May 11 Saturday
Polo Area Community Theatre is presenting the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy Harvey on May 3rd, 4th, and 10th at 7pm and May 5th and 11th at 2pm at the Polo Town Hall, 117 N. Franklin, in Polo.
The affable Elwood P. Dowd has developed a life of contentment that he shares with his best friend: a 6-foot-tall pooka rabbit. But his eccentric ways are increasingly threatening to his sister’s social aspirations, and she resolves to have him committed to a sanitarium…until plans go awry and she ends up being committed instead. Winner of the 1945 Pulitzer Prize, this classic comedy challenges our assumptions of what – and who – is “normal,” and whether that’s something we want to be anyhow.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.polotheatre.org or at the door.
Rockford Fraternal Order of Eagles #392 has ‘cooked up’ another opportunity for great fun. On Saturday May 11th in the Middle Hall at 3829 11th Street, Rockford Eagles hosts a Variety Dance Party preceded by a delicious "Heartbreak Cafe" dinner.
The dance runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, and admission is free to all. Dinner - delicious and reasonably priced - will be served from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. The Trinadora Rocks band will provide live music for dancing and listening. Expect a wide variety of dance-evoking music that ranges from the 1930s to now, from line dancing to disco to waltzing to Latin. Janel Nelson, Ron Holm, John Bishoff, and Doyle Miller select from over a dozen instruments and a 500-song repertoire to accompany their vocals.
For more information phone Rockford Eagles at 815-229-3340 or contact the band at 815-979-1949 or trinadoramusic@gmail.com .
Delight in the musical genius of composers who found inspiration in the awe-inspiring landscapes of mountains, forests, and open skies. The concert opens with Brahms's famous violin concerto, featuring the incredible violinist Simone Porter. Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara's Cantus Arcticus, a concerto for birds and orchestra, is a fascinating work that explores the sounds of nature, pairing the orchestra alongside recordings of actual birds singing. Finally, be swept away by one of the most incredible works for orchestra ever written, La Mer (The Sea) by Claude Debussy. Lose yourself in the swirling waves and shimmering depths of the sea as the orchestra brings this masterpiece to life.
Billy Nation – Tribute to Billy Joel comes to the Egyptian Theatre on Saturday, May 11 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $35-$65, plus ticket fees, and may be purchased by phone at (815) 758-1225, at the Theatre Box Office or online at www.egyptiantheatre.org. The Egyptian Theatre is located at 135 North Second Street, DeKalb, Illinois 60115. The show is appropriate for all ages.
TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND(30 PLAYS in 60 Minutes) by GREG ALLEN
MAY 3 - 18, 2024
The West Side Show Room presents the longest-running show in Chicago history! Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind is an ensemble experiment in presenting "30 Plays in 60 Minutes."
Each short play is performed in random order with an interactive audience. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest.
This cult favorite is a wild ride of comic, tragic, political, personal, and abstract plays presented in a one of a kind show that will leave you shouting “GO!”
May 12 Sunday
The Human Rights Authority is the investigative branch of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, a state agency that is dedicated to advocating for the rights of citizens with disabilities in Illinois. The Human Rights Authority investigates alleged violations of the rights of persons with disabilities by providers of services. The agency is unique in its use of citizen volunteers to conduct these investigations and make corrective recommendations. As such, Regional Authorities are always seeking to fill vacancies as they occur as well as maintain a pool of potential volunteer members for times when the need arises.
If you feel that you, or someone you know, has had their rights violated by a disability service provider or if you would like to volunteer to participate in the Northwest regional board, located in Champaign, please visit the website at gac.il.gov or call the statewide intake at 1-866-274-8023.
CHILDREN NEEDED FOR AUTISM RESEARCH STUDY EXPLORING COORDINATION AND BALANCE AT NIU
Children between 3 and 12 years of age with and without a diagnosis of autism are eligible to participate. Children will engage in a variety of motor tasks, such as pulling a string, repeating a spoken sentence, or walking on a straight line. Entire study takes about one-hour. Children will receive a small toy.
Interested? Please complete an interest form by going to https://www.niu.edu/huskieslab/participate/index.shtml, emailing huskieslab@niu.edu, or calling The Human Speech Kinematics Experimental Studies (HUSKIES) Lab at 815-753-5211.
Questions? Please reach out to Allison Gladfelter, PhD, CCC-SLP, agladfelter@niu.edu, or Doug Wallace, PhD, at dwallace@niu.edu.
Our research lab is located in the NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic DeKalb, IL 60115.
Join us for a celebration of art and creativity at The Morton Arboretum on Mother’s Day weekend as Morton Arboretum Photographic Society (MAPS) artists showcase over 140 nature-inspired, fine art photographs. The exhibit includes landscapes, animals, plants, trees, seas and skies captured at The Morton Arboretum and other local and international locations. Cards, tabletop images, books and matted prints are also available. Most of the artwork can be purchased from the artist following the exhibit. The exhibit is free with a membership or paid admission to The Morton Arboretum.
Artists' Ensemble Theater of Rockford presents "Annabella in July," a new romantic comedy by Richard Strand that will have you laughing and guessing what will happen next from start to finish, May 9-26 in Rockford University's Cheek Theatre.
Vanessa and Bryan are on vacation but have lost their way in the mountains. They are relieved to find a ski lodge where they can grab a bite and ask directions. However, to their utter bewilderment, everyone there recognizes Vanessa. How could they mistake glamorous, dazzling Anabella who visits every January?
Before she quite realizes, Vanessa drops her protests that she’s only a librarian from Nebraska and embraces her own magical powers in this delightful, fantastical romantic comedy from the playwright of "Ben Butler."
May 13 Monday