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THE
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WWW.CITYOFELGIN.ORG
THEATRE
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Elgin Summer
Theatre Stretches Itself
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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ELGIN CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
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Artistic
Renaissance
Continues
in Elgin
SPRING
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COVER STORY
Chamber Music
on the Fox Finale
Caps Off Successful
First Season By Erin Rehberg
C
Doug Hanson
MY TAKE
hamber Music on the Fox recently
concluded its inaugural season with two
high-energy performances at the historic
Elgin Art Showcase in downtown Elgin.
Led by Mark Fry from the Elgin Chamber
Players and choreographer/dancer Sara Krikau
from Elgin-based dance company Veritydance,
the eclectic program featured Igor Stravinsky’s
A Soldier’s Tale. The story is about a soldier on
leave who trades his prized violin to the devil
for unlimited riches. The highlight of the evening
was when esteemed Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Music Director Andre Grams took to the stage
and delighted the audience by performing
an energetic and charming narration of the tale.
The performances were rounded out by
Composer Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis,
which featured bassoonist Lewis Kirk in full
Elvis-jumpsuit and sideburns and the world
premiere of Reaper by Steven Ingle, which
mixed elements of old time radio dramas with
By Joe Vassallo
recently took the opportunity to attend the
Ultimate Painting challenge held at the Side
Street Studio Arts here in downtown Elgin.
This innovative event featured 12 different local
artists who were competing against each other
for the top prize of the night and ultimately a
chance to compete against artists from around
the nation.
I was not sure what to expect but it got the
creative process working in hyper drive. Each
artist starts with a blank canvas and twenty
minutes on the clock. There are no set themes
other than give the audience the best you can
do in twenty minutes. Then the music starts
pumping and the eclectic audience- old and
young, artist and engineer start cheering.
Everyone is walking around the artists, who
were stationed in the middle of the room,
amazed at the different styles and ideas that
were growing on the canvasses.
When the time is up the audience votes on
their favorite piece of artwork, while Chicago
band Little Yellow Dog starts to perform all
original tunes. The music was great and had
everyone moving, keeping the excitement level
up. No sooner did they say thank you very
much and then the clock started on the next six
artists for round two. The top 4 artists in both
rounds then competed for the top honor of the
evening and the opportunity to compete later
in Chicago in the hopes of qualifying for the
National Final. In total for 2015 there will be 5
local artists from the Elgin Ultimate Painting
Challenge competing in the Chicago Regional.
All of the art was up for auction that night
with many going home with some truly inspired
pieces. Whether you went home with a painting
or not, the Ultimate Painting Challenge was a
great night for meeting people, listening to live
original music, and being out and about in
Elgin. ■
I
Photos by Dave Bearden
Watching The Paint Dry
Narrator
Andrew Grams and
Veritydance dancers
bring to life A Soldier’s
Tale by Stravinsky.
Elgin Summer Theatre Stretches Itself
By Sean Hargadon
Summer Theatre’s 2014 production
of Rent attracted new talent.
Charlie Brieger
E
lgin Summer Theatre returns this summer
when it presents the Tony and Pulitzer
Prize-winning rock musical Next To Normal
at the Hemmens Cultural Center from July 17-26.
The musical is a powerhouse of emotion
that addresses such issues as grieving a loss,
ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban
life. It explores how one suburban household
copes with crisis and mental illness and takes
audiences into the minds and hearts of each
character, presenting their family’s story with
love, sympathy and heart.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack
lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son
are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to
be a typical American family. And yet their lives
are anything but normal, because the mother
has been battling manic depression for 16 years.
The show features a small cast, a 5-piece
band, and will be presented on the Hemmens
mainstage with people surrounding most of the
action in a very intimate production.
This is not your typical summer musical fare
and that’s okay for Director Charlie Brieger and
Producer Butch Wilhelmi. Both got their start
with Elgin Summer Theatre when they were kids
and for them this is an opportunity not only to
give back to the community, but also provide
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eerie set decoration and chamber music to
engage audiences in a mixed-media method of
chamber music performance.
