'Happy Fella' with Hearn Among '07 Ravinia Offerings

The Ravinia Festival in Chicago has announced its summer 2007 offerings.

George Hearn, Sylvia McNair and Rod Gilfry will star in Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella, while Brian Stokes Mitchell, Heather Headley, Hershey Felder and Lillias White will headline the Martinis at the Martin cabaret series.  Other events will include Ramsey Lewis performing Jazz with the Joffrey, as well as performances by Plácido Domingo, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mark Morris Dance Group's Mozart Dances, Aretha Franklin and The Steve Miller Band.

Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman announced the early opportunity to purchase advance tickets online beginning December 1 to some of the festival's most highly anticipated concerts, including three "sampler" packages. "Over the past several years, I've received many compliments from our patrons on Ravinia's great musical variety followed by requests to offer a bit of that summer variety in a package appropriate for gift-giving during the holiday season," Kauffman said. "I'm happy to say we are able to meet this customer demand." With the release of these packages, Kauffman revealed more of the popular events in the 2007 season. They include the teaming of Broadway legend George Hearn with Ravinia favorites Sylvia McNair, Rod Gilfry and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel for a single performance of the Frank Loesser musical The Most Happy Fella; and Chicago's own Ramsey Lewis Trio and Joffrey Ballet joining forces to fuse dance and music in the world-premiere program Jazz with The Joffrey.

Kauffman also announced the 2007 lineup for Ravinia's popular cabaret series Martinis at the Martin that has performers Brian Stokes Mitchell, Heather Headley, Hershey Felder, in his crowd-pleasing show George Gershwin Alone, and Lillias White interpreting the great American songbook. Ravinia will offer reserved-seat tickets to these performances, along with select other highly anticipated concerts, beginning December 1 online. For a limited time Ravinia will offer an introductory price on three different "sampler" packages of four concerts each, available through January 12, 2007.  More information on these ticket packages can be found on Ravinia's website.

A staged concert of The Most Happy Fella will be among the highlights of the season.  "Based on Sidney Howard's 1924 play They Knew What They Wanted, Loesser's The Most Happy Fella revolves around the complications that arise when Tony, an aging Italian vineyard owner, proposes by mail to Rosabella, a young waitress who once served him in a San Francisco restaurant. Rosabella has no recollection of Tony, but accepts his proposal, largely because he has sent her a picture of Joe, his handsome ranch hand," as press notes state.

Tony Award-winner George Hearn, who won acclaim in Ravinia's productions of Sweeney Todd and A Little Night Music will return to the festival to play Tony for the first time. Hearn is fresh from his performance as the Wizard in the Broadway production of Wicked. Two-time Grammy Award-winner Sylvia McNair will play Rosabella. McNair was a featured commentator on the CD sampler that was included as part of Ravinia's 2006 season brochure, and this performance marks her sixth consecutive season at the festival. Rod Gilfry has established himself as one of today's most sought-after and compelling baritones. He was last seen at Ravinia performing during the festival's centennial season-ending concert "Carousel of the Animals" along with McNair. He will play the role of Joe in this production.

Marking his 29th Ravinia season since his 1978 festival debut, conductor Erich Kunzel has appeared on the podiums of nearly every major orchestra in North America including conducting Ravinia's annual "Labor Day Spectacular" concert. He will lead the Ravinia Festival Orchestra in this musical theater project. The Most Happy Fella will be directed by Marc Robin, who has staged over 40 productions for the Drury Lane Theatre and has directed/choreographed extensively throughout the region, garnering eight Joseph Jefferson Awards (27 nominations) and eight After Dark Awards.

Martinis at the Martin will star four performers making their Martinis debut interpreting the great American songbook. Tony Award-winner Lillias White (The Life, Chicago), star of Ravinia's 2006 music theater workshop The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea, opens the series on Monday, June 4. Fresh from his performance last year at Ravinia's Gala Benefit Evening, "Gershwin at Ravinia," Tony-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Man of La Mancha, Kiss Me, Kate) returns to the festival on Monday, July 9. Tony-winner Heather Headley (Aida) takes the Martin stage on Monday, August 20. Star of one-man shows Monsieur Chopin and George Gershwin Alone, Hershey Felder returns to the festival on Sunday, Sept. 9

Visit www.ravinia.org for more information.