Arts and entertainment calendar for May 17

Updated: May 15, 2012 9:43PM

Stage

“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.

“The Last Five Years” will be presented by Liberty Town Productions at 7:30 p.m. May 18-19 and 25-26 at Austin’s Fuel Room, 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville. The all-sung story explores a five-year relationship between a rising novelist and a struggling actress. Dinner-theatre tickets are $35 (buffet, soft drinks and tip included); theatre-only tickets are $20. Dinner will be served from 6-7 p.m. Doors open for theatre-only ticket holders at 7 p.m. Visit www.libertytownproductions.com.

“Hero,” the story of a talented young artist and comic book illustrator living anything but a superhero life, June 20-Aug. 19 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: $40-$48, 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.

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

“Lend Me a Tenor” will be presented by Kirk Players at 7:30 p.m. June 8-9 and 2 p.m. June 9 at Mundelein High School Theatre, 1350 W. Hawley St. Tickets: $14; $12 students and seniors; $7 for children under 12. Visit www.kirkplayers.org or call (847) 521-6192.

“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

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.

Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Alan Heatherington, performs at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the College of Lake County campus in Grayslake. All concerts begin at 8 p.m.; pre-concert talks by musicologist Jim Kendros at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32-$54, with discounts for senior citizens and students. For tickets, call (847) 295-2135 or visit www.lakeforestsymphony.org. May 19: “Beethoven Fest,” with guest artists Ilya Kaler, violin, Alon Goldstein, piano, and Amit Peled, cello.

Midwest Young Artists Center, 878 Lyster Road, Highwood. (847) 926-9898. www.mya.org. May 19, 7 p.m.: Music at The Fort Concert Series features Molly Yeh, percussion, and Doug Rosenthal, trombone. Free.

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. June 2: The Usuals. June 8: Badfish in a tribute to Sublime, with Trigger Fish. June 15, 9 p.m.: Dirge Within with Skinwalker and Wing of Severance. June 16, 7 p.m.: Crossfade with Weaving the Fate and Candlelight Red. June 26, 8 p.m.: Puddle of Mudd. 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 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. Nov. 2, 8 p.m.: A cappella group Straight No Chaser — “#SNCLIVE Tour.” $29.50-$49.50.

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. 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. May 19: Joe Jencks.

Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. www.viper-alley.com. (866) 463-3401. Shows are for ages 21-plus, unless noted otherwise. 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. July 3, 8 p.m.: Victor Wooten with Spare Parts, $20-$50. July 11, 8 p.m.: Edwin McCain, $20-$50. July 13, 8 p.m.: John Parr with Sam Llanas, $15-$35. July 14, 9 p.m.: The Prince Experience, $15-$30. July 28, 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.: Contemporary vocalist Linda Eder presents her “Songbirds” show. $30-$75. July 31: 1960s English pop band The Zombies with Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent. $30-$70.

Art galleries

American Society of Botanical Artists Reed-Turner Artists’ Circle and the Long Grove-Kildeer Garden Club present the seventh annual Botanical Art Exhibition and Plant Sale from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 19-20 at the Reed-Turner Woodland and Nature Preserve, 3849 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove. Call (847) 438-4743 or visit www.reedturnerbotanicalartists.net.

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. May 18-June 29: “Here Comes Trouble,” an exhibit of 23 works by Chicago painter Bill Frederick. Frederick uses simple materials of brush, ink, watercolor and paper, and his work expresses his preoccupations with friends and family, history, geography, and a nagging sense of dread. An opening reception will be held from 7-9 p.m. May 18, featuring music by the Rick Embach and Jim Seidel duo.

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.

The Highland Park Art Walk, a juried exhibition of artwork by Illinois artists displayed in downtown Highland Park shops and businesses, will be held June 1-30. Meet the Artists Day, 2-4 p.m. June 16, will feature participating artists at their display locations. Party with the Artists, an awards ceremony and silent auction, will be held from 4-6 p.m. June 16 at Blue Rose Gallery, 667 Central Ave., Highland Park. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.highlandparkartwalk.org or call (847) 440-6542.

Jack Benny Center for the Arts in Bowen Park, 39 Jack Benny Drive, Waukegan. (847) 360-4741. Hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Fridays; and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Through May 21: Lake County Art League Spring Members’ Show, featuring 41 pieces of art created by local artists in a variety of mediums, including 37 paintings, three photographs and one clay piece. A critique and reception will be held at 7 p.m. May 21.

Lake Forest Senior Center, 100 E. Old Mill Road, Lake Forest. (847) 234-2209. Through June 14: Kay Thomas, Highland Park artist and teacher, will exhibit watercolor and sumi paintings. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Re-invent gallery, 202 E. Wisconsin Ave., Lake Forest. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays; Sundays by appointment. E-mail reinventlf@gmail.com. May 19-June 22: Multi-media art show of works by the McMahon family of artists. The show includes watercolor paintings, sculptures, glasswork, neons, metalcraft and other media by six members of the family, all Lake Forest natives.

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 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. An artist’s reception is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. June 16.

Auditions & Opportunities

Auditions for “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 21-22 in the College of Lake County’s Studio Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Seeking singer/actors, age 13 and older. Those auditioning should prepare one minute of a song from “Sweeney Todd.” A piano accompanist will be provided. Actors need only attend one night of auditions and should bring an acting resume, if available. Callbacks will be held from 6:30-10 p.m. 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.

