'The Essential Houdini' opens fall Wednesdays @ One season Sept. 27

A performance of "The Essential Houdini," by storyteller and magician Bill Pack, will kick off the fall season of "Wednesdays @ One" events, presented at 1 p.m. Sept. 27 at the historic Baker Community Center in downtown St. Charles. It is produced by the Norris Cultural Arts Center.

Pack's program brings to life the true story of an American icon and reveals the secrets of Houdini's baffling magic and escapes. Pack, who is also an author, has appeared in earlier Wednesdays @ One events that examined "The Essential Chicago Fire" and "The Essential Edgar Allan Poe."

Events on the series offer free admission, but attendees are asked to register online through links at www.NorrisCulturalArts.com.

The Norris presents "Wednesdays @ One" events free of charge, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Colonial Café.

The series will resume on Oct. 25, when Vivien Lasken of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley shares the fascinating story of Elizabeth Smith Friedman, Geneva's pioneer in code-breaking whose advances in cryptology led to the creation of the National Security Agency.

The fall season concludes Nov. 22 with a presentation and performance by concert pianist Jeffrey LaDeur in a program he calls "Concert Confidential."

A St. Charles native now based in San Francisco, LaDeur will share anecdotes, musical encounters, and mishaps in a candid and humorous program examining the tails and travails of life on the road as a concert musician.