Act Out: Save The Date--Gentleman's Rule 11-13th to 25th Only

Gentleman's Rule

We dig the exciting, new, tent performance space--Riverfront Theater.   Original home to Broadway in Chicago's Peter Pan, it's now slated to become a permanent performance space.   So far, we've recently seen La Soiree and Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement.   Both shows put the tent space to great use.     Check out some of our Brilliant Corners shots here.   We have lots more to come including live show shots of John Cale, Zola Jesus and El Circo Cheapo!    Check out our La Soiree review here.

FROM THE CREATOR OF STRAIGHT NO CHASER

AND THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF UNDER THE STREETLAMP

RIVERFRONT THEATER PRESENTS

GENTLEMAN’S RULE

Limited engagement runs

November 13-25, 2012

Riverfront Theater, Chicago’s newest entertainment destination presents the new Chicago-based a cappella group Gentleman’s Rule—produced by Dan Ponce, creator of Straight No Chaser, and Charlie Blum, executive producer of Under The Streetlamp.  Performances run November 13 – 25, 2012 at Riverfront Theater, located at 650 W. Chicago Avenue, just east of Halsted Street.  

Tickets, $39-$69, for the two-week, limited engagement of Gentleman’s Rule on sale NOW at the Riverfront Theater box office, 650 W. Chicago Ave,www.RiverfrontTheater.com; and through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com or 888.556.9484.

The men of Gentleman’s Rule have been working hard in the studio and on stage to prepare for the launch of their debut album, which will be released during the Riverfront Theater run.  Their album will include music made popular by David Guetta, Bob Marley, Nelly, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, B.o.B., Gavin DeGraw, Wild Cherry, One Republic, Peter Gabriel, Jake Owen, The Script, Outkast, plus 2 original songs.   Prior to headlining in Chicago, Gentleman’s Rule will tour with Under the Streetlamp--the hit vocal group and former cast of Jersey Boys.

                         

The members of Gentleman’s Rule are: TJ Breen (Tenor 2); Corey Frye (Tenor 1), Drew Kipfer (Bass), Will Lockhart (Baritone), Brent Mann (Tenor 2), Luke Mechling (Bass), Andrew Morstein (Tenor 1), Holland Nightenhelser (Tenor 2), Jasper Smith (Baritone) and Jesse Townes (Tenor 1).  The group’s vocal arrangements are written and produced by Dan Ponce and Deke Sharon.

“Their energy is contagious and their talent is world-class,” says Ponce. “The run at Riverfront Theater is the perfect way to debut this incredible group of voices—and introduce the first album, which is scheduled for release on November 13.  Fans of all ages can expect an unforgettable show featuring amazing soloists backed up by breath-taking harmony.  I am counting the days until opening night.”

The performance schedule for Gentleman’s Rule is:

                       

Tuesday, November 13                          7:30pm

Wednesday, November 14                      7:30pm

Thursday, November 15                         7:30pm

Friday, November 16                              8:00pm

Saturday, November 17                          5:00pm and 8:00pm

Sunday, November 18                            3:00pm and 7:00pm

Tuesday, November 20                           7:30pm

Wednesday, November 21                       2:00pm

          Thursday, November 22                         Thanksgiving, no show 

          Friday, November 23                             2:00pm and 8:00pm

          Saturday, November 24                         5:00pm and 8:00pm

                    Sundays, November 25                          3:00pm and 7:00pm.

Parking is located on Chicago Avenue, next door to venue with direct access to show.  Additional parking is located at 811 N. Larabee and 950 N. Kingsbury.

Charlie Blum (Producer) is a show business veteran who holds many titles in the music industry: manager, promoter and current president/CEO of the Star Plaza Theatre, one of America’s premier concert facilities. Throughout his distinguished career he has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business. Charlie also manages the new hit vocal group Under The Streetlamp and as executive producer, launched their top-rated television special on PBS stations coast-to-coast.

Dan Ponce (Producer) is known to a cappella fans around the world as the founder, first music director, and former member of the hit band Straight No Chaser. He composed and arranged many of SNC’s most popular songs. Dan has spent the last year writing new repertoire for Gentleman’s Rule.  Dan is also well known in the Chicago media market. He is a reporter/anchor for WGN-TV and a talk show host on WLS Radio (890).

