Broadway star Sutton Foster (“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Shrek,” “Young Frankenstein) offers a public presentation Jan. 30 at Ball State’s Sursa Performing Arts Hall. Details here.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is joined by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, the Butler University Chorale and baritone Hugh Russell for an evening of Dvorak and Faure, Jan. 29-30 at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Details here.

Jan. 30
Skyline Club
Jerome Collins, of the a cappella sensation Straight No Chaser, will be singing Motown hits as musical guest for this dessert-and-entertainment benefit for Encore Vocal Arts. I’ll be serving as emcee for the event—and trying to land some sweet silent auction deals. To give a listen to Collins, click here.  Details on the event here.

The North by Northwest Business Park near 86th Street and Georgetown Road has been sold to firms in Minneapolis and Baltimore for $29.6 million.

-NuVox Communications of Indiana Inc. leased 7,521 square feet of office space at 701 W. Henry St. Darrin L. Boyd and David A. Moore of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker represented the tenant. The landlord, Indy Telcom Center LLC, represented itself.

-Nelson & Frankenberger PC leased 6,504 square feet of office space at 3105 E. 98th St.  The tenant was represented by Ron Foster of Echelon Realty Advisors. The landlord, Brookfield Real Estate Opportunity Group, was represented by David A. Moore and Darrin L. Boyd of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker.

-Methodist Occupational Health Centers leased 8,383 square feet of office space at 11580 Overlook Drive, Fishers. The tenant was represented by Tim Craft of CB Richard Ellis. The landlord, Sandstone Properties LLC, was represented Darrin L. Boyd and David A. Moore of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker.

-The Mucky Duck Pub leased 3,535 square feet of retail space at 4425 Southport Crossings Way. Michael Alboher of Alboher Development Co. Inc. represented the tenant. The landlord, P&M Property Management LLC, was represented by Keith Turnbill of the commercial division of Re/Max Select.

-Beacon Hill Staffing Group LLC leased 2,233 square feet of office space at 8425 Woodfield Crossing. The tenant was represented by Brad Goldberg of Visconsi Realty Associates Inc. The landlord, Woodfield II & III LLC, was represented by Darrin L. Boyd and David A. Moore of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker.

-D&F Distributors leased 2,500 square feet at 4345 W. 96th St. The tenant was represented by Matt Jackson and Joe Lonnemann of Halakar Real Estate. The landlord, Park 421 LLC, was represented by Craig Cleveland of Mann Properties.
 
-Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings leased 2,052 square feet of office space at 8937 Southpointe Drive. The landlord, NNN Southpointe LLC, was represented by Darrin L. Boyd and David A. Moore of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker. The tenant represented itself.

-Mutual of Omaha leased 4,388 square feet at 9100 Keystone Crossing. The tenant was represented by Spero Pulos of Grubb & Ellis Harding Dahm & Co.  John R. Robinson and Abby L. Cooper of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord, Philadelphia-based BGP Properties Ltd. 

-J. Camden PC leased 2,030 square feet at 9200 Keystone Crossing. John R. Robinson and Abby L. Cooper of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord, Philadelphia-based BGP Properties Ltd. The tenant represented itself. 

-A-Trains leased 1,234 square feet of retail space in the Madison on the Mall Shopping Center, 1211 N. Madison Ave., Greenwood. The tenant was represented by Cheryl Planck of Lawyers Real Estate Group. The landlord, Murnel Property LLC, was represented by Bruce Richardson of Royal Companies Inc.

-Janet Julius and Kyle Cutshaw leased 1,080 square feet of retail space at 295 South State Road 135, Greenwood. The tenant was represented by Bruce Richardson of Royal Companies Inc. The landlord, Boomer Properties 295 LLC, was represented by Mark Dietel of Royal Companies.
 
-American Income Life leased 1,501 square feet at 8604 Allisonville Road. The tenant was represented by Mike Weaver, Matt Jackson and Joe Lonnemann of Halakar Real Estate. The landlord, New Boston Castle Creek Limited Partnership, was represented by Gus Sevastianos of Citimark Management Co. Inc.

-Lakeshore Chiropractic leased 1,500 square feet at 9745 Fall Creek Road. The tenant was represented by Matt Jackson and Joe Lonnemann of Halakar Real Estate. The landlord, Glendale Partners at Geist Crossing II, represented itself.

-Genesis Benefit Solutions Inc. leased 1,031 square feet at 7007 Graham Road. Ben Loughery, Matt Jackson and Joe Lonnemann of Halakar Real Estate represented the tenant. The landlord, GPI Office Properties II LP, was represented by Adam Broderick of Jones Lang LaSalle.

