NL_031419

18 | March 14, 2019 | the new lenox patriot life & arts
newlenoxpatriot.com
Lincoln-Way dedicates arts center to longtime director
Charles R.
Stark Center for
Performing Arts
officially opens
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
For more than four decades,
Charles R. Stark
helped shape the Lincoln-
Way Community High
School District 210 music
program as an institution
of beauty and excellence.
Along with directing
choirs, chairing the music
department and founding
Madrigal Singers, he also
led the A Capella Choir
on several concert tours of
Europe, served as the district's
auditorium director,
formed the Lincoln-Way
Area Chorale and much,
much more.
The Charles R. Stark
Center for the Performing
Arts at Lincoln-Way
Central High School was
named in his honor and on
Saturday, March 9, and a
celebratory concert was
held to mark the venue's
dedication.
Susan Albor, a Mokena
resident and alto singer,
has been a member of
LWAC since Stark helped
found it in 1995. She said
she believes that Stark is
the perfect person to be
honored with a namesake
theater.
“There could be nobody
else that they could name
this auditorium after besides
Chuck,” Albor said.
“All of this is due to him
— his inspiration and his
drive to keep the arts in
the area. It's great to have
some place to sing. I'm
not a great singer, but you
don't have to be as long as
you enjoy it. That's what
this whole choir is about:
enjoying singing together.”
Frankfort resident Donald
Law, a self-proclaimed
“L-WACko” has been a
member of the chorale for
18 years.
“The first thing I did
when we moved to Frankfort
in [2004] was go after
Chuck Stark to join
the Lincoln-Way Area
Chorale,” Law said while
listening in awe of the
Lincoln-Way Symphony
Orchestra ensemble performing
in the lobby .
The Chorale, now under
the direction of Elise
L. Greene, was among the
Dedication Concert performers
singing “All My
Trials” and “Last Words
of David” during its portion
of the program. The
group also joined Lincoln-Way
Choral alumni
and the Lincoln-Way Central
Madrigals later in the
show.
Lincoln-Way Central
Chorus Director Michael
Bultman — who directed
the Madrigals in renditions
of “Sing We and Chant
It” and “Over Hill, Over
Dale” — said he is grateful
to have a top-tier performance
space in the newly
named Charles R. Stark
Center for the Performing
Arts.
“It's a beautiful space
and we're lucky to have
it,” Bultman said. “We're
especially lucky to have
an orchestra pit — a lot of
high school auditoriums
don't have that — and a
full theatrical fly system,
sound system and lighting
system. It's basically a professional
theater.”
Along with family members,
friends and former
students, many of Stark's
District 210 colleagues
were in attendance at the
dedication and concert.
Former science teacher
Marvin Orr, who worked
alongside Stark during the
school year as well as in
the summers when they
both worked maintenance,
reflected on some of
Stark's many accomplishments.
“He started so many
things that are still around
today and he organized
them,” Orr said. “I think
back to when we did musicals
in the little auditorium
down there and they did
‘Carousel.’ It was so amazing
that they could do all
that on that little stage. It
was just terrific.”
The dedication concert
featured a number of solo
and duet performances
from Lincoln-Way alumni
who have accomplished
careers in the arts. Marie
Michuda, Anmarie
D'Ortenzio, Sally Murphy,
Jeff Mattsey and Michael
Flanigan.
Prior to the concert, D
210 Board of Education
Vice President Joseph
Kosteck began the program
by welcoming everyone
to the venue and
listing some of Stark's
many accomplishments.
Lincoln-Way Central Principal
Steve Provis also
spoke of the impact Stark
has had on the music program
before welcoming
Stark to share a few words.
Gratitude and appreciation
toward the power of
music and the joy of life
were the cornerstones
of Stark's address. He
thanked his family, friends,
colleagues, members of
the administration and the
“many great students” he
taught over his tenure. He
spoke with candor about
his health and how much
Music lovers head into the Charles R. Stark Center for the Performing Arts for the
Dedication Concert Saturday, March 9. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
An ensemble from the Lincoln-Way Symphony Orchestra performs in the lobby
before the Charles R. Stark Center for the Performing Arts Dedication Concert.
happiness the dedication
has given him, his wife
Peggy, and their extended
family.
Stark's sense of humor
accented many moments
of the speech, especially
his blunt conclusion.
“I'm done,” he said with
a smile. “Thank you to everyone.”
Attendees rose in an
ovation of appreciation
for Stark and the beautiful
music he has nurtured
for past, present and future
generations of the Lincoln-
Way community.