Wickedly cool!

"Wicked" set takes 14 trucks, 30 hours to build, but it will be ready to go

Considering it takes about 30 hours to put together the set that takes 14 semi-trucks to transport, it's little wonder the folks in charge of the "Wicked" touring company insist on long engagements at the venues they select.

But it can't work on just any stage and that's where the Peoria Civic Center has what it takes, said Kevin Beebee, associate business manager for the "Wicked" show that opens here on Wednesday.

"We did a site inspection last spring and let the people here know what we would need to make it work. But this venue has what it takes to do a big production so it hasn't been a problem," Beebee said while meeting with the media on Tuesday, while the show was being loaded into the Civic Center theatre.

"We advance a show a year out, typically, to make sure everything we need is there. We've gotten pretty good at it by now," Beebee said, noting this show has been on the road more than six years.

Jason Daunter, a St. Louis native who is the production stage manager for the show, has been in Peoria before when working for the touring company of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which played at the Civic Center in 2005. "I knew coming in this was going to be a good venue for our show. This will be great," he said.

The show closed at The Fox theatre in Atlanta on Sunday night and after an eight-hour strike and load onto the trucks headed to Peoria. The load-in started Tuesday morning with 35 members of the technical crew being joined by a like number of Peoria Civic Center set crew members to start putting the pieces together.

Most if it was to be done by late afternoon so that nights could be focused.

On Wednesday the cast is expected for an afternoon company meeting to discuss the venue as well as let the 40 or so actors, actresses, dancers and musicians know about Peoria. That would be followed by a 30-minutes technical run-through and sound checks before the make-up call only 30 minutes before the opening curtain.

During the load-in a set build, tech crew members wrestled with large set pieces being installed at a venue most were seeing for the first time. That, Beebee said, was not a hassle for the crew because it gave them variety. "Actually they are pretty jazzed here and at any new place because they get to figure things out for the first time and make it work. It's not routine," he said.

Part of the load-in were items that are "flown" in from the ceiling and wings of the stage. To accommodate this show the Civic Center had to add four drop lines to bring the total to 80, said Marc Burnett, director of marketing for the Civic Center. No show before this had used the 76 that were already installed, let alone needed more.

"This show has the most technical needs of any show I've seen, certainly any show we've had here, including 'Phantom of the Opera,'" Burnett said. "Phantom of the Opera" played an extended, three-week run in spring of 2002.

Even though "Wicked" has been touring nationally for six years, Daunter said, the show producers continue to spend money on it to keep it looking good for every audience that sees it. "It is a cultural phenomenon," he said, adding the show actually has groupies that have seen it hundreds of times and follow it from one venue to the next. The actors, he said, are often treated like rock stars.

"It really is something else. But we do it for the fans," he said. "Keeping them happy is what we want."

"Wicked" will play 24 performances in Peoria over an 18-day run.

Ticket prices range from $42 to $127 and show times vary per day, depending on whether there are matinee performances. Before each show there will be a lottery for orchestra seats for $25 each. Those interested in being in the lottery must be at the box office 2½ hours before the show and names will be drawn 30 minutes later for the 20 seats.

Burnett said the show is very much a regional draw, with people coming from hours away to see it. The economic impact to the area will be millions of dollars, he said.

For more information about the show or to order tickets go to www.peoriaciviccenter.com.

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com

Forget the bear! Pass the rolls!

Former Jumer's Castle Lodge now a senior living center 

Take a walk through the familiar Bavarian-style building at Western and Moss avenues today and you will not find the famous black bear.

But you can still get those cinnamon rolls, if you know the right person.

The former Jumer's Castle Lodge is now Courtyard Estates of Peoria, billed as a "supportive living community" for seniors that has now opened and is close to half-filled, said officials of Petersen Healthcare, which acquired the former hotel less than a year ago and converted its 161 rooms into 100 one-bedroom and studio apartments.

For many of the residents and their visitors, the memories of when the building was Jumer's and then Radisson will linger, said Amanda Hendricks, admissions and marketing director for Courtyard Estates of Peoria.

"When I give people tours of the building it's amazing to hear some of the stories they tell of staying here or eating in the restaurant. Most of our residents knew it as Jumer's and have stories, also. Some stayed here for their honeymoon or spent special occasions in the restaurant.

"It was a special place for them. We want it to stay a special place," she said.

If when you first walk in to the building it seems familiar, that's because Petersen Healthcare kept the lobby the same because of the memories it will evoke. Petersen acquired the lobby furniture, including antique cabinets and the grand piano, when it bought the building.

Also the same is the lounge area, formerly the Black Bear Lounge. It remains for use by the residents and their guests, not only for the occasional happy hour but for various other events, Hendricks said.

The main hall is the same and the gift shop, which provides for the residents' basic needs, is the same.

