Pavarotti Remembered

A Ravinia patron sent the following e-mail today:

Does anyone remember when Luciano performed at Ravina? we were talking
about him today at work and I was telling someone I remembered taking my Mom
on a beautiful night to Ravina to see him, and they told me they were there
as well, it was he and his wife's first date. Such a wonderful evening
all of us had, but we can't remember when it was! I just know it was a
long time ago : )


Pavarotti’s Ravinia credits are as follows:

Edward Gordon (Ravinia's executive director) and Ardis Krainik (Lyric Opera's general director) welcoming him here at O'Hare in 1983

His benefit performance in 1983 with conductor Bruno Bartoletti and the Lyric Opera Orchestra

Sept. 3, 1983-- post-season benefit concert

June 14, 1988-- pre-season benefit recital

Ravinia Gala in 1991 with Kathleen Battle and the CSO led by Ravinia Music Director James Levine

June 21, 1991-- Gala Benefit concert performance of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore

He was also scheduled to do a Gala Benefit concert performance of Puccini’s Tosca in 1995, but cancelled at the last minute.

John Schauer
Associate Director of Communications, Publications

Ravinia Experience 2007 Contest

Got a favorite memory of attending Ravinia this summer you'd like to share? Send it to webmaster@ravinia.org for a chance to win a prize. Whether it's meeting that someone special, enjoying a great night of music or picnicking under the stars, we'd like to hear from you. Entry must be received by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, September 5.

Gipsy Kings, Friday, August 17

Friday night’s Gipsy Kings show at Ravinia proved to be one of the peaks of the season. The Gipsy Kings, hailing from the South of France, brought out Chicagoland and beyond as they churned out two hours of world music hits. The lawn came alive as always but this time with patrons demonstrating their best flamenco and salsa moves. Every concrete surface in the park was at once converted into a vibrant dance floor. The party extended to the Pavilion, where Gipsy Kings front man, Nicolas Reyes, brought hands together and crowds to their feet-- ¡Levantemonos! There was no lack of crowd interaction—I even found myself answering, “¡Bien!” to Nicolas Reyes’ frequent question “¿Cómo están ustedes?” Having never seen the Gipsy Kings live before their Aug. 17 performance, it was such an amazing sight to see them here at Ravinia—and the crowds they drew were no less entertaining.

Farah Ansari
Communications Intern

Gala Benefit Evening

Caroline Huebner, Audrey Rubinstein, and Jane Casper

Caroline Huebner, Jane Casper, James Conlon, Ana Maria Martinez, Plácido Domingo, and Audrey Rubinstein

Inside the tent

Zarin Mehta, Carmen Mehta, and Welz Kauffman

Welz Kauffman, Mamie Case, and Greg Case

Judy Lavin and Michael Lavin

On August 4 the Ravinia Festival held its annual Gala Benefit Evening hosted by the Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival. Having never been to an event like this, I was excited and anxious about what to expect. I didn’t realize how many people and how much work it took to pull off such a large event. My task that evening was to work with one of the photographers and document all the people in his pictures. From this perspective, I was able to see the event from every angle. The Gala was a great success, with magnificent performances by Plácido Domingo, Ana María Martínez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ravinia Music Director James Conlon.

Crystal Globe Award Goes To Conlon!

Left to right: Jennifer Ringo, James Conlon, Audrey and Michael Rubinstein

After a wonderful performance of Alexander Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid" by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by our music director James Conlon, the Anti-Defamation League honored Conlon at a post concert dinner for his efforts championing the works of composers silenced by The Third Reich, giving him the Crystal Globe Award. The State of Illinois also issued a proclamation to congratulate Conlon on being honored by the ADL and he received personal congratulatory letters from Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Richard Durbin, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. General Chairs for the dinner were Audrey and Michael Rubinstein. Congratulations, James!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications

Sculpture Highlights from Ravinia

Sculpture Highlights from RaviniaA gift from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mayer of Winnetka, IL, Sorel Etrog’s Survivors Are Not Heroes joined the Ravinia Festival’s south lawn in 1991. Like many of Etrog’s sculptures, Survivors attempts to communicate the tensions and interactions between man and machine. Though Survivors is made of bronze, Etrog has often tried to make the medium the message, as his one-time collaborator, Marshall McLuhan, would say. Etrog also worked with wood, bolts and screws, hinges, and steel constructions.

