- May 9, 2016

GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS At The Mac, May 22

THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S POPULAR ONCE UPON A SYMPHONY® PROGRAM RETURNS TO THE MAC WITH “GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s (CSO) Once Upon a Symphony® program, perfect for ages three and up returns to Glen Ellyn’s McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 Fawell Blvd., with “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Sunday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Preconcert activities begin 45 minutes before the performance in the lobby. “Due to the incredible success of Once Upon a Symphony’s ‘Little Red Hen’ MAC engagement last year, we are especially happy to offer ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ this May,” MAC Director Diana Martinez said. “The best way to cultivate the classical music artists and audiences of tomorrow is to give them the opportunity to experience a performance in their early years. So who knows…seeing this show may inspire the Yo-Yo Ma or Andrew Bird of tomorrow.” Once Upon a Symphony’s “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” takes the classic children’s story of the young and curious Goldilocks stumbling into a quaint and unlocked cottage of three bears and brings it to life with live music, vivid storytelling, sets, costumes and images for a unique and magical live music experience. The story also offers children the opportunity to experience the wonderful world of the forest through Goldilocks’ eyes and understand the responsibilities that come with growing older. The ensemble for Once Upon a Symphony’s “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” will feature CSO’s Lora Schaefer (oboe), Catherine Brubaker (viola) and Jennifer Gunn (flute), plus guest musician Jonathan Cegys (bass). Megan Wells will serve as the storyteller.

“We are delighted to return to the MAC for another Once Upon a Symphony® program,” said Jon Weber, Director of Learning Programs for the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO. “With their playful combination of music and storytelling, Once Upon a Symphony programs offer young children, their parents and grandparents a unique introduction to the magic of classical music and the amazing musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The MAC is a great destination for cultural and family programming and we are happy to partner with them in presenting this program for audiences in Glen Ellyn and the surrounding communities.”

Once Upon a Symphony® is a program of the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO and is traditionally presented in collaboration with Chicago Children’s Theatre in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago. The productions, created specifically for the CSO’s youngest audience members, blend together vibrant music performed by CSO musicians, engaging storytelling and delightful sets and costumes created by Chicago Children’s Theatre for a playful, accessible concert experience. More information about the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO is available at cso.org/institute. In collaboration with the best conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs more than 100 concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center and at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore. Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra through best-selling recordings and frequent sold-out tour performances in the United States and around the globe. For more information visit cso.org. The May 22 performance of the CSO’s Once Upon a Symphony® program is presented in partnership with the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a CSO Once Upon a Symphony® program, comes to Glen Ellyn’s McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Sunday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Preconcert activities begin 45 minutes before the performance. Tickets for the performance are $16 adult /$14 youth. For tickets visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. This performance is supported in part by the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation. ABOUT THE MAC 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.