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ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
THE BUTTCRACKER: A NUTCRACKER BURLESQUE©,
CHICAGO’S FAVORITE ALTERNATIVE
HOLIDAY SHOW, RETURNS TO
THE GREENHOUSE THEATER CENTER, DECEMBER 1 - 31
Featuring the Best of Chicago’s Nightlife Entertainment;
Highlighting the World of Burlesque, Boylesque, Magic, Sword Balancing,
Circus, Dance and More
The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque© is proud to announce its return this holiday season with the sixth edition of Chicago’s favorite alternative holiday show, a twist on the original story and a live event not to be missed, directed by Miguel Long and choreographed by Dylan Kerr, December 1 - 31 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The two-hour experience begins with a cocktail hour which includes craft vendors from local artists (Thursday nights), special pre-show performances (Friday and Saturday nights), and brunch fare (Sunday matinees), followed by Tchaicovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite in a saucy, alternative and adult retelling of the holiday classic. Each week features the best of Chicago’s nightlife entertainment in the roles of Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, Vodka and Mother Ginger, featuring sword swallowing, belly dancing, classic burlesque and more.
I'll be out for the press opening Dec. 1st so check back soon for my full review. Holiday performance schedule includes Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. with a special New Year’s Eve closing night performance Saturday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. This New Year’s Eve special event includes a party following the show with cheese and charcuterie snacks, two drink tickets for after the show, a midnight “pole dancer booty drop” countdown with balloons and prizes, a DJ and more.
There are no performances Friday, Dec. 24 and Saturday, Dec. 25. Admission is available for those 18 years old and older (21+ to drink). Tickets are Industry/SRO, $20; house left general admission, $30/$40 at the door, house center general admission, $40/$50 at the door and VIP, $75/$100 at the door with New Year’s Eve tickets house left general admission, $60/$70 at the door, house center general admission $80/$90 at the door and VIP $150/$200 at the door. Tickets are now on sale at greenhousetheatre.org and TheButtcrackerBurlesque.com and, based on availability, at the door one hour before the performance.
Audiences are invited to follow Clara and her Buttcracker on a wild hallucinogenic trip from a boring-AF holiday party to the Land of Sweets where they battle rats, save the day and learn that body and sex positivity are to be celebrated. A combination of fairy tale and exotic trip down the rabbit hole with the best of Chicago’s nightlife entertainment. The Buttcracker highlights the world of burlesque, boylesque, magic, sword balancing, circus, dance and more.
The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque© cast includes Elena Avila*/^ (Clara); Olivia Lindsay* (Buttcracker); Claire Francescon* (Drosselmeyer); Autumn Christensen* (Sugar Bum Fairy); Baby Bagos Hood*/^ (Boss/Rat King); Hannah Silverman* (ensemble); Mandyn Mueller+/^ (ensemble); Eilish Morse-O'Rourke* (ensemble); Yasmyne Williams*/^ (ensemble); Savannah Sinclair*/^ (swing) and Sierra Buffum*/^ (ensemble understudy). Features soloists for the roles of Vodka, Tea, Chocolate, Coffee, and Mother Ginger rotate weekly. Every week includes a different kind of performance from the best of Chicago’s nightlife entertainment.
The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque© production team includes Miguel Long+ (director); Dylan Kerr* (choreographer); Brighid Martensen*/^ (costume designer); Gabrielle Strong* (set designer); Samuel Stephen+ (lighting designer);
Rowan Doe^ (props designer); Jake Snell+ (stage manager) and Carlie Rummel* (backstage manager); Kayla Drescher* (magic consultant). Jaq Seifert^/(sub)version productions (producer) and Caylei Hallberg* (producing assistant).
Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)
Information on tickets:
New Year’s Eve
Saturday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.
Ticket prices: HOUSE LEFT GA $60/75 at the door, HOUSE CENTER GA $80/$100 at the door, VIP $150/$200 at the door.
This special closing performance of the 2022 run includes a make-your-own cheese and charcuterie board, two drink tickets for after the show, a midnight “pole dancer booty drop” countdown with balloons and prizes, a DJ and other special guest performances.
Regular Performances:
VIP
Ticket price: $75/$100 at the door
This upgraded ticket includes reserved seating at your own cafe table right on the theatre floor with early entrance to the theatre and a private VIP bar, meet and greet with cast members and official Buttcracker swag.
General Admission
Ticket price: $40/$50 at the door
General Admission tickets include first come, first served seating in the center section of the theater.
House Left General Admission
Ticket price: $30/$40 at the door
General Admission tickets include first come, first served seating in the house left section of the theater.
