By Cindy Wojdyla Cain
ccain@stmedianetwork.com
June 11, 2011 6:30PM
Tickets for the 2011-12 season at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Ill., go on sale Friday, June 17, 2011. | Sun-Times Media file
Rialto
Square
Theatre
2011-12 Season
Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday.
Tickets may be purchased at the Rialto Box office, 102 N. Chicago St., or by calling 815-726-6600 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. On performance days, the box office remains open until the completion of intermission. Tickets may also be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.rialtosquare.com.
Events, ticket price ranges and event times and dates are listed below. Events with no ticket prices must be purchased as part of a subscription package:
Ralphie May: Comic, $29.50, 8 p.m. Sept. 30.
Vince Gill: Country singer, $45-$95, 8 p.m. Nov. 4.
Vox Lumiere — “The Phantom of Opera”: Rock concert combined with silent movie, $25-$65, 8 p.m. Nov. 5.
“Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller”: 8 p.m. Nov. 11.
The Midtown Men: Four Stars from the Original Cast of “Jersey Boys”: $28-$65, 3 p.m. Nov. 13.
ComEd Festival of Trees opening night gala: $50, 5:30-10 p.m. Nov. 21.
ComEd Festival of Trees holiday lunch break: $12 in advance, $15 day of the event; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22.
ComEd Festival of Trees Festival of the Vine wine tasting: $30 in advance, $35 evening of the event; 6-9 p.m. Nov. 22.
Joliet Area Community Hospice Lights of Love: Hospice’s tree-lighting ceremony; tickets are free with $10 purchase of memorial ornament through hospice; 5-7 p.m. Nov. 23.
ComEd Festival of Trees Teddy Bear Tea: $17.50-$22.50, 9:30 a.m. and noon Nov. 25.
ComEd Festival of Trees Rialto Idol singing contest: $15, 6 p.m. Nov. 26.
Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: $20.50-$38, 2 p.m. Nov. 27.
“Bing Crosby Christmas Spectacular, A Musical Re-Creation”: Cast of 40, including Peter Marshall (host of Hollywood Squares) and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra with Strings; $25-$55; 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8.
Colin Mochrie Brad Sherwood of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”: Comedy improvisation, $23-$53, 8 p.m. Dec. 10.
“It’s a Wonderful Life”: Live radio broadcast, $10, 7 p.m. Dec. 16.
Larry the Cable Guy: Comedian, $43.75, 8 p.m. Dec. 17.
“Sesame Street Live, Elmo Makes Music”: $13-$30 or $55 for front row “Sunny Seats” that include a pre-show meet and greet (available only through TicketMaster); 7 p.m. Dec. 27, and 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 28.
“Young Frankenstein”: Musical, 8 p.m. Jan. 11.
Bridal Expo 2012: Featuring wedding expert David Tutera, host of “My Fair Wedding” TV show, $15-$50, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 22.
The State Ballet Theater of Russia’s “P. Tchaikovsky Swan Lake”: $23-$48, 7:30 p.m. March 16.
“One Night of Queen,” performed by Gary Mullen and The Works: Celebrates the music of Queen, $28-$65, 8 p.m. March 16.
“Cats”: 8 p.m. March 19.
“Damn Yankees”: 8 p.m. April 3.
Organ Extravaganza XVI, Battle of the Big Bands: 7 p.m. April 28.
Bobby Vinton: $32-$69, 8 p.m. May 5.
Article Extras
Updated: June 12, 2011 2:29AM
JOLIET — The Rialto Square Theatre is pulling back the curtain on its planning process and inviting members of the community to a “cultural agenda” brainstorming session.
The session will be Tuesday, three days before tickets for the 2011-12 season go on sale Friday (see sidebar).
Tuesday’s brainstorming session will begin at 7 p.m. in the rotunda of the theater, 102 N. Chicago St.
Rialto Manager Randy Green and staff will welcome suggestions for events that could be offered at the theater in upcoming seasons.
“I’m hoping to attract people who have an interest in music, theater and dance and various cultural activities,” Green said.
Green is especially interested in talking to area residents who travel to Chicago for entertainment offerings not available at the Rialto. Also, he’d like to hear from people who have patronized different types of cultural attractions in other cities they have lived in or visited.
Ideas could come from events at jazz clubs, classical music venues or bluegrass music shows.
“I want a long list of what these ideas might be,” Green said.
Plays hosted by the Rialto are typically musicals. But there is the possibility that lesser-known dramas — the type offered at the Goodman and Steppenwolf theaters in Chicago — could be offered at the Rialto in the future, he said.
Most of the theater’s shows are designed to appeal to a broad base of customers and be commercially successful, and that won’t change, Green said. But there is room, too, for less-traditional offerings, he added.
The Rialto’s endowment fund is up to about $600,000. If the theater could boost the fund to $1 million, it could be used to underwrite entertainment offerings that might not be as commercially viable initially but would grow in popularity if given the chance, Green said.
The meeting isn’t the only resource being used to cull ideas. The 85-year-old theater also is soliciting ideas through its social media accounts on the Internet. Comments and ideas also can be e-mailed to information@rialtosquare.com.
2011-12 season
Ideas generated by Tuesday’s session will mostly likely find their way onto next year’s schedule. But this year’s line-up is chock full of variety, Green said. The schedule includes some favorites and some cutting-edge acts.
Country star Vince Gill is always popular and sells out the theater easily, Green said. Comedians Ralphie May and Larry the Cable Guy will appear at the Rialto as part of a new comedy circuit organized by Nashville, Tenn.-based Outback Concerts. The Rialto is one of only two theaters in the Chicago area tapped to be part of the circuit.
Comedy is more poplar than ever, perhaps because of the growth in comedy shows on cable networks, Green said. More comedy acts will be announced later in the year, he added.
Green is particularly excited by “Vox Lumiere, The Phantom of the Opera,” which is not the traditional musical play. Instead, a rock band combines the aura of a concert with the backdrop of the original silent movie, Green explained. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” will be featured by Vox Lumiere next.
Green also was happy to have the Rialto host Mannheim Steamroller. The group typically plays larger venues, but this offering has been scaled down for smaller theaters. The band is best known for its modern take on classic Christmas songs. The concert should help kick off the holiday season with style, Green said. And “The Midtown Men: Four Stars from the Original Cast of Jersey Boys” will tap into the popularity of the musical “Jersey Boys,” he added.
“That show certainly captured a lot of people’s interest in Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the music of the ’60s,” Green said.
Overall, Green said he’s happy with this year’s season and is looking forward to crafting a new “mosaic of cultural opportunities” next year.