 millions records, earned three Grammy nominations and notched more than 25 No. 1 hits in the Christian music genre.

Irish harpist to sing, play at gallery

URBANA – Singer and harpist Claire Roche performs at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Heartland Gallery in downtown Urbana.

Roche, from Dublin, Ireland, is on a monthlong tour of the United States and will perform on both Irish and concert harps. She will play a selection of traditional ballads, as well as some of her own compositions set to the poetry of W.B. Yeats. Roche is a personal friend of Yeats' son.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Task force plans to push for a public arts program

URBANA – Creation of a nine-member public arts commission and a permanent public arts program, with significant annual city funding, is on the city council's agenda Monday night.

Council members will meet at 7 p.m. as the committee of the whole, at the Urbana City Building, 400 S. Vine St.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Festival set for March 2009 will feature movies about Lincoln

In conjunction with state and local festivities that mark the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln in 2009, plans are under way for a film festival centered around the 16th president.

The Lincoln FilmFest is set for March 13, 14 and 15, 2009, at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. There will be four films shown – one on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday – along with an academic panel that will discuss various aspects of Lincoln on Saturday morning.

Mountainfilm to benefit local Boy Scouts

CHAMPAIGN – A film festival that benefits the local Boy Scouts of America heads at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.

The Mountainfilm on Tour features nine short films about culture, the environment and more. The 10th annual showing is sponsored by Champaign Surplus and benefits the outdoor programs of the Prairielands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

UI to host voice competition Saturday

URBANA – The Central Illinois Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters will host a voice competition starting at noon Saturday in Smith Music Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois.

The event, which is open to the public, will last until all the contestants sing, probably no later than 5 p.m. The singers are from 20 through 32 years of age as of May 16, 2008.

Law students to perform benefit

URBANA – An all-law student cast from the University of Illinois College of Law will perform Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues" at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Independent Media Center in the old post office building in Urbana.

Miranda Soucie, a first-year law student, is the organizer and director of the show, which will benefit the local Rape Crisis Center.

UI event to focus on world heritage cities

URBANA – A workshop on world heritage cities will take place Friday in Christopher Hall, 904 W. Nevada St., U, on the University of Illinois campus. The event, free and open to the public, will feature a full day of presentations, with a Friday lunch option.

A reception will take place Friday evening, and the workshop will continue with a half-day of presentations Saturday at the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities building, 805 W. Pennsylvania Ave., U.

Sculptor's work offers others a glimpse into what she's seeing

In early art classes at Parkland College, Sheila Schneider almost gave up her dream of becoming an artist because her visual disability was so limiting.

Schneider sees the world differently from most people because her eyesight is narrowed to tunnel vision by an inherited and irreversible disorder called retinitis pigmentosa. But her Parkland teachers didn't let her quit. Instead, Schneider said, they encouraged her and adjusted their perspectives to her talents.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Elysian trumpet tells tale of Katrina victims

URBANA – After taking his audience on a musical tour of his hometown of New Orleans on Tuesday evening at Krannert Center, Irvin Mayfield Jr. took some concertgoers on a "quick tour" of his Elysian Trumpet.

With a no-nonsense guard from the Orleans Parish sheriff's department standing next to him, the musician pointed out the many decorative features on his instrument, which he commissioned in memory of Hurricane Katrina victims, among them his own father, whose body was found along Elysian Fields Boulevard.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Field Museum to display Urbana native's photos

CHICAGO – Photographs taken around the world by Urbana native Paola Gianturco will go on display starting Friday at The Field Museum in Chicago.

"Celebrating Women," which will remain on view through Sept. 7, features color photos by Gianturco from festivals around the world that celebrate women as "kind-hearted, ferocious in battle, beautiful or courageous in the face of social injustice," according to a description from The Field Museum.

ISU exhibit features works by Art Institute professor

NORMAL – An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Jim Lutes, a professor of painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is on view through April 6 at University Galleries at Illinois State University.

