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Chicago a cappella Returns to McAninch Arts Center April 26 with Geoffrey Baer
Chicago a cappella returns on April 26 with WTTW's Geoffrey Baer for a concert celebrating the Brill Building era of 1950s and '60s pop.
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GLEN ELLYN, IL — Chicago a cappella Returns to McAninch Arts Center with “Building American Pop” April 26
Chicago a cappella returns to the McAninch Arts Center on Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. with Building American Pop, a lively concert celebrating the Brill Building era of the 1950s and ’60s. The ensemble is joined onstage by WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer.
Known to Chicago audiences as the Emmy Award–winning host of WTTW programs including Chicago by Boat and Chicago by ‘L’, Baer joins the ensemble live as narrator and co-writer of the program’s script. During the performance, he guides audiences through the story of the Brill Building, the New York songwriting hub where many of the era’s most beloved pop songs were written.
Chicago a cappella’s ten singers bring those songs to life in fresh vocal arrangements, including favorites such as “Stand by Me,” “On Broadway,” and “Hound Dog.”
The program features 15 arrangements created for the ensemble, including 12 new arrangements by longtime Chicago a cappella member, singer, and program creator Joe Labozetta. The production also includes projections by Jeff Award–winning designer Anthony Churchill that help tell the story of the Brill Building era.
Chicago a cappella last performed at the McAninch Arts Center in 2024 to a sold-out audience and returns as part of a short Chicagoland tour running April 19–26.
The singers for Building American Pop include sopranos Megan Bell, Katelyn Lee and Cari Plachy; mezzo-sopranos Chelsea Lyons and Emily Price; tenors Ace Gangoso and Alan Taylor; and basses Matthew Brennan, Adam Kosberg and Joe Labozetta. The music director is Benjamin Rivera.
Event Details
Sunday, April 26, 2026
3:00 p.m.
McAninch Arts Center
425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
Tickets range from $40 to $60, with limited $10 student tickets. Additional performances take place on April 19 at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater and Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston on April 25.
Tickets and additional information are available at chicagoacappella.org or by calling (773) 281-7820.
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