FEST ALERT: Pivot Arts FESTIVAL June 1 – 10, 2018 Ten Days of Innovative Performances Featuring Chicago Premiere of Rude Mechs

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Pivot Arts Presents 6th annual

PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL

June 1 – 10, 2018

Ten Days of Innovative Performances

Featuring Chicago Premiere of Rude Mechs

Pivot Arts is pleased to present the 6th annual PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL, a celebration of contemporary performances and multi-disciplinary works presented throughout Chicago’s Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods from June 1 – June 10, 2018. Tickets, ranging from free to $30, are currently available at www.pivotarts.org/festival. Three-show Festival passes are available for $40.

Pivots Arts Festival 2018 Montage – The 2018 Pivot Art Festival will include (top, l to r) Rude Mechs, The? Unicorn? Hour?, Shannon Stewart (bottom, l to r) BraveSoul Movement, Walkabout Theater and the Celebrate Community! Parade.

This year, the ten-day Festival features the Chicago premiere of Rude Mechs, a theater collective from Austin, TX, who have performed at major venues across the country – joined by top artistic innovators from Chicago and beyond. Performances include theater, dance, puppetry, multidisciplinary works, site-specific performances, performances for youth, discussions and showings of new works-in-progress from the Pivot Arts Incubator program, which has developed works such as Isaac Gomez’s La Ruta, to be performed at Steppenwolf Theatre next season. 

2018 Pivot Arts Festival Trailer from Pivot Arts on Vimeo.

The Festival also features the 4th annual “Celebrate Community!” Parade on Saturday, June 2 at 3 pm, kicking off at the Senn Park (1501 W. Thorndale Ave.) and culminating in performances and interactive workshops at Senn Playlot (1501 W. Elmdale Ave.) 


Festival Preview Party
Join Pivot Arts for a sneak peek of this year’s Festival at the Festival Kick-Off Party on Thursday, May 17 at Francesca’s Bryn Mawr, 1039 W. Bryn Mawr in Chicago. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door and include appetizers, drinks, entertainment, plus a silent auction. Tickets are available at www.pivotarts.org/festival. All proceeds support the festival.

The full 2018 PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL Line-Up includes:


Nire Nah (pictured) Music artist Nire Nah will perform at the Festival Launch Party. Photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis.

Friday, June 1
Festival Launch: A Night That Pops! 
8 pm, FLATSstudio, 4612 N. Clifton St.
Tickets: $10 suggested donation. Ages 21+

The 2018 Festival kicks off with live music by Nire Nah, a visual art exhibition curated by FLATSstudio, and a series of eclectic pop-up performances including a hip-hop opera by Chicago Fringe Opera with BraveSoul Movement and Cassie Bowers’ one-on-one tarot readings in Arcana Obscura, along with other artists. Dance to a DJ following the performances. The celebration includes food and drinks.


Walkabout Theater (pictured) Walkabout Theater’s stilt walkers will perform Monuments following the Celebrate Community! Parade. Photo by Tria Smith.

Saturday June 2
Celebrate Community! Parade 
Featuring Walkabout Theater’s Monuments
3 pm, meet at Senn Park Baseball Diamond (Thorndale & Greenview Aves.)
3:30 pm, Parade to Senn Playlot (1501 W. Elmdale Ave.)
Tickets: FREE.

Pivot Arts 4th annual Celebrate Community! Parade culminates in a site-specific performance of Walkabout Theater’s Monuments, a stilt performance created with artistic buoys designed by Studio Gang architectural firm. The parade includes sculptural puppets, stilt-walkers and free theater and art workshops. This year’s participants include CircEsteem, Barrel of Monkeys, Dream Big Performing Arts Workshop, Merry Music Makers, Storytown Improv, Walkabout Theater, and more! 


Corey Smith Presents The New Prairie School
7 pm, Creative Co-Working/Colvin House, 5940 N. Sheridan Rd.
Tickets: $20/$15 with student ID ($30 for both The New Prairie School and You’re His Child).

Equal parts architectural tour, immersive theater and musical performance, The New Prairie School at the Colvin House brings audience members on a fantastical journey through an historic Sheridan Road Mansion. 


Emmy Bean Presents You’re His Child
Vanessa Valliere opens with The Life and Times of Terry
9 pm, Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 N. Ridge Ave.
Tickets: $20/$15 with student ID ($30 for both You’re His Child and The New Prairie School).

A heartfelt exploration of religion, family and song. Emmy Bean brings the history of her great-grandfather to life through archival recordings of his hymns, joining his voice and her own in live musical performance. Vanessa Valliere opens with The Life and Times of Terry, the tale of one woman’s search for love through clowning, puppetry, drawings, photos and audience participation. 

