Along with our listings of usual and incredible music shows around town this week, we have an apology to make and an award to give. In last week’s Best of Springfield issue we inadvertently left out the category of Best Venue (Big) in the Arts and Entertainment section (sorry). Let it be known that the very beautiful and highly functional Sangamon Auditorium came in first, with runners-up being Prairie Capital Convention Center and the State Fair Grandstand (congratulations).
Predominantly known to us as the area’s dedicated venue for national touring musicals, music acts, theater, comedians, shows of exceptional interest and other featured performances of good taste, Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of University of Illinois Springfield, hosts many other events. Home of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company as well as class acts for school and community programs, the venue also presents special dinners before certain shows and other activities that enhance the outreach of the esteemed auditorium. Last spring the staff received a coveted grant from the National Endowment for Arts to “support a multidisciplinary performing arts series” featuring “art forms such as traditional music, rock, jazz, chamber orchestra, dance and theater” along with workshops and outreach programs whenever possible.
This fine work is made possible by the stellar staff and the staff is a reflection of the dedicated director, Bob Vaughn. With some 40 years in the business of producing show business, Vaughn brings insight and prudence to a field easily swayed by current trends. No mention of the Sangamon Auditorium would be complete without a thank you of encore proportions to the incredible volunteer staff of some 200 members. These are those wearers of the red jackets, reading your tickets and leading you to your seats, keeping mayhem to a minimum during the coming and going of several thousand event-goers during a performance.
Since the auditorium opened on Feb. 21, 1991, the amount of quality entertainment brought to our community is truly staggering and immeasurably influential in raising the level of artistic awareness and enjoyment in central Illinois. Thanks for that, and for many more years of bringing on the shows. Congratulations to the Sangamon Auditorium for winning the Illinois Times Best of Springfield award for Best Venue (Big) for 2015.
In other area entertainment news, Urbana presents the Champaign-Urbana Folk & Roots Festival, Nov. 5, 6 and 7. In the seventh season of this all-volunteer run festival, the kickoff night begins Thursday at the Krannert Center and continues through the weekend at various venues in downtown Urbana. The festival focuses on creative ways and means of roots and folk music, with family-friendly daytime activities plus shows in the bars at night.
Longtime area musician and performer Al Kitchen commences a Thursday “special guest” night this week at Charlie R’s Steak House. I’m honored to be Al’s first guest, with Bruce Baise up next week, then Bad Bill Robinson and many more to come, including Lowder and Manning. The gig starts about 7, guests play at 7:30 and Al finishes off the night.
Our good friends at Dr. Ugs in Virginia (Cass County seat, by the way) host a Speakeasy Night on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the Frank Trompeter Quartet supplying entertainment. Expect secret messages (swordfish), Prohibition-era drinks (no bathtub gin, please) and delicious food. Appropriate era costumes would be considered fun. Look ahead to next weekend and check out Harpeth Rising and ISO String Quartet at the Paris-Belle House concert series.
Remember November.
