MOUNT VERNON – For many of you, the first glimpse of his comedic genius was the Mork & Mindy television show, some witnessed his rapid fire comedy routines, others experienced his dramatic takes in such movies as “Good Will Hunting” or at the other extreme, “Mrs. Doubtfire”. But what you could never forget, once exposed to the man, was his amazing talent that sadly came to an end when he committed suicide that his wife attributed to his struggle with Lewd Body Disease and the opioid he used to try to control it. Carrying on his wide range of character portrayals, Jim Stoner will take the Grand Hotel audience on a journey into the mind of Robin Williams. The Grand Hotel is located in downtown Mount Vernon at 12 Public Square.

The Chautauqua Series, sponsored by Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel, bring year round living history to our community on a donation basis, so you, your family, home schoolers, regular schoolers and friends can enjoy and learn more about people from history well beyond what you read in history books or the newspapers. The money taken in donations goes directly to the performers on stage for all their work in researching, writing and bringing these people to life in a fun and entertaining manner and taking questions from the audience at the end of their presentation.

Opening the program will Jeff & Martha presenting a musical program that includes era music and selections just right to set you in the mood for Robin Williams. The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday August 16 with doors opening at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.
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For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

​W C Fields to Tickle Funny Bone at Chautauqua
 
MOUNT VERNON – On Thursday, July 26, the Chautauqua Series invites a famous comedian to leave everyone laughing. We can all use some humor and we are happy to bring to our community, W.C. Fields portrayed by Greg Patterson, a professional entertainment lawyer, former impressionist and comedian (some irony there). Before becoming a lawyer, Patterson opened programs for Bob Hope.
 
New to say about W.C. Fields, try this out for size. He was one of the characters that adorned the cover of The Beatles album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” that was released 50 years ago. Paul McCartney and John Lennon chose to honor Fields at the suggestion of painter Peter Blake.
 
As W.C. Fields, Patterson will use his Impressionist skills to display the comedic timing of Fields and take us on a journey to what it might be like to witness the wit and wisdom of the real William Claude Dukenfield, better known as W.C. Fields.
 
The performance will be at the Grand Hotel in downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio, located at 12 Public Square and is offered on a donation basis. Elixir Presents in association with the Ariel Foundation and The Grand Hotel bring our community year round Chautauqua style performances of historical figures from a wide range of eras from the American Revolution to World War II the Entertainment World to less famous women and men, who have made a difference to our community and the world.
 
The doors open at 6 PM for the program that is assessable to those with special needs and begins at 7 PM with the Mount Vernon Players presenting an Old Time Radio Show, an audience favorite, a performance by W.C. Fields, and concluded with a question and answer period with the audience.
 
For more information about this and upcoming programs in the Chautauqua Series, visit www.elixirpresents.com or call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you’d like to receive a gentle reminder email on the Sunday before each program, send request to Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

“Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it”

• Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme Song – written by Sonny Curtis

 
MOUNT VERNON - Who can forget Mary Tyler Moore, whose witty and graceful performances on two top-rated television shows in the 1960s and ’70s helped define a new vision of American womanhood? She won four of her seven Emmy Awards in the role of Mary Richards, where she expressed both the exuberance and the melancholy of the single career woman who could plot her own course without reference to cultural archetypes.
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Although Mary Tyler Moore died in 2017, Amy K. Stoner will bring her to life in the Chautauqua style first person living history as part of the 2018 Chautauqua Series at the Grand Hotel (12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon) on Thursday July 12 The Chautauqua Series supported in part by the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel is organized and brought to our community on a donation basis by Elixir Presents.

The programs feature an opening act to set the mood, this show will open with Chris Petee singing the music of Linda Ronstadt. After the opening act, Amy will become Mary Tyler Moore and after her presentation she will take questions about Moore from the audience.

Doors open at 6 PM at this theater that is special needs friendly with show starting at 7 PM.
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For more information about this or upcoming programs - visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org or phone                   740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, please contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com or friend us at ww.facebook.com/elixir.americana.

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MOUNT VERNON - When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Union and Confederate officers could never have predicted the role women would play in gathering information about the enemy. But as Northern and Southern women began providing critical intelligence on everything from the enemy’s movements to its military strategy, both sides began to actively recruit them as operatives. Over the course of the war, hundreds of women acted as undercover agents, willing to risk their lives to help their cause.

