The Naperville Chorus performs ‘Great Britten Great Britain’
The Naperville Chorus, under the direction of Jeordano Martinez, will present a Christmas Concert, “Great Britten Great Britain” beginning at 8PM Sat., Dec. 7 at Wentz Concert Hall.
Accompanied by Naperville Festival Orchestra, the concert will feature Saint Nicolas by Benjamin Britten plus music for the season by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and others. Tickets are $20, $15 senior / student; and may be purchased at North Central College Box Office, (630) 637-7469, or at finearts.northcentralcollege.edu.
For more info, call (630) 420-2336 or visit www.NapervilleChorus.org.
Correction/Cancellaton Notice from the December Events at North Central College on Page 26 of PN in print: The Pearl Harbor Concert featuring the Great Lakes Navy Band, originally slated for 1PM Dec. 7, has been canceled.
Naperville Municipal Band presents Tuba Christmas
Organized by the Naperville Municipal Band, the Tuba Christmas returns at 11AM Sat., Dec. 7, to U.S. Bank in downtown Naperville, followed by a performance at 12:30PM at the Westfield Mall. All tuba players welcome! In fact, all euphonium and tuba players are welcome, 5th grade and older. Holiday attire is required!
Musician registration is 9 -10AM at Naperville Community Concert Center in Central Park. Rehearsal will be 10-10:50AM. Depending on the venue, some fees could apply such as a $10 participation fee and the $20 cost of the music booklet.
Created by Harvey G. Phillips, the first Tuba Christmas was held on December 22, 1974, in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. More than 300 musicians played that day. Tuba Christmases vary in size from a minimum of four instruments to several hundred. Any tuba-family-playing musician can perform.
Tuba Christmas organizer, Naperville Municipal Band Director Ron Keller, added, “I did have a thought that if it was warm enough, we might just open the big door (on the concert center) and play to the park!”
This popular free concert typically attracts a large crowd.
The Naperville Men’s Glee Club celebrates with ‘Christmas Presence 1 & 2’
The sounds of the season come alive at “Christmas Presence I,” the first of two holiday concerts by The Naperville Men’s Glee Club and their special guests. “Christmas Presence I” features Advent and seasonal music uniquely arranged for male chorus and performed in a concert setting. The event begins at 7:30PM on Sat., Dec. 7 at St. Margaret Mary Church, 1450 Green Trails Dr.
On the lighter side, “Christmas Presence II” is a family-friendly concert event of familiar carols and holiday favorites. Children in the audience are invited to the stage to accompany the Glee Club using handheld percussion instruments. The concert begins at 3PM on Sun., Dec. 8, at Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Lane.
Tickets may be purchased from any Glee Club member, online at www.nmgc.org or by calling (630) 448-0518. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. Tickets also will be available at the door prior to the concert (cash or check).
For more info, visit www.nmgc.org or call Tom Harle, NMGC Marketing Director, at (630) 448-0518.
West Town Chorus will be holly and jolly
Purchase tickets for the West Towns Chorus’ 2013 Christmas Show, “A Holly, Jolly Christmas.” The 22nd Christmas Extravaganza includes the Chancel Ringers of the First United Methodist Church, Affinity Strings and David Rhodes on the mighty Wurlitzer. Special Sweet Adeline guests include “Midwest Crossroads Chorus” and guest quartet “ROXY.” The show is at the Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland, Downers Grove at 2 and 8 PM on Sat., Dec. 7 and 1:30 PM Sun., Dec. 8.
For tickets, visit www.WestTowns.org, or call the box office (630) 201-5544. All seats reserved. For groups of ten or more, call the box office. Email inquiries can be sent to Christmas@WestTowns.org.
New Horizons Band performs at Benet Dec. 14
Join the New Horizons Band DuPage for an afternoon concert of seasonal music. The 2013 Holiday Concert is at 3PM on Sat., Dec. 14, at Benet Academy (East entrance), 2200 Maple Ave. in Lisle. The NHB full band will perform, along with the woodwind consort, German band, and jazz ensemble. Ho-Ho-Ho! Email: info@newhorizonsbandassoc.org for details. Admission is free, family- friendly and open to the public.
Elisabeth von Trapp with the Carolian Brass performs Dec. 8
Photo courtesy NCC
“The Sound of Christmas” featuring Elisabeth von Trapp with the Carolian Brass will be presented at 3PM Sun., Dec. 8 in North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
Granddaughter of legendary couple Maria and Georg Ritter von Trapp, whose story inspired “The Sound of Music,” Elisabeth von Trapp performs a program of holiday favorites with the Carolian Brass. With a voice The New York Times calls “hauntingly clear,” von Trapp and the Carolian Brass “will send a thrill of pleasure through your nervous system,” raves The Boston Globe.
For von Trapp, “the sounds of music” are a part of her earliest memories. The Vermont native has been singing professionally since childhood. She has mesmerized audiences from European cathedrals to Washington, D.C.’s, Kennedy Center.
Inspired by the guitar playing and singing of her father Warren—the second oldest of the seven von Trapp children—Elisabeth has carried on the legacy of the internationally acclaimed Trapp Family Singers. At age 8, she began taking piano lessons and by age 16 she was playing guitar and traveling across New England performing with her siblings at gospel meetings, town halls and weddings.
In 2001, von Trapp was granted permission from Robert Frost’s publisher, Henry Holt & Co., to sing parts of the poet’s oeuvre. Released in 2004, “Poetic License” featured the musical settings of poems by Frost and Shakespeare, a Japanese haiku and interpretations of “Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World.”
Von Trapp has released five self-produced albums and performed across the United States, Russia and Austria. Her music has been featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” National Public Radio, CNN and other outlets.
Tickets are $35 and $30; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.
