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Showing posts with label Free tickets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Free tickets. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2014

FREE TICKETS RELEASE THIS WEEK, JULY 8 & 9 Chicago Dancing Festival: August 20-23, 2014



ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED FOR 
CHICAGO DANCING FESTIVAL

Chicago Dancing Festival founders Lar Lubovitch and Jay Franke are pleased to announce today additional works being added to the 2014 Festival lineup, including two more World Premieres, plus plans for a pre- and post-performance sponsors party around the “Celebration of Dance” Grand Finale performance, Saturday, August 23. Free tickets for the Festival’s indoor performances become available to the public this week, July 8 and 9 The 2014 Chicago Dancing Festival, featuring top ballet, modern and hip-hop companies from Chicago and across the country, is set to take place August 20 – 23.



The Joffrey Ballet 
in 'Bells' by Yuri Possokhov
Dancers: Temur Suluashvili and Victoria Jaiani
Photo by Cheryl Mann


Additional Programming
Chicago-based choreographer Ron De Jesus, a former dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and now Artistic Director of Ron De Jesus Dance, has been commissioned by the Dancing Festival to create a new duet for the dancing male pair of Ben Wardell (Nexus Project, Lucky Plush Productions, formerly Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and Michel Rodriguez (Nexus Project, formerly Hedwig Dances). Transition Zone will premiere as part of the Festival’s “Dances for 2” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., in two performances, Friday, August 22.

New York-based choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, who has set work on and collaborated with pop stars like Beyoncé as well as highly regarded institutions like The Juilliard School, the Alvin Ailey B.F.A. Program and tap legend Savion Glover, has been commissioned by the Festival to create a new work for the student dancers of After School Matters, to premiere on the Pritzker “Celebration of Dance” program, August 23.

These new commissioned works are in addition to the previously announced World Premiere the Festival has commissioned from New York mixed-genre choreographer Kyle Abraham for the dancers of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, entitled Counterpoint. This work, to be performed at the Harris Theater as part of the “Classics and Creations” program August 20, is set to Tu Non Mi Perderai Mai by Peter Gregson and Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor: Third Movement, performed by Arthur Rubinstein.   The full schedule of performances follows below.

“Last Dance” Sponsors Party
This year, the Chicago Dancing Festival hosts “Last Dance,” a party to acknowledge the sponsors whose support is crucial to keeping the Festival’s performances free for the public.  “Last Dance” takes place Saturday, August 23, on the Terrace at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Street.  The evening includes pre-show cocktails beginning at 6 pm followed by reserved seating for the performance at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, then a post-show picnic with cocktails and a chance to mingle with the artists.  Those interested in donating or learning more about sponsorship opportunities can visit www.chicagodancingfestival.com or, for questions, call 773-609-2335.

Ticket Release This Week
Tickets for the indoor performances at Harris Theater and Museum of Contemporary become available this week.  All tickets are free but tickets for indoor events must be reserved in advance through each venue’s box office. 

Tickets for the August 20 program at the Harris Theater will be released Tuesday, July 8 at noon, available in person at the Harris Theater Box Office, 205 E. Randolph Drive, or by calling (312) 334-7777.  Limit two (2) tickets per order; tickets ordered by phone will be held at Will-Call.

Tickets for the August 22 programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art will be release Wednesday, July 9 at noon, available in person at the MCA Stage Box Office, 220 E. Chicago Avenue, or by calling (312) 397-4010.  Limit two (2) tickets per order; tickets ordered by phone will be held at Will-Call.

No tickets are needed for the outdoor Pritzker Pavilion events, including the Opening Night Simulcast presented by the Harris Theater on August 20 and the Grand Finale performance on August 23. 

Any empty seats or tickets unclaimed at 15 minutes prior to curtain time will be released to those in a Stand-by line.  Stand-by lines begin one hour before each performance, in person only. All seating is general admission. 

