LIGHTWIRE THEATER RETURNS TO ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE WITH A BIGGER & BRIGHTER VERY ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS ON DECEMBER 9
The Illinois
Central College Guest Artists Series presents Lightwire Theater’s A Bigger
& Brighter Very Electric Christmas on Sunday, December 9 at 2:30 pm.
The performance takes place in the ICC Performing Arts Center, located on the
East Peoria Campus.
Following the
show, attendees are invited to stay for complimentary hot chocolate and
cookies, along with additional activities.
Lightwire
Theater was a semi-finalist on Season 7 of the NBC TV talent show America’s
Got Talent in 2012. In addition, Lightwire Theater was the winner of Season
1 of TruTV’s Fake Off.
A Bigger
& Brighter Very Electric Christmas follows the story of a young bird
named Max and his family as they begin their journey south for the winter. When
Max gets blown off course and ends up at the North Pole, his adventure begins.
Lightwire
Theater performed A Very Electric Christmas at ICC in 2017, but 2018’s
expanded, lengthier, bigger and brighter show features additional video and
laser elements, along with added music. The show entertains all ages and is a
captivating tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday
classics.
The performance
by Lightwire Theater is a combination of theater and technology combined to
create larger than life stories, while in complete darkness. Due to the unique
mashup of elements, one member of the crew for this production said it is
difficult to describe the show to anyone unfamiliar with it.
“I would best
describe our shows as a live action cartoon, or a physical realization of a
dream” said Tyler Scifres, technical director for Lightwire Theater. “When you
see our costumes turn on, when you see our puppets come on stage, it’s
something that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s a nice mix of dance, puppetry,
theater and a little bit of tech so that people can actually see us.”
Lightwire
Theater uses electroluminescent wire, or “el wire,” as the source of lighting
for its shows. El wire is “neon-like in quality,” according to Eleanor Carney,
a co-owner and director with Lightwire Theater. She said el wire is similar to
the lighting in neon signs, but has the consistency of “half-cooked spaghetti,”
which allows the creators to shape and mold the wire into different characters.
“We are glow in
the dark, but we’re not blacklight,” Carney said. “We’re not traditionally what
people think of when they go to see a dark show. All of our puppets are made of
electroluminescent wire, and they are brought to life by dancers.”
Arrangements are
being made for members of the Lightwire cast to be present at the reception
following the show at ICC, so audience members can see up close how the
costumes are constructed.
“People will
‘ooh and ahh’ as they come closer to us and see up close what they saw in the
audience,” said Scifres, who will be part of the company performing at ICC. “We
get a lot of questions about ‘What is it made of?’ and ‘How do you see in the
dark?’”
Based in New
Orleans, Lightwire Theater uses a mixture of technology, music, and theater to
create its captivating, innovative performances. The group has been in business
over 10 years and has performed in 49 of the 50 United States. In addition,
Lightwire has performed shows to audiences across the world, including Hong
Kong, Canada, China, and Abu Dhabi.
The Arts at ICC will host an event in the studio theatre of the ICC Performing
Arts Center after the performance. Complimentary hot chocolate and cookies will
be available, and there will be an area for selfies and for patrons to take
their own photos with Santa. Attendees must have tickets to the Lightwire
Theater performance for admission to this event.
Patrons who
attend the show will also have the opportunity to provide input about future
shows. In addition, attendees who donate to the highlighted Community Partner
for the event--the East Peoria Festival of Lights--will be entered into a
drawing for a free pair of tickets to a future event. The Community Partner
program highlights a non-profit or community organization with a connection to
the performance. Introduced as a part of the ICC Guest Artists Series in the 2011-12
season, more than 30 groups and organizations from the area have been featured
as part of the program.
The performance
is presented by the Arts at ICC, which has a rich history of enhancing the arts
community and expanding education beyond the classroom. Arts at ICC presents
more than 500 exhibits, performances, lectures, rehearsals, meetings, master
classes, clinics, seminars, receptions, orientations, forums, auditions and
tournaments annually.
Tickets to
the show cost $26 for the general public and $16 for students and children.
Tickets can be purchased online at ArtsAtICC.com or by calling the box office
at (309) 694-5136.
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