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!
Friday, April 24, 2026 - Sunday, April 26, 2026
Peoria Riverfront Museum | Peoria Zoo | Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum | Wildlife Prairie Park
Membership Swap Weekend is April 24, 2026- April 26, 2026!
If you are a member with the Peoria Riverfront Museum, enjoy FREE general admission to these awesome Peoria-area attractions: Wildlife Prairie Park, the Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum, and the Peoria Zoo!
All you have to do is present your membership card & a photo ID and then go enjoy your weekend!
Charges may apply for additional experiences.
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
May 23
6:00 – Laser K Pop Demon Hunters (all music from the hit movie!)
7:15 – Laser K Pop Demon Hunters (all music from the hit movie!)
8:30 – Laser Taylor Swift
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 - Click on the date to purchase tickets.
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.)
Monday, April 27, 226 at 6:30 p.m.
Looking to the future of our nation beyond America’s milestone 250th anniversary, the Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to produce an exciting new speaker series: America Forward, continuing with renowned architect Jeanne Gang.
In America Forward, nationally renowned leaders and visionaries—each at the peak of their field—will join us for inspiring conversations about the future of our country.
Jeanne Gang will be joining us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum to share her insight into the future of American architecture.
Get tickets on our website HERE
Born in Illinois, Gang is an internationally known architect, and founding partner of Studio Gang. Her numerous projects include the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock; the St. Regis Chicago, which stands as Chicago's third-tallest building and the 82-story Aqua Tower, also in Chicago. The St. Regis is also the tallest building in the world designed by a woman.
She also designed the celebrated Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, America 250 donors, Visionary Society
In partnership with PJ Dance Academy
Sunday, May 3, 2026 | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
In partnership with PJ Dance Academy, and in conjunction with current exhibition Exquisite Creatures , the Peoria Riverfront Museum presents a cultural and artistic event that brings the vibrate and intricate natural forms on display in the exhibition to life through Indian cultural artistry.
Experience classical Indian dance throughout the galleries, an artist showcase and a live Rangoli experience, as well as family-friendly crafts in this special program.
This event is FREE with general admission to the museum!
Reserve your ticket HERE
Schedule:
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. | Crafts and Activities | Sun Plaza | 10 Points each
Enjoy crafts and activities inspired by Exquisite Creatures.
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. | Live Art Demos | Lobby
Explore other forms of art with local artists
2:30 p.m. | Exquisite Creatures: Art in Motion | Gallery | 25 Points
In-gallery traditional Indian dance performance, ten minutes long.
3:30 p.m. | Exquisite Creatures: Art in Motion | Gallery | 25 Points
In-gallery traditional Indian dance performance, ten minutes long.
4 p.m. | PJ Dance Academy Performance | Lobby | 50 Points
Enjoy an exquisite dance performance by PJ Dance Academy.
Inspired by the natural world celebrated in Exquisite Creatures, Indian dance performance transforms the stage into a living tapestry of color, symmetry, and motion. Drawing on classical and contemporary movement traditions, the choreography echoes the patterns and delicate structures found in the work of Christopher Marley. The result is a mesmerizing fusion of art and nature, where rhythm and gesture mirror the breathtaking beauty of the natural world.
Exquisite Creatures is sponsored by Art Bridges, America 250 donors, Mike Rucker Endowment Fund for Science, Visionary Society 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
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars
Artemis
Friday, May 22 | 7-9 PM
Dome Planetarium
Enjoy an evening out in the planetarium. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will be sharing highlights from the historic Artemis II flight around the Moon, and answering your questions. Learn future plans for the Artemis program and the latest news from space. Your evening will also include a tour of the night sky, and a flight to the edge of space and back.
Each ticket includes up to three pours of wine or other beverages, and an individual charcuterie box.
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
May 23
6:00 – Laser K Pop Demon Hunters (all music from the hit movie!)
7:15 – Laser K Pop Demon Hunters (all music from the hit movie!)
8:30 – Laser Taylor Swift
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 - Click on the date to purchase tickets.
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.)
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
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.)