Farah Ansari
Communications Intern

Romance at Ravinia

In August of 1995, my fiancé George and I went to Ravinia to see George
Benson perform. It was a beautiful summer night although a bit chilly
in the evening. After dinner, George asked for his jacket and I'm
thinking "he's never cold". He proceeded to take a box out of the
jacket pocket and there it was: A beautiful diamond ring! On his knee
he went and proposed that evening to me! We had a fabulous night and
people sitting around us applauded and took pictures. We bought that
year's poster to commemorate the event and it is still hanging in our
home. On the bus ride to our car, I went around showing everyone and
again applause and good wishes were bestowed upon us. We had a
wonderful evening and every year when we go to Ravinia, we take a walk
around the park and visit "our spot" and reminisce about that evening.
Ravinia has always been our most favorite place to go each season and
now it's even more special to us.

Linda Van Geem
Ravinia Patron

Do you have a story to share about your favorite Ravinia memory? E-mail it to webmaster@ravinia.org.

Albin Polasek's "Elizabeth"

The sculptures located throughout the Ravinia Festival have complex histories and stunning features. My personal favorite among these works of art is a subtle yet remarkable sculpture. “Elizabeth” is a beautifully sculpted bronze statue located on the northeast section of the Ravinia Festival lawn. Created by Czech artist Albin Polasek, “Elizabeth” reveals the free spirited air that children possess. It expresses fluidity and motion with its smooth lines and curves and polished surface. What is most fascinating is that Polasek created this work in 1956, after he had suffered from a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body. Sculpting such an exquisite work of art with one hand is an achievement that evokes amazement among spectators. The Ravinia Festival is honored to have such a talented artist’s creation amplifying its collection.

Juliane Chalabi
Communications Intern

Patricia Locke Jewelry

This season the Ravinia Festival has had the joy of working with Chicago native Patricia Locke, a self-taught jewelry designer who has been hand-crafting fine jewelry since the 1970s. This year she has created a line of jewelry specifically for Ravinia that features architectural elements of the festival. The inspiration for this jewelry comes from the stained glass of the Martin Theatre, which is the oldest building at Ravinia, dating back to 1904. The jewelry crafted for Ravinia ranges from necklaces to earrings to brooches. Last week Locke visited Ravinia for a signing of her stunning jewelry, which can be purchased at the Ravinia gift shop. Seeing the artist next to her work, one could understand where the creativity for each piece stems. Locke is an energetic and inspirational artist whose impeccable crafts are now a staple of this season at Ravinia.

Juliane Chalabi
Communications Intern

Steve Miller Band - July 13th

Photos by Russell Jenkins
Manager of Graphic Arts and Photography

Sunday in the Park with Mozart

Photos by Farah Ansari
Communications

Reproduced Ads - Vote Yes or No

As editor of Ravinia’s program books, I often find myself looking through past issues for historical references about the festival—for instance, a 1921 program announcing “Spectacular 7-reel Motion Picture Features, in conjunction with musical program by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.” But perhaps the best—and most amusing—reflection of the times can be found in the old advertisements. A 1927 program featured “a new ‘pick-up’ drink from Switzerland” called Ovaltine; and legendary soprano Elisabeth Rethberg plugging cigarettes (!), saying, “I think all singers recognize that Lucky Strikes are not only kind to the throat but afford the greatest enjoyment—that is why I prefer them.” Those ads are priceless, and I wonder if anyone would be interested in seeing some of them reproduced in our current program magazine.

John Schauer
Associate Director of Communications, Publications



If you are interested in seeing old ads reproduced in the program books, please e-mail webmaster@ravinia.org.

