Greg Batton: “Life. In Boxes." at the Orpheum Theatre -- August 24.
Saturday, August 24, 7:30 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre, 57 South Kellogg Street, Galesburg IL
A hilarious and affecting stage presentation in Galesburg's Summer FUN-Raising Series, comedian and radio personality Greg Batton's one-man show Life. In Boxes. enjoys an August 24 presentation at the Orpheum Theatre, the show's star offering an invitation to view some of the memories and moments that have helped define his life – and maybe experiences that will reflect yours, as well.
Batton has lived a very interesting life as a radio-talk-show personality on WLS, WGN, and, for the last 18 years, in Peoria, Illinois on WMBD. A standup comedian, storyteller, father, and husband, Batton is also a guy who has spent his life sticking things in boxes and putting them away on shelves. In his original one-man show, we get a chance to open some of those boxes and learn about life told through the memories we store away for safe keeping. Although Life. In Boxes. is a comedic night about Greg's life and his personal boxes, the show is also much more than that. Through Batton's sometimes humorous, sometimes touching memories and the stories that weave a tapestry of who he is and how he got that way, we begin to think about our lives and what is (or maybe should be) in our own boxes. Audiences will likely also leave the theatre with newfound motivation to break open some of their own “boxes," discovering how to reopen figurative doors to the experiences and moments that define us.
Originally built as a vaudeville house, Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre hosted many early stars of stage and screen, including Jack Benny, George Burns, Houdini, Al Jolson, Edgar Bergen, Fanny Brice, and Blackstone the Magician. The Orpheum was the finest in construction, acoustics, and accommodations, but as was the fate of most palaces of the era, the venue's splendor could not withstand the demise of vaudeville and the rising popularity of television. By the late 1970s, the Orpheum was part of the Kerasotes movie theater conglomerate, yet due to high operating costs, it was forced to close in 1982.
Yet the theatre was donated by the Kerosotes Company to the Knox County Civic Center Authority and a successful fund drive by the Prairie Players Civic Theatre raised $100,000 to restore the Orpheum to its former glory. A $2-million grant from the State of Illinois made the plan a reality. On May 5, 1988, the curtain rose on the Henry Mancini Orchestra for the re-inauguration gala. Today, the Orpheum continues to reflect its former glory, bringing to the stage a diverse blend of the finest entertainment including Mickey Rooney, Collin Raye, the Doobie Brothers, Glen Miller Orchestra, Bo Diddley, The Acting Company, and the Russian National Ballet companies. The theatre is also home to many local performing arts and non-profit organizations that bring music, movies, dance, and theatre to the stage.
Greg Batton's Life. In Boxes. will be presented at the Orpheum Theatre on August 24, and in lieu of an admission price, the cost to attend the 7:30 p.m. performance is a $25/person minimum donation for orchestra reserved seating. For more information and tickets, call (309)342-2299 and visit GalesburgOrpheum.org.