Sigma Alpha Tau Sorority purchased a 10,790-square-foot building on 1.01 acres at 3334 Founders Road. The price wasn’t disclosed. Debbie Shumate of Grubb & Ellis Harding Dahm & Co. represented the seller, MEBB Inc., and the buyer.

-Shamrock Builders-Commercial has started an interior rebuilding project for Dr. Stephen Lehman, DDS, at 320 Medical Drive, Carmel. A fire gutted the 4,480-square-foot office Nov. 1. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of May. 

-Shamrock Builders-Commercial has broken ground on a new office for Laughlin / Northwestern Mutual Life at 9759 Crosspoint Blvd. The 18,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed by the middle of July.

-D.B. Klain Builders LLC has completed a 1,162-square-foot tenant build-out at 2159 Glebe St., Carmel. The space is occupied by Edward Jones & Co.
 

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the pace of mortgage loan activity increased 9.1 percent for the week ended Jan. 15, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Rates for 30-year loans fell to 5 percent, down from 5.13 percent the previous week. Fifteen-year mortgages fell to 4.33 percent from 4.45 percent the previous week.

Joint resolutions in the state Legislature seek to amend the state constitution to block enforcement of provisions in the federal bills that would require individuals to buy insurance and all but the smallest employers to help pay for it.

With the stunning victory of Republican Scott Brown in the Massachusetts election for U.S. Senate, Wall Street analysts expect to see a "run" on health care stocks.

Hey, wait a minute! That was the reaction, somewhat delayed, by the Indiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, to a late-December change to federal health reform legislation. The Senate version of reform exempts companies with fewer than 50 employees from a requirement to provide health benefits. But in late December, Senate leaders made a change for construction firms, saying the exemption would apply only if they have five or fewer employees. The change was a favor to union groups, which said non-union construction contractors would have an advantage over unionized shops that do provide health benefits. Local NFIB leaders staged a protest/press conference last week, calling on Congress to “strip this job-killing provision from a final health care bill.”

Orbis Education, a locally based maker of nursing-education software, received $8 million in venture capital from Menlo Park, Calif.-based Lightspeed Venture Partners. Founded in 2003, Orbis offers online instruction to help universities and hospitals train new nurses. A key hurdle in the looming nursing shortage is the lack of capacity for nursing schools to accept all qualified applicants. Last year, it had $4.5 million in revenue and 33 employees. Orbis aims to boost its work force past 50 by the end of the year. Orbis had previously raised $4 million from family, friends and angel investors.
 
Watch out, Eli Lilly and Co. A Greenwood pharmaceutical firm plans to build a $28 million insulin facility there to make a cheaper version of the diabetes-fighting medicine. According to the Daily Journal of Franklin, Elona Biotechnologies expects its 50,000-square-foot facility to employ as many as 70 people. Greeenwood officials are considering $8.5 million in incentives, including some loans, to help Elona build the facility and get it approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Elona was founded in the late 1980s by former Lilly  researcher Ron Zimmerman.

West Lafayette-based IVDiagnostics LLC won a $124,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to further its cancer diagnostics research. The Small Business and Innovation Research Phase 1 grant will pay for the company to improve the design of its IVFLow medical device, which analyzes and monitors tumor cells without taking blood from a patient.

Physicians working in a surgery center connected to Community Hospital South kicked in $500,000 to help the hospital complete a massive expansion. The gift, given by 65 doctors, boosts to $1.2 million the money raised for the project by the philanthropic arm of Community Health Network. The $130 million expansion will add 40 beds. It is scheduled to open in mid-2010.

Dr. Kristine M. Powell, a pediatrician, joined St. Vincent Physician Network in Indianapolis. A graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington and the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Powell was most recently a visiting professor at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

Dr. James Perry has been elected president of the St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville medical staff for a two-year term. He is the obstetrics medical director for St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville and is affiliated with Southwest Women’s Health.

Kathleen Marrs, a biology professor, has been named associate dean of academic affairs at the School of Science at IUPUI.

Greg Pemberton, a health care attorney at Ice Miller LLP, discussed the biggest changes he expects to come out of the federal health reform bills. “It’s not going to be business as usual,” he said.

-The U.S. Attorney's Office leased 43,512 square feet of office space at Market Tower, 10 W. Market St. The tenant was represented by Tim Craft of CB Richard Ellis. David A. Moore and Darrin L. Boyd of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker represented the landlord, MT Acquisitions.

-Industrial Services Group leased 6,300 square feet at 5430 W. 86th St. Liz Yoho of Providence Development represented the landlord, F & R Realty. The tenant represented itself.