Behind The Scenes Photos

Photos by Russell Jenkins
Manager of Graphic Arts and Photography

Summer Celebration - July 1st

Gates Opened at Noon Sharp

Behind The Scenes With Architects Dirk Lohan And Michael Barnes

One of the perks of working at Ravinia Festival is access to artists, and the opportunity to look behind the curtain. Usually, it's a glimpse into the minds of musicians. But this week I had the extraordinary opportunity to tour Ravinia's new Dining Pavilion with the men who made it happen: architects Dirk Lohan and Michael Barnes. We were showing the building to Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin (whose rave review of the building appears in the July 1 edition of the Arts section).

From the instant the sledgehammer took the first blow in leveling the old Mirabelle restaurant last September, Ravinia and its cadre of artisans and workers had but nine months to clear the debris and erect a new restaurant that would afford breakthrough amenities to the festival, including its first second-story dining opportunities with views overlooking the famous lawn and the first private banquet areas, not to mention a walk-in gift shop. I watched. Sometimes curious, sometimes downright dubious, but always interested, I watched. Then when the impossible happened and this beautiful new structure opened on time with the 2007 season, I got a copy of a time-lapse video of the entire process and watched again and again and again. I thought I knew everything about this building. So it was a fun process to hear new ideas from the building's designers and reactions from the critical mind of an outside expert.

It never occurred to me that the white, round columns supporting the second floor were designed to mimic both the posts that prop up the pavilion and the stand of birch trees that guard the entry to the new building.

Who but an architect-or critic-would realize that the floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the Park View restaurant, uninterrupted by structural support, would be the only way to fully provide the best people-watching in town.

And I could have looked up at the unfinished ceiling a million times without giving thought to how the exposed ducts help provide that open, relaxed feeling Ravinia is famous for-nothing too stuffy or prissy.

I have new appreciation for Ravinia as a venue. The new dining pavilion adds to its ability to create sense of occasion while still remaining as casual as your own backyard.

Nick Pullia
Director of Communications

What A Glorious Concert!

After a 25-year absence in Chicago the Mormon Tabernacle Choir made their Ravinia debut this past Wednesday. This 310 voice choir along with the Orchestra at Temple Square which included 55 musicians performed an eclectic program of hymns, folk, music theater, and American songs to a sold-out pavilion. A special guest conductor took the stage for the last encore leading the choir in This Land is Your Land, Francis Cardinal George, eighth Archbishop of Chicago. The crowd rose to their feet, applauded and began to sing. I myself couldn’t help but sing along!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications

Latin Jazz Night Dance Contest 6/24

Age 12 and Under





Adults Advanced Competition

The Original Pin Stripe Brass Band

Scene at Ravinia

Photos by Russell Jenkins
Manager of Graphic Arts and Photography

Jazz With The Joffrey

Our staff is working hard to set the stage for tonight’s performance with Ramsey Lewis and the Joffrey Ballet. Very limited tickets remain (as of 1:30 p.m. on June 22). Get your tickets fast before they sell out! Be there to hear world-premiere work by Ramsey Lewis and see the incredible Joffrey dancers, choreographed by Donald Byrd.

The park opens at 3 and the concert begins at 8. Free pre-concert discussion with Joffrey Executive Director Jon Teewissen and Donald Byrd will be in the Martin Theatre beginning at 7 p.m. See you there!

Ravinia Still Offers the Best Sounds of Summer

If you look hard enough, you will find a few cicadas in the park. However, it is not nearly the mass amount expected to descend upon the area this year. Entomologists at the Field Museum say that the full population has emerged and what we have now is all we will get. So pop open a bottle of wine and celebrate with us on the lawn! We are out of the woods!

It’s perfect timing to come out for the Chicago premiere of the collaboration between Philip Glass and Leonard Cohen, Book of Longing. Glass was just nominated in 2006 for his score to Notes on a Scandal. Most recently, the composer wrote a multidimensional piece to pay homage to the poetry of Leonard Cohen.