Chicago Dancing Festival 2014 Schedule

Wednesday, August 20 – 7:30 pm
Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Street
“Classics and Creations”
The Chicago Dancing Festival opening night program will be simulcast on the outdoor screen of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, thanks to Presenting Sponsor, the Harris Theater. 
  • Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Counterpoint, CDF original commission by Kyle Abraham          
  • The Juilliard School, The Jig Is Up by Eliot Feld
  • Martha Graham Dance Company, Errand into the Maze by Martha Graham
  • Stars of American Ballet*, Fancy Free by Jerome Robbins
  • The Joffrey Ballet, Bells (excerpt) by Yuri Possokhov


Chelsea Bonosky 
in 'Belladonna' by Adam Barruch
Photo by Nel Shelby

Friday, August 22 – 6 pm and 8 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Avenue
“Dances for 2”
  • Adam Barruch, Belladonna by Adam Barruch
  • The Joffrey Ballet, Bells (excerpt) by Yuri Possokhov
  • Martha Graham Dance Company, Errand into the Maze by Martha Graham
  • Ron De Jesus Dance*, Transition Zone, CDF original commission by Ron De Jesus
  • Pam Tanowitz Dance*, Passagen by Pam Tanowitz (live music)


Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Spring Series
"Falling Angels" Dress Rehearsal by Jiri­ Kylian 
Photo by Todd Rosenberg Photography


Saturday, August 23 – 7:30 pm
Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Street
“Celebration of Dance” Grand Finale
  • After School Matters, CDF original commission by Darrell Grand Moultrie
  • The Joffrey Ballet, Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp
  • The Juilliard School, The Jig Is Up by Eliot Feld
  • Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Falling Angels by Jiří Kylián
  • Rennie Harris Puremovement*, Students of the Asphalt Jungle by Dr. Rennie Harris
  • Stars of Washington Ballet Brooklyn Mack and Maki Onuki, pas de deux from Le Corsaire by Marius Petipa

All programs are subject to change.

*CDF Debut

About the Chicago Dancing Festival
Established in 2007, the Chicago Dancing Festival was founded to elevate awareness of dance in Chicago, to increase accessibility to the art form and to provide inspiration for local artists.  Its mission is to present a wide variety of excellent dance, enrich the lives of the people of Chicago and provide increased accessibility to the art form, thereby helping create a new audience.  Its vision is to raise the national and international profile of dance in the city, furthering Chicago as the “dance capital of the world” (as Mayor Rahm Emanuel put it at the 2012 Chicago Dancing Festival). 

Lar Lubovitch (Founder, Artistic Director) is one of America's most versatile and highly acclaimed choreographers and founded the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company 45 years ago.  In the years since, he has choreographed more than 100 dances for his New York-based company, which has performed in nearly all 50 American states as well as in more than 30 foreign countries.  Born in Chicago, Mr. Lubovitch was educated at the University of Iowa and the Juilliard School in New York.

Jay Franke (Founder, Artistic Director) began his formal training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.  In 1993, he was selected as a Finalist for the Presidential Scholar in the Arts and accepted into the Juilliard School.  Upon receiving his BFA in Dance from the Juilliard School, Mr. Franke went to work with the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, “THARP!”  Mr. Franke has since danced with The 58 Group, Lyric Opera Ballet Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and was a leading dancer in the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company from 2005 to 2010.

The Chicago Dancing Festival is grateful for its 2014 supporters including: InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Official Hotel Partner; Museum of Contemporary Art; Harris Theater for Music and Dance; City of Chicago, Millennium Park; The Robert and Jamie Taylor Foundation; David Herro and Jay Franke; Illinois Arts Council; National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; and the Irving Harris Foundation. The Harris Theater is proud to have the support of The Northern Trust Company as its 2014-2015 season sponsor.



For more information on the Chicago Dancing Festival, its history and programs, visit www.chicagodancingfestival.com.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Zoppé Family Circus is in Addison Through Mother's Day #Circus #ChiILPicksList

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List For Unique Fam Friendly Activities This Weekend

ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?! 

We've shot stills at Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers, Cirque Shanghai, Cirque Eloize, El Circo Cheapo, CircEsteem and more.  We've even caught a number of Cirque du Soleil performers for video interviews. 

