Mandy Patinkin to appear in concert in Glen Ellyn

GLEN ELLYN – Tickets go on sale at 1 p.m. Aug. 29 for “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive,” with Adam Ben-David on piano, coming to the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and 14.

It’s an addition to the MAC’s 2023-24 season. Patinkin, seen on Broadway in such productions as “Evita” and “Sunday in the Park with George,” in film in “Ragtime” and “The Princess Bride” and on TV in CBS’ “Criminal Minds” and the Showtime Original Series “Homeland,” will be accompanied by music director, conductor and pianist Adam Ben-David in this exclusive Chicago fall engagement.

“Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive” presents the acclaimed actor/singer/storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer, according to a news release.

“Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping,” wrote The New Yorker. “Being Alive” is a marriage of many of Patinkin’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes. From Randy Newman to Stephen Sondheim, from Harry Chapin to Rufus Wainwright, Patinkin will take audiences on a musical journey.

Patinkin has carved out a varied career including theater, the concert stage, film, television and as a recording artist. In his 1980 Broadway debut, Patinkin won a Tony Award for his role as Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita,” and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role as George in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Sunday in the Park with George.”

As a recording artist on CBS Records, Patinkin released two solo albums, “Mandy Patinkin” and “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual.” In 1998, he debuted his most personal project, “Mamaloshen,” a collection of traditional, classic and contemporary songs sung entirely in Yiddish. The recording of “Mamaloshen” won the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis (Germany’s equivalent of the Grammy Award).

A social activist, he has helped raise funds for organizations including the Brady Campaign, PAX, Association to Benefit Children, American Jewish World Service, Search for Common Ground, National Dance Institute and ACLU. Patinkin is a board member of the Arava Institute, and continues to work with the International Rescue Committee, highlighting the plight of refugees worldwide.

Patinkin resides in New York City with his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody.

Adam Ben-David has been accompanying Patinkin in concert since 2016. He has been active as an arranger, music director, conductor and pianist on Broadway for the past 22 years. His credits include “The Book of Mormon,” “Jersey Boys,” “Spring Awakening,” “Wicked,” “High Fidelity,” “The Light in the Piazza,” “Bombay Dreams,” “Aida” and “Once Upon a Mattress.” He has accompanied numerous artists including Kelli O’Hara, Jarrod Spector, James Taylor, Patti LuPone and Megan Hilty. Ben-David is composing a theatrical adaptation of the children’s classic “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

Tickets

Tickets will go on sale online at AtTheMAC.org, by phone at 630-942-4000 or in person at the MAC Box Office at 425 Fawell Blvd. Tickets cost $75 to $100. The box office is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Beginning Sept. 12, hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and two hours prior to performances. The website details the season’s full lineup of entertainment.