By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing

Dive deep into the rich history and culture of the 21st state, our home, Illinois, as Summer Place Theatre brings you an original musical revue named after the state song, “By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing,” arranged by our own Cynthia Lauren-Grant.

The 2-hour program walks you through our origins, our role in the wars, the underground railroad, the presidents from our state, and will highlight Chicago and its fame through songs and narration by a dozen talented community members: joining Cynthia are Noreen Emerson and her son Ian from Naperville, Cindi Erickson from nearby Romeoville, Tracy Kay from Wheaton, Robert Cappetta of Claredon Hills, Jennifer Pollock of Riverside, Chris Roe and Lisa Wukitsch of Geneva and Daniel Ewen from Ottawa. Accompanying the singers are Joline Bastounes of Woodridge on keyboard and Kyle Markwell of Napervillle on drums.

There’s something for everyone in this show, filled with old favorites as well as modern tunes and even TV jingles. Illinois has such a rich history, and Chicago, the Second City, the City of Big Shoulders has given so much to the world that a big part of the show is devoted to it.

Hear “Indian Love Song”, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” among many others as we celebrate our role in the growth of our country. Hear “My Kind of Town”, hits from the band Chicago, and don’t forget the Blues Brothers! We sure didn’t.

Celebrate the many famous people with history in Illinois in sports, politics, television like Ziegfeld, Disney, Belushi, Hemingway, Hefner, Heston, Turkel and Benny; Frank Lloyd Wright, Montgomery Ward, Harrison Ford and Oprah!

Did you know the Ferris Wheel is an Illinois invention? We’re singing about that too!

There are only 3 chances to see this show, and we’ve set the price at $5 below our regular adult price, so everybody pays $15. If you buy a season ticket to our summer shows by March 23, you can see this show for free!

Seating is limited – only 230 seats in the house each performance – so we may sell out. Get your tickets now!