By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing
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Event date: 3/23/2018 8:30 PM - 3/25/2018 3:00 PM Export event
By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing
Don Gingold
/ Categories: Past Shows

By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing

A Musical Revue Celebrating the Illinois Bicentennial

All 2018 shows have to do with Illinois since it's our 200th Birthday, and we start the season with a musical revue conceived and directed by our own Cynthia Lauren-Grant.

Dive deep into the rich history and culture of the 21st state, our home, Illinois, as Summer Place Theatre brings you an original musical revue named after the state song, “By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing,” arranged by our own Cynthia Lauren-Grant.

The 2-hour program walks you through our origins, our role in the wars, the underground railroad, the presidents from our state, and will highlight Chicago and its fame through songs and narration by a dozen talented community members: joining Cynthia are Noreen Emerson and her son Ian from Naperville, Cindi Erickson from nearby Romeoville, Tracy Kay from Wheaton, Robert Cappetta of Clarendon Hills, Jennifer Pollock of Riverside, Chris Roe and Lisa Wukitsch of Geneva and Daniel Ewen of Ottawa. Accompanying the singers are Joline Bastounes of Woodridge on keyboard and Kyle Markwell of Napervillle on drums.

There’s something for everyone in this show, filled with old favorites as well as modern tunes and even TV jingles. Illinois has such a rich history, and Chicago, the Second City, the City of Big Shoulders has given so much to the world that a big part of the show is devoted to it.

Hear “Indian Love Song”, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” among many others as we celebrate our role in the growth of our country. Hear “My Kind of Town”, hits from the band Chicago, and don’t forget the Blues Brothers! We sure didn’t.

Celebrate the many famous people with history in Illinois in sports, politics, television like Ziegfeld, Disney, Belushi, Hemingway, Hefner, Heston, Turkel and Benny; Frank Lloyd Wright, Montgomery Ward, Harrison Ford and Oprah!

Did you know the Ferris Wheel is an Illinois invention? We’re singing about that too!

There are only 3 chances to see this show, and we’ve set the price at $5 below our regular adult price, so everybody pays $15. If you buy a season ticket to our summer shows by March 23, you can see this show for free! 

Seating is limited - only 230 seats in the house each performance - so we may sell out. Get your tickets now!

Show Dates and Times:

Click on your preferred performance to buy tickets.

 Friday, March 23, 7:30pm

 Saturday, March 24, 7:30pm

 Sunday, March 25, 2:00pm

By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing will be performed at Naperville Central High School Little Theatre. Enter the school grounds off Aurora Rd at the traffic light in front of the school. Upon entering the school lot, turn left. Enter the Little Theatre at Door #3.

The Cast


Robert Cappetta

Bob Cappetta is an emeritus mathematics professor at College of DuPage.  He has performed in Summer Place productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Reuben), Oklahoma (Ensemble) and Nine-to-Five (Dick).  He participated with Summer Place Singers in the musical revues "Music and the Movies" and "Jinglemania."  In addition he has sung in Summer Place's two most recent Christmas shows. Bob thoroughly enjoys the experience of working with a team to bring a production to the stage.

 


Ian Emerson

Ian has sung with the Summer Place Singers on a number of occasions and we're happy to have him back in this show. There may be a family resemblance with fellow performer Noreen; he's her son. Come hear him sing that toddling tune "Chicago," and many others.


Noreen Emerson

Noreen Emerson is a Sales Compensation Designer/Manager and was a Board Member of Summer Place from 2012 to 2015. She’s co-produced Oklahoma! (2013) and produced The Desk Set (2014), but she’s also been on stage. Noreen was The Lady in the Blue Suit in The Desk Set (2014), the Summer Place Theatre Cabaret (2015) and part of the Summer Place Singers since 2015.


