Steadstyle Chicago
Chicago Theatre News and Events January 25, 2010
Redmoon Opens 'The Cabinet'
Opening Redmoon’s 20th anniversary program of theater productions and events, the company is remounting the longest running production in its storied history, "The Cabinet". Originally produced in 2005 for a smash hit 20-week run, "The Cabinet" returns to the West Loop industrial home of Redmoon Central at 1463 W. Hubbard Street for a 5-week engagement. The Cabinet opens February 5 and runs for through March 7. Preview is February 4 at 8pm. Performances are Thursday at 8:00 pm, Friday at 8:00 and 10:00 pm, Saturday at 6:00 and 9:00 pm, Sunday at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $15-$25. Call 312.850.8440 x 111 or visit www.redmoon.org. The show duration is 60 minutes, no intermission.
A spectacle in miniature, "The Cabinet" sets the story of the murderous Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist slave Cesare in an off-kilter world of puppetry and intricate machinery. Inspired by the 1919 silent film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," "The Cabinet" creates a wild, abstracted “cabinet of curiosities” in which five puppeteers manipulate and maneuver the characters and objects mirroring Caligari’s control over Cesare’s plight. A haunting suspense thriller, this show is suitable for ages 13 years up.
“Just before our Halloween performance at the White House this past October, we had the amazing opportunity to meet with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in his West Wing office,” Artistic Director Frank Maugeri shared. “The first thing he asked as we sat down to chat was: ‘Are you ever going to remount that wild show in the cabinet? That’s my all-time favorite...’ Very flatteringly, we thought it might be a good time to get this Redmoon favorite back in front of Chicago audiences. This remount is a gift to Redmoon fans as the inaugural show to our 20th anniversary season.” On March 12, 2010, Redmoon will celebrate 20 years of creating art in the city of Chicago with the annual Redmoon Spectacle Lunatique Gala: “20th Anniversary Birthday Celebration”.
Dramatists Guild Writer's Intensive
The Dramatists Guild Fund, the Dramatists Guild of America, and Northwestern University announce the launch of the out-of-town arm of the successful Dramatists Guild Fellows program, linking emerging playwrights and musical theater writers in a close-knit and safe atmosphere for work and critique, as well as encouraging a sense of community with established New York and Chicago theater professionals. The Dramatists Guild Writer’s Intensive will be supported by the Dramatists Guild Fund and hosted by Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
A team of Chicago theatres and educators will nominate writers from the Midwest region for the Intensive. From those nominations, five playwrights and five musical theatre writers or teams will be selected to participate in the four-day intensive on the Northwestern University campus in September, 2010. The Intensive will be led by the Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, creators of Once On This Island, Seussical, and the recent Broadway revival of Ragtime; playwright, composer and educator Janet Neipris (Jeremy and the Thinking Machine, To Be A Playwright), Obie Award and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning playwright Susan Miller (My Left Breast, A Map of Doubt and Rescue); Andrea Lepcio (Looking for the Pony); Laura Schellhardt (The K of D); and Rebecca Gilman, author of Magnolia, Spinning into Butter, and Blue Surge, all produced at the Goodman Theatre. Gilman and Schellhardt are both faculty members at Northwestern University.
“For ten years, the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program has been a bridge between the academic and the professional worlds for many emerging writers by creating a sense of artistic community, which is reinforced through positive critique and master classes by many theater professionals,” says Stephen Flaherty, Intensive master teacher and Dramatists Guild Council Member. "We try to create an atmosphere of utter security and support, where works-in-progress can be presented without fear,” adds Council member Lynn Ahrens. “Now this wonderful program will be coming to Chicago,” says Rebecca Gilman, Northwestern professor and Dramatists Guild Council member. “This is a terrific opportunity for area playwrights, composers and lyricists to come together and study their craft in a collaborative, supportive atmosphere.”
