More than 500 of Chicagoland’s young professionals will gather for a spectacular evening of cocktails, food, music, dancing, a silent auction and raffle prizes at the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council’s eighth annual Red or White Ball on Friday, April 9, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.  The premier event for Chicago’s most influential young philanthropists returns to Chicago’s unique eco-chic Salvage One, 1840 W. Hubbard St.  Proceeds from the Red or White Ball benefit Steppenwolf for Young Adults, the theatre’s nationally-recognized arts education program.

Individual tickets for Red or White Ball 2010 start at $125 and can be purchased online atwww.steppenwolf.org/rowb, or via e-mail at auxiliarycouncil@steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 654-5681.  A limited number of $250 VIP tickets are also available and include: an exclusive cocktail reception at 7:00 p.m., access to Steppenwolf artists and VIP status all night long.

Guests will enjoy signature Red or White cocktails paired with delectable hors d’oeuvres from Blue Plate Catering and dance to music mixed by DJ Laura Jellum of Toast and Jam DJs.

Last year’s Red or White Ball attracted more than 500 guests, raising nearly $90,000 for Steppenwolf for Young Adults.  SYA is comprehensive educational initiative that annually serves 15,000 students, teachers and families.  The program provides access to the theatre for a broad base of Chicago’s youth, ages 12 – 19, and schools throughout the Chicago metropolitan area with a strong focus on partnering with Chicago Public Schools.

The Red or White Ball 2010 Co-Chairs include Alecia C. Dantico, Loren B. Johnson and Laura Schalekamp.  Honorary Co-Chairs include playwright Tanya Saracho.

Name of event:                        Red or White Ball

Date: Friday, April 9, 2010

Time: 8:00 p.m. (VIP reception begins at 7:00 p.m.)

Location: Salvage One, 1840 W. Hubbard St.

Description:                             The premier event for Chicago’s most influential young philanthropists, benefiting Steppenwolf for Young Adults.  The evening includes cocktails, food, music, dancing a silent auction and raffle prizes

Ticket prices: $125 individual tickets

$250 VIP tickets (includes exclusive reception, enhanced gift bags and more)

The Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council is a community of over 150 dynamic young professionals who strengthen the theater’s ability to advance artistic experimentation and collaboration by developing new financial resources and new audiences for the creation and presentation of innovative theater. Over the past ten years, the Auxiliary Council has provided more than $750,000 in contributions, enabling Steppenwolf to continue its mission of advancing the vitality and diversity of American theater

Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families. SYA creates two full-scale professional productions each season specifically for teens.  Working closely with the Chicago Public and metropolitan area schools and other community partners, SYA annually ensures access to the theater for more than 15,000 participants from Chicago’s diverse communities. The initiative also includes post-show discussions with artists; classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists in more than 30 classrooms in 14 public high schools; professional development workshops for educators; and the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater’s operations.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.  The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation. For more information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Evanston’s Next Theatre Company continues its 29^th season with the second offering in their Dark Night Series. Magical Exploding Boy by Chicago-based writer and performer Dean Evans begins Friday, March 26 at Evanston’s Noyes Cultural Arts Center.

Darkly comical and completely wordless this one-person show reaches beyond the limits of language to turn the conventions of Mime and Clown on their heads. From a child with mind control powers, to an amoeba struggling for life, to a man cast helplessly adrift in outer space, this unique new show transforms space to present an original story.Magical Exploding Boy is physical comedy that transcends the need for written word with a refreshingly offbeat and existential voice of its own.

“I’m truly thrilled to introduce Dean and his fantastic work to Next’s audiences,” said Artistic Director Jason Southerland. “Our first Dark Night offering by Theatre Zarko this season opened whole new doors to our audience as well as introducing new audiences to our work. It’s proven to be a fruitful collaboration for all and we believe that Magical Exploding Boy will continue that exciting trend.”

Dean Evans is a professional Actor, Mime Artist, and Clown. He has studied Mime and Physical Theater at The School for Mime Theater, The Ohio State University, and with masters Marcel Marceau, and Stephen Niedzialkowsky. Additionally, he has trained in Clown and Eccentric Performance with Avner Eisenberg and Julie Goell. Evans is an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists, with whom he created such original shows as Picked Up, Drag, and The Dean Evans Show. In 2006 he received the After Dark Award for his performance in company’s production of The Santa Abductions. His work in 2009 included the critical-acclaimed production of Strange Interlude produced by The Goodman for their Eugene O’Neill Festival, as well as a trip to the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal with Second City’s completely non-verbal show Reverie, directed by Dexter Bullard. Dean Evans has developed a distinctive style of performance that combines his twisted humor with mimetic techniques, clowning, and original sound. Visit Dean’s personal website at www.DeanEvans.net. Dean teaches Clown, Mime, and Physical Performance through Chicago Physical Theatre which can be found online at www.ChicagoPhysicalTheater.com.

