Summer Place Theatre to Compete with Bicentennial Production

In honor of the the state of Illinois' 200th anniversary, Summer Place Theatre kicked of their 2018 season with a musical revue, a light-hearted history of the state told through song called “By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing.” In September, they will be traveling to Ottawa, Illinois to compete for the Omni Prize for the Arts.

“By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing” is Illinois’ State Song and the inspiration for the revue, created and directed by Cynthia Lauren-Grant. “The Illinois State song runs throughout the show, all seven verses of it!” says Lauren-Grant. “But never feat, there are comic twists on the state’s history.”

For instance, during a look at the Chicago Fire, the ensemble sings “A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.” Many other familiar favorites are featured throughout the show as solos, duets or full ensemble performances, interspersed between brief snippets of Illinois history that you may have forgotten or never knew.

The Omini Prize for the Arts is a juried event that showcases a wide variety of artforms beyond performance art. Visitors can browse works of art such as paintings, ceramics, photography and other mediums over the weekend as well as watch the performance art entries.

“By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing” will be performed twice: Friday, September 7 at 8:00pm and Saturday, September 9 at 6:00pm . Check Omni's schedule for performance time. In addition to recognition and prize money awarded by the panel of judges, there is also an “audience choice” award. The Summer Place Singers would love to see a number of their own supporters in the audience and invite Naperville area folk to attend. It’s a terrific outing for a late-summer weekend and Ottawa is not that far away.

The Summer Place Singers troupe includes: Cynthia Lauren-Grant along with Robert Cappetta, Noreen Emerson, Cindi Erickson, Daniel Ewen, Tracy Kay, Jennifer Pollck, Chris Roe, Stuart Vance, Lisa Wukitsch, , accompanied by Joline Bastounes on the keyboard.

For more information on the Omni Prize for the Arts event, see http://omniprize.com.