Lutes will give a lecture at noon Tuesday at ISU. It is free and open to the public.

'Red Trio' show to feature triad of Chinese art forms

"The Red Trio," guest-curated by Yu "Ian" Wang of Champaign, with Nathan Westerman, will remain on display through March 23, with the opening reception and curator's talk scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. The Springer Cultural Center is at 301 N. Randolph St., C.

Photographers invite viewers to join them in world of colors

With his right hand, he grips her left arm as both fall through the sky. In "Come Join Us," the man and woman smile as they look up, the ground seemingly a mile below them.

In the unpeopled "Civic in Motion," a silver Honda Civic appears to make a fast turn before an urban backdrop – a scene from an action movie or maybe television commercial.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Classical recital to team up UI soprano, pianist

Two of the most respected classical musicians in Champaign-Urbana will team up for a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Smith Recital Hall at Smith Memorial Hall, 805 S. Mathews St., U.

Soprano Ollie Watts Davis, chairwoman of the voice division of the University of Illinois School of Music, will sing a cycle of eight Robert Schumann songs in German – English translations will be available in the program – while accompanied by renowned accompanist John Wustman on piano. Wustman, who has accompanied major artists, among them Luciano Pavarotti, is a professor emeritus at the UI.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

American masters Hopper, Homer similarities, differences on vivid display at Art Institute in Chicago

American artists Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper both worked early in their careers as illustrators. Hopper loathed the work, while Homer, particularly as an artist-reporter covering the Civil War, used illustration as a means to develop his drawing skills.

Homer (1836-1910) was virtually self-taught, while Hopper (1882-1967) studied at the New York School of Art. Among his teachers was the legendary Robert Henri of the New York Ashcan School.

David Munnelly Band to perform Tuesday at Techline

Take a step back in time at 8 p.m. Tuesday with the David Munnelly Band.

An acclaimed traditional Irish group, the band will perform at Techline, 26 E. Green St., C. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for educators (photo ID required) and $5 for students (photo ID required) and seniors. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Movie fest first to focus on cinema from Dark Continent

Africa, a large and diverse continent, is known for many things. Cinema, however, is not one of them.

Mahir Saul, a professor in the Department of Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Illinois, hopes to open the eyes of film lovers with the first African Film Festival. The weeklong festival, featuring multiple screenings of six movies, starts at 7 p.m. Friday at the Beverly Cinema 18 in Champaign (please see sidebar for descriptions and show times). Tickets are $5 each.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Martina McBride brings her tour to Assembly Hall this Friday

When Martina McBride picks a song for an album, it has to have the total package.

"Great lyrics, great melody, a song that makes you feel something – all of those things," said McBride, who performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Illinios Assembly Hall. "One of the things I think I've done well in my career is to choose songs that have strong lyrics and an emotional connection for the listener. But the lyrics only go so far if the melody isn't there."

When they flip the TV switch, will you be ready?

Antenna TV viewers will need an upgrade within the next year

Faithful viewers hop out of bed a year from now, turn on their TV sets and cannot get any of their local TV stations.

What to do with the old TVs?

Landfills choked with old TVs and the dangers they bring to the environment.

While the federal government foresaw the public outcry with having to buy a converter box in order to watch digital TV by offering a $40 coupon, it has been shortsighted on another front.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Urbana's Gindes ready to give command performance

URBANA – Ian Gindes used to be pretty shy about playing the piano, which is not a good thing if you want to be a concert pianist.

Dozens of performances later, the University of Illinois graduate student – and second lieutenant in the Army National Guard – is starting to feel ready for the concert hall.

Deadline extended for bus trip to Indy Museum of Art

CHAMPAIGN – The payment deadline for the Parkland College Art Gallery's annual expedition to the Indianapolis Museum of Art on March 7 has been extended to Feb. 22.