Still, there's something to be said for the little guy. Zoppe Family Circus has a a small town, parking lot tent charm that's too much fun. And it's hard to beat a show where the performers include people you know! Today we'll excited to be rolling video and shooting stills at Zoppe: An Italian Family Circus.

We can't wait to see our old friends and my kids former circus team creative directors Carlo & Orlene and their talented family!  They're back on the road, foot juggling & performing and we miss them here in Chicag! My kids learned so much from them over 2 years.  


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Remaining Shows: Sat 1, 4 & 7 and Sun 1 & 4 



DISCOUNT TICKETS: Zoppé Family Circus is back in the Chicago burbs in#Addison, IL through Mother's Day. Check 'em out! 


Come on out to Addison and see The Zoppé Family Circus!!!
Dates: May 7 - 11, 2014
Location: Addison next to Caputo’s Fresh Market, 510 West Lake St.
Times: Saturday 1, 4 & 7 pm, Sunday 1 & 4 pm



Monday, January 27, 2014

WIN 4 Tickets to Monster Jam at Allstate Arena #OriginalVideo #Giveaway


Chicago Fans Revved Up for Annual 
Monster Jam® Event!
FIVE World Champions to Appear at Allstate Arena, Feb. 7- 9!!

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows at Monster Jam.   We've got our tickets... do YOU?!  The world’s premier monster truck series, Monster Jam®, is weighing in with more than 100,000 pounds of super-charged star power for its annual hometown appearance, Feb. 7 - 9, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.  Be there.

Check out our original video footage from Monster Jam 2013-opening night at Allstate Arena right here:


**Click here for your chance to win a family 4 pack of tickets from ChiIL Mama for opening night, February 7th at 7:30pm at Allstate Arena.  Entries accepted through midnight February 4th.**

**All our readers are winners.  We've got a rockin' 30% discount on Monster Jam adult tickets for you with the code MOM1!  Click here to purchase yours.**

Discount does not apply to Front Row VIP or Gold Circle seats.  No double discounts.  Service charges, handling, and facility fees may apply.   All tickets $2 more day of show.


Five World Champions:
Among the field of 10 Monster Jam trucks competing at this year’s event will be a record-setting five World Champions, including the sport’s marquee machine, the best known monster truck of all time, Grave Digger®, driven by versatile veteran Carl Van Horn, and the Monster Jam truck many have called the fastest machine in the sport, six-time World Racing Champion Max-DSM, driven by Neil Elliot. 





In a nod to her celebrity appeal, the “Queen of Carnage,” former WCW and WWF star Madusa, returns to Rosemont after a multi-year absence in the only truck in the history of Monster Jam to be named after its driver. Madusa, also known as the “First Lady of Monster Jam,” was the first woman ever to win a Monster Jam World Finals, claiming the World Freestyle title in 2004 and, in a rarely duplicated feat, the World Racing championship the very next year.

The two remaining World Champions on the roster are the wildly popular “crazy bull,” El Toro Loco® with driver Chuck Werner of Paxton, Ill., and 2011 World Freestyle champion Avenger, driven by “Mr. Excitement” Jim Koehler. 


Making their Chicago-area debuts are the Spark Industries-inspired Iron ManTM, driven by Lee O’Donnell, cult favorite Metal Mulisha, driven by former off-road star and rising Monster Jam driver Todd LeDuc, and arguably the most futuristic machine ever to hit the Monster Jam circuit, New Earth AuthoritySM, a.k.a. N.E.A. Police. Unveiled just a few weeks prior to its arrival here, the chrome-plated New Earth Authority, driven by police officer Norm Miller, commands order, seeking out and destroying those who stand in the way of peace. 



Rounding out the elite line-up are Monster Jam’s 2013 “Fans Choice,” the unmistakable and hauntingly hard-core Zombie, driven by Sean Duhon, and the aptly named Wrecking Crew, driven by Steve Koehler.