ABOUT RIVERFRONT THEATER

The Riverfront Theater is Chicago’s newest destination for music, theater, dance, spectacles and more. Audiences were first introduced to the venue last summer, during the successful 16-week run of Peter Pan, and again this summer with the critically acclaimed La Soiree.  All performances take place in the 22,000 square-foot, temperature-controlled tented theatre situated by the scenic Chicago River. Alongside the performance venue is River’s Edge, a pavilion tent and promenade area overlooking the Chicago River, where patrons can enjoy refreshments while taking in the view from this urban garden oasis.

The Riverfront Theater is located at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Streets, easily accessible for those driving in or via public transportation.  Additional programming will be announced soon.   

Click here for more information.   

El Circo Cheapo at Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements 9/22

Check out our past, photo filled coverage of Brilliant Corners 2011 right here.   Click here our full original review/feature.

We've been active in the circus arts community for the past few years as our kids are on CircEsteem's pre-team and are learning aerial arts, Chinese Pole, clowning, juggling, unicycle, and more.    We've reviewed numerous circus shows for ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows are avid supporters of as much local Chi-town circus as possible.   El Circo Cheapo are some of our favs.   Quite a few of our kids' teachers are involved.      Click here for our photo filled coverage of El Circo Cheapo's monthly shows. Then get out this weekend and see them live, in the big tent.  Riverfront Theater--one of our favorite theater spaces in the city--is the now to be permanent tent of Peter Pan and La Soiree Cabaret fame.    El Circo Cheapo at Brilliant Corners! This Saturday only!   Come check us out in the big tent! Saturday, Sept 22, 5-6   We love performing in tents, and you love when you get to sit in a chair for only $10! That's right...chair seats for $10! Wooo hooo! Come check out some of the best acts of El Circo Cheapo Cabaret (and Crockett's very last show with us anywhere...sob!), all hosted by the very hilarious Adam Burke! Yes, THAT Adam Burke! There's really not a lot more to say about it. It's going to be totally awesome, totally fun, and totally early in the day, so set your alarm clocks for 1PM, get some brunch, and head to the Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement to see some "intents" circus. HA HA HA...get it? Riverfront Theater is at Chicago Ave and the River. Big white tent. Can't miss it. Tickets here. Now.       "The ability to let go and be enthralled by a Brilliant moment of entertainment or spectacle is at the heart of human experience. At every Corner of the globe, people come together to enjoy the most Popular and more obscure forms of human Amusements." Don't miss the Putterbaugh Sisters, doing alate night comedy set at the Festival, Friday night!

La Soiree-Fabulous Fun With Dysfunctional Family Values #Show Review

   David O'Mer

La Soiree has 6 shows left in Chi-Town, and we highly suggest you catch them while you can!   This self proclaimed "dysfunctional family" can adopt me any day.   I WISH my family were this wickedly witty, talented and twisted.   These tattooed circus freaks are my kind of peeps.   


Unless you're a total prude or under 18--in which case we suggest you sit this one out--La Soiree is highly recommended.   Do note, this show contains mature themes, innuendo and full on nudity, and is a fabulous night out for laid back adults who love burlesque, circus arts, and internationally renowned, uber talented freaks.


We see a LOT of world class circus arts and La Soiree managed to show me quite a few acts I never even imagined....let alone saw before.  This is one hilarious show that is in turn crass and classy, poignant and pornographic.  I'm still baffled at the magic, strip tease, silk act.   



     The English Gents at Sydney Opera House   Photo by Prudence Upton


And the partner acro by The English Gents was stunningly good.   It was also a pleasure to see a guy on lyra instead of the usual petite pixie girls.   



Bret Pfister


And I've never seen Chinese pole acts done on a revolving pole before.   This multicultural, gender bending extravaganza will leave you shaking your head in wonder and peeing your pants laughing.



Nate Cooper


We particularly dug the finale with a shirtless dude in jeans in a claw foot tub full of water and bungie straps.   It was so gorgeous and so passive aggressive.  He kept doing aerial ballet and dunking down into the water to spout like a fountain on the first row and flip his hair and body around, drenching everyone.



David O'Mer


Crazy stuff!   La Soiree is a magical microcosm of world class cabaret performers, loads of cross dressing, gender bending, and sweet aerial arts and contortionist tricks.    


All the actors were super talented and did circus arts in some creative ways I've NEVER seen.

Yulia

The show must close this Sunday, August 5th, so go already!    Chicago's new Riverfront Theatre is the site of Broadway in Chicago's production of Peter Pan, and appears to be here to stay.   We adore this tent on...you guessed it, the river front.    It's an intimate performance space and La Soiree uses a tiny circular stage, a piano top, and the high peak of the tent for aerial arts, to great advantage.   