Next Theatre Company can be found online at www.NextTheatre.org

The Building Stage, a Chicago theater company noted for its unique retellings and adaptations of various media to the stage presents their newest and largest endeavor to date: The Ring Cycle. The Ring Cycle is a non-operatic theatrical re-imagining of the famous Richard Wagner opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung.  Utilizing original music, circus arts and puppetry in conjunction with the libretti, this epic project will synthesize 16 hours of opera into a six-hour theater piece co-directed by The Building Stage Artistic Director Blake Montgomery and Associate Artistic Director Joanie Schultz. The six-hour production includes two short intermissions and a dinner break.  Ticket buyers are invited to pack a picnic or purchase snacks, meals and drinks at the theater. The dinner available for pre-purchase is a $10 boxed sandwich dinner from the popular family-owned Bari Foods.  Patrons will be greeted with a complimentary cup of hot coffee or cocoa upon entrance and during the dinner break everyone is invited to picnic on the stage with their meal or snacks.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce its 2010-2011 Subscription Season, exploring the theme of public/private self.

Detroit

a new play by Lisa D’Amour

featuring ensemble members Kate Arrington and Robert Breuler

Edward Albee’s

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

directed by Pam MacKinnon

featuring ensemble members Tracy Letts and Amy Morton

Sex with Strangers

by Laura Eason, directed by associate artist Jessica Thebus

featuring ensemble member Sally Murphy with Stephen Louis Grush

The Hot L Baltimore

by Lanford Wilson, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau

featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, K. Todd Freeman and Yasen Peyankov

Middletown

a new play by Will Eno, directed by Les Waters

featuring ensemble member Alana Arenas

“For our 2010-2011 season, we explore the theme of public/private self. The five plays we have chosen explore how the public and private aspects of our lives unfold in an increasingly complex world,” comments Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey.  “We have chosen five stories that, in their unique ways, reveal the dual nature of our public/private lives and the multiple communities in which we circulate.  The dynamic interplay between our public and private selves is home to both our darkness and our brilliance.  We invite you to join us for our 35^th anniversary and experience lives that may seem familiar—until they reveal their beautiful, strange angles,” adds Lavey.

Steppenwolf ensemble members currently confirmed for the 2010-2011 Season include: Alana Arenas,Kate Arrington, Robert Breuler, K. Todd Freeman, Tina Landau, Tracy Letts, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy and Yasen Peyankov.  Additional casting to be announced.

Subscription Series packages start at $135.  Dinner/Theatre and Wine Series packages are also available.  To purchase a 2010-2011 subscription, contact Audience Services at 1650 N. Halsted, (312) 335-1650 or visit www.steppenwolf.org.

The Steppenwolf Theatre Company 2010-2011 Subscription Season includes:

September 9 – November 7, 2010

Detroit

A new play by Lisa D’Amour

Featuring ensemble members Kate Arrington and Robert Breuler

In the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre

Picture-perfect couple Ben and Mary fire up the grill to welcome the new neighbors who’ve moved into the long-empty house next door.  Three barbeques later, the fledgling friendship veers out of control, shattering Ben and Mary’s carefully maintained semblance of success—with comic, unexpected consequences. Detroit is a fresh, off-beat look at what happens when we dare to open ourselves up to something new.

Lisa D’Amour is a playwright and interdisciplinary artist whose works have been presented in New York and other major U.S. cities.  D’Amour has been commissioned to write two new plays for Steppenwolf over the next two years through support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

December 2, 2010 – February 6, 2011

Edward Albee’s

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Directed by Pam MacKinnon

Featuring ensemble members Tracy Letts and Amy Morton

In the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre

On the campus of a small New England college, George and Martha invite a new professor and his wife home for a nightcap. As the cocktails flow, the young couple finds themselves caught in the crossfire of a savage marital war where the combatants attack the self deceptions they forged for their own survival. Ensemble members Tracy Letts and Amy Morton face off as one of theatre’s most notoriously dysfunctional couples in Albee’s hilarious and harrowing masterpiece.

Edward Albee is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony^® Award-winning American playwright whose noted works includeA Delicate Balance, Seascape, Three Tall Women and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Pam MacKinnonreturns to Steppenwolf, having previously directed Good Boys and True.  A trusted collaborator of Albee’s, MacKinnon most recently directed his play Occupant at New York’s Signature Theatre, having previously directed productions of Peter and Jerry; The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? and The Play About the Baby.

January 20 – May 15, 2011

Sex with Strangers

By Laura Eason

Directed by associate artist Jessica Thebus

Featuring ensemble member Sally Murphy with Stephen Louis Grush

In the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre

Ethan is a hot young writer whose online journals of “sexcapades” are the buzz of the blogosphere. Olivia is an attractive 30-something whose own writing career is fizzling. They hook up, sex turns into dating and dating into something more complicated. A break-out hit at Steppenwolf’s 2009 First Look Repertory, Sex with Strangers explores how we invent our identity – online and off – and what happens when our private lives become public domain.

