M*A*S*H Star Jamie Farr, Chef Lidia Bastianich, Tap Legend Savion Glover, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and More Slated for MAC's 2017-18 Season

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage has announced its 2017-2018 Season Performance Series.

Subscriptions are on sale now for an exciting selection of music, dance, theater, comedy and literary events showcasing a roster of world-class artists. Single tickets go on sale in person at the MAC Box Office Saturday, Aug. 5, beginning at 10 a.m.

"This season we've put together a very exciting and culturally intriguing array of artists and ensembles for our Performance Series. Add to that the incredible new seasons our resident companies Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and New Philharmonic have created and you have nine full months of must-see events with something for everyone," says MAC director DiAna Martinez.

A few of the highlights of MAC's 2017-2018 Performance Series include "Tuesdays with Morrie" starring "M*A*S*H" star Jamie Farr (Sept. 30); "LIV ON," an exciting new project by Grammy Award-winner Olivia Newton-John, with Nashville based singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman & Canadian pop singer-songwriter Amy Sky (Oct. 14); "Take Me to the River LIVE: a Memphis Soul and Rhythm & Blues Revue" featuring Grammy Award-winners William Bell, Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush (Nov. 5); a talk by PBS celebrity chef and acclaimed author Lidia Bastianich (Nov. 9), the Chicago premiere of a new show by tap dance legend Savion Glover (Nov. 26) and concerts by Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Chris Botti (Jan. 20), "¡Cubanismo!" featuring Cuban jazz great Jesús Alemañy with his all-star orchestra (Feb. 18), and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Rosanne Cash (April 14).

New Philharmonic opens its 2017-2018 Season with "Mahler 5" featuring Mahler's most famous work, (Sept. 23-24). Then, four guest vocalists and the 100 voices of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra Chorus join New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt for three performances of "The Best of Broadway: Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber" (Oct. 21 and Oct. 22). For the holidays, audiences will have the opportunity to once again enjoy Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet's "The Nutcracker" with Tchaikovsky's beloved score performed live by New Philharmonic (Dec. 16-17). Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center alumnus Corey Crider (baritone) joins New Philharmonic for three celebratory New Year's Eve Concert performances (Dec. 31) and January brings Giuseppe Verdi's popular opera "La Traviata" (Jan. 27-28) starring critically acclaimed soprano Emily Birsan as Violetta. "Beethoven: Five Piano Concertos - One Pianist" New Philharmonic's final concert of the season will be a rare opportunity to experience all five of Beethoven's piano concertos in a single three-hour concert program (April 7-8).

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's 2017-2018 three-play season will open with the Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning play "The 39 Steps," by John Buchan and adapted by Patrick Barlow from Alfred Hitchcock's popular film, directed by BTE ensemble member, Kurt Naebig (Sept. 7-Oct. 8). Then BTE opens 2018 with the thought provoking play "Time Stands Still" by Donald Margulies, directed by BTE artistic director Connie Canaday Howard (Feb. 1-March 4). The romantic comedy/drama "Outside Mullingar" by John Patrick Shanley, directed by Steve Scott completes the season. (May 3 - June 3). All performances take place in the Playhouse Theatre.

Other programming at the MAC includes the return of encore broadcasts of the critically acclaimed National Theatre Live film series, Sept 14-March 8 (see schedule attached), plus the return of the popular Global Flicks free international film series, educational SchoolStage performances for pre-school through high school age students, more than 30 College performances in music, dance and theater, seven exhibitions of visual art at the Cleve Carney Art Gallery and new this year-a series of National Geographic Live events. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Select 2017-2018 events will be accompanied by a free pre or post-performance MAC Chat, providing the opportunity to engage with artists and learn more about their work; and for many shows theatergoers can enhance their evening by adding on a "VIP Experience," a private pre-show cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception followed by coffee and dessert at intermission. Parking for MAC events is always free.

Subscriptions are on sale now. To subscribe by purchasing tickets to three or more shows, call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000. Single tickets go on sale to the public in person at the MAC Box Office Saturday, Aug. 5 at 10 a.m.; online at AtTheMAC.org Sunday, Aug. 6 at 12 a.m.. by phone at 630.942.4000 on Sunday, Aug. 6 beginning at 12 p.m. and A chronological listing of shows follows the release.

In advance of the 2017-2018 season, the MAC presents its 2017 Lakeside Pavilion Free Outdoor Summer Series. Programming runs July 6-Aug. 11 and includes a Friday evening Pop Music Series, a Thursday evening Jazz Concert Series and Thursday evening Family Movie Series. For updates and more information, visit AtTheMAC.org.

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, and houses three performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), plus the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college's academic programming and the Lakeside Pavilion. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org, facebook.com/AtTheMAC or twitter.com/AtTheMAC.

*Events, dates, artists and prices subject to change.

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