Sunday, June 3
Corey Smith Presents The New Prairie School
4 pm, Creative Co-Working/Colvin House, 5490 N. Sheridan Rd.
Tickets: $20/$15 with Student ID ($30 for both The New Prairie School and You’re His Child).
Enjoy a special $15 fixed price festival menu at The Growling Rabbit (5938 N. Broadway) in between performances. Reserve for the dinner by emailing marketing@pivotarts.org. 

Equal parts architectural tour, immersive theater and musical performance, The New Prairie School at the Colvin House brings audience members on a fantastical journey through an historic Sheridan Road Mansion.

Emmy Bean Presents You’re His Child
Vanessa Valliere opens with The Life and Times of Terry
7 pm, Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 N. Ridge Ave.
Tickets: $20/$15 with student ID ($30 for both You’re His Child and The New Prairie School).  
Enjoy a special $15 fixed price menu at The Growling Rabbit (5938 N. Broadway) in between performances.

A heartfelt exploration of religion, family and song. Emmy Bean brings the history of her great-grandfather to life through archival recordings of his hymns, joining his voice and her own in live musical performance. Vanessa Valliere opens with The Life and Times of Terry, the tale of one woman’s search for love through clowning, puppetry, drawings, photos and audience participation. 

 
Monday, June 4
Broad Night: Demystifying Women’s Health 
Hosted by Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Katy Collins
7:30 pm, Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 N. Ridge Ave.
Tickets: $15.

Broad Night kicks off with a showing from This Boat Called My Body, a play from the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health about the abortion experiences of youth across the state, and a preview of Katy Collins’ web series The Doula Is In directed by Sarah Fornace and Julia Miller of Manual Cinema. Collins, doula to the internet, will field questions about women’s health. Post-performance discussion includes artists and Melissa Widen, Chair of the Board of Directors at Personal PAC.

Wednesday, June 6
A Discussion with Rude Mechs
6 pm, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.
Tickets: FREE.

Meet Rude Mechs, who arrive from Austin, TX for their Chicago premiere as part of the Pivot Arts Festival. Tanya Palmer, Goodman Theatre’s Director of New Play Development, moderates a discussion co-hosted by Pivot Arts and the Goodman about this nationally-celebrated theater company. Rude Mechs have performed at major venues across the country including Yale Repertory Theatre, Actors Theater of Louisville, Walker Arts Center, Wexner Center and more. 


Thursday, June 7
What’s Next: Anna Martine Whitehead / Shannon Stewart and Aurora Nealand
7 pm, The Mundelein Center at Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Tickets: $15 suggested donation.

A sneak peek at in-progress performances from Pivot Arts’ Incubator program at Loyola University. Anna Martine Whitehead premieres Notes On Territory, a multi-disciplinary movement piece on the history of containment architecture from prisons to gothic cathedrals. New Orleans-based dance and music artists Shannon Stewart and Aurora Nealand present their movement opera Hysteria and the Body Electric. Evening includes discussion with artists led by Tara Aisha Willis, Associate Curator of Performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Friday June 8
Rude Mechs Present Not Every Mountain
7:30 pm, The Mundelein Center at Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Tickets: $30/$20 with student ID ($35 for both Not Every Mountain and The? Unicorn? Hour?)

The Chicago premiere of nationally-renowned theatre collective Rude Mechs’ debuting their new work Not Every Mountain, reflecting on change, permanence and our place in the natural world. Using pulleys, cranks, magnets and string, Rude Mechs simulate the life cycle of mountains on stage – an invocation of tectonic force and geological time.

The? Unicorn? Hour? (pictured) Leah Urzendowksi will present The? Unicorn? Hour? with Anthony Courser. Photo by Joe Mazza.

Leah Urzendowksi & Anthony Courser Present The? Unicorn? Hour?
9 pm, Bar 63, 6341 N. Broadway St.
Tickets: $15 ($35 for both The? Unicorn? Hour? And Not Every Mountain).



Inspired by childhood favorites Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The? Unicorn? Hour? is a creative experiment in unrestrained playfulness and joy. Get ready to say “yes” to an unbridled uplifting of the spirit!


Saturday, June 9
Arts and Activism
6:30 pm, Loyola University’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability, 6349 N. Kenmore Ave.
Tickets: FREE

Join Rude Mechs’ playwright, Kirk Lynn, along with Natural Resources Defense Council and Chicago Community Climate Partners in a discussion about art, climate change and environmental activism moderated by Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Then head to Rude Mechs’ Not Every Mountain for the 7:30pm show. Discussion takes place in Loyola’s new LEED certified, sustainable building. 