-McGraw Hill leased 7,058 square feet at 8900 Keystone Crossing. The tenant was represented by Zane Brown of CB Richard Ellis. John R. Robinson and Abby L. Cooper of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord, Philadelphia-based BGP Properties Ltd. 

-First Options Mortgage leased 8,158 square feet at 8888 Keystone Crossing. John R. Robinson and Abby L. Cooper of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord, Philadelphia-based BGP Properties Ltd.  The tenant represented itself. 

-Ecofridge leased 3,159 square feet at 9000 Keystone Crossing. John R. Robinson and Abby L. Cooper of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord, Philadelphia-based BGP Properties Ltd.  The tenant represented itself. 

-Illini Drilled Foundations Inc. renewed its 1,028-square-foot lease at 2780 Waterfront Parkway, East Drive. The landlord, New Boston Jacaranda LP, was represented by Gus Sevastianos of Citimark Management Co. Inc. The tenant represented itself.  
 
-United Insurance Co. of America leased 1,954 square feet at 8250 Haverstick Road. Zane Brown of CB Richard Ellis represented the tenant. The landlord, Shepard & Poorman Investments LLP, was represented by Gus Sevastianos of Citimark Management Co. Inc.
 
-American Income Life Insurance Co. renewed its 1,501-square-foot lease at 8604 Allisonville Road. Mike Weaver and Joe Lonneman of Halakar Real Estate represented the tenant. The landlord, New Boston Castle Creek LP, was represented by Gus Sevastianos of Citimark Management Co. Inc.

-Sagamore Home Mortgage LLC leased 1,250 square feet of retail space in the Village Plaza Shopping Center, 8914 S. Meridian St. Bruce Richardson of Royal Companies Inc. represented the tenant. The landlord, LaGrotte Realty Inc., was represented by Mark Dietel of Royal Companies Inc.
 

-Holladay Construction Group finished a 10,000-square-foot medical office building for Concentra Urgent Care, 5940 Decatur Blvd.

-Kort Builders Inc. finished a 2,400-square-foot build-out for Indianapolis Sport and Spine at 1460 N. Green St., Suite 400, Brownsburg.

-Kort Builders Inc. finished a 6,000-square-foot build-out for Crown Liquors at 150 N. Delaware St.

-Kort Builders Inc. finished a 1,000-square-foot build-out for Fancy Nails at 14139 Town Center Blvd., Suite 600, in Hamilton Town Center, Noblesville.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the pace of mortgage loan activity grew 14.3 percent for the week ended Jan. 8. Rates for 30-year loans fell to 5.13 percent from 5.18 percent the previous week. Rates for 15-year mortgages fell to 4.45 percent from 4.62 percent.

-Evapar Inc. bought a 12,344-square-foot building at 3451 Developers Road. Mike Medlock of Grubb & Ellis Harding Dahm & Co. represented the buyer and the seller, Janice E. Kosten. The price wasn’t disclosed.

-Firestone bought .97 acres on Northfield Drive, Brownsburg. Carol Lockhart of Baum Realty represented the buyer. Liz Yoho of Providence Development represented the seller, Brownsburg Development LLC.

Through Feb. 27
Indiana Repertory Theatre

In the IRT’s new staging of the classic, the language is still Shakespeare’s, but the setting is post-World War II America, the Montagues are white, and the Capulets are black. Two new-to the-IRT actors, Chicago’s Claire Aubin Fort and Erik Hellman, play the title roles in a cast rounded out by such familiar IRT faces as David Alan Anderson (“Looking Over the President’s Shoulder”), Ryan Artzberger (“Rabbit Hole”) and Ben Tebbe (“A Christmas Carol”). Details here.
 

Jan. 23
Indiana History Center’s Basile Theatre

The title is a little misleading. Yes, there will be a conversation with 2009 American Pianists Association Fellow Adam Golka. But the early evening show also includes music by the likes of Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms and Bartok.

The evening also marks the launch of ICOnic, the Chamber Orchestra’s new series of events for young professionals. This time, the party moves over to Zing Restaurant for post-show socializing. Details here.
 

Jan. 21
Clowes Hall

The panelists for this open-to-the-public discussion of the positive and negative impact of hip-hop includes Beyonce’s manager, Mathew Knowles; activist and BET host Jeff Johnson; and Sandy Denton, the Pepa of the group Salt-N-Pepa. It’s free, but tickets are required. Details here.

