Chicago Shakespeare Theater to Present FAIRLY TALES Family Concert with Chicago Chamber Musicians, 1/19

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) collaborates with The Chicago Chamber Musicians (CCM) for their 13th annual family concert, presenting Fairy Tales by William Bolcom on Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19, 2014, 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier. The one-hour concert introduces families and children ages four and up to the joys of live performance as CST actors imaginatively retell classic fairy tales accompanied by music played by CCM ensemble members. Fairy Tales is directed by Scott Weinstein.

William Bolcom's Fairy Tales-including The Frog Prince, Jorinda and Joringel, The Fisherman and His Wife and The Hare and the Hedgehog-give children the opportunity to discover how individual instruments are played, how they play together, and how they can interrelate with actors to create a theatrical event. Also on the program are excerpts from the Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten, composer of the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Based on music from Britten's childhood, it was used extensively in the musical score for the commercial film, Moonrise Kingdom. The CCM 2013/2014 season marks Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday anniversary and the 75th birthday of William Bolcom.

Composer William Bolcom, Professor Emeritus of Composition at the University of Michigan, is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music and the National Medal of Arts, the highest award in the arts bestowed by the President of the United States. The citation for this honor praised Bolcom's contributions to many music forms, noting "from opera to ragtime to rock, his imaginative arrangements have moved countless individuals and left a lasting imprint on the world of music." Bolcom's setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Song of Experience won four GRAMMY awards, including Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

CCM Ensemble members Joseph Genualdi, violin, and Rami Solomonow, viola, are featured in the concerts, along with guest artists Mathias Tacke, violin, and Douglas Johnson, double bass.

Between concerts each day at 11:00 a.m., interactive exhibits staged in the CST lobby will give children a chance to explore the instruments used in the concert. Musicians will be available to sign autographs as young performers demonstrate their craft and answer questions about the featured instruments.

Performances of Fairy Tales are Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19, 2014, in CST's Courtyard Theater at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Tickets are on sale now for $15 for children age 12 and under, and $20 for adults. All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets or a season subscription, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

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