Standing Room Only (SRO)
Ticket price: $20
A limited number of standing room only tickets will be available at the door, based on availability.
ADA Accessible seating is available, email thebuttcrackerburlesque@gmail.com for more information or to make reservations.
ABOUT THE BUTTCRACKER: A NUTCRACKER BURLESQUE
The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque© subverts the classic holiday ballet to promote diversity in body, gender expression, sexuality and race. The show utilizes the platform of parody to encourage audiences to imagine a more inclusive world, redefining the art of the tease through an alternative take on burlesque. This performance would not be possible without the generous support of individuals and companies who understand the value of having alternative adult entertainment during the holiday season, as well as supporting our mission of subverting audience’s expectations of what live entertainment looks and feels like.
ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
“SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN”
AHEAD OF CHICAGO PREMIERE
Voted Best Comedy for Couples, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, presented by Matt Murphy and Shawn Nightingale, has announced the cast for its Chicago debut. Starring Adam Fane as Dan, Emma Jo Boyden as Robyn, and Bradley Allen Meyer as Stefan, Sex Tips will preview April 8th and open April 23st for a limited engagement at the Greenhouse Theater Center, located 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue. Becoming Off-Broadway's Longest-Running Comedy in New York and launching a national tour before making its Las Vegas debut, this “uproariously funny” show is finally bringing its "big laughs and naughty fun,” taking the audience on a hilarious and wild ride where no topic is taboo and the insider ‘tips’ come straight from the source: a gay man.
“I feel incredibly blessed to get to work with such a talented and group of actors for our Chicago premiere,” said Matt Murphy, Playwright and Producer of Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. “I have no doubt Adam, Emma, and Bradley are going to have the audience in stitches throughout our run and I can't wait to see them shine on the stage!”
The play is set at a local university auditorium where the English department holds its monthly meet the authors event. Robyn is the shy and studious moderator of the event and this month's featured author is Dan Anderson of Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. With the help of a hunky stage assistant named Stefan, Dan aims to turn this meet the authors event upside down with a highly theatrical, audience interactive sex tip seminar.
Written and directed by Matt Murphy, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is produced by Murphy and Shawn Nightingale. The cast features Adam Fane as seen in Rock of Ages (National Tour); Ms. Blakk for President (Steppenwolf) and Jersey Boys (Norwegian), Emma Jo Boyden, as seen in A Recipe for Disaster (Windy City Playhouse), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane); and Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), and Bradley Allen Meyer, an actor who studied at the Atlantic Theater Company known for Chicago Fire (2012), Soundtrack (2019), and Black and Blue (2018). The production features Scenic Design by Luke Cantarella, Lighting Design by Brian Tovar, Costume Design by Tilly Grimes, and Projection and Sound Design by Randy Blair.
Hailed by critics as “one of the best date-night shows of the year,” SexTips has recently been showcased on television in three different reality series whose stars performed in the show, including Kendra On Top, Real Housewives of New York, and Shahs of Sunset. The popularity of this production is no surprise given its source material is the international best-selling book of the same title, which has been published in over 50 different countries and translated into 17 different languages.
Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago previewing April 8 and opening April 23 for a limited engagement through July 2, 2022. The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm. The running time is 1 hour and 15 minutes with no intermission. Tickets range from $49.95 to $79.95 plus processing fees. For tickets and more information, visit SexTipsPlay.com or call the Greenhouse Theater Center Box Office at 773-404-7336.
ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
THE WORLD PREMIERE
of
WHEN HARRY MET REHAB
Dan Butler, Frasier’s “Bulldog”
by Spike Manton and Harry Teinowitz
Directed by Jackson Gay
Don Clark, Chicago based Film and Theatre Producer and Co-Owner of the Chicago Magic Lounge, presents the World Premiere of WHEN HARRY MET REHAB – a comedy that takes sobriety seriously, based loosely on the real-life experiences of Chicago sports radio personality, Harry Teinowtiz. Dan Butler will star as Harry. Butler is best known for his role as “Bulldog” for seven seasons on the legendary television comedy Frasier, as well as “Art” on Roseanne. WHEN HARRY MET REHAB previews November 24 and opens December 5 at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, for a limited engagement. Co-authored by former ESPN personality and playwright Spike Manton (Leaving Iowa), WHEN HARRY MET REHAB chronicles in a humorous yet poignant way how an alcoholic on the edge of clueless annihilation ended up in the hands of a magician whose greatest trick was making his denial and excuses disappear.