Check out Goldstar for discount tickets here, or spring for the ring side seats and get up close and personal with the stars.   You will most definitely get wet, and you may get a lap dance by a big black diva dude, opera singer in spandex!   Or you may get called up on stage to assist.



   Mooky Roundhouse Photo by Prudence Upton




Check out our past coverage here for show times, ticket links, act summaries and a video clip.   

Riverfront Theater presents 

La Soirée  

Through August 5, 2012

Riverfront Theater, located at 650 W. Chicago Avenue, just east of Halsted Street. 

Winner of the 2012 London Cabaret Awards, La Soirée combines cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and contemporary variety.  The sexy, funny, dangerous world of La Soiree has enchanted audiences across the globe in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Stockholm, Dublin, Montreal, Adelaide and Blackpool.  La Soiree’s internationally-acclaimed artists include stars from La Clique, the Olivier Award-winning show which ran at London's Hippodrome for nine months. La Soiree is a dynamic collective of some of the most outrageous, hilarious, beautiful and downright bizarre acts you will ever see.

La Soirée runs in Riverfront Theater’s 70-foot big top circus tent.  Curtain times are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30pm

Fridays 8:00pm

Saturday, July 21 5:00pm and 8:00pm

Saturday, July 28 6:00pm and 9pm

Saturday, August 4 6:00pm and 9pm

Sundays 4:00pm and 7:00pm. 

Tickets, $39-$85, for the three-week, limited engagement are now on sale at the Riverfront Theater box office, 650 W. Chicago Ave, HYPERLINK "http://www.RiverfrontTheater.com"www.RiverfrontTheater.com; and through Ticketmaster,  HYPERLINK "http://www.ticketmaster.com" www.ticketmaster.com or 888.556.9484. 

Parking is located on Chicago Avenue, next door to venue with direct access to show.  Additional parking is located at 811 N. Larabee and 950 N. Kingsbury.

La Soirée is recommended for Mature Audiences.

La Soiree Cabaret--Burlesque Circus Sideshow Rocks Riverfront Theater

RIVERFRONT THEATER PRESENTS 

THE US PREMIERE OF 

THE SMASH-HIT THEATRICAL PHENOMENON

LA SOIRÉE

Limited engagement-must close August 5, 2012 

**We've been hearing rave reviews and tonight ChiIL Live Shows will finally be checking out La Soiree with our own eyes.   We can't wait.**  

Click here for show video clips

Riverfront Theater, Chicago’s newest entertainment destination, presents the highly-anticipated U.S. Premiere of the theatrical phenomenon La Soirée.  The production runs through Sunday, August 5, 2012 at the new Riverfront Theater, located at 650 W. Chicago Avenue, just east of Halsted Street.  

Winner of the 2012 London Cabaret Awards, La Soirée combines cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and contemporary variety.  The sexy, funny, dangerous world of La Soiree has enchanted audiences across the globe in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Stockholm, Dublin, Montreal, New York, Adelaide and Blackpool.  La Soiree’s internationally-acclaimed artists include stars from La Clique, the Olivier Award-winning show which ran at London's Hippodrome for nine months. La Soiree is a dynamic collective of some of the most outrageous, hilarious, beautiful and downright bizarre acts you will ever see.

Producer Robert Butters comments, “The La Soirée reviews from around the world have been unanimous raves.  We are excited to present this highly-anticipated, sexy and very bold production, which we know will entertain and thrill Chicago.  Arriving direct from Montreal and London, La Soirée is an ideal burlesque/cabaret show for Chicago this summer—and a perfect match for the 22,000 square-foot Riverfront Theater tent. We are proud to be hosting this world-renowned company.”

La Soirée runs in Riverfront Theater’s 70-foot big top circus tent.  Curtain times are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30pm

Fridays 8:00pm

Saturday, July 21 5:00pm and 8:00pm

Saturday, July 28 6:00pm and 9pm

Saturday, August 4 6:00pm and 9pm

Sundays 4:00pm and 7:00pm. 

Tickets, $39-$85, for the three-week, limited engagement are now on sale at the Riverfront Theater box office, 650 W. Chicago Ave, or on line here ; and through Ticketmaster, or 888.556.9484. 

Parking is located on Chicago Avenue, next door to venue with direct access to show.  Additional parking is located at 811 N. Larabee and 950 N. Kingsbury.

*La Soirée is recommended for Mature Audiences.