Laura Eason, a longtime member of the Lookingglass Theatre ensemble, is the author of more than 15 plays, both original works and adaptations.  Previous productions at Steppenwolf include When the Messenger is Hot, A Tale of Two Cities and Huck Finn.  Jessica Thebus directed Sex with Strangers during Steppenwolf’s 2009 First Look Repertory of New Work. Other Steppenwolf directing credits include Intimate Apparel, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, No Place Like Home, When the Messenger is Hot (also 59E59 Theaters, NYC) and Sonia Flew.

March 24 – May 29, 2011

The Hot L Baltimore

By Lanford Wilson

Directed by ensemble member Tina Landau

Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, K. Todd Freeman and Yasen Peyankov

In the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre

The Hotel Baltimore used to be the swankiest place in town—now it has a date with the wrecking ball. Eviction notices just went out to its residents, who live on the fringes of society and call the seedy hotel home. This acclaimed play from the author of Balm in Gilead is filled with everyday humanity—unexpectedly intimate and moving. Helmed by visionary director Tina Landau, Hot L Baltimore reveals the private lives of an unconventional community about to be turned inside out.

Steppenwolf’s defining 1980 production of Lanford Wilson’s Balm in Gilead later transferred Off-Broadway. Other plays by the Pulitzer Prize winner seen at Steppenwolf include The Fifth of July, Home Free, his translation of Three Sisters (1985) and Burn This. Tina Landau’s Steppenwolf directing credits include The Brother/Sister Plays, Superior Donuts by ensemble member Tracy Letts (also on Broadway), The Tempest,The Diary of Anne Frank, Cherry Orchard, The Time of Your Life, The Berlin Circle and her own play, Space.

June 16 – August 14, 2011

Middletown

A new play by Will Eno

Directed by Les Waters

Featuring ensemble member Alana Arenas

In the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre

Mary Swanson just moved to Middletown. About to have her first child, she is eager to enjoy the neighborly bonds a small town promises. But life in Middletown is complicated: neighbors are near strangers and moments of connection are fleeting. Middletown is a playful, poignant portrait of a town with two lives, one ordinary and visible, the other epic and mysterious.

Will Eno’s frequently produced play THOM PAIN (based on nothing) was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  His other works include The Flu Season, TRAGEDY: a tragedy and OH, THE HUMANITY and other exclamations. Les Waters serves as Associate Artistic Director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre.  He returns to Steppenwolf, having previously directed The Designated Mourner and The Memory of Water.

Free post-show discussions are offered after every performance in the subscription season.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.  The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org,www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and www.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the Chicago premiere of the international hit FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP (from the creators of De La Guarda), a non-stop collision of dynamic music, visceral emotion and kinetic aerial imagery that resembles nothing less than a fantastic mash-up between aerial theater and a late-night dance party.   Individual tickets for this international sensation go on sale Friday, March 12, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP begins May 21, 2010 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Congress).  The historic landmark theatre will have its stage and lobby transformed into an alternate universe, filled with flying performers, pumping beats, engaging dream sequences and a multidimensional swimming pool above the heads of an audience who is on stage in the middle of the action.

“After amazing success with FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP in major cities around the world, we are thrilled to bring this very special show to Chicago, one of the country’s premiere cities for live theater and entertainment,” said Fernando Moya, president, Ozono Producciones, the Argentine producers of Fuerza Bruta.

FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP premiered in Buenos Aires in 2005 and has been seen in Lisbon (2005), London (2006), Buenos Aires (2006), Bogota (2007), Berlin (2007), Mexico (2008), Sao Paulo (2008), Caracas (2009), Miami (2009) and at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2007), where it earned critical praise and was honored with the Bank of Scotland Herald Angel award for “the biggest and best show on the Fringe – the must see event of 2007” (The Herald). In October 2007, FUERZA BRUTA:LOOK UP debuted at New York City’s Daryl Roth Theatre where De La Guarda played a smashing six-year off-Broadway run.  The New York engagement has attracted unprecedented national media attention and quickly extended its run due to overwhelming demand. FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UPrecently launched in Taiwan and broke the record for the most performances of a single show in Taiwanese history for its performances in Taipei.

Individual tickets for FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP range from $50 – $80 and will be a part of the Broadway In Chicago Season Series that will go on sale in February. Group tickets of 15 or more are available now by calling (312) 977-1710 or visiting BroadwayInChicago.com.  The performance schedule for FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP is as follows: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM.

