'Spitfire Grill' will be cooking at Corn Stock Theatre

To say “The Spitfire Grill” is not your usual community theatre musical fare is pretty much an understatement.

There is no big chorus, no huge dance numbers that fill the stage, no over-the-top fantasy… “The Spitfire Grill” is a small-cast, sometimes heavy musical drama that takes audiences on a roller coaster ride toward an uplifting ending.

“Different, yes. And that’s one of the main reasons I wanted to do it,” said Eric Ewan, director of “The Spitfire Grill” production that opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. under the Corn Stock Theatre tent in Upper Bradley Park.

“I have wanted to direct this show since I first saw it about 10 years ago in Springfield. I’d told Corn Stock that I would do Spitfire in a minute, so when they asked me to do it this summer, of course I said yes. At one point it didn’t look like I would get to do it, but it worked out and here we are. In the end, fate took over, I think,” said Ewan, who has starred in many community theatre productions in the Peoria region the last 20 years or so.

There was a time, he said, that people were concerned “The Spitfire Grill” was too small of a musical to be produced in the tent. “I think it’s perfect for the tent and I’m glad the theatre does, too,” he added.

“The Spitfire Grill” is based on the film by the same name written by Lee David Zlotoff. The music was written by James Valcq and the lyrics were written by Fred Alley. It follows a young woman who, soon after being released from prison, decides to live and start her life over in a small Wisconsin town. She becomes involved in a reawakening in the town that takes place when the owner of the grill decides to “raffle” it in a unique way.

While that may not seem like the normal type of storyline for a musical, Ewan said the songs do advance the plot. “It is more of a play with songs but the songs fit the plot and advance it. And I was able to get some really good singers who can also act,” he said.

They include community theatre veteran Lana Warner as Hannah Ferguson, the crusty yet trusty owner of “The Spitfire Grill,” and relative Corn Stock newcomer Sagan Drake in the role of Percy Talbott, the young woman who comes to Gilead, Wisconsin after being paroled from prison. “People know Lana and her talent and they will be impressed with Sagan,” Ewan said.

Jes King, who showed her chops as the title character in “Sugar,” Corn Stock’s opening show of the summer, portrays Shelby, who becomes close to Percy as they both try to get past sadness and help Hannah.

Another well-known local performer, Cheri Beever, portrays the busybody postmistress Effy Krayneck, while Jeremie Davis is Caleb Thorpe, Cody Jacobs portrays Sheriff Joe Sutter, and Chris Peterlin, whose return to the stage was as Lenny in “Of Mice and Men” at Corn Stock’s Winter Playhouse, is The Visitor.

That’s it; seven characters, far below the norm for a musical.

“I really had hoped to get one of Peoria’s ‘grand dames of the theatre’ to audition for me and I got two,” he said, referring to Warner and Beever. “I really couldn’t be more pleased with my cast. I believed we could do this show better than other productions I’d seen and I was right. We do,” he said.

Ewan said that while “The Spitfire Grill” is a musical drama, it contains a lot of humor. “That’s good because if you laugh with the characters you feel for them more when they go through tragedy. There’s a song in the show called ‘Come Alive Again’ and that’s really the message of this show. I like shows that are uplifting and I think audiences will leave here feeling uplifted,” he said.

He cautioned “The Spitfire Grill” is rated PG-13 because of the dramatic and more adult content. “The themes are a little heavier,” he said.

The six-piece orchestra directed by John Davis, who was music director for “Spamalot” two seasons ago, and the orchestra will be on stage with the actors during the show.

Other songs include “A Ring Around the Moon,” “Something’s Cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill,” “Into the Frying Pan,” “When Hope Goes,” “Shine,” and “Way Back Home.”

Ewan points out that “The Spitfire Grill” musical received critical acclaim when it opened off-Broadway on Sept. 7, 2001. “We of course know what happened four days later. By the time it re-opened, it never really recovered and it closed early. But not before the New York Times called it the best show of 2001,” he said.

“The Spitfire Grill” runs through Aug. 13, with each show starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and they can be ordered online at www.cornstocktheatre.com or by calling (309) 676-2196.

