North Central College presents three summer musicals, starring local talent

North Central College presents three musicals this summer—“Seussical,” “Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates (and Piracy)” and “Oklahoma!”—starring local talent in the cast and crew.

“Our summer theatre program is a family affair for the audience and the actors who return year after year,” said Brian Lynch, North Central College fine arts director. “We have little ones who are interested in the fun of being on stage with their friends, high school and college students wanting to pursue this for a career, and members of the community with theatre in their past who view these shows as an avocation rather than a vocation.”

The summer lineup starts with the fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza “Seussical.” Six performances will be staged at 7:30 p.m. June 24-25 and July 1-2 and at 2 p.m. June 26 and July 3 in North Central’s Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Susan Craig-Olsen is director and choreographer and Ross Berkeley, a 2005 North Central graduate in choral music education, gives musical direction. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many “thinks.”
 
North Central’s Summer Light Opera presents “Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates (and Piracy)” with six shows at 7:30 p.m. July 8-9 and 14-16 and at 2 p.m. July 10 in the College’s theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. Director Matt Boresi and music director Jeordano Martinez present this delightful reframing of the classic comic operetta “The Pirates of Penzance.” Along with the timeless score comes the hilarious story of how this immortal music-comedy came to be.

“Oklahoma!” by legendary team Rodgers and Hammerstein is the final musical of the summer. Directed by Lynch with musical direction by Ali Kordelewski, a 2012 North Central graduate in choral and instrumental education, this landmark production will be staged at 7:30 p.m. July 29-30 and Aug. 5-6 and at 2 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 7 in Pfeiffer Hall. Set in a Western Indian territory after the turn of the 20th century, Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story.

Tickets for all three shows are $18/adults and $12/students and senior citizens; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.