The Dramatists Guild Chicago Intensive will include presentation of works in progress, critiques and writing assignments. Also planned is a public discussion featuring the Intensive’s master teachers to focus on the craft of dramatic writing. The Dramatists Guild of America is the professional association of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists. Now in its tenth year, the Dramatists Guild Fellowship Program augments the training of emerging American dramatists and enhances the sense of community among them. The program is unique, not only in the kinds of opportunities it offers, but also because it brings together both playwrights and musical theater writers to discuss their work and common interests. The Dramatists Guild Fund is pleased to expand this already successful program to Chicago. For further information go to www.dramatistsguild.com.
Filament Presents a Topsy-Turvy Evening
Filament
Theatre Ensemble presents "The Odyssey of Arlecchino" as
part of the Bricks & Mortar Fest presented by the Bricklayers
Theatre Company. This one man show is co-written by Filament
Artistic Director Julie Ritchey and ensemble member Omen Sade, who
takes on the infamous role of Arlecchino. The production plays
one night only, Sunday, February 7 at 7pm at the Theatre Building
Chicago. "The Odyssey of Arlecchino" is a
carnivalesque journey of one man to find himself amid the trials,
tribulations and tricks of the world. In this autobiographical
story, Arlecchino has traveled across Europe to arrive here in
Chicago to share his topsy-turvy story in a style governed only by
the rules of Looney Toons. For tickets, visit www.filamenttheatre.org
or call 773-327-5252.
This Spring & Summer, "The Odyssey of Arlecchino" will tour to schools (with a lecture/workshop component) and festivals in the Chicago area and across the country. The Filament Theatre Ensemble is now in its third year of creating vibrant, innovative, ensemble-based theater that connects with the child in everyone. Filament has toured original adaptations of Shakespeare and childhood classics to schools, senior citizen homes, and theater festivals in Chicago and on the east coast, delighting children, families, adults, and the elderly. Filament is currently touring "Alice & Me," an original adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, with Urban Gateways Center for Creative Youth.
New 'Million Dollar' Cast
"Million
Dollar Quartet" proudly announces its new Chicago cast: Emmy
Award-winning actor David Lago (Elvis Presley), accomplished
musician/performer Lance Lipinsky (Jerry Lee Lewis), Chicago musician
and actor Gabe Bowling (Carl Perkins), and Jeff Award nominee Sean
Sullivan (Johnny Cash). The cast also includes Tim Decker
(“Father of Rock ’n’ Roll” Sam Phillips) and
original Chicago cast members Kelly Lamont (Elvis’ girlfriend
Dyanne), Billy Shaffer (Fluke/Drummer) and Chuck Zayas (Jay
Perkins/Bass). The new cast will begin performances on February
3, 2010.
Following a successful 15-month-long run in Chicago, actors Eddie Clendening (Elvis Presley), Lance Guest (Johnny Cash), Levi Kreis (Jerry Lee Lewis) and Rob Lyons (Carl Perkins) will open "Million Dollar Quartet" on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre, with previews beginning March 13, 2010, and opening April 11, 2010. "Million Dollar Quartet" also announces an extension of the Chicago production at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. The new block of tickets for performances through May 30, 2010 are available through the Apollo Theater box office, (773) 935-6100, and online through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com.
“Million Dollar Quartet’s run thus far in Chicago has been spectacular. In fact, our audiences have been growing steadily and the feedback we receive about the fascinating story, rockin’ music and excellent musicianship never ceases,” comments Producer John Cossette. Producer Gigi Pritzker adds, “We are so pleased to be opening this amazing show on Broadway with its original Chicago quartet. Eddie, Lance, Levi and Rob have been working hard these past 15 months to bring the story, music and characters alive. We are confident in the new Chicago cast members and are thrilled that the show will be playing simultaneously in New York and Chicago.”
Busch Fest kicks off at Mary's Attic
Don’t
miss the premiere of a new project from creative think tank The Idea
Place. This winter, four early plays by drag theater legend
Charles Busch will run in repertory on two programs, rotating Friday
and Saturday nights. Program A will include "Vampire
Lesbians of Sodom" and "Sleeping Beauty or Coma".
Program B will include "Theodora She-Bitch of Byzantium"
and "Pardon My Inquisition or Kiss The Blood Off My
Castanets". This ambitious project will take the stage at
Mary’s Attic in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
Shows run on Friday and Saturday only. Performances run through
February 20. Performances are $12. Program A and Program B will
alternate nights of the week. Performances are at the
Mary’s Attic (above Hamburger Mary’s), 1500 N. Clark
Street, in the heart of Chicago’s Andersonville
neighborhood. For tickets call 800.838.3006 or visit buschfest.com.
Charles Busch came to theatrical prominence in 1984 when his hit play "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" went from being a group of misfits putting on a show in a tiny bar/art space called The Limbo Lounge in New York’s run down Alphabet City, to a successful commercial production that became one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows of all time. Though Busch has since cemented his iconic stature as a writer with the Tony nominated "The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife" and his films "Die Mommy Die" and "Psycho Beach Party," the early plays he wrote and starred in as grande dame of The Limbo Lounge’s resident company, Theatre In Limbo, set the tone for the rest of his legendary career. These campy, sharp-edged, gender bending one-act comedies pay loving homage to classic stage and film genres and their leading ladies.
The Idea Place thought that Mr. Busch’s early plays deserved another breath. This collection of cult classics and rarely performed jewels show the dexterity of Busch’s wit and his all consuming love for the stage. Brought to life in the spirit of the original productions, with a distinctive kiss from Chicago, an ensemble of nine dynamic performers, playing half a dozen roles each, will turn Mary’s Attic into such exotic locales as Ancient Sodom, swinging Mod London, the Byzantine Empire, and the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition. It’s going to be hilarious.
Directing "Theodora She-Bitch of Byzantium" and "Sleeping Beauty or Coma", as well as serving as Executive Producer, is Will Rogers (Associate Producer, Victory Gardens Theater's Fresh Squeezed Series). Andrew Hobgood, Artistic Director of The New Colony, will helm "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom". Bare Boned Theatre Artistic Director Jeffrey Bouthiette will direct "Pardon My Inquisition or Kiss the Blood Off My Castanets". Additional producers of Busch Fest are Arlene Malinowski and Sophie Gatins. Lee Strauberg is Production Designer and Stage Manager and Kate Setzer Kamphausen will serve as Costume Designer. The Busch Fest Ensemble will include Dan Cox, Anthony DiNicola, Ted Evans, Sophie Gatins, Mary Hollis Inboden, Kristina Johnson, Ed Jones, Andrew Marikis, Ashleigh Ross, Danny Taylor.
Broadway in Chicago Hosts a 'Beauty' of a Tour
Broadway
In Chicago is thrilled to present the award-winning worldwide
smash-hit musical, Disney’s "Beauty and the
Beast". Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate
theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Cadillac
Palace Theatre March 23-April 4, 2010. Tickets range in price
from $18-$85. Tickets can be purchased at all Broadway In
Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18
W. Monroe St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800)
775-2000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Hot Tix and
select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com.
Groups of 15 or more should call (312) 977-1710. For more
information, please visit us at www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com
or www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast" features the animated film’s Academy Award-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton. The original creators of the Broadway production are together again for this new touring production. The play is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award winner for her work on Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast"), Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Scenic Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr. and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.
Director Rob Roth: “It has been wonderful to bring the entire original design team back together to work on this new production of Beauty and the Beast. As a director, it is rare to have the opportunity to revisit your work fifteen years later. Hopefully I’ve grown and developed as an artist, along with my collaborators, and we can bring 15 years of experience to this new production. We have remained very close as a team over the years of producing the show around the world, and it has been so much fun getting together to re-explore and re-invent the show for this new NETworks tour. The theme of ‘Beauty’ is about seeing past the exterior into the heart of someone, and this is reflected in the design for the show, which is about transparency and layers, seeing past one thing and into another.”
Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast" is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast" has become an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 13 countries.
National Pastime Sets 'Street Scene'
The National Pastime Theater, Chicago’s most fearless theater company, in proud co-production with Clock Productions, presents a rare revival of "Street Scene". Elmer Rice’s 1929 Pulitzer Prize winning play depicts first generation immigrant families struggling to reach the American dream in one New York tenement. "Street Scene" previews March 8 and 9 and opens on March 12 at 8pm. The performances will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm to April 18. Tickets are $25. Date night stimulus Thursdays two for one. The National Pastime Theater is offering season tickets for $100 which will include "Street Scene," a Naked July Festival Pass (www.nakedjuly.com) and "Doo Lister’s Blues". For information call 773-327-7077.
Rice established himself as one of the most highly acclaimed American dramatist of the early 20th century, with his 1923 "The Adding Machine". The National Pastime Theater’s production of "The Adding Machine" shattered theatrical boundaries. The 2010 production of "Street Scene" aims to embolden a new generation of city-dwellers with an honest portrayal of racism, corruption, rage and the fierce love that brings them through to the next day. Undoubtedly the audience will see a reflection of their own varied lives. Directed by National Pastime Artistic Director Laurence Bryan and Keely Haddad-Null, the show is like nothing you have ever seen. The original choreography intensifies the heat with grotesque jazz movement. Come and see what happens when the 1929 New York City melting pot reaches its boiling point.
Raven Adds Up '12 Angry Men'
The
weather couldn't be hotter nor the stakes higher in Raven Theatre's
winter drama, "Twelve Angry Men," directed by Aaron Todd
Douglas. Opening is Sunday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m. at Raven
Theatre, 6157 N. Clark. Tickets and information are available
at www.raventheatre.com or
773-338-2177. Twelve jurors enter the deliberation room to
determine the fate of a troubled youth on trial for murder.
It's the hottest day of the year and these men are all sure of his
guilt...except for one. Can this individual break the mentality
of group thought to ensure that the trial is fair or will complacency rule?
Raven's production also brings an interracial cast to this powerful American drama, exploring the levels of bias within and between races. Reginald Rose's riveting play challenges all of us to find the personal strength to stand alone in the crowd and see the bigger picture, even in the most unpopular of situations. Director Aaron Todd Douglas states, "As a society, we often have a two-sided approach to arguments. With that, when one group takes a particular stance, the other group takes the polar opposite, regardless of any attention to good common sense. The second group may not even believe in their position, but take it purely to be antagonistic. We plan to investigate this role of the antagonist to see where the argument ends and the humanity begins."
Reginald Rose, a playwright and screenwriter was inspired to write "Twelve Angry Men" (which began as a 1954 episode of TV's Studio One and then was adapted to the screen in 1957) by his service on a similar trial. Famous for his “slice of life” writing style, Rose's scripts tackled heavy social issues of the time including abortion and black listing. Best known for his television dramas, Rose helped to define the Golden Age of Television, working with all three of the major networks. The ensemble portraying the twelve jurors includes: Kenneth Johnson, Steve Herson, Dan Loftus, Bryson Engelen, Fernando Albiar, Dwight Sora, Eddie Diaz, Christopher Brown, J.J. McCormick, Reginald Vaughn, Leonard Kraft, and Ron Quade. Carthy Dixon rounds out the cast as the Bailiff.
The 2009-2010 season is dedicated to the memory of Esther E. McCormick, proud Raven Theatre ensemble member. Founded in 1983, Raven Theatre is dedicated to breathing new life into American classics and exploring other works that illuminate the American experience, with occasional forays into world classics. In addition to its regular season, Raven produces a Workshop Series of new and experimental productions, as well as an Educational Outreach program, including teaching partnerships with various Chicago Public Schools, summer youth classes and original children’s shows performed at Raven Theatre.
