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Showing posts with label Act Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Act Out. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2014
ACT OUT OPENING: The Commons of Pensacola at Northlight Theatre
Friday, August 15, 2014
ACT OUT OPENING: ALOFT CIRCUS ARTS PRESENTS CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS SHOW DINNER OF OUR DISCONTENT
On giant lampshades, clotheslines, chains and picture frames, Aloft's contemporary circus show, "The Dinner of Our Discontent" veers from heartbreaking to hilarious at the drop of a plate.
Directed and conceptualized by Shayna Swanson, "Dinner" follows five estranged sisters as they return to the home they grew up in after their parents' sudden deaths. Through world class acrobatics and circus acts, childhood emotions and resentments take center stage as they encounter the same issues that plagued them while growing up: the twins still dress (and walk, and eat) alike, the second sister vies for the affection of the oldest, and they all walk heartlessly over the meek youngest sister. And then there's the grief stricken butler who has lived in the house longer than any of the girls, thanklessly raised them and waited on them every day, now faced with having to leave the only family he ever knew while trying to keep the peace. Their deceased parents watch the madness, perched precariously in two picture frames on the back wall, eyes following the action, tormented by their sudden separation and longing for their family to be whole again.
Premiered in 2009, this is a restaging of the original, with an entirely new cast of stunning circus artists. The original acts, high in the air and skittering across the floor, have been reworked to highlight the experience and incredible talents of these performers.
If you were one of the few lucky enough to see the show in its first incarnation, you'll be amazed at the growth of this contemporary circus company over the last 5 years. Aloft's Artistic Director, Shayna Swanson, once part of the cast, steps off the stage to direct the action from the outside, working to heighten the chaos and emotion that the artists bring forth.
Featuring dramatic moments, comic surprises and superb physicality, Dinner of Our Discontent reveals over 75 minutes the central truth about family: it will catch you when you fall, but make you jump through hoops for approval.
About Aloft Circus Arts:
Aloft is a Chicagobased physical performance company dedicated to telling original stories through worldclass circus arts. Aloft combines visual art, urban space, physical movement, modern dance, and aerial performance to build a cohesive emotional tale. In productions meant for theaters, the street, or the open sky, Aloft Circus Arts is changing the limits of what’s physically possible in storytelling.
Founded ten years ago by Artistic Director Shayna Swanson, Aloft is at the forefront of the contemporary circus movement in the USA.. Hosts of the firstever Contemporary Circus Festival in North America just last January, Aloft Circus Arts is putting Chicago in the world’s spotlight with groundbreaking shows and the best circus performers working today. Swanson, once part of the cast, steps offstage to direct the action, heightening the chaos and emotion. This is the first time that Aloft has presented a fulllength, narrative show in a Chicago based theater.
Animal free and accessible for all audiences, Aloft Circus Arts is at the forefront of what modern circus is growing into, pushing the limits and leaving old ideas of “circus” in the dust.
For more information and photos, check us out on Facebook at AloftCircusArts or on our website www.aloftcircusarts.com
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
ACT OUT EXTENDED: Rick Bayless in Cascabel: DINNER – DARING – DESIRE Now Through 8/31 #OriginalVideo #PhotoRecap
LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE, FRONTERA GRILL,
AND SILVERGUY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT THE RETURN OF
RICK BAYLESS IN CASCABEL
DINNER – DARING – DESIRE
WITH NEW MENU ELEMENTS IN A NEW VENUE
In the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Bruner Theatre
July 30 – August 31, 2014
**DUE TO DEMAND, CASCABEL IS EXTENDED THOUGH AUGUST 31, 2014
NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS ON SALE JULY 30!**
ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows were elated to be included in a private press breakfast at Frontera Grill with Co-Creators Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill) and Heidi Stillman (Hephaestus, Hard Times) & flamenco dancer extraordinaire, Chiara Mangiameli when the Cascabel remount was first announced way back in October. We've been raving about what's sure to be the event of the season ever since. We can't wait to see it! Check back early and often for our original content, video interviews, reviews, photos and more.
ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows were elated to be included in a private press breakfast at Frontera Grill with Co-Creators Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill) and Heidi Stillman (Hephaestus, Hard Times) & flamenco dancer extraordinaire, Chiara Mangiameli when the Cascabel remount was first announced way back in October. We've been raving about what's sure to be the event of the season ever since. We can't wait to see it! Check back early and often for our original content, video interviews, reviews, photos and more.
ChiIL Live Shows'
Rick Bayless Expounds on
The Cascabel Remount
The Cascabel Remount
October: Rick Bayless, celebrity chef/owner Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO Chicago and Heidi Stillman, Lookingglass Ensemble Member and Artistic Director of New Work announce the return of an extraordinary culinary and theatrical event at a special food-infused press conference held at Frontera Grill. Guests were treated to a sneak peak at the event while enjoying enchanting acts and delicious hors d’oeuvres from Frontera Grill.
Check out our full set of stills from the press conference here:
Favorites are embedded below.
Lookingglass Theatre, Frontera Grill and Silverguy Entertainment announce an extension to the wildly popular return of Rick Bayless in Cascabel: Dinner – Daring – Desire, the unforgettable theatrical adventure featuring a sumptuous feast, world-class circus acts, and a tantalizing love story starring celebrity chef Rick Bayless that had Chicago audiences spellbound when it premiered in spring 2012. The extremely limited engagement is co-created by Rick Bayless, Lookingglass Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman (Hephaestus, The Brothers Karamazov, Hard Times), and Artistic Associate and founder of Silverguy Entertainment Tony Hernandez (Hephaestus, Lookingglass Alice).
Cascabel runs at the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Bruner Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, now playing July 30 –August 31, 2014.
Cascabel runs at the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Bruner Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, now playing July 30 –August 31, 2014.
Cascabel will feature the return of Rick Bayless in the role of Cook; Lookingglass Artistic Associate Tony Hernandez on the high wire as the Houseboy; Chiara Mangiameli as Señora of the Boardinghouse Cascabel; Lookingglass Ensemble Member Thomas J. Cox as Suitor and Artistic Associate Lindsey Noel Whiting as Daughter. Carlo Basile returns as Musician, with new cast members Heloise Bourgeois (Solitary Traveler), Genevieve Drolet (Bathing Chica), William Underwood (Solitary Traveler), Daniel Passer (Gardener), Lauren Katz (Gardener’s Wife), and J. Salome Martinez (Maitre d').
Cascabel's Coming:
This one-of-a-kind experience played to sold out houses in 2012 and had the Chicago Tribune exclaiming, “there’s nothing even remotely like it in Chicago!” Now the unforgettable theatrical adventure is back for a limited engagement with a new menu, new circus elements, and at a new venue. Cascabel is sensory dining unlike anything you’ve ever experienced: it’s a sumptuous gourmet Mexican feast, world-class circus acts, exhilarating flamenco, hilarious comedy and a tantalizing love story starring celebrity chef Rick Bayless.
Cascabel audiences will join the guests of the boardinghouse Cascabel at their courtyard table where they will enjoy the same meal the Chef is preparing for the boarding house residents. From his meager kitchen, the mysterious new cook conjures an enchanting cuisine, which seems to give those who eat it fantastic and magical abilities. But he is singularly focused on the proprietress of the house, a melancholy woman with no interest in his food, who barely ever leaves her room. Will she ever try a bite? And what will happen if she does?
Lookingglass season subscriptions and tickets to Rick Bayless in Cascabel are available online, www.lookingglasstheatre.org; by phone, (312) 337-0665; or at the Lookingglass Theatre box office, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. For more information and box office hours, visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.
Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays. The lobby opens at 7:00pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, and at 5:00pm on Sundays. Tickets start at $215. Each ticket includes hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, and wine and beer selected by Chef Bayless. Prices may increase, based on demand. Information on wine pairings, food allergies and dietary restrictions is available at lookingglasstheatre.org/cascabel.
