Beverly Kenny, Coordinator of the program, welcomed quilters, veterans, and their friends, family, and guests. Sun City Marines started the event with the presentation of colors. Something to note is that the Gazebo Valor Quilters Guild is distinct from the National Quilts of Valor organization. The Huntley-area quilters were once affiliated with the national group, but they split off in 2014 because they wanted their quilts to be distributed locally.

Straily said, “Unfortunately, all the events in this book are true. Most names in this book have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities. And yes, there is a heaven and a hell, and I’ve approached both. My book reveals a dysfunctional family life and what it leads to: pain, suffering, loss of trust, poor decisions, and a turbulent life.”

The gallery will be a vibrant showcase of Sun City’s artistic diversity, featuring over 140 original artworks from more than 40 talented artists of the club. The exhibition will be a rich tapestry of artistic expression, with works in acrylics, oils, pastels, colored pencil & graphite drawings, watercolor, and collage.

Hollis fondly recalls, “A friend of ours introduced us in 2007. We went out together once.” 

Degallado adds, “We talked about music, but we made no plans to get together.”

Dick Storer, Sun City resident, said, “This production was a complete sell-out in 2013, and we can’t wait to bring it back to our stage.”

Terdina’s art, a reflection of her self-taught journey, is a testament to the beauty of nature. Her watercolor paintings, particularly those of flowers, are a sight. As she puts it, “I have done other paintings, but I always find myself drawn back to the beauty of flowers.”

This spring, these Sun City dancers will perform on Tuesday, June 3, and Wednesday, June 4, in Drendel Ballroom. The show, “Gotta Dance,” will feature a captivating mix of tap, ballet, and jazz routines, promising an evening of thrilling performances.

“Gooch wears these orthopedic Oxfords and she dresses like a frump,” says Woods about her character. “It’s a fun role. She’s the good Catholic girl and she’s in with Mame who is a high-flying, big-living, big-life type of person. She has to kind of grow into this family.”

Parsla Gagainis, Sun City resident, said, “I loved seeing everyone get into the spirit of the evening by wearing iconic costumes of the ‘50s era. My pink lady jacket was homage to the pink ladies in Grease. The poodle-skirted ladies were really awesome.”

Carol Finckle reprises the role of Golde, the brusque and long-suffering wife of Tevye. Finckle portrayed Golde on the Sun City stage before, 18 years ago. She says she is thrilled to return to the role for Fiddler, which she considers a timeless, timely, and important staple of musical theater.

Geiss was introduced to the producer, Mark Roling, through a friend. Roling has worked with Hollywood stars, including Clint Eastwood, on films like The Bridges of Madison County. Roling was interested in casting Geiss in the movie. 

Carolyn Gordon, the Chairman of the Exhibit, said, “We are featuring the work of our novice through experienced painters.”

The hours of practice and crew of volunteers, ushers, ticket sellers, sound and lighting teams, and generous support to the musical programs all played an essential role in the production’s success.

The play is set at a remote guesthouse, where seven strangers are trapped by a snowstorm. When a police sergeant arrives to investigate a murder nearby, suspicion is cast in all directions as the strangers are questioned and reveal their sordid pasts.

Eggers said, “I started this project 40 years ago. I purchased this kit, which was a replica of the Yacht Mary. It is 1/54 scale of the original, a gift from Amsterdam for King Charles II. It was not a fighting ship. It was a pleasure ship.”

At a high school reunion, Bailey reconnected with Debbie Phillips. Bailey said, “We immediately bonded again, both having in common the love of animals, especially cats. I found out that Debbie wrote a book about her cat, Heidi. It was a children’s book, ‘The Empty Bed: Tails of Heidi’. It was so cute, and I loved the story and the illustrations.”

Nancy Kutska is the director of Strutters and the producer of the show. Kutska said, “The show will feature jazz, tap, and ballet numbers. We will also have some guest performers.”

Indeed, Dolly will be back where she belongs on the Drendel Ballroom stage in April, when the Theater Company of Sun City presents their spring musical, Hello, Dolly!

Storer said, “My daughter is involved in the theatre community. She came to me and said, ‘Dad, I need one more guy for this production.’ I agreed. I had one line to say. It was a funny line. When I performed and said that one line, I heard someone laugh, which hooked me. That was in 2001. I worked a lot behind the scenes. Each person on stage takes about three people behind the scenes.”

Eric Thomas is the new Executive Director of Huntley Community Radio. Thomas is a radio professional working for Salem Media (AM 560 The Answer and AM 1160 Hope for Your Life) and manages several stations. He has been involved with Huntley Community Radio for fourteen years, since the beginning, as Operations Manager.

Sue said, “We have a talented singer-songwriter son. He has an EP and two albums to his credit. Eddy releases a new song every five weeks for his next album. He writes all the music and lyrics for his original portfolio of over 100 songs. Eddy performs regularly in Madison, Chicago, and the tri-cities. He plays guitar, harmonica, piano, accordion, theremin, ukulele, and pretty much any instrument he picks up. His musical story is amazing.”

The Artisan Fair will showcase 75 high-quality local talent vendors. There are 22 new exhibitors, along with favorite sellers from past fairs.