'An All-American Celebration' to Open Music by the Lake

Williams Bay, Wis., June 7, 2007 —In a rousing Fourth of July tribute and fireworks display over Geneva Lake, "An All-American Celebration" will open the seventh annual Music by Lake series on Saturday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. Performances are held in the Allyn Pavilion for the Performing Arts at George Williams College of Aurora University, located on the shores of Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wis.

The July 7 concert, a musical journey back to the popular commercials of the 1950s and 1960s, will feature Five By Design, a Minnesota-based pops quintet, teamed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) of Madison, Wis. "Stay Tuned" will take guests back to the mainstay programs of American culture from 1950 to 1966. The program will be crowned by a fireworks display over Geneva Lake as the strains of the "1812 Overture" close out the evening. The artist underwriter for the performance is The Michael and Jacky Ferro Family Foundation.

Single tickets are available for this performance in the terrace seating area for $27 and the lawn area for $11. For tickets, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call (866) 843-5200, toll free.

While four friends were singing and studying together in college, they had no idea their love for harmony and the music of the big band/swing era would develop into a full time career. Brothers Kurt and Terrance Niska, childhood friend Michael Swedberg and Lorie Carpenter-Niska (Kurt's wife) first joined forces while singing as members of their university's vocal ensemble "Hot Jazz." After completing their studies the friends set about to follow their musical dream and Five By Design was born.

"Radio Days," the group's flagship production, first debuted in the late 1980s as a tribute to the golden age of radio and was well received. Nearly two decades later, this "romp down memory lane" is still receiving great acclaim as noted by their appearance at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony in February of 2005.

The group added a second blockbuster program in the spring of 2000. Commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony, "Club Swing" followed the rise and fall of the big band era, 1937-1955 at the fictional Club Swing in the Hotel Crosby "where the music's hot, the drinks are cool, and the dance floor is always open." In 2006 Five By Design added a third production, "Stay Tuned," a musical journey that revisits the main stay programs of American culture from 1950-1966.

A full time venture since 1997, the group tours extensively throughout the continental U.S. and Canada, averaging over 200 days on the road and 60 performances per season. They have gained national exposure with appearances on syndicated media broadcasts, including National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition-Sunday" and "Swingin' Down the Lane." The Five By Design family currently includes founding members Lorie (soprano), Kurt (tenor), Michael (baritone), Terrance (bass), and Alton (host/narrator). The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, "dedicated to providing high quality musical performances designed to entertain, inform, and enhance the quality of life" is led by music director Andrew Sewell. A thriving ensemble performing 25 concerts per year to diverse audiences, the WCO is heard at Concerts on the Square, Masterworks, Holiday Pops, youth concerts, and in other performances across the state of Wisconsin. With a core of 34 musicians, a newly established $10 million endowment, and a new home in Overture Center for the Arts' Capitol Theater, the WCO is poised to become one of the finest chamber orchestras in the country.

Andrew Sewell, a New Zealand native, has brought the orchestra to national attention since his appointment as music director in 2000 with the release of two CD's, Close to the Music, and Momentum. Already honored in his homeland as the recipient of the Aotea Performing Arts Trust's "Star" Award, Sewell's artistic leadership has built a strong presence in Madison and throughout the state of Wisconsin. Specializing in chamber music from early Baroque composers Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Mozart, the orchestra also embraces the 20th century chamber repertoire of Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Villa Lobos, Bartok and Copland.

Additional Music by the Lake performances are:

* The Blind Boys of Alabama, featuring gospel, and blues, on Saturday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. The artist underwriter for this performance is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation.

* "The New Moon," an operetta by Sigmund Romberg, featuring the Music by the Lake Orchestra, Chorus and soloists, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, and at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 22. The artist underwriter for this performance is The Bell Family Foundation.

* The 5th Dimension at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5. The artist underwriter for this performance is The J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation.

The 2007 Music by the Lake concert series is generously supported by presenting sponsor Keefe Real Estate; platinum sponsors AT&T, FairWyn Investment & Development, and Gage Marine and Lake Geneva Cruise Line; gold sponsors are The Abbey Resort, Boldt Construction, Scherrer Construction, Inc., Aurora Health Care, and Grand Geneva Resort and Spa; and silver sponsors are Balestrieri Environmental and Development, Inc., M&I Bank, locally-owned Mid-America Bank, First Banking Center, and WLKG 96.1. Music by the Lake guests are invited to purchase a gourmet box dinner to enjoy in the lawn area around Allyn Pavilion before performances. Box dinners are available for the July 7, July 14 and Aug. 4 concerts. Each box dinner includes a choice of a meal-smoked turkey, Caesar salad, vegetarian wrap or sliced roast tenderloin-dessert and beverage.

Dinners are $24.95 each. Dinners must be ordered seven days before a performance. To place orders, call (262) 245-8501.

For the July 21-22 performances of the "The New Moon," a dinner featuring savory New Orleans cuisine will be served. The dinner is at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, and at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 22, at GWC's Beasley Campus Center. Tickets are $30 per person, $50 for two people (performance tickets not included), and $45 per person for groups of 10 or more (performance tickets included). Call (262) 245-8501 for reservations or information. Tickets for the special evening performance of "The New Moon" on Sunday, July 22, are available for the following: dress circle seating, $30; pavilion and terrace seating, $20; and lawn seating, $5. Lawn seating packages - four tickets redeemable at any event(s) - are available for $37. For tickets, visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/mbtl or call (866) 843-5200, toll free.

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. The university is comprised of two campuses: a 30-acre campus in Aurora, Ill., with academic, administrative, and residential buildings; and the 241-acre George Williams College on Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wis. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university's Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 12 academic programs, unique conference facilities, and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs.