'Peter Pan' ready to fly at Eastlight Theatre
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- Published on 15 September 2015
- Written by Paul Gordon
Growing up, there is one story book that was considered a must-read and probably still is. That is the J.M. Barrie novel, “Peter Pan.” It was one of those books that kids of all ages would read and imagine being transported to Neverland for the next adventure.
Now, Eastlight Theatre is bringing the musical version of the Barrie novel to life on its stage at East Peoria High School, a chance for families to see Peter and his friends and foes come to life.
“Peter Pan” opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a seven-show run.
“I love the story of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys – all of it,” said Kenny Kendall, who is making his Eastlight directorial debut with this show. “I am a fight choreographer, so naturally I am drawn to Hook and the pirates and the fights. We’re having a lot of fun with it.”
Kendall is a professor of theatre at Lincoln College who has acted professionally. He hopes this will be only the first show he directs in the Peoria region. His wife, Stephanie Myre, has performed twice at Eastlight (as the title character in “Mary Poppins” and as Eponine in “Les Miserables” in 2013) and at Corn Stock Theatre’s Winter Playhouse.
Kendall said that although there are several versions of Peter Pan existing in film, it is the originally J.M. Barrie classic he prefers. “It is not a dark script, but it does have a little bit more of the dark side in it, with Peter’s struggles while growing up and with Hook and his pirates. But is it still very family friendly. My wife and I are foster parents to a 2½-year-old boy and I wanted to do a show I knew he could really get into and understand. And he does. He loves it,” Kendall said before a recent rehearsal.
“Peter Pan” tells the story of Peter, the boy who can fly and never grows up, and his impish sidekick Tinkerbell, who visit the Darling children in their home one night and sprinkle them with pixie dust. That starts their magical journey, an adventure that brings them to Neverland and the fierce pirate, Captain Hook and his men. Along the way they meet up with Peter’s gang, the Lost Boys, who join the journey.
Yes, Peter and the Darling children will fly in the Eastlight version, Kendall said. “Why, of course they will. It wouldn’t really be Peter Pan otherwise,” he said.
Peter is portrayed by Rose Blume, making her Eastlight debut after performing in other area theaters. As the role calls for a young, petite lass, Blume fits the size bill. But her voice more than fits the talent requirement and her acting, Kendall said, “has exceeded all of expectations, especially by her ability to grow with each rehearsal. She has taken my teaching and run with it.”
Veteran community theatre performer Mike Reams is Captain Hook. “Mike is the consummate professional, not only with his gravitas as Hook but also with his wonderful sense of comedic timing. He is so much fun to watch,” Kendall said.
Other characters and actors include Erin Hawkes as Mrs. Darling; Rachel Kocher as Wendy; Cole Rich as John Darlingl Chancellor Davis and Michael Darling, Kevin Paul Wickart as Smee, Piper Simpson as Nana and Cros, and Kelleen Nitsch as Grown-Up Wendy.
He praised the children portraying the Lost Boys as “just so danged cute” and added “they are so rambunctious it just blows me away. The men playing the pirates “walk a fine line between being funny and slightly dangerous.”
As for the portrayal of Tinkerbell, well… “Let’s just say we have some other things we plan to wow people with. There is some magic in this show for all ages,” Kendall said.
Diedre Kaiser directed the music, which for the performances will be done with Orchextra, the computerized accompaniment. Ed Macmurdo, who directs the live action shows done at the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, choreographed the show. It is the third time he has done the choreography for a production of “Peter Pan.”
Kendall said his directing strengthss are musicals and Shakespeare and he hopes to do some of each here in the future. One reason is the caliber of performers he has found on community theatres stages in the Peoria area. “There is an energy to the performers here that is refreshing. People are warm and compassionate and man, are they ready to work,” he said.
Show times for “Peter Pan” are 7:30 p.m. each day except for the 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Tickets are $19 and can be purchased online at tickets.eastlighttheatre,com or at the door starting one hour before each performance.
Watch for deer crossings! Collisions increase in October-December
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- Published on 14 September 2015
- Written by PRNewswire
Bloomington, Ill. — U.S. drivers are just as likely to have a claim involving a collision with deer, elk or moose than they were last year, according to new claims data from State Farm.
