Harris Theater Presents 'Eat to the Beat' Series, 3/1-31

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance continues the third season of its celebrated Eat to the Beat $5 lunchtime performance series with the "Rising Star Spring Series" featuring performances by some of the Theater's most renowned arts education partners.

The award-winning musicians from the Music Institute of Chicago's Community School and Academy Program will kick off the Eat to the Beat "Rising Star Spring Series" on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 12 pm, in a program featuring the institute's most talented wind, string and piano division students.

The next generation of dancers, actors, and vocalists from ChiArts will take the stage of the Harris on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 12 pm, performing excerpts from the program's new version of the Carnival of the Animals ballet, set in iconic Chicago locations, and will also feature musical theater favorites.

Following its thrilling Chicago debut on last season's Eat to the Beat series, Chicago's most accomplished young dancers from the Chicago Academy for the Arts Repertory Dance Company return on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 12 pm, under the direction of Company Artistic Director Randy Duncan.

Designed to help break up the monotony of the workday, patrons are encouraged to enjoy their lunch during the Eat to the Beat performances, and can now purchase food from Chicago's finest food trucks located on-site during performances outside the Theater on Lower Randolph Drive.

This season's new Lunch Pass admission is still available, offering an "all you can experience cultural buffet" ticket that allows patrons to enjoy the remaining three Eat to the Beat performances for only $10. Individual performance tickets are also available for $5 each, ensuring that anyone can experience live music and dance during the workday. Lunch passes and individual tickets are available at the Harris Theater box office located in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph Dr., by calling 312-334-7777 or by visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org.

The Music Institute of Chicago believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, our mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music. As one of the three largest and most respected community music schools in the nation, the Music Institute offers musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services. Founded in 1931 and one of the oldest community music schools in Illinois, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Each year, the Music Institute's world-class music teachers and arts therapists provide the highest quality arts education to more than 5,000 students of all ability levels, from birth to 101 years of age at campuses in Evanston, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Winnetka, and Downers Grove. Nichols Concert Hall, an education and performance center located in downtown Evanston, reaches approximately 14,000 people each year. The Music Institute of Chicago's community engagement and partnership programs reach an additional 6,500 Chicago Public School students annually.

The Academy program has established itself as one of the most respected pre-collegiate conservatory programs in the United States. The Academy's internationally recognized faculty, rigorous curriculum, and instructional model, as well as the program's highly gifted students, have solidified its preeminent reputation. The very selective program focuses on providing an intensive and comprehensive musical education and significant performance opportunities for developing musicians. The carefully assembled faculty represents teachers and performers with a passion for developing young talent and an established reputation for student achievement.

Opened in 2009 with 150 ninth- grade students, ChiArts (Chicago High School for the Arts) is a college-preparatory, pre-professional arts training program providing instruction in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. With students from all neighborhoods across Chicago, ChiArts satisfies the strong need for a diverse, public arts high school open to all Chicago residents who qualify, providing superior arts training coupled with a top-notch academic program. ChiArts Executive Director Jose Ochoa explained to WBEZ, "At our school, the jock is the student who wins the concerto competition, and the homecoming queen is the young lady who gets the lead in the school play. The culture has been building where everyone is equal, everyone is accepted, and no one is making fun of the male dancers because they're wearing tights. Everyone thinks that's cool."

The school offers challenging courses in all subject areas that encourage intellectual curiosity and develop critical thinking skills. Students participate in a rigorous program, including five hours of academic classes, three hours of arts training in their major area, and one to four hours of rehearsal/practice per day. Training is available for all levels of ability and students with potential or undeveloped talent are encouraged to apply. Student Alex Arnold told WBEZ, "It makes us feel like we belong in this place where everyone is just like us. There's no one calling us weird or just crazy or stupid or dumb. They're saying wow, you really can sing, or wow, you really can act. Or wow, that's a beautiful picture. It lets us be who we are." The ChiArts faculty consists of full-time certified academic teachers, artist-teachers, and part-time artist-teachers of local, national, and international acclaim. By 2012, school enrollment is expected to reach its full capacity of 600 students. Additional information about the company can be found at: http://chiarts.org.

CAA is an internationally recognized independent school acclaimed for its innovative academic model and intellectually savvy graduates-independent thinkers in every field as well as award-winning professional artists. Designated a National School of Distinction by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, CAA recruits driven, engaged young minds and provides a roadmap for them to translate their intellectual curiosity into productive and rewarding futures. CAA's rich interwoven curriculum-made up of rigorous, diverse courses, workshops, and practicums-enables young artists to develop an intellectually complex approach to examining and engaging with the world. This academic model gives our students the tools to sharpen their gifts, feed their passions, and become the well-rounded, culturally fluent leaders of tomorrow.

The founders of the Chicago Academy for the Arts set forth a bold vision for education when they opened the school nearly thirty years ago. They held the firm belief that Chicago deserved a nationally-acclaimed educational institution for young artists. Through dedication, innovation and pure force of will they laid the foundation for the groundbreaking institution CAA has become. CAA is taking steps to build upon its reputation of excellence as the preeminent secondary arts school in Illinois.

All programs, prices and dates are subject to change.

Founded in 2003, the Harris Theater's mission is to partner and collaborate with an array of Chicago's emerging and mid-sized performing arts organizations to help them build the resources and infrastructure necessary to achieve artistic growth and long-term organizational sustainability. The Harris Theater for Music and Dance was the first multi-use performing arts venue to be built in the Chicago downtown area since 1929 and today the Theater continues to host the most diverse offerings of any venue in Chicago, featuring the city's world-renowned music and dance institutions and the Harris Theater Presents series of acclaimed national and international companies.

To learn more about the season at the Harris Theater, visit www.harristheaterchicago.org or call the box office at 312-334-7777 to request a brochure.