Apr 12, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
April 12, 2019 (Joliet, IL) – Rialto Square Theatre and VenuWorks proudly present Grammy Award-winning country music icons Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for this one-night engagement go on sale Friday, April 19th at 10 AM. More info online at www.RialtoSquare.com.
With a refreshed lineup and newfound energy, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band remains one of the most accomplished bands in American roots music. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played their first gig in 1966 in Southern California as a jug band and by 1969 had become a cornerstone of the burgeoning country-rock community. Their career breakthrough came in 1970 with the release of the record Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy and the single “Mr. Bojangles,” a folksy Top 10 pop hit that remains a staple of their live show.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band earned a pop resurgence in 1980 with “An American Dream” and “Make
a Little Magic.” Those singles also found traction on the country chart, setting the stage for a
major run at country radio. The band secured 16 Top 10 country hits between 1983 and 1990, including three No. 1 singles: “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” and “Fishin’ in the Dark.” Bernie Leadon, a founding member of The Eagles, played in the band from 1986 to 1988 filling a vacancy by longtime member John McEuen.
Following an extended 50th anniversary tour, the ensemble grew to a six-piece in 2018 for the first time since their early jug band days. The group now includes Jeff Hanna (acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Jimmie Fadden (drums, harmonica), Bob Carpenter (keyboards), Jim Photoglo (bass, acoustic guitar), Ross Holmes (fiddle, mandolin), and Jaime Hanna (electric and acoustic guitar). All six members also sing, and when their voices merge, the harmonies add a powerful new component for the legendary band. In addition, with the father-son pairing of Jeff and Jaime Hanna, the band carries on a country music tradition of blood harmony.
With so much material to work with, the band is making it a point to shuffle the set lists more often, meaning that this isn’t the same Dirt Band show from years past. “We’re fortunate that we’ve got a deep songbook. That’s been on our list, to resurrect some of the tunes we haven’t done in a while, in addition to some new stuff,” Hanna says.
Tickets are available in person at the Rialto box office or online at www.RialtoSquare.com. The Rialto Square Theatre is located at 102 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. More info at: www.RialtoSquare.com
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Apr 11, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
Joliet, IL (April 10, 2019) – Rialto Square Theatre is thrilled to announce our 2019-2020 School Matinee Series lineup, made possible by a generous donation from Midland States Bank. This series provides fun and educational experiences for school-age children, while fostering a love of live theatre and the opportunity to visit the historic Rialto Square Theatre. Orders for the 2019-2020 School Matinee Series are now being processed. To learn more about the series or to reserve your seats, please visit www.RialtoSquare.com/schoolmatinees or call 815.726.6600.
“We had our most successful School Matinee Series to date in 2018-2019 and we can’t wait to build upon that success in 2019-2020!” Executive Director of the Rialto Square Theatre, Val Devine said. “I am especially thrilled to bring back Shaun Boothe after his sold out performance in February 2019. His passion and knowledge was truly inspirational to the 1,700 kids that attended the show. We can’t wait to experience his all-new cast of biographical characters in 2020.”
Each show includes a downloadable study guide for educators. These guides are an excellent resource for educators as they create the lessons and curriculum around the shows and their content.
Grant Assistance Generously Provided by ExxonMobil
Thanks to a donation by ExxonMobil, we will provide grant opportunities for Will County schools that demonstrate the need for financial assistance. We invite schools located in Will County that serve low-income communities (40% or higher) to visit our website and submit an application to be considered for our available grants. These grants will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. “The generosity of our community knows no bounds,” said Jack Erickson, Rialto Square Theatre Development Director. “We can’t thank ExxonMobil enough for seeing the value in arts education and making sure it is accessible for all.” Visit RialtoSquare.com/schoolmatinees for more information.
Like in years past, we are offering an “Early Bird Special” for educators working on curriculum for next school year. Anyone who reserves tickets before May 31st, 2019, will pay just $6 per ticket. Starting June 1st, prices will increase to $7 per ticket. For more details about this special offer, visit www.rialtosquare.com/schoolmatinees.
The 2019-2020 Rialto Square Theatre School Matinee Series presented by Midland States Bank season includes:
Professor WOW’s FUN-Believable Science Show
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 | 10 am
Grades K-8
WOW! Pow! How! When students see Professor Wow’s zany, high-energy FUN-Believable Science Show℠ and experience the fantastic, 12-foot tall “Foam Monster,” the impossible “Balloons in Orbit,” the uproariously funny “Bernoulli TP Wipe Out Challenge” and the “Super-Colossal Vortex Cannon.” They learn that nothing is impossible—as long as it obeys the laws of science!