Lookingglass Artistic Director Andy White comments, "Cascabel really redefined what an evening at the theater could be. This is an elemental fusion of gourmet dining, thrilling circus spectacle, and a hilarious and joyous evening of theater. The 2012 production caught fire and sold out immediately, and we have little doubt that this production at the Goodman will be even more enthralling, breathtaking, and delicious."
Rick Bayless adds, “We had such a great time during the first production of Cascabel, a show that brings together a passion for dining, theatrical storytelling and circus. These complementary elements will continue to give audiences an experience like never before. I look forward to further collaboration with Lookingglass and Silverguy Entertainment as we share this thrilling experience—maybe even with a few new surprises.”
The Presenting Sponsors of Cascabel are Hillshire Brands, KPMG and PNC Bank. In-Kind Sponsors of Cascabel include Badoit, Evian, Herraduna, Negra Modelo and Turlato Wines.
Season subscriptions and tickets to Rick Bayless in Cascabel are available online, www.lookingglasstheatre.org; by phone, (312) 337-0665; or at the Lookingglass Theatre box office, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. For more information and box office hours, visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.
Dates: Previews: July 30 – August 1, 2014
Co-created by: Rick Bayless, Tony Hernandez and Heidi Stillman
Co-directed by: Tony Hernandez and Heidi Stillman
Dates: Previews: July 30 – August 1, 2014
Run: August 2 – 31, 2014
Times: Tuesdays: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 7:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 7:00 p.m.
Fridays: 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 7:00 p.m.
Sundays: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Goodman Theatre’s Owen Bruner Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn
Prices: Tickets are $215-$375
Box Office: Buy online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org
or by phone at (312) 337-0665
The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works,
821 N. Michigan Ave.
Information on wine pairings, food allergies and dietary restrictions is available at lookingglasstheatre.org/cascabel.
About the Artists:
Rick Bayless (Co-Creator/Cook) Most people know him from his highly rated on-going public television series "Mexico - One Plate at a Time" and from his seven cookbooks. His side-by-side award-winning restaurants in Chicago were founded in 1987: the casual Frontera Grill and the 4-star Topolobampo. In 2007, Frontera Grill won for Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Organization. His award-winning Frontera line of salsas, grilling sauces and organic chips can be found coast to coast. Rick Bayless has won James Beard awards for Midwest Chef of the Year, National Chef of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year. "Mexico-One Plate at a Time" is currently in its ninth season on PBS and Rick’s book Mexican Everyday was nominated for a James Beard Award. XOCO, Rick's latest restaurant, is LEED certified and is known for house-ground chocolate. He was also recently crowned Bravo’s Top Chef Master. Rick’s seventh book, Fiesta at Rick’s spent the summer of 2011 on the New York Times Best Seller list. He has a total of eight cookbooks.
Tony Hernandez (Co-Creator/Artistic Associate/Houseboy) currently lives in New York where he serves as the Circus Artistic Director and Coach for the multi Tony award hit Pippin the Musical on Broadway in NYC. Tony recently finished performing over 1200 shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for their production Absinthe, where he wrote and created the final highwire act. Tony appeared in Anna Shapiro's Up at Steppenwolf, and is an Artistic Associate at Lookingglass where he has acted in numerous shows including Lookingglass Alice, Argonautica, Hard Times and others including Hephaestus, which he created, co-produced/wrote/directed and played the title role. Tony originated the role of Benito in Cascabel, which he also produced and co wrote/directed in 2012.
Heidi Stillman (Co-Creator/Artistic Director of New Work/Ensemble Member) most recently adapted and directed The North China Lover. She has both written and directed for Lookingglass: Cascabel, in collaboration with Tony Hernandez and Rick Bayless; Hephaestus, in collaboration with Tony Hernandez; The Brothers Karamazov (2009 Raven award); Hard Times (5 Jeff awards including director, new work, and production; also produced at the Arden in Philadelphia); The Master and Margarita (Jeff nominated). Additional writing credits with Lookingglass: The Last Act of Lilka Kadison with Nicola Behrman, David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips and Andy White; The Old Curiosity Shop with Laura Eason and Raymond Fox (Jeff award for adaptation), and The Baron in the Trees with Larry DiStasi (Jeff nominated). Directing work with Lookingglass includes Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Trust, The Wooden Breeks, and Hillbilly Antigone. Heidi’s adaptation of The Book Thief premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre. Additionally, Heidi has staged Laura Eason’s Around the World in 80 Days at Kansas City Repertory, and Mary Zimmerman’s The Arabian Nights at Berkeley Repertory.
