Datebook

Ellie Wertz of Honey DEW Acres suggested her 5-acre farm just outside Bloomington-Normal as a spot for Nomad Theatre Company's roaming productions. Co-founder Connie Blick describes it as "kismet."

Bloomington-Normal native Jennifer Rusk is known around town for her dazzling vocals. As the century-old Community Players Theatre performs the Twin Cities' first-ever "Dreamgirls," she's giving others the spotlight.

An experimental music ensemble made up of high schoolers from Normal has dropped a new LP and is preparing for a concert at the McLean County Museum of History.

As Route 66 turns 100, a new book is expanding the story of the Mother Road by focusing on people often left out of its history. The author will visit Bloomington-Normal on May 2.

The orchestra's dual presence in Bloomington-Normal and Springfield, plus the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road in 2026, present a perfect opportunity to debut Michelle Isaac's 'Reverie on the Mother Road.'

With support from a Healing Illinois grant, the Bloomington-Normal-based opera company is producing several months of programing centering Black composers and stories in the genre.

The actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk will visit Normal next week for a preview screening of his new film "Normal," and yes, it's happening at the Normal Theater. Here's what we know about the availability of tickets day-of at the theater's box office.

Historian Barry McNealy teaches high school history and works with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. He'll give a public talk at Eureka College on March 27.

The Bloomington-based singer-songwriter has produced his first record with a label—and the first with his touring band, the Fieldnotes. They'll play the Castle Theatre on March 28.

The Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home tells the story of graphic novelist Alison Bechdel's testing time of writing her autobiography. The Community Players Theatre gives the musical's Bloomington-Normal debut this weekend at the Normal Community Activity Center.