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Showing posts with label Chicago Circus arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago Circus arts. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

INCOMING: The Chris Greene Quartet at City Winery 3/10

Chris Greene Quartet

City Winery is a sweet place to see a show.  We've shot everything there from the lightning fast gypsy brass of Fanfare Ciocarlia, to PlayCHIC, the Chicago Toy and Game Fair's fashion show!

Long, communal tables and assigned seats pair you up with new friends, the sound is great, and the libations even better.  Check it out.     

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar: 


Chris Greene Quartet

$10
5:30 doors/ 7:30 start

1200 W Randolph St
Chicago , IL 60607
(312)-733-WINE



About:

Chris Greene Quartet

When the Chris Greene Quartet takes the stage, jazz and rock audiences alike notice something different – something besides the fact that they’re seated next to each other. Jazz fans can’t help but sense the charisma and electricity, not always seen in a jazz band, that emanates from the quartet even during the saxophonist’s most committed solos. And fans accustomed to rock’s high energy and loose hi-jinks suddenly find themselves diving deeper into improvised music than they might have thought possible.


At a time when jazz continues to seek new audiences, CGQ sits poised on the future’s cusp. In much the way that classical composers have historically used native folk elements as the basis for their art, the CGQ uses familiar modern materials – the funk and hip-hop a a youth – as a bridge between jazz and other genres. It’s that ability to retain that tradition, expanding it at the same time, that makes the Chris Greene Quartet something different on the modern jazz scene.


Chris Greene on saxophones, Damian Espinosa on piano, Marc Piane on bass, Steve Corley on drums.




Other City Winery Shows of Note:
Click links for details

February 27th 

Jayson (JC) Brooks, Andy Rosenstein, Ben Taylor of The Uptown Sound - Steely Dan wine pairing event - includes 5 wines or music only tickets


March 3rd 

Maxwell Street Klezmer Band Quartet - Kids Buffet & Music - 3/3


March 5th & 6th


March 11th

Circus Now! A Celebration of Contemporary Circus and The Ordinary Acrobat - 3/11



About:

Think you know the circus? Think again. Whether it's your first time in a long time, you're a fan, or a successful circus professional, come out to celebrate the diversity & artistry of today's circus.

On Monday, March 11, 7pm with Book Cellar. Circus Now: an evening celebrating contemporary American circus and THE ORDINARY ACROBAT, hosted by Duncan Wall with presentations and performances from the circus community. Local support from Midnight Circus, Aloft Loft, Circesteem, Chicago Boyz Acrobatics Team, Trapeze Chicago, Aerial Dance Chicago, 500 Clown, and Mucca Pazza.







Thursday, January 17, 2013

ACT OUT OPENING: Skooled A Study in Circus at The Actors Gymnasium



Skooled: A Study in Circus at The Actors Gymnasium - Trailer



Skooled: A Study in Circus at The Actors Gym  







The Actors Gymnasium is one of ChiIL Mama's favs.   They make our ChiILpicks list for excellent circus arts, engaging plots and professional showmanship.   Tickets are on sale now for their winter show and do tend to sell out, so get your act together and reserve yours today.   We can't wait to check it out.   ChiIL Mama will be there...will YOU?!   Their shows are family friendly, all ages fun.

The Actors Gymnasium presents Skooled: A Study in Circus. This year's winter circus spectacular takes audiences on a journey of eccentric clowning, aerial acrobatics, live music, and devilish pranks.

Featuring the work of Chicago clown Dean Evans, Co-Artistic Directors Larry DiStasi, Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi and an amazing team of designers and performers, this circus production explores the school of hard knocks.  Life's lessons come in many forms.  And some people always end up in detention.  
Performances run February 16 - March 23, with shows at 7:30 pm on Fridays, 4:30 and 7:30 pm on Saturdays and 3:00 pm on Sundays (No 4:30 show on 2/16). Ticket prices range from $15-20. Tickets can be purchased online through www.actorsgymnasium.com or by calling the office at 847-328-2795. Please call the office for group ticket pricing and availability. 

The Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. For additional information on The Actors Gymnasium's innovative programming, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.com or call 847-328-2795.


About The Actors Gymnasium
The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience.  At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, intellectually and creatively.

 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

TOP PICKS: CircEsteem Shows THIS Sat & Sun



We've been an active part of CircEsteem for two years and can vouch for how excellent their staff, classes and shows are.   Check out their Winter Circus for two shows Saturday and two different line ups Sunday.   I've got one kid out sick with a fever & nasty cold so he's going to miss his snow angel/lyra act, but Sagezilla will be there rockin' out with the Chinese Pole II class for both Saturday shows.   We've been promoting this one on FB and Twitter for ages, but today's the day!



CircEsteem's Winter Circus promises to excite and delight audiences of all ages and is the perfect affordable outing for those seeking a fun wintertime activity for the family. This year we have two shows to pick from with different acts each day. Come to one or both days! Over 100 youth will perform from the Saturday Circus program, the School Outreach program, the HomeWork & CircusWork program and our advanced performing troupe. 