On Thursday, June 28, the Chautauqua Series invites Elizabeth Van Lew, a Northern spy, who lived in Richmond, Virginia, to describe the life of a woman spy in confederate territory during the American Civil War. Elizabeth will be portrayed in first person living history format by Chris Petee, bringing to life a part of history the has not received enough attention over the years and highlights the huge contribution women spies made to restoring the Union.

The performance will be at the Grand Hotel in downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio, located at 12 Public Square and is offered on a donation basis. Elixir Presents in association with the Ariel Foundation and The Grand Hotel bring our community year round Chautauqua style performances of historical figures from a wide range of eras including the American Revolution, Civil War, Old West, WWI & WWII, the Entertainment World and some of the many contributions made by local, Ohio, country and international women and men, who have made a difference to our community and to the world.

The doors open at 6 PM for the program that is assessable to those with special needs and begins at 7 PM with 30 minutes of Civil War era music presented by Steve Ball, followed by the portrayal of Elizabeth Van Lew and concluded with an open question and answer period with the audience.

For more information about this and upcoming programs in the Chautauqua Series, visit www.elixirpresents.com or call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you’d like to receive a gentle reminder email on the Sunday before each program, send request to Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com 

​Take the Highway to Heaven with Michael Landon
 
MOUNT VERNON – Born Eugene Maurice Orowitz in 1936, Michael Landon wanted to be an athlete before injuring his arm and deciding to take up acting. He made his big breakthrough on television as the youngest son of Ben Cartwright on “Bonanza”, expanded his audience as the patriarch on “Little House on the Prairie” and then his audience expanded even further as he became an angel whose job was to save peoples’ lives and work for God, his boss. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 1991.
Making his first appearance of 2018, Jim Stoner will be appearing as Michael Landon, sharing his live in first person living history format on Thursday June 14 at the Grand Hotel located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon.
The Chautauqua Series is sponsored in part by Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel and brings year round living history to our community on a donation basis. Give what you can afford. The money collected is distributed to the performers on stage for their work in researching, writing and bringing to life people from history and letting you know who they really were like and well beyond what the history books tell you.
The program will be in the lower level of the hotel with doors opening at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs with the program starting at 7 PM with the opening act consisting of husband and wife, Zac and Katie Sherman, followed by Michael Landon and finally an open question and answer period where the audience can ask Michael Landon questions.
For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

Chautauqua Invites Tom Petty Unplugged
 
MOUNT VERNON - He completed the 40th Anniversary Tour with his band The Heartbreakers with a fractured hip (it completely broke during the tour and would require surgery). He also had a knee replaced, had issues with his ankle and still had problems with his left hand that he’d powdered and was lucky to ever use again while recording his “Southern Accents” record. Even in that much pain, Tom Petty never took the love of his fans lightly. Not long after the tour ended he accidentally took an overdose of opioids and died of heart failure.

What was Tom Petty really like? How did he manage to have a career span over 40 years when most rock and roll stars made a splash and burned out quickly?  On May 31 at the Grand Hotel (located at 12 Public Square) find the answers to these questions and listen so Tom (portrayed by Mike Petee) as he tells his story and is joined by members of his band (portrayed by Jeff Putnam and Desmond Wall) to play some of his music as well.

The Chautauqua Series is sponsored in part by Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel and brings year round living history to our community on a donation basis. You and your family and friends already have your tickets. Give what you can afford. The money collected is distributed to the performers on stage for all their work in researching and writing and bringing to life real people who you know or don’t know but will always find interesting.

The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday May 31 with doors opening at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.
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For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.
 

Oskar Schindler Tells His Story at Chautauqua
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MOUNT VERNON –  Many remember the Steven Spielberg movie, “Schindler’s List” bringing international attention to a man who helped save the lives of over 100 Jews from Nazi extermination. In a letter by his former factory workers and signed by the workers they state, “We, the undersigned Jews from Krakow, inmates in Plaszow concentration camp, have, since 1942, worked in Director Schindler’s business. Since Schindler took over management of the business, it was his exclusive goal to protect us from resettlement, which would have meant our ultimate liquidation. During the entire period in which we worked for Director Schindler, he did everything possible to save the lives of the greatest number of Jews, in spite of the tremendous difficulties, during a time when receiving Jewish workers caused tremendous difficulties with the authorities. Director Schindler took care of our sustenance, and as a result, during the whole period of our employment by him there was not a single case of unnatural death. All in all he employed more than 1000 Jews in Krakow.”