Carlo Basile (Musician) has a Master's Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from NEIU and he has also studied Spanish flamenco guitar in Andalusia (Spain). He has visited more than 30 countries to gather musical materials, perform, teach and collaborate. Carlo has taught guitar workshops in Hanoi, Vietnam; Chang Mai, Thailand; and Cebu, Philippines. He has collaborated with musicians in Cuba, India, Senegal, Morocco and Bali, Indonesia. Carlo founded the Spanish guitar-influenced ensemble Las Guitarras de España (The Guitars of Spain), and his latest projects include a Spanish guitar Otis Redding tribute called "King of Soul" along with a world fusion ensemble based around his "Spanish Guitar Duo" (with guitarist, Diego Alonso). Carlo has co-produced and co-written music for 5 CDs and he most recently recorded some traditional Spanish melodies and rhythms on a new CD with some of these works being featured in Cascabel. Info at: www.carlobasileguitar.com
Heloise Bourgeois (Solitary Traveler) was introduced to acrobatics at the age of five. After getting a University diploma, her dreams of travelling led her into the world of circus. Three years at the National circus school of Montreal, Canada, made her a Hand to Hand flyer with Will Underwood. She performed around the world with The 7 Fingers from 2005 to 2012 in the shows Traces and Psy. During this time, she was introduced to Chinese Pole, Hoop Diving, and aerials. Now she works as a pair with Will on the pole and in hand-to-hand. The pair received 4 gold medals for their Chinese pole duo in the last 3 years in various festivals (Festival de Demain, Paris; Solycirco, Germany; Vaudreuil, Canada). Over the years of travel and performances, Heloise’s experiences and encounters led her to create a touching universe on the frontier of dance, theater and contemporary circus.
Thomas J. Cox (Suitor/Ensemble Member) is a founding ensemble member of Lookingglass, with whom he has done more than thirty productions including The Odyssey, The Jungle, West, The Master and Margarita, Algren in For Keeps and a Single Day, Winston in 1984, Old Curiosity Shop, The Great Fire, and Big Lake, Big City. He has been seen at Victory Gardens, Court, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Milwaukee Rep, and Northlight (including Outgoing Tide with John Mahoney and Rondi Reed, which also traveled to the Galway Arts Festival). He serves as the Master Teacher for Lookingglass’ Education and Community Programs, and he has been adjunct faculty at Northwestern and UIC. Film/TV: Since You've Been Gone (Miramax) and "Brotherhood" (Showtime).
Genevieve Drolet (Bathing Chica) has been working in the circus for twenty years. She specializes in handbalancing and aerial techniques. Between tours, travel and shows, she also found the time to write a few novels that were very well received by critics and the public. She now works as a freelancer, performing all over the world with major circus companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Éloize, The 7 Fingers of the Hand, and many others.
Lauren Katz (Gardener's Wife) returns to work with Lookingglass Theatre after having last been seen on its stage in Wants and Needs and Great Men of Science Nos. 21 & 22. Chicago/NY credits include Up (Steppenwolf Theatre), When The Messenger is Hot (Steppenwolf Theatre/59E59th Street Theatre), Filmdome (Victory Gardens), SKL (Steppenwolf), ED (Remains Theatre). TV credits include "Arrested Development," "Parks & Recreation," "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Film credits include “Highball,” “Kicking and Screaming,” “Mr. Jealousy,” “Rudy,” “Women in Trouble” and the upcoming “Confessions of a Teenage Mormon.” Lauren studied and taught at The Piven Theatre Workshop and received her BFA from DePaul University.
