WORLD PREMIERE
HERSHEY FELDER
PUCCINI
LIVE from FLORENCE
Virtual Live Performance from Italy with
Nathan Gunn, Gianna Corbisiero, Ekaterina Siurina and Charles Castronovo
Sun, March 14, 7 pm*
Tickets* | CLICK HERE
*Tickets include extended on-demand viewing access of the recording through Sunday, March 21!
Filmed, performed and streamed live on location in Lucca Italy, in the home where Giacomo Puccini was born, this world premiere features Hershey Felder and three world-renowned opera stars, including University of Illinois' Nathan Gunn, promises to be a very special event.
Hershey Felder, PUCCINI is the story of a young musician in love with the world of opera, and in particular Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. When, through a series of unusual circumstances, the young musician meets the musical master himself, secrets are revealed that send the young man soaring.
With special guests, Baritone Nathan Gunn, who recently performed live at Peoria Riverfront Museum during an interview with Ed Sutkowski, as well as Soprano Gianna Corbisiero, Soprano Ekaterina Siurina and Tenor Charles Castronovo, this new Hershey Felder creation, will spur the imagination and move the musical soul.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
HERSEY FELDER
Hershey Felder (Writer & Performer). Named to TIME magazine’s 2016 Top 10 Plays and Musicals, Hershey Felder has played over 6,000 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres, consistently breaking box office records. American Theatre magazine has said, “Hershey Felder is in a category all his own.” His shows include: George Gershwin Alone (Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre, West End’s Duchess Theatre); Monsieur Chopin; Beethoven; Maestro (Leonard Bernstein); Franz Liszt in Musik; Lincoln: An American Story; Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin; Our Great Tchaikovsky; and A Paris Love Story. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; and An American Story for Actor and Orchestra. Hershey is the adaptor, director and designer for the internationally performed play-with-music The Pianist of Willesden Lane with Steinway artist Mona Golabek; producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: ‘Live’ at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford; and writer and director for Flying Solo, featuring opera legend Nathan Gunn.
Hershey has operated a full-service production company since 2001, and in 2020 created a new brand, Live from Florence, that operates a “theatre at home broadcast company,” based in Florence, Italy. Previous broadcasts have included Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin; Hershey Felder, Beethoven; Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone; Hershey Felder as Claude Debussy in A Paris Love Story; Hershey Felder, Tchaikovsky; Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem in Before Fiddler; Hershey Felder, Backstory – The Story Behind the Creation of Berlin, Gershwin & Bernstein; and Cooking French in Florence with Jeff Thickman & Hershey Felder. The Hershey Felder Presents - Live from Florence 2020-21 Season of broadcasts will also include Hershey Felder as Sergei Rachmaninoff in Anna & Sergei. Hershey has been a scholar-in-residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
NATHAN GUNN
South Bend, Indiana native Nathan Gunn is a professor and Swandlund Chair at the University of Illinois where he is co-director of Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, a comprehensive program embracing a broad continuum of opera and musical theatre, as well as the development of new works. At the Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, Gunn developed and founded the first ever Bachelor of Musical Arts in Lyric Theatre curriculum in the nation. The program is part of the School of Music at the University of Illinois and housed in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Gunn recently performed live with his wife, fellow professor and opera singer Julie Jordan Gunn, at the Peoria Riverfront Museum during a virtual live interview hosted by Interesting People's Ed Sutkowski.
Gunn has performed many of opera and musical theatre’s greatest roles on the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Royal Opera in London, Paris Opéra, Bavarian State Opera Munich, Theater an der Wien Vienna, Teatro Real Madrid, and Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie Brussels. He has been seen and heard on television, radio, video, and live simulcast performances, including the first ever Met in HD broadcast (The Magic Flute), in which he sang Papageno, one of his signature roles. Nathan has reinterpreted other classic roles such as Billy Budd, Figaro, and Don Giovanni, garnering awards including the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (Billy Budd) and the Metropolitan Opera’s first ever Beverly Sills Award. Gunn has also been widely acclaimed for his ability to cross over into musical theatre, including performances with the New York Philharmonic in Carousel and Camelot, the televised celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday, and collaborations with musical theatre stars including Mandy Patinkin, Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, and Kristin Chenoweth. Gunn’s one-man autobiographical show Flying Solo, produced and written by Hershey Felder, has been lauded as a “riveting autobiographical musical [that] is a stunner both with its touching, relatable, family-centric narrative and Gunn’s entertaining, charismatic performing style.” (Broadway World).