Rude Mechs (pictured) Rude Mechs will make their Chicago premiere with the new work Not Every Mountain. Photo by Bret Brookshire.


Rude Mechs Present Not Every Mountain
7:30 pm, The Mundelein Center at Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Tickets: $30/$20 with student ID ($35 for both Not Every Mountain and The? Unicorn? Hour?)

The Chicago premiere of nationally-renowned theatre collective Rude Mechs’ debuting their new work Not Every Mountain, reflecting on change, permanence and our place in the natural world. Using pulleys, cranks, magnets and string, Rude Mechs simulate the life cycle of mountains on stage – an invocation of tectonic force and geological time.

Leah Urzendowksi & Anthony Courser Present The? Unicorn? Hour?
9 pm, Bar 63, 6341 N. Broadway St.
Tickets: $15 ($35 for both The? Unicorn? Hour? and Not Every Mountain).

Inspired by childhood favorites Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The? Unicorn? Hour? is a creative experiment in unrestrained playfulness and joy. Get ready to say “yes” to an unbridled uplifting of the spirit!

 
Sunday, June 10
Ice Cream and Improv with Storytown Improv
11 am, Lickity Split Custard and Sweets, 6056 N. Broadway St.
Tickets: $10 (custard not included).

The 6th annual tradition of ice cream (well, custard…) with Storytown Improv! An all ages show where kids design the setting and help shape the story.

Community Courtyard Kick-Off
2 pm – 7 pm, Old Bethany Church Courtyard, 5944 N. Magnolia Ave.
Tickets: FREE.

Come early and enjoy family fun throughout the afternoon. The old Bethany Lutheran Church will be having its grand re-opening. The partners at Parish House are excited to show you what's to come of this historic building. Come meet the new owners, take a history-meets-future tour of the 50,000 square foot space, and have fun with your neighbors and neighboring businesses. All ages welcome.

 
What’s Next: Ginger Krebs Performance Project / Chicago Fringe Opera & BraveSoul Movement
7:30 pm, Parish House, 5944 N. Magnolia Ave.
Tickets: $15 suggested donation.

A sneak peek at in-progress works from Pivots Arts Incubator program. Ginger Krebs Performance Project presents Escapes and Reversals, reveling in the exertion of striving bodies through dance. 

Bravesoul Movement (pictured) BraveSoul Movement will team up with Chicago Fringe Opera for The Rossini Project, transforming The Barber of Seville into a hip hop dance party.

About Pivot Arts

Pivot Arts produces and presents contemporary, multidisciplinary performance. They develop new work and present performances throughout the year culminating in a multi-arts festival. Their vision is that of a vibrant community where unique collaborations between artists, businesses and organizations lead to the support and creation of innovative performance events. For additional information, visit www.pivotarts.org.

Shannon Stewart (pictured) Dance and music artists Shannon Stewart and Aurora Nealand will present their movement opera Hysteria and the Body Electric. Photo by Diogo De Lima.

WEEKEND PICKS: The Chicago Independent Film (+TV) Festival April 28th-29th

What We're Watching: Indie Films & TV Shows On Our Radar

The Chicago Independent Film (+TV) Festival runs April 28th-29th and showcases an impressive lineup of narrative and documentary films in competition. The line-up includes 38 projects (2 narrative features, 7 documentary features, and 5 television pilots, and 24 short films) representing 8 countries. The festival screens stories that appeal to a wide range of audiences focusing on diverse voices and excellent storytelling. The full schedule can be found here.

CIFF also offers filmmakers first look deals with two distribution companies as well as a panel on distribution with Cowlamp Films, local filmmaker Brent Kado and Questar Entertainment. Beer provided by Lagunitas Brewing Company.

The weekend is co-sponsored by Loyola University's Film and Digital Media Department.

REVIEW: Sneak Peek at Underscore Theatre Company's CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Through February 16th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:
This is NOT Your Parents' Musical Theatre Fest

Underscore Theatre Company Presents

The 4th Annual

CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

February 6 – 16, 2018 at Greenhouse Theater Center

 Liberators-2 (pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Review:

It was my great pleasure to catch the press “Sneak Preview,” featuring a sampling of songs from the 2018 Festival. The diverse offerings for 2018 range from impassioned immigrant stories and historical sagas to irreverently raunchy gay dating comedies. Several of the shows have unusual personifications and one even features sock puppets. All in all, this is NOT your parents' musical theatre fest. These new shows all push the traditional boundaries of the genre in exciting ways. Standouts from the medley of offerings in the press preview were THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE -- a vaudeville adventure with fun potential, GRINDR The Opera-- a high energy ribald parody that left us wanting more, MUSICAL THERAPY-- a clever premise full of sock puppets and psychology, and finally haunting vocals of “TRU”. Do note, this run of TRU is already completely sold out.