Dog Loves Books
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 | 10am
Grades PreK-3
Louise Yates’ New York Times bestseller comes to life in ArtsPower’s newest musical about the irresistible Dog who loves everything about books. In fact, he loves books SO much that he decides to open his own bookstore. Dog decides that the best way to sell books is to act out all kinds of fun stories for his customers – everything from dancing dinosaurs to funny fairy tales. His customers can’t help but get into the act, too! How could Dog’s bookstore not be a huge success?
Four Score and Seven Years Ago
Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | 10am
Grades 3-8
To young Lemuel, who has escaped slavery in Georgia, life in Gettysburg is everything he had dreamed it would be. His ideas about the North and the South, as well as what it means to be a free man, are challenged, however, when he unexpectedly befriends Jacob, a young Confederate soldier.
The two men may be of different races and on different sides of the Civil War, but they have much to teach each other about bravery and loyalty in ArtsPower’s exciting and suspenseful musical.
Judy Moody & Stink
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 | 10am
Grades 2-6
In this new musical, Judy Moody and Stink, this dynamic sister and brother duo take audiences on a hilarious adventure. As usual, Judy is in a mood. After seeing her classmate’s picture on the front page of the newspaper, Judy wants to be famous and sets off to find fame and happiness. All the while, Stink and his foul-smelling sneakers become a real distraction as he vies for the coveted Golden Clothespin Award. Judy Moody and Stink are the perfect pair for their imperfect capers that lead to fun, mystery, sibling rivalry, and, in the end, true friendship.
Shaun Boothe presents The Unauthorized Biography Series
Back by Popular Demand!
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | 10am
Grades 4-12
Told through a Hamilton-style performance, The Unauthorized Biography Series is a musical project that celebrates the world’s greatest cultural icons through biographical hip hop songs. Each chapter of the series captures the legacy of a positive and influential iconic figure in a documentary-style music video. Shaun Boothe is an award winning hip hop artist, TEDx speaker and creator of ‘The Unauthorized Biography Series’. Each chapter of the series captures the legacy of an influential iconic figure in a documentary-style music video.
Reserve your tickets now as this is sure to sell out!
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Tickets reserved by May 31, 2018 are $6 per ticket. Tickets reserved after May 31, 2018 are $7 per ticket. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Rialto Square Theatre Box Office at 815.726.6600, or email Box Office Manager, Kris Hernandez (khernandex@rialtosquare.com). The box office is located at 102 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. More info at: www.RialtoSquare.com
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Apr 2, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
Joliet, IL (April 2, 2019) – Peppa Pig, George and their friends are back with a brand new live show, Peppa Pig’s Adventure. The latest rendition of Peppa Pig Live!, one of the most successful family theater tours in North American history, will visit cities coast to coast in the United States including Joliet, IL on Friday, October 11, 2019 at 6 pm at the Rialto Square Theatre. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning April 5, 2019 at 10 AM.
In Peppa Pig’s Adventure, Peppa gets ready to go on an exciting camping trip to the woods with George and her school friends, including Pedro Pony, Suzy Sheep and Gerald Giraffe. With lunchboxes packed and Daddy Pig driving the bus, Peppa and friends are excited about their outdoor adventure, full of games, laughter and live music. The happy campers soon settle down to sleep and listen to the gentle pitter-patter of rain. Safe and warm inside their tents, the excited group can look forward to morning time, when there will be lots of muddy puddles to play in.
Peppa Pig Live! is based on Entertainment One’s (eOne) top-rated Nick Jr series that airs more than 30 times per week and reaches over 75 million homes daily. The various tours have sold over a half a million tickets while logging more than 340 performances in North American cities since 2015.
“Peppa Pig’s Adventure is a truly dynamic and engaging way for young fans and their parents to experience their much-loved pre-school television property on the big stage,” said Joan Grasso, eOne’s SVP, Licensing – North America, Family & Brands. “There’s nothing like watching little ones react to seeing Peppa Pig live — the joy and excitement in the theater is infectious. We are thrilled to offer this one-of-a-kind experience in major cities across the U.S.”
VIP Party Passes will be available on April 2 that feature premium seating during the show, exclusive access to the Peppa Pig Campfire Party, and a meet & greet with the Peppa Pig cast. For tickets, VIP Party Passes, and tour merchandise, visit www.peppapigliveus.com.
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Mar 18, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
March 18, 2019 (Joliet, IL) – Rialto Square Theatre and Jones Entertainment Group proudly present former professional golfer and current broadcaster on NBC Sports and Golf Channel, DAVID FEHERTY in David Feherty: Live Off Tour, on Friday, June 28 at 7:30 PM at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, IL. Tickets range from $52.50 to $182.50, and can be purchased in person the Rialto Square Theatre box office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.RialtoSquare.com. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 22, 2019 at 10 AM.