 

“Cheech & Chong—Get It Legal,” Jan. 22 at the Murat Theatre. Details

here

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“Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” Jan. 22-23 at the Artcraft Theatre. Details

here

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Winter Nights Films: “Arsenic and Old Lace,” Jan. 22 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Details

here

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The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and soloist Yuju Wang play Rachmaninoff, Jan. 22-23 at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Details

here

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Clarian Health soon will restart work on a new tower at Riley Hospital for Children near downtown Indianapolis and is set to lift other cost-saving restrictions.

Roche Diagnostics Corp. named a new CEO Tuesday for its North American operations, which are headquartered in Indianapolis. Jack Phillips, currently head of commercial operations for North America and Japan at Roche subsidiary Ventana Medical Systems, takes the reins from Michael Tillmann, who resigned on Friday. Tillmann had been in the job 18 months, but Roche continued to lose market share in its diabetes business. Phillips is the third North American CEO for Roche Diagnostics in less than two years.

Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar requested Indiana’s attorney general to conduct a legal analysis of the Senate health insurance proposal, according to the Associated Press. Attorney General Greg Zoeller will examine the constitutionality of parts of the federal health care bill, including the so-called Nebraska compromise that would give Nebraska funding for expanded Medicaid obligations. Indiana law gives the attorney general authority to review proposed federal legislation for any of the state's U.S. senators or representatives. Zoeller said he'll provide a report to Indiana's congressional delegation by the time Congress starts House-Senate conference committee negotiations.

The long-term impact of health care reform is uncertain, but many analysts are expecting big health insurers like Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. to benefit in 2010, according to the Associated Press. WellPoint, which insures more Americans than any of its peers, has seen its stock price surge 10 percent in 2010. "As the health care reform debate diminishes, we believe investors will continue their recent return to managed care stocks in the first half of 2010 with a large-cap bias," Thomas Carroll, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co., told investors.

Witham Health Services wants Boone County officials to support a $35 million bond issue that the Lebanon-based hospital said could save it millions in interest payments. Witham wants to use about $21 million to refinance a 95,000-square-foot medical office building in Lebanon that it opened in September. Interest rates on bonds are lower now than when Witham began that project in mid-2007. Witham would use the rest of the money, about $15 million, to purchase land in the Anson development near Zionsville, on which Witham opened a free-standing emergency room in October. The 43,000-square-foot structure features cutting-edge imaging equipment for open-sided magnetic-resonance imaging exams and high-resolution CT scans. It also includes office space for family and specialist physicians.

The City of Evansville hired Maryland-based Meritain Health to manage its self-funded insurance plan. The new city health plan will feature the Welborn Health Plan’s Dual Option Product, which gives members access to both Deaconess and St. Mary’s hospitals, instead of only one as before. Meritain Health administers health plans for more than 80,000 members in the greater Evansville tri-state area.

Dr. Beth Summers, a pediatric hospitalist, joined Hendricks Regional Health on Jan. 4. She is the Danville-based hospital's eighth hospitalist, which is a doctor whose entire practice is focused on patients staying at the hospital. Summers earned her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University and completed a residency in pediatrics at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Warsaw-based Zimmer Holdings Inc. named Jeffrey Paulsen its president of global businesses. He will oversee sales of Zimmer’s spine, dental, trauma and orthopaedic surgical products in countries outside the United States. Paulsen most recently served as chief operating officer for Detroit-based MPS Group Inc., a facilities management firm. Before that, he worked at Michigan-based Stryker Corp., a Zimmer rival.

Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. has hired John J. Greisch to replace retiring CEO Peter Soderberg. Greisch comes to the Batesville-based hospital bed maker from Baxter International Inc., a global health care products company based in Deerfield, Ill.

Jan. 18
Conseco Fieldhouse

I've said it before, I'll say it again. For pure entertainment value, it's tough to compete with the Harlem Globetrotters. Even if you don't recognize the names of any player since the golden days of Meadowlark Lemon and Geese Ausbie, an afternoon spent with these amazingly athletic clowns is time well spent—especially if you are in the company of a guaranteed-to-be-wide-eyed kid.

Side note to the NBA: How about more pro players with names like Bam Bam Bamiro, Flight Time Lang, Turbo Pearson and Spark Clark? Details

here

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Jan. 15-16
Hilbert Circle Theatre
It was supposed to be a three-day visit by pianist/composer Marvin Hamlisch. But then the Tony-, Grammy-, Oscar-winning composer got himself nominated for yet another Golden Globe Award (for “The Informant”) and he needed to cut short his Indianapolis weekend.
But talk about a make-good: Not only were those who bought Sunday tickets able to trade for seats to Friday or Saturday, they also received free tickets to Hamlisch’s now-on-the-books appearance at Symphony on the Prairie this summer. Details on the concert here.