'Commedia' and 'Viola' in Evanston
Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 pm, Piccolo Theatre in association with Chicago dell'Arte will present a brief history of Commedia dell'Arte for World Commedia Day. This global celebration is in support of Associazione SAT's (an Italian Commdia group) appeal to the United Nations to recognize Commedia dell'Arte as an official piece of "World Cultural Heritage." World Commedia Day is a commedia scenario about the history and style of commedia dell'arte, featuring many of the "stock characters" such as Pantalone, Pulchinella, Isobella and zanni. The presentation will feature Piccolo Ensemble Members David Kelch, Amy Gorelow and Ryan Musil (also a Chicago dell'Arte member), and Chicago dell'Arte members Ned Record, Jessica Record and Daniel Stock. World Commedia Day will be presented at the Evanston Arts Depot, located at 600 Main Street, Evanston in the Main Street METRA Station. This one-night-only event is Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5. For reservations, please call the Box Office at 847-424-0089 or visit www.piccolotheatre.com. Run time is approximately 1 hour with no intermission.
Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday March 25 from 3:30pm to 6:00 pm, Evanston Festival Theatre in association with The Viola Project will present Dash for the Crown: Shakespeare's History Plays, a two-day after-school workshop on Shakespeare's history plays for girls ages 10-14 at the Evanston Arts Depot, located at 600 Main St., Evanston. In this workshop, students will have a unique opportunity to experience the constant one-upmanship, plotting, and cold-blooded murders that make up Shakespeare's history of England. Students will enact dramatic scenes from the Hundred Years War to the War of the Roses, and visit kings from John to Richard III.
Dash for the Crown: Shakespeare's History Plays, is Evanston Festival Theatre's first collaboration with the Viola Project. The workshop will take place at the Evanston Arts Depot, 600 Main St., Evanston, in the Main Street METRA station. The workshop will run from 3:30pm to 6:00pm March 24 and 25, and will culminate in a short performance on March 24 at 6:00pm. The registration fee is $75 per student. Reduced rates are available: $45 per student until February 24, $55 per student until March 10, $65 per student until March 17. To register students, contact Brianna Sloane, Education and Outreach Director at brianna@piccolotheatre.com or 847-424-0089. Registration automatically enters the student into a drawing for "Tea the Queens," a British high-tea with the wives of Henry VIII to take place at the Evanston Arts Depot in conjunction with Piccolo Theatre's spring production, "Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry!"
Evanston Festival Theatre is a 35 year old not-for-profit corporation. The mission is to enrich the Evanston Illinois community through artistic expression, education and entertainment. The Viola Project has been offering workshops for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 on the performance of Shakespeare since 2004. With topics ranging from The Play's The Thing (Hamlet) to A Merry War (Much Ado About Nothing) and the Sonnet Slam to Heroines! TVP students learn that Shakespeare is fun by getting out of their chairs, onto their feet and discovering for themselves the joy of complex characters and language. Theatre is a way for young people to unleash their creativity and develop their talents. The teachers are committed to helping students realize their own power.
Joffrey's 'Cinderella' an Enchanting Fantasy
The
Joffrey Ballet’s 2009-2010 “Season of Legends”
continues with Sir Frederick Ashton’s "Cinderella,"
back by popular demand. Widely considered one of the greatest
ballet interpretations of this timeless fairytale, Ashton’s
"Cinderella" is an enchanting fantasy full of splendor,
humor and magic. The Chicago Sinfonietta, the official
orchestra of The Joffrey Ballet, under the baton of conductor Scott
Speck, will provide live musical accompaniment of Sergei
Prokofiev’s classic score. "Cinderella" will
take place at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E.
Congress Parkway, in nine performances only, February 17-28,
2010. Single tickets, priced from $25 to $145, are available
for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office,
located in the lobby of 10 E. Randolph Street, as well as the
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University box office, all
Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by telephone at (800) 982-2787 or online
at www.ticketmaster.com.
