2008-2009 SchoolStage Season
The McAninch Arts Center is pleased to announce what promises to be an exciting 2008-2009 SchoolStage season. Take in the experience of live theater, dance and music performances. Enjoy the connection between artist and audience in our intimate theaters. Enhancing your students’ arts education is as easy as one phone call to (630) 942-3008.Don't miss out — Order TODAY!
When you call, please provide your name, school, address, phone number and the total number of seats you need (students, teachers, parents, and chaperones). A MAC staff member will take your reservation and then issue a contract that confirms your number of seats and payment schedule. A 20 percent deposit is required 60 days prior to the performance in order to secure your reservations. Early reservations are suggested, as the children’s programs often do sell out. As a special thank you, you’ll receive one free chaperone/teacher ticket with every 20 tickets purchased.The McAninch Arts Center staff wants the process to be as simple as possible, so don’t hesitate to ask questions at any time. We look forward to making your visit to the MAC easy and memorable.
If you’d like to be among the first to hear about newly added shows or special offers, send an e-mail to bargerd@cod.edu, and you’ll be added to our e-mail distribution list. You can also monitor any changes in our schedule by checking our web page. I hope that you and your students take advantage of this opportunity and make the MAC your choice for student performances this year. Please let us hear from you soon.
Darlene Barger
SchoolStage Program CoordinatorDownload the Schoolstage brochure
Comments from 2007-2008 Teacher Evaluations:
“This event went above and beyond my expectation. I really was able to connect with the people who have helped contribute to American-style music. I hope you will have this event every year.”“We thought the message was pro-family and education, and valued the overall message of perseverance. And it amazed me how two actors and a small set can create such an incredible story.”
“It was a great combination of Social Studies and music – the energy of the ensemble kept children’s interest. The information and presentation was aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards for fine arts.”
“You have a wonderful system of returning students to their buses. Keep up the excellent work.”
“They loved the reality of the play; it brought the topic to life. They felt the main character’s love of freedom. It was incredible and at one point I had tears in my eyes. The best play I’ve seen in a long time.”
Download the Schoolstage brochure
Scrap Arts Music
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008, 10:30 a.m., $6
In a power percussion presentation unlike any other, five athletic musicians deliver an adrenaline-laced performance using more than 140 invented instruments, handcrafted from the shiniest metal you’ll ever see. All original music on one-of-a-kind mobile sculptures fashioned from industrial scrap and offbeat materials. The most inventive reuse of materials on stage today! Recommended for grades 3 to 8. Study guide available. 55 minutes.Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents Leo Lionni’s
Swimmy, Frederick and Inch by Inch
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
Swimmy is a tiny insignificant fish in the vast ocean who uses ingenuity to fend off danger. Frederick, a mouse who is a poet from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, makes everyday life an artful experience. The story of Inch by Inch features a lovable inchworm who is very proud of his facility for measuring absolutely everything, including a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a toucan’s beak, a heron’s legs, and a nightingale’s song. For pre-K to grade 3. Resource guide available. 60 minutes.Tall Stories Theatre Company presents
The Gruffalo
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep, dark wood in this magical, musical adaptation of the multi-award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Mouse can scare hungry animals away with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo, but what happens when he comes face-to-face with the very creature he imagined? Songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up. Let your imagination run wild. Recommended for pre-K to grade 2. Study guide available. 50 minutes. The Gruffalo web siteThe Magic of Rhythm
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008, 9:30 and 11 a.m., $6, Theatre 2
(Limited Seating Available)
From the performers who brought you the popular shows Percussion Around the World and Abraca-Music comes a totally new and exciting program. Featuring Musician/Magician Michael Folker, Violinist Daniela Folker and Percussionist George Blanchet, The Magic of Rhythm enlightens audiences of all ages to the wonderful experience of live music and entertainment. This inventive program takes listeners on a magical and educational journey that demonstrates how rhythm creates magic in music as well as our everyday lives. Accompanied by the audience’s participation, the stage comes alive with exotic instruments from around the world, delightful music, and fantastic new magical illusions guaranteed to amaze.The Magic of Rhythm truly showcases the inventive and often comical talents of Michael, Daniela and George, who with their passion for magic, music and education, create memorable surprises for all. Recommended for grades K to 6. 45 minutes.
College Theater Production
A Christmas Carol
**ADDED PERFORMANCE: Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, 10 a.m., $6
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, 10 a.m., $6
Join us for the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s chance to redeem himself and his future, with the help of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. A timeless story of everyone’s ability to change and to forgive, it is a production with appeal for all ages. We are pleased to present Chicago theater icon William Norris’s adaptation of the immortal classic by Charles Dickens. For grades pre-K to 12. Study guide available in early November. Approximately 70 minutes.Added Performance!