Produced by Aurora, Ill.-based Feld Motor Sports®, Monster Jam events attract more than 4 million fans annually at the most prestigious arenas and stadiums throughout the world. Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that average 12 feet tall by 12 feet wide, sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. They can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

Allstate Arena Monster Jam shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9. Tickets are available at the Allstate Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at (800) 745-3000. There are a limited number of premium-priced Gold Circle and VIP seats available for every show. All opening night tickets, with the exception of Gold Circle and VIP, are $12.
            
Two pre-show pit parties – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9 –afford fans (with a pit pass and 2 p.m. show ticket) the chance to see their favorite Monster Jam trucks up close, meet drivers, take pictures and get autographs. Pit passes are available for $10 at all Ticketmaster locations, while supplies last.
            
For additional information, visit www.MonsterJam.com. Fans can also follow Monster Jam on Facebook, Twitter, and www.instagram.com/MonsterJamLive, or subscribe to the Monster Jam YouTube channel atwww.youtube.com/MonsterJamLive.


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

WIN a VIP Ticket to Sassy City Chicks (21+) $42 Value Each (30 available)

We're giving away 30 free VIP tickets-- women only (21+) with code chill out $42 value each. Come ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and gift yourself an afternoon of relaxing. (1 free ticket option is at the bottom of the Eventbrite form below the 2 paid options).  


Shopping, cocktails, beauty, and a giveaway... doesn't it sounds like the PERFECT girls day out? Sassy City Chicks is coming back to Chicago for their holiday show on Sunday, December 15th, from 12-5PM at the Double Tree Magnificent Mile! The event will be featuring top local designers and boutiques with INSANE discounts, so you can get that last minute shopping in, and of course a little something for yourself. 

There will also be complimentary hair styling, threading, and more in their exclusive spa lounge. And they'll be giving away a Kate Spade leather bag at the event! You can learn more about the girls only, 21+ event, and order your ticket exclusively for ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows' readers here (enter the code chill out).


For more great holidaze giveaways click here & enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often, through December 18th.


Women tend to be the ones taking care of most of the gift ordering, and keeping everyone on schedule, putting our own needs last.   This one's for you!   

Friday, October 18, 2013

FLASH TICKET GIVEAWAY: 2 FREE Tickets for PigPen at Schubas THIS Monday #OriginalPhotos

ChiIL Live Shows caught up with PigPen Theatre for their EP release party at Schubas the Monday before last.  They're not only gaining fame and acclaim with their stellar theatre show, The Old Man and The Old Moon at Writers Theatre, they are rocking an every other week residency throughout October & November.   Check 'em out at Schubas on Monday nights.   These guys are the real deal!   





**FLASH GIVEAWAY:  We have a free pair of tickets for this Monday night 10/21 (21+/8pm) for the first reader to comment below.   Leave your full name for the guest list & you're in!**




If someone beat you to it for this Monday, no worries.   Enter below for a free pair of tickets to either or both of their November residency dates.









We have a review of their new EP release coming shortly.  For now, check out our photo recap from the first night of their Schubas residency. They played to an enthusiastic packed house.



If you dig highly creative, lyrical folk & alt country, do not miss PigPen. Highly recommended.  They harken back to the 70's, when it was easier to find bands where every member was a uniquely talented musician, rather than a passable collective playing back up to one genius lead.  PigPen is a pleasure to hear and they particularly shine live.   It was great to see how effortlessly the boys swap out instruments.




We met a couple at the first Schubas show, who had seen them in New York and couldn't wait to check them out again in Chicago.  PigPen may not have The Grateful Dead's legacy of legions of travelers yet, but it appears they already have at least two cross country fans! 

Another admirer sent the band shots all around.





The guys are in Chicago performing their full-length production, The Old Man and the Old Moon, at Writers' Theatre through November 10, after which they'll embark on a U.S. concert tour.

