Where to find the arts and entertainment in the capital city
Hoogland Center for the Arts
The city’s premier arts venue, the Hoogland Center, is a magnet for practitioners and supporters of the arts.
Named after the family that nurtured Family Video stores to nationwide prominence, the venue houses more than 15 arts organizations. With four performance sites, two art galleries and meeting space galore, organizations coordinate schedules so that the space is used to advantage. For example, the Prairie Art Alliance’s H.D. Smith Gallery is often open extra hours so that theatergoers may spend time savoring its exhibitions before the curtain goes up. Hoogland is also home to the Springfield Area Arts Council, a nexus of information for artists of all stripes. A variety of organizations hold meetings at Hoogland, thanks to its location, flexible accommodations and helpful staff. Hoogland’s Web site provides an updated calendar of events and links to other area arts organizations.
Springfield Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 217-523 2787, www.scfta.org.
Sangamon Auditorium
Located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, Sangamon Auditorium has hosted more than 2,000 events, including conferences, debates, major concerts, plays and musical shows. Legends who have performed at the 2,018-seat facility include Sarah Vaughn, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Donny Osmond, Hal Holbrook, David Copperfield, George Carlin, Juliet Prowse and Jerry Seinfeld. B.B. King will grace the stage in April.
To get to Sangamon Auditorium from Interstate 55, take exit 94 onto Stevenson Drive; proceed to the intersection of Stevenson and Taylor Avenue/West Lake Drive; go south on West Lake, which becomes Shepherd Road; turn right at the campus entrance, and follow the signs. For ticket information, call 217-206-6160 or 800-207-6960 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or visit www.sangamonauditorium.org.
Other places for arts and entertainment
Theater: Springfield Theatre Center, Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 217-523-2787, www.springfieldtheater.com.
Musical theater: Springfield Municipal Opera Association, also known as the Muni, presents locally-produced musicals in an outdoor amphitheater near Lake Springfield all summer long. The Muni is one of the largest all-volunteer community theatre organizations in the nation. This summer’s lineup includes Seussical, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ Superstar and Annie. Curtain time is 8:30 p.m. The theater is located at 815 East Lake Dr. For ticket information, call 217-793- 6864 or visit www.themuni.org.
Regional: Theatre in the Park at Lincoln’s New Salem Historic Site. This summer’s lineup includes Cowgirls, The Light in the Piazza, Carousel, New Salem Harmony and several Lincoln-related shows. The park is on Highway 97 two miles south of Petersburg. For more information, call 217-632-5440 or 800-710-9290, or go to www.theatreinthepark.net.
Ballet: The Springfield Ballet Company performs at Sangamon Auditorium. May will see the Company’s “Men in Tights” performance, in which 16 notable men in the community don dancewear and join the dancers onstage. For tickets, call 217-206-6160; www.springfieldballetco.org. For more information, call 217-544-1967.