Celebrity followers of James’ De La Guarda included Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, Sting, Britney Spears, Harrison Ford, Tyra Banks, Robert DeNiro, Catherine Zeta Jones, Sandra Bullock, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore and Drew Barrymore among others.  Celebrities who have visited FUERZA BRUTA include Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Jessica Alba, Fergie, Beyonce, Rachel McAdams, Jude Law, John Legend, Tyra Banks, Shakira, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Serena Williams.

FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP was founded by some of the creators of the international sensation De La Guarda, including Diqui James (De La Guarda Artistic Director & Co-founder/Co-creator); Gaby Kerpel (De La Guarda Composer/Musical Director); Agustina James (De La Guarda General Producer), Alejandro Garcia (De La Guarda Technical Director) and Fabio Daquila (De La Guarda Production Supervisor).

FUERZA BRUTA: LOOK UP is presented in Chicago by Broadway In Chicago, S2BN Entertainment and Ozono Produccciones.

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the return of AVENUE Q.  AVENUE Q is the smash-hit Broadway musical about real life in New York City, as told by a cast of people and puppets through a hilariously irreverent, Tony-winning book and score. The three-time Tony Award winning musical will return to Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe) for a limited one-week engagement beginning May 4, 2010.  Individual tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00 a.m.

AVENUE Q tells the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who moves to NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q, where everyone’s looking for the same things he is: a decent job, a stable relationship, and a “purpose.” Eventually, Princeton learns to embrace the ups and downs of city life and realizes that “the real world” isn’t so bad, after all!

The New York Times hailed AVENUE Q as “a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!” and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was “one of the funniest shows you’re ever likely to see!”

AVENUE Q features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; and is directed by Jason Moore; puppet design by Rick Lyon, orchestrations by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by Lew Mead; associate director is Evan Ensign and music supervisor is Andrew Graham.

AVENUE Q is produced by Work Light Productions.

Individual tickets for AVENUE Q go on sale Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00 a.m. and range in price from $25 – $100. Tickets can be purchased at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com.  Groups of 15 or more should call (312) 977-1710.

AVENUE Q is an Off-Season Special in the 2010/2011 Broadway In Chicago Season Series.

Due to adult situations (like full-puppet nudity), AVENUE Q may be inappropriate for kids under 13.

The Artistic Home is pleased to announce that it will be extending its production of The Skin of Our Teeth through Sunday, April 11. .

What: The Skin Of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
Directed by Jeff Christian
NOW EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 11

Where: The Artistic Home Theatre (Mainstage)
3914 N. Clark St., Chicago (1 block south of Irving Park Blvd.)

When: Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm
(No performance April 4)

The Skin of Our Teeth is an ageless and wildly inventive portrayal of the human condition. Through the lives of the Antrobus family and their maid Sabina, Wilder traces the progression of the human race as it teeters repeatedly on the brink of disaster, shivering through the ice age, taking cover at the onset of the great flood and fumbling toward forgiveness in the dark aftermath of war. Wilder’s imaginative, comedic and ultimately hopeful romp lovingly shows us the cyclical nature of existence, celebrating humanity’s resilience, inventiveness and our will to survive. www.TheArtisticHome.org

Victory Gardens Theater’s Arts Education Department has opened nominations for two free youth training programs this summer, Sound Off: Your Words/Your Voice, and the Summer Teen Acting Lab.

Sound Off is Victory Gardens’ popular high school playwriting program in which talented Chicago-area high school students are selected to work closely with a local professional playwright to obtain first-hand experience in the process of writing a play. The program is designed to generate interest in playwriting and the theater arts as a career option by teaching the discipline of playwriting and nurturing the individual voice of the student. By the end of the six-week session, Sound Off participants will have completed their own short play, which will be performed Readers Theater style by professional actors on the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater mainstage.

Also returning is the Summer Teen Acting Lab, a program for students interested in acting as a career. Victory Gardens Arts Education Director Robert Cornelius and Arts Education Assistant Dana Schmitt will offer free training to students ages 13 to 18 years old, of all experience levels. Participants will explore character development through monologues, scenes, theater exercises and games.

According to Cornelius, “Space in both programs is limited, and demand is quite high. We are seeking only the best and brightest candidates who have demonstrated a strong interest in theater, creative writing, self expression and performance. Those students who are selected for these programs will have an amazing opportunity to learn and grow through the creative arts.”

Both workshops will meet twice a week for six weeks, June 21-July 31, 2010. Prospective students must be nominated by a teacher, counselor, parent or guardian. Sound Off applicants are also required to submit a writing sample with their completed application.

Go to the Education page of victorygardens.org to download applications. The application deadline for both programs is March 19, 2010. Personal interviews will be conducted throughout the spring, with final selections made later this spring. For further information about the nomination process, contact Victory Gardens Arts Education Director Robert Cornelius at 773.549.5788 ext. 2134, or send email to rcornelius@victorygardens.org.