Proceeds benefit CircEsteem's mission of uniting youth from diverse backgrounds and building self-esteem through the practice and performance of circus arts. Purchase your tickets now. Buy two adult tickets and get one kid ticket free!
Looking forward to seeing you at the circus,




Sign Up Now For Winter Circus Classes
Close wall
The next 16-week session of classes begins on Saturday January 12th with 30 classes to pick from.  Join us for Aerial Arts, Juggling, Trampoline, Tumbling, Clowning, Unicycling, Stilt Walking and our newest class, Circus Tots for kids ages 3 and up. 

Space is very limited so sign up now. To register online for classes and learn more about all the offerings, visit CircEsteem.org

Saturday, November 17, 2012

ACT OUT: Final Weekend For Troupe at Actor's Gymnasium #highlyrecommended



Pajama clad orphans rock aerial arts and combat the evils of group home life, from kleptomaniacs to maladjusted kids with traumatic pasts.  These super heroic kids turn the dreaded double digits--decreasing chances of being adopted past age 9--into a challenge and a coming of age to be celebrated.  These parentless kids look out for each other and form a truly inclusive family to be proud of.  We caught this must see show last Sunday and highly recommend it.   If you're looking for affordable, family friendly circus fun, this is the show for you. 

We enjoyed the multiple silks/tissue, the juggling, the acro, the story line and the musical choices.   The stuffed bear--outfitted with handles so he can be an active part of the acro and aerial arts--is a creative twist.   These kids play on multiple levels literally and figuratively!  The talent among The Actors' Gym kids and creative team is immense and a pleasure to see in action.   




They had me at the macabre bear.  What an eye catching poster.  Get your tickets today.  Last chances to catch Troup are the 3 final shows this Saturday and Sunday!



Want to learn how to BE it rather than just see it?    The Actors Gymnasium has excellent classes for adults and kids, winter break camp and more.   Check out their main site right here for all their class and camp offerings.

Friday, November 9, 2012

ACT OUT: This Weekend Catch Troupe--Circus Arts at The Actors Gymnasium





Fall Youth Circus 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
  
Our Fall Youth Circus, Troupe, is right around the corner on November 10, 11, 17 & 18, and we'd love to see you there! 

Grabbing hold of their destiny, children from an orphanage form a secret society of superheroes to become greater than their past. 

Invite your friends and RSVP on facebook or purchase your ticket by clicking the button below.

  


We hope to see you there!


The Actors Gymnasium, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston IL  


Highly recommended!   Love circus arts?   Come check out the local talent.   We were seriously blown away by how cool and amazing their show, Lost & Found was last year.   Now we're entirely intrigued by their premise this fall.


ChiIL Live Shows will be there...will YOU?!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Help Locally: Just a Few Tickets Left to Circus Soiree!


 
 Thursday is the biggest CircEsteem event of the year!  Buy your tickets now!
 
Check out the items from our silent auction.  Over 60 amazing packages to bid on.
 

It's CircEsteem like you've never seen us before at this fall's Circus Soirée!

Join CircEsteem on Thursday, October 18th from 7pm-10pm at Architectural Artifacts for an evening of inspiring performances, delectable food and libation, a spectacular silent auction- Whimsy, surprise and amazement around every corner!

VIP ticket holders can enjoy a private pre-party reception from 6pm-7pm in the Architectural Artifacts garden with special food, an open bar and exciting live performance as well as reserved VIP seating at the main event!
 
Learn more about the needs behind our fundraising-
clowns
$50,000 a year-  
CircEsteem offers free tutoring and circus instruction 3 days a week, 32 weeks of the year, through our 'HomeWork & CircusWork' program.This program is 100% free to participants and serves over 30 youth each week.
camp pyramid
20,000 miles a year to transport- 
CircEsteem transports 30 youth a week, picking them up at school and taking them home afterwards.  Money raised at Circus Soirée will help us buy a new van allowing more youth to participate.
Will YOU support CircEsteem and help us reach our goals?
Rackim Contortion 
 
40,000 participants
 
CircEsteem reaches over 40,000 people each year offering over 150 workshops and performances.  We crisscross the city and suburbs providing circus programs at 15 offsite locations 5 days a week. 
CE Grad hats

100% High School graduation rates-

CircEsteem has a 100% graduation rate from high school, with all of the students going on to pursue higher learning.  To date CE graduates have amassed over $600,000 in outside scholarships thanks to our partnership with Chicago Scholars.
Cornell on Wheel
 
$10,000 in matching funds-
CE has employed over 60 youth since the creation of the CircusTeens Job Program.
To date CircusTeens have been paid over $40,000 with almost $15,000 of it being saved for college. In addition CE has provided matching funds to encourage college savings totaling nearly $10,000.
 
There's still time to buy your tickets to Circus Soirée!
Nothing would please us more than having you join our fundraising efforts on Thursday, October 18th at Architectural Artifacts for our Circus Soirée!
Your contributions help make our free programming, youth employment efforts and community outreach a continued reality!

