Patti LuPone and Patricia Racette Set for Ravinia's LEADING LADIES Gala, 7/21

Ravinia's 2012 Gala Benefit Evening, entitled "Leading Ladies" and featuring celebrated stars Patti LuPone and Patricia Racette, honors the 50^th anniversary of the festival's Women's Board at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 21.

Ravinia Festival Music Director James Conlon will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the concert, which also includes guest conductor Rob Fisher and pianist Joseph Thalken in his Ravinia debut. The performance includes arias by Puccini, Dvo?ák and Catalani as well as hits of the iconic French chanteuse Édith Piaf performed by Racette and songs from Evita, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Funny Girl,Hair, Company, Pal Joey and Oliver! performed by LuPone. The program will also include orchestral favorites performed by the CSO in the Women's Board inaugural season such as Schubert's Overture to Rosamunde, Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser and Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2. Hosted by the Ravinia Women's Board, the annual Gala is the only performance fundraiser benefiting the not-for-profit festival's mission, especially its efforts to bring music back to the schools through its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs. Since its founding in 1962, the Women's Board has become the single largest contributor to North America's oldest summer music festival. For more information or to purchase tickets to the benefit dinner, please call 847-266-5045 or visit gala@ravinia.org. Concert-only tickets are available for purchase exclusively at www.ravinia.org.

Kurt Weill's first completed stage work, Magical Night, will receive its American premiere at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, in the Martin Theatre. Performed by the CSO led by Conlon, the pantomime will be staged by T. Daniel Productions and is based on a scenario by Russian writer Wladimir Boritsch. Soprano Janai Brugger will perform in her Ravinia debut. The work received its world premiere in Berlin in 1922, but by the time it made its only other appearance, in New York in 1925, portions of the original score were already missing with the gaps filled in by music from other composers. After that performance the orchestrations disappeared for 80 years, until an original set of instrumental parts was discovered in 2006 at Yale University, where they had been stored in the wrong safe after being deposited there by Boritsch's widow. This set was used to create this Kurt Weill critical edition that received its world premiere at Covent Garden in London last December. Schreker's The Wind will also be performed on this concert. This concert also features a ticket and dining package for a special price of $75.

Baritone Matthias Goerne and former Ravinia music director Christoph Eschenbach return to the festival for a Martin Theatre recital at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 16. The performance will feature songs by Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms. Goerne and Eschenbach created a sensation at Ravinia in 2009 performing the complete Schubert song cycles.

Ravinia's summer music conservatory, the Steans Music Institute, brings together talented young musicians from around the world to make music coached by an internationally renowned faculty. Piano and strings artists will present a chamber music concert at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 16, in Bennett Gordon Hall. This performance will include Brahms's Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op. 25, No. 1, and is only $10 for a reserved seat. There will be no lawn sales at this concert. This concert also includes a ticket and dining package for a special price of $40. Prior to the performance Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman will host all SMI ticket-holders at a complimentary reception celebrating Ravinia's renowned summer conservatory. The reception, which begins at 7 p.m., takes place in the Stepan Foyer of Bennett Gordon Hall in the John. D. Harza building.

Co-led by husband-wife duo singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi and guitarist Derek Trucks, Tedeschi Trucks Band will make its festival debut on Wednesday, July 18. The group recently won the 2012 Grammyaward for Best Blues Album. The Wood Brothers bring their fusion of folk, blues, jazz and classic R&B to open the show in their festival debut.

The only jazz singer to have eight albums debuting at the top of the Billboard jazz albums, Diana Krall returns to Ravinia on Tuesday, July 17. Her albums have garnered nine gold, three platinum, and seven multiplatinum statuses and won her three Grammy awards and eight Juno awards. Another Canadian jazz singer, Denzal Sinclaire will open the show in his festival debut. Also on July 17, in Ravinia's ongoing "Guest Chefs" series, the festival welcomes Levy Restaurants Chef Robin Rosenberg to run the festival kitchens. Rosenberg has served as executive chef to the Grammys for six years and will create a special Ravinia menu for the night in Ravinia's Park View restaurant.

Soul and R&B performer Seal, known for such award-winning hits as "Kiss from a Rose" and "Crazy," makes his Ravinia debut on Sunday, July 22. Throughout his career Seal has won three Brit Awards, four Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Award and sold over 20 million records. R&B and soul singer/songwriter Macy Gray will open the show in her festival debut. Gray won a Grammy in 2001 for her single "I Try." Pavilion seats for this show are sold out, but lawn seats are still available.

Twenty-five years after their debut album Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams helped earn them the title of "Best New Band" fromRolling Stone magazine, the BoDeans continue to rock, producing their latest album Indigo Dreams. A Ravinia favorite, the band returns on Friday, July 20, with special guest Roger Clyne who makes his festival debut.

Former Ravinia Festival Music Director Christoph Eschenbach presents a free Steans master class at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 16, featuring artists from the piano and strings program. Prior to the CSO concert on Thursday, July 19, Steans musicians will appear in a preview concert at 5:30 p.m. in Bennett Gordon Hall. This concert is free with a paid entry for the mainstage show.

The festival's Kraft Great Kids Concert series continues with Chicago-based classical radio station WFMT's Introductions, a weekly program that features local pre-college classical musicians every week, hosted by on-air talent David Polk. This radio program will be broadcast live from the park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 21, in the Martin Theatre. There will be no lawn sales at this concert.

Ravinia Festival is located at Lake Cook and Green Bay roads in Highland Park. Tickets are available by visiting Ravinia.org or calling the Ravinia Festival Box Office at 847-266-5100. A $7 service fee is added to all online and phone ticket orders. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at backstage.ravinia.org, facebook.com (search Ravinia Festival) and twitter.com/raviniafestival. Ravinia Festival is a not-for-profit organization.

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