“As a company known for its many ‘firsts,’ The Joffrey Ballet was the first to perform Ashton's Cinderella in America in October 2006,” notes Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater. “Having worked closely with Sir Ashton at The Royal Ballet, I can confidently say that The Joffrey upholds the full ingenuity, sincerity and authenticity of his brilliant work. A work for the entire company, Cinderella is one of the Joffrey’s most popular and lavish productions ever and we are proud to revive it this season.” Acquiring Ashton’s "Cinderella" was a longtime dream of Joffrey Ballet Founder Robert Joffrey, and it was his last wish that the Company perform this production. When it premiered in 2006 it was the first brand new, full-length story ballet that The Joffrey had mounted since "The Nutcracker" premiered in 1987. The Joffrey Ballet retains the exclusive rights to perform Ashton’s "Cinderella".
Performed in three acts with 39 different characters portrayed, "Cinderella" is a rags-to-riches fairytale about a downtrodden young Cinderella, a glass slipper and a handsome prince, who are all brought together by a fairy godmother. Ashton creates a mysterious and magical world where pumpkins become coaches, rags turn to ball gowns, and the comedy of Cinderella's pantomime step-sisters—portrayed, as is tradition, by male dancers—provides the perfect foil for the developing romance of Cinderella and the Prince.
Sir Frederick Ashton joined The Royal Ballet of London as choreographer when the company was founded in 1931 and served as its Artistic Director from 1963 to 1970. When "Cinderella" premiered at the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (London) in December 1948, it was not only Ashton's first full-evening ballet, but also the first production in the West to use Prokofiev's hauntingly brilliant score, which was composed specifically for Ashton’s choreography. Ashton later revised and restaged "Cinderella" for The Royal Ballet in 1965. As a young dancer, Wheater trained at The Royal Ballet School in London, and at age 13 he worked with Ashton on the World Premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice. Wendy Ellis Somes, a former dancer with The Royal Ballet, staged and directed Ashton’s "Cinderella" for The Joffrey Ballet, with the production boasting breathtaking sets and costumes designed by David Walker.
The 2009-2010 season of Legends will conclude with a mixed repertory program entitled Eclectica, April 28- May 9, 2010, which will feature Gerald Arpino’s "Reflections," and two newly commissioned works, "The Madness of Crowds" by the innovative choreographer James Kudelka, and "Crossed" by distinguished dancer and choreographer Jessica Lang. For more information about The Joffrey Ballet and current productions please call 312-386-8905 or visit joffrey.org.
Theo Ubique Makes its Move With 'Chess'
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in association with Michael James presents "Chess" at the intimate, 50-seat setting of No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood (Rogers Park by Morse el stop on Red Line). "Chess" is a Cold War musical, first premiering in the 1980s, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by former ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Among the notable hit songs from the cult musical are "One Night in Bangkok" and "I Know Him So Well". Previews are March 5-6 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Performances run through April 25 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Dinner package optional, starting one hour prior to curtain. Preview tickets are $15. Regular run tickets $25 for Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and $30 for Saturdays. Show/dinner package $45 for Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and $50 for Saturdays, includes three-course meal served by members of the cast. Free parking at lot on corner of Morse and Ravenswood, and free rides to and from theatre in the Lifeline shuttle van. Purchase tickets through box office at 800-595-4849 or visit www.theoubique.org. Call 773-347-1109 for theatre and show information.
Chicago Dramatists Comes to Millennium Park
The
one-woman, autobiographical show, "Aiming for Sainthood,"
the third offering in Millennium Park’s new theater lab series,
In the Works, is coming to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion from March
25-27, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. Presented by Millennium Park and
Chicago Dramatists, "Aiming for Sainthood" is written and
performed by Chicago Dramatists Resident Playwright, Arlene
Malinowski, who tells her story through sign language and voice,
using both deaf and storytelling techniques. Chicago
Dramatists’ new Associate Artistic Director Richard Perez, will
direct. Tickets to "Aiming for Sainthood" are $10 and
are available by calling 312.742.TIXS (8497) or by visiting www.millenniumpark.org.
