Arts and entertainment calendar for April 26

Updated: April 24, 2012 8:02PM

Stage

“Almost, Maine” will be presented by the College of Lake County Theatre Department at 7:30 p.m. April 26-28 in the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. On a clear midwinter night, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the town’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Tickets: $10; $8 for senior citizens. Call (847) 543-2300 or visit www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.

“Girls Night: The Musical,” 8 p.m. May 19 at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. The performance follows five friends in their 30s and 40s during a wild girls’ night out at a karaoke bar. Tickets: $41.50 and $47.50. Visit www.geneseetheatre.com or call (847) 263-6300.

“Lend Me a Tenor,” May 4-June 3 at Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sundays. Additional performance at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 9. Tickets: $35-$37.50 general admission, with discounts for students and senior citizens. Call (847) 735-8554 or visit www.citadeltheatre.org.

“Pippin,” presented by The Music Theatre Company through May 6 at the Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. Curtain at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $40. Call (847) 579-4900 or visit www.themusictheatrecompany.org.

“The Pirates of Penzance,” through June 10 at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The performance schedule is 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $41-$49, plus tax and handling fees. Discounts available for students and senior citizens. Dinner and theatre tickets, $55, are available Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Dinner is at Kings Wharf Restaurant or the Fairfield Inn (based on dining availability). Call (847) 634-0200 or visit www.marriotttheatre.com.

Classical

College of Lake County, James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Call (847) 543-2300 or visit www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. May 4, 8 p.m.: Spring choral concert, “A Choral Tapestry,” featuring 120-plus vocalists from four choirs singing a variety of genres, including oratorio, opera, musical theater, modern pop, spirituals and gospel. Dancers from the CLC Dance department will also perform on selected pieces. Choral ensembles performing include the Choir of Lake County, the CLC Singers, the Chamber Singers and the Gospel Choir. $5 general admission; $4 for senior citizens. May 9, 7:30 p.m.: CLC Concert Band performs music from both the classical and modern wind band repertoire. $5 general admission; $4 for senior citizens.

The Highland Park Strings, conducted by Stephen Burns, presents “Now and Then” at 3 p.m. May 20 at Highland Park High School, 433 Vine Ave. The program includes works by Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, as well as “Serenade for Flute, Strings and Percussion” by Deerfield resident Armando Susmano. Admission is free. Preconcert lecture by Stephanie Ettelson at 2 p.m. For information, visit www.hpstrings.org.

Pop/folk/jazz

Austin’s Saloon & Eatery, 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville. (847) 549-1972. www.austinssaloon.com. Music at 10 p.m. unless noted otherwise. April 28: 16 Candles. May 5: Modern Day Romeos. May 8, 8 p.m.: Hellyeah and Clutch. May 10: Hank 3. May 11: Kittie. College of Lake County,

James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. (847) 543-2300. May 6, 4 p.m.: Guest Artist Concert featuring Wayne Bergeron on trumpet performing with the Monday Night Jazz Ensemble. CLC’s Wind Ensemble will also perform. $5 general admission; $4 for senior citizens.

Cubby Bear North, 21661 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire. (847) 541-4700. www.cubbynorth.com. May 12, 9 p.m.: Sebastian Bach (heavy metal). $17 in advance; $20 at the door. 21 and over show.

Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. (847) 263-6300. www.geneseetheatre.com. For tickets, call (800) 982-2787 or see www.ticketmaster.com. May 11, 7:30 p.m.: Daughtry Break the Spell 2012 Tour, with pop rock group Safetysuit. Opening the show is singer/songwriter Mike Sanchez. $42.50-$52.50. May 18, 8 p.m.: k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang. $36-$76. June 7, 7:30 p.m.: Willie Nelson. $42.50-$85.

Lake County Folk Club events are held at 7 p.m. Sundays at Aleks’ Restaurant, 525 Rockland Road, Lake Bluff. Concert admission is $12; $10 for Lake County Folk Club members, students and senior citizens.No admission charge for Open Stage and Song Circle. Reservations encouraged for all concerts; call (847) 602-8882. For information, visit www.thelakecountyfolkclub.org. April 29: My Sweet Patootie; Jim Gary opens. May 6: Open Stage, hosted by Scott Engstrom. May 13: Mother’s Day; no event planned. May 20: Concert Stage features Chris Walz, formerly the lead singer and guitarist with the Special Consensus Bluegrass Band. Kourtney Bradfish opens. May 27: Song Circle.

Stained Glass Coffeehouse features live music at the Congregational Church of Deerfield, 225 Wilmot Road. Performances begin at 7 p.m. $15 donation; proceeds benefit local and international charities. Visit www.stainedglasscoffeehouse.com. April 28: Kim and Reggie Harris; Amy Dixon-Kolar opens.

Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. www.viper-alley.com. (866) 463-3401. Shows are for ages 21-plus, unless noted otherwise. April 27, 8 p.m.: James Cotton and Eddy Clearwater (blues). $20-$30. April 28, 6:30 p.m.: “The” Chicago Rat Pack. $10-$30. May 4, 9 p.m.: Geoff Tate of Queensryche. $27.50-$40. May 5, 9 p.m.: Cinco de Mayo celebration with Rico (Santana tribute band). $5-$10. May 11, 9 p.m.: 7th Heaven with Friction. $10-$15. May 12, 9 p.m.: Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials with Howard & the White Boys (blues). $10-$25. May 18, 8:30 p.m.: Vanilla Ice. $20-$50. May 19, 7:30 p.m.: Heartache Tonight (Eagles tribute). $10-$25. May 19, 10:30 p.m.: Milwaukee-based singer/songwriter Pat McCurdy. $6-$8. May 25, 9 p.m.: Mr. Blotto: Recreating the Altamont Speedway Festival of Dec. 6, 1969. $10-$20. May 26, 8 p.m.: Generation: The Sixties Experience with special late set with Fortunate Sons presenting a tribute to CCR. $10-$15. May 29, 7 p.m.: Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Orchestra. $10-$20. June 1, 8:30 p.m.: Bruce in the USA (Bruce Springsteen tribute). $20-$37. June 8, 8:30 p.m.: Jon Anderson: The voice of YES. $26-$65. June 9, 6:30 p.m.: Elvis Tribute: Rick Saucedo — Summer Nights, City Lights. $10-$15. June 16, 7:30 p.m.: Pat Travers Band (guitar rock). $15-$30. June 26, 8 p.m.: Tower of Power (R&B). $35-$65. June 29, 8 p.m.: Blues guitarist and singer Coco Montoya. $18-$30. June 30, 7:30 p.m.: Reely Dan (Steely Dan tribute). $10-$30.

Art galleries

The Antioch Fine Arts Gallery, 983 Main St., Antioch. www.antiochfinearts.org. April: Works by Linda Esposito.

College of Lake County Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Call (847) 543-2240 or visit http://gallery.clcillinois.edu. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Through May 12: CLC Student Art Competition, a juried exhibit of works by current College of Lake County art students, featuring painting, drawing, computer graphics, photography, ceramics, jewelry, digital media and sculpture.

Deer Path Art League & Gallery, located in the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 234-3743. www.deerpathartleague.org. Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; Saturdays by appointment. Through May 25: “Art is … Lasting Landscape,” an exhibit of traditional images featuring unique use of color and technique by landscape artists.

Lakes Area Community Band will present its spring concert at 7 p.m. May 7 in the auditorium at Antioch Community High School, 1133 Main St. (Route 83), Antioch. Free admission and complimentary refreshments. Call (847) 767-7878 or visit www.lacb.org.

Ryerson Woods, 21850 N. Riverwoods Road, Deerfield. (847) 968-3345. www.ryersonwoods.org. Through April 29: “Animals Are Outside Today,” an exhibition of the photography by Colleen Plumb.

Undercroft Gallery, located in the lower level of the Christ Episcopal Church, 410 Grand Ave., Waukegan. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment at (847) 367-5308. Through April 30: “Maggie Schwarz Kraus ... From the Start,” featuring several current paintings, as well as sketchbooks. May 2-June 25: “Malcolm Layson: A Practical Man,” a show of work by Waukegan artist Malcolm Layson, including 25 watercolors, etchings and oil paintings ranging from wartime action in the Pacific Ocean to peaceful family summers in Michigan’s north woods. Opening reception will be held from 1-4 p.m. May 12; an artist’s reception is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. June 16.

Auditions & Opportunities

Actors age 13 and older are invited to audition for the College of Lake County summer musical, “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” at 6:30 p.m. May 21-22 in the Studio Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the Grayslake campus, 19351 W. Washington St. Prepare one minute of a song from “Sweeney Todd.” A piano accompanist will be provided. Bring an acting resume, if available. Callbacks will be held May 24. Performance dates are July 20-29. For more information, contact director Craig Rich at crich@clcillinois.edu or (847) 543-2567.

Encore Theatre will hold auditions for “Rent” from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 26 at Dancenter North, 540 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Auditions are open to high school and college actors, singers and dancers. Prepare 16-32 bars of a rock/pop or contemporary musical theatre song and bring sheet music. Rehearsals begin July 21; production dates are Aug. 9-12. If cast, there is a $150 workshop fee. For an audition appointment, visit www.encoretheatre.net or call (847) 708-8880.