This bus trip, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 7, will feature a Spotlight Tour of the museum's contemporary galleries. The Indianapolis Museum of Art collection includes installations, paintings, sculpture, photography, works on paper, video and one of the nation's leading collections of studio glass.

Urbana task force seeking input on public arts plan

URBANA – The Urbana Public Arts Task Force seeks input on its draft proposal for the Urbana Public Arts Program. Comments may be presented to the task force at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine St., U.

Comments also may be submitted to Anna Hochhalter, public arts coordinator, via e-mail at alhochhaltercity.Urbana/urban.il.us, phone at 384-2311 or post at the Community Development Office, 400 S. Vine St., U.

UI band to play at collegiate jazz fest

DECATUR – The University of Illinois Concert Jazz Band will join four other college bands at the Illinois Collegiate Jazz Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. next Sunday, Feb. 17, at Millikin University in Decatur.

UI Latin Jazz Band's director teaches his students roots, 'danceability' of musical genre

URBANA – Six nights a week in the 1980s and '90s, saxophonist Carlos Vega played in salsa bands in his native Miami. So he finds it discombobulating to be part of a Latin jazz ensemble here in central Illinois.

That would be the University of Illinois Latin Jazz Band, one of the newer groups formed by Chip McNeill after he took charge of the Jazz Studies Program.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Urbana filmmaker, partner return from Sundance with top doc prize

A week after Hurricane Katrina stunned the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Urbana native and filmmaker Carl Deal Jr. and his partner Tia Lessin headed to central Louisiana. The Brooklyn, N.Y., residents wanted to try to make sense of what they were seeing on television.

"We wanted to get to the ground and to see if we could get a different perspective," he remembered.

3 world premieres, 2 string quartets, 1 special concert

URBANA – Two string quartets of different generations will team up on Thursday evening at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to present the world premiere of an octet by William Bolcom, a National Medal of Arts recipient.

Also, the Guarneri String Quartet will perform a new piece by Derek Bermel, and the Johannes String Quartet will debut a new quartet by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The performances of those two pieces also will mark their world premieres.

Investigative journalist, author Sonia Shah to give talks at UI

URBANA – Investigative journalist Sonia Shah will be a guest-in-residence at Unit One/Allen Hall on the University of Illinois campus from Monday through Thursday. She will speak each night. All of the events are open to the public and take place in the South Rec Room of Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory St., U.

Shah is also a critically acclaimed author whose writing on human rights, medicine and politics has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, New Scientist, The Nation and elsewhere.

Exhibit to feature videos, paintings, talk with artist

CHARLESTON – Artist Ben Whitehouse will be at the Tarble Arts Center in Charleston at 7 p.m. Tuesday to talk about his art, now on view at the Tarble through Feb. 24.

Admission is free. An informal reception will follow the talk. The exhibition and talk are part of the Tarble's Contemporary Currents series co-sponsored with the Eastern Illinois University Art Department. The exhibition, "Ben Whitehouse: Revolution," features paintings on canvas and on panels, and videos of the landscape.

Rare Lincoln portraits to be displayed in Old State Capitol

SPRINGFIELD – Visitors to the Old State Capitol in Springfield will soon get the chance to see two rare 19th-century portraits of Abraham Lincoln, thanks to Morris Library at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The SIU library is loaning the portraits by Alban Jasper Conant and Edward Dalton Marchant for display while an extensive renovation and expansion project continues at Morris Library. The portraits will be unveiled at a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the downtown Old State Capitol State Historic Site at Fifth and Adams streets, Springfield.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Danville native to sing at fundraiser

DANVILLE – When Danville native Katie Marlatt returns home Friday, she will be bringing members of a choir from the Wayside Christian Mission in Louisville, Ky., where she works.

While Marlatt has sung with Doc Ashton and the Root Canals a number of times locally, she will perform with the Down By the Wayside Singers at 7 p.m. Friday at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Alumni to dance prof's post-9/11 'Winter Belly'

URBANA – For choreographer and University of Illinois dance Professor Tere O'Connor, creating a dance is not about expressing his own "style." It's about processing things that happen in the moment and that take on their own life.

