Independent Players will officially open its 2015-2016 Season with an entertaining musical revue conceived and directed by Doug Orlyk entitled LOVE4 (LOVE to the 4th power). LOVE4 features a variety of songs from contemporary musical theatre. So what’s with that title? Director Doug Orlyk explains: “The songs we’ve selected explore love. It’s all about the most heartfelt of emotions — the four interrelated experiences of wanting love, finding love, keeping love and losing love.” Set to open on September 25 and to run for three weekends, the revue will feature the vocal stylings of Kim Borland, Kelley Buesse, Meg McGarry, Christine Pfenninger, Barb Rieger and Lori Skubich.
In bringing LOVE4 to the Independent Players stage, director Doug Orlyk has created the first musical revue IP has produced since 1994. IP’s first production (Summer, 1978) was a musical revue—Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris—and revues were major productions of many seasons in its first 17 years. Orlyk, who is no stranger to the IP stage, directed Other Desert Cities and starred in Doubt, How the Other Half Loves and Deathtrap in recent seasons. He now brings his exceptional musical talent to the Elgin Art Showcase with this revue which includes songs from over 20 musicals and musical revues. His cast, from all reports, are all among the best musical theatre actor/singers in the Chicagoland area. This production looks to be an exceptionally exciting way to open IP’s 38th Season.
LOVE4 runs Fridays and Saturdays, September 25-26, October 2-3 & 9-10, 2015 at 8 PM at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street, Elgin. Tickets are: $15, with Senior Citizens (65 & over) at $12, and Students (14-21) at $10. Tickets are available at the door prior to each performance (cash/check only), on the IP website (credit cards). Please park in the city parking lot ½ block west of 164 Division Street.