Chiara Mangiameli (Señora) A native Italian, Chiara Mangiameli is the artistic director of Studio Mangiameli and Boutique Flamenca in Chicago's Logan Square. She has lived and studied in Seville, Spain, studying flamenco under the guidance of some of the great dancers and singers of the Andalusian art form. Ms. Mangiameli is the co-founder of the music trio Idilio, with which she released her debut album in 2009, and has collaborated with some of Chicago's most critically acclaimed groups including Las Guitarras De España, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Chicago Sinfonietta and Fulcrum Point. A graduate of The Theater School at De Paul University, Ms. Mangiameli appeared in Mary Zimmerman's The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci and A Time of the Cuckoo at New York's Lincoln Center.
J. Salome Martinez (Maitre d') has appeared previously at the Lookingglass Theatre in Big Lake Big City. Other theater credits include How Long Will I Cry? (Steppenwolf Theatre); After (Profiles Theatre); As You Like It, Man of La Mancha, The Seagull (Constans Theatre); and A Christmas Carol (Hippodrome State Theatre). Some of his television and film credits include “Law & Order,” “Castle,” “Generation Kill” (HBO, Emmy Award), “New York, I Love You” and the Oscar Award-nominated film “The Messenger.” He received his BA in theatre from Barat College and his MFA in acting from the University of Florida.
Daniel Passer (Gardener) For the past 10 years, he has been a lead clown and comedy conceptor with Cirque du Soleil and Franco Dragone (Zarkana – Radio City Music Hall & World Tour, Banana Shpeel – Beacon Theatre, Le Reve – Wynn Las Vegas). He has made several Film/Television appearances – most recently, "Boychoir" directed by Francois Girard. He has taught Clowning and Commedia at Harvard, CalArts, The Moscow Art Theatre and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Daniel is a graduate of the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard and was the U.S. Representative to the International Commedia dell’Arte Festival in Italy.
William Underwood (Solitary Traveler) was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He trained with Chinese acrobatics from an early age under master trainer Mr. Lu Yi at the San Francisco Circus Center. He continued his training at the National Circus School in Montreal, and graduated in 2005 specializing in Hand to Hand with his partner Heloise Bourgeois. He participated in the creation and performance of Traces, and Psy by the company “The 7 Fingers” over the period of 7 years. In 2012, he created a duo Chines Pole act with Heloise, and began freelancing in cabarets, events, and festivals around the world. They have received recognition internationally for their work on the Pole, including the gold medal in “Cirque de Demain” in Paris, the silver medal in Nikulin Festival in Moscow, and the silver medal in “Deidogei” festival in Japan. William continues to perform, collaborate on new projects, and create new material in an effort to push his limits as a performer, and share his work.
Lindsey Noel Whiting (Daughter) Previous Lookingglass credits include The Great Fire, Icarus and Lookingglass Alice. Regionally, Lindsey has performed at Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Alliance Theatre and Syracuse Stage. Chicago credits include: The Snow Queen (Victory Gardens); Once Upon A Time (or The Secret Language of Birds), The Golden Truffle, The Cabinet, and Sink, Sank, Sunk (Redmoon); as well as several circus at Actors Gymnasium. Lindsey is also a member of Barrel of Monkeys and performs with Mucca Pazza, a circus punk marching band.
About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Lookingglass Theatre Company is the recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater. The company is home to a multi-disciplined collective of artists who create original, story-centered theatre through a physical and improvisational rehearsal process centered on ensemble. Now in its 26th Season, the company has staged more than sixty world premieres and garnered numerous awards. Lookingglass productions have toured to more than a dozen cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Kansas City, Louisville, Atlanta and Washington D.C. Lookingglass is located in Chicago’s landmark Water Tower Water Works on the Magnificent Mile.
About Frontera Grill
Frontera Grill was named “Outstanding Restaurant” by the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards. Frontera Grill uses beautiful ingredients to bring to you the bold flavors and immediate freshness that jump off the tongue just as it does in Mexico. Visit www.rickbayless.com to learn more.