The Lake County Heritage Farm Foundation is accepting entries for “The Farm: Images from the Heartland 2012,” open to artists, 18 years or older, from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The topic of the juried show is farm scenes, including buildings, equipment, animals, fields, crops and people. Cash prizes will be awarded. Winning artists will be eligible for Awards of Excellence in the amount of $300, $200 and $100 for first, second and third place positions. A special award of $250 will be given for the best image of a Lake County, Illinois, farm scene. Winning artists’ work will be on display at the Discovery Museum, located in the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda, from Aug. 25 through Nov. 4. Entry deadline is June 1. For details, visit www.lchff.org.

Artists are sought for the second annual Mundelein Fine Arts Festival, a juried art festival to be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 8-9 at Kracklauer Park in downtown Mundelein. Booth fee is $120; jury fee is $10. Artists should submit a cd with four jpeg or tif images of their work and one of their booth setup. Application deadline is June 15. Applications can be downloaded at www.mundeleinartsfestival.com. For more information, contact Terry Skriba at mundeleincc@tds.net or (847) 970-9235.

Benefits

“Women in Business Helping Women in Crisis” family concert benefit, 3-7 p.m. April 29 at Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. The all-ages event includes dinner, entertainment and bowling, with music by the Chicago Women in the Blues, featuring keyboardist Joan Gand & the Blue Road Band and vocalists Peaches Staten, Vivian Vance Kelly, Shirley King (daughter of BB King), Liz Mandeville and Donna Herula. Tickets are $45. Visit www.emergencyfund.org.

Cirque du Art gala will be held at 7 p.m. May 3 at The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. The evening includes performance art by Redmoon Chicago, an exhibition of contemporary artwork, “Objets Extraordinaire” by Jean Albano Gallery, a raffle, silent auction, and refreshments. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds to benefit the nonprofit art center. For tickets or information, visit http://theartcenterhp.org/cirque-du-art.

Books & poetry

Cook Memorial Library District’s Aspen Drive Library, 701 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills. (847) 362-2330. www.cooklib.org. May 16, 11:30 a.m.: Ann Packer reads from and signs her latest book, Swim Back to Me. Registration required.

Cook Park Library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. (847) 362-2330. www.cooklib.org. April 30, 7 p.m.: Lauren Fox, former freelance writer turned novelist, will read from her new book, Friends Like Us. Books for signing will be available for purchase, courtesy of Lake Forest Bookstore. May 8, 7 p.m.: Karen Kruse will discuss her new book, A Chicago Firehouse: Stories of Wrigleyville’s Engine 78. Volo Bog,

28478 W. Brandenburg Road, west of Highway 12 between State Routes 120 and 134, Ingleside. Of Bogs & Books Reading Group meets from 10-11:30 a.m. the second Saturday of the month. The small, informal book discussion group is for adults interested in environmental, outdoor and natural history literature. Books selected for discussion range from classic to contemporary. Reservations are requested at dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or (815) 344-1294. May 12: The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story by Brian Swimme. June 9: The Story of Stuff — How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health —And a Vision for Change by Annie Leonard.

Warren-Newport Public Library, 224 N. O’Plaine Road, Gurnee. (847) 244-5150. www.wnpl.info. Registration required for programs unless otherwise noted. May 16, 7 p.m.: Ann Packer reads from and signs her latest book, Swim Back to Me.

Child’s play

Academy at Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, offers summer performance camps, including “School House Rock Live Jr.,” for grades 1-4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday, June 11-July 7; and “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” for grades 5-12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 11-July 11. Fee is $899 per student. Visit www.citadeltheatre.org/education/summer-performance-camp.html.

Cook Memorial Public Library District’s Aspen Drive Library, 701 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills. www.cooklib.org. April 28, 10:30 a.m: Storyteller/actor Chris Fascione presents “Juggling Funny Stories.”

Improv Playhouse offers summer performing arts camps in Libertyville and Highland Park for children in first grade through high school, including “Hairspray” and “Camp Glee” musical theater camps, teen film making, fashion modeling, and improv comedy. For information or to register, call (847) 968-4529 or visit www.improvplayhouse.com.

Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences presents “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” through May 12 at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Performances are at 10 a.m. most Tuesdays through Saturdays. $15 per person, plus tax and handling fees. Call (847) 634-0200 or visit www.MarriottTheatre.com.

Dance

Dancenter North, 540 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. (847) 367-7970. www.dancenter-north.com. May 4, 8 p.m.: Tap Jam, featuring new pieces by Dancenter North’s Soul-2-Soles Tap Company and guests, including professional tap company Cartier Collective and the musical group Emotional Shock. $10 for general admission; $3 for “peanut gallery” seating.

Ballroom Chicago Saturday Night Dance, 8-11 p.m. April 28 at Lodge Hall, 1799 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. $10 per person. Free mini-lesson from 7:15-7:45 p.m. (with paid admission). Visit www.ballroomchicago.com or call (847) 757-2227.

