Chicago a cappella brings "Love Stories" to Chicagoland

This concert program features Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber and Jeff-nominated actress Karen Janes Woditsch.

“True love stories never have endings,” said American writer Richard Bach. Real love stays with you forever, as the place where it lives is your heart. Chicago a cappella, one of the area’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles, is happy to present a concert program called “Love Stories.” The sounds of the musical love stories that Chicago a cappella chose to perform for this Valentine’s Day can be heard at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 10 at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 11 at Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago (Hyde Park), at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 16 at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park, and at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 17 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville.

This touching concert program will feature Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber and Jeff-nominated long-time Chicago actress Karen Janes Woditsch. Woditsch is known for successfully appearing in over twenty productions at Writers Theatre and for her incomparable charm and talent. Weber directed multiple Jeff-nominated productions for Best Production-Musical and is also proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11. This beautiful couple will be narrating “Love Stories” concerts guiding their audiences through the script by Jeff Award-winning playwright and brilliant writer/director Tom Mula. Tom came up with the wonderful idea to cast these actors as a later-life couple looking back on many phases of their relationship, which makes this concert program even more sincere, unique and memorable.

“This program is a journey into the human heart seen through two lenses: first, the choral music that the ensemble sings, and, second, the relationship of the two actors, whose script has them looking back on their relationship over many years,” said Jonathan Miller, Founder and Artistic Director at Chicago a cappella. “The script expresses and gives context to the emotions in the music that Chicago a cappella performs. From breathless anticipation to regret, from open-hearted declarations to more indirect statements, from hot to cool and temperatures in between, we’ve got a wide range of ways to speak the language of love in music.”

It takes a lot of effort to demonstrate the range of emotions that a married couple goes through during their lifetime, but nothing is impossible for Chicago a cappella. Each member of this great ensemble has a unique voice and an undoubted talent, and all ten singers are deeply devoted to music. Being experienced musicians, they demonstrate their mastership and stylistic breadth every time they come on stage, and this concert program is not an exception.

“Love Stories” concerts are prepared by principal music director John William Trotter. He was named principal music director of Chicago a cappella in 2015. Trotter is also an associate professor at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. This internationally renowned conducting teacher, writer, speaker, composer, arranger, and leader of improvisation workshops plays a vital role in the everyday life of Chicago a cappella and puts all his heart and soul in helping these great singers perform on the highest professional level.

“Thanks to Principal Music Director John William Trotter for his masterful shepherding of the rehearsal process, and to our intrepid, curious, tremendously talented singers, who leave it all on the stage every time and who continue to astound us all with their flexibility, musicality, and good cheer,” said Jonathan Miller in the program notes. This great team work has one and only purpose – to make the audience members happy and to present to them an unforgettable musical Valentine. Besides that, the warm and intimate relationship of a long-time married couple that is reflected in this concert program might be a great example of how to build a successful, yet challenging relationship.

The singers are going to demonstrate colorful musical illustrations of love created by great composers of different times. Love is a feeling that doesn’t change over centuries, and people had the same range of emotions five hundred years ago as they do now. Just in one concert program Chicago a cappella will show all the shades and colors of the musical love palette combining the music of the 16th century master Claudio Monteverdi, Broadway great favorites of Rodgers and Hammerstein, modern composers Morten Lauridsen, Evanston’s Stacy Garrop, and the ensemble’s artistic director Jonathan Miller.

One of these pieces, Monteverdi’s steamy madrigal “Volgea l’anima mia soavemente,” is new to Chicago a cappella and will be performed by these talented musicians for the first time. The other selections are works that have appeared on Chicago a cappella programs throughout the years and were chosen as being particularly well-suited for this concert. They are Chicagoland favorites, and many of the audience members will be happy to hear them again.

Lyrics are also very important, and Chicago a cappella is proud to show all the depth of the music through the expressive poetry. Beautiful and meaningful texts written by Shakespeare, Rilke, and Edna St. Vincent Millay will help the singers reflect the touching love story of the older couple, and their vibrant emotions will be demonstrated through the means of theater and music.

Chicago a cappella’s “Love Stories” will become another gem in the colorful palette of this great ensemble’s repertoire. Joined by Tom Mula, Karen Janes Woditsch and Michael Weber, Chicago a cappella is ready to surprise their audiences with its beautiful and memorable Valentine’s concert program. The experience, talent and passion of these devoted professionals will be heard in every sound of the touching “Love Stories.” These stories are so true and real that they will never have endings. They will resonate in our hearts.

For tickets and more information please visit www.chicagoacappella.org or call 773-281-7820. The prices are: $43 preferred seating, $35 general, $30 seniors, and $15 students. Group rates are available. An additional $2 will be charged for each ticket purchased at the door.

Natalia Dagenhart

Photo: Courtesy of Chicago a cappella

What: “Love Stories” presented by Chicago a cappella

Where and When: Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8:00 pm at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston, IL; Sunday, Feb. 11 at 4:00 pm at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E 60th St., Chicago, IL (Hyde Park); Friday, Feb. 16 at 8:00 pm at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St., Oak Park, IL; and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8:00 pm at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave, Naperville, IL, on the campus of North Central College.

Contact information: www.chicagoacappella.org

Phone: 773-281-7820