About Silverguy Entertainment
Founded in 1998 by Tony Hernandez and Lijana Wallenda Hernandez, Silverguy is a live action theatrical circus company that consists of members of the world-famous Wallenda family and former members of Ringling Bros., Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group. Tony created Lookingglass’ smash hit circus odyssey Hephaestus, in which he and Lijana (along with daredevil Nik Wallenda) participated in the death-defying, seven-person highwire pyramid.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
ACT OUT: OPENING A Horse of A Different Color Presents the World Premiere of Fairytales: Not Suitable for Children August 2014
Fairytales:
Not Suitable for Children
Directed by Morgan Ashley Madison
Musical direction and composition by Anthony Sanders
Hysterical and heartwarming, this immersive and irreverent musical experience turns the myths of yesteryear completely on their heads.
Three Week Run ONLY
A Horse of A Different Color is proud to present the world premiere of Fairytales: Not Suitable for Children, created by Morgan Ashley Madison, at Emerald City Theatre Company’s The Little Theatre, 2933 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. The opening is Saturday, August 9 at 8pm, and the show will run Fridays at 10:30PM and Saturdays at 8PM with a special discounted Restaurant and Artist Industry night on Monday, August 18 at 10:30pm. The show runs from August 9-23.
“With this production I harken back to what folks must have felt like when they saw Steppenwolf or Lookingglass for the first time,” Ernie Nolan, Emerald City’s Artistic Director, says, “Something that is so unique and so intrinsically Chicago. Fairytales has all the things I love when I go to the theater: laughs, entertainment value, but I also think of an amazing amount of heart and that’s what Fairytales really leaves you with at the end.”
*Due to some adult content and humor, Fairytales: Not Suitable for Children is, in fact, not recommended for children.*
The cast features Isabella Karina Coelho, Casey Morris, Alex Seeley, and Erik Strebig.
The design and production team of Fairytales: Not Suitable for Children includes Katrina Dion (Assistant Director), M.E. Barker (Choreographer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Jacob C. Shuler (Dramaturg), Mina Slater (Stage Manager), Morgan Greene (Assistant Stage Manager), and Dean Corrin (Artistic Consultant).
About the Play
This immersive musical spectacle propels audiences back into the joyful and carefree days of childhood. While audiences watch their most beloved tales go to new extremes they can leave “happily ever after” at the door and say hello to uproarious musical numbers, confetti canons, fairies in drag, magic, out of this world circus tricks, often inappropriate humor, and some good old fashioned catharsis.
Tickets:
$10 general admission
$8 students and seniors
$6 Industry night and preview
Available at:
Photos by Morgan Madison. Erik Strebig, Isabella Karina Coelho, Casey Morris, Alex Seeley
WHAT: A Horse of A Different Color presents the World premiere of Fairytales: Not Suitable For Children created and directed by Morgan Ashley Madison
WHERE: Emerald City Theatre Company’s The Little Theatre, 2933 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. A short walk from the Wellington Brown Line Stop and Ashland Bus (#9).
WHEN: THREE WEEKS ONLY: August 9-23
Fridays at 10:30PM, Saturdays at 8:00PM, and a discounted Industry Night performance on Monday, August 18 at 10:30 PM
TICKETS:
$10 general admission
$8 students and seniors
$6 Industry night
Available @ fairytales2014.wix.com/theexperience
Cast:
Isabella Karina Coelho, Casey Morris, Anthony Sanders, Alex Seeley, Erik Strebig
Production Team:
Composer/Music Director: Anthony Sanders
Choreographer: M.E. Barker
Assistant Director: Katrina Dion
Stage Manager: Mina Slater
Lighting Designer: Daniel Friedman
Assistant Stage Manager: Morgan Greene
Artistic Consultant: Dean Corrin
Photos by Morgan Madison. Isabella Karina Coelho, Casey Morris, Erik Strebig, Alex Seeley
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
ACT OUT OPENING: The Last Ship Begins TONIGHT #BroadwayInChicago
PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF
THE LAST SHIP
ANNOUNCES RUSH SEATING
20 SEATS AT $25. AVAILABLE THE MORNING OF EACH PERFORMANCE DAY
Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ ChiIL Mama we've been eagerly anticipating the opening of Sting's show for months! At last it's HERE. Got your tickets yet? We can not wait to check it out!
