Ravinia in Mystery Novel

There’s much to recommend in the Jack Doyle mystery series by Ben Franklin Award-winner John McEvoy. But The Significant Seven, the fourth novel from this Evanston writer—the former Midwest editor and senior correspondent for the Daily Racing Form—has something extra special going for it: A visit to Ravinia Festival. The hero of the story pays his $10 lawn admission to picnic on the lawn during a Martin Theatre concert. McEvoy gives a fun description of the experience and even offers up historical detail on our 106-year-old venue, noting: “This is where George Gershwin played Rhapsody in Blue in 1936. So many people attended, Doyle had read, that hundreds boosted themselves up and listened while seated on the limbs of trees that surrounded the pavilion and lawn.” McEvoy also gives a nice shout-out to Penny Tyler, Chicago’s great jazz maven, who has been booking Ravinia’s jazz lineup with Ramsey Lewis for years.

Nick Pullia
Director of Communications