CHICAGO — The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University ( ATRU ) proudly presents "On Stage with…Susan Werner" Saturday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. This unique, up-close-and-personal concert allows the audience to enjoy the exciting experience of sitting at tables of six on the stage of the magnificent Auditorium Theatre while enjoying one of the nation's most talented singer songwriters.
Joining Werner on stage will be Trina Hamlin on percussion and Gail Ann Dorsey on bass. The stage is transformed into an intimate 1940s-style music club with tables, cocktail service and light appetizers, complete with a magnificent view of the Auditorium Theatre's Louis Sullivan designed interior from a vantage point typically reserved for performers.
Throughout the course of her colorful career, singer songwriter Susan Werner has cultivated a reputation as a daring and innovative songwriter with a sassy, upbeat live show. She weaves the old with the new to create altogether new genres of music when existing ones do not suit her muse, keeping audiences guessing and laughing. Her work infuses traditional music styles and methods with her unmistakable contemporary worldview, constantly challenging listeners to experience music from a fresh and unexpected perspective.
This concert features songs spanning Werner's career including her latest album, "Kicking the Beehive," an 11-song collection of provocative, poignant, original work that combines roots of American folk, blues and country music. For this concert, Werner displays a more down-home sound that explores looking beyond the superficial and delving into soulful honesty. "Kicking the Beehive" tells a story with each song and allows listeners to see beyond themselves.
"A clever songwriter and an engaging performer, Susan Werner brings literacy and wit back to popular song," raves The New Yorker. The Chicago Tribune describes Werner as "a triply blessed artist who sings adroitly, plays the piano smartly and best of all, writes songs of genuine distinction and high craft."
Werner currently resides in Chicago and was raised on a rural Iowa farm where she learned to play the guitar at a young age. She began her professional career in Philadelphia, after earning a graduate degree in classical voice at Temple University. As a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter with four albums under her belt by the late 1990s, Werner toured the nation with luminaries including Richard Thomson, Keb Mo and Joan Armatrading. She was featured in a 1998 Peter, Paul and Mary PBS special as one of the most promising young artists of her generation.
In 2004 Werner released an album of all-original, instant songbook classics entitled "I Can't Be New." She made another splash in 2005 with her "alternative national anthem" entitled "My Strange Nation." Continuously striving to create fresh and relevant material that crosses the boundaries of the traditional music genres, Werner released "The Gospel Truth" in 2007, which incorporates styles ranging from traditional bluegrass to gospel to "hand clapping rousers" for agnostics. In 2008, Werner released her seventh album entitled "Live at Passim," a collection of live recordings from two intimate shows at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, Mass. In 2009, Werner released her eighth album, "Classics," delivering entirely new string arrangements of mainstream popular songs by top songwriters from a "classical" pop era, the 1960s and 1970s. With an active touring schedule of more than 100 club dates annually, Werner has garnered a string of accolades from critics throughout the country.
Performance Schedule and Ticket Information
"On Stage With…Susan Werner"
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $50 - $75 and are available online at ticketmaster.com, by calling ( 800 ) 982-2787 or in-person at ATRU's Box Office ( 50 E. Congress Parkway ) .
Auditorium Theatre 2011-2012 Subscriptions & Groups
Subscriptions for the Auditorium Theatre's 2011-2012 season and discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are now on sale. For more information or to purchase a subscription or group tickets call ( 312 ) 431-2357 or visit auditoriumtheatre.org .
2011-2012 season packages available include:
Flex Package — Choose at least two shows from all offerings.* Shows include "Hallelujah Broadway," DRUMLINE LIVE, Rasta Thomas' BAD BOYS of DANCE, AXIS Dance Company, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra with Rockapella, "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah," Batsheva Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre in "Giselle" and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Subscribers receive a 10% discount for two shows, 15% for three shows, 20% for four shows, and 25% for five or more shows.
Family Series — Patrons must choose at least 2 from the following: DRUMLINE LIVE ( Sunday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. ) , AXIS Dance Company ( Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. ) , "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" ( Sunday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. ) or Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ( Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m. )
Student Matinee Series — Available only to school groups of 10 or more: AXIS Dance Company ( Friday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. / tickets: $10 each ) , "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" ( Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 at 11 a.m. / tickets: $10 ) , Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ( Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 11 a.m. and Friday, April 13 at 11 a.m. / tickets: $12 )
* Please note: On Stage With…Susan Werner is available as an add-on to the Auditorium Theatre's subscription series. Discounts are available for groups of 6 or more.
About the Auditorium Theatre's Family Series
ATRU's Family Series is designed specifically to awaken children's interest in live performance and plant the seed for developing an appreciation of the arts. This unique opportunity allows patrons to receive a free children's subscription with the purchase of any full-price adult subscription package. This special offer expires on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. This year's Family Series encompasses an eclectic mix of dance and music offerings, and includes DRUMLINE LIVE, AXIS Dance Company, "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Patrons must choose at least two of the aforementioned shows. Each family performance is followed by a question and answer session with members of the shows' artistic teams. This interactive experience can dramatically change the impact of the performing arts on its viewers, and with the involvement of families it can also empower youth to express themselves.
Sponsorships
The Auditorium Theatre is grateful for the generous support of the Illinois Arts Council, CityArts, American Airlines and the Palmer House Hilton.
The Auditorium Theatre's Student Matinee Series is sponsored by The Private Bank and The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation.
About the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University
The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway, is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural and community programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre. The Auditorium Theatre is generously supported by the Illinois Arts Council, CityArts, American Airlines and the Palmer House Hilton. For more information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theater tours, call ( 312 ) 922-2110 or visit auditoriumtheatre.org .
