Community Calendar

As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie Brock, Deputy Mayor of New York City, seems to have just shot himself through the ear. Now he lies bleeding in the master bedroom and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions, cover-ups, miscommunications, and rumors mount, the evening spirals into a classic farce. Neil Simon is the renowned master of American comedy. In Rumors he shows how even the rich and famous can be driven to ridiculous behavior when confronted with a possible scandal or even the “rumor” of a scandal. “Rumors” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Retired couple Ethel and Norman Thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, in the woods of Maine.

Their delightful summer routine–fishing, picking strawberries, enjoying old mementos, listening to the loons call–is given a bitterly comedic edge by Norman’s unreliable memory and cantankerously morbid statements.

When their daughter Chelsea visits for Norman’s 80th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s teenage son, Billy Jr., the whole family must come to grips with Norman and Chelsea’s mutual bitterness, while Norman blossoms with his chance to mentor young Billy.

The turbulent relationship between father and daughter, the generation gap between young and old, and the difficulties of a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, all combine in a play that effortlessly illustrates the hilarious, heartbreaking, human moments of which life is made.

The musical, Paint Your Wagon, opens this weekend, April 17-19, at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove Theatre in Mt. Morris, IL. Performed by the Mt. Morris Performing Arts Guild (PAG), Paint Your Wagon is a Broadway musical that blends the rugged spirit of the American frontier with humor, romance, and memorable music. Premiering in 1951, the musical was written by the celebrated songwriting team of Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). The surprisingly different screen version of Paint Your Wagon premiered in 1969, featuring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. A revival of the musical that remained truer to the original script occurred in 2015. The PAG production you will see this weekend is based on the revival of 2015.

Paint Your Wagon is directed by Mt. Morris native, Beth Nelson Chase, and features local actors from Mt. Morris, Oregon, Forreston and more. Reserved tickets are now available for purchase through the PAG website, www.performingartsguild.com or by calling 815-734-2103. Adult tickets are $20 each; student price is $18 each. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, which opens 30 minutes before each performance. The Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:00 PM; the Sunday matinee starts at 2:00 PM.

As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie Brock, Deputy Mayor of New York City, seems to have just shot himself through the ear. Now he lies bleeding in the master bedroom and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions, cover-ups, miscommunications, and rumors mount, the evening spirals into a classic farce. Neil Simon is the renowned master of American comedy. In Rumors he shows how even the rich and famous can be driven to ridiculous behavior when confronted with a possible scandal or even the “rumor” of a scandal. “Rumors” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Retired couple Ethel and Norman Thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, in the woods of Maine.

Their delightful summer routine–fishing, picking strawberries, enjoying old mementos, listening to the loons call–is given a bitterly comedic edge by Norman’s unreliable memory and cantankerously morbid statements.

When their daughter Chelsea visits for Norman’s 80th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s teenage son, Billy Jr., the whole family must come to grips with Norman and Chelsea’s mutual bitterness, while Norman blossoms with his chance to mentor young Billy.

The turbulent relationship between father and daughter, the generation gap between young and old, and the difficulties of a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, all combine in a play that effortlessly illustrates the hilarious, heartbreaking, human moments of which life is made.

Retired couple Ethel and Norman Thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, in the woods of Maine.

Their delightful summer routine–fishing, picking strawberries, enjoying old mementos, listening to the loons call–is given a bitterly comedic edge by Norman’s unreliable memory and cantankerously morbid statements.

When their daughter Chelsea visits for Norman’s 80th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s teenage son, Billy Jr., the whole family must come to grips with Norman and Chelsea’s mutual bitterness, while Norman blossoms with his chance to mentor young Billy.

The turbulent relationship between father and daughter, the generation gap between young and old, and the difficulties of a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, all combine in a play that effortlessly illustrates the hilarious, heartbreaking, human moments of which life is made.

The musical, Paint Your Wagon, opens this weekend, April 17-19, at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove Theatre in Mt. Morris, IL. Performed by the Mt. Morris Performing Arts Guild (PAG), Paint Your Wagon is a Broadway musical that blends the rugged spirit of the American frontier with humor, romance, and memorable music. Premiering in 1951, the musical was written by the celebrated songwriting team of Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). The surprisingly different screen version of Paint Your Wagon premiered in 1969, featuring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. A revival of the musical that remained truer to the original script occurred in 2015. The PAG production you will see this weekend is based on the revival of 2015.

Paint Your Wagon is directed by Mt. Morris native, Beth Nelson Chase, and features local actors from Mt. Morris, Oregon, Forreston and more. Reserved tickets are now available for purchase through the PAG website, www.performingartsguild.com or by calling 815-734-2103. Adult tickets are $20 each; student price is $18 each. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, which opens 30 minutes before each performance. The Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:00 PM; the Sunday matinee starts at 2:00 PM.

As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie Brock, Deputy Mayor of New York City, seems to have just shot himself through the ear. Now he lies bleeding in the master bedroom and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions, cover-ups, miscommunications, and rumors mount, the evening spirals into a classic farce. Neil Simon is the renowned master of American comedy. In Rumors he shows how even the rich and famous can be driven to ridiculous behavior when confronted with a possible scandal or even the “rumor” of a scandal. “Rumors” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Retired couple Ethel and Norman Thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, in the woods of Maine.

Their delightful summer routine–fishing, picking strawberries, enjoying old mementos, listening to the loons call–is given a bitterly comedic edge by Norman’s unreliable memory and cantankerously morbid statements.

When their daughter Chelsea visits for Norman’s 80th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s teenage son, Billy Jr., the whole family must come to grips with Norman and Chelsea’s mutual bitterness, while Norman blossoms with his chance to mentor young Billy.

The turbulent relationship between father and daughter, the generation gap between young and old, and the difficulties of a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, all combine in a play that effortlessly illustrates the hilarious, heartbreaking, human moments of which life is made.

As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie Brock, Deputy Mayor of New York City, seems to have just shot himself through the ear. Now he lies bleeding in the master bedroom and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions, cover-ups, miscommunications, and rumors mount, the evening spirals into a classic farce. Neil Simon is the renowned master of American comedy. In Rumors he shows how even the rich and famous can be driven to ridiculous behavior when confronted with a possible scandal or even the “rumor” of a scandal. “Rumors” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com