Before the opening of its 100th anniversary season on Sept. 27 at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating its centennial with a five-city tour across Illinois, beginning in Wheaton. The orchestra will appear in a special gala concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 14 for the 1990-91 Artist Series at Wheaton College.
On the podium will be Daniel Barenboim, who has been named to succeed Sir Georg Solti as music director at the end of this season.
Barenboim will lead the orchestra in two works by Richard Strauss, ”Don Juan, Op. 20” and ”Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 (A Hero`s Life),” and in the premiere performance of ”Lost Voyage,” a work that recently won first place in the Illinois Composers Competition for La Grange native Stephen Kowalsky.
The solo violinist featured in ”Ein Heldenleben” will be the CSO`s co-concertmaster, Samuel Magad.
The centennial tour through Illinois will also include stops in Rock Island on Sept. 15; Springfield, Sept. 16; Champaign, Sept. 18 and 20; and Carbondale, Sept. 21.
Tickets for the CSO`s performance at Wheaton College are available for $35, $30 and $20.
Tickets are also available for other concerts in the college`s 1990-91 series: violinist Elmar Oliveira on Nov. 9; Camerata Musica, Jan. 26, 1991;
the New York Baroque Dance Company and Concert Royal, Feb. 22; bass Kenneth Cox, March 22; and Orchestre National de Lyon with pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, April 12.
All Artist Series concerts will be performed in Edman Memorial Chapel, Franklin and Washington Streets, Wheaton.
– The Paramount Arts Centre will present an acoustic evening with Air Supply, featuring Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Some of their hits include ”All Out of Love,” ”Every Woman in the World,” ”Even the Nights Are Better” and ”Making Love Out of Nothing at All.”
They were cited by Billboard magazine as one of the most successful pop groups of the `80s. They have notched eight top-5 singles, one gold album and four multiplatinum albums. They also won VH-1 music cable`s No. 1 Video of the Year Award, based on a viewers poll.
Tickets are $19.50 and $17.50 at all Ticketron outlets, by calling 312-902-1919, or at the Paramount Arts Centre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Call 896-6666.
– Also coming soon to the Paramount Arts Centre will be the Kenyan-born singer/songwriter Roger Whittaker, performing his gentle blend of pop and country at 8 p.m. on Sept. 1.
Reserved seats are available for $22.50 at all Ticketron outlets
(312-902-1919) or at the Paramount box office (896-6666). Group discounts are available by calling 896-7676.
– The musical extravaganza ”On the Twentieth Century” opens Aug. 30 at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace. The show will run through Oct. 7.
Drury Lane artistic director Travis L. Stockley directs the musical, which is based on the 1932 comedy ”Twentieth Century,” by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, and the 1934 movie starring Carole Lombard and John Barrymore. The musical`s plot was adapted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
The action takes place on board the Twentieth Century Limited, a luxury train that ran between New York and Chicago in 16 hours. In Drawing Room A is Oscar Jaffee, a flamboyant theatrical producer, who is escaping from a recent Chicago flop, and from his latest batch of angry creditors.
In Drawing Room B is Hollywood star Lily Garland, Oscar`s onetime discovery and mistress, now turned Jaffee-hater. The trick for Oscar is to come up with a theatrical project, get Lily to sign her now-famous name to the contract and raise money on her signature.
John Reeger portrays the pretentious producer, Paula Scrofano the Hollywood movie star, and Peggy Roeder the religious fanatic Letitia Primrose. The cast also includes Bill Busch as Owen O`Malley and Don Forston as Oliver Webb, Oscar`s trusty henchmen; and Sean Grennan as Bruce Granit, Lily`s handsome but stupid lover.
Musical direction and orchestrations are provided by Tom Sivak.
Performance times and prices are: 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays
($21); 2 p.m. Thursday matinee ($16; $14, senior citizens); 8:30 p.m. Fridays ($23); 6 p.m. Saturdays ($21); 9:30 p.m. Saturdays ($25); and 2:30 and 7 p.m. Sundays ($21).
Dinner/theater packages range from $32.75 to $37.75; Sunday brunch/
theater packages are $34; and Thursday lunch/theater packages are $26.50, or $24.50 for senior citizens.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Drury Lane box office at 530-8300, or by calling Ticketmaster at 312-902-1500.
Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace is at 100 Drury Lane, off Spring Road north of Oakbrook Center. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is adjacent to the theater. Valet parking is also available.