This brilliant pair matches music and words for what will prove to be a highlight of the summer. Ticket-holders are invited to a post-concert reception following the performance on June 12 in the new Mirabelle restaurant. On June 13, there will be a pre-concert discussion with Philip Glass beginning at 7 p.m. in the Martin Theatre.

Box Office Opening Day 2007

Box Office Opening Day always brings a sense of excitement and anticipation for summer and for the festival gates to open. This year was another big hit!


It was a beautiful day on Saturday and the crowds came out in droves to take advantage of special ticket offers for one day only.

Ravinia President/CEO Welz Kauffman joined Lisa Flynn and Steve Robinson, Senior Vice President for Radio, both of 98.7 WMFT, for a live broadcast from the steps of the Martin Theatre and highlighted sounds from the upcoming season. A number of lucky listeners won tickets to various concerts.


Pavilion seats for West Side Story are sold out on June 8. Only lawn tickets remain for that day.

However, pavilion seats are still available for the dress rehearsal on June 7. Get your tickets now in order to avoid disappointment. Tickets are completely sold out for the 8 p.m. performance of Splashdance on September 5.

Only limited tickets remain to the 5 p.m. performance the same day.

Seats for the following shows have sold out. Only lawn tickets remain!
June 8 West Side Story
June 16 Prairie Home Companion
June 27 Mormon Tabernacle Choir
August 31 Tony Bennett

A few last minute concerts have been added to the schedule, which include:

June 7 West Side Story Dress Rehearsal
June 25 Indigo Girls w/ Special Guest Brandi Carlile
July 1 Free Celebration of Summer Alice Peacock Just added
July 19 Most Happy Fella Open Dress Rehearsal
August 10 Fiona Apple, Special Guest of Nickel Creek
August 16 Windham Hill Summer Solstice w/ jim Brickman, Wel Ackerman,
Tracy Silverman, Samite, and David Cullen
August 23 El Gran Combo w/ Special Guest NG2
September 8 Creedence Clearwater Revisited w/ Special Guests The Mauds
September 15 Emmylou Harris w/ Special Guest Sam Bush

Giant Cicada Invades Ravinia!

There's a lot of cicada talk around town these days but not a lot of bug to back it up here at the festival. Check out the new exhibit from the Field Museum at Ravinia this summer. It takes you through the cycle of the cicadas. Plus, you get to see a larger than life cicada! Look for it on the north lawn.

Festa Ravinia Recap

More than 300 people attended the 15th annual Festa Ravinia fundraiser at Macy's on State Street last Saturday night. "Fantasy Aquatic," sponsored by US Bank, drew its inspiration from this season's One Score, One Chicago selection, Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid." Attendees enjoyed a black-tie evening of dinner, music, dancing and live and silent auctions that benefited Ravinia's education and community partnership programs.

Ravinia's Jazz Scholars students were a musical highlight of the evening. Young musicians Michael King (piano), drummer Michael Piolet (drums) and Tim Bennett (saxophone) had the crowd going and their mentor, jazz great Willie Pickens, smiling. As King said, "It's amazing working with a pro."

Jazz Scholars with Willie Pickens

This year's co-chairs for Festa Ravinia were Kara Longo Korte and Erin Leddon. The benefit has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years while promoting the role of music arts in education.

Co-chairs Erin Leddon and Kara Longo Korte

Thanks to all who made this year another success!

Elizabeth Miller Just Added to Kraft Kids Concert Series

Elizabeth Mitchell, our latest addition to the Kraft Kids Concert series, will perform an 11:00 a.m. show in the pavilion on Saturday, August 25. Elizabeth and husband Daniel Littleton have been recording childrens music since the 1998 release of You Are My Flower, named childrens record of the year by the Boston Phoenix. Their most recent recording, You Are My Little Bird, was released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and was named the number one critics choice childrens music album of 2006 by Amazon.com.

Fiona Apple Just Added

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Fiona Apple has just been added as a very special guest with Nickel Creek for their "Farewell (For Now) Tour" appearance at Ravinia on August 10. Apple has received critical acclaim since bursting onto the music scene in 1996 with her platinum-selling album Tidal. Tickets are on sale now through the Ravinia website.