On Thursday May 17, Ken Hammontree, grand master of the Chautauqua format will be portray Oskar Schindler as he talks to us the audience as if we were his factory workers just prior to the Allies coming to close down his factory and taking him prisoner.  The Chautauqua Series with support from The Ariel Foundation and The Grand Hotel, bring year round living history to our community on a donation basis. The series spotlights the lives of historical figures in first person living history bringing the person to life and showing the audience the person behind the history and the times in which they lived.

Opening the program will be Vernon Town making their Chautauqua debut and featuring a mix of music to set the mood for the Oskar Schindler program.

The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday May 17.  Doors open at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.

For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

Around the World in 72 Days
 
MOUNT VERNON - Taking her pen name from a song by Stephen Foster, Nellie Bly started her journalism career in Pittsburgh. After continually being assigned to cover society, gardening and fashion after being chastised for her exposes on women in factories, she moved to New York City and talked her way into working for Joseph Pulitzer. In 1888 Bly suggested to her editor at the New York World that she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional “Around the World in Eighty Days” into fact for the first time. A year later, at 9:40 a.m. on November 14, 1889, and with two days' notice, she boarded the Augusta Victoria, a steamer of the Hamburg America Line, and began her journey.

What was it like to attempt something that had never been done? Did she make it? On Thursday April 26, you can find out the answers and much, much more about this amazing woman. Susan Kahrl, a veteran of the Chautauqua stage, will portray Nellie Bly in a first person living history presentation at The Grand Hotel located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio.

The Chautauqua Series, sponsored by Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel, bring year round living history to our community on a donation basis, so you and your family and friends already have your tickets and just pay what you can afford. The money taken in is distributed to the performers on stage for all their work in researching and writing and bringing to life real people who you know or don’t know but will always find interesting.

Opening the program will be JMJ Crescent comprised of Jeff Langworthy, Meg Litteral and JR Rhodebeck playing a mix of old time music, Celtic and folk with a couple singalongs as well.
The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday April 26 with doors opening at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.
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For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

MOUNT VERNON - While battling for her widow’s pension, Mary Todd Lincoln traveled to Germany in 1868 for her health and to escape her many creditors. Left almost penniless and both mentally and physically ill in February 1870, she poured out her troubles and petitioned James Orne for money. Orne was a prominent Philadelphia Republican married to a good friend of Mary’s. She asked Orne to use his influence to settle her affairs so that she could improve her dire situation. Mrs. Lincoln finally received her pension later in 1870 and returned to America in 1871. She was briefly committed to an asylum and died in 1882.
 
What did really happen to Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband was murdered? On Thursday April 12 you can find out when Barbara Brugler returns as Mary Lincoln after the assassination. Barbara has presented Mary in the White House and along with her real husband Robert, the couple portray Abraham and Mary at many gathering around the country.
Barbara will be presenting a first person Chautauqua brought to you by Elixir Presents with the support of the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel. The program is donation based and held at the Grand Hotel (12 Public Square, lower level conference room) and is easily accessible to those with special needs. The doors open at 6 PM and the program begins with the musical stylings of Bill Miller, acoustic instrument musician.
For information on this and upcoming programs, visit www.elixirpresents.com or www.VisitKnoxOhio.org  or call either 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” via email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com. If you would like to friend us on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/elixir.americana. 

MOUNT VERNON – According to Biography.com, “Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In 1882, she was stricken by an illness that left her blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments.”
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The Chautauqua Series, now in its 12 season, is happy to present Amy K. Stoner as Helen Keller at the Grand Hotel, located at 12 Public Square in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The event is donation based program with the donations going to the presenters. And will be held on March 29, 2018 at 7 PM with doors opening at 6 PM to help those with special needs to be seated in this first floor conference room.

Amy K. Stoner is no stranger to the Chautauqua stage, having portrayed several first person living history performances of women throughout the ages, from Pocahontas to Amelia Earhart, Helen Zelkowitz to Princess Diana and now Helen Keller.

Opening the event will be the music of Kat’s Eye Moon from the Mount Vernon Nazarene University, making their Chautauqua debut.

The Chautauqua Series is supported in part by a grant from The Ariel Foundation and is the only monthly year round Chautauqua in the United States. The Chautauqua Series goal is to present to our community the lives of local, state, national and international people that goes beyond the history books to portray each person as realistic has possible and delve into like they really were like.
 
For information on this and upcoming programs, visit www.elixirpresents.com or www.VisitKnoxOhio.org  or call either 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” via email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com. If you would like to friend us on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/elixir.americana.