LCM 4-1-15

THE WRITE STUFF

Author Rebecca Makkai talks history ... page 11

APRIL 2015

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i ve r d s c a l l i he Cad t d n a d ty l e r s o r t e I v y Fo r lues in b e h t e hom

NORTH SHORE NOSTALGIA

‘Anything Goes’ at the Marriott Lincolnshire ... page 9

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Let Us Entertain You Entertainment has come alive

in Lake County this spring, and we can’t wait to hit the streets for all the song, dance theater and art our communities have to offer.

to discuss her latest work, being an author, and her love of historic places.

All this, in an edition that will keep you full of great information, ideas and advice. It’s all here in Lake This month in Lake County Magazine, we showcase County Magazine, and right outside your door! the artists in our towns.

We visit the Marriot Theatre in Lincolnshire, where actors are hard at work on their spring show. We stop in for a chat with Ivy Ford, the colorful lead vocalist for Ivy Ford and the Cadillacs, a blues trio from the Waukegan area. And we meet up with famed local author Rebecca Makkai of Lake Forest

Thanks for reading.

Published by Shaw Media 1100 East Washington St., Ste. 101, Grayslake, IL Phone: 847-223-8161 Fax: 847-543-1139 www.LakeCountyMagazine.com Editor Sherri Dauskurdas 630-427-6209 sdauskurdas@shawmedia.com

Sherri Dauskurdas Editor

Designer Allison McCaleb 815-526-4485 amccaleb@shawmedia.com

on the

COVER ENTERTAINMNENT: Ivy Ford and the Cadillacs a waukegan-based trio, shares retro Blues with a modern edge.

Page 7

Photo by ANTHONY MOSER

OUT to EAT Feature

DAVIDS BISTRO 883 Main St., Antioch 847-603-1196 • www.davidsbistro.com After enjoying a stroll through Antioch’s downtown stop by David’s Bistro a contemporary American eatery to fill any appetite. Owner and Chef David Maish offers many spectacular dishes from his homemade soups, appetizers and wonderful entrees including daily specials. David’s Bistro opens at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday-Sunday and stays open until David kicks you out...nicely of course.

6 | APRIL 2015 | LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE

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Publisher Kate Weber 815-526-4400 kweber@shawmedia.com Coordinator Kelli Murray 630-427-6263 kmurray@shawmedia.com Account Manager Randi Grossman 847-231-7511 rgrossman@shawmedia.com Correspondents Melissa Riske, Hannah Peterson, Allison Horne, Kelli Murray Photographers Ron McKinney Lake County Magazine is available by subscription for $24 a year. If you would like each month’s edition mailed to your home, send payment information and address to Lake County Magazine, 7717 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 or by email at subscriptions@shawmedia.com.

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Blues, Baby!

Ivy Ford and the Cadillacs drive home the blues in retro style

By Allison Horne

M

usic connects with people in different ways, and when Ivy Ford’s mom put her on stage when she was 13, she knew it was where she

was meant to be.

Now, the Waukegan native fronts Ivy Ford and the Cadillacs, a Lake County-based blues band.

“It’s funny, my mom used to play a lot of blues on the radio when I was really little and I didn’t think much of it,” Ford says. “But I’m 22 now and blues just kind of happened for me.”

THE BAND’S ORIGINS While she still was developing her voice and discovering her musical interests, Ford was playing assorted gigs and open jams with random musicians. But almost two years ago, she stumbled upon an opportunity to be in a band of her own.

Ford was the last to join the five-piece group which, at the time, was looking for a singer.

Quite a bit has changed since then, including switching to a trio and renaming the group Ivy Ford and the Cadillacs.

Ford headlines the group, while Willie Rauch contributes on bass and Tony Oncken takes the drums. However, Oncken is set to move out of town, so Ford has been rotating drummers as of late.

Photos provided

“I know from playing with so many different people that good playing — I don’t care how long you’ve been playing — has to come from a good place,” Ford says. “You can’t 4Continued on next page lakecountymagazine.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2015 | 7

4Continued from previous page judge anyone and you have to be grateful for every opportunity you have to play in front of other people and with other people.”

FORD’S REPETOIRE Ford has more than just vocals to offer. The young blues star also can play the guitar, drums, bass and piano — and all were selftaught.

The Importance Of Vocal Education

S

inging is an art, and like with any craft or profession, it must be fine-tuned.

That’s where Becky Cappelli of Songbird Studio comes in.