And don't forget that May 19, Box Office Opening Day, is right around the corner! Order your tickets in person at the box office window and get a 20% discount off your ticket purchase (not including the August 4 gala).

Make it a date. Make it a tradition. Make it a Ravinia summer.

Get 20% off Tickets on Box Office Opening Day!

Kick off summer on May 19th with Ravinia Festival's Box Office Opening Day! Ticket sales begin at 9:00 a.m. and the box office will stay open until 6:00 p.m. Receive a 20% discount on all tickets (except for the August 4 gala) when you purchase your tickets at Ravinia's box office for one day only! The 2007 season begins with great ticket deals and a live, on-site broadcast from WFMT, Chicago's fine arts station.

As an added bonus, Ravinia will also release a limited number of reserved seats on sold-out concerts for walk-up orders that day.

Phone sales begin May 20. See the full schedule online at http://www.ravinia.org/ and don't miss the opportunity to get tickets before they sell out!

Make it a date. Make it a tradition. Make it a Ravinia summer.

Dining Pavilion Preview

If you've been visiting the Ravinia website, you've seen us promoting the new dining pavilion. The crews have been working overtime to get the building ready in time for the 2007 season. Renderings are nice, but it's always good to see the real thing, even if it's a work in progress.

With the walls and exterior facing done, the workers are concentrating on the interior and repaving the brick walkways. We've got a few pictures to share.

Needless to say, we're excited about the new building, which will open with the season. Its many amenities include the first above-the-park dining so guests can people-watch over our famous lawn as they enjoy their dinners at the new Park View Restaurant. Stay tuned for more pictures as work continues.

Online Ticket Sales Begin Tomorrow!

It's that time of year again, and we're all set to start general ticket sales on the website tomorrow. We have a full slate of acts from classical to pop, both new faces and familiar friends. Like the Sun-Times said, "In recent years, Ravinia Festival has been pushing the buttons of eclecticism in classical music, dance, jazz, pop, musical theater, cabaret and combinations thereof. And its 2007 season looks to be one of the long-reigning summer festival's most eclectic set of offerings to date."

If you're curious about some of the highlights, we posted the 2007 Season Preview tracks on the Ravinia Podcasting page. Take a listen.

So, get your tickets early and often. We're looking forward to seeing you here again this summer. Bring a friend or two and enjoy another season of music under the stars.

Ravinia--Spring Paradise

It's April 11, and Ravinia is enjoying that fine spring weather that northern Illinois is noted for this time of year.

Ticket sales begin online a week from tomorrow.

Coming Soon: Cicada! the Musical

So I'm in a restaurant the other day with a few friends. We're making some small talk over dinner and the subject of Ravinia comes up. I'm asked how we're handling the "killer mosquitoes" that they've heard are closing down the park for the summer. Had a good laugh over that one. First of all, Ravinia is not shortening its season, which begins June 4, come bugs or high water.

Northern Illinois, including Ravinia, is about to be invaded by the 17-year periodic cicada. Lots of them, apparently. We don't know exactly how many, and we don't know exactly when, but we know it's a large brood that will hatch sometime from May through June. There are entire websites devoted to them.

Now, we've been dealing with the occasional hazards of an outdoor festival for over a century. We've made a couple of tweaks to the schedule, like using the Martin Theatre a little more in June, or starting the CSO's season in July. Sure, cicadas can make a little noise, and we're sensitive about that at a music venue. But they're completely harmless to man, beast and foliage. I've heard all ranges of plagues rumored to be descending upon Ravinia: locusts, bees, mosquitoes, wasps, termites, tsetse flies, and--my personal favorite--scorpions.

We don't expect the cicadas to be more than a minor nuisance, and a quick check of the calendar will tell you that we're not closing the park or opening any later than normal. We're an outdoor festival; sometimes you deal with what nature tosses your way.

Looking forward to seeing you here.

An audio preview of the 2007 Ravinia Season