"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of the most popular stories for young readers of the past century, came to the BCPA stage on Sunday, October 26 in a high-energy musical staging that delighted a large family audience.

As a spectator, it was exciting to see how the gang from Theatreworks captured C.S. Lewis story in a quick hour, with a cast of five bustling around the stage, taking on multiple roles in a creative production that was a hit for all the children there.

Presented thanks to sponsorship from Tim and Vicki Tilton (who acknowledged their own family's affection for the story was a major reason for their sponsorship) and the Monroe Center, the show was preceded by an hour of free activities in the BCPA ballroom, including crafts and games provided by Big Brother & Big Sisters, and face painting by the Zoo Crew.

Were you there? What did you think?

(My family had fun .... and I think our box office staff looked fantastic!)

Los Lobos (with Backyard Tire Fire)

“With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed

on top of its game as long as Los Lobos…” – Rolling Stone

I've thought about this quote a lot as the Los Lobos concert approached, and it's stuck in my mind as I've heard more from our patrons about their experience at the Los Lobos show this past Saturday night.

East L.A.'s hardest working band delighted a large, enthusiastic audience at the BCPA with some incredible rock 'n' roll this weekend. Warmed up by Bloomington's own Backyard Tire Fire, Los Lobos took the stage a little before 9:00 on Saturday night with a collection of old and new ... some of the most influential rock music of the past 30 years.

I had a good talk with Ian Moore at his October 16 BCPA Underground show about Los Lobos. He was excited the band would be here, as he was a big fan and had himself been taken under the wing of Cesar Rosas, Los Lobos' perpetually be-sunglassed frontman.

Ian's comments confirmed what we all assumed regarding the influence Los Lobos has had on the music industry. Known best by the American public for their cover of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba," the group has produced over a dozen highly respected albums, all critical favorites for their wide range and musical risk-taking.

Anyway, it was a great concert, and a rocker unlike anything we've had so far.

It was also a fun night to highlight Bloomington's own Backyard Tire Fire. A great band on the rise, they played a terrific opening set then were back for an amazing jam session with Los Lobos at the end.

If you weren't at the show, take a moment to check BTF out. Here's their new video, complete with lots of sights around Bloomington.

What did you think? Want to see more performances like this at the BCPA? Tell us about your night.

America's Hits on Parade

The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra recorded many of the biggest hits of the Swing Era. The Pied Pipers had countless hits of their own, singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and backing up Frank Sinatra on numerous recordings. Together, they brought audiences back to the heyday of the Greatest Generation in a thrilling concert at the BCPA on October 24.

Were you there? Tell us your thoughts by clicking the Comment link below.

Ian Moore

Ian Moore came to the BCPA on October 16, the second show in the new BCPA Underground series. Like Ruthie Foster before him, Moore dazzled. He performed a seamless set of his blues/pop music that spanned his career, from an absolutely thrilling acoustic version of "Satisfied," from his 1993 self-titled album, to numerous songs from his current disc, To Be Loved, as well as a couple songs from an up-coming release. Other highlights were his two cover songs: "I Am the Cosmos," originally by Chris Bell and Big Star, and Doug Sahm's "Crossroads."

Moore and his band were great together. And he stayed after to give autographs, visit with everyone, and even pose for this picture with me.

Were you there? What did you think?

And keep your eyes open. The next show in the BCPA Underground series will be announced next month.

Mike Super

SUPER!


Mike Super definitely lived up to his name on Saturday night with a thrilling mix of magic and humor that left the audience spellbound.


His show was an amazing mix of the seemingly-simple sleight of hand, and the big, bold illusion. A newspaper was ripped into shreds, then reappeared whole in a blink. A folded-paper flower floated in mid air, between the hands of a young girl brought up from the audience. A car appeared out of nowhere. The headlines of the day's paper were predicted with 100% accuracy. And there was voodoo.



An amazing night of fun, we're hoping to bring him back in the future. It will be fun to have him sign our wall of fame again ...


Were you there? Would you like to see Mike Super again? Tell us if you thought he was "lavenous" by clicking the comment link below.

Sones de Mexico

Sones de Mexico's busy residency at the BCPA began on Thursday morning, with a Student Spotlight Series performance for approximately 700 schoolchildren. The kids loved it! A mix of music, dance, and enthusiastic song, Sones de Mexico played music representative of all of Mexico's regions on a collection of over 25 authentic instruments.

Next up for them was a Thursday afternoon workshop for area educators, providing instruction in bilingual and dual language education, as well as using Mexican traditional music and dance as teaching tools.

On Friday, Sones began their day out in the community, performing two mini-performances of their “La Danza del Sol,” (“Dance of the Sun”) at Brigham and Sheridan elementary schools in Bloomington.

Then came their mainstage performance which highlighted this Grammy-nominated ensemble's tremendous range and virtuosity.

Thanks again to State Farm Bank for supporting these wonderful performers.

Were you there? Share your comments by clicking the link below.

Randy Newman

An amazing concert by an American musical legend. Newman took the stage, just him and his piano, and dazzled the audience in a heartfelt performance of a wide variety of his classic songs. From upbeat songs, to the melancholy, Newman had the audience wrapped around his finger, easily changing the emotion of the show with a simple introduction or a warm anecdote from his own life.

The audience who came were definitely the winners in a busy performance night in Bloomington/Normal.

100 Years of Broadway

The five Broadway stars of Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway hit the BCPA stage last Friday, October 3, to delight the audience with two hours of Broadway's greatest hits.

And what a range of songs they sang.

From "Give My Regards to Broadway," taken from George Cohan's 1906 hit Little Johnny Jones to songs from the 2006 tuners Jersey Boys and Grumpy Old Men, the show had a little something for everyone ... unforgettable memories from the Great White Way.

The audience loved it. Here's one response from Susan Brown I thought was representative of the evening ...

I was one of the people fortunate enough to attend Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway on Friday night. I've never been to a musical on Broadway, but Friday night, I felt as though I had been a part of the experience. I had goose-bumps through most of the first act. The talent presented was fantastic!!! I had second row, left, seats and couldn't have asked for a better spot. While I enjoyed the singers, the greatest thrill I got was out of watching Neil Berg playing the piano. His passion for what he was doing clearly came through in his playing. He obviously LOVES what he does. To be able to earn a living doing what you love to do must be so fulfilling. You provided this 60-year married woman and her 88-year old mother with an evening they will never forget. Having such professional talent available (at such reasonable prices) to the citizens of Bloomington/Normal is such a treat. When I moved here 20 years ago from Southern California, I thought I'd dropped off the cultural map. The BCPA has certainly restored my belief that culture can, and does, exist beautifully between the two coasts. Kudos to you all.

Thank you for providing Bloomington/Normal the opportunity to enjoy and witness talent of this caliber. I will be first in line, should you bring them back again next year.

Were you there? Tell us about your experience. Would you also like to see more shows like this return to the BCPA?