In addition to youth education programs, the Victory Gardens Training Center offers a wide array of adult classes in playwriting and performance throughout the year at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. For more information on adult class options, go to victorygardens.org/content/training/introduction

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform its third fun and entertaining one-hour Stella Artois Happy Hour at the Symphony concert of the season when composer, arranger and conductor Steve Hackman takes the podium to conduct symphonic renditions of contemporary hits by John Mayer and Coldplay, plus excerpts from popular classical favorites by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy and Edvard Grieg Thursday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.  Stella Artois is the Title Sponsor for the Stella Artois Happy Hour at the Symphony Series.  Indianapolis Power and Light Company is the Premiere Sponsor, with NUVO as the Associate Sponsor. Additional support is provided by SmokeFree Indy and by FORTE, the ISO’s young professional group.

This diverse program will showcase familiar and popular classical works as well as symphonic arrangements of contemporary hits by pop and blues artist John Mayer and alternative British rock band Coldplay.  The concert will include Hackman’s own orchestral arrangements of John Mayer’s “Heart of Life,” “Heartbreak Warfare,” “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “Stop This Train,”  plus Coldplay’s “Fix You” to complement excerpts from popular classical works such as Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Major, Debussy’sPrelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Brahms’ Second and Fourth Symphonies and Beethoven’s Third Symphony to round out the program.

“The concept for this Happy Hour program was born out of the idea that Mayer’s ‘Heart of Life’ makes a great arrangement for orchestra,” said Steve Hackman. “From that point, the creative team and I built an entire concert around a variety of Mayer’s tunes paired with romantic classical selections. This concert was a joy to arrange, and I’m looking forward to hearing audience reaction.”

Tickets are $20 each with general admission seating.  The Theatre opens at 5 p.m. with complimentary food and drinks available from Starbucks Coffee Company, Adobo Grill, Shula’s Steakhouse, White Castle, The Chef’s Academy, Maggiano’s, New Amsterdam Gin and Stella Artois.  Following the concert, FORTE will host a party at Harry & Izzy’s featuring drink specials and opportunities to mingle and meet with professional peers and ISO musicians.

This is the third of four Stella Artois Happy Hour at the Symphony programs scheduled for this season which are meant to introduce new audiences to orchestral music and for young professionals to gather, network, and enjoy an entertaining program. The final Happy Hour at the Symphony concert of the 2010 season will feature the ISO’s ensemble-in-residence, Time for Three, on Thursday, May 6 with Steve Hackman on the podium.   Repertoire will be announced in the near future.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra announced today its 2010-2011 season of Classical, Pops and Family series concerts and Special Events that will feature some of the great artists of our time, including violin sensations Joshua Bell and Midori, who will perform the Tchaikovsky and Beethoven Concertos, respectively; a one-night-only Opening Night Gala appearance by Itzhak Perlman, who will conduct and perform as violin soloist; and renowned pianist André Watts performing Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto.

The ISO’s diverse and colorful Pops lineup includes versatile actor and singer Wayne Brady, the return by popular demand of new and updated productions of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony and Cirque de la Symphonie, plus Live & Let Die:  The Music of Paul McCartney featuring Classical Mystery Tour’s Tony Kishman as Paul. Other Special Events will feature one-night-only performances by legendary singer and actress Liza Minnelli in October, plus the music of 1970s and ‘80s rock band Styx performed by one of its founding members, Dennis DeYoung, in March 2011 among the many highlights of the indoor season at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.

“We are very proud of the high quality and extraordinary variety of programs in our 2010-2011 season,” said Simon Crookall, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. “As we continue our search for a new Music Director, the Orchestra will be joined by some of the brightest conducting talent available, with some return visits and some debuts. The outstanding quality of our guest artists, in both Classical and Pops programs, will make every event at the Hilbert Circle Theatre an extraordinary experience.”

2010-2011 SEASON CALENDAR

LILLY CLASSICAL SERIES, SYMPHONIC HITS AND COFFEE CLASSICAL SERIES*

All Symphonic Hits Powered by Lilly Programs Denoted in Bold

All Concerts at Hilbert Circle Theatre

Midori Plays Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

Thursday, October 7, 11 a.m.*

Friday, October 8, 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 9, 8 p.m.

Juanjo Mena , Conductor

Midori, Violin

ARRIAGA                     Overture to Los esclavos felices

BEETHOVEN               Violin Concerto

BARTÓK                       Concerto for Orchestra

(“Finale” Only Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

Brahms 4

Friday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 23, 7:30 p.m.

James Gaffigan, Conductor

Time for Three, String Trio

MOZART                      Divertimento for Strings in D Major

CHRIS BRUBECK        Travels in Time for Three

BRAHMS                      Symphony No. 4

Mahler 5

Friday, November 5, 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 6, 5:30 p.m.

