You’ve just made the date of a lifetime. With an NIU student who enjoys diversity and culture. You really want to impress the person. What to do? Well, you could drive to the city and for an evening at Ravinia or the Chicago Theater, dinner, a couple of drinks and a walk around Buckingham Fountain. You then drive back to DeKalb and realize that you’ve just dropped $150 and didn’t even get a phone number.

The NIU Campus Activities Board Fine Arts Committee has a solution to all of that. No, not how to get a phone number, but how to have an inexpensive, great time right here in DeKalb.

As an NIU student, you can purchase the CAB Fine Arts subscription series which offers nine culturally-diverse events for the price of $20. That comes to less then $3 per ticket at a savings of 40 percent.

In past seasons, Fine Arts has offered a range of entertainment from the longest running Chicago musical Pump Boys and Dinettes to the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Laurie Anderson and A Chorus Line.

“This series can walk on water,” remarked CAB Fine Arts Advisor Steve Duchrow. “It’s got everything … B.B. King, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, a Broadway musical, a Tony Award-winning theater group, two stunning dance companies and an internationally-renowned artist.” He added, “Plus, it’s held in the Egyptian Theater, one of the most beautiful theaters in the country.”

The fine arts series opens appropriately on Saturday, October 1 for Parents Day. Starting at 7 p.m., The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Buddy Morrow will take a trip down memory lane as they transform the Duke Ellington Ballroom in the Holmes Student Center into the swinging summer of 1941. This is a must see event for parents visiting freshmen for the first time, parents visiting seniors for the last hurrah and parents visiting sophomores and juniors, too.

Fine arts then moves to the Egyptian Theater as the Danny Buraczeski Company transforms the sounds of classical jazz and transfusion into Jazzdance. Jazzdance will be performed on October 13 at 8 p.m.

The following week, the DeKalb area will witness a grand performance by the “King” with his trusted companion, Lucille. No, fine arts is not flying in Elvis from Michigan, but rather on Monday, October 24 at the Egyptian Theater, CAB Fine Arts will welcome the red-hot, hand-clapping, foot-stomping, heart-pumpimg sounds of one of the worlds greatest blues artists—B.B. King and his guitar, Lucille. Blue, bluer, bluest.

To close the semester, fine arts brings Broadway to DeKalb in the form of the 1930’s musical 42nd Steet on November 22 at the Egyptian Theater. Also, the Leon Golub Art Exhibit will be on display in the Swen Parson Hall art gallery from November 15 to January 22. Admission is free. More information on the Golub Exhibit can be obtained by calling 753-1936.

Other shows offered by fine arts in the spring semester include the Tony Award winning Negro Ensemble Theater, Utah Repertory Dance Theater, The Glory of Gershwin and Corky Siegal with Chicago Chamber Blues.

CAB Fine Arts Chairperson Laura Johnson stressed, “We’ve found students love the opportunity to get together with friends, dress-up, eat a nice dinner and enjoy a major cultural event without spending a lot of money.”

Every fine arts event can be seen from the best seats in the house when one purchases a subscription to the 1988-89 fine arts series. Along with student subscriptions, packages are available for senior citizens, non-students, faculty, alumni and parents at savings of up to 52 percent. Payments can be made by check or can be charged to Visa or MasterCharge.

All necessary information is only a phone call away by dialing 753-1421 which is the direct Bat-line to University Programming and Activities. They will mail a free brochure, or stop by their office on the 6th floor of the HSC and pick one up in person.

So whether you’re looking to impress a date, enjoy a quiet evening alone or with friends or just want a change of pace, the NIU CAB Fine Arts subscription package can’t be beat for prices or performances. Go elsewhere and you’ll be left singing the blues.