When Diana Martinez became director of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage a decade ago, one of her goals was to bring Mandy Patinkin back to the venue.
That dream became a reality when the Chicago native, who Martinez said performed at the MAC in Glen Ellyn circa the 1970s, was booked for concerts on Oct. 12 and 14.
“For 10 years I’ve put in an offer and it’s never worked. I think that during the ‘Homeland’ years he gained so much popularity and he played bigger markets like The Chicago Theatre and that kind of thing. Then COVID hit and everything changed,” said Martinez of Glen Ellyn.
Patinkin starred as Saul Berenson in the TV series “Homeland,” which originally aired its eight seasons from 2011 to 2020 on Showtime, and has had roles as varied as Inigo Montoya in the film “The Princess Bride” to an Emmy-winning performance as Jeffrey Geiger on the CBS TV series “Chicago Hope.”
Tickets for Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE went on sale to the general public Aug. 29.
“This is my 10th anniversary so this is my gift. My gift is to have him here. It was one of the first shows I put in an offer for,” Martinez said.
“I’ve seen his show before and I know that the people who love Broadway will be thrilled with his night. The people who love Mandy will be thrilled to see him when he does these intimate, one-on-one kind of things.
“He’s very candid. He’s very honest. It feels like you’ve got your own private show with Mandy. That’s why I’m so excited for my audience to get to see it. He won’t even do two back-to-back shows to preserve his voice. He wants to make sure his shows are perfect.”
Martinez said she became aware of Patinkin when he portrayed Che in “Evita” in his 1980 debut on Broadway. That role won him a Tony Award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical.
“To be able to go from stage to TV as seamlessly as he does and as well as he does is really awesome too. I saw him many, many years ago in New York doing his one-man show and loved it,” she said.
Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE offers an intimate experience at the MAC, which features 780 seats in Belushi Performance Hall.
“He’ll tell some stories. He’ll do songs from the Broadway shows he’s done. He might even do a Yiddish song. He’ll do some fun banter. He’ll of course do (something from) ‘Evita,'” she said.
“He connects with an audience very well and very authentically. He doesn’t talk down to people. It’s very well thought out and very spontaneous.”
Adam Ben-David, who accompanies Patinkin for the fall concerts, has Broadway credits including “The Book of Mormon” as associate conductor, keyboards and associate musical director; “Spring Awakening” as conductor and keyboards; and “High Fidelity” as musical director, conductor and piano/harmonica.
“He’s Mandy’s preferred pianist of choice and they’ve worked together for many years so he understands (Mandy),” Martinez said.
“He’s not just a piano player. He’s a musical director and conductor so (Mandy’s) got quite an accompanist coming with him.”
The shows at the MAC are billed as featuring Patinkin’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes from Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim and from Cole Porter to Harry Chapin.
“It’s a coup to be able to get an artist like that. He is a Broadway legend. He is a TV legend. It makes me happy that my audience gets to see somebody of his caliber,” said Martinez, who worked with Patinkin’s late cousin Sheldon Patinkin when she was president of The Second City and he was chair emeritus.
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“I think everybody’s going to have a really wonderful time and feel like they had a very special evening. It’ll be a show they won’t forget for a long time.”
Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE is at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and 14 at McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage’s Belushi Performance Hall, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Tickets are $75-$100 and can be ordered at 630-942-4000 or atthemac.org.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.