Highland Park Players will hold auditions for “42nd Street” from 1:30-4 p.m. June 2 and 7-9:30 p.m. June 4 at West Ridge Center, 636 Ridge Road, Highland Park. All roles are available for ages 14 and older. Actors should prepare 32 bars of a song to sing and come ready to tap dance and do cold readings. Rehearsals begin Aug. 6, with production dates Oct. 12-27 at the Northbrook Theatre. For information, visit www.highlandparkplayers.com.

Chicago Master Singers will hold vocal auditions for the 2012-13 season Aug. 9, 14, 16 and 21 in Palatine. Dedicated singers are invited to call (877) 825-5267 or send an e-mail to cms.information@gmail.com to make an audition appointment. CMS is a 130-voice ensemble directed by Alan Heatherington featuring singers from throughout the Chicago area. The ensemble will perform this season with the Ars Viva Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony. For details, visit www.chicagomastersingers.org.

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.

Highland Park Poetry invites amateur, semi-professional and professional poets of all ages who live, work or go to school in Illinois to submit original poetry not to exceed 30 lines for the Prairie State Poetry Contest 2012. There is no theme or structure required. Cash prizes are $100 for first place, $50 for second place, $25 for third place. There is a reading fee of $3 per poem; limit five poems. Poets will receive their awards at a contest reading on July 13 at The Art Center of Highland Park. Send poem(s) as text in the body of an e-mail to Jennifer@highlandparkpoetry.org, and put “Prairie State Poetry Contest 2012” in the subject line of the e-mail. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. June 8.

Benefits

Citadel Theatre Company will hold its 10th anniversary gala, “Copacabana,” from 7 p.m.-midnight June 8 at the Greenbelt Cultural Center, 1215 Green Bay Road, North Chicago. The evening includes dinner, dancing to music by the Robert Cole Orchestra, and door prizes. $125 per person. To RSVP, call (847) 735-8554 or visit www.citadeltheatre.org.

Books & poetry

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. 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.

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.

Deer Path Art League, located in the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 234-3743. www.deerpathartleague.org. Summer Art Camp, for grades K-8, meets from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Fee is $150 per week, which includes all materials. June 11-14: Painting & Drawing with O’Keefe. June 18-21: Painting & Expression with Kandinsky. June 25-28: Painting & Collage with Beardin. July 2-5: Painting with Rausenberg. July 9-12: Illustration & Books. July 16-19: Assemblage Like Joseph Cornell.

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.

“Pridelands” will be presented by students ages 8-18 of Christian Youth Theater through May 20 at the Christian Arts Auditorium, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive, Zion. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Recommended for all ages. Tickets: $9-$12 in advance; $11-$14 at the door. Call (847) 516-2298 or visit www.cytchicago.org.

Dance

Dancenter North presents its annual Spring Showcase Collection performance, “On the Cover,” at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at the College of Lake County’s James Lumber Theatre, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake, featuring the Dancenter North Ballet Company, Soul-2-Soles Tap Company and Upstairs Jazz Company. The performance also includes special guests from Junior Encore Theatre. Tickets: $12-$18. Call (847) 367-7970 or visit www.dancenter-north.com.

Ballroom Chicago North Shore Dance, 8-11 p.m. May 26 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 11 a.m.-noon May 19 and8:30-9:30 p.m. May 21. 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. Visit www.highlandparkplayers.com.

Rich Burnett’s Sunday Afternoon Ballroom Tea Dance, 1-4 p.m. May 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

Artists on the Bluff will sponsor an art show from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 23-24 on the village green in Lake Bluff. Orginal artwork on display and for sale will include paintings, drawings, jewelry, sculpture and pottery. There will also be vendors offering refreshments, live musical entertainment, a children’s tent, and opportunities for visitors to participate in sketching and figure drawing. For information, call (847) 735-0620 or (847) 650-2125.

Film

Grayslake Area Public Library, 100 Library Lane. (847) 223-5313. www.grayslake.info. May 18, 6:30 p.m.: Alfred Hitchcock Film Series features “To Catch a Thief,” starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

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.

Workshops & classes

Deer Path Art League, located in the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 234-3743. www.deerpathartleague.org. Spring and summer classes include Fearless Watercolor, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesdays, May 23-June 27; Painting — Start from Where You Are, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 29-July 3; Etching & Printmaking, 9 a.m.-noon Wednesdays, May 30-July 11; Realistic Watercolor, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursdays, May 31-July 5; Pastel Painting, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, May 31-July 5; Introduction to the New Acrylics, 9:30 a.m.-noon June 2; Drawing and Painting, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays, June 4-July 9; Landscape Painting, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, June 9-July 28; How to Start in Watercolor — The Basics, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 16; Abstract Painting, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. June 29-Aug. 17.

Kirk Players will present free children’s and adult theatre workshops, June 11-July 30 at Mundelein High School. To register, visit www.kirkplayers.org. For information, e-mail Paddy Lynn at paddy@kirkplayers.org.

Et cetera

Short Story Theatre, a newly formed story-telling troupe of local writers and actors, will perform at 7 p.m. May 30 at Vibe at 1935, 1935 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. Performers include Susan Block and Rick Leslie of Highland Park, Donna Lubow of Riverwoods, and Benita Haberman of Vernon Hills. No cover. Call (847) 432-6663 to reserve a table.

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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