Juraj Valcuha, Conductor

WAGNER                     Siegfried Idyll

MAHLER                       Symphony No. 5

Mozart 40

Thursday, November 18, 11 a.m.*

Friday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 20, 7:30 p.m.

Joanna Carneiro, Conductor

David Bellman, Clarinet (ISO Principal Clarinet)

MOZART                      Clarinet Concerto (Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

SHOSTAKOVICH       Chamber Symphony

MOZART                      Symphony No. 40

Franck’s Symphony in D Minor

Friday, January 7, 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 8, 5:30 p.m.

Gilbert Varga, Conductor

Marc-André Hamelin, Piano

CLAUDE BAKER         Piano Concerto (World Premiere)*

FRANCK                       Symphony in D Minor

*Commissioned by the ISO, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, & Barlow Endowment for Music Composition

André Watts Plays Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto

Thursday, January 20, 11 a.m.*

Friday, January 21, 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 22, 8 p.m.

Carlo Rizzi, Conductor

André Watts, Piano

MOZART                      Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

(Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

BEETHOVEN               Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”)

BERLIOZ                       Symphonie fantastique

(Mvts. IV & V Only Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

Beethoven 7

Friday, January 28, 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 29, 5:30 p.m.

Conductor TBA

Alexander Toradze, Piano

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV                      Suite from The Golden Cockerel

PROKOFIEV                  Piano Concerto No. 3

BEETHOVEN                 Symphony No. 7

Dvořák’s  Cello Concerto

Thursday, February 3, 11 a.m.*

Friday, February 4, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 5, 7:30 p.m.

Jun Märkl, Conductor

Zuill Baily, Cello

DVOŘÁK                      In Nature’s Realm

DVOŘÁK                      The Water Goblin

DVOŘÁK                      Cello Concerto

Haydn’s “The Creation”

Friday, February 18, 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 19, 8 p.m.

Douglas Boyd, Conductor

Sarah Tynan, Soprano

Thomas Cooley, Tenor

Matthew Rose, Baritone

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir

HAYDN                         The Creation

Beethoven & Liszt

Friday, February 25, 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 26, 5:30 p.m.

Ludovic Morlot, Conductor

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano

BEETHOVEN               Symphony No. 6 (“Pastorale”)

LISZT                              Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

LISZT                              Piano Concerto No. 1

LISZT                              Totentanz (Dance of Death)

Ingrid Fliter Plays Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto

Friday, March 4, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, 8 p.m.

Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor

Ingrid Fliter, Piano

JOHN ADAMS            Lollapalooza

SAINT-SAËNS             Piano Concerto No. 2

COPLAND                                        Symphony No. 2 (“Short Symphony”)

DEBUSSY                      La Mer (The Sea)

Dvořák 8

Thursday, March 10, 11 a.m.*

Friday, March 11, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 12, 5:30 p.m.

Jakub Hrusa, Conductor

Karen Gomyo, Violin

FRANCK                       The Accursed Huntsman

(Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

PROKOFIEV                Violin Concerto No. 2

DVOŘÁK                      Symphony No. 8

Spano Conducts Resphighi

Friday, March 18, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 19, 8 p.m.

Robert Spano, Conductor

Colin Currie, Percussion

Honor Orchestra of America*

SIBELIUS                      Finlandia

RAUTAVAARA           Incantations

RESPIGHI                     The Fountains of Rome

RESPIGHI                     The Pines of Rome

*The Honor Orchestra of America will perform a short program at 7 p.m.  They do NOT perform with the ISO.

Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto

Friday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2, 7:30 p.m.

Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor

Jeremy Denk, Piano

WAGNER                     Prelude to Parsifal

BEETHOVEN               Piano Concerto No. 1

SIBELIUS                      Symphony No. 2

Shostakovich 5

Thursday, April 7, 11 a.m.*

Friday, April 8, 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 9, 8 p.m.

Arild Remmereit, Conductor

James Ehnes, Violin

SÆVERUD                    Ballad of Revolt

MOZART                      Violin Concerto No. 4 (Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

SHOSTAKOVICH        Symphony No. 5

Joshua Bell Plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

Friday, May 6, 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 7, 5:30 p.m.

Christoph Eberle, Conductor

Joshua Bell, Violin

TBA                                Marilyn K. Glick Young Composer Award Winner

TCHAIKOVSKY           Violin Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY           Symphony No. 4

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons

Thursday, May 12, 11 a.m.

Friday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 14, 7:30 p.m.

Zach De Pue, Violin & Leader (ISO Concertmaster)

Michael Isaac Strauss, Viola (ISO Principal Viola)

MOZART                      Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola

VIVALDI                       The Four Seasons (“Fall” Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

Mendelssohn 3

Friday, May 20, 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 21, 5:30 p.m.