Cappelli has been involved in music since she was five years old, and started singing when she was eight. After going to school at the College of Lake County on a scholarship to study music, Cappelli knew that teaching was something she wanted to pursue as a career.

“This is really what I feel like I’m supposed to do,” Cappelli says.

Cappelli previously had a studio, but closed it for family reasons. She resurfaced in 2012 to open Songbird Studio in Grayslake, where she caters individual voice and piano lessons to every single one of her 58 students.

“Every voice is different and everybody’s needs and goals are different as well,” Cappelli says. “Voice lessons are very specific to each student.”

Cappelli has students from age six to 50.

Experience also ranges from beginners to professionals, and Cappelli can assist with something as simple as breathing to advanced lessons focused on auditions or performances.

“Breathing is super important when it comes to singing,” Cappelli says. “Who would think? We breathe every day and it seems silly, but it does so much in the execution of a song.”

Although some have natural talent when it comes to singing, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take additional work to fine-tune the craft.

“I took piano lessons for about six months and learned the basics of it,” Ford says. “But as for voice, I like having the natural mojo and raw ‘organic-ness’ when I sing.”

Ford draws personal influence from Chicagostyle blues, Delta blues and various jazz artists.

“I’m a huge Buddy Guy fan,” Ford says. “That’s my guy. I love whatever he does and listen to everything. I’m in awe.”

Her musical tastes carry over to her band’s repertoire.

“We mostly play Chicago-style blues, but we have a lot of tunes that are a little different from your regular shuffle,” Ford says. “We do some Marvin Gaye, some Bob Marley and we throw some other things into the mix.”

The trio also has a handful of original tunes that it performs.

Music is Ford’s life, and whenever she’s not playing with the Cadillacs, she picks up side gigs with other musicians.

She’s a regular with Chicago blues legend J.B. Ritchie, and has recently taken the stage alongside him at Buddy Guy’s Legends. She’s also opened for Eric Sardinas at Reggies in Chicago as well as several other local artists.

“I love playing,” Ford says. “I am going to be playing music whether I get paid for not. It’s not just music to me — it’s a social commentary and dialogue.”

“If you want to sing, it’s no different than someone saying, ‘hey I want to try tennis,’” Cappelli says.

“It’s the same with any other sport or art. I can help you do it and have some direction doing it.”

Cappelli is a realist, and always tries to help singers get the best sound out of their voice.

Rather than constantly compliment her students, she combines honesty and constructive criticism to help better her students’ voices.

“I love this,” Cappelli says. “I really love what I do.

I love sharing it. I understand the love of music and that’s something that will be consistent in everything I do.”

8 | APRIL 2015 | LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

lakecountymagazine.com

Marriott Lincolnshire Theater pulls out the stops on a Cole Porter classic

By Hannah Peterson

F

or those seeking an evening celebrating the arts, look no further than the Marriott Theater located on the grounds of the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort. The Marriott Theater opened its doors in 1975, under the leadership of Tony DeSantis, a legendary Chicago theater entrepreneur.

achievement.

To uphold its award-winning reputation, and to ensure those at the Marriot Theater

attain success opening night and every night afterward, James, along with his artistic directors Andy Hite and Aaron Thielen, begin the fast, pressure-filled process of mounting a show.

“A ‘typical’ show starts with the audition process approximately six months prior to opening,” says James. “This is followed by numerous production meetings to design the costumes, sets, lighting, and sound, then two weeks of rehearsals, and one week of preview performances where we continue to make changes, ending finally with the opening for the press.

“The renowned theater sells more than 300,000 tickets a year between its five musicals, and another 110,000 tickets to its Children’s Theatre productions,” says Terry James, Executive producer.

As a professional actor himself, James appeared in more than 80 shows including numerous productions for the Marriott Theater years prior to being named EP.

Many of the actors that have appeared in Marriott productions have achieved critical acclaim not only for their work on the Marriott stage, but include numerous Broadway veterans, Tony and Grammy Award-winners, and even Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson.

The Marriott Theater has earned lavish praise from critics since its beginning, receiving a record 500 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations — a Chicago-based theatrical honor for artistic

lakecountymagazine.com

Photos by Ron McKinney

North Shore Nostalgia

“When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how good a script is if you don’t have good ‘story-tellers,’” says James.

4Continued on next page

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2015 | 9

4Continued from previous page “Every actor has his or her own ‘method’ of preparing, and performing a role. Some have studied formally for years, others have been ‘on the boards’ as child actors. Regardless, the rehearsal period is short and pressured.”