North Central College presents ‘The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t’ Dec. 14
Child’s Play Touring Theatre will stage two performances of “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” Dec. 14. The performances begin at 10AM and 1PM Sat., Dec. 14, in Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
Tickets are $12/adults and $6/children under 12; call the North Central College Box Office at (630) 637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix. An optional dessert reception is available between performances for an additional $4 per ticket.
Based entirely from stories written by children, this hour-long show provides a behind the scenes look at the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and features audience participation.
DanceWest Ballet Presents Its 22nd Production Of ‘The Nutcracker’
DanceWest Ballet will perform its 22nd production of “The Nutcracker,” one of the world’s most beautiful and engaging ballets. DanceWest’s Artistic Directors, Regina and Ricardo Moyano, have ensured that their version of “The Nutcracker” is an accurate depiction of the original ballet while incorporating the colors, choreography, and standards of DanceWest Ballet Company and The School of DanceWest Ballet.
Performances will be held at Pfeiffer Hall, North Central College, 310 E. Benton Ave. at 7PM on Fri., Dec. 13; 1 and 5PM Sat., Dec. 14; and 1PM Sun., Dec. 15. Tickets are $30/adults, $23/seniors and children. Tickets are on sale at the Pfeiffer Hall Box Office, tickets.noctrl.edu or by calling (630) 637-SHOW. Tickets may also be purchased at the door before each performance. These Performances feature principal guest artists from major international and national ballet companies, members of DanceWest Ballet Company, and children from the western suburbs of Chicago.
For further information regarding the studio, classes, and company, visit www.dancewestballet.com or contact the studio at (630) 778-1303.
Share the delight of Jacob Marley’s ‘Christmas Carol’ Dec. 12 – 15
The Organic Theater Company of Chicago will perform Jacob Marley’s “Christmas Carol” Dec. 12-15 at North Central College.
Jacob Marley’s “Christmas Carol” presents the Dickens holiday classic from another side of the story. Travel with Scrooge’s former business partner, Jacob Marley, as he seeks redemption of his own in this award winning play by Chicago’s own Tom Mula.
The Organic Theater Company’s Managing Director, Josh Anderson, brings this charming and irreverent story to life with the talents of company members Joel Stanley Huff, Ryan Massie, and Colin Jackson. Making her Organic debut as Marley’s cheery companion is Amy Powell as Bogle, a malicious sprite with a special agenda.
Adventure with Marley and Bogle on their hilarious journey and share in the joy of a fresh start. Or – as Scrooge was warned – you may suffer the fate of Jacob Marley.
Performances are Dec. 12-15 at NCC’s Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth. Showtimes are at 7:30PM Thurs., Fri. and Sat., with 2PM matinees Sat. and Sun. Purchase tickets online at www.organictheater.org or by calling the Meiley-Swallow box office at (630) 637-7469. Admission is $30 (Adults), $20 (Students/Seniors). A a $2 processing fee applies for online purchases. This performance is best suited for children 10 and up.
Pete Ellman Big Band & NNHS students will jazz it up with Wayne Bergeron and Wycliffe Gordon
The Pete Ellman Big Band will open an evening of holiday jazz with students from Naperville North High School at 7PM Thurs., Dec. 19, at Mullen’s, located at 3080 Warrenville Road, just east off Naperville/Wheaton Road. The PEBB plays on until 10:30PM.
Jazz greats Wayne Bergeron and Wycliffe Gordon will be special guests of the evening. The performance will benefit for Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry. Cash/check donations (Made payable to Loaves & Fishes) and nonperishable items will be appreciated for the holiday.
For more info, visit www.pebb.net.
Pianists Perform Christmas Service at Wentz Hall
The duo of pianists William Phemister and Brian Lee will perform at 10AM on Sun., Dec. 22 during the Celebration Service of Community Christian Church Naperville Downtown at Wentz Concert Hall. The public is invited to attend this free Christmas celebration.
“This remarkable event is a mini Christmas concert within our Sunday Celebration Service,” said Brian Werner, Community Christian Church Naperville Downtown Pastor. “We love meeting in Wentz Concert Hall. It allows us to host world-renowned artists at our Christmas celebration, and to make it available to everyone for free is wonderful!”
Dr. Ramona Wis, Chair and Professor of Music at NCC, describes the event as “”Musical artistry at its finest.”
To learn more, visit www.communitychristian.org.
‘Let It Be Christmas’ returns to Yellow Box Church
Returning for its sixth year, Let It Be Christmas (The Gospel According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, George, and Ringo) is Epic Theatre Company’s original Beatles rock-opera nativity story told in one act. Six performances are scheduled at Community Christian Church Naperville Yellow Box.
Follow Mary and Joseph down “the long and winding road” to Bethlehem as a full band and ensemble uses the timeless music of The Beatles to tell the greatest story of all time. The production is chock full of Beatles classics, creating a musical that welcomes fans to return to see it again and again as away to usher in the Christmas season.
Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children (11 and under) and are on sale now at www.communitychristian.org/letitbe on a first-come, first-served basis.
Performances are slated for 7:30PM Thurs., Dec. 12; Fri., Dec. 13, Thurs., Dec. 19 and Fri., Dec. 20; and 8PM Sat., Dec. 14 and Sat., Dec. 21.
The Community Christian Church Naperville Yellow Box is located at 1635 Emerson Lane.
For more info, call (630) 388-5000 or visit www.communitychristian.org.
Think “Dinner & the Show” to create a most memorable experience
Quigley’s Irish Pub, Catch 35, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House and Heaven on Seven as well as another 40 eateries to whet any appetite are conveniently located within blocks of four theater venues at North Central College.
For a listing of more than 250 local restaurants including Meson Sabika, CityGate Grille, Sugar Toad at the Hotel Arista and The Tap Inn, visit www.dinenaperville.com.
