I’ve always credited Jeffrey Brown, Valparaiso University’s coordinator of Jazz Studies and founder of the Valparaiso University Jazz Festival, as one of the primary reasons for the event’s annual success and large attendance lasting for more than 35 years.
This year’s festival is April 16-19 at the Center for the Arts stage space at Valparaiso University. Grammy-winning artist John Pizzarelli is this year’s featured headliner for the 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, performance of festival week.
Through the years, the festival has included many famed headliners, ranging from The Count Basie Orchestra, which logged three performances over the three decades, to Natalie Cole, who lured capacity audiences for the 30th annual festival in 2015.
“I believe Natalie Cole’s appearance for our festival was one of her last big performances in the final year before her death in December 2015,” Brown said.
“This festival pulls jazz music lovers from Indianapolis, southwest Michigan and throughout Chicagoland. Some of the appeal comes from the variety we offer. When we schedule the programming, we are including a range, from high school jazz bands and college musicians to professional touring headline entertainment.”
Concerts and performances range from free music opportunities to the 7:30 p.m. nightly concerts, the latter of which require a $15 ticket that can be ordered by calling (219) 464-5445.
This year, jazz ensembles from Lake Central, Morgan Township, Washington Township, Hebron, Chesterton and Valparaiso high schools and others are included on the schedule, as well as Bob Lark and his Alumni Big Band. The full schedule is included at www.valpo.edu/music/performances/jazz-festival/.
Counting ‘Candles’
The Marian Theatre Guild is presenting their spring production of “Birthday Candles” written by Noah Hidle, which tells the story of Ernestine Ashworth, a teenage girl who spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. The play then takes the audience through her future birthdays, including the 18th, 40th, 70th, and even her 101st birthdays, chronicling life’s highs, lows and even extraordinary moments of one woman’s “extra-ordinary” life.
“Birthday Candles” is directed by Morgan McCabe and the show runs through the last two weekends of April, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, April 20 and 27, and 3 p.m. Sundays April 21 and 28 in the 800-seat auditorium of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 119th Street and 1849 Lincoln Ave. in Whiting. Tickets are $18-$20; the pre-show dinner meal on Saturdays is $38 with seating at 5:30 p.m. The menu includes fried chicken, roast beef, green beans and sides.
The night box office is open 7-9 p.m. by calling (219) 473-0713.
History for sale
Badger Corporation has been hired to the help historic Hoosier Theatre with spring cleaning and sharing treasurers with patrons via an online auction.
It’s important to note Hoosier Theatre owner John Katris is not closing the business operation nor is that famed landmark marquee of downtown Whiting going dark. As he explained to me, the items being sold are only stored items of interest that were salvaged or purchased from previous theater spaces in the area that have closed during the decades, including Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville.
“To all those inquiring, the artifacts and vintage equipment being auctioned off are items acquired throughout the years from old theatres that no longer exist such as The Vogue that was in East Chicago, The Paramount of Hammond, The Palace of Gary, and others,” Katris said.
“These items have been stored in the basement vault of the Hoosier Theatre and haven’t been utilized in the Hoosier’s operations.”
The online auction started April 5 and continues through 10:30 a.m. April 18, with bidding and items viewed at www.badgercorp.com.
Some of the sale highlights include a 1980s Ballantyne Strong 70 MM projector; 1920s Diener copper and brass fire extinguisher; 1920s Elkhart copper and brass fire extinguisher; 1920s Essanay copper and brass fire extinguisher; JBL theater speaker packages; 1930s Copeland galvanized ice box with porcelain interior; Christie 38-DLV001-01 event projector; TurboChef 941-004-00 counter-top fire pizza oven; 1950s Brenkert projector head 35MM; Christie 2002 38-DCP201-102 commercial projector( of George Lucas fame); 1920s Silvertone Victrola 78 records; 1922 elevator dial brass and cast iron with button; 1950s “bubbler” drinking water fountain; vintage telephones, light fixtures, spotlights and a white theater pedal organ.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author, and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.