Cindi Erickson

Cindi Erickson is a mortgage underwriter to feed her family and an artist to feed her soul. Cindi was in the ensemble of Oklahoma! (2013), played Missy in Nine to Five (2014) and has been in several of our Summer Place Singer Cabarets. Cindi has also been on the Summer Place Board of Directors, and produced Nine to Five (2014) and William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead in 2015.


Daniel Ewen

Daniel Ewen is a music teacher. He has been a Summer Place Singer for several years.


Cynthia Lauren-Grant

Cynthia has been on the Summer Place Theatre’s Board of Directors since 1993, after portraying Peter in SPT’s production of “Peter Pan.” Her son Corin, then 5 years old, played Skeeter, one of the Lost Boys. Cynthia and Corin vowed to be the greatest Mother & Son team in theatrical history, or at least in Summer Place Theatre’s history, and went on to performed in “The Music Man” (1994) as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn and a Boy’s Band member, members of the Mission Band in “Guys and Dolls” (1995), “Annie Get Your Gun” (1996) as Dolly Tate and a Townsperson, and “Barnum” (2006) as Barnum’s Museum Guide and the Barker/Stiltwalker. Cynthia was also seen in SPT’s production of “Into the Woods” as Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/Giant’s Wife, as well as the Woman in “A Defenseless Creature” from The Good Doctor,” and Mrs. Stanley in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” Corin was seen in SPT’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” as Officer Klein.

Cynthia has served as Musical Director for SPT’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and is currently SPT’s House Manager and the founder/manager of SPT’s Summer Place Singers, who perform as goodwill ambassadors throughout the community. She is a retired vocal/general music teacher with the Naperville schools, and is pursuing a voiceover career.


Tracy Kay

Tracy Kay is a teacher at district 25 in La Grange. Tracy was in the ensemble of Oklahoma! (2013) and played Kathy in Nine to Five (2014) and is a regular in the Summer Place Singers.


Jennifer Pollock

Jennifer is thrilled to be joining this group for the first time, having previously acted with Tracy Kay at Fox Country Players and Westchester Civic Theatre.  Jennifer wishes to thank her cast mates and especially Cynthia Grant for making her feel welcome.  Other theatre groups where Jennifer has performed include North Riverside Players and Rising Stars.  Besides community theatre, Jennifer enjoys singing with her church choir and spending time with her teenaged kids and husband.


Chris Roe

Christopher Roe has spent the last 12 years in higher education, working as a professor and academic dean for business and management. Chris has been in previous Summer Place productions. This is his third year singing in the Summer Place Singers, plus he was Richard in "The Desk Set”.  Outside our troop, he was Max in "Lend Me a Tenor", Nick in "Over the River and Through the Woods", and Jafar in "Aladdin,” directed musicals such as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "Pinnochio" and enjoys performing improv.


Lisa Wukitsch

Lisa Wukitsch is a music teach in district 203 and was a Board Member of SummerPlace for many years. She produced Ghost Stories in the Park in the Dark for Summer Place but she’s also been on stage. She was Poppy in Nine to Five (2014) and part of the Summer Place Singers since 2006.


Ed Green — Narrator

 

 

The Band

Joline Bastounes — keyboard

Josh Cervanka of Naperville — bass

Joshua Cervenka is a senior at North Central College, majoring in Music and Jazz Studies. He has been interested in playing music since joining choir in middle school. In high school he picked up the guitar and the bass guitar and has not looked back.  After high school, Josh went to COD to study jazz and classical music. Since 2010, he has being teaching music to a variety of students all over the Chicago suburbs and performing and recording with different jazz and rock groups in the Chicago suburbs.

Kyle Markwell — drums

Kyle is so excited to be part of another Summer Place production! When not here he is the Director of Contemporary Music at Community UMC here in Naperville, a freelance musician in Chicago land, and an instructor at the Clarendon Hills Music Academy. He’s currently the Music Director for Naperville Community Players’ Production of “Just So” coming out this April! "Thanks to all my extremely supportive friends and family!"

 

The Crew

Lighting / Sound: Jeff Sand

Teleprompter: Matt Erickson

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