Some of our favorite full productions from the past year, like CiviliTy of Albert Cashier': A stunningly spectacular true tale about a trans soldier, sprung from past years of the fest. Since its inception in 2014, the CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL has brought 35 new musical to Chicago stages! Come check out these fledgeling forays into new musical territory so you can claim you saw it first. 

 Discount tickets available at Chicago Theatre Week! Check it out. 

The 4th annual Festival takes place during the League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Chicago Theatre Week, with discounted tickets available to all Theatre Week performances!

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to present its 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, created to showcase and support the growing field of musical theatre creators from Chicago and beyond. This year’s Festival, featuring full productions of seven new musicals plus two staged readings, will play February 6 – 16, 2018 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each full production will receive at least four performances during the Festival. Single tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org. 

The festival provides much-needed artistic resources for emerging composer/lyricist teams to have their work supported, explored and most importantly – performed!

Production Schedule & Tickets:

Curtain times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 8 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm & 10 pm; Saturdays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 6 pm. For a detailed scheduled of productions, please visit www.cmtf.org.

Tickets: $20 ($15 during Chicago Theatre Week). Tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org.



The full line-up for the 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL includes:

(left to right) Vi Tran, Michael Van Pham, Carolyn Plurad and Diana Lee in THE BUTCHER'S SON, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

THE BUTCHER'S SON
Book, Music & Lyrics by Vi Nhan H. Tran
Directed by Mackenzie Goodwin Tran, Music Direction by Ben Byard 
Cast: Todd Aulwurm, Jennifer Cheung, Carolyn Plurad, Diana Lee, Vi Tran and Michael Van Pham


(left to right) Carolyn Plurad and Vi Tran in THE BUTCHER'S SON, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Born in Vietnam and raised in southwestern Kansas, Vi Nhan H. Tran is torn between the mysterious secrets of his heritage and the waving wheat fields of his adopted home. A poignant and humorous folk musical memoir, The Butcher’s Son chronicles the Tran family’s escape from Vietnam, imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge and resettlement in the cattle country of America. Tran weaves a thrilling refugee story and All-American tale of how family stories become family lore and where one family's search for a home ends.

GRINDR The Opera
Book, Music and Lyrics by Erik Ransom
Directed by Rachel Klein, Music Direction by Oliver Townsend
Choreography by Rachel Klein and Shawn Quinlan
Cast: Connor Baty and Nathan Cooper. Additional casting to be announced.

Four gay men, seeking different types of connection, intersect to hilarious and calamitous results in this sung-through musical parody that puts the notorious gay hook-up app into the exaggerated world of opera. With musical styles ranging from contemporary pop to baroque, GRINDR The Opera is a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships, and the greatest catalyst for the shift: GRINDR.

IRON IRENE: A MUSICAL FABLE
Book by Liz Falstreau, Lyrics by Liz Falstreau and Ashley Flanagan, Music by Ashley Flanagan, Orchestration by Asher Carlson
Directed by Chris Causer, Choreography by Kira Christoforidis
Cast: Rena Ahmed, Luciana Bonifazi, Raymond Cleveland, Dylan Connelley, Casey Daniel, Liz Falstreau, Josh Greiveldinger, Tim Huggenberger, Josiah Robinson, Carly Sue Skankey, Maiko Terazawa and Elliot Watts

Set during the years following the American Civil War, Iron Irene tells the story of two sisters and their fight for family, equality and a better world. Upon the death of their parents, Cassie DeLanie is sent from her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live in southwestern Wyoming with her sister, Irene. Together, the sisters must learn to adjust to this new world while still attempting to maintain the beliefs and identities of their childhood. Their adventures will lead them to Wyoming’s shining moment: being the first U.S. territory to grant women’s suffrage.

(pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Book and Lyrics by Eric C. Jones, Music by Bradley Dean Whyte and Alex Winkler,
Orchestrations by Nate Weil
Directed by Allison Heinz, Music Direction by Samantha Westlake
Choreography by Jaime Raglow
Cast: Isabel Breanahan, Caitlin Dobbins, Shelby Edwards, Chris Furrer, Luke Halpren, Alex Iacobucci, Jillian Jocson, Kate Jordan, Natalie Kreft, Lynette Li, Cari Meixner, Emily Moon, Mike Movidio, Gage Peterson, Christopher Ratliff, Colton Schied, Kati Schwaber, Allison Taylor, Thomas Tong and Evan Wilhelm

 

(left to right) Caitlin Dobbins and Luke Halpern in LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

 

(pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

A powerful rock musical about forgiveness, restoration, the power of friendship and what it means to be a family. This moving tale intersects and moves back and forth throughout 70 years and tells the story through the viewpoints of three unlikely men from different religious and ethnic backgrounds who are connected through a priceless family heirloom: a gold pocket watch. From the start of WWII to post-911 America, the lives of these characters will forever be changed during the historic liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau. Liberators: An American Musical encourages you to believe that even the most unlikely person can make a difference.