A Christmas Carol
Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, 10 a.m., $62009
Mad River Theatre Works presents
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
It is 1955 and in Montgomery, Alabama, a determined activist named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus. The resulting uproar launched the Civil Rights movement and changed our country forever. Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks weaves together music and drama to tell the story of Rosa Parks from her childhood in rural Alabama to her famous decision to “sit down and be counted.” The play dispels myths about Parks and her protest as it paints a portrait of a complex woman who had to find reconciliation within herself in order to become an effective Civil Rights leader. Exciting and inspirational, Walk On shows how the determination of one individual made all the difference in the struggle for freedom and equality in the United States. Recommended for grades 3 to 6. Study guide available. 60 minutes.Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences On Tour presents
The Phantom Tollbooth
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
Milo is bored, even when surrounded by dozens of toys. Nothing interests him at all. The Demons of Ignorance are certain he will be their next victim, telling him “If you get the urge to do anything — don’t. It could be dangerous.” To the rescue comes the Phantom Tollbooth! This adaptation of Norton Juster’s beloved children’s book is given full musical treatment in this acclaimed stage version of the modern tale of a boy who must save the princesses Rhyme and Reason and reunite the brother kings who rule over the cities of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis. Aided by a trusty time-keeping dog, Tock, Milo successfully brings harmony to the Land of Wisdom and learns many things about words and numbers along his journey. Perhaps the most important lesson he takes with him, however, is that everything we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone. When he returns home, he realizes there is never a reason to be bored in a world full of so many things to discover.This inventive musical features a melodious score by Arnold Black and witty lyrics full of wordplay by Pulitzer Prize and three-time Tony ® winner Sheldon Harnick. The Phantom Tollbooth is an endearing show that audiences of all ages will find appealing. Recommended for grades 4 to 8. Study guide available. 60 minutes.
Mad Science Productions presents
CSI: LIVE!
Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. $6.
The world’s number one television franchise is about to hit the stage! Mad Science presents CSI: LIVE!, an exciting, interactive journey through the fascinating world of crime scene investigations. When a crime is committed at the Las Vegas premiere of the Max Spade Magic Show, the CSI team springs into action. Sydney Mathis and David Hart play the roles of CSI investigators and are on the case, assisted by supervisor Gil Grissom through a live video connection from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Audience members will jump up on stage and become part of the action; becoming witnesses, suspects and CSI recruits. Together they will use their superior logic and forensic know-how to uncover hidden details, investigate the evidence and test their theories. Whether it’s analyzing mysterious gasses, launching projectiles into a target, or firing a laser beam across the stage, the CSI recruits will have to be on their toes to help solve the crime before it’s too late! How was the crime committed? Who is guilty? Only you can find the answers. It’s CSI: LIVE! — join the adventure! For grades 3 to 8. Study guide available. 60 minutes.CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
™ CBS ©2000-2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Entertainment AB Funding LLC. All Rights Reserved.Arts Center Jazz Ensemble
KidJazz!
Friday, March 6, 2009, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
Our single-set format introduces kids to the instruments and repertoire that make American music great. With guest musicians Reginald Robinson, ragtime composer/pianist, and guitarist/singer Darryl Boggs, everyone is sure to enjoy singing, clapping and even jamming with the band on their own kazoo! For grades
K to 4. 60 minutes.Kids Entertainment presents
Stellaluna
Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., $6
Baby bat Stellaluna’s life is flitting along right on schedule — until an owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother’s loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna’s adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should — she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they’re not will understand the conflicts — and possibilities — Stellaluna faces. Recommended for grades K to 4. Study guide available. 60 minutes.
L.A. Theatre Works presents
The Lost World
Monday, March 23, 2009, 10:30 a.m.
Scorned by his colleagues after making the extraordinary claim that prehistoric animals exist and that he has seen them, Professor Challenger leads a harrowing four-person expedition through the remote jungles of South America to settle once and for all the validity of his claim. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s campy adventure The Lost World follows this scientific expedition deep into the Amazon jungle — and back in time. Cut off from the outside world on a primeval plateau, the fearless explorers discover a place where dinosaurs have evolved beside ape-men and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. From riding the rapids to dodging whizzing arrows, The Lost World takes you on a ride you won’t soon forget! An L.A. Theatre Works unique live performance of a classic radio show is immediate, spontaneous, and features a first-rate cast, live sound effects, and a connection to the audience rarely felt in a traditional theater setting. This theater ... is an event. Recommended for grades 4 to 8. Study guide available. 60 minutesPrograms subject to change.
To make reservations, call (630) 942-3008.