With rehearsing for only two to three weeks, actors do a lot of homework on their own in preparation.

“So, if you’ve seen a particular show numerous times before, I guarantee you, you have not seen it like the Marriott Theater presents it,” adds James.

Marriott Theater currently is staging “Anything Goes,” written for the stage

by Cole Porter. Winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, it’s a thrill ride of laughs and madcap fun on the S.S. American with an unusual array of passengers

including a gangster, a wealthy debutante, a charismatic nightclub singer and a lovesick stowaway. It includes classic dance numbers and a boatload of Cole Porter tunes such as “You’re the Top” and “I Get a Kick out of You.” “In a 90-seat, intimate in-the-round setting, where you are closer to the actor than many theater’s front rows, you experience Broadway in your own backyard,” says James. “It makes for a most effective and compelling story-telling experience.”

The show can be seen at more than 60 performances between April 8 and May 31, with tickets on sale at $50 for general admission, not including student and senior discounts offered only at the Marriot Box Office.

For the upcoming Children’s Theater productions, auditions, and a full calendar of the season’s events, visit MarriotTheater.com.

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The Write Stuff

Lake Forest author brings passion for ‘place’ into stories

L

By Kelli Murray ake Forest resident and author Rebecca Makkai cut her writing teeth in elementary school on a Halloween play her class performed, in addition to crafting stories and poems. She says that by the time she was in eighth grade she knew she was onto something special.

“I realized it wasn’t something everyone loved doing,” Makkai says. “I started getting positive feedback and knew it was something that I would continue.”

Judging by her literary acknowledgements, she made the right decision. Among her accolades, Makkai’s “The Hundred-Year House” received the 2014 Chicago Writers Association’s book of the year award for best traditional fiction, best book of 2014 by BookPage, Chicago Reader, and Chicago Book Review, to name a few. Additionally, her first novel, “The Borrower,” is noted as a Booklist Top Ten Debut, an O Magazine selection, an Indie Next pick and was selected by Chicago Magazine as one of the 2011 choices for best fiction. In fact, “The Borrower” has been chosen for the Illinois Reads program this year.

Makkai also writes short story fiction that has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, which she credits to making her career.

She taught elementary school for 12 years and in addition to instructing at the college, she also instructs for Sierra Nevada College and teaches the Novel in a Year program at Story Studio Chicago.

“I love teaching,” Makkai says. “I end up working with people on all different levels, from undergrad freshmen to grad students that are at a very high level.” Teaching writing every day is like a refresher course, and helps in her own writing, she added.

“A lot of writers start with short stories and move on to novels,” Makkai says. “I am really devoted to short stories and I won’t stop working on those.”

Makkai says her inspiration doesn’t come from characters. Rather, she is moved by place.

“I get inspired not by the outdoor environment or nature, but the history of houses,” Makkai says. “‘The Hundred-Year House’ is a historic home. It starts off in 1999 and goes to 1955, and then 1929, and at the end it is in 1900 (the year of the building of the house).”

I started off writing the story thinking it would be in present day and then wanted it to be 1999 because I didn’t want them to have cell phones,” she explains. “I wrote it backward because I felt it was really important to mirror the reader’s experience. It was a ton of fun for history research.”

Makkai and her family, Jon Freeman, a teacher at Lake Forest Academy, and their two children, live on the campus of historic Lake Forest College where

lakecountymagazine.com

she teaches creative writing. The historic buildings on both properties, founded 1857, offer plenty of inspiring layers of history, including old stables turned into dorms, an Italianate mansion and foundations of old pillars, Makkai says.

While Makkai clearly enjoys sharing her knowledge among writers, she says she also loves speaking to readers.

“I visit book clubs in the area that read one my books, and will come out and chat with them,” Makkai says.

To find out more information about Makkai and upcoming book tours and events, visit RebeccaMakkai.com.

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Title: “The Hundred-Year House” Genre: Fiction Publisher: Viking

LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2015 | 11

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Got A Getaway?

I n most instances, a simple trip to Target — alone — with a Starbucks in my hand is all the vacation I need. However, desperate times call for desperate measures and only a tropical location with an adult beverage in hand will do.

and was worried that all my efforts to keep my troops in line would be thwarted by missed nap times and one too many trips to McDonald’s.