The odds drivers will have a claim from hitting one of those animals is 1 out of 169, the same as it was in 2014. That likelihood more than doubles during October, November and December, when deer collisions are most prevalent.
For the ninth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an auto insurance claim is most likely to occur. The odds a driver in the Mountain State will have a claim did improve to 1 in 44, up from 1 in 39 in 2014, an 11.4 percent decrease. Hawaii rounds out the bottom of the list also for the ninth year in a row with odds of 1 in 8,765.
The top five states in which a driver is most likely to have a claim from a collision with a deer, elk or moose are:
Rank State 2015 Odds Percent Change from 2014
- West Virginia: 1 in 44; 11.4% less likely
- Montana: 1 in 63; 19.1% more likely
- Iowa: 1 in 68; 13.2% more likely
- Pennsylvania: 1 in 70; 1.4% more likely
- South Dakota: 1 in 73; 12.3% more likely
Injuries, vehicle damage and fatalities all can result from vehicle collisions with deer. In 2013, 191 deaths were the result of collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
These tips could help drivers avoid a collision:
- Use extra caution in known deer zones.
- Always wear your seatbelt.
- At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams.
- Avoid swerving when you see a deer.
- Scan the road for deer and other danger signs.
- Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles.
And here are some deer facts that all drivers should know:
- Deer are on all roads.
- Deer are unpredictable.
- Deer often move in groups.
- Deer movement is most prevalent in the fall.
- The hours between dusk and dawn are high risk times.
Whether you live in West Virginia or Hawaii, it’s important that drivers are practicing safe driving habits and watching out for animals on the road. Wearing your seat belt and practicing defensive driving tactics could make a significant difference.
Reasons why odds go up or down in 2015
Deer claim counts rose by more than 21 percent in Indiana and more than 13 percent in Iowa this past year. The top ten states stayed the same from 2014, just in slightly different order.
What causes these significant changes in deer collision rates? “Periods of daily high-deer movement around dawn and dusk as well as seasonal behavior patterns, such as during the October-December breeding season, increase the risk for auto-deer collisions,” said Ron Regan, executive director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.
“Changes in collision rates from year to year are a reflection of changing deer densities or population levels; more deer in a given area increases the potential for collision. Deer populations are also affected by conditions such as new or improved roads with higher speeds near deer habitat, winter conditions, and other related factors,” Regan said.
More 2015 State Farm deer collisions facts:
- The national cost per claim average is $4,135, up 6 percent from 2014 ($3,888).
- The months a driver is most likely to have claim involving a deer, elk or moose in the U.S., mostly due to mating and hunting seasons, are: 1. November 2. October 3. December
- Nearly 10 percent of the country’s deer claims occur in Pennsylvania (126,275 collisions), though when taking into account the amount of licensed drivers in the state, West Virginia still edges out as number one with a likelihood of 1 in 44 compared with Pennsylvania’s 1 in 70 (fourth highest ranked state).
Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm, the nation’s leading auto insurer, calculates the chances of any single American motorist striking a deer, elk or moose during the time frame of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The data has been projected for the insurance industry as a whole, based on the State Farm personal vehicle market penetration within each state. The State Farm data is based on comprehensive and collision claims only. Claims involving policyholders with liability insurance coverage only are not included.
Bradley again named one of the country's best colleges
- Details
- Published on 10 September 2015
- Written by Paul Gordon
Bradley University once again scored well in the annual ranking of colleges and universities by U.S. News & World Report.
Bradley was ranked the fourth best college in the 12-state Midwest region and ranked ninth best among Best Value Schools in the country, according to the 31st Annual America’s Best Colleges report by U.S. News. The value ranking recognizes the significant value Bradley offers in the academic experience it provides students, the magazine said, ranking it among the “Great School at a Great Price” universities.
It is the third high ranking Bradley has received recently. The Princeton Review recently included Bradley in its “Best 380 Colleges” guide and Money Magazine included Bradley in its list of “Best Colleges.”
“Our consistent high ranking in national publications such as U.S. News is a testimonial to the exceptional educational experience we offer at the prestigious institution,” said Stan Liberty, Bradley’s interim president.
The only schools that rank ahead of Bradley in the Midwest region at Creighton University in Omaha, Butler University in Indianapolis and Drake University in Des Moines. Of the top four Bradley is the largest by a matter of only a few hundred students but is also the least expensive. The top four ranking is unchanged from last year.
