Raue Center's HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Opens 12/22

Raue Center For The Arts is excited to announce a festive new collaborative holiday event featuring storytelling, holiday traditions and songs. Celebrate the spirit of the season with "Home For The Holidays" from December 22, 2017 - December 30, 2017!

"I have always loved the variety show concept. People buying one ticket to see a bunch of skits, songs and fun for kids from 1 to 92 is the ultimate form of entertainment," says Jim Wojdyla, lead vocalist of Modern Day Romeos. "The holiday season is all about coming together to celebrate family, friends and all that you are thankful for. 'Home for the Holidays' does just that."

Bring the whole family and celebrate the holidays with Raue Center and members of their professional in-house theatre company, Williams Street Repertory, in this fun, family-friendly and festive new show. Harkening back to the holiday TV specials of your childhood, Raue Center employees Lindsay Wolf and Caitlin Quinn teamed up with composer Evan Swanson to create a holiday special just for Crystal Lake!

The cast of "Home for the Holidays" is comprised of Raue Center and WSRep favorites, including Joel Bennett, Amanda Flahive, Jillie Mayer, Tina Naponelli, Billy Seger and Thomas Squires, who will share personal holiday stories. The lineup also includes the WSRep Comedy Troupe as well as students from Raue Center's Sage Studio arts education program. Audiences can come share in these stories, sing along to beloved holiday tunes and also rock out with special guests, Modern Day Romeos and LAVA Rock! MDR hits the stage at 8 p.m. on December 22 as well as December 23 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., with performances by LAVA Rock at 8 p.m. on December 29 and 30.

Based out of the Chicago suburbs, MDR has remained the area's quintessential party band for the past 15 years. All of the band's members have come together from different musical backgrounds to create one of the most fun, unique and high-energy shows that can be experienced locally. MDR will bring the spirit of the season to the stage with holiday classics mixed in alongside new renditions of old favorites!

"We are really excited about this concept. It is our first time being a part of anything like this and it will also be our first time playing on the Raue Center stage," says Wojdyla. "We started MDR in Crystal Lake, so for us it literally is 'Home for the Holidays.'"

LAVA Rock is a multi-tribute band known for recreating the biggest hits and exciting live shows of the four greatest hard rock legends of all time: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Van Halen and AC/DC. The band behind the hottest classic rock show in Chicagoland will be bringing new renditions of classic hits and some holiday favorites to the stage for a festive twist on their rockin' setlist!

"The people at Raue Center are great, and it's nice to get the love and support of the local community," says Kerry Devine, lead vocalist of LAVA Rock. "The theater itself is a great venue to play. We like to take up as much space as we can in our performance, and Raue Center's enormous stage is like a playground. We can't wait to be back!"

This homegrown holiday special is fun, honest, touching and silly. Audience members are welcome to share their own holiday stories and might just start a new tradition. No matter where you are coming from, Raue Center and WSRep invite you to join them in celebrating the ups and downs of this crazy holiday season with their new holiday-themed variety show!

Tickets to "Home for the Holidays" are $35.50 or $6 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or at 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake. For more information, visit rauecenter.org.

About Williams Street Repertory

Williams Street Repertory is a non-profit theatre company located in Crystal Lake, Ill. Over the past seven years, WSR has built a reputation for artistic excellence as one of Illinois' leading producing theatres. WSR is dedicated to sustaining an artistic process of innovative and emotionally charged work, telling diverse stories and creating an in-house Production Company of well-respected artists. Since opening, WSR has presented more than 25 productions with a wide range of appeal, from Chicago premieres and international debuts to holiday favorites. In 2016, WSR entered into a contract with Actors' Equity Association, making WSR the only professional theatre company in McHenry County. WSR is dedicated to its mission of producing diverse and emotionally charged stories that deepen the cultural richness of our community and our region. WSR was made possible through support provided by Susen Håakansson Berg and James C. Berg, the City of Crystal Lake, ComEd, McHenry County Community Foundation and Epic Repertory Theater Company. For additional information, visit wsrep.org.

About Raue Center For The Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 16 years, they have provided quality programming - striving to make it pertinent, available and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional Showcase Theatre named for its benefactor-Lucile Raue-Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Ill., is a gathering place for our region's citizens and has become a true destination. For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter and twitter.com/RaueCenter.

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