Auto leasing reaching all-time highs

More new vehicles were leased in the first half of 2016 than during the first half of any other year in history, according to the latest Lease Market Report from Edmunds.com, the leading car shopping and information network.

Lease volume has doubled in the last five years, suggesting that the automotive market could be on the verge of a fundamental shift in consumer mindset about the value of owning a new vehicle -- particularly when the purchase has to be financed.

The Millennial generation is driving this change, with a higher rate of lease penetration than any other generation (34.2 percent), but the strongest growth has come from shoppers over the age of 75. During the first six months of this year, more than 32 percent of cars sold to this age group were leased – a growth rate of 74 percent compared to five years ago when lease penetration in this group was only 19 percent.

"Millennials and seniors actually have more in common that one might think, since both experienced deep economic recessions during their formative years that helped to shape their worldviews and made them more value-oriented," saidJessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of industry analysis. "Both Millennials and seniors crave the highest quality product for the best possible price, and considering these groups are both at a place in their lives where they likely have limited monthly cash flow, leasing can seem like the most viable option."

On average, monthly lease payments are 23 percent lower than monthly financing payments. The biggest difference between monthly lease and financing payments can be found with compact cars (30 percent), full-size pickup trucks (29 percent) and midsize cars (28 percent).

While the majority of vehicles leased continue to be in the luxury segment, the most significant growth is in large vehicles, with compact trucks (214 percent), large trucks (142 percent) and large crossover SUVs (96 percent) leading the way.

"Whether or not it makes financial sense to lease vs. buy depends on a number of personal factors, but it seems many consumers have resigned themselves to the fact that they'll always have a monthly car payment," Caldwell said. "Younger car buyers in particular are so conditioned to having monthly fees for things like their smartphone and streaming entertainment services that they don't necessarily expect monthly payments to result in eventual outright ownership."

For automakers, this shift in consumer behavior results in a delicate balancing act: to meet the demand for attractive lease deals while protecting residual values against a flood of used cars hitting the market simultaneously.

To hedge against that, OEMs have been working to lower the allotted mileage of leased vehicles to ensure they are returned in better condition and allow for a greater CPO (certified pre-owned) opportunity.

The average allotted miles has declined from 13,060 in 2005 to 11,999 today. OEMs have also pushed leases on vehicles with the most desirable options in an effort to pique the interest of future owners.

"While the continued expansion of the "lease culture" could present a challenge for OEMs and their dealers in the future, they seem to be managing it well so far," Caldwell said. "We don't see this trend slowing any time soon."

Edmunds' full Lease Market Report for the first half of 2016 can be found athttp://static.ed.edmunds-media.com/unversioned/img/industry-center/analysis/h1-2016-lease-report.pdf.

Molly Crusen Bishop: The importance of Ward Chapel A.M.E. to Peoria history

There is a church called Ward Chapel A.M.E. at 511 Richard Allen Drive in Peoria, Illinois. It is there African Americans in Peoria first began to get an education.

Below is some history about this remarkable church and the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal church. After all, there is a street named after him.

The Peoria church itself was named for Rev. Phillip Ward in 1846. The street it is located on is named after Bishop Richard Allen, the founder of the African Methodist Episcopalian church.

Richard Allen was born into slavery in Delaware in 1760, on the plantation of Benjamin Chew. He and his family were later sold to Stokeley Sturgis, who also owned a plantation in Delaware. Stokeley had financial issues and sold half of Richard’s family, leaving Richard and one brother and one sister. He was allowed to attend services of the Methodist Society, and taught himself to read and write.

Rev. Freeborn Garrettson was a Methodist minister who freed his own slaves in 1775 and began preaching that the practice of owning slaves was sinful and against God. Garrettson convinced Sturgis of this and Sturgis allowed his slaves to purchase their freedom. Richard Allen earned his freedom in 1780.

In 1786 he was a preacher at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Even though he was required to hold separate services early in the morning, his sermons began drawing large and larger crowds.

In 1787 he and a preacher named Absalom Jones formed the FAS, Free African Society. This society was formed to help fugitive slaves and to help lift up the lives of the black community. It also was driven to educate African Americans.

