From Wentz Concert Hall, pictured, to Madden Theatre to Pfeiffer Hall to the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, stage venues at North Central College will be set to entertain. From a performance for children with autism and special needs, to a fiddling-duo, to ‘bagpipes with attitude,’ there is certainly something for everyone to enjoy next month!
Calendar of events for March
For tickets, call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
March 3 Music: North Central College presents “An Evening of Jazz Spring Concert” at 7:30PM Fri., March 3, in Madden Theatre, 171 E Chicago Ave. This concert features North Central College faculty – Dan Anderson, Tim Coffman, Mitch Paliga, Juan Pastor, and Christopher White. Tickets are $15.
March 4 Music: North Central College presents “Chords for Kids” at 7PM Sat., March 4, in Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave. The North Central College Concert Winds presents a concert for children with autism and special needs. The concert will include music such as “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “YMCA,” and the “Chicken Dance.” The concert is intended for the entire family to come and enjoy the music in a welcoming environment. “Wigglers Welcomed!” Event is free but tickets are required for entry; call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
March 5 Music: North Central College presents Brian Lynch “The Road to Les Miz” at 6PM Sun., March 5, in Madden Theatre, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Lynch has been called one of the finest talents in American Musical Theatre when he toured the country as Jean Valjean in the Marius Company of “Les Miserables.” Among his many accolades, he was nominated for the South Florida Carbonella best actor award for his work as Valjean. Lynch also toured with “CATS” and “Aspects of Love,” performing on the road for over eight years. Before taking to the road, Lynch was a regular at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Summit where he performed and choreographed for over 10 years. Four of his Candlelight shows were nominated for Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award: “Grease,” “Follies,” “Zorba,” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” He received the best choreography award for “Grease,” where he also played the lead role of Danny Zuko. When he returned from the road, Lynch was hired by North Central College to teach acting and dance classes. As a member of the faculty, he designed the first Musical Theatre major at the College and directed their annual musical. Two of his productions were selected for the prestigious Region III Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts College Theatre Festival and performed at the festival. At North Central, he was the faculty member who led the team to create the Wentz Concert Hall & Fine Arts Center as well as Meiley-Swallow Hall. Recently retired from North Central College, he is thrilled to perform in the building that he was instrumental in building. Enjoy the show! Tickets are $30-35 (price range per seating).
March 11 Music: North Central College presents “Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy” at 8PM Sat., March 11, in Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Hearing MacMaster and Leahy speak reverentially about the fiddle—which has propelled their dazzling careers since childhood while cementing their status as Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music—is almost as electrifying as hearing them play it. Indeed, when MacMaster and Leahy married in 2002 both were already stars in their own right. They have a combined 83 years of experience with many milestones including: another hotly anticipated Christmas tour; an accompanying TV special; a pending third installment of their Greenbridge Celtic Folk Fest; a recent Road Gold Award from the Canadian Independent Music Association; and finally, the arrival of Maria, newest sibling to Mary Frances, Michael, Clare, Julia, Alec and Sadie. Tickets are $50-60 (price range per seating).
8PM March 18 Music: North Central College welcomes Chicago Sinfonietta’s “UNAPOLOGETIC” at 8PM Sat., March 18, in Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Celebrate the unapologetic wonder of women. Opening the concert, Tania Leon’s work, “Stride”—awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize—was originally commissioned as part of a project to commemorate the historic 19th Amendment that gave American women the right to vote and is inspired by the pioneering feminist Susan B. Anthony. Next on the program is one of the historic Florence Price works that was discovered in an abandoned house in Illinois, “Violin Concerto No. 2.” This rarely performed work is brought to the stage with the esteemed violinist Rachel Barton Pine. The second half of the concert features “Scheherazade,” a symphonic masterwork inspired by the well-known fairytale of a heroine who changed fate through her wisdom and courage. A truly epic showcase of musicality and spirit that all will enjoy. Tickets are $54-67 (price range per seating) and $17 for students.
2PM & 4PM March 19 Music: North Central College welcomes the DuPage Symphony Orchestra (DSO) “Up Close and Personal: Our Talented Youth” at 2PM and 4PM Sun., March 19, in Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave. The DSO offers a special family concert to celebrate the accomplished young musicians of Illinois. The program features a performance by the First Prize Winner in the DSO’s 2023 Young Artists Auditions for high school musicians, a side-by-side collaboration with the Youth Symphony of DuPage Concert Orchestra, and a premiere of an original composition from the 2022 ILMEA Composition Awards. Capped by Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” our concert provides an extraordinary introduction to orchestral music for listeners of all ages! Tickets are $18-21 for adults and $15-18 for seniors, and $6-9 for children.
8PM March 24 Music: North Central College presents “The Red Hot Chilli Pipers” at 8PM Fri., March 24, in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Bagpipes with attitude. Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and show so hot, it carries its own health warning! It’s Bagpipes. It’s Rock. It’s Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns. Where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland. It’s The Red Hot Chilli Pipers –a nine-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers—with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless. Formed in 2002, The Chillis have fast become a global phenomenon, taking their signature sound to the masses with their unique fusion of rocked up bagpipes and clever covers of popular songs from all genres. Their trademarked sound is a unique fusion of traditional pipe tunes-like “The Flowers of Scotland,” “The Hills of Argyll,” and “Amazing Grace” and contemporary anthems like Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” “Clocks” by Coldplay, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams, and a fantastic rock medley of “Deep Purple,” “Smoke on the Water,” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” There has never been anything quite like The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Feel the Chilli heat: It’s time to come closer to the fire! Tickets are $30-45 (price range per seating).
March 30-April 2 Theatre: North Central College presents “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a play by Oscar Wilde, at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. In this Victorian farce, Algernon and Jack both pretend that their name is Earnest (a very respectable name) in order to escape burdensome social obligations and pursue those that they believe they love. As the lies begin to entangle our protagonists, they soon learn that they are more intertwined than they thought. This fast paced, light comedy will be brought to life through a deconstructed, queer lens, exploring the fashions and fictions of romance. This production is directed by Jeremy Ohringer. Performances run March 30, 31, and April 1 at 7:30PM and April 1 and 2 at 2PM. Tickets are $14 for the general public and $10 for military, retired, and faculty/staff from other institutions.
For tickets, call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
Thanks for supporting the arts at North Central College
North Central College’s 2022-2023 Fine and Performing Arts Season is partially supported by the following sponsors and partners: Naperville Special Events and Cultural Amenities Fund; Illinois Arts Council Agency; BMO Harris Bank; Naperville Magazine; Advanced Data Technologies; Blooming Color; Chef By Request; Elements at Water Street; Monarch Landing; Naperville Park District; Nicor Gas; Catch 35; Dommermuth, Cobine, West, Gensler, Philipchuck and Corrigan, Ltd.; Marquette Companies; Naper Settlement; Ryan Hill Group; and Naperville Development Partnership.
Think dinner and the show
These upcoming events are among many ongoing programs at North Central College to enrich and broaden the cultural and academic outlook for the College and community. North Central offers a variety of venues accommodating a rich range of local and world-class events, performances and space needs for the public.
Consider dinner in downtown Naperville before the show. Or stop by one of the City’s local establishments for a nightcap after the performance. Dine Naperville.
For a comprehensive schedule of musical performances, theatrical and dance productions, art exhibits and lectures, visit northcentralcollege.edu/show or call the box office at 630-637-SHOW (7469).
Jennifer Berosek is associate director of Fine & Performing Arts at North Central College.