The variety of performances on display
and enthusiastic audience response means
Chamber Music on the Fox will be back for
another season, said Fry. “These performances were a highlight of my career,” he said.
“We’ve had nothing but positive feedback,
and area audiences now know exactly what
Chamber Music on the Fox is capable of doing.”
Founded in 2014 by Elgin Symphony
Orchestra musicians Fry and Sara Sitzer,
Chamber Music on the Fox is a curated
chamber music series of the highest caliber
dedicated to serving the greater Fox Valley
Area. Chamber Music on the Fox’s breakout
2014-15 season included performances by
Spektral Quartet, Fifth House Ensemble, and
the Elgin Chamber Players.
The season finale was produced by Side
Street Studio Arts and supported by the Elgin
Cultural Arts Commission and the Palmer
Foundation. Chamber Music on the Fox is
currently working on their 2015-16 season
and is expected to make an announcement
later this summer. Chamber Music on the
Fox – chambermusiconthefox.org ■
young and aspiring artists a chance to stretch
themselves with something more challenging.
Fortunately for them, they’re not alone.
“We had lots of people audition,” said Charlie.
“We had people come from all over the Chicago
area. I think that’s because the show is such a
strong draw.”
“It also helped that people said ‘I know
someone that worked with you before’ and they
had a good experience, so they wanted to
audition,” added Butch.
Elgin Summer Theatre has a long a tradition
that started in 1972. The first show was Little
Abner. The program lasted up until 1995 when a
change in management and priorities including
extensive renovations meant no more productions.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Artistic Renaissance
Continues in Elgin
By Sean Hargadon
I
t has been said the City of Elgin is going
through an artistic renaissance. Whether it’s
theater, music, dance or film — painting,
sculpture or photography — the arts keep
growing and expanding within the “city in the
suburbs.”
There is something for everyone to experience. If you prefer a traditional artistic experience, facilities like the Hemmens Cultural Center,
Elgin Community College Performing Arts
Center, and the Elgin Academy Rider Center
offer performances by such Elgin stalwarts as
the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Theatre
Company, Elgin Master Chorale, Elgin Youth
Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Theater of
Elgin. These perennial companies continue to
deliver high quality experiences to audiences
near and far. They also form a solid foundation
that compliments a whole host of other artistic
projects taking place in Elgin.
In just two years, Side Street Studio Arts has
emerged as one of the “go-to” places in downtown Elgin. This unique gallery/performance
space has hosted countless events ranging from
live painting competitions, theater performances,
art shows, kids programs, and classical and
rock concerts, featuring the very popular Battle
of the Bands each summer.
Speaking of music, a vibrant local music
scene has developed downtown with a range
of folk, punk, and alternative performances
being offered at Rediscover Records, Blue Box
Café, Gasthaus and Next Door Theater.
On a larger scale, the Grand Victoria Summer
Concert series continues at Festival Park adjacent
to the Fox River. The series will expand this
year to include Heart, George Thorogood and
the Destroyers, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot,
Peter Frampton, Michale McDonald, Boston,
and Huey Lewis and the News.
Art & Soul on the Fox also returns this
summer. The annual event sets up downtown
and includes more than 80 artists presenting
works in all mediums. Around the corner is the
mixed-use Elgin Artspace Lofts. This building
provides live/works space for artists and will
feature “Fez Fest” a pop culture event showcasing the fez in art, history, and pop culture.
Down the street, the Elgin Art Showcase
will have a new look and logo this summer just
in time for an upcoming season of dance, music
and theater performances from Independent
Players, Heartland Voices and Core Project
Dance.
Out on the fringe, the Elgin Fringe Festival
will return for its second year, after its highly
successful debut. This dynamic event features
more than 100 performances over four days.
Groups from across the country will perform
The band Rune The Lion plays at Side Street Studio Arts.
They are the 2014 Battle of the Bands winner.
at unique venues throughout downtown. There
will also be visual art on display and activities
for families and kids.
And whether it’s digital or celluloid, Elgin is
quickly becoming a destination for photography
and film. The Elgin Short Film Festival returns
this fall and will feature films from local and national filmmakers. The Elgin 360 Photography
Club is a group of amateurs and professionals
that provides workshops, seminars and supports
local events through photography.