Pietari Inkinen, Conductor

Barnabás Kelemen, Violin

MENDELSSOHN        The Hebrides Overture (“Fingal’s Cave”)

SIBELIUS                      Violin Concerto

MENDELSSOHN        Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)

Brahms’ First Piano Concerto

Thursday, June 2, 11 a.m.*

Friday, June 3, 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 4, 5:30 p.m.

Hannu Lintu, Conductor

Antti Siirala, Piano

HAYDN                         Symphony No. 96 (“The Miracle”)

R. STRAUSS                 Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks

(Not Performed Thurs. 11 a.m.)

BRAHMS                      Piano Concerto No. 1

Beethoven 9

Friday, June 17, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 18, 7:30 p.m.

Raymond Leppard, Conductor

Soloists TBA

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir

BEETHOVEN               Symphony No. 8

BEETHOVEN               Symphony No. 9

Printing Partners Pops Series and Stratford at West Clay Coffee Pops Series*

Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway – Sibling Revelry

Friday, September 17, 11 a.m.* & 8 p.m.

Saturday, September 18, 8 p.m.

Sunday, September 19, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Ann Hampton Callaway, Vocalist

Liz Callaway, Vocalist

Jazz artist Ann Hampton Callaway will be joined by her sister, Broadway star Liz Callaway, to perform their award-winning show Sibling Revelry that will feature some of their favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as their illustrious careers in jazz, cabaret, and on Broadway.

Wayne Brady with the ISO

Friday, October 15, 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 16, 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 17, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Wayne Brady, Vocalist

One of the most versatile performers in show business, Emmy Award-winner Wayne Brady will showcase his superb voice, dancing prowess and razor-sharp humor in his debut performance with the ISO.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony

Friday, November 12, 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 13, 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 14, 3 p.m.

George Daugherty, Conductor

Bugs Bunny and Friends

Celebrating 20 years of “Bugs Bunny on Broadway,” the Orchestra world’s Looney-est concert returns with new cartoon additions and old favorites like “What’s Opera Doc?” and “The Rabbit of Seville.”  Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck are joined onscreen by new special guests:  Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones and others from the Warner Bros. Studios family in a program for audiences of all ages that was created and is conducted by Emmy Award-winner and Indiana native George Daugherty.

Duke Energy “Yuletide Celebration” – 25^th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, December 10, 11 a.m.

Jack Everly, Music Director

Sandi Patty, Host

An Indianapolis audience favorite, versatile songstress Sandi Patty returns to join Jack Everly and the ISO for the 25^th Anniversary production of the Orchestra’s popular holiday spectacular that features new elements plus the traditional favorites such as the “Tap Dancing Santas” and “Twas the Night before Christmas” with larger-than-life puppetry.

Live and Let Die – The Music of Paul McCartney

Friday, January 14, 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 15, 8 p.m.

Sunday, January 16, 3 p.m.

Michael Krajewski, Conductor

Live and Let Die

Tony Kishman, one of the stars of Classical Mystery Tour, has created an all-new show celebrating the music of Paul McCartney, one of the most successful songwriters in history.  The concerts will include iconic Beatles songs, hits from the Wings years, plus other tunes from his decades-long solo career.

Ashley Brown’s Broadway

Friday, February 11, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 12, 8 p.m.

Sunday, February 13, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Ashley Brown, Vocalist

Known to Indianapolis audiences for her stellar performances in the ISO’s pops productions of Guys and Dolls and Irving Berlin: From Ragtime to Ritzes, the award-winning actress who starred on Broadway in Mary Poppins will sing many Broadway tunes sung by leading ladies as she takes her place among that elite group on the stages of today.

The Great Choruses of Hollywood & Broadway

Friday, March 25, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 26, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 27, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir

The Indianapolis Symphony joins forces with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir for an epic evening of choruses from Broadway musicals, the Golden Age of Hollywood and today’s cinematic blockbusters, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Trek, and Avatar.

An Evening with The Four Freshman & Sylvia McNair

Friday, April 29, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 30, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 1, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

The Four Freshmen, Vocal Quartet

Sylvia McNair, Soprano

Two-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Sylvia McNair will perform her new cabaret show that showcases her versatility as one of the top vocalists of her generation, and the legendary vocal harmony quartet, The Four Freshmen, will perform many of the group’s signature works plus other standards from the American songbook.

Cirque de la Symphonie

Friday, June 10, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 11, 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 12, 3 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Cirque de la Symphonie

Back by popular demand, Cirque de la Symphonie brings the magic of cirque to the Hilbert Circle Theatre with an outstanding cast of the world’s best aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen. They include world record holders, gold-medal winners of international competitions, and are considered by their peers to be among the top artists in their respective crafts and will present their superb artistry to symphonic music .

SPECIAL EVENTS

Opening Night Gala – Itzhak Perlman

Saturday, October 2, 6 p.m.

