Ravinia Festival to offer variety of music this summer

HIGHLAND PARK – Music lovers, rejoice!

Ravinia is open once again.

The oldest music festival in North America – located right in Highland Park – has been around since 1904, offering concerts of every musical variety to more than 600,000 visitors each season.

But it's the variety of musical performances that makes Ravinia Festival truly unique, said Amy Schrage, associate director of communications.

"We present everything from classical music to pop music to jazz to music theater, dance, kid's shows – we kind of do it all, pretty much every day of the week," Schrage said. "We have at least one thing you're going to want to see this summer."

Pat Sanders, the general manager of Ravinia Festival, couldn't agree more.

"Its ever evolving and ever changing, so no two years are the same," Sanders said. "And just when you think you've accomplished everything you set out to do, something happens."

Sanders should know. She's spent 31 years at Ravinia, working her way up from an office receptionist to general manager of the entire festival. When she started, there wasn't even such a thing as theater management – Sanders had to create her own masters degree.

Now, with a program listing that debuted last weekend and will run through the middle of September, things are quite a bit different. And Sanders' favorite season has finally arrived.

"This time of the year, when we are open to the public, when the place is absolutely alive, when every night you can go out there and watch people enjoying this wonderful facility – [that's my favorite part]," she said.

Big names
Ravinia has a large mixture of performers who have a strong following at the festival, Sanders said, like Bonnie Raitt, Tony Bennett and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Then there are the artists who make their debut at Ravinia and become instant sell-outs.

"James Taylor ... that's an artist that Ravinia was trying to get for literally 30 years," Sanders said. "That was a big sell, along with Sheryl Crow with her first appearance."

Last year, it was the Backstreet Boys who set records at the grounds, shattering T-shirt sales and bringing in an audience that was quite unexpected.

"They were doing a revival tour, and we kind of thought our audience would be 20-somethings who had grown up on them," Sanders said. "We didn't realize there was a total resurgance of teenage [fans]. We completely sold out the park, and we almost didn't fill our parking lot because they were either being dropped off by their parents or there were 14 in a mini van driven by a mom who had drawn the short straw."

The big sellers this year will be American Idol winner-turned country star Carrie Underwood and Grammy Award winner John Legend. Both artists have signed on for second shows already, Sanders said.

More than a name
Yet it's not just the big names that draw thousands to the park every week.

"What Ravinia Festival is known for is not only great concerts, but great ambiance," Sanders said. "[At other concert halls], if the show is at 8, [people] might arrive at 7:30, quarter to 8. They enjoy the show, then they leave. We open our gates three hours before concert time. They enjoy the restaurants, they enjoy the lawn, they bring their own picnics; they will plan to stay on the lawn afterward. People will be here for a four, five, six-hour experience. It is much more a destination than it is simply a concert facility."

Patrons have a variety of ways to choose to enjoy their musical experience. Lawn seats are cheaper and allow concert-goers to bring their own food and beverages. Though the stage can't be seen from the lawn, speakers throughout the park bring the music right to each individual.

New video screens have been added to the pavilion for those who buy actual seats to shows. Coupled with a new dining pavilion, dinner and show packages help keep prices down, Schrage said.

"You can kind of make it what you want to make it," Schrage said. "If you want to have a nice dinner and then go watch the show you can. Or, if you want to have a more affordable night and bring your own picnic and sit on the lawn, you can do that, as well."

Because of Ravinia's accessibility to both city dwellers and suburbanites, aided by free parking and shuttle rides, many concert-goers have developed their own rituals for enjoying shows.

"There's so many people who have come here and made Ravinia a part of their life since they were a kid," Schrage said. "You see everyone, and they always sit over here on the lawn. It's always their spot where they bring their friends and their family. I think everyone feels an ownership with it."

Ravinia's ultimate goal, however, is to expose its concert-goers to types of music they may have never experienced before.

"Our hope is that somebody who has heard the name Yo-Yo Ma, who has possiby never heard a classical concert, might see it on a brochure and say, I've heard this name – let's go sit on the lawn and see this guy," Sanders said.

Upcoming special events at Ravinia Festival 2009

Ravinia Festival is located 200 Ravinia Park Road in Highland Park.
For a complete show listing or to purchase tickets, visit www.ravinia.org or call 847-266-5100.

• Kraft Kids Concerts – A series of family-friendly concerts directed at kids will take place throughout the summer, including the Dirty Sock Funtime Band at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 13; and Justin Roberts at 2 p.m. on July 5.

• Carrie Underwood – The artist will perform at 8 p.m. on Aug. 30; and 8 p.m. on Aug. 31, in the pavilion.

• Guest Chefs – Guest chefs sold out in 2008. This year, Dominique Tougne of Bistro 110 will present July 15 to 17; Tony Mantuano of Spiaggiaa will present Aug. 14 to 16; and Greg Volles from the Governor's Mansion will present Sept. 17 and 19.

• Pavilion dance party – Ravinia will create a special dancing section at the front of the pavilion for the ABBA tribute concert, which will be performed by Arrival from Sweden at 8 p.m. on June 30.

• Free post-concert full house party – The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform at 5 p.m. on July 19, with a free tent party with appetizers, refreshments and conversation to follow. Other full-house CSO concerts will take place July 12, 15 and Aug. 5.

• World's largest lawn party – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, Ravinia will turn the Peter, Paul and Mary concert on Aug. 10 into the world's largest lawn party.

• John Legend – The artist will perform at 7 p.m. on July 20; and 7 p.m. on July 21 in the pavilion.

• The Beach Boys – The group will perform at 8 p.m. on July 14, in the pavilion.

• Juilliard String Quartet – The quartet will perform at 8 p.m. on July 8  in the Martin Theater.