SOUTH LOOP — The Auditorium Theatre, Louis Sullivan's enduring gem of a performance space, will throw open its doors for a free Family Fun Day Nov. 15.
The open house lasts from 1-5 p.m. that Sunday at 50 E. Congress Parkway. While an opportunity to see the 125-year-old Auditorium is an event in itself, it will also be connected to the ongoing Billy Strayhorn Festival honoring the centenary of the birth of Duke Ellington's longtime arranger.
"We held our first Family Fun Day last fall as part of our 125th-anniversary season and welcomed almost 1,000 guests into our historic theater,” Auditorium Executive Director Brett Batterson said. "Sharing our space with Chicago families is always exciting, and we are jazzing up this new tradition as part of our Billy Strayhorn Festival.
"It’s never too early to introduce children to jazz music and, through teaching artists and professional dancers and musicians, we will be using interactive approaches to get kids and kids-at-heart excited about jazz."
Erica Edwards, of the Auditorium tenant the Joffrey Ballet, will hold a family dance workshop on how jazz-dance movements can be incorporated into traditional ballet. BeMoved dance instructor Jennifer Edgcomb will likewise have a class on jazz-inspired movements. And Missi Alston, of the Joel Hall Dance Company, another regular Auditorium performing troupe, will offer dance classes for all ages.
Alston is later slated to appear in "Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn" gala Nov. 21 at the Auditorium.
Visitors will get to see what the theater looks like from the stage, and will also be able to tour backstage areas where doodles and drawings have been preserved from those who've performed at the Auditorium.
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