John Lithgow to Join Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Carnival of the Animals

Award-winning actor John Lithgow will join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the Kraft Family Matinee Series program “Carnival of the Animals,” a musical portrait of a lion, a swan, elephants and many more animals, February 16.

Lithgow’s child-friendly word play, inspired by Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals,” provides a narrative arc to the composition which debuted in 2003. The story follows a young boy, who, after wandering off from his school field trip, falls asleep in the Natural History Museum. He dreams that the various people in his life take on the guise of the museum animals.

Lithgow earned his Tonys for The Sweet Smell of Success and The Changing Room. He was also Tony-nominated for his performances in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, M. Butterfly, and Requiem for a Heavyweight. Lithgow is well known for his starring role in the TV series Third Rock from the Sun, for which he received a Golden Globe, two SAG awards, and The American Comedy Award.

For more information call 312-294-3000 or visit www.cso.org.