AWARD-WINNING INDIE-FOLK BAND PIGPEN THEATRE CO. TO RELEASE NEW EP, THE WAY I’M RUNNING, OCTOBER 8
NEW PRODUCTION OF THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON RUNS SEPTEMBER 3–NOVEMBER 10 AT WRITERS’ THEATRE IN CHICAGO

 “PigPen Theatre Co. is the best kept secret around but that’s not going to last for much longer…”—The Huffington Post

 “Like watching child geniuses at play.”—The New Yorker

On October 8 award-winning, seven-member indie-folk band/theater troupe PigPen Theatre Co. released The Way I’m Running, a five-song EP of all new material. Recorded in New York City with producer Ron Robinson Jr., the songs were conceived and arranged on the road as the band toured in support of their critically acclaimed debut album, Bremen, named one of the top 10 albums of 2012 by The Huffington Post.

In addition to touring the U.S. this summer, PigPen spent two weeks in residence at the Williamstown Theatre Festival workshopping the new Chicago production of their Off-Broadway hit The Old Man and The Old Moon. The show, which played more than 100 performances in NYC last fall, will have its Chicago debut in a new production at Writers’ Theatre running September 3–November 10.

The guys of PigPen began creating their unique brand of music, film and theater as students at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008. They went on to become the first group to win top honors at the New York International Fringe Festival two years in a row (2010 and 2011), and their first commercial Off-Broadway production The Old Man and The Old Moon received critical raves, running from September 2012–January 2013 at The Gym at Judson (located in the iconic Judson Memorial Church).

PigPen Theatre Co. has performed at New York’s famous Barrow Street Theatre, Bowery Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, Mercury Lounge, The Irondale Center, The Gym at Judson, the Boston Center for the Arts, and has sold out theaters nationwide with its shows The Nightmare Story, The Mountain Song and The Old Man and the Old Moon. Their work has earned them critics’ picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, New York Magazine and The Huffington Post, among others, with reviewers ranking their productions among the top ten theatrical events of both 2011 and 2012. The group recently gave a TEDx Talk on storytelling.
  

THE WAY I’M RUNNING TRACKLIST
1. Sailor
2. Song from the Stone
3. The Way I’m Running
4. Giant
5. I Crash
Twitter: @PigPenTheatreCo



Writers Theatre opens its 2013-14 season
with PigPen Theatre Co.’s
The Old Man and The Old Moon
A new play with music

September 3-November 10, 2013
Something old... something new...  The Old Man and The Old Moon is a NEW play that starts the NEW season of Writer's Theatre.   This one's high on our must see list.   Book your tickets in advance for the best seats.   Previews are currently running.   We were there to review for the press opening night 9/12.   

Click here for our prior coverage and the full scoop on The Old Man and The Old Moon. 

Title:                 The Old Man and The Old Moon
By:                   PigPen Theatre Co.
Directed by:      Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.
Cast:                PigPen Theatre Co.
Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler.
Designers:        Lydia Fine and Bart Cortright; Mikhail Fiksel (sound); Meredith Miller (props master)
                                    Dates:              First performance: September 3, 2013
                                  
                                   Closing performance: November 10, 2013
           
            Schedule:         Tuesdays: 7:30pm
                                    Wednesdays: 7:30pm (with select 2:00pm matinees)
                        Thursdays & Fridays: 8:00pm 
                                    Saturdays: 4:00pm and 8:00pm
                        Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm
             
                        Location:          Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe
                        Prices:              Prices for all performances range from $35 -                                                $70
                                               Purchase early for best prices   
           
Box Office:       The Box Office is located at 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe;
                        847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org
Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre or follow Writers Theatre on Twitter atTwitter.com/WritersTheatre. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.

Friday, August 30, 2013

NCMF Ticket Winners Announced - Dirty Dozen Brass Band/ Van Ghost- Did YOU Win?



Congrats to ChiIL Live Shows' ticket winners out of 105 entries.   All 3 of you won a pair of tickets to Dirty Dozen Brass Band/ Van Ghost at Bottom Lounge this Sunday--doors at 10pm. Your names will be on the guest list at the door for this official North Coast Music Fest after show.   Click here for full show details.   


