IIT’s Mies van der Rohe Society Presents “The White City: Daniel Burnham’s Dream”
Reading of musical on Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago to be held Sunday, Oct. 11 at IIT
IIT’s Mies van der Rohe Society presents a reading of “The White City: Daniel Burnham’s Dream,” a musical written by June Finfer and Elizabeth Doyle and produced by Lost and Found Productions, telling the story of Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, inspired by the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, the Columbian Exposition. Event attendees are invited to explore the newly restored exterior of Mies’ only religious building, IIT’s Carr Memorial Chapel, where the reading will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 11.
For the 1893 World Fair, Chicagoans worked together to create a temporary city that drew millions of visitors. After the turn of the 20th century, Burnham was asked to develop a plan for Chicago’s future growth. What he learned in creating the “White City,” which refers to the 1893 World Fair, was the foundation of his vision for the 1909 Plan of Chicago. In the 1909 Plan of Chicago, Burnham wrote: “This same spirit which carried out the Exposition in such a manner as to make it a lasting credit to the city is still the soul of Chicago, vital and dominant….This spirit—the spirit of Chicago—is our greatest asset. It is not merely civic pride: it is rather the constant, steady determination to bring about the very best conditions of city life for all the people…”
Following Burnham’s life, Finfer and Doyle’s musical is a glimpse into the past, and an inspiration for the future, revealing how obstacles were overcome and how Burnham’s Dream -- Chicago’s dream, is being fulfilled. Burnham grew in skill and grace throughout his life, eventually becoming the humanist whose vision of the lakefront as forever free for public use still inspires heated discussions and some disagreements today. Inspired by the music of Burnham's time, Doyle, who serves as the play's musical director, wrote original pieces for the production, which features music ranging from ragtime to operetta, and one romantic ballad. Finfer, the president of Lost and Found Productions, is the widow of accomplished architect, urban planner, and IIT College of Architecture alumnus Paul Finfer, and frequently writes about architecture and planning issues. For more information about the musical and its writers, please visit http://web.me.com/junefinfer1/The_White_City_Musical/Background.html.
Tickets to hear a reading of “The White City: Daniel Burnham’s Dream” and explore the newly restored exterior of Carr Chapel are available at www.mies.iit.edu. The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, October 9. Attendees are invited to check-in and enjoy refreshments at 3:15 p.m. in the Collens Welcome Center of the McCormick Tribune Campus Center, 3201 South State St., Chicago, and then move to Carr Memorial Chapel, 65 East 32nd St., Chicago, for the 4 p.m. reading. Free parking is available in the parking lot north of the McCormick Tribune Campus Center on State St. Ticket prices are $40 for Mies Society members and $50 for non-members. For more information, please contact Kelly Hyman at 312.567.5025 or khyman@iit.edu.
The Mies van der Rohe Society is dedicated to preserving Mies’ legacy, restoring his renowned IIT buildings to enhance educational programs for students, and reinforcing Chicago’s international reputation for architectural distinction. The Society has raised funds for the restoration of many of the Mies campus buildings and is currently raising $1 million to completely restore Carr Memorial Chapel and provide money for a maintenance endowment. To date, approximately $534,000 has been raised through contributions from IIT’s Mies van der Rohe Society board members, active members and the Regenstein Foundation.
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,300 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment. Visit www.iit.edu.