Adding to this mix of activity is another year
of Nightmare on Chicago Street. “Nightmare,”
as it has been called is a like a horror movie
come to life. The one night festival takes over
the streets of downtown Elgin, where cars are
overturned, windows are boarded up, debris is
scattered throughout the streets, and everyone
is dressed up as their favorite horror character.
The event draws thousands of people each year.
So when you put it all together, Elgin
continues to remake itself through the arts,
one event and one artist at a time. This is good
for the community, good for local business,
and good for people looking for place where
creativity thrives. ■
UPCOMING EVENTS
TURNING POINT
July 11 • Elgin Art Showcase
Kick-Off event about new rates, procedures, and
visual art process at the Elgin Art Showcase in 2016
HAMILTON WINGS SCORE!
July 17-19 • Elgin Community College
The 15th annual original student created opera
returns with 60 students making something unique
ART & SOUL ON THE FOX
August 1-2 • Downtown Elgin
More than 70 artists return to Elgin along
with music and kid activities
ELGIN FRINGE FESTIVAL
September 17-20 • Downtown Elgin
The second annual Elgin Fringe Festival returns at
various venues with more than 100 performances
ELGIN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
September 26 • Hemmens Cultural Center
Elgin Short Film Fest returns for its 7th year
featuring a variety of films from the world
BALLET FOLKLORICO HUEHUECOYOTL
September 26 • Elgin Community College
A cultural performance showcasing more than
80 students performing original dances
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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Q&A
ARTIST
Rachel Elizabeth Maley
M
ulti-disciplinary artist Rachel
Elizabeth Maley is the General Manager
at Side Street Studio Arts in downtown
Elgin and the Digital Media Director for the Elgin
Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO). Rachel
attended the University of Chicago intending to
study musicology, but instead developed an
affinity for dance, comparative literature, and
contemporary circus arts. She regularly performs
as a collaborative and solo pianist. Earlier
this year, she created her first solo visual art
show, The Goldberg Variations, in conjunction
with a solo piano performance at Side Street
Studio Arts.
Where are you from originally and what is
your connection to Elgin?
I was born and raised in Aurora. I first heard
about Elgin in High School. My friend was playing with the EYSO, and she told me they needed
another French horn player. I auditioned alone
with the Artistic Director and then with orchestra
during a rehearsal (my first time playing with
a full orchestra), which was amazing. After
graduating from the music program, I continued
to volunteer for EYSO, and then a few years
later, they offered me a job handling their social
media. I've been working for them as their
Digital Media Director for nearly two years now.
You've been a musician since you were
young. How did you get started on that path?
I come from a family of musicians. I started
playing when I was 5 years old in a Suzuki violin
program. I played violin for a year but then
switched to piano. Then I added French horn in
fifth grade and have kept adding instruments
since then. I think I chose piano because I saw
my grandmother playing piano since I was very
young. I loved playing, and I never had to be
told to practice. My parents didn’t play music, but
they thought it was important that my siblings
and I experience the arts. We didn’t go on
camping trips; we went to museums. We had
what we called the "Tony Bennett car" because
we always listened to jazz. My parents wanted
us to have a wide variety of experiences – including taking us to ethnic restaurants and
having us taste new foods without telling us
what was in them.
In recent years, you branched out into
dance, literature, and painting. What prompted
the change?
It was the EYSO that taught me to take creativity and the arts more seriously. Each season
has a thematic curriculum designed to expand
our worldview and encourage our curiosity. For
example, I played in a season that drew parallels
between music and architecture and explored
how architects think. Our favorite phrase at EYSO
is "expert noticing" – we want all our students to
be engaged with the world around them, asking
questions and thinking critically. Being exposed
to this kind of exploration gave me permission
to try other things. If you feel you have the toolbox to ask the right questions and find creative
solutions, you have the confidence to do anything.
That's why I'm always trying new things and
working in so many different media. I'd rather
try to create something (and potentially fail) than
simply dream about it.
How has it been for you living in Elgin
Artspace Lofts, a building built specifically
for local artists?