"I look at it almost as an abstract documentary form, born of a moment I'm in or the world is in but that doesn't necessarily depict that," he said. "It generally produces thought; it doesn't define a specific thought.

MFA candidate teaching award-winning piece to UI dance students

URBANA – When she was a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Catherine Cabeen had to meet and overcome myriad challenges.

Now one of the greatest has come after she's left the company.

Arts activists' residency kicks off on UI campus

URBANA – Climbing PoeTree arts activists Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman will be artists-in-residence today through Thursday at Unit One/Allen Hall on the University of Illinois campus.

With roots in Haiti and Colombia, Garcia and Penniman live in Brooklyn and travel the globe on a mission to overcome destruction with creativity. They have worked with other poets such as Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Danny Glover, The Last Poets, and Dead Prez; led workshops in institutions from Cornell University to Riker's Island; and painted murals on walls from the Bronx to Santiago, Toronto to Jamaica.

Mark Roberts back to hold auditions for two of his plays

URBANA – Mark Roberts returns Feb. 3 and 4 to Urbana to hold auditions for two of his plays to be presented this summer at the Station Theatre.

General auditions will take place 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at 120 W. Main St., downtown Urbana (use the back entrance at 121 Goose Alley). Callbacks and cold readings take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 4, with read-throughs set for 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 5.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Young Artists Competition to take place Sunday

DANVILLE – The Danville Symphony Orchestra will hold its annual Gail and Harry Adams Young Artists Competition at 1 p.m. Sunday at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St.

The competition began in 1971 in order to provide area youth the opportunity to compete on their chosen instrument against their peers.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Performance piece highlights environmental issues

URBANA – Since he and another researcher first discovered in the late '60s that male humpback whales sing songs – and beautifully haunting ones at that – scientist Roger Payne has given countless lectures about whales.

His talks were good for engaging and interesting people in the plight of the aquatic mammals, but Payne soon saw how limited he, as a scientist, was. After meeting and later marrying classically trained actress Lisa Harrow, he began attending her performances, not only once, but repeatedly.

Photographers' show offers glimpse of Cuba, W. Africa

CHAMPAIGN – The next Parkland Art Gallery exhibition, opening Monday, will feature documentary photographs of Cuba and Senegal.

"People and Places Revealed: The Documentary Photography of Kerry Stuart Coppin and Amanda McCadams" will remain on display through Feb. 14. The artists' reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with McCadams giving a talk about her work. Refreshments will be served, and Matthew Watt will perform live music.

Computer-based interactive art exhibit to debut at EIU

CHARLESTON – A computer-based interactive art exhibition by international artist Pat Badani will premiere on Thursday evening at the Tarble Arts Center on the Eastern Illinois University campus.

The artist's reception will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Badani will talk at 7:30. Admission is free, and the public is invited. The installation, titled [in time time], will remain on view through Feb. 24 in the Tarble's eGallery.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Tickets going fast for Hadley memorial concert

URBANA – The University of Illinois School of Music anticipated that tickets for the Jerry Hadley memorial concert Jan. 25 at Krannert Center would be hot, but it didn't anticipate how quickly they are going.

The tickets to the free concert became available Friday morning. By late Friday afternoon, tickets for the main floor were gone.

Urbana woman produces pretty heady art

URBANA – Rachel Suntop is often asked whether her last name is real. It is, and it's perfect for a fiber artist and milliner who turns out extremely original and powerful hats, some inspired by other cultures.

Two headdresses that Suntop made in 2006 while in Washington, D.C., were inspired by Mongolian headdress, and two by native Alaskan head wear. She made those while she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, and they are now part of its permanent collection.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Former church turning into teen hot spot in Oakland

OAKLAND – The name of The Hub, a former Oakland church that's become a place for teens to gather, is fitting.

