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!
Thursday, May 28 and October 8, 2026 | Doors Open at 6 p.m., Performance at 7 p.m.
Get down and boogie with us!
Join us on the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Sun Plaza for a summer music series inspired by Preston Jackson's Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story . This series event will take place on two Thursdays this season, one in May and one in October, featuring a great group of artists from the Chicago area as well as regional and local musicians performing with Preston Jackson himself.
Ticket prices
Members- $15
Non-Members- $20
Ticket price includes admission to Preston Jackson's Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story.
Schedule of events
May 28, 2026 | Lowdown Brass Band
Get tickets HERE
Lowdown Brass Band is a Chicago-based all-horn ensemble that blends hip hop, soul, and reggae with traditional New Orleans brass. They are known for their high-energy performances that combine street beat rhythms with jazz, creating a modern, genre-bending, brassy night of entertainment.
October 8, 2026 | Preston Jackson and Friends
Get tickets HERE
Preston Jackson (lead guitar) gathers with long-time collaborators John Miller (bass), Mike Nellas (bass/keyboards), Manny Lopez II (trumpet), Manny Lopez III (percussion) and the one and only Judy Page on vocals for a jazzy, bluesy close to the season. This iconic Peoria-based band plays the classic standards we all know and love. Not to be missed!
Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, Visionary Society, Friends of Bronzeville to Harlem and Friends of Performance
Thursday, June 4, 2026 - Sunday, June 7, 2026
Disney classics are back in the Giant Screen Theater!
American Animation: Art on Screen brings to life decades of Disney, with special activities that are fun for the whole family! Experience classic Disney films, shorts, and documentaries on the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Giant Screen Theater, the largest Film Society screen in America.
Renowned Disney author and historian J.B. Kaufman will join us for fascinating pre-film talks and post-film Q&As as well as book signings after select films. Mr. Kaufman is a film historian and author who specializes in Disney animation history and silent films. His books include The Fairest One of All, Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic, and Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.
New this year!
Introducing Marcy Carriker Smothers and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum of Marceline, MO.
Marcy Carriker Smothers is a foodie, a lover of all things Disney, and an author of several books on the happiest place on earth, including Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food and Walt's Disneyland: A Walk in the Park with Walt Disney.
The Walt Disney Hometown Museum was established in 2001 to help celebrate the 100th Birthday of Marceline’s favorite son, Walter Elias Disney. The original museum was built on the personal collection of Ruth Disney Beecher, Walt’s sister. Ruth maintained a close relationship with her brothers Walt and Roy, and knew the admiration they all shared toward their hometown.
Programming Schedule:
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Friday, June 5, 2026
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Get a special all-day pass, Saturday only!
This pass earns you access to all American Animation: Art on Screen events on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Tickets to individual programs can be purchased below.
Sunday, June 7, 2026
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
American Animation: Art on Screen is sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Art, and Illinois Arts Council
PLANET PASSPORT SERIES
Join our planet passport series! Each month, come to the planetarium for a show focused on one planet or place in space. Shows will be included in museum admission, and free for museum members. Non-Members can purchase admission to the museum or a planetarium show ticket to attend. These shows are great for all ages.
New for 2026: Participants should sign up for a Peoria Riverfront Museum Achievement Passport.
For each planet show you attend, you will earn a stamp in your passport and 25 points. Every three stamps you earn, you will gain a little extra prize! At the end of the year, we will host a telescope observing night to celebrate all we have learned. Everyone who participated in the planet passport program will be invited.
Shows will be on the second Thursday (5:30 PM) and second Saturday (10:30 AM) of each month. Each show will be about 45 minutes in length.
Sign up here to get email reminders about this cycle of Planet Passport.
March 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Mercury
April 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Venus
May 9 (10:30 AM) and 14 (5:30 PM) – Earth and Moon
June 11 (5:30 PM) and 13 (10:30 AM) – Mars
July 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Ceres and the Asteroid Belt
August 8 (10:30 AM) and 13 (5:30 PM) – Jupiter
September 10 (5:30 PM) and 12 (10:30 AM) – Saturn
October 8 (5:30 PM) and 10 (10:30 AM) – Uranus
November 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Neptune
December 10 (5:30 PM) 12 (10:30 AM) – Pluto and Kuiper Belt
A MUSEUM+ Program
Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the Peoria Riverfront Museum! The Peoria Pops take the stage on the Sun Plaza for an evening of patriotic tunes celebrating America 250 in conjunction with standout exhibition The Promise of Liberty.
This full symphony orchestra will be playing true-blue American music against the beautiful riverfront setting, accompanied by special guest Benjamin Franklin, as embodied by premier American political reenactor Mitchell Kramer. Franklin was part of the 'Committee of Five,' a special group appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence.
See a 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence, the same that our ancestors would have seen in the earliest days of our nation on exhibition in The Promise of Liberty.
America 250The Peoria Riverfront Museum is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. Join us all year long for exhibitions on American art, science, history and achievement, including The Promise of Liberty, an exhibition guest curated by documentarian Ken Burns. Featuring a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and more, this exhibition will be the largest collection of some of the most important documents in American history on display during America 250.
Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of Performance
Featuring a speech from world premier American political reenactor Mitchell Kramer as Benjamin Franklin
Friday, June 12, 2026 | Doors open at 5:30 p.m. | Program at 6 p.m.
Join us for a special evening with one of our founding fathers, as embodied by Mitchell Kramer, as well as a special appearance from special advisor to The Promise of Liberty, Seth Kaller.
