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Showing posts with label BoHo Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BoHo Theatre. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

BoHo Theatre’s All-Trans and Gender Nonconforming Cast Presents TICK, TICK…BOOM! January 12 – February 5, 2023 at The Edge Theater

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

BoHo Theatre will close out its 2022/2023 season with 

TICK, TICK…BOOM!


‘Queer joy and success as revolution’

BoHo Theatre’s all-trans and gender nonconforming cast brings new depth to Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick . . . BOOM!

Tickets are $35 for general admission, $20 for seniors, military, and first responders, and 

$12 for transgender and gender non-conforming audience members, students, and educational professionals.

BoHo Theatre will close out its 2022/2023 season with TICK, TICK…BOOM!, with music, lyrics, and book by the late Jonathan Larson, and directed by Bo Frazier. This production marks the company’s first musical since BIG FISH in 2019, and the first under the leadership of BoHo’s new Artistic Director, Elizabeth Swanson. TICK, TICK…BOOM! was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, and received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. TICK, TICK…BOOM! was originally produced off-Broadway in June 2001 by Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, and Beth Smith. BoHo’s production will play January 12 – February 5, 2023 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway, Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening January 14th, so check back shortly for my full review.

 

THE PLAY 

Before RENT, there was TICK, TICK…BOOM!

Written by the late Jonathan Larson and directed by BoHo Artistic Associate Bo Frazier, TICK, TICK…BOOM! tells the autobiographical story of Jonathan, a struggling New York composer entering his 30s. The year is 1990, the AIDS crisis is escalating, and Jonathan is growing increasingly desperate to leave his dead-end job and write the next great American musical. Jonathan's girlfriend Susan and his best friend Michael announce major life changes, and Jonathan begins to wonder if the ticking clock is running out on his Broadway dreams. In BoHo Theatre’s groundbreaking production, Director Bo Frazier reimagines this gripping rock musical as a celebration of trans joy, love, and creativity.

“I am so incredibly excited to be creating this important production of Jonathan Larson's beloved musical with BoHo Theatre and this phenomenal cast of trans and gender non-conforming performers,” said director Bo Frazier. “Our production is inspired by grunge rock concerts as well as the queer and trans counterculture of downtown 1990's New York City. With the hundreds of anti-trans bills being introduced across the country, it is now more important than ever to normalize TGNC representation on stage and amplify trans joy.”

CAST

Alec Phan (he/they) as Jonathan

Crystal Claros (they/he/she) as Michael

Luke Halpern (they/he/she) as Susan

 

UNDERSTUDY CAST

Lizzie Mowry (they/them) (U/S Jonathan) 

Larry D. Trice II (they/them) (U/S Michael)

Nathe Rowbotham (they/them) (U/S Susan)

 

PRODUCTION TEAM 

Produced by Elizabeth Swanson (they/she) and Enrico Spada (he/him)

 

Direction by Bo Frazier (they/them), Music Direction by Harper Caruso (she/her), Choreography by Jamal Howard (he/him), Intimacy Choreography by Kirsten Baity (they/them), Scenic Design by Bek Lambrecht (they/them), Sound Design by Eric Backus (he/him), Lighting Design by Piper Kirchhofer (she/her), Costume Design by Liliana Otero (she/they), Properties Design by Noah Elman (he/him), Sound Engineering by Lynsy Folckomer (she/her), Production Management by Dalton Long (he/him), Technical Direction by Carl Herzog (he/him), Production Stage Management by Leah Geis (she/they), Assistant Stage Management by Rochelle Hovde (she/they), Casting by Catherine Miller (they/them), House Management by Patrick Starner (he/him), Covid Safety Management by Lauren Peters (she/her).

TICK, TICK…BOOM! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)

  

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Previews: Thursday, January 12 and Friday, January 13 at 7:30pm, Saturday, January 14 at 3pm

Press Opening / Opening Night: Saturday, January 14, at 7:30 pm **press invitation to follow

Performance run: January 14 – February 5, 2023

Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. An additional Industry Night performance will be held Monday, January 30 at 7:30 pm.

BoHo Theatre will offer Open Caption performances on Saturday, January 21 and Saturday, January 28 at 3pm. The theater extends special thanks to CaptionPoint, Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium, and Kris Nesbitt for their generous assistance in the first year of our accessibility journey. 