  • Tim W.
  • Blythe B.
  • Sherry C.
Check your in box.   We will private e-mail winners today.   Please E-mail us at zbluesun@gmail.com to confirm you got the word about your win.

Didn't win this time?   Tickets are still available for purchase.   Show is 17+.

Enjoy!



Thursday, August 29, 2013

FLASH GIVEAWAY-- 3 FREE Pairs of Tickets To Dirty Dozen Brass Band & Van Ghost at Bottom Lounge THIS Sunday #NCMF13


ChiIL out with ChiIL Live Shows and enter here through midnight TONIGHT 8/29 to win a pair of tickets to this official North Coast Music Fest after show!  (3 pairs available/ $24 value each). 17+
Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter.   

**a Rafflecopter giveaway**

Disclosure:  Thanks to NCMF and Bottom Lounge for kicking us review & giveaway tickets for our readers. 


Bottom Lounge
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
featuring Van Ghost
Sunday, Sep 01, 2013 10:00 PM CDT 
Bottom Lounge
, Chicago, IL
17 years and over






Call me old school, but I still dig bands that play INSTRUMENTS, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band can PLAY.   Don't get me wrong, I do my best work on a silver Macbook Pro.   And I've got nothing against DJs.   Still, there's nothing like some down n dirty R&B and New Orleans brass to get your groove on to!

Whether you scored tickets to the sold out North Coast Music Festival or not, anyone can go to the after shows.   And even better, ChiIL Live Shows can get you there for FREE!   We're your music source in Chi, IL and beyond.   

Check back with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for great giveaways, free downloads, original content video band interviews, pit photos, tour coverage, music reviews and more.

*Click here for some of our past original photo filled coverage on local Chicago favs, Van Ghost.

*Click here to check out Dirty Dozen Brass Band via their YouTube Channel.


To describe how the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has arrived at its 35th Anniversary, trumpet player Gregory Davis employs a tried-and true New Orleans-centric analogy: “It ends up being like a pot of gumbo – you drop in a little okra, drop in a little shrimp, you drop in some crabs. Before you know it, you’ve mixed in all these different ingredients and you’ve got a beautiful soup. That was our approach to music early on and it still is today.”

Baritone sax player Roger Lewis — who, like Davis, has been with the combo since its inception in 1977 — echoes that sentiment: “It’s a big old musical gumbo, and that probably made the difference, separating us from other brass bands out of New Orleans. It put a different twist on the music. We were not trying to change anything, we were just playing the music we wanted to play and not stay in one particular bag.”

An appetite for musicological adventure, a commitment to honor tradition while not being constrained by it, and a healthy sense of humor have brought the world-traveling Dirty Dozen Brass Band to this remarkable juncture in an already storied career. To celebrate its 35th, the band is releasing Twenty Dozen, the septet’s first studio release in six years. The new album, cut at the Music Shed in New Orleans, reunites the band with producer Scott Billington, who helmed DDBB’s first major-label release, Voodoo, in 1989. 

It’s a resolutely upbeat effort that seamlessly blends R&B, jazz, funk, Afro-Latino grooves, some Caribbean flavor, and even a Rihanna cover. Twenty Dozen mirrors in flow and feel a vibrant DDBB live set. The disc reaches an exuberant peak with a medley of New Orleans staples, including a particularly high-spirited rendering of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The final track – or, as Lewis puts it, “the after-party” – is an audience encore favorite, the ribald “Dirty Old Man,” with Lewis doing an outstanding job in the title role. 

Twenty Dozen, says Lewis, is “classic Dirty Dozen. It’s got something for your mind, body, and soul. We’re gonna get you one way or another.”

Disclosure:  Thanks again to NCMF and Bottom Lounge for kicking us review & giveaway tickets for our readers. 

