Periodical cicadas should be gone before Ravinia Festival season begins, CEO says
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- In a sign that summer can't be far away tickets for the Ravinia Festival went on sale Wednesday.
It will be a while before the season starts, and thus on Wednesday, all that was heard at the iconic Highland Park concert grounds was the gentle rhythm of a sprinkler system – and songbirds hitting the high notes.
While there are a couple of events on Fridays in May, the season at Ravinia really takes off in June. James Taylor & His All-Star Band, Robert Plant with Alison Krauss, and Roger Daltrey are just a few of this year's headliner acts.
But concertgoers who turn out with picnics and wine are surely hoping to have James Taylor, Robert Plant, and Roger Daltrey drowned out by James, Robert, and Roger Cicada—all vibrating their tymbals along with countless more male cicadas in hopes of attracting a mate.
"We have been working with all the cicadas to get them in tune and in harmony so that that way, they're in line with every single concert," said wisecracker and Ravinia president and chief executive officer Jeff Haydon.
In point of fact, the 17-year periodical cicadas that are coming this year in the Chicago area are expected to be gone before opening night.
"The good news is it is a warmer summer so far, so the cicadas will come and go before the season even gets off and rolling," Haydon said.
Still, with this being a 17-year brood year, Ravinia is capitalizing on the situation with a limited-edition shirt—reading, "Ravinia Interrupta," and calling the cicada buzz the loudest song of summer.
At Ravinia, organizers are expecting a huge crowd this season - Selling more than 130,000 tickets on the first day of public sales Wednesday.
"We had record demand this morning," said Haydon, "and just people buying a range of different kind of concerts."
Cicadas are not only displeasing to the eyes, but also the ears. Their buzz crescendos to 90 or even over 100 decibels. By comparison, the stillness of a sunny day at the park hanging out below 50.
But organizers are expecting the only sounds to fill the park this summer will be coming through the speakers and from the crowd.
The annual cicadas that sing at dusk every July through early October will be coming later after the 17-year brood is gone, but everyone is used to that, and they're not as massive in number as the billions of 17-year cicadas coming.
"We live in Chicago. We know how to roll with the weather and everything else. We are a hardy bunch," said Haydon, "and people come here rain or shine at Ravinia - and cicadas or not."
With ticket sales on sale now, the season officially June 7 with a performance by the Flock, featuring Jerry Goodman. And not Jerry Cicada.