SPRINGFIELD — The University of Illinois at Springfield announces the 2008-2009 Class Acts series at Sangamon Auditorium. The goal of Class Acts is to present a diverse performing arts program for youth in support of educational and cultural goals mandated by the State of Illinois for grades K through 12.
Now in its 23rd season, Class Acts strives to assist youth in understanding the nature of the performing arts by providing students with the experience of live performance and by furnishing instructional packets to assist teachers. It endeavors to introduce students to new ideas that will promote their personal and social well being as well as their educational growth through familiarizing them with new forms of communication and acquainting them with the existence of other cultures and the contributions they have made to the world.
These educational performances designed for young audiences take place during the school day. Students who attend area public or private schools often attend performances with their classes as field trips. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child's teacher about arranging a trip.
School teachers and administrators and home school parents can reserve tickets by calling the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217.206.6160 or toll free at 800.207.6960 or online at www.SangamonAuditorium.org. Additional information about upcoming performances is available by contacting the Sangamon Auditorium Administrative Office at 217.206.6150. Tickets are $5.50 each, and every 16th ticket is free. The general public may purchase walk-up seats, if available, on the day of the scheduled event.
Youth programming in the Class Acts series, in conjunction with other Sangamon Auditorium events, is supported in part by the Helen Hamilton Performing Arts Endowment for Youth Fund, gifts from Elizabeth and Robert Staley, and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The 2008-2009 Class Acts season is sponsored by Siciliano.
2008-2009 Class Acts season
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Wednesday, October 8
10 a.m. - Grades 1-3
12:30 p.m. – Grades 4-6
A Caldecott Award-winning Cinderella tale! When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy and beautiful maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro's two daughters are of very different dispositions, yet each is his pride and joy. They travel across a river and journey half a day to go before the king. With traditional chanting and African song, come celebrate goodness, generosity, and love.
The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley
Friday, October 10, 12:30 p.m. Grades 1-4
Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary, everyday 10-year-old with a normal family and a normal life. In fact, for Stanley, life is too normal. He wants to travel the world and do amazing things that no one's ever done before. One night, the bulletin board above Stanley's bed falls on top of him, and the next morning, Stanley wakes up really, REALLY flat!
In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. He's stamped, posted, and cancelled from Washington D.C. to France to Honolulu and beyond and finds himself rapping with the Declaration of Independence, thwarting robberies at the Louvre, and "hanging 10" in Hawaii. All the while, Stanley closes in on his goal of being a three-dimensional boy once more.
Compañia Flamenco Jose Porcel
Thursday, October 16, 12:30 p.m. Grades 9-12
Direct from Spain, José Porcel and his company of guitarists, vocalists, and dancers represent the best in classic, traditional flamenco while melding contemporary styles and moves. Flamenco is an explosion of rhythms, colors, and emotions that express the vitality of Spanish culture. It is generally believed to have originated in the Andalusia region of Spain in the 15th century, and combines influences from Egyptian, Jewish, and Indian cultures. Prepare for fiery footwork and outstanding musicianship.
The Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa
Friday, November 7, 12:30 p.m. Grades 4-12
Comprised of singers, dancers, and musicians from the various cultures of West Africa, this company combines the traditional rhythms, instruments, folklore, and mythology of nations such as Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Benin, The Ivory Coast, and Mauritania to paint a colorful and exciting picture of the oral and musical rites of these diverse peoples.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Tuesday, January 20, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Grades 3-6
Milo is bored; nothing interests him at all. The Demons of Ignorance warn him "If you get the urge to do anything – don't. It could be dangerous." To the rescue comes the Phantom Tollbooth!
Aided by trusty time-keeping dog Tock, Milo brings harmony to the Land of Wisdom and learns many things about words and numbers along the way. Perhaps his most important lesson, however, is that everything we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone.
Adapted from Norton Juster's beloved children's book, this inventive musical features a score by Arnold Black and witty lyrics by Pulitzer Prize- and three-time Tony-winner Sheldon Harnick.
Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny
Friday, January 30, 12:30 p.m. Grades K-2
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia adds to its repertory of outstanding children's puppetry productions with an innovative double-bill adaptation of Margaret Wise Brown's and Clement Hurd's beloved bedtime classics. Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny's pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mother.
The soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery infuse children with a reassuring sense of security and peace, while whimsical puppetry and evocative original music bring a new sense of appreciation to these stories that have delighted generations.
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
Friday, February 6, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Grades 4-8
In 1955 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 Parks' story, 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 struggled for reconciliation within herself as she became an effective leader. Exciting and inspirational, Walk On shows how one person's determination made a difference in the struggle for freedom and equality in the United States.
Miss Bindergarten
Monday, February 23, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Grades K-2
How cool is the alphabet? Super cool when you're learning it from Miss Bindergarten, the famous teaching dog! She's a master of fun and games – and everyone in her class of animal students has a name that starts with a different letter. This zany show combines laughter with learning and features favorite tales from the Miss Bindergarten book series.
My Heart in a Suitcase
Tuesday, March 24, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Grades 5-8
Based on actual events chronicled in the book by Anne Lehmann Fox.
It is Germany in the 1930s. Anne Lehmann and her family no longer feel safe in their Berlin home. After the Kristallnacht ("Night of the Broken Glass"), Mr. and Mrs. Lehmann realize that in order to protect their daughter, they may have to say goodbye to her forever. Anne struggles to bring meaning out of despair, to cling to love and hope in a world filled with hatred and violence.
On Kristallnacht, the night of November 9-10, 1938, more than a thousand synagogues were destroyed throughout Nazi Germany. Thousands of Jewish businesses and homes were ransacked and more than 30,000 Jewish men were gathered for internment in concentration camps. But through the Kindertransport program, nearly 10,000 Jewish children like Anne were able to travel out of Nazi-occupied territories to safety in England.
Post-show Discussion – Dr. Heini Halberstam, retired faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, traveled out of the former Czechoslovakia to England on the Kinderstransport. Dr. Halberstam will answer questions from the audience as part of an informative post-show discussion.
Mad Science – CSI: Live!
Monday, March 30
10 a.m. – Grades 6-8 & 12:30 p.m. – Grades 4-5
Sponsored by Sangamon Schools Credit Union
The world's number one television franchise hits the stage as Mad Science presents CSI: Live!, an interactive journey through the 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 CSI investigators on the case, assisted by supervisor Gil Grissom through a live video connection from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Audience "recruits" will become part of the action on stage -- analyzing mysterious gasses, launching experimental projectiles, and firing lasers across the scene of the crime. Together they will use their superior logic and forensic know-how to uncover hidden details, investigate the evidence, and solve the crime.
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION in USA is a trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. and outside USA is a trademark of Entertainment AB Funding LLC. CBS and the CBS Eye Design TM CBS Broadcasting Inc. © 2000 - 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Entertainment AB Funding LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Space Me Out!
Illinois Symphony Orchestra Educational Concerts
Thursday, April 30 – Grades K-3
Friday, May 1 – Grades 4-8
10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Sounds of the solar system will reverberate through Sangamon Auditorium during the Illinois Symphony Orchestra's 2009 educational concert series, "Space Me Out." Designed by Maestra Karen Lynne Deal for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, "Space Me Out" will focus on the planets and our solar system. Maestra Deal will use music and musical instruments to teach students about topics such as vibration, sonics, and planetary sounds. The Symphony's David Collier will perform a timpani concerto, and students will learn about musical imagery in Gustav Holst's colorful work The Planets.
This live concert experience will engage students with the rich sound of a full symphony orchestra, as well as through Maestra Deal's ability to make learning about music and space science fun and entertaining. For more information on the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, visit www.ilsymphony.org.
About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium is located at the University of Illinois at Springfield and hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217.206.6150 or by email at onstage@uis.edu.