All performances will be signed for deaf audiences. The In the
Works theater lab series also includes "Moby Dick" by Blair
Thomas & Company (January 28-30) and "Los Nogales" by
Teatro Vista (April 15-17).
As the hearing daughter of deaf and devoutly Catholic deaf parents, Malinowski learns to navigate the cross-cultural maze of the medical world and the deaf world, when, as an adult, she returns home to care for her cancer stricken mother. "Aiming for Sainthood" is about parents and children, deaf and hearing, love and forgiveness, faith and tolerance, and finding oneself. With the In The Works series, audiences have a chance to sit on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, experiencing works in development by local theater artists or companies.
"Aiming for Sainthood" is the second of an autobiographical trilogy of solo plays that began with the award-winning "What Does the Sun Sound Like". The play was commissioned by 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, Illinois, where it was performed as a reading for the Words In Motion-Festival in July, 2008, and further developed at Chicago Dramatists. "Aiming for Sainthood" will be produced later this season in Chicago at Victory Gardens Theater’s new Studio Theater in a series of solo works. Led by Artistic Director Russ Tutterow and Managing Director Brian Loevner, Chicago Dramatists, the playwrights’ theatre, has devoted all of its resources for the past 30 years to its mission of developing new plays and nurturing playwrights. A national institution and a Chicago treasure, Chicago Dramatists enriches the lives of hundreds of thousands of theatre patrons every year. For more information about Chicago Dramatists, its productions, classes, developmental programs and more, go to www.chicagodramatists.org or call 312.633.0630.
'Chicago' Exclusive in Mount Carroll
Timber Lake Playhouse's management team, Artistic Director James Beaudry and General Manager Melissa Mattingly Parsons, are thrilled to announce that the producers of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of "Chicago" have given Timber Lake Playhouse the exclusive rights to produce the show in Mt. Carroll this summer! "Chicago" will open the playhouse’s 49th Season on June 3. “We were stunned and honored when we found out,” said Beaudry. “No one is getting the rights to this show now because the national tour and Broadway productions are still selling out. But I wrote a letter explaining that our regional audience often doesn’t have access to a lot of national tours, and we would like to bring this brilliant and spectacular show to them.” Timber Lake Playhouse will be one of the only professional theatre companies in the country to produce "Chicago" this season. “We are in a unique time in human history,” wrote lead Broadway producer Barry Weissler about the show. “The world appears to be falling apart around us. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for an audience is to give them a chance to breathe, to make them laugh, to rejuvenate them.”
At the height of the roaring 20s, in a world where the latest scandal leads to instant celebrity, "Chicago" is the story of chorus girl Roxie Hart and vaudevillian Velma Kelly in a battle of song and dance numbers and vaudeville comedy acts as they await trial for the murders of their cheating men. "Chicago" is now considered one of the best American musicals ever created. Written by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb, who had worked together previously on "Cabaret," it includes such show-stopping songs as “All the Jazz,” “When You’re Good to Mama,” and “Razzle Dazzle” and the most astonishing dancing Broadway has ever seen. The musical comedy has won 6 Tony Awards, 6 Oscars and become the longest running revival in Broadway history.
“When we thought we wouldn’t be able to produce Chicago, we planned on opening our season with another great show, Hairspray, instead,” Beaudry explained. “Because we only have a limited two week window this year during which we can present Chicago, but we still want to give our audiences a chance to enjoy Hairspray, we are planning on opening our 50th Season in 2011 with that show. TLP’s first season was in 1962, and Hairspray takes place that very year. Hairspray will be a great way to kick off our year-long celebration.” Timber Lake Playhouse’s 49th Season in 2010 will continue with the classic American musical, "Oklahoma!," and Kander and Ebb’s newest musical comedy, "Curtains". Two plays, "Steel Magnolias" and "Love, Sex & the I.R.S." will be presented. The season will close with the new musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". Nationwide casting for Timber Lake’s production and resident company gets underway this week. For more information about TLP auditions, visit www.timberlakeplayhouse.org and click on 'Auditions & Jobs.'