In addition to his much-loved role on Frasier, highlights from Butler’s long and illustrious stage career include Broadway productions of Travesties, Biloxi Blues, Twentieth Century as well as the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Lisbon Traviata with Nathan Lane and John Slattery.
Butler is surrounded by a powerhouse Chicago cast that includes Ora Jones (Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, as well as Broadway productions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Matilda), Elizabeth Laidlaw (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Steppenwolf), Keith Gallagher (Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Northlight), Chiké Johnson (Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, Broadway production of Wit), and newcomer Richard Gomez (Columbia College, Chicago).
WHEN HARRY MET REHAB is an evening in the theater that will leave a mark that is flat-out funny, moving, and unforgettable. It is a story of redemption, perseverance, and hope. It is estimated that over 22 million Americans are in recovery. This show is for them, their families, and their friends.
WHEN HARRY MET REHAB will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago previewing November 24 and opening December 5 for a limited engagement through January 30. The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm, with additional matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm. Tickets range from $42 to $85 plus processing fees. For tickets and more information, visit www.whenharrymetrehab.com or call the Greenhouse Theatre Center Box Office at 773-404-7336.
Cast
Dan Butler – Harry
Ora Jones – Barb
Elizabeth Laidlaw – Andrea
Keith Gallagher – Isaiah
Chiké Johnson – Vince
Richard Gomez – George
Creative Team
(Co-writer) Spike Manton
(Co-writer) Harry Teinowitz
(Direction) Jackson Gay
(Dramaturg/Creative Consultant) Jack Viertel
(Scenic Designer) Regina Garcia
(Costume Designer) Caitlin McLeod
(Lighting Designer) Simean Carpenter
(Sound Designers) Ray Nardelli & Chris Laporte
(Projection Designer) Chris Commendatore
(Casting Director/ Consulting Producer) Laura Stanczyk
(Associate Director) Maggie Spanuello
(Stage Manager) Shannon Golden-Starr
(General Manager) Pemberley Productions
(Director) Jackson Gay
Jackson Gay is a director and co-Producing Artistic Director of New Neighborhood https://www.newneighborhood.net. Upcoming work includes the new musical SCKBSTD (book by Mike Rafael with music by Bruce Hornsby); God’s Ear (Juilliard); New Neighborhood’s Endless Loop of Gratitude (REP); Goldie, Max & Milk by Karen Hartman (59e59), and Partnership (Mint Theater). Directing work includes Lucy Thurber’s Transfers for Audible, MCC and New York Stage & Film; Endless Loop of Gratitude with New Neighborhood (New Ohio’s Ice Factory); The Seagull (Juilliard); Kleptocracy by Kenneth Lin (Arena Stage); Lover Beloved with Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik (Alley Theater); These Paper Bullets! By Rolin Jones with music by Billie Joe Armstrong (New Neighborhood, Atlantic, Geffen, Yale Rep – Critics Pick Time Out NY, Best Production and Adaptation LA Sage Awards, Time Out Los Angeles, Connecticut Critics Circle Award Best Production and Best Director). Jackson has taught directing and acting at Williams, Yale, New School, Sarah Lawrence, and Columbia. Jackson is the 2021 Guild Hall Artist-in-Residence in East Hampton, NY. Jackson and New Neighborhood recently joined forces with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and The Commissary to produce Why Would I Dare: The Trial of Crystal Mason. In collaboration with Dan Butler and DMNDR, New Neighborhood produced the first 24-hour reading of Filibustered and Unfiltered: America Reads the Mueller Report which inspired more than a dozen other events across the country. Featured everywhere from the Los Angeles Times (“a live-theater summer sensation!”) to Breitbart News (“the single most boring and pointless way to waste your time!”), the tidal wave of public readings reached its apex when it was name-checked in Congress during Robert Mueller’s nationally televised public testimony. BFA Acting University of the Arts. MFA Directing Yale School of Drama.
(Producer) Don Clark
Donald Cameron Clark, Jr., Esq. is a renaissance man who believes in the power of storytelling, whether to a jury, in a theater, or to his grandchildren. Clark began his professional career as a trial attorney at some of Chicago’s most venerable law firms. His memoir, Summary Judgment, was recently published. Clark is Executive Producer of the award-winning feature film “Guest Artist,” written by and starring Jeff Daniels. He produces plays on Broadway and in regional theaters. Clark co-owns the Chicago Magic Lounge—a nightlife venue that is top rated on TripAdvisor and one of “Chicago’s Best” according to Chicago Magazine. He is also a member of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures grant program.