Ravinia deeply regrets the passing of legendary pianist Van Cliburn, who debuted at Ravinia in 1965 and returned for an additional six performances. Every one of his appearances was truly a gala event. He is seen here with then-Senator Barack Obama at the 2005 Gala Benefit Evening, his last performance at Ravinia.
Ravinia History
Just Talked To Princess Aurora, And It Was...
I just had the most marvelous phone call from soprano Mary Costa, about whom I blogged recently after discovering she had made her Chicago area debut at Ravinia the year after the release of Walt Disney’s The Sleeping Beauty, for which she provided the voice and figure model for the title character. After posting that blog, I Googled her and wrote to her in her native Knoxville, TN, where she had helped launch the Knoxville Opera in 1978 and starred in its inaugural production, Verdi’s La Traviata (the same role in which she had made a triumphant 1964 Metropolitan Opera debut). I was requesting a photo I’d like to frame along with a lovely thank-you note she had written to me for some archival research I did for her while I worked for San Francisco Opera many years ago. I had hoped merely that someone, perhaps a secretary, would send me a photo; instead, she called me direct at Ravinia, and we spent a delightful quarter-hour discussing everything from current styles of opera production and the future of opera to recent movies and my own harpsichord studies. Her interest in me was genuine and touching, and left me feeling positively ebullient for the rest of the day. How wonderful to be able to tell my friends: I just talked with Princess Aurora!
John Schauer
Associate Director of Communications, Publications
Sudden Loss of Marvin Hamlisch Takes Many By Surprise
It was just under a month ago that Idina Menzel was joined by the legendary Marvin Hamlisch conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It saddens us deeply to hear that Marvin Hamlisch passed away yesterday at the age of 68. Hamlisch has appeared at the festival 7 times since 1991, and he was far from slowing down with positions held at Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and, starting next week, the Philadelphia Orchestra. Hamlisch was a prolific composer as well, working on such films as The Way We Were (which he won an Oscar), Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People, Ice Castles, and The Informant!. In his career Hamlisch has taken home just about every award an artist can, winning three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony, three Golden Globes and even a Pulitzer Prize for the landmark musical A Chorus Line. He is an irreplaceable talent, and will be greatly missed.
You Will Be Missed Etta James
It has been six years since Etta James took the stage at Ravinia Festival, opening for Tom Jones. Her health has been declining over the past couple months, and we regret to hear that Etta James has lost the fight with her health, and passed this morning. She was most famous for her single "At Last" and was considered by many to be one of the most overlooked jazz and blues musicians in music history. Her passing comes just three days after the death of the man who first discovered her talent, Johnny Otis. These talents are irreplaceable, and will never be forgotten.
Ravinia Throwback: The Beach Boys
As part of a continuing Ravinia off-season series we bring you the next issue of Ravinia Throwback. We will feature galleries from previous Ravinia seasons that you may not be able to find anymore. Whether you happened to be a guest at this performance or not, Ravinia Throwbacks give you the opportunity to (re)live moments in Ravinia history.
In this issue we feature Beach Boys from September 2002. They put on a very energetic and entertaining show, even asking audience members to join them on stage. Enjoy this gallery and check back next week for our next featured artist in Ravinia Throwbacks.
Ravinia Throwback: Steve Martin
As part of a new Ravinia off-season series we bring you our first (official) Ravinia Throwback. We will feature galleries from previous Ravinia seasons that you may not be able to find anymore. Whether you happened to be a guest at this performance or not, Ravinia Throwbacks give you the opportunity to (re)live moments in Ravinia history.
In this issue we feature Steve Martin. He wowed the Ravinia audience during our 2010 season with his banjo virtuosity. Enjoy this gallery and check back next week for our next featured artist in Ravinia Throwbacks.
Click here to see the full gallery.
Train Spotting
Have you seen the CTA trains with the Ravinia art yet? Here is a great photo from our friends at Titan.
Adriana McClintock
Marketing Manager