The Midwest region covers, from east to west, the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
According to the magazine, the regional rankings cover universities that offer a full range of undergrad programs, some master’s programs but few doctoral programs.
The U.S. News rankings focus on academic excellence, with schools ranked on up to 16 measures of academic quality. The rankings emphasize outcomes, with graduation and retention rates carrying the most weight in the methodology at 30 percent. The top schools all have high six-year graduation rates and strong freshman retention rates:
- The average six-year graduation rate is 94.5 percent for the top 10 National Universities and 93.1 percent for the top 10 National Liberal Arts Colleges.
- The average freshman retention rate is 97.3 percent for the top 10 National Universities and 96.7 percent for the top 10 National Liberal Arts Colleges.
- For comparison, the average six-year graduation rate among all numerically ranked schools on the National Universities list is 72.6 percent, and the average freshman retention rate is 87.2 percent.
- For comparison, the average six-year graduation rate among all numerically ranked schools on the National Liberal Arts Colleges list is 75.1 percent, and the average freshman retention rate is 86.1 percent.
The magazine named Princeton University the best university in the country.
To see the complete rankings, including the various categories in which schools are ranked, visit http://www.usnews.com/colleges.
Chamber: State’s lawsuit climate is terrible; trial lawyers disagree
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- Published on 11 September 2015
By Mark Fitton
Illinois News Network
SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday said Illinois’ lawsuit climate is nearly the worst in the country.
The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association answered, saying that’s corporate propaganda.
Citing a survey conducted for its Institute for Legal Reform by Harris Poll, the Chamber on Thursday said only Louisiana and West Virginia fare worse than Illinois.
The score represents Illinois’ worst showing in the 13-year history of the survey.
Illinois was bested by regional competitors including Iowa at No. 4, Indiana at No. 18, Wisconsin at No. 20, Kentucky at No. 39 and Missouri at No. 42.
According to the survey, 75 percent of senior company attorneys surveyed said a state’s lawsuit environment is likely to affect important business decisions at their companies, including where to locate or expand.
The Chamber rolled out the national survey in a Chicago news conference, which Gov. Bruce Rauner joined.
Rauner, R-Winnetka, praised the Chamber’s efforts to shine light on the issue and said the state’s reputation for a nasty lawsuit atmosphere was hurting Illinois in job retention, job creation and employer recruitment.
“You come here, you open yourself up to attack and excessive judgment against your company,” the governor said.
“There needs to be a balance of influence, a balance of outcomes between plaintiffs and defendants, between employers and those who are ... attacking employers,” Rauner said. “We’re clearly out of balance.”
“We have two of the areas of the nation that are regarded as the worst places for lawsuit abuse, completely biased for plaintiffs and plaintiffs attorneys,” Rauner said. “That’s down in Madison County and, unfortunately, right here in the city of Chicago.”
The governor said he’s proposed legislation to improve what he considers unfairly weighted aspects of Illinois’ system, such as medical awards based on charges rather than actual payments; overly inclusive liability standards and venue shopping by plaintiffs.
The subject is important because Illinois can’t fix a seemingly continual budget crisis without improving its economy, Rauner said: “Without growth we will not solve our financial troubles.”
Perry J. Browder, president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Trial Association, tore into Rauner, the survey, the Institute for Legal Reform and Harris Poll in a statement issued in response.
Browder called the institute “a front group for the nation’s wealthiest special interests” and said the governor was putting profits before people.
“The only lawsuit crisis in Illinois is the one conjured up by the imaginations of phony front groups funded by big businesses trying to saddle the state’s taxpayers with the costs of caring for those who are injured or the survivors of those killed due to corporate negligence or malfeasance,” Browder said.
The Trial Lawyers president also said the respondents were essentially defense attorneys for the nation’s richest companies, and the survey excluded other relevant parties such as attorneys and judges.
Browder called the survey “math washing — using numbers to give the veneer of science and precision to a biased study that found just what it wanted to find.”
He argued Illinois’ civil justice system works and said the state’s courts “provide a level playing field for individuals to force wrongdoers to make amends — even the wealthiest people and companies that, in other spheres of our government, exert vastly disproportionate influence.”