Also check out these Fri/Sat night NCMF after shows at Bottom Lounge:




Saturday, May 11, 2013

The Elephant & The Whale Ticket Giveaway & Original Video Interview With Three of The Creative Masterminds Behind The World Premier #originalvideointerview #giveaway #review #ad





ChiIL Out with ChiIL Mama.   Pop a bowl of popcorn and get ready to see something amazing.  We're so excited to bring you our original video interview with the Co-Directors of The Elephant and The Whale, Frank Maugeri (Redmoon) & Leslie Buxbaum Danzig (500 Clown) and with actor, David Catlin (Lookingglass).   All 3 are parents and theatre professionals and they graciously took time out of their busy lives for an interview with us about the show.  They also shared their insights on "How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create" for ChiIL Mama's long running series on the theme.



We generally try to keep our original videos around 15 minutes, but these three had some seriously sweet gems of info on parenting and great stuff about The Elephant and The Whale, so we're going to go ahead and run it as a longer feature.   I'll also break the material down into shorter 15 minute individual interviews at a later date, to add to our Creative Parenting series.




Win 4 Free Tickets:

ChiIL out with free tickets to Chicago Children's Theatre & Redmoon's stellar collaboration!   Our last giveaway was so successful, we're going to do it again!  Enter now through midnight on 5/13.   This giveaway is short, sweet & hard to beat.    We highly highly recommend you catch this show before it closes May 26th.

Click The Rafflecopter Link Below For Your Chance to Win 4 Tickets To The Elephant & The Whale AND a free pizza party Thurs, 5/16, 6:30 pm.


a Rafflecopter giveaway







ChiIL Live Shows caught the opening weekend of The Elephant & The Whale at Chicago Children's Theatre and we were enormously impressed by this mammoth undertaking.   We've long been fans of Redmoon's mission statement "engineering wonder" and of the fabulous physical comedy and energy of 500 Clown.   These world collided in a BIG way for this show and adults and hard to please tweens and teens will dig this one, too!   Yes, Chicago Children's Theatre is not only for the littles, my friends.   A lot of blood, sweat & prep went into this production, but the end result is pure magic.






Credit for all Production Photos Charles Osgood


Click here for ChiIL Mama's past coverage of The Elephant and The Whale including ticket links, show times and plot points as well as more show footage & stills.

Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for loads of original content, fabulous happenings and great giveaways.   

**Final footage footnote:  It took me longer than I'd hoped to don my editor's hat and finish the interview above.  There were so many insightful comments in the interviews that I tried to chop it to about 20 minutes for days, and finally surrendered, and decided that this needs to be published as a longer piece... at least once.
   
We also got caught up in crazy busy parenting land over here, with two kids in and out of their own performances with CircEsteem, 2 Roller Derby halftime shows, a school variety show and 2 gymnastics team showcases.   And I had a 4 day International film fest to cover, and a German filmmaker to interview.

Thanks for your patience.   It's worth the wait!   






SPECTACLE IN MINIATURE TELLS THE TALE OF A GIANT FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE LARGEST ANIMALS ON OUR PLANET, APR. 10-MAY 26 AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER  


This all-new family fable features sea voyages, wild mechanical objects, circus songs, panoramic paintings, exquisite shadow puppets and an innovative sound design. Performances through May 26, 2013 at Chicago Children's Theatre's new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, Chicago.

The Elephant and The Whale is recommended for all ages.



Schedule through May 26:  Tuesday at 10 a.m.; Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.; Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Friday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2p.m. 

Run time is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.



FREE PIZZA PARTIES ON THURSDAYS & ART PARTIES FRIDAY

As if you need any more reasons to see this show...

Note:  Family-friendly 6:30 p.m. Thursday shows are preceded with a free pizza party starting at 5:45 pm.  Thursday evenings are $25 for dinner and show. On Friday evenings, families are encouraged to kick off their weekend at the 6:30 p.m. show, and stay after for a fun post-show craft party.  Friday evenings are $25 for show and party.

Regular single tickets are $26 for children, $36 for adults. To purchase, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (872) 222-9555. For discounted school, scout, playgroup, extended family and other group rates, visit GroupTix.net or call (773) 327-3778



Disclaimer:  Thanks to the fabulous folk at Chicago Children's Theatre for giving us family 4 packs of tickets to share with our readers.   All opinions are our own.

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