But the rest of the former hotel has changed. The swimming pool was filled in and now is the main dining room. Added were an exercise room that employs a wellness director, a spa, a beauty shop, wine garden and private dining room.

The former Jumer's Restaurant remains unused as do the banquet rooms. Hendricks said plans for those spaces are still in the works.

The rooms all were converted to either studio apartments or one-bedroom units. Monthly fees range from $2,500 to $3,500, depending on the type of unit and the level of service the tenant requires. Courtyard Estates brochures show the cost compares favorably to what most people pay each month to own or rent a home.

That's why, Hendricks said, it is billed as "Affordable Living for Active Seniors."

On the health care side, Courtyard Estates of Peoria offers two levels of care for residents.

• Active Plus Care is "the entry level for tenants" and "is designed to maximize individual freedom and choice, providing minimal assistance in the tenant's daily life."

Services at this level include daily dietician-planned meals, the choice of weekly housekeeping and linen service, daily trash pickup and bathroom cleaning, planned activities and social events and an emergency call system.

• Assist Plus Care is "designed to accommodate an individual tenant's changing needs and preferences. As needs change the health care team, in conjunction with the tenant and his/her family, will review and appropriately adjust the service level as necessary."

Services at this level include all that available with Active Plus Care as well as assistance with bathing as needed, assistance with dressing and grooming as needed, daily medication reminders, assistance to and from the dining room and activities, in-room dining during minor illness and transportation to and from medical appointments.

There is an additional charge for these services, according to the Courtyard Estates brochure.

Licensed practical nurses also are on-hand as well as certified nursing assistants.

Courtyard Estates residents get three home-cooked meals a day and snacks, including the famous Jumer's cinnamon rolls.

"We couldn't get the black bear when we bought the building, but we got the cinnamon rolls recipe," Hendricks said. "But you have to be a tenant or their guest to get them. Sorry."

For more information about Courtyard Estates of Peoria call (309) 674-2400 or go to www.CourtyardEstates.net/Peoria.

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or at editor@thepeorian.com

Pere Marquette project 'moving in right direction'

New redevelopment agreement being negotiated; vote likely in October

With the threat of his project being terminated now gone, Gary Matthews said he is anxious to move forward in redeveloping the Hotel Pere Marquette and the area surrounding it.

“I feel we’re moving in the right direction, in a very positive direction for the community,” said Matthews, president of EM Properties. “If all goes well we can get the property closed and get started on the project by the end of the year.”

The project is the $102 million redevelopment of the Pere Marquette and construction of a new Marriott Courtyard hotel tower on the part of the block now housing Big Al’s and other structures that will be razed, including the parking deck. The hotels would be joined together and both managed by Marriott and they then will be connected to the Peoria Civic Center via a climate-controlled skywalk that would be built along the alley between the hotels and Sacred Heart Church.

The project has been in the works nearly three years but has been delayed because the economy turned sour shortly after it was first announced. City Manager Patrick Urich sent Matthews a letter a few weeks ago intending to terminate the agreement because, he said, not all of the terms were being fulfilled.

The City Council first gave Matthews two additional weeks to satisfy the terms, then this week voted to allow Urich to withdraw the termination letter so the issues could be resolved and a new redevelopment agreement adopted.

In an exclusive interview, Matthews said the city has shown a willingness to work with him on resolving remaining issues and getting a new agreement written and approved. He said he has proven to the city that the financing is in place, one of the biggest issues that led to Urich’s termination letter.

“I am very pleased with how it is going and impressed with how creative the city has been in coming up with solutions to these issues. I think we are all very anxious to get going,” he said.

Matthews said the redevelopment agreement now being negotiated “will be restructured in a positive direction for the city of Peoria” but he declined to give any details. He said he and city officials agreed to not disclose details while the redevelopment agreement is being negotiated.

Matthews said the city is shooting for a City Council vote on the new redevelopment agreement on Oct. 11.

“All the issues have been or are getting resolved to the satisfaction of all parties,” he said.

Mayor Jim Ardis said also believes the project is again moving in the right direction and while he believes a vote on a new agreement will come in October he things Oct. 11 may be too optimistic.

“I would be happy if we could do it that soon. I’m pleased with the way things are going. There has been a lot of good movement in the last couple weeks and I think we are very close to having a really good agreement for both of us,” he said.

Ardis agreed the issues are being resolved and while he still disagrees there is solid proof of financing, “the indications are strong the banks are ready to go on it, so we’re more confident.”

Soon after the city announced it wanted to terminate the project it received letters and email from various political and civic leaders urging it to allow the project to continue because of its importance to downtown redevelopment and, most important, to the Civic Center as it tries to fill its expanded convention space.

The Civic Center, Matthews has said, is what interested Marriott in the project.

If all goes as planned and Matthews is able to close on the Pere Marquette by the end of the year, he will start first with the multi-million dollar renovation of that structure, including all new electrical and plumbing works and complete overhauls of the common areas and guests rooms so it is ready to go when construction starts on the new tower.