It's become a central gathering place for youth from Oakland and nearby communities.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Prepare your ears for holiday concerts

DANVILLE – It's that time of year when parents and grandparents must attend the obligatory Christmas concert.

A lot of work has gone into what, at times, can be painful listening.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Sushi Kame serves up Japanese cuisine with tasty variety, elegance

CHAMPAIGN – The Kame part of the Sushi Kame Japanese restaurant means "turtle," and that's about the only thing that is not on the menu.

Located where another Japanese restaurant went in and out of business – on West Church east of a Thai restaurant – Sushi Kame is more elegant than its predecessor.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Westville magic show planned

WESTVILLE – Christopher Bontjes has been a magician since he was a youngster. Now the Danville man wants to share his love of magic – and some of his tricks – with area youth.

He will do that at a presentation at the Westville Public Library, 233 S. State St., at 10 a.m. on Friday. The event, which will last 30 to 45 minutes, will include a magic demonstration and information on starting a local group of the Society of Young Magicians.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Mellencamp adds to rough run of Hall cancellations

CHAMPAIGN – John Mellencamp will not be coming to the University of Illinois Assembly Hall – at least not this fall.

The Assembly Hall and Chicago-based JAM Productions, which was putting on the show, announced the Mellencamp concert featuring Los Lobos, set for the UI homecoming on Oct. 27, has been canceled. No reason was given. The show will not be rescheduled. Refunds will be available starting Tuesday and will be given at the point of purchase.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Grammy-winning pianist to perform at UI

URBANA – The distinguished pianist Murray Perahia will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Balcony tickets are only $15 and $10.

Perahia will perform J.S. Bach's Partita No. 4 in D Major; Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral"; six Piano Pieces, Op. 118 by Johannes Brahms; and three Frederic Chopin selections.

UI students to perform site-specific dances

URBANA – A group of University of Illinois dance students will move from outside the proscenium to present a series of site-specific dances on the University of Illinois campus on Friday and Saturday.

"TRACE: Body/Memory/Movement" will speak to connections in time and space and to bodies responding to location and design.

Roadtrip Nation to visit UI this week

URBANA – After graduating from Pepperdine University in 2001, Mike Marriner, Brian McAllister and Nathan Gebhard embarked on a cross-country road trip, hoping to discover their own paths in life.

They interviewed 85 eclectic people to find out how they arrived at their careers. Interviewees included Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a stylist for Madonna, a lobsterman from Maine, the chairman of Starbucks and the scientist who decoded the human genome.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Tilton working hard for a good scare

TILTON – As members of the Tilton Fire and Ambulance departments work their magic at the Old Tilton School for their annual haunted house, they feel they have spirtual company.

Event co-chairmen Ryan Schull, a firefighter, and Brad Fields, the ambulance department chief, and a lot of volunteers have been working at the school preparing such thrills as the graveyard, gorilla room, meat room and insane asylum. And sparks fly during a visit to Freddy Krueger, the fictional killer from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie series.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Emergency grant keeps WILL radio, TV signals clear

URBANA – Thanks to an emergency grant of more than $200,000, public broadcasting is continuing uninterrupted by a new 18-story building in the path of WILL's television and FM radio signals.

The Burnham310 apartment and office being built at Springfield Avenue and Fourth Street in Champaign is in the direct line of a microwave signal between WILL's studios at Campbell Hall in Urbana and a transmitter 22 miles southwest of Urbana in Monticello, according to Mark Leonard, general manager of WILL AM-FM-TV.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Test entertainment

This is a test entertainment story.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

UI visitors use production to tackle race issues

CHAMPAIGN – When director Rene Moreno first heard the writers and performers of "N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK" talking about their show on his car radio, he sat in his driveway and stayed there.