MUSICAL THERAPY
Music and Lyrics by Joey Katsiroubas, Book by Dan Hass
Directed by Madison Smith, Music Direction by Joey Katsiroubas
Choreography by Katelyn Stoss
Cast: James Bleecker Jr., Kirby Gibson, Matt Lamson, Alex Madda, Tommy Ross, Sophie Scanlon and Ashlyn Seehafer

Theresa is a young, single couples’ counselor in Chicago. While she’s great (well, okay) at keeping couples together, she can’t seem to lock down a guy for herself. And the fact that she tends to get attached (well, neurotic) after just one date doesn’t help either. Cut to Mr. Wonderful moving into the office next door: beautiful, bulgy-biceped Will. It’s obsession at first sight, and no obstacle or girlfriend is going to keep Theresa from being with him. She’ll ruin relationships, sabotage dates, push people out of the closet – mixing and matching her clients until it’s just Wonderful and her. Forever. And ever. 

THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE
Book by Brian Huther, Ben Auxier and Seth Macchi, Music and Lyrics by Ben Auxier and Brian Huther, Arrangements and Music Direction by Ryan McCall
Cast: Ben Auxier, Molly Denninghoff, Ryan Hruza, Brian Huther, Nellie Maple, Mike Ott, Shea Pender and Elise Poehling

Set in the 1920s during the decline of Vaudeville and the rise of Hollywood, The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe tracks the journey of an ultra-sharp but down-on-their-luck comedy duo as they navigate the rapidly changing world of entertainment. With a cast of eight portraying nearly fifty characters, audiences will quickly lose themselves in this absurd and delightful comic world and leave with smiles on their faces.

(left to right) Meredith Kochan and Chuckie Benson in “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

“TRU” 
Book, Music, and Lyrics by David Gosz and Leo Fotos
Directed by Max Cervantes, Music Direction by Erik Pearson
Cast: Bradley Atkinson, Chuckie Benson, Kiko Laureano, Nic Mains, Hannon McEldowney, Meredith Kochan, Randolph Johnson, Marssie Mencotti, Marissa Pattullo and Marco Tzunux

 

(front, l to r) Marissa Pattullo, Bradley Atkinson and Kiko Laureano with the cast of “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

TRU-3 (pictured) The cast of “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Through intricate characters and intimate music, “TRU” paints a picture of how hauntingly beautiful life can be. “TRU” explores the joys and challenges of the many relationships that are formed throughout one’s life, testing the various forms of love – between a man and his father, between a granddaughter and her grandmother, between a woman and her art, between a student and his teacher, between a man and himself. Walking hand in hand with reality, “TRU” toes the line between what is unbelievable and what is true.



Workshop Productions:

Monday, February 12 at 8 pm
MURDEROUS INNOCENT
Book by Tommy Jamerson, Music and Lyrics by Mark Contorno

Jacob Freeman seems to have it all; a thriving career, a bestselling novel, and an adoring wife. But when his past comes to haunt him in the form of his estranged seventeen year old daughter, Jacob’s perfect life is suddenly turned on its head and secrets long since buried begin to rise to the surface yet again.

Monday, February 19 at 8 pm
NOTES AND LETTERS
Book, Music and Lyrics by Annabelle Revak

Joe Loula departs war-torn Bohemia for Chicago in 1917 seeking a new job and a new independence. He quickly befriends Charlie, Nora and Olivia at Williams’ Custom Pianos. As the foursome become inseparable, the U.S. plunges into the World War I: businesses, relationships and pride are put to the test. A true story set to a jazz score, Notes and Letters chronicles the attempt to find an even beat in a world where the meter is constantly shifting. 

Are you a die-hard musicals fan? Do you want to see some terrific new shows and get invited to some exclusive events? Buy a festival pass and save!
​
What do I get?

1 ticket to all 7 festival full-length shows
Save 25% on your tickets, with no single-ticket fees
Exclusive invite to our February 5th press preview night to get a sneak-peek at all of this year's shows
Exclusive invite to our closing awards ceremony on February 25th
Stand at the FRONT of the line for every show, to make sure you get the best seats in the house
​
How much does it cost?
A 7-show festival pass costs only $120. Buy one HERE.
​
Once I get my pass, how do I use it?
Go to buy a ticket just like normal. Once you log in, you will be prompted to use your pass like any other payment method.