Harris Poll said its survey was conducted via online and telephone interviews between March 9 and June 24, 2105. The respondents were 1,203 general counsels and senior attorneys or leaders in companies with annual revenues of at least $100 million. The sampling variation or error was listed at plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
The survey is available at http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/?utm_source=Homepage&utm_medium=PR&utm_campaign=1
'Sister Act' to open Peoria Players' season
- Details
- Published on 09 September 2015
- Written by Paul Gordon
Some people may not think there is much humorous about nuns, particularly those who went to Catholic schools at a time that nuns made up the ranks of teachers. But theatre has never hesitated to create nuns who are allowed to let their hair down while still doing the good works we expect of them.
“Sister Act,” the musical that kicks off Peoria Players Theatre’s 2015-16 season, is one of those plays, with nuns who learn to be ‘with it’ while maintaining their stellar ways. It’s fun and funny, with some good music and dialogue and yet, with a message all of us should think about, said Peggy Breaux Hupp, who is directing the show.
“This show has so much to offer audiences, I’ve loved it ever since it came out and that’s why I wanted to direct it,” Hupp said just before a recent dress rehearsal.
“Sister Act,” which opens a seven-show run at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the theatre at University and Lake streets, is making its regional premiere with this Peoria Players production. That was another positive factor for Hupp, who directed “Brigadoon” at Corn Stock Theatre this summer.
“I wanted to do something that hasn’t been done around here before. You can get more creative that way without the tendency to copy something somebody else did,” she said.
“Sister Act” was written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. It tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a night club singer who aspires to the big time until she witnesses a murder. For her protection she goes to a convent called The Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith to hide out.
What happens when she tries to blend in with the nuns who range in age from 25 to 72 with a whole range of personalities, including having to change her entire lifestyle, is simply comedic. Along the way, however, Deloris – who has become Sister Mary Clarence – teaches the nuns that life doesn’t have to be only black-and-white.
“I love the story,” Hupp said. “Each nun is a far different person at the start of the show than at the end. By the end of the show they would all take a bullet for Sister Mary Clarence. That’s how much they come to love her.
“She is different, too, because she realizes no one has to be alone in the world. She learns the importance of sisters, people who are there for her no matter what. That’s an important message,” she said.
Songs from the show include “Take Me to Heaven,” “When I Find My Baby,” “Raise Your Voice,” “The Life I Never Had,” and “Sister Act.”
Mary Irby Moore, who recently finished a run in the company of “The Color Purple” at Corn Stock Theatre, portrays Deloris in his first lead role on a Peoria stage. “She is terrific. She is Deloris,” Hupp said.
Other nuns are Wendy Blickenstaff as Mother Superior, Lyndsay Byers as Sister Mary Roberts, Julie Simmons as Sister Mary Patrick, Shannon Orrill as Sister Mary Lazarus, Jo Sternberg as Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours, and Mary Amberg as Sister Mary Theresa. There are 12 other nuns, as well.
Other characters are Greg Blume as Monsignor O’Hara, Vance Jordan as Curtis (Deloris’s boyfriend who is after her), Holly Haines, who also was music director for the show, portrays Tina, and Anthony Hendricks, who portrayed Judas in the recent Eastlight Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, is Eddie the cop.
Maggie Sloter directs the orchestra and Danny Fisher choreographed the show.
“Sister Act” was first a hit movie that starred Whoopi Goldberg, who became one of the executive producers for the musical. Goldberg portrayed Deloris in the 1992 film and spent some time as Mother Superior in the London production of the musical.
Hupp said it was the film that she first fell in love with, but now believes the musical script is even funnier than the film. “I’m very happy I did it. It’s such a fun show and the cast keeps adding little things here and there as we go along that makes it even funnier. They crack me up,” she said.
“Sister Act” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 13 and 20. Tickets are $19 for adults and $12 for students 20 and under. They can be purchased online at www.peoriaplayers.org or ordered by calling 688-4473.
"Sister Act" will be followed in the 2015-16 season by the regional premiere of "The Addams Family," directed by Travis Olson, opening Oct. 9; "Cinderella Enchanted Eidition" directed by Mary Ellen Ulrich, opening Nov. 13; "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," directed by Chip Joyce and opening Feb. 5; "To Kill a Mockingbird," directed by Laura Garfinkel and opening March 11; and "Hairspray," directed by Jeremy Kelly, opening May 6.