TICKETS 

General Tickets on sale now at www.bohotheatre.com. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $20 for seniors, military, and first responders, and $12 for transgender and gender non-conforming audience members, students, and educational professionals.

BIOS

Jonathan Larson (he/him), (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright who resided in New York. He is most known for writing the musicals RENT and TICK, TICK…BOOM!. Between 1983 and 1990, Larson wrote SUPERBIA, which was originally written as a re-telling of George Orwell's book 1984. But, the Orwell estate denied him the rights and ultimately SUPERBIA was not ever picked up to be fully produced. His next work, TICK, TICK…BOOM! in 1991 was first performed off-Broadway at the Village Gate and at the Second Stage Theater, then on the Upper West Side. Larson’s strongest musical influence Stephen Sondheim eventually came in contact with Larson, and later Sondheim would write letters of recommendation for Larson to various producers. Jonathan Larson won the Stephen Sondheim Award in 1989 from the American Music Theatre Festival. Larson passed away on January 25, 1996, the day of the first Off-Broadway preview performance of RENT. Later, Jonathan Larson received three posthumous Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for RENT.

Stephen Oremus (he/him), is an American musician, musical director, and orchestrator. Oremus has composed music for many award-winning Broadway productions including, AVENUE Q, ALL SHOOK UP, WICKED, KINKY BOOTS, and THE BOOK OF MORMON. In 2011 he won a Tony Award for his orchestrations (with Larry Hochman) for THE BOOK OF MORMON. Oremus also won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for KINKY BOOTS. Additionally, Oremus served as the conductor and contributing arranger for the Disney film FROZEN. Oremus graduated with a degree in Film Scoring from the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1992.

Bo Frazier (they/them) is a trans non-binary, queer, and neurodivergent theatre maker interested in traditionally excluded narratives told in extremely imaginative ways. Since moving to Chicago in 2021, they have worked with First Floor Theater, Sideshow Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, BoHo Theatre, Filament Theatre, Mudlark Theatre, and was one of nine remaining full-time staff members fighting for Victory Gardens Theater to stay alive. Favorite directing and choreography projects include: BOTTICELLI IN THE FIRE by Jordan Tanahill, HIT THE WALL by Ike Holter, MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhaus, LOVE & INFORMATION by Caryl Churchill, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Simon Stephens, BRIGHT STAR, as well as new play productions by Dakota Parobek, C. Meaker, Leigh M. Marshall, and KT Peterson.  Previously based in NYC and London, Bo has worked with companies such as The National Theatre (UK), Birmingham Rep (UK), Greenwich Theatre (UK), Signature Theatre (NYC), Dixon Place (NYC), Rutgers University (NJ), Theatre167 (NYC), Heartbeat Opera (NYC), Indiana Repertory Theatre (IN), and London Theatre Workshop (UK), which they co-founded. As a performer, Bo actually played Michael in a production of TICK, TICK…BOOM! while living in the UK, as well as appearing as John Hinckley in the 2012 London Revival of ASSASSINS. TRAINING: MFA - University of Iowa, MA - Royal Birmingham UK Conservatoire, BA - Millikin University. www.bofrazier.com

BoHo Theatre tells stories examining and celebrating human relationships — focusing on the Bohemian pillars of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love — using bold, intimate theatrical stagings. Our vision is to create a shared community of artists and patrons in which all members are moved through art to make thoughtful, well-examined, caring relationships the highest priority in their lives.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Shows On Our Radar: BoHo Theatre Launches 15th Season with Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s “Bright Star”

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
BRIGHT STAR
Music, lyrics, and book by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Directed and choreographed by Ericka Mac
Music Direction by Julie Nichols


March 16 – May 5, 2019
Performing at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago


BoHo Theatre begins its 2019 season with BRIGHT STAR, a new musical by playwright Steve Martin and musician Edie Brickell, directed by Ericka Mac. This production marks the company’s first as a resident company at Lincoln Park’s Greenhouse Theater Center and also the first under new artistic director Stephen Schellhardt. BRIGHT STAR was nominated for five Tony Awards and called “a shining achievement” by The New York Times. It received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Outer Critics Circles Awards for Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding Score.

THE PLAY
BoHo is proud to bring to Chicago this new work from Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Award-winner Steve Martin and Grammy Award-winner Edie Brickell. Inspired by a real event, BRIGHT STAR tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ‘40s. The story follows young writer Billy Cane, recently returned from World War II, and Alice Murphy, the editor who takes a chance on him. As Billy mines his childhood home for engaging stories, Alice sets out to explore the pain and mystery of her own small-town past. The overlapping secrets they uncover lead them a startling and heart-warming connection.