About Underscore Theatre Company 
Founded in 2011, Underscore Theatre Company is a team of producing artists dedicated to exploring stories of power and resonance through a musical lens; fostering the development of new musicals; and bolstering Chicago’s role as a national leader in musical theatre. Since its creation, Underscore has produced 44 new musicals in Chicago. Underscore is proud to be Chicago's home for new musicals.

OPENING: The 4th Annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL ViA Underscore Theatre Company Slated For February 6-16th at Greenhouse Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Underscore Theatre Company Presents

The 4th Annual

CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

February 6 – 16, 2018 at Greenhouse Theater Center

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to present its 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, created to showcase and support the growing field of musical theatre creators from Chicago and beyond. This year’s Festival, featuring full productions of seven new musicals plus two staged readings, will play February 6 – 16, 2018 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each full production will receive at least four performances during the Festival. Single tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org. 

I'll be out for the press “Sneak Preview,” featuring a sampling of songs from the 2018 Festival on Monday, February 5. Get your tickets early and at a discount for CTW! 

The 4th annual Festival takes place during the League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Chicago Theatre Week, with discounted tickets available to all Theatre Week performances!

Since its inception in 2014, the CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL has brought 35 new musical to Chicago stages. The festival provides much-needed artistic resources for emerging composer/lyricist teams to have their work supported, explored and most importantly – performed!

Production Schedule & Tickets:

Curtain times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 8 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm & 10 pm; Saturdays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 6 pm. For a detailed scheduled of productions, please visit www.cmtf.org.
Tickets: $20 ($15 during Chicago Theatre Week). Tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org.




The full line-up for the 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL includes:

THE BUTCHER'S SON
Book, Music & Lyrics by Vi Nhan H. Tran
Directed by Mackenzie Goodwin Tran, Music Direction by Ben Byard 
Cast: Todd Aulwurm, Jennifer Cheung, Carolyn Plurad, Diana Lee, Vi Tran and Michael Van Pham

Born in Vietnam and raised in southwestern Kansas, Vi Nhan H. Tran is torn between the mysterious secrets of his heritage and the waving wheat fields of his adopted home. A poignant and humorous folk musical memoir, The Butcher’s Son chronicles the Tran family’s escape from Vietnam, imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge and resettlement in the cattle country of America. Tran weaves a thrilling refugee story and All-American tale of how family stories become family lore and where one family's search for a home ends.

GRINDR The Opera
Book, Music and Lyrics by Erik Ransom
Directed by Rachel Klein, Music Direction by Oliver Townsend
Choreography by Rachel Klein and Shawn Quinlan
Cast: Connor Baty and Nathan Cooper. Additional casting to be announced.

Four gay men, seeking different types of connection, intersect to hilarious and calamitous results in this sung-through musical parody that puts the notorious gay hook-up app into the exaggerated world of opera. With musical styles ranging from contemporary pop to baroque, GRINDR The Opera is a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships, and the greatest catalyst for the shift: GRINDR.

IRON IRENE: A MUSICAL FABLE
Book by Liz Falstreau, Lyrics by Liz Falstreau and Ashley Flanagan, Music by Ashley Flanagan, Orchestration by Asher Carlson
Directed by Chris Causer, Choreography by Kira Christoforidis
Cast: Rena Ahmed, Luciana Bonifazi, Raymond Cleveland, Dylan Connelley, Casey Daniel, Liz Falstreau, Josh Greiveldinger, Tim Huggenberger, Josiah Robinson, Carly Sue Skankey, Maiko Terazawa and Elliot Watts

Set during the years following the American Civil War, Iron Irene tells the story of two sisters and their fight for family, equality and a better world. Upon the death of their parents, Cassie DeLanie is sent from her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live in southwestern Wyoming with her sister, Irene. Together, the sisters must learn to adjust to this new world while still attempting to maintain the beliefs and identities of their childhood. Their adventures will lead them to Wyoming’s shining moment: being the first U.S. territory to grant women’s suffrage.

LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Book and Lyrics by Eric C. Jones, Music by Bradley Dean Whyte and Alex Winkler,
Orchestrations by Nate Weil
Directed by Allison Heinz, Music Direction by Samantha Westlake
Choreography by Jaime Raglow
Cast: Isabel Breanahan, Caitlin Dobbins, Shelby Edwards, Chris Furrer, Luke Halpren, Alex Iacobucci, Jillian Jocson, Kate Jordan, Natalie Kreft, Lynette Li, Cari Meixner, Emily Moon, Mike Movidio, Gage Peterson, Christopher Ratliff, Colton Schied, Kati Schwaber, Allison Taylor, Thomas Tong and Evan Wilhelm

A powerful rock musical about forgiveness, restoration, the power of friendship and what it means to be a family. This moving tale intersects and moves back and forth throughout 70 years and tells the story through the viewpoints of three unlikely men from different religious and ethnic backgrounds who are connected through a priceless family heirloom: a gold pocket watch. From the start of WWII to post-911 America, the lives of these characters will forever be changed during the historic liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau. Liberators: An American Musical encourages you to believe that even the most unlikely person can make a difference.