Our first real trip away from the kids was a few years’ back. My husband had won a trip to Jamaica through work and we were desperate to get away. We hadn’t had a real vacation since our honeymoon. Life in the Midwest with two small children had me feeling like the walls were closing in on me, since I was home with them all day with only brief respites while they were at preschool. I needed a break from the day-to-day. Even the simple tasks like making dinner and lunches became daunting.

time it gets easier and easier to leave the kids. Despite the effort and stress it takes to prepare in order to hit the pause button on our day-to day lives, it serves as a great time for my husband and me to reconnect. It is time for us to strengthen our relationship, let loose and have some fun … and a chance for our kids to miss us and for my husband and me to miss our kids. In the end, we all win (especially when we come back with souvenirs).

By the time I got to Jamaica, I had myself in such a tizzy over preparing to be gone it took me a full day to decompress. I cried myself to sleep the first night as As I write this, my husband and I are preparing for a guilt set in that I had “up and left” my babies. That trip trip to the Dominican Republic, sans kids. This is not the first time we have been away without the kids, but it came to a screeching halt after only two days of fun-inwill be the longest. We are traveling with some friends of the-sun, because my husband’s insulin pump, which he ours who have never been away from their kids for more depends on for his Type 1 Diabetes, stopped working. than a weekend. While our usual pre-trip stress is setting Since then, we have been fortunate to take several more in, theirs’ is at a fever pitch. trips both through his work and on our own, and each

In the end, we all win (especially when we come back with souvenirs).

While we have the whole tropical getaway down to a science, our friends are struggling with the minute details of how many sundresses and bathing suits to pack, along with how they will communicate with their children. Meanwhile, I’ve taken to stocking the fridge with Lunchables® (something that is saved only for special occasions) and the instant macaroni and cheese Besides getting my husband and that I stopped buying awhile back because that white I ready with passports, bathing suits, flip-flops and suntan lotion, powder scares me. It is all to set my mind at ease, that my kids will be happy, comfortable and not missing me I had to prepare the kids and when grandma doesn’t make the mac and cheese the way my mother-in-law for the hectic schedule ahead. My in-laws asked I do. I also know that no matter how many nights they if we could have picked a weekend stay up past their bedtimes and how much my motherthat wasn’t so jam-packed to leave to in-law spoils them, I can always re-program them when I get back. which we responded, “This is every weekend.”

This is not to say I don’t still get the tug in my heart

The kids were two and four years old, and pick-up and drop-off between two different preschools had to be coordinated.

Skating lessons, birthday parties, karate and various other demands which I perform as second nature needed to be carefully detailed and laid out in a five-page report. I’m pretty sure I even drew up a flowchart in case my mother-in-law proved to be more of a visual learner.

A great deal of my stress laid in the fact that, as I have admitted before, I am a control freak. I like things done a certain way

and pang of anxiety through me when I hug and kiss the kids goodbye before we depart. Of course, that first umbrella drink by the pool is usually all I need to let my worries melt away.

Write This Down with Michelle Stien

• Michelle Stien is a stay-at-home mom of two children, ages 5 and 7. Her mother always told her to “write this down,” so she is sharing her experiences with Lake County moms to help them deal with the craziness of being “Mom.”

14 | APRIL 2015 | LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE

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Creating A Life In Leisure

Amy Serafin makes career planning recreational options for her community

Serafin says some of her best friends today are the women she met through the PTA. In 2009 she found a part-time position with the village’s parks and recreation department and a year later she joined the department full-time as the coordinator. It’s a small department, but in the last several years she has worked hard to increase programming and meet the needs of residents young and old.

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

W

hat began as job planning and coordinating recreational activities has become a way for Amy Serafin to influence her Fox Lake community.

She sought and received a grant that will help fund renovations to the Lake Front Park building and allow more programming indoors as well as new facilities outdoors including a splash park.

Photo by JOE SHUMAN

“I think it’s really clear that this is more than a job she does. She really does want to make a difference,” says Fox Lake resident Chris Valenziano.

“We offer a little bit of everything from kids’ activities to programs for adults and seniors,” Serafin says.

“I’m really excited for it, but it’s also a big change,” Serafin says.

For the last six years Serafin has worked in the village’s park and recreation department. For every child’s dance class, sports class and senior lunch, Serafin has been a part of the planning process. She’s maintained class favorites and brought new activities to the community as well as played a part in some of the village’s annual favorites including the Fall Festival and the Venetian Night programming.

Today she’s involved with activities year-round, from community-wide events to the classes and recreation opportunities offered to residents of all ages.

It was at the Venetian Night programming that Serafin met Valenziano, as they were part of a committee to bring back the event.

It began when Serafin volunteered with the Parent Teacher Association at her children’s school.

“She is enormously humble,” Valenziano says. “‘I,’ ‘me’ — she rarely uses those words. She always says she’s part of a group or team.”

“The easiest way to get to know the kid’s school is to get involved,” Serafin says. “It was a great way to meet people and learn what’s what.”

As a child, Serafin remembers coming to the Chain of Lakes and Fox Lake to join her dad and family on summer fishing trips. She never imagined one day she’d be charged with planning activities and more for the Fox Lake community as the park and recreation coordinator.

We offer a little bit of everything from kids’ activities to programs for adults and seniors.

“We used to come here when I was young to watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July,” Serafin says.

of WOMEN distinction lakecountymagazine.com

— Amy Serafin, Fox Lake Village Park and Recreation coordinator

She’s provided a special link to the senior members of the community. Since joining the department she has seen an increase in participation in senior programs, which include monthly luncheons as well as special events and trips.

She’s also made special connections to the community, as with her relationship with Mildred Shastal, a member with the Fox Lake Lions and the one who nominated Serafin for the Women of Distinction honor.

“She’s definitely made me feel right at home in Fox Lake,” Serafin says.

Serafin says she loves working with the community, seeing the young children off to their first dance classes and the seniors enjoying the luncheons as a highlight of their social calendar. Serafin says she was honored to realize she has made such a positive impact on others.

“This is not just a job for her, it’s a career path,” Valenziano says. “She is 100 percent invested in the Village of Fox Lake. She really does try to make a difference.”

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LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2015 | 17

LAKE COUNTY EVENTS

April 8 — World War I Exhibit at the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum, Noon to 4 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays, Heritage Center and Museum, 164 Hawley St., Grayslake The museum is hosting an exhibit exploring Grayslake’s role in World War I. The show shares stories of local soldiers and sailors, as well as tales from the home front. It includes a recreated trench and an audio station featuring letters from veterans.

GrayslakeHeritageCenter.com. 847-543-1745.

April 10 — The Second City Hits Home, 8 p.m.

Friday, James Lumber Center, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake Come out for a night of laughter as The Second City takes on all the news that’s fit to twist. The biggest headlines, and the hot-button issues, all served up with a side of Chicago-style improv. Price: $28 to $35 JLCenter.clcillinois.edu.

April 11-12 — Zurko Antique and Flea Market, 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, at Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E Peterson Road, Grayslake For 45 years, Zurko Promotions has been bringing quality antique shows and flea markets to the Midwest. This event will offer a variety of antiques and collectibles, including country furniture, estate jewelry, Victoriana, postcards, art glass and porcelains, advertising items, old toys, vintage clothing and linens, coins, decorator items, paintings, primitives, treasures, and much, much more. Price: $7. LCFair.com.

April 18-19 — Earth Week Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, at James Lumber Center, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake Earth Week, a week-long celebration, includes volunteer workdays, interactive programs and entertaining presentations. There will be programs geared for children and adults focusing on wildlife, water resources, environmentally-friendly living and much more. Some programs will feature live animals while some may take you outside. The detailed schedule is available in early April. Free and open to the public.

show. Everything to make the day special all under one roof. For more information, call 224-237-5378.

April 25 — Astronomy Day Event, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, at The College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St., Technology Bldg., Grayslake The Lake County Astronomical Society proudly announces its annual “Astronomy Day” celebration with public events at the College of Lake County – Technology Building. All events are free and will take place on April 25, 2015, with daytime activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain or shine), and an evening star party starting after sunset from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (weather permitting). More information describing the Lake County Astronomical Society is available at http://LCAS-Astronomy.org. Price: Free.

April 30 — Let’s Wine About Winter in Downtown Libertyville, 1 p.m. Thursday, along Main Street Libertyville Stroll through historic downtown Libertyville with Main Street merchants opening their doors to warm the toes with tasty wines at each stop along the way. Refreshments also provided. A limited number April 19 — Spring Bridal Fair 2015, Noon to 3 p.m., of glasses will be sold. Each $30 ticket includes a tasting glass, unlimited tastings, and a $10 Sunday, Lehmann Mansion, 485 N. Milwaukee Ave., merchant coupon redeemable at participating stores Lake Villa on the day of event through April 30. Price: $30.

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18 | APRIL 2015 | LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE

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SUBURBAN LIFE MAGAZINE-LAKE | APRIL 2015 | 19

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