Itzhak Perlman, Conductor & Violin

MOZART                      Adagio in E Major for Violin & Orchestra

MOZART                      Rondo in C Major for Violin & Orchestra

DVOŘÁK                      Serenade for Strings

DVOŘÁK                      Symphony No. 9 (from the “New World”)

Liza Minnelli with the ISO

Saturday, October 30, 8 p.m.

Conductor TBA

Liza Minnelli, Vocalist

Legendary singer and star of stage and screen Liza Minnelli will perform many of her signature songs plus other pop standards and share many memories about her life and distinguished career in her ISO debut.

Thanksgiving Special – Pink Martini

Monday, November 22, 7:30 p.m.

Pink Martini

Groundbreaking musical ensemble Pink Martini will join the ISO to perform a versatile program of works crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop in its first-ever performance at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.

Duke Energy “Yuletide Celebration” – 25^th Anniversary

Friday, December 3 – Thursday, December 23

Jack Everly, Conductor

Sandi Patty, Host

An Indianapolis audience favorite, versatile songstress Sandi Patty returns to join Jack Everly and the ISO for the 25^th Anniversary production of the Orchestra’s popular holiday spectacular that features new elements plus the traditional favorites such as the “Tap Dancing Santas” and “Twas the Night before Christmas” with larger-than-life puppetry.

Classical Christmas

Saturday, December 11, 8 p.m.

Raymond Leppard, Conductor

Artists, TBA

Scottish Rite Cathedral Ballroom

Conductor Laureate Raymond Leppard and the ISO will perform classical works befitting the holiday season.

Handel’s “Messiah”

Saturday, December 18, 8 p.m.

Eric Stark, Conductor

Soloists TBA

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir

Clowes Memorial Hall

HANDEL                       Messiah

The ISO and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir will perform this popular holiday oratorio masterpiece.

New Year’s Eve in Vienna

Friday, December 31, 9 p.m.

Conductor TBA

Soloists TBA

In the New Year’s Eve tradition of Vienna, The ISO will perform Strauss family waltzes, polkas and works from operas in a light and elegant concert to ring in the New Year.

Celebration of Black History Concert

Tuesday, February 8, 7:30 p.m.

Conductor TBA

Soloists TBA

The ISO will celebrate the many contributions by African-American artists, composers and culture to the world of music.

Dennis De Young performs The Music of Styx

Thursday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.

Conductor TBA

Dennis De Young, Vocalist

One of the original founding members of the legendary rock band Styx, Dennis DeYoung will perform many of the band’s popular hits form the 1970s and 1980s with the Indianapolis Symphony.

Dow AgroSciences Family Series

The Classical Clown

A Comedy Concerto

Sunday, November 7, 2:30 p.m.

Dan Kamin, Mime

Excerpts from:

KABALEVSKY              Overture to Colas Breugnon

STRAVINSKY               Suite No. 2

BRITTEN                       Simple Symphony

PROKOFIEV                Peter and the Wolf

GRIEG                           Peer Gynt

SATIE                             Gymnopédie No. 2

ROSSINI                       Overture to William Tell

BEETHOVEN               Symphony No. 1

STRAUSS                      Emperor Waltzes

BARTÓK                       Romanian Folk Dances

In this comedic program for audiences of all ages, a meddlesome clown battles with the Maestro for control of the orchestra in a symphonic showdown set to the music of Beethoven, Grieg, Britten and Stravinsky, among others.

Duke Energy “Yuletide Celebration” – 25^th Anniversary

Sunday, December 5, 6 p.m.

Jack Everly, Conductor

Sandi Patty, Host

An Indianapolis audience favorite, versatile songstress Sandi Patty returns to join Jack Everly and the ISO for the 25^th Anniversary production of the Orchestra’s popular holiday spectacular that features new elements plus the traditional favorites such as the “Tap Dancing Santas” and “Twas the Night before Christmas” with larger-than-life puppetry.

Scheherazade

One Thousand and One Nights of Music

Sunday, February 27, 2:30 p.m.

Enchantment Theatre Company

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV                       Scheherazade

Princess Scheherazade’s one-thousand and one tales magically come to life via the actors and puppets of Enchantment Theatre Company as they recreate her tales with many visual effects as the Orchestra performs Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful symphonic masterpiece.

Let’s Get Moving

Sunday, April 17, 2:30 p.m.

Thomas Wilkins, Conductor

Excerpts from:

JOHN WILLIAMS       Raiders of the Lost Ark

FUCIK                            Entrance of the Gladiators

MENDELSSOHN        Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”)

NAUGHTIN                 Amazon Journey

PROKOFIEV                Cinderella

ANDERSON                 Fiddle Faddle

SMETANA                   The Bartered Bride

A Family Series audience favorite, conductor Thomas Wilkins will direct the ISO in a program featuring  music that keeps the Orchestra moving via lively melodies that are majestic and inspirational.