About the La Soirée Artists 

Yulia Pykhtina 

Forget what you think you know about hula hooping; the beautiful Yulia Pykhtina has something to show you. Born in Kiev in the Ukraine, Yulia lives and breathes the mystery of the Near East and trails many a broken heart in her wake. Captivating, graceful and impeccably poised, Yulia turns the ancient art of hula hooping into a spectacular display which is both erotic and exotic.

Mooky  

Canadian-born Mooky Cornish, renowned for her side-splitting physical comedy, is one of the funniest ladies working on the international circuit today. Irresistible and captivating, this quirky comedienne has entranced over a million spectators worldwide in both North America and Europe, recently starring in Cirque du Soleil’s most recent hit show, Verekai. The multi-talented Mooky is a pianist, puppeteer, mask maker, accordion squeezer and chicken trainer. 

Nate Cooper

Cooper delivers a jaw dropping performance that is sure to put you in stitches. Try to imagine Charlie Chaplin tap dancing on roller skates whilst juggling razor sharp machetes and you will only be scratching the surface of what Cooper has in store. From the sublime to the ridiculous is an understatement. On the street in New Zealand or in an arena in Las Vegas, Cooper delightfully charms the pants off of himself.  Sit back, relax and enjoy the chaos.

The English Gents

Denis Lock and Hamish McCann are two delightful and devilish "English" gentlemen who perform inconceivable feats of acrobatic skill, strength and balance, all while casually puffing a pipe and sporting the stiffest of British upper lips. The act mixes their highly-skilled stunts with a dry English wit, unexpectedly climaxing with the two hilariously baring near-all for Queen and country and in the process, displaying more pure sex appeal than ever before seen under a bowler hat.

Bret Pfister

Supple, sexy, skilful and stunningly handsome, Bret Pfister brings the finest of New York's cabaret talent to La Soirée. Equally inspired by the neo-Weimar cabaret movement and the nu-wave, synth-pop sounds of the 1980s, he blends awesome physical skill and a cool insouciance into his exquisite, punked-up aerial ballet.

David O’Mer

Hailing from Berlin and originally trained as a gymnast, David has been a cornerstone of this dysfunctional family for many years. His now world-famous incarnation as 'Bath Boy' leaves audiences damp and breathless in admiration – the combination of wet jeans and awe-inspiring aerial ballet is once-seen, never-forgotten. David is the Adonis in denim.

Le Gateau Chocolat

It's been quite a year for Le Gateau Chocolat, the opera-singing diva with a penchant for being wrapped in body hugging lycra and a passion for laughter. Since first performing with La Soiree at the Hippodrome, Le Gateau Chocolat exploded onto London's cabaret scene and has been garnering praise and adoration across the globe - from Edinburgh to Melbourne, and from TV screens to the cover of Time Out. This delicious confection is a killer baritone who delivers outrageous yet moving renditions of everything from pop-rock to opera. A real showstopper, Le Gateau Chocolat has a warmth that will see the whole world addicted to chocolate; that is if you aren't hooked already!

Amy G

The Irrepressible Amy G is a full-on show topping showgirl: she has the legs, the skates, the ukulele, and what she can do with a kazoo will astound you.  A physical somedienne, actor, and musician of prodigious anatomical gifts, Amy is a legend of the cabaret scene.

Susannah Martinez

The little sister of the inimitable Ursula Martine performs her cult striptease act with its mischievous disappearing hanky - a jaw-dropping sensation! From highbrow to low brow and from live art to loquacious party tricks, Martinez treads where few performers dare to go, with the audience right there along for the ride.

ABOUT RIVERFRONT THEATER

The Riverfront Theater is Chicago’s newest destination for music, theater, dance, spectacles and more. Audiences were first introduced to the venue last summer, during the successful 16-week run of Peter Pan. The Riverfront Theater expands on that success, bringing hit productions to Chicago.  All performances take place in the 22,000 square-foot, temperature-controlled tented auditorium along the scenic Chicago River. Alongside the performance venue is River’s Edge, a pavilion tent and promenade area overlooking the Chicago River, where patrons can enjoy refreshments while taking in the view from this urban garden oasis. 

The Riverfront Theater is located at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Streets, easily accessible for those driving in or via public transportation.  For more information please visit Riverfront Theater's main site here.   

Critics around the world have raved about La Soirée:

“Pure adrenalin-fuelled entertainment at its best." 

-Time Out London 

"Beautiful. Funny. Impossible. La Soirée's triumph is that there's not a single moment when one, two or all three of those terms don't apply."

-The Guardian

"Big-top cabaret frolics from La Soirée are just the thing to banish gloomy reality."

-Evening Standard