David Feherty is a former professional golfer on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He now works as a writer and broadcaster with NBC Sports and Golf Channel. David was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He turned professional in 1976 and spent most of his playing career in Europe, where he won five times and finished in the top ten twice in the European Tour’s Order of Merit, placing tenth in 1989 and eighth in 1990. He spent 1994 and 1995 playing mainly on the PGA Tour in the U.S., and the best result on the tour was a second place finish at the 1994 New England Classic. David represented Ireland in international competition and captained the victorious 1990 Alfred Dunhill Cup team and played for Europe on the 1991 Ryder Cup team.
In 1997, David retired from the tours and became an on-course reporter and golf analyst. The first episode of Feherty debuted in 2011 as the most-watched premiere for an original series in Golf Channel history. Over the span of five seasons, David has welcomed a variety of guests on his Golf Channel show, including golf-loving personalities like former President Bill Clinton, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, five-time NBA MVP Bill Russell, comedic genius Larry David, actors Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle. In 2014, David was nominated for a 2014 Emmy Award – “Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio Host.” Feherty also appears in advertisements for Bridgestone Golf and Hyundai.
David has been dubbed “one of the funniest men in the game” by Yahoo! Sports. Similarly, the Feherty series has received rave reviews, having been described as “a cross between Oprah Winfrey and Johnny Carson” by The New York Times.
In 2014, David decided to take his act on the road and travel across North America for his new live show Feherty – Live Off Tour. His cutting edge style is full of great stories from behind the scenes, a show you don’t want to miss.
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Mar 14, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
“A concert is not a live rendition of our album. It’s a theatrical event.”
– Freddie Mercury
March 14, 2019 (Joliet, IL) – Rialto Square Theatre and VenuWorks are thrilled to present WE WILL ROCK YOU, the smash-hit musical direct from London’s West End, based on the music of QUEEN, to the Rialto Square Theatre on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 8, 2019 at 10 AM.
WE WILL ROCK YOU is a quirky, eccentric and heartfelt story of outsiders. It is also a creative cautionary tale for the cyberage.
With the Oscar-winning film, Bohemian Rhapsody, the music of Queen is more popular than ever. WE WILL ROCK YOU follows two revolutionaries, Galileo and Scaramouche, on a quest to save rock n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world where there are no musical instruments and rock n’ roll has died.
Galileo and Scaramouche will join a small group of societal outcasts, the Bohemians, as they fight to take back the iPlanet from the all-powerful Globalsoft, led by the Killer Queen. They will fight for freedom, individuality and the rebirth of rock n roll.
Since 2002 over 16 million theatregoers in 19 countries have been thrilled by this awe-inspiring production which is based on the songs of Queen with a book by Ben Elton (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Popcorn). Elton fashioned this futuristic story around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs including: “We Are the Champions,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “I Want To Break Free,” “Somebody To Love,” “Killer Queen,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Under Pressure,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.”
WE WILL ROCK YOU reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. With Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors and “a band without parallel in the theatre” behind the cast, the audience can expect WE WILL ROCK YOU to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen’s concerts.
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Mar 12, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
March 12, 2019 (Joliet, IL) – Internet celebrity and acclaimed parenting vlogger, Kristina Kuzmic is coming to Joliet’s Rialto Square Theatre on Friday, July 12, 2019 for a live, powerful, and comical “night out” event. An Evening with Kristina Kuzmic: The Hope and Humor Tour brings to stage the inspiration, humor and in-your-face perspective of parenting (and life in general) that has attracted the social media maven over 2.3 million Facebook followers and numerous accolades. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 15 at 10 AM.
The Huffington Post referred to Kristina’s videos as “parenting comedy at its finest,” and The Inquisitr has praised her “witty charm.” Kristina began her career after winning “Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” and built an audience by starting “The Ambush Cook” on The Oprah Winfrey Network. She was later named Oprah’s “I Gotta Watch Her ‘IT’ Girl.” She has quickly made a name for herself as a creative, yet unpretentious parent, as well as a world-renowned motivational speaker and comedian. Her first book, Hold on But Don’t Hold Still, will be released in the Fall of 2019.
A cheerleader for her fellow humans, Kristina Kuzmic, immigrated to America from Croatia during the war in her homeland. Later facing even more challenges (divorce, single parenting, poverty, depression) Kristina wanted to be for others what she wished someone had been for her during her darkest hours. Now, through her platforms, she provides encouragement, hope and humor in a role she never expected to fill.
Tickets for An Evening with Kristina Kuzmic start at $33.25 and go on sale at 10 AM on Friday, March 15th. Tickets can be purchased at the Rialto Square Theatre box office, online at RialtoSquare.com, or by phone at 800.745.3000. A limited number of VIP tickets offering an opportunity to meet Kristina are available.
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