"I had to finish listening to them," said the visiting director from Dallas. Moreno was struck by the cast members' stories and how "they were talking about my life ... how race provides some opportunities, but also stops you at the door."

Monday, September 10, 2007

Red Mask kids take on twisted fairy tale

DANVILLE – Debbie Prentice likes being around children. She drives a school bus, so she's used to their enthusiasm.

But Prentice is working with children in a different way now, by directing the latest Red Mask Players Children's Theater production, "Wooing Wed Widing Hood."

Friday, August 31, 2007

Interest high in Allerton Park music barn fest

MONTICELLO – Ticket sales for the inaugural Allerton Barn Music Festival got off to a slow start but surged in recent weeks.

Now a limited number of tickets are available for only three of the five shows, which start tonight and continue to Monday night.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Museum director: Air show will return

RANTOUL – Though attendance was lower than hoped, officials at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum plan to hold future air shows.

Hal Loebach, the museum's executive director, said this week that the attendance figures – 3,000 total for Saturday and Sunday – "were disappointing but not unexpected. We will have the air show next year but have not set a date. We'd like to have it earlier, when there is less chance of roasting."

Fundraiser will be held at Iron Post in Urbana

URBANA – A benefit concert for the new Community Center for the Arts (C4A) at Lincoln Square Village will take place Saturday evening at the Iron Post in downtown Urbana.

Admission is a minimum donation of $5.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Book's release draws thousands to area stores

On the eve of "Hallows," witches, wizards and Muggles alike roamed the aisles of bookstores in Champaign and Savoy by the thousands, eagerly awaiting the final chapter in the Harry Potter series.

At 12:01 a.m. today, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," was officially released, the boxes finally opened, and the wait finally over, a decade after J.K. Rowling's magically popular series began.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Midnight no problem as Harry Potter fans flock to see movie

SAVOY – Hours before midnight, the Harry Potter madness had already begun.

At the Savoy 16, theater manager Jeremy Curtis said more than 1,500 tickets were sold – and nine theaters filled – for the Tuesday night opening of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Champaign mayor not inclined to take up elephant issue

CHAMPAIGN – With a circus set to come to Champaign on Friday and Saturday, an animal rights organization is urging city council members to enact an ordinance banning the use of devices that can cause pain or injury to elephants.

But the mayor of Champaign says he doesn't plan to take up the issue.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Fireworks laws, while often ignored, exist for safety reasons

Officials recommend that it's best to leave fireworks to trained professionals who have permits to use them.

Champaign Fire Department spokeswoman Dena Schumacher said the sights and sounds of fireworks are mesmerizing.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Majority of characters in the, well, majority

In video games, it's a man's world, a white world and a world without a lot of senior citizens.

Don't expect to see many American Indians, either, or Hispanics. You'll find a fair number of blacks.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Oakwood School District may sell Batestown land

FITHIAN – The Oakwood School District is looking into whether it can sell a small portion of a land parcel it owns next to the old Diamond School in Batestown.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

10th Summer Sounds season begins in Danville

DANVILLE – Downtown Danville will begin its 10th season of Summer Sounds concerts Friday.

The six concerts offered from 6 to 8 p.m. every other Friday throughout the summer have seen a radical increase in attendance since moving to Temple Plaza at North and Vermilion streets downtown.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Danville Municipal Band gets 2007 season under way

DANVILLE – For nine Sundays plus one entire weekend this summer, the Danville Municipal Band will entertain anyone who wants to come and listen – for free.

A program of the city of Danville, the band rehearses on Thursday evenings at Trinity Lutheran Church and performs at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays from June 3 through Aug. 5, with a couple of exceptions.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Sullivan's Little Theatre on the Square has had quite a run

SULLIVAN – Guy Little Jr. seemed destined to have a life in theater, as well as his own theater.

A son of an English teacher, he was 5 when he saw his first professional production, "The Merry Widow." As a boy, he had his own marionette touring theater and produced "Hansel and Gretel" in his backyard.