Within the context of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250, and our standout exhibition of American history The Promise of Liberty , learn about America's early days through the eyes of Benjamin Franklin; a scientist, inventor, statesman and political philosopher.
TicketsAdult: $20 | Member Adult: $15
Senior: $18 | Member Senior: $12
Child :$15 | Member Child: $10
Get tickets HERE
Mitchell Kramer is an accomplished actor and historian who has become widely recognized for his portrayal of Benjamin Franklin.
With a career spanning several decades, Mitchell has performed as Franklin for numerous organizations throughout the country including many appearances on ABC’s Good Morning America.
America 250
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. Join us all year long for exhibitions on American art, science, history and achievement, including The Promise of Liberty, an exhibition guest curated by documentarian Ken Burns. Featuring a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and more, this exhibition will be the largest collection of some of the most important documents in American history on display during America 250.
Sponsored by America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of History
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
June 12
6:00 – That 80’s Laser Show
7:15 – That 90’s Laser Show
8:30 – Laser Prince
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
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.)
Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Museum-wide
Thanks to the generous support of Art Bridges Foundation, every second Sunday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum is FREE to the public!
Join us Sunday, June 14, 2026 from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. as we celebrate Access for All day at the Peoria Riverfront Museum with the Peoria Public School Distinct, as we host Multicultural Day at the museum!
This Access for All day at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, enjoy make and take art activities, planetarium shows, films, guided tours, and so much more. We're partnering with OSF Children's HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois and OSF Steam to bring an autism resource fair, fun activities for the whole family and more to our community, completely free of charge.SCHEDULE
Autism Pathways Resource Fair | Gilmore Auditorium | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Mingle with local businesses and counselors who specialize in those on the Autism Spectrum.
EXPLORE Toytopia | Gallery | 25 Points | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
With a photo scavenger hunt, explore the new exhibit, Toytopia! Collect 25 points at the Ticket Desk.
EXERCISE your voting rights with some fun "Would You Rather?" Scenarios | Gallery | 50 Points | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Peoria Public Library will offer you a chance to let your voice be heard. "100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?" You decide! No minimum voting age! Voting and answering some toy trivia will earn you a passport stamp and a small prize.
EXPLORE with OSF JUMP Center | Lobby | 50 Points | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a surgeon or part of a surgical team? Come visit the OSF STEAM booth for hands-on, kid-friendly fun exploring the world of surgery! Try interactive games, explore augmented reality, and discover how surgeons and their teams help people every day.
No blood, no loud noises, and definitely nothing super yucky! Just a safe, playful space to learn, explore, and have fun at your own pace!
PLAY on the Plaza | Sun Plaza | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Enjoy the sunshine and play with giant versions of toys on the plaza.
Hang 10 Calm Room | Boardroom | 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Feeling a little overwhelmed? Check out the Calm Room available on the ground floor of the museum (right next to the Resource Fair!)
TOURS | Tours start outside of the designated gallery.
The Promise of Liberty
| 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. | 100 Points
Join gallery guides in “The Promise of Liberty” for a spotlight tour of the gallery.
Exquisite Creatures
| 1p.m., 2:30 p.m. | 100 Points
Join gallery guides in “Exquisite Creatures” for a spotlight tour of the gallery.
Giant Screen Theater Film
Superpower Dogs| 12:30 p.m. | 25 points
Dome Planetarium
Each Dome Planetarium show is worth 10 Points.
Learn more about the museum's Achievement Passport, and how to earn points HERE
Re-member, members get double points! Earn 100 points and receive a FREE prize!
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation's Access for All program
Yoga Under the Stars
Join us for a one-of-a-kind yoga experience beneath the stars at the Dome Planetarium. This guided flow will invite you to slow down, ground deeply, and reconnect to yourself as we welcome summer. Under the glow of the night sky, we’ll move through intentional poses that restore balance, release tension, and create space for renewal as we step into a new season. Whether you’re a regular on the mat or brand new to yoga, this evening offers a peaceful reset, a moment to breathe, reflect, and realign beneath the celestial canopy.
This session will be led by Tammy Mitchell.
Participants are asked to bring their own mats.
Each session will be an hour and 15 minutes long.
Summer Solstice - June 20
Doors open at 5:45, Event starts at 6 PM
$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.
A MUSEUM+ Program
Thursday, June 25, 2026 in the Giant Screen Theater | Doors open at 5:30 p.m., Conversation begins at 6 p.m., Reception at 7:30 p.m.
In conjunction with current exhibition The Promise of Liberty , the Peoria Riverfront Museum is thrilled to welcome Dr. Christopher Brown, a professor at Columbia University, NY, and a historian that has been featured in Ken Burns' newest documentary The American Revolution.
In this special Museum Conversation at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, hear from Brown live and in person on the problem of slavery in the Age of Revolutions. The paradox is familiar – a new nation born declaring that “all men are created equal” that was at the same time dependent upon and committed to the perpetuation of human bondage. In this talk, Christopher Brown places the American paradox in international context, suggesting along the way what made the American experience distinct and how the institution of slavery became, for the first time during the era of the American Revolution, the subject of political conflict.
Tickets: CLICK HERE
Adult: $25
Child: $15
Member Adult: $20
Member Child: $10
The Promise of Liberty is sponsored by the Gilmore Foundation, Ashley and Josh Bellamy, McKinnon Family Foundation, America 250 Donors, Visionary Society, Friends of History
