UIUC’s Black Chorus pays tribute in annual Mom’s Day concert
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UIUC’s Black Chorus pays tribute in annual Mom’s Day concert

URBANA – The University of Illinois Black Chorus presents their annual Mom’s Day concert this Saturday, April 13th, at 7:30pm at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with conductor and professor, Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, about those being honored at the concert and the impact Black Chorus has…

Long-delayed ‘Falsettos’ production explores family, Jewish identity, LGBTQ+ history
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Long-delayed ‘Falsettos’ production explores family, Jewish identity, LGBTQ+ history

Two of Illinois Public Media’s very own will take the stage for the opening week of Falsettos at the Station Theatre in Urbana. IPM News Director, Reginald Hardwick spoke with IPM’s hosts and reporters Owen Henderson and Kimberly Schofield about their roles and the significance of this musical. Reginald Hardwick: This is Morning Edition from Illinois…

Nadirah Shakoor in front of a wall
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Nadirah Shakoor talks life, music, and her upcoming performance at the Krannert Center

Nadirah Shakoor is best known as the former lead female vocalist of the hip hop group Arrested Development. She’s had a long career, working with big names like Madonna and Quincy Jones, she also spent nearly three decades as the featured female vocalist of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Shakoor is coming to the Krannert…

Dr. Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum to showcase a journey into slave dungeons and African ancestry in “Walking with My Ancestors”
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Dr. Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum to showcase a journey into slave dungeons and African ancestry in “Walking with My Ancestors”

Dr. Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum, a professor at Illinois State University, an award-winning playwright, and a Queen Mother in Ghana, spent months in African slave dungeons to get a better understanding of her ancestors’ experiences. Her time there helped inspire her performance piece Walking with My Ancestors: Cape Coast Castle coming to the Spurlock Museum in…

Mary Chapin Carpenter brings her best with latest music

Mary Chapin Carpenter brings her best with latest music

Update: This story was originally published on October 13th, 2023. The performance was rescheduled to January 25th, 2024. URBANA- Grammy Award-winning artists Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin are performing at the Foellinger Great Hall in Urbana on Thursday, January 25th. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Carpenter about discovering her path to finding…

Kimberlie Kranich reflects on her influential role in educational and community programming at Illinois Public Media
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Kimberlie Kranich reflects on her influential role in educational and community programming at Illinois Public Media

For nearly 26 years, Kimberlie Kranich has worked to foster a more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment during her career with Illinois Public Media.

The Black Church: An in-depth look on its impact on Black culture in Black America
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The Black Church: An in-depth look on its impact on Black culture in Black America

The series The Black Church: This is Our Story, this is Our Song explores how the Black church has served as a nurturing ground for the major institutions that help define Black America for centuries. On December 15, Illinois Public Media will host an episode of the series at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. …

Champaign Urbana Ballet Presents The Nutcracker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look with IPM News

Champaign Urbana Ballet Presents The Nutcracker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look with IPM News

As the holiday season approaches, the Nutcracker ballet takes center stage in Champaign Urbana. Illinois Public Media’s Kimberly Schofield and Owen Henderson sat down with Kay Greene, the Executive Director of the CU Ballet, and Kevin Burnside, a lead soloist, to talk about this year’s production. They discussed what goes into making this classic ballet…

Celebrating ’90s Hip-Hop on stage in Urbana – a deep dive with director Aaron Muñoz

Celebrating ’90s Hip-Hop on stage in Urbana – a deep dive with director Aaron Muñoz

Urbana – The Realness: a break beat play is a theatrical production focusing on 90s hip-hop culture, set to be staged this November in Urbana. Directed by Aaron Muñoz and organized by Illinois Theatre, the play aims to represent the stories and experiences of this era in hip-hop. The Realness: a break beat play. opens…

RENT takes the stage in downtown Champaign: Illinois Theatre explores relevance of iconic musical in contemporary times

RENT takes the stage in downtown Champaign: Illinois Theatre explores relevance of iconic musical in contemporary times

Champaign – With the Colwell Playhouse under construction at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Illinois Theatre’s fall production of ‘RENT’ will take the stage at the Virginia Theatre. IPM’s Owen Henderson and Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield had the opportunity to sit down with the show’s director, Lisa Gaye Dixon, and music director,…

CETACEAN: Whales and the world we live in

CETACEAN: Whales and the world we live in

URBANA -Deke Weaver’s The Unreliable Bestiary is a performance series about animals, their environments, and how humans interact with them. His life-long project has a performance for each letter of the alphabet and so far includes Monkey, Elephant, Wolf, Bear, and Tiger. Cetacean, represented by a whale, is the sixth installment of the project and runs…

Morris Day prepared to mesmerize fans in his return to central Illinois

Morris Day prepared to mesmerize fans in his return to central Illinois

URBANA –Morris Day and the Time is coming to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, September 15, and Saturday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Day, a Springfield, Illinois native, about his road to fame and the memories that came with it. Kimberly Schofield: Morris Day, thank you…