For more info, to purchase tickets or make a financial contribution 
please visit Brown Paper Tickets.  

Kindly,
Maribeth Joy
Executive Director


Monday, October 8, 2012

Midnight Circus Rocks the Parks Photo Filled Feature #photos



Midnight Circus is a Chi-town favorite and we've been fans for decades.   They performed in Daley Plaza as a centerpiece of Chicagoween for years.   Check out some of our past, photo filled coverage here.    Back in the day, Midnight Circus founders Julie and Jeff worked on a movie, with Dug (my location sound engineer husband), and we've enjoyed checking out their work ever since.



Now the next generation is taking to the stage, too.   Jeff and Julie have a son who is now rockin' the hat tricks, clowning and partner acro.   We hope to interview them soon for our ongoing video series on How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create.









My daughter was in awe of the girl on Spanish Web who seemed to be all about being mighty, just like Sagezilla.   Sage started learning Spanish web herself last year, and lyra, too, like the tiny but mighty kid on the hoop.







The juggling/acro duo was quite fun.



And the adults were digging this one even more than the kids!




Circus GangNam Style!

Midnight Circus did a colorful, creative mix of classic circus arts and the latest YouTube sensation.




Come check 'em out and don't put off getting tickets.   All of these shows have been selling out.   Proceeds benefit the Chicago Park District!    How cool is that?!   You can be well entertained and help out an amazing, underfunded, Chicago resource at the same time.   

Click here for more details and to order your tickets.

Shows run every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 21st and rotate to different parks.   Click here for the schedule.



Saturday, June 16, 2012

Dralion Video Interview-ChiIL Live Shows Chats With Cirque du Soleil



We thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Vanessa Napoli, Senior PR Spokesperson for Cirque du Soleil's Touring Shows.    She gave us the scoop on Dralion, opening at Allstate Arena this Wednesday, June 20th, then playing at United Center the following week.   Check out our original interview above, interspersed with Dralion live show clips, courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.   We'll be there for opening night and will have a full show review up shortly thereafter.    
  

One of the questions I asked Vanessa was about Cirque du Soleil's history of philanthropic partnerships in the cities they visit.  She told us they do usually try to partner up with local circus arts organizations, especially deserving non profits, but she didn't have specific details at the time.  We just got word that Dralion has indeed donated tickets to Chicago's CircEsteeem, so their young team and pre-team performers can catch the show.  They will also be running some special workshops with the CircEsteem kids!   Unfortunately, we'll be out of town shooting a travel piece, but if we can find another shooter, and if Dralion green lights it, we'll share stills and video from the workshop here as well.

Make 2012--The Chinese Year of the Dragon one to remember for your family! 

Catch Dralion performances in Rosemont at Allstate Arena (June 20-24) and Chicago at United Center (June 27-July 1).   Click here for tickets and more information.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

CircEsteem's Final 3 Spring Circus Shows This Weekend (original show photos)

 

ChiIL Live Shows' shots of CircEsteem's opening night, Friday 5/11/12



This is the BIG one.   CircEsteem might be missing a big top, but this circus show is BIG on Fun.   



Check out 150+ local Chi-Town kids strutting their skills in this Chicago themed extravaganza.    Highly recommended for "children of all ages".  These talented
kids from 6-18 years old are learning juggling, 








Chinese Pole, Spanish Web, tight wire, 







aerial arts
like trapeze-silks-lyra (the suspended hoop), 




 



unicycle, globe, hoops



 

 

 



gym wheel,
skipping rope,
diablo,



 





















clowning and so much more.   





 



























See ChiIL Mama's own Du-Jay and Sagezilla.  They've been rockin' the circus arts for two years now, and have been accepted onto the pre-team.









ChiIL Mama will have loads of Spring Circus HD video clips from the show for you in the near future.   For now, here are our show stills from last weekend's Friday night performance, including sneak peek rehearsal pixs and a variety of colorful acts.  Saturday night's show stills are coming soon and we'll be back this weekend to roll on the whole show Saturday morning and Sunday as well.








CircEsteem kids have traveled internationally to do exchanges with other circus kids in Africa and Germany.   And here in Chicago they forge life long, multicultural friendships with kids from all over the city, with different economic backgrounds.    CircEsteem offers basic circus classes on a sliding scale fee, so they are accessible to everyone, and they run fun after school classes at a number of  schools. 

  





We love that the older kids mentor the younger ones and are paid to teach as camp counselors and teachers.    CircEsteem also offers a matching fund scholarship to encourage teens to save for college and continue their education.







The final 3 shows are Saturday, 5-19 at 1pm and 5pm and Sunday 5/20 at 2pm only.   Highly recommended.   Catch 'em while you can.   CircEsteem's spring circus is a giant, once a year compilation of thrilling skills.



Congrats again to our 4 ticket winner, Nicole F.   She'll be checking out the final show on Sunday at 2:00pm!



For tickets and more info about Circesteem, check out their main site here.




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