Youth to stage ‘Little Shop’

“Little Shop of Horrors” will be performed at Nazareth Academy the weekends of July 11 to 13 and 18 to 20, as BAMtheatre’s eighth annual musical production.

The academy is at 1201 W. Ogden Ave., La Grange Park. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Melanie Lamoureux directs the show by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman. The music of the dark comedy is in the style of 1960s rock ’n‘ roll, doo-wop and early Motown.

BAMtheatre was established in 2001 to create opportunities for youth to shine on stage. For ticket information, visit www.bamtheatre.com.

Discounts offered for Senior Lifestyle Expo

Specially priced tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis to attend both a matinee performance of the newly adapted musical “The Boys from Syracuse” and the 13th annual Senior Lifestyle Expo, all at The Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace this September.

Offered by the nonprofit Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, the $20 per person package price — available to groups and individuals of all ages — is less than a matinee theater ticket alone, even with a senior discount.

“The Boys from Syracuse,” a musical based on William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” tells the story of identical twin brothers separated as young children. As adults, the twins’ servants also are long-separated twins. An engaging series of mistaken identities occurs when all wind up in the same town and the wives believe the wrong twins are their husbands.

“We hope that families will take advantage of this opportunity to see the play and learn about the abundance of services available throughout the region to make aging and caregiving a whole lot easier,” said Connie Kobitter, special events manager for Agency on Aging, which hosts the Expo.

Advance reservations are required for the play, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3.

The Senior Lifestyle Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 4. The Expo is the largest and most comprehensive senior event of its kind. Highlights include live entertainment, a “Senior Idol” talent competition, interactive games, giveaways, educational seminars and access to the products and services of more than 100 area companies and nonprofit organizations.

Expo proceeds benefit the agency’s Holiday Meals on Wheels program, which provides nutritious meals to elders in need on holidays and weekends.

To check current availability for the theater and Expo package or to request a reservation, call Kim Robey at (630) 293-5990 or (800) 528-2000, toll-free, or e-mail krobey@ageguide.org. Information is also at www.SeniorLifestyleExpo.org.