MUSICAL THERAPY
Music and Lyrics by Joey Katsiroubas, Book by Dan Hass
Directed by Madison Smith, Music Direction by Joey Katsiroubas
Choreography by Katelyn Stoss
Cast: James Bleecker Jr., Kirby Gibson, Matt Lamson, Alex Madda, Tommy Ross, Sophie Scanlon and Ashlyn Seehafer

Theresa is a young, single couples’ counselor in Chicago. While she’s great (well, okay) at keeping couples together, she can’t seem to lock down a guy for herself. And the fact that she tends to get attached (well, neurotic) after just one date doesn’t help either. Cut to Mr. Wonderful moving into the office next door: beautiful, bulgy-biceped Will. It’s obsession at first sight, and no obstacle or girlfriend is going to keep Theresa from being with him. She’ll ruin relationships, sabotage dates, push people out of the closet – mixing and matching her clients until it’s just Wonderful and her. Forever. And ever. 

THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE
Book by Brian Huther, Ben Auxier and Seth Macchi, Music and Lyrics by Ben Auxier and Brian Huther, Arrangements and Music Direction by Ryan McCall
Cast: Ben Auxier, Molly Denninghoff, Ryan Hruza, Brian Huther, Nellie Maple, Mike Ott, Shea Pender and Elise Poehling

Set in the 1920s during the decline of Vaudeville and the rise of Hollywood, The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe tracks the journey of an ultra-sharp but down-on-their-luck comedy duo as they navigate the rapidly changing world of entertainment. With a cast of eight portraying nearly fifty characters, audiences will quickly lose themselves in this absurd and delightful comic world and leave with smiles on their faces.

“TRU” 
Book, Music, and Lyrics by David Gosz and Leo Fotos
Directed by Max Cervantes, Music Direction by Erik Pearson
Cast: Bradley Atkinson, Chuckie Benson, Kiko Laureano, Nic Mains, Hannon McEldowney, Meredith Kochan, Randolph Johnson, Marssie Mencotti, Marissa Pattullo and Marco Tzunux

Through intricate characters and intimate music, “TRU” paints a picture of how hauntingly beautiful life can be. “TRU” explores the joys and challenges of the many relationships that are formed throughout one’s life, testing the various forms of love – between a man and his father, between a granddaughter and her grandmother, between a woman and her art, between a student and his teacher, between a man and himself. Walking hand in hand with reality, “TRU” toes the line between what is unbelievable and what is true.

Workshop Productions:

Monday, February 12 at 8 pm
MURDEROUS INNOCENT
Book by Tommy Jamerson, Music and Lyrics by Mark Contorno

Jacob Freeman seems to have it all; a thriving career, a bestselling novel, and an adoring wife. But when his past comes to haunt him in the form of his estranged seventeen year old daughter, Jacob’s perfect life is suddenly turned on its head and secrets long since buried begin to rise to the surface yet again.

Monday, February 19 at 8 pm
NOTES AND LETTERS
Book, Music and Lyrics by Annabelle Revak

Joe Loula departs war-torn Bohemia for Chicago in 1917 seeking a new job and a new independence. He quickly befriends Charlie, Nora and Olivia at Williams’ Custom Pianos. As the foursome become inseparable, the U.S. plunges into the World War I: businesses, relationships and pride are put to the test. A true story set to a jazz score, Notes and Letters chronicles the attempt to find an even beat in a world where the meter is constantly shifting. 

Are you a die-hard musicals fan? Do you want to see some terrific new shows and get invited to some exclusive events? Buy a festival pass and save!
​
What do I get?

1 ticket to all 7 festival full-length shows
Save 25% on your tickets, with no single-ticket fees
Exclusive invite to our February 5th press preview night to get a sneak-peek at all of this year's shows
Exclusive invite to our closing awards ceremony on February 25th
Stand at the FRONT of the line for every show, to make sure you get the best seats in the house
​
How much does it cost?
A 7-show festival pass costs only $120. Buy one HERE.
​
Once I get my pass, how do I use it?
Go to buy a ticket just like normal. Once you log in, you will be prompted to use your pass like any other payment method.

