LIV ON: Olivia Newton-John, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Amy Sky Come to the MAC, 10/14

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents "LIV ON: Olivia Newton-John, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Amy Sky," Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. International superstar and multiple Grammy Award-winner Olivia Newton-John, Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman and SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) Award-winner Amy Sky lend their vocal and songwriting talents to "LIV ON," an inspiring new project that grew from the trio's personal experiences of triumph over adversity.

This labor of love features songs attributed to the three women including Newton-John's hit "I Honestly Love You"; "This Kiss," Faith Hill's Grammy-winning song penned by Beth Nielsen Chapman; and Amy Sky's hit "I Will Take Care of You." The intent of the artists is to celebrate new-found hope and strength through uplifting music and stories that will resonate with those striving to transcend loss while walking toward lives filled with new-found meaning and hope.

Born in Cambridge, England, Olivia Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia, with her family when she was five. Her first big break was winning a talent contest on the popular TV show, "Sing, Sing, Sing," which earned her trip to London. Her U.S. album debut, "Let Me Be There" (1973) produced her first top ten single and Newton-John was honored the same year by the Academy of Country Music as Most Promising Female Vocalist and with a Grammy for Best Country Vocalist. Four years later her fame skyrocketed when she appeared as Sandy in the movie version of "Grease" starring John Travolta. Today, with more than 100 million albums sold, Newton-John's honors include four Grammys, numerous Country Music, American Music and People's Choice Awards, 10 #1 hits including "Physical" and more than 15 top 10 singles. In the '90s, Newton-John successfully overcame her battle with breast cancer and has since become increasingly well-known and respected for talking openly about that battle and for promoting public awareness of the importance of early detection. In 2016, Newton-John released "LIV ON," a collaborative, inspiring new CD with friends Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky intended for those who wish to transcend loss while walking a journey toward new-found meaning and serving as the stepping off point for this concert.

From writing hits for other artists to recording her own, twice Grammy-nominated Beth Nielsen Chapman, Nashville based singer-songwriter has truly embraced musical diversity. A breast cancer survivor, environmental activist, teacher of workshops and lecturer on the magic of creativity, she's penned numerous hits and written songs for many top artists including Amy Grant, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Emmylou Harris, Jim Brickman, Keb' Mo', Martina McBride, Michael McDonald, Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, Roberta Flack, Tanya Tucker, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson among others. Her music has been heard on TV in "ER," "Dawson's Creek," "Providence," "Felicity" and in movie soundtracks, including "The Prince of Egypt," "Message in a Bottle" and "The Rookie."

Her own recording, "Sand & Water" released following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994, was performed by Elton John on his 1997 U.S. tour. Her mega-hit "This Kiss," sung by Faith Hill was ASCAP'S 1999 Song of The Year and garnered a Grammy nomination and Nashville NAMMY'S 1999 Songwriter of the Year. Not long after graduating from college, Toronto-born Amy Sky was recruited as a backup singer for the touring band of the legendary Ronnie Hawkins. On that tour, Amy caught the ear of an entertainment lawyer in Nashville who paired her with established writing partners in Music City. From there she relocated to Los Angeles where she built a reputation as a go-to songwriter and she met and married Marc Jordan, a fellow award-winning Toronto expat singer-songwriter. In the mid '90s, the couple returned to Toronto to raise their children and in 1996 she released her debut CD "Cool Rain." It achieved Gold status in Canada for record sales and spawned four hit singles, including "I Will Take Care of You," a song that is, more than 15 years later, still one of the most-played songs on Adult Contemporary radio.

As a multi-Juno nominee and multi-SOCAN winner, Amy has had her songs recorded by International Artists Reba McEntire, Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John, Heart, Sheena Easton, Marie Osmond, Anne Murray, Natalie McMaster, Melissa Manchester, The Rankin Family, and others. Sky has also lent her support to many charities and was awarded the first-ever CRIA Applause Award, for her work testifying in Ottawa on behalf of artists' rights, which aided in the establishment of the historic Neighbouring Rights Royalty.

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents "LIV ON: Olivia Newton-John, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Amy Sky, Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $54-$75. For an additional $30 patrons can add on VIP Suite Service, a private, pre-show cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception followed by coffee and dessert at intermission. Call the box office at 630.942.4000 or visit AtTheMAC.org for tickets or more information.

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage, located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor performance venue the Lakeside Pavilion plus, the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information visit AtTheMAC.org, facebook.com/AtTheMAC or twitter.com/AtTheMAC.

The MAC's 2017-2018 Season is made possible in part with support by The DuPage Foundation, Hilton Lisle/Naperville, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.

Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462. Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

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