Duneland Performing Arts Series will be launched Sept. 16, featuring Smooth Country from Nashville. The 2007- 08 series will also include performances by Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, Hubbard Street Ballet, Second City comedy troupe and other professionals performing throughout the year at Chesterton High School.

“It started out as a fairly simple idea- none of us realized six months ago the magnitude of what we were starting,” CHS choral director Christopher Brush remarked with a smile.

Brush is referring to the Duneland Performing Arts Series, an innovative new arts initiative he helped create which will draw professional musicians, dancers, actors, and other artists to Chesterton in the coming months.

All performances will be held at Chesterton High School, with the season calendar running from Sept. through June.

The idea was born from a similar concept found on Indianapolis’ northwest side.

“One of my colleagues from the school system, Tom Schnabel, traveled with the show choirs to a competition in Indianapolis at Pike High School,” said Brush.

“Pike’s performing arts facility is similar to that of CHS—modern, comfortable, and acoustically superior. Throughout the school, we saw advertising for a monthly performing arts series offered there which features professional musicians each month. We thought this was one of the best ideas we’d ever seen- a series of performances held specifically to offer new arts experiences to area residents at a reasonable price. Tom turned to me and said- ‘someone should do this in Chesterton’, and ‘well, maybe someone can!’ was my response.”

Brush knew creating a similar program would require several people’s creative input, so he quickly gathered a group of area residents with involvement in the arts to help put together a similar program.

However, the project quickly grew to be more than anyone initially anticipated.

“This started out as a really neat idea, and has grown into something that will truly benefit the entire community- many of these artists are renowned nationally or even internationally,” says administrative coordinator Ann Vasconi. “This fills a niche for our community- we already offer many fantastic student performances at CHS, and there are great community arts programs in the area,” she said. “We discovered that performances of a professional caliber are not as frequent here.”

The Duneland Performing Arts Series was designed to offer a wide variety of professional-caliber arts experiences. The 2007-2008 season includes not only musical performances, but features artists from other disciplines as well.

Second City,

Hubbard Street Ballet

For instance, in Sept. the highly regarded touring company of The Second City comedy troupe will be featured; in April, Chicago’s legendary Hubbard Street Ballet will perform on the CHS stage.

Northwest Indiana Symphony

Musical performances range from western swing to classical piano, and from renowned jazz performers to special performances by the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra.

“When we finalized arrangements with the NISO for two performances at CHS, we knew that we’d taken the Duneland Performing Arts Series to a level far beyond what were our initial expectations,” notes Brush.

“This organization is one of the best regional orchestras in the Midwest, and we are honored they have chosen Chesterton High School and the Duneland Performing Arts Series for their 2007-2008 calendar.”

In November, the NISO will perform works including the Mozart Requiem and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

The orchestra will return to CHS in the month of February for a special Valentine’s Day performance featuring Ravel’s La Valse, an interesting choral/orchestra piece called Chôros No. 10 by Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos, and Rachmani-nov’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The Rachmaninov will feature special guest artist Meng-Chieh Liu on a Fazioli grand piano which will be specially delivered to CHS for the performance.

“The entire series is outstanding. Through special arrangements, creative scheduling and community support, we are able to offer these great performances at incredibly low prices- our season subscription costs less than a single ticket to the Chicago Symphony or the Lyric Opera,” says Vasconi.

One of the most significant developments in the Duneland Performing Arts Series is the outreach which will be offered to students in local schools through the program. Students will have the ability to meet many of the artists, interact with them through masterclasses and clinics, and attend certain performances for free, all of which will benefit young Duneland-area artists.

Other outreach opportunities are evolving as the program continues to grow.

“Seeing the outreach aspects of the Duneland Performing Arts Series come to reality has been one of the most satisfying aspects of creating this new arts program. The concept of the series from the very beginning was to enrich the arts in our community, and seeing the benefits we can directly offer to the schools beyond the actual events is really wonderful. It’s one more reason for people to support the Duneland Performing Arts Series,” says Brush.

Tickets on Sale Now

Tickets for the 2007-2008 Duneland Performing Arts Series are on sale now. There are three subscription options from which to choose, each offering tickets at a discounted rate- single event tickets may also be pre-ordered for all events. For those who would like to receive a season brochure and order form, please call the CHS box office at 983-3730, ext. 7286. Additionally, you may e-mail DPAS programming director Christopher Brush at christopher.brush@duneland.k12.in.us

 to request an order form via e-mail.

Local business owners interested in advertising with the Duneland Performing Arts Series, are asked to contact Ann Vasconi at 395-1660.

“Mark your calendars for our first performance on Sept. 16, featuring Smooth Country from Nashville. This interesting and eclectic group will kick our season off in style, and will set the stage for high-quality performances throughout the year,” says Brush.

Posted 8/8/2007