PERFORMANCES BEGIN TUESDAY, JUNE 10
The producers of the Pre-Broadway World Premiere of THE LAST SHIP will offer special rush tickets for all performances. Ten pairs, 20 tickets, will be available to patrons, on the day-of-show, for $25. These rush tickets will be available at the box office only, on the day of the performance, when the box office opens at 10:00 a.m. except for Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
THE LAST SHIP, the new musical with music and lyrics by 17-time Grammy winner Sting, and book by Tony winner John Logan and Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Yorkey – will begin previews on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 W. 52 St.) on September 30 prior to opening night on October 26, according to producers Jeffrey Seller and Kathryn Schenker. THE LAST SHIP is directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello and has choreography by Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Steven Hoggett.
THE LAST SHIP will travel to New York following a pre-Broadway tryout June 10 to July 13 in Chicago at Bank of America Theatre. Inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences, THE LAST SHIP marks the renowned musician's Broadway debut as a composer.
THE LAST SHIP is set in the English seafaring town of Wallsend, a close-knit community where life has always revolved around the local shipyard and the hardworking men construct magnificent vessels with tremendous pride. But Gideon Fletcher dreams of a different future. He sets out to travel the world, leaving his life and his love behind. When Gideon returns home 14 years later, he finds the shipyard's future in grave danger and his childhood sweetheart engaged to someone else. As the men of Wallsend take their future into their own hands and build a towering representation of the shared dream that defines their existence, Gideon realizes that he left behind more than he could have ever imagined.
THE LAST SHIP is a portrait of a community so bound together by passion, faith and tradition, they'll stop at nothing to preserve the only life they've ever known.
Performances of THE LAST SHIP will begin at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street) on June 10, 2014 for a five-week-only limited engagement through July 13, 2014.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
ACT OUT: More bang for the bear... at Redmoon Theatre #ChiILPicksList #DiscountCode
Bellboys, Bears and Baggage at Redmoon
Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar
This bear has endured a marshmallow firing range and a host of entertaining indignities and adventures! On the bright side, he's working more shows than many Chicago equity actors and he's finally got TOP billing in Redmoon Theatre's new promenade style spring show where he'll be joined by 7 more of his kin. We can "bearly" contain our excitement. Bah dum bum. Sorry... couldn't resist. Come "Wonder Around" indeed!
DO THE MATH: 27 rooms + a cast of 35-40 including 12 masked actors + 8 bellboys/guides + 8 bears/agents of chaos + one bike riding bar tending BEAR = the potential for one heck of a fun night!!
ChiIL Mama's Skelebration Shots -- Redmoon Day of the Dead 2013:
Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama, we have enjoyed Redmoon's unique vision for decades now. We can't wait to check out Bellboys Bears and Baggage. We'll be there for sure... will YOU?! Redmoon knows how to rock a theme and their quirky, visual, multimedia extravaganzas are must see theatre. All ages.
Bellboys, Bears and Baggage... AND BARDS?!
If that's not enough to entice you... throw in Shakespeare and you've got a deal!
Redmoon’s largest indoor show to-date riffs on some of the stranger and more striking elements of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, including the use of Time as a physical character, the unique mash-up of tragedy and comedy, the contradictory absurdity of a ship landing on the coast of a landlocked nation, and one of Shakespeare’s most well-known but enigmatic stage directions, “Exit, pursued by a bear.”
ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List
Why? Do the Math:
27 rooms. Redmoon is building rooms of various size throughout its cavernous 18,000-square-foot headquarters, each with its own lighting and a vintage record player setting a unique tone.
o One room features a forest, pond and boat.
o Another has a surreal kitchen on a spring morning.
o Another, an elaborate bedroom with some hidden surprises.
35-40 performers overall
o 8 Bellboys, who serve as guides/chaperones for the audience
o 8 Bears, who serve as agents of chaos
o 12 masked actors, portraying two main characters throughout the various scenes
A new mobile device, the “Piano Bar,” that’s part Bear-playing-piano and part functional bar, which will roam the space.