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com

Musical chairs

Peoria Players set to open 93rd season; musicals dominate 2011-12 schedule 

While the mission of community theatre is to entertain audiences while providing an outlet for local talent, the tacit guideline within the theatre is actually pretty simple: Put butts in the seats or that outlet may not survive.

But that means giving people shows they want to see and that is usually a crapshoot for theatre groups as they decide their seasons. Unless, of course, the theatre does what Peoria Players is doing in its 93^rd season, which opens next week on Sept. 9: five of its six shows will be big-name musicals, an unprecedented move by the Peoria area’s oldest continuing theatre.

“It was a very conscious decision to do this,” said Lisa Jeans, president of the Peoria Players board. “We need to have a huge financial season, which means we need to bring people in the doors and put them in the seats.”

Said Nicki Haschke, Peoria Players’ business administrator since 1996, “Musicals make the most profits and in this day and age, we have got to sell tickets. That’s why we chose well-known musicals.”

In community theatre the older, established and popular musicals are referred to as “war horses” because they will sell well, even if they’ve been done numerous times. Community theatres often put such musicals at the front end of their seasons “to get the season off to a good start because even in theatre momentum is important,” she said.

The 2011-2012 season starts with “Oklahoma!” directed by Bryan Blanks. It was the first musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and remains one of the most popular musicals ever made. However, it is the first time in Peoria Players’ history that “Oklahoma!” has been on its stage. “That was surprising to a lot of people and nobody really knows why,” Haschke said.

That show will be followed by the only non-musical this season, the comedy “Over the River and Through the Woods,” which will open Oct. 7. It will be directed by Liz Landes Reed.

“Annie” will follow, opening Nov. 11 under the direction of Mary Ellen Ulrich, then “Titanic the Musical” will make its first appearance in Peoria on Feb. 3, directed by Steve Bortolotti.

“Big River,” the musical based on the Mark Twain novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” will open March 16, directed by Chip Joyce. The season closes with “Chicago,” opening May 4 under the direction of Charles Killen.

The decision so far appears to be paying off, Jeans said. Season ticket sales are ahead of last year’s pace. Season tickets cost $80 for those who held them last year or $90 for others. Tickets for individual shows are $18 for adults and $12 for patrons 18 and younger for musicals and $12 and $9 for non-musicals. Tickets can be ordered by calling the Peoria Players box office at 688-4473 or go to www.peoriaplayers.org. 

Jeans said that the decision to do almost all musicals was not made without research to support it. She said she did an analysis of the last 20 years of Peoria Players productions and “it clearly showed that musicals were what brought in people to the theatre. People say that non-musicals are less expensive to produce, which is very true, but they are not as profitable because they don’t get the same turnout.”

Non-musicals can still draw solid audience numbers, Haschke said, citing recent dramas “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” as examples. “But it has to be a non-musical with a well-known name and even then they still do not do as well as musicals,” she said.

“It’s unfortunate but with a down economy and people being careful where they spend their money we have to find a balance. There are a lot of really good shows out there that just aren’t well enough known yet to sell well. Of course it still comes down to what you put on stage. It may be a big-name show, but it still has to be done well if we want people to some see it and keep coming back,” she added.

Jeans, who chaired the play selection committee for the 2011-2012 season before being elected president of the board, said community theatres face many challenges, including finding ways to engage younger people who seem more content to be entertained by electronics and getting people with increasingly busy lives to commit the eight to 10 weeks necessary to be part of a production.

But the biggest challenges as far as selecting a season, she said, “is finding some kind of balance between doing what the talent wants to do and what the people want to see. When you have to rely strongly on ticket sales, it really comes down to what people want to see if we want to keep the doors open. We just have to hope the talent follows.”

A play selection committee also must solve the puzzle of who is available to direct and when they are available. But Jeans said 17 directors submitted to direct this season and that all of the shows chosen had been submitted.

“There are still a lot of directors out there who like the old war horses, including younger directors. Bryan Blanks loves the big old musicals, which may surprise some because of his age.” Blanks, a native of Kewanee and a veteran of many local shows, mostly at Peoria Players and Corn Stock Theatre, is 26.

Another challenge for every community theatre is finding volunteers, said Haschke. Peoria Players increased its ticket price for musicals by $1 for individual shows, but said the proceeds pay for producing the shows as well as overhead. Royalty costs for shows have remained pretty steady the last few years, she said, but the cost of other materials -- for building sets and costumes, for example – have increased steadily.

“More than ever we have to rely on volunteers for help. Without that we couldn’t get a lot of things done, such as building sets or even performing. We love our volunteers. They help make every show spectacular and every evening in the theatre special,” she said.

“We really are excited about this season.”

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or at editor@thepeorian.com