In addition to life as a performer, educator and arts advocate, Gunn is an avid patron of the arts. Nathan and Julie Gunn consistently support pre-college music education and sponsor local cultural events in order to secure the future of the art form. The family resides in Champaign, Illinois.
GIANNA CORBISIERO
Declared “luminous” by Opera News, Gianna Corbisiero has performed the title roles in Tosca, La bohème, La traviata, Pagliacci, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Falstaff at major opera houses throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, under the baton of conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, and Charles Dutoit. She has performed with Bryn Terfel, Renee Fleming, and Marcelo Alvarez. For Bravo Canada she recorded episodes of television’s “Opera Easy,” performing excerpts from La bohème, La traviata, Tosca and Norma, and made her cinema debut singing “O mio babbino caro” in the film Elephant Song, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Corbisiero’s many honors and awards include a special prize from the Luciano Pavarotti International Vocal Competition, Top Prize in the Canadian Music Competition, and First Prize from the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation.
CHARLES CASTRONOVO
Charles Castronovo has been acclaimed internationally as one of the finest lyric tenors of his generation. Castronovo has sung at most of the world’s leading opera houses, including San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera. Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Paris Opera, Bavarian State Opera Munich, Theatre Royale de la Monnaie Brussels, and many others. He starred in the title role of Daniel Catan’s Il Postino opposite Placido Domingo in the work’s World Premiere in Los Angeles, as well as in Paris and Santiago. His repertoire spans from the great Mozart tenor roles in Don Giovanni, Cosí fan tutte and Die Zauberflöte, to Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and Alfredo in La traviata. In recent seasons, Castronovo won wide acclaim for his performances as the title role in Faust, Romeo in Roméo et Juliette, the Duke in Rigoletto, Rodolfo in La bohème and Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress.
Tickets* | CLICK HERE
*Tickets include extended on-demand viewing access of the recording through Sunday, March 21!
September 18, 2025 | 6:30 p.m.
Join us for the Art of Film with guest curator of film Carlos Valladares and director Jerry Schatzberg to discuss Scarecrow.
The 1973 film, starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino is one of the best-reviewed of Schatzberg’s career. Now, hear a special introduction to the film from Schatzberg himself, giving a firsthand account of the film’s creation, it’s execution, and it’s public reception.
After the screening, guest curator of film Carlos Valladares will further discuss the film.
Get tickets HERE
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
September 19
6:00 – Sargent Pepper (The Beatles)
7:15 – Laser Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
8:30 – Laser Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Led
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
This program is presented by Sun Collectors with additional support from the Visionary Society and the Planetarium and Science Club.
Saturday, September 20, 2025 | Performance 6:30 p.m. | Reception 8 p.m.
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is pleased to announce a new series of performances taking place in current exhibition Solitude: The Necessity of Art.
Join us for Sounds in Solitude , a special music series where art and music come together in a beautiful and moving way. In each event, a musician picks artworks from the exhibition Solitude: The Necessity of Art and performs a solo piece inspired by what they see.
Through music, they share their personal response to the art, creating a powerful connection between sound and image. The musician may also perform other pieces that add to the story they want to tell.
A museum curator will join the performance to walk the audience through the selected artworks, giving insight into the art and the creative exchange between the musician and the visuals.
Experience this one-of-a-kind journey where music brings new life to art — and art inspires unforgettable music.
Tickets
Light hors d'oeuvres will be served after the performance. A cash bar will be available.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation
Sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Performance and Illinois Arts Council.
Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. | FREE with General Admission!
Join us in Boy: Joys and Sorrows for a conversation between guest curator of film Carlos Valladares and artist Nicolas Africano, bridging the fine arts and the art of film.
Limited seating is available. Reserve your ticket HERE
Nicolas Africano, born in 1948 in Kankakee, Illinois, is a contemporary artist whose cast glass sculptures uniquely merge classical form with modern sensibilities. Living and working in Normal, Illinois, since the 1960s, Africano’s art is deeply personal, with his wife and muse, Rebecca, serving as the central subject of much of his work.
The cinema is the quintessential artistic medium of the 20th century; it is the meeting point of literature, poetry, theater, painting, photography, essay, music, and dance. Yet those who look at, make, or study movies have a tendency to segregate it from the other arts. Carlos Valladares aims to unite the incredible contemporary art of Africano with film, putting the two in dialogue. From the unmoving beauty of Africano's busts to the frenetic pace of films on the Giant Screen, see it come together in beautiful harmony.
Sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Art
Yoga Under the Stars
Mon September 22 | 6 PM
Let's get together and celebrate the luminous power of the sun and the Autumn Equinox with Yoga Under the Stars in the Dome Planetarium. Join us for a memorable evening of meditative yoga movement and autumn equinox stargazing in the Dome Planetarium in Downtown Peoria, IL. Upon arrival you'll settle in and get connected to the beauty and wonder of the Autumn Equinox sky above us with a star talk.
Together we'll immerse in a yoga practice under the stars to celebrate our connection to autumn through explorations in balance, transitions, and the art of letting go with breathwork, yoga postures and deep integrative reflection. Let's calibrate our internal clocks with the magnitudinal balance this season provides. Yoga is led by Tammy Mitchell aka TamoVision, a full time yogaeducator specializing in personalized yoga & immersive training at OM on the River Yoga Center in Downtown Peoria. This community class is suitable for beginners & beyond. You'll always be encouraged to take the class at your own pace and to lean into the support of the collective. Please bring a yoga mat & blanket. Let's get balanced and connected under the autumn stars.
Purchase tickets here: $20 Members | $25 Public
All sessions are an hour and 15 minutes in length.
Limited mats are available, please bring a mat and a light blanket. Doors open at 5:45 pm. All supplies provided for programs unless otherwise noted. All paid programs require a minimum number of participants to run or will be cancelled two business days prior to the start date. Pre-registration required.
Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 11 a.m.
The Peoria Riverfront Museum presents the first installment of our America Forward Speaker Series with special guest Dr. Bob Ballard.
A retired Navy officer and professor and professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Ballard is best known to the general public for his discovery of the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985. Now he is bringing that discovery to Peoria with the world premiere of new exhibition Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission.
Join us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum as Dr. Ballard presents on the future of discovery in America.
America Forward Speaker Series
Looking to the future of our nation beyond America’s milestone 250th anniversary, the Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to launch an exciting new speaker series. Nationally renowned leaders and visionaries—each at the peak of their field—will join us for inspiring conversations about the future of our country, exploring the opportunities before us and the challenges we must face together.
Ticketing Tiers
Member | $45
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation.
Non-Member | $55
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation.
Get tickets HERE
Exclusive Meet and Greet Experience | $100
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation, as well as a a signed copy of Dr. Ballard's memoir Into the Deep and an exclusive opportunity to meet Dr. Ballard himself.
Get tickets HERE
In conjunction with Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission
Presented by CEFCU
Sponsored by Gilmore Foundation, OLLI, Merle and Adeline Dargel Fund for Science and Engineering, Gretchen Hagen-Petrakis and Corporate Visionary Society Council.
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars
Space Update!
Friday, October 17 | 7-9 PM
Dome Planetarium
Enjoy an evening out in the Dome Planetarium and learn about new space discoveries, including a new moon around Uranus, an asteroid family, new images from the Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes, and more recent space news. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will show you what you can see in the evening sky, and end the night with a flight through our Solar System and beyond.
Each ticket includes up to three glasses of wine or other drinks and a charcuterie box from Bella’s Charcuterie.
Doors open at 6:50 PM
The program will be in two parts, allowing time to socialize and refill your wine glass between the shows.
Ages 21+
$45 members | $55 public
Tickets can be purchased here.
Upcoming event: November 14 | 7-9 PM
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars: Top Space Stories of 2025
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
Saturday Matinee - Oct 11, 18, 25, Nov 1
Noon - Laser Halloween (30 min. Family Friendly)
October 24
6:00 – Laser Halloween Spooktacular
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser Floyd: Welcome to the Machine
November 7
6:00 – Laser Journey (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser AC/DC vs Guns n’ Roses
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
November 7
6:00 – Laser Journey (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser AC/DC vs Guns n’ Roses
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars
Top Space Stories of 2025
Friday, November 14 | 7-9 PM
Dome Planetarium
Enjoy and evening out in the Dome Planetarium where we will review the top space stories from 2025. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will share gorgeous new images from space, review milestones in spaceflight, and top discoveries from missions exploring the Solar System. We will end the evening with a flight to the edge of space and back.
Each ticket includes up to three glasses of wine or other drinks and a charcuterie box from Bella’s Charcuterie.
Doors open at 6:50 PM
The program will be in two parts, allowing time to socialize and refill your wine glass between the shows.
Ages 21+
$45 members | $55 public
Tickets can be purchased here.
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