But of course!
Redmoon presents its Spring Spectacle
Bellboys, Bears and Baggage
Epic indoor journey
combining unique masks, movement and richly detailed rooms
in one-of-a-kind, choose-your-own-adventure through Redmoon’s
expansive industrial home
2120 S. Jefferson St, May 18 – June 8
Redmoon, Chicago’s acclaimed Spectacle theater, presents its 2014 Spring Spectacle, Bellboys, Bears and Baggage, bringing the magnitude of its outdoor Spectacle performances indoors to transform its massive 18,000-square-foot Pilsen warehouse studio into a theatrical world of revelry, reflection and revelation. Audiences are given the freedom to move about Redmoon's one-of-a-kind space to encounter scenes, images, dances and music. Bellboys, Bears and Baggage is performed Thursday through Sunday evenings, with staggered entrance times, at 2120 S. Jefferson Street, May 18 – June 8.
Conceived by Jim Lasko (Redmoon Executive Artistic Director) and Blake Montgomery (former Artistic Director of the Building Stage), directed by Montgomery and designed by Frank Maugeri (Redmoon Producing Artistic Director).
Redmoon brings its outdoor large-scale productions indoors. Scenes are played in separate rooms throughout the mammoth home, each richly detailed, using time, space and architecture to explore theatrical dimension. Bears prowl the space, both in and in between the scenes. Character masks provide visual continuity as the audience sees a male and female protagonist in various moments that, collectively, investigate falling in and out of love. A corps of luggage-toting bellboys usher viewers through the space. The story is not linear. Audiences can choose for themselves what scenes, and in what order, they experience during the event. Secrets and magical surprises reward viewers’ curiosity, challenging and encouraging them to create their own journey. Movement, gesture, imagery and music combine for a mostly language-free storytelling experience.
“Normally in the theater, we sit in one place and watch as a series of events are presented to us. Even in the ‘promenade’ style, the order of events is usually pre-determined,” Montgomery noted. “The result is a passive form of entertainment where the audience has little responsibility for their own experience. Bellboys, Bears and Baggage creates a world rich in detail and depth of feeling that exists continuously in looped patterns, of various lengths installed in various rooms and of various scales, throughout the space. No two audience members will share the same experience, but all will begin to see the same patterns and themes emerge. I’m thrilled to create an experience that gets the audience onto their feet and into their heads and using their hearts, changing the role of the audience through a dramatic landscape in four dimensions.”
Dates, Entrance Times and Tickets
Bellboys, Bears and Baggage opens Sunday, May 18 and runs every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through June 8.
Audiences enter every half hour, 7-9 pm Thursdays, 7-11 pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 6-8 pm Sundays. The experience is designed to take approximately 90 minutes, but may vary depending on each individual’s choices as they craft their own personal journey. A lounge with cash bar opens one hour prior to the first entrance and remains open until 11 pm Thursdays, 1 am Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 pm Sundays.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 each for groups of 10 or more, or $15 for students with valid ID ages 16 and up. Tickets are available through Redmoon’s box office at 312-850-8440 x123 or online at www.redmoon.org.
Redmoon Says:
I wanted to share how excited we are for you to join us at Bellboys, Bears, and Baggage.
You are not going to believe our fully transformed space. We've created an entirely new world for you to explore - with 17,000 square feet, multiple installations, interactive amusements, and more - all inspired by Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.
This is our first Spring Spectacle at our home in Pilsen, and it is a mammoth, epic production.
You have three weekends to see this one-of-a-kind show. Click here to buy your tickets now.
Best,
Frank
Producing Artistic Director
Want to learn more about the genius behind the spectacle?
About the Artists
To learn more about Jim Lasko, visit www.redmoon.org/people/jim-lasko.
To learn more about Blake Montgomery, visit www.redmoon.org/people/blake-montgomery
To learn more about Frank Maugeri, visit www.redmoon.org/people/frank-maugeri.
For more information on Redmoon and its programs, visit www.redmoon.org.
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