joyful passage: simons park serenade

August 20, 2016     7:00 pm - 9:00 pm — 1460 N. Drake,  Chicago, IL. 60647

Opera-Matic's second installment in the JOYFUL PASSAGE SERENADE Series celebrated a smaller neighborhood park within Humboldt Park.  During this late summer celebration, we highlighted the treasures of SIMONS PARK, including the late, great, professional boxing champ Johnny “Hurricane” Heard.   For over 20 years, Johnny was a boxing coach for Chicago Park District's Humboldt Park region, and was a help, hero, and hurricane to many.  In honor of this helpful hurricane, we serenaded his memory with hurricane sculptures, gigantic punching bags, slow motion boxing animations, and a shadow boxing ring for public play.  More details below. 

We also celebrate the park by hosting a “Do-It-Yourself Instant Ode Station,” with musicians on hand to turn your very own ode-to-the-park into a serenade.  Playground clowns played with participants in the park, and visitors decorated the park with handmade paper flowers, and take home a miniature hurricane.  For the final encore, we hosted a giant sing-a-long serenade to Johnny Heard, the park, and each other.  

VISIT OUR WORKSHOPS PAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW  OPERA-MATIC HELPED PEOPLE OF ALL AGES GET THEIR SONG AND SERENADE ON IN PREPARATION FOR A JOYFUL PASSAGE AT SIMONS PARK.