Dancenter North, 540 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. (847) 367-7970. www.dancenter-north.com. June 11-July 28: Summer session of dance and singing classes, plus special camps and workshops, for children ages 3-5. Offerings include Story Book Ballet, Ballerina Dreams Camp, The Singing Teddy Bear’s Picnic, and Try Me Trio of ballet, tap and singing. Also offering workshops for students in grades 2-12, including “Mix it Up,” featuring ballet, jazz, and modern dance styles; and classes in jazz dance, tap, audition skills, ballet and more.

Highland Park Players offer Broadway-style tap dancing classes taught by the group’s choreographer, Jennifer Cupani, at West Ridge Center in Highland Park. Classes will be held from 8:30-9:30 p.m. April 30, May 7 and May 21; and 11 a.m.-noon May 5 and May 19. Prior tap experience is helpful, but not necessary. Classes are open to anyone 14 and older and will not be taught in a linear manner, so those interested can join the series at any point. Cost is $15 per class, per person; or $60 per person for all five classes by registering online at www.highlandparkplayers.com. Payment can also be made before each class in person by cash or check only.

Rich Burnett’s Sunday Afternoon Ballroom Tea Dances, 1-4 p.m. May 13 and 27 in the Dance Academy of Libertyville building, 746 Park Ave. (Route 176 ), Libertyville. $5 per person.

Shoreline Dance Club plays recorded music for easy ballroom dancing in the Stuart Community Room of the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. Lessons are given by professional instructors Bob and Penny Urbon at 7:30 p.m., followed by an evening of social dancing. Adults of all ages and dancing abilities welcome. Attire is dressy/casual. Admission per couple is $20 for members; $25 for guests. Membership is $20 per year per couple. Call (847) 816-7602 or visit www.ballroomchicago.com/shoreline.htm. May 19: Rumba.

Fairs & festivals

Antioch 885 Civic Club’s annual Spring Fest, featuring carnival rides, games and food, May 10-13 in downtown Antioch, just off Route 83. Hours are 6-10 p.m. Thursday; 6-11 p.m. Friday; 1-11 p.m. Saturday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Organizations

Shutter Bugs Camera Club meets from 7-9 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month, except December, at Volo Bog, 28478 W. Brandenburg Road, west of Highway 12 between State Routes 120 and 134, Ingleside. Meetings include how-to workshops, members’ photos and competitions. Membership is $15. Ages 13 to adult are welcome. Upcoming meeting is May 20. For information, visit www.shutterbugsofvolobog.org.

Singles

ComboSingles, open to singles 21-plus. For information about the group and upcoming events, call (847) 757-1299 or (847) 331-1066, or visit www.combosingles.org. Bowling league at 6:30 p.m. May 6 at Brunswick Zone, 10 S. Waukegan Road, Deerfield. Fee is $25, which covers pizza, drink, bowling and shoes.

Tours & outings

Cook Park Library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. (847) 362-2330. www.cooklib.org. May 3, 5-11:30 p.m.: The library hosts a bus trip to see “Jersey Boys” at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago. $50 includes ticket and deluxe motor coach transportation; $58 includes ticket, transportation and a Café Pyrenees boxed dinner. Tickets must be purchased in person and can be paid with cash or check.

Et cetera

College of Lake County, James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. (847) 543-2300. www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. April 27-28, 7:30 p.m., and April 29, 2 p.m.: The 14th annual Fear No Art, a festival of dance, drama, music, poetry and art presented by College of Lake County students, faculty and community members. The program includes original choreography by CLC students and faculty using many styles of dance, including ballet, belly dancing, jazz, hip-hop and contemporary dance. Fear No Art will also feature vocalists, a videographer, poets, pianists, and displays of visual art in the lobby. $10 general admission; $8 seniors; $4 for children under 12. “This American Life – Live!”

, a live performance from the Skirball Center at New York University, will broadcast at 7 p.m. May 10 to movie theaters nationwide, including Lincolnshire 21, 300 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, and Gurnee Cinemas 20, 6144 Grand Ave, Gurnee. The stage version of the radio show will include stories by writer David Rakoff, comedian Tig Notaro and Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington, centered on the theme “The Invisible Made Visible.” Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

Museums

Lake County Discovery Museum, located in the Lakewood Forest Preserve, Route 176, west of Fairfield Road, near Wauconda. (847) 968-3400. www.LCFPD.org. Hours are 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; and 1-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $6; $2.50 for children ages 4-17; free for children 3 and younger. Through Aug. 19: “The Blues: From the Heart and Soul,” featuring playbills and autographs, as well as the original musical instruments that created some of the most influential music in American history.

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