Because there was not complete support or freedom from the predominantly white St. George church, Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794. He felt forced to do this in order to give African Americans a place to worship without bounds of any kind. Richard and his wife Sara also operated a station on the Underground Railroad from 1797 until his death in 1831.

Bishop Richard Allen was a religious leader, educator, and lived his life to help create an African American community.

I can understand why Peoria has named a street after this American hero. It makes sense that Ward Chapel A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church is now a part of a denomination with more than 3 million members worldwide.

Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church’s part of Peoria’s history is incredible. It was home to the first school for Peoria’s African American children, beginning in the 1850s. The classes were sporadic and not funded well in the early years. The first teacher was Miss Rebecca Elliot, from Ohio, who operated her own school until 1866, when African American children were allowed to start attending Peoria public schools.

Ward Chapel has had several locations throughout its history. It originally was on Chestnut Street when Rev. Ward and a congregation of 10 came over from Bloomington to start the church. It later was at Fifth and Monson Streets.

It has been at its present location on Richard Allen Drive since 1956, built from the ground up. Famous African Americans such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington have spoken at Ward Chapel.

The current head of Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church is the dynamic Rev. Elaine Gordon. She has fostered a wonderful theme, which is “Creating A Community Complete In Christ.” She does a lot of works in the Peoria community and was one of 25 Outstanding Women of Peoria 2012.

Rev. Gordon is a member of the NAACP, Tri-County Urban League, coordinator of the Illinois Conference of Women in Ministry, and many other impressive groups and accomplishments. With a Bachelor of Science degree in social services administration and a Master of Arts degree in Urban Ministry from Martin University, she is continuing the 166 year tradition of Ward Chapel to educate and build the lives of African Americans and all citizens in Peoria.

Richard Allen Drive and Ward Chapel A.M.E. are along the route of the inaugural Whiskey Baron Run, scheduled for Sat. Aug. 6 at 7 a.m.

Poll: More people than ever feel alienated

In the midst of the contentious presidential primary elections, The Harris Poll measured how alienated Americans feel. As part of a long-term trend, the last time alienation was measured was in November 2014, when we saw an all-time high in the Alienation Index. The alienation index this year is 70, equal to that in 2014. On the bright side, this is the first year since 2009 that the Alienation Index has not increased.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,019 U.S. adults aged 18+ surveyed online between May 31–June 2, 2016. Complete results of this study can be found here.

What is The Alienation Index?

Almost every year since 1966, The Harris Poll has measured how alienated Americans feel and then calculated an Alienation Index based on the results. The questions measure how much, or how little, people feel their interests are heard and addressed by those with power and influence. This year the Harris Poll Alienation Index saw an all-time high of 70 as it did in 2014, compared with 67 in 2013, 63 in 2011, 52 in 2010 and, for reference, 29 in 1966, its inaugural year.

The Index is based on replies to five questions, most of which show positive differences from two years ago.

• 82% believe that the people running the country don't really care what happens to you, down from 85% in 2014 but still higher than 73% in 2011 and 50% in 2010;
• 78% of all adults believe the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, compared with 81% in 2014, 80% in 2013, and 73% in 2011;
• 70% believe that most people in power try to take advantage of people like them, compared with 71% in 2014, 69% the year before, and 63% in 2011;
• 68% believe that what they think doesn't count very much anymore, which hasn't changed since 2014 and remains higher than 61% in 2013 and 66% in 2011; and,
• 40% believe that they are left out of things going on around them, compared with 42% two years ago, 38% in 2013, and 41% in 2011.

So Who Feels Most Alienated?

As Obama comes to the end of his time in office, there is a shift in the feeling of alienation by political party affiliation.

Adults who identify as Republican feel the most alienated, followed by Independents and then Democrats. In 2014, however, Democrats felt more isolated than Republicans, while Independents felt the most isolated of the three. Those with a college degree feel less isolated than those with some college or a high school education or less, a trend we have seen since at least 2013.

Furthermore, there seems to be a difference in alienation by age. Adults age 45-54 have an Alienation Index of 72 and adults age 55-64 have an index of 73, significantly higher than those 18-34 (69), 35-44 (70), and 65+ (67). There is no distinctive difference by gender.

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online, in English, within the United States between May 31 and June 2, 2016among 2,019 adults aged 18+. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.  Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.