Well, the space is beautiful! And walking
around the building and knowing that everybody
there is creative is really exciting. It's a great
energy walking through the building, hearing
music, seeing people carry canvases in from
their cars, and especially having a lot of families
around. We hang our work in the hallways and
exhibit around town, and you get to know the
artists around you. Perhaps most importantly,
I see people doing things that are completely
foreign to me, and that's humbling and exciting.
A lot of artists grew up feeling alone, being the
only creative or "weird" person in their town or
neighborhood, so on the one hand, being around
artists gives you a little bit of an "Oh, I’m not
so special” feeling, but it's a nice sense of
community to know that there are plenty of other
people like you.
Has downtown Elgin helped you develop
and practice your art? If so, how?
Absolutely. It’s all about Side Street Studio
Arts for me. I started as Artist-in-Residence last
summer around the time I moved into Artspace.
I was working on The Goldberg Variations for
my residence, so I knew what I wanted to do,
and I had a deadline. This gave me the community, accountability, and support I needed for it
all to come together. I had no idea there were
so many artists, musicians, and generally weird
people in the area (like me). It's amazing to see
the variety of people, projects, and manners of
self-expression around here.
What are your plans for the future?
Who knows? Like all artists, I have a thousand jobs. I also teach piano privately, which I
love, and I've recently rekindled my photography practice, using my late uncle's gear. As for
the future, I don't really care. I never could have
imagined myself living the life I am now, so I'm
not going to use all my energy trying to design a
future that may never come. I'd rather enjoy
this time and keep creating.
Rachel Elizabeth Maley's current photographic project is
ASKINGFORIT.net. Learn more and connect with Rachel at RE-MALEY.com.
Fast forward to 2008 and a chance to revive Elgin
Summer Theatre brought Butch and Charlie together
again. Instead of being on stage acting, they were
behind the scenes running the productions. They’ve
produced a variety of popular musicals that include
Hair, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat, Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar, and last
year’s decidedly different Rent.
The crowd pleasers did very well, so they took a
risk with Rent that really paid off by attracting some
excellent talent. “We had people come from everywhere for that show,” said Charlie. “We had talented
people, but this show also made them stronger as a
total unit.”
Why was that? “I think because it was a bucket
list show,” said Butch. “The kid we had playing
Angel – it was his second time. It’s a show people
wanted to do.”
“And it actually brought out abilities in people
they did not expect,” said Charlie. “That’s one of the
reasons I love that were doing Next to Normal this
year. It’s a powerful deep show, that has some
amazing songs and people will want to come out
and see it.”
One interesting feature about Next to Normal is
that it is sung the whole time. There really is no break
for dialogue, so it feels a bit like a rock opera. There is
overlapping action taken place at various places on
stage and only ten actors carry the whole show
through song. This requires a special kind of cast.
“We look for singers that can act because there
really is no fluff,” said Charlie. “We also like for
them to have a certain Rock quality – a little grit – in
the way they carry themselves.”
The short rehearsal period means everyone has
to come prepared to work when they might prefer to
be outside enjoying the weather, but that’s part of
making a musical and that’s what Butch and Charlie
remember when they were kids.
“We want them to have the same kind of experience
we had when we did this years ago,” said Butch.
“We had a good experience. I remember times when
the shows could have been better but everyone was
excited to be working together and then there were
times when the audience was just completely moved
by what we did and that was amazing.”
And if the actors are having a good time, what
does that mean for the audience? What should they
hope to get out of the show?
“I want the audience to say this is a group that did
something huge and they did it well,” said Charlie.
For more information about Hemmens Summer
Theatre, go to www.cityofelgin.org. ■
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ELGIN CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
Generous Support and Guidance
AMANDA HARRIS
ECAC Liaison
JOE VASSALLO
Editor/Writer
SEAN HARGADON
Editor/Writer
HAGG PRESS
Printing
ERIN REHBERG
Editor/Writer
ROBERT GRAPHICS
Design
Cover Photo by Joshua Smith
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ELGIN CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
WWW.CITYOFELGIN.ORG