About Underscore Theatre Company 
Founded in 2011, Underscore Theatre Company is a team of producing artists dedicated to exploring stories of power and resonance through a musical lens; fostering the development of new musicals; and bolstering Chicago’s role as a national leader in musical theatre. Since its creation, Underscore has produced 44 new musicals in Chicago. Underscore is proud to be Chicago's home for new musicals.

FREE KICKOFF PARTY TONIGHT for 21ST ANNUAL FILLET OF SOLO FESTIVAL 1/12-28 at Lifeline Theatre

Fest Alert

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

LIFELINE THEATRE PRESENTS THE 21ST ANNUAL

FILLET OF SOLO FESTIVAL, JANUARY 12–28, 2018

Lifeline Partners with 12 Chicago Storytelling Collectives

Free Kick-Off Event With Discounted Festival Passes on 

January 10 at 7 p.m.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we're huge fans of storytelling and live lit. We've also adored Lifeline Theatre for decades, as well as many of the diverse performers and companies they're featuring, like Tekki Lomnicki, GayCo, and Carly Jo Geer. This month, their popular annual feast of storytelling and solo shows, Fillet of Solo is back, so come check it out. Discount passes for the full fest are available TONIGHT at their free kickoff party. 

Lifeline Theatre Artistic Director Dorothy Milne and former Live Bait Theater Artistic Director Sharon Evans are pleased to announce the 21st Annual Fillet of Solo Festival, running January 12–28, 2018. Celebrating the breadth of Chicago’s enduring storytelling and live lit scene, Lifeline brings 12 storytelling collectives and seven solo performers together for a three-week, multi-venue selection of powerful personal stories. 

LifelineTheatre-FilletofSolo2018 -- GayCo -- photo by Erik Aldrich

All images courtesy of Lifeline Theatre

The 2018 Fillet of Solo festival will perform January 12-28, 2018, in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood at Lifeline Theatre (6912 N. Glenwood Ave.) and Heartland Studio Theatre (7016 N. Glenwood Ave.). Free parking and shuttle available. Performance times are Fridays at 7 and 8:30 p.m. at both venues; Saturdays at 4 and 5:30 p.m. at Heartland Studio and 7 and 8:30 p.m. at both venues; and Sundays at 4 and 5:30 p.m. at both venues. Ticket prices are $10 for regular single tickets, and $50 for a Festival Pass (allows admission to any performance). Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

FREE KICK-OFF NIGHT

The 21st Annual Fillet of Solo Festival offers easy access to 12 Live Lit groups and numerous solo performers that perform regularly throughout Chicago. On Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 at 7 p.m., at Empirical Brew Pub,1328 W. Morse Ave. Lifeline Theatre Artistic Director Dorothy Milne will lead a conversation with numerous local storytellers and share a taste of things to come in the festival.

Discounted Passes: Fillet of Solo Festival Passes will be offered at a special discounted rate of $25 at the free kick-off event (regularly $50). 

The Kick-Off Night is free, no reservations required. Contact the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, for more information. 

LifelineTheatre-FilletofSolo2018 -- Nestor Gomez

FEATURED PERFORMERS

The 21st Annual Fillet of Solo Festival will feature solo performances by:

·         Lily Be: “No Hay Mal”
·         Ada Cheng: “Breaking Rules, Broken Hearts: Loving across Borders”
·         Shelby Marie Edwards: “Holly's Ivy”
·         Julie Ganey: “Vacationing in the Moral High Ground”
·         Carly Jo Geer: “I Come From Hoarders” 
·         R. C. Riley: “Wrong Way Journey”
·         Jameson Wentworth: “[Out of] Context” 

Plus the work of the following storytelling collectives:

·         Around the World: Immigrant Stories: Curated and produced by Nestor Gomez. Celebrated storyteller and 20-time Moth Slam winner Nestor Gomez has assembled a group of local performers to help illuminate the voices of immigrants in our city.
·         GayCo (gayco.com): An ensemble that specializes in creating sketch-comedy revues based on gay/lesbian themes. Since starting as a lesbigay focused workshop at the Second City Training Center in 1996, they’ve performed for massive, enthusiastic, sexy gay audiences in Chicago and across the country 
·         GeNarrations (goodmantheatre.org/Engage-Learn/education-programs/GeNarrations/): A personal narrative story performance workshop hosted at Goodman Theatre and in senior centers around Chicago.
·         the kates (thekates.org): An all-female comedy showcase that provides an intimate night of comedy dedicated to showcasing talented and hilarious female-identified performers by creating inclusive and positive environments. Artists are encouraged to express their comic point of view in unique and non-apologetic ways – proving that women are equal in the eyes of comedy.
·         The Lifeline Storytelling Project (lifelinestorytellingproject.com): The Lifeline Storytelling Project