“For me, BRIGHT STAR is about how unconditional love and hope can overcome obstacles,” says director Ericka Mac. “How forgiveness can redeem a person/situation and create miracles.” Similar to many recent BoHo productions, the music  in BRIGHT STAR will be fully integrated into the storytelling by having actors play their own instruments to create a seamless, up-close musical experience.

Left-right: Josiah Robinson, Missy Wise, Jeff Pierpoint, Scott Danielson, Kiersten Frumkin

PERFORMANCE TIMES
Previews: Saturday, March 16 @ 8:00pm, Sunday, March 17 @ 2:00pm, Thursday, March 21 @ 8:00pm, and Friday, March 22 @ 8:00pm
Press Opening / Opening Night: Saturday, March 23, at 8:00 pm 
Performance run: March 24 – May 5
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm.

TICKETS
General Tickets on sale February 19 at www.BoHoTheatre.com, (773) 975-8150, or the Greenhouse Theater Center box office. Tickets are $25 for previews and $35 for regular performances.

Steve Martin has been a prolific comedian, musician, and writer dating back to the 1960s, when he first came to public notice as a writer for THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR. He began his playwriting career in 1993 with PICASSO AT LAPIN AGILE, and has also written THE UNDERPANTS, and METEOR SHOWER. A life-long banjo-player, he is a frequent collaborator with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers.

Edie Brickell is a singer-songwriter who first achieved fame with her band The New Bohemians in the 1980s with the single “What I Am.” She began a successful solo career beginning the in the 1990s and later founded the band The Gaddabouts in 2010. Martin and Brickell collaborated on the bluegrass/folk albums LOVE HAS COME FOR YOU and SO FAMILIAR prior to writing BRIGHT STAR. Their song “Love Has Come For You” won a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song in 2013.

Ericka Mac is a Chicago-based director and choreographer. Her Chicagoland credits as choreographer/associate director include  MAMMA MIA! (Jeff Award nomination for Best Choreography), SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! (Marriott Theatre), SHREW’D (First Folio Theatre), RIDE THE CYCLONE (Chicago Shakespeare, MCC Theatre (Off Broadway), & ACT Theatre (Seattle)), DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (World Premiere at The Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis), PARADE and COMPANY (Writer’s Theatre), WTTW’s NIGHT ON BROADWAY Gala featuring Heather Headley (WTTW/WFMT studios), SEUSSICAL (Drury Lane Oakbrook), MADAGASCAR and THE LITTLE MERMAID (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), ALICE’S ROCK & ROLL ADVENTURE (Chicago Children’s Theatre), and THE POLAR EXPRESS (Warner Bro’s./Rail Events). 

CAST
Missy Wise as Alice, 
Josiah Robinson as Jimmy Ray, 
Jeff Pierpoint as Billy,
Scott Danielson as Mayor Dobbs,
Kiersten Fumkin as Margo,
Rachel Whyte as Lucy,
Dwayne Everett as Daryl,
Peter Robel as Daddy Cane
John B. Boss as Daddy Murphy
Jenny Rudnick as Mama Murphy 
with Brittany Sue Hines, Max Kramer, Jennifer Ledesma, Kelan Smith, and Mike Weaver as the ensemble.

PRODUCTION TEAM
Produced by Meg Love
Scenic Design by Lauren M. Nichols, Lighting Design by G. Max Maxin, Costume Design by Bob Kuhn, Sound Design by Joe Palermo, Properties Design by Lacie Hexom, Assistant Music Director by Andrea Swanson, Production Managed by Lindsay Brown, Stage Managed by Dalton Long.




BoHo Theatre tells stories examining and celebrating human relationships — focusing on the Bohemian pillars of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love — using bold, intimate theatrical stagings. Our vision is to create a shared community of artists and patrons in which all members are moved through art to make thoughtful, well-examined, caring relationships the highest priority in their lives.

BoHo’s 2019 mainstage season features BRIGHT STAR by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, directed by Ericka Mac; THE RIVER by Jez Butterworth, directed by Jerrell L. Henderson; and BIG FISH by Andrew Lippa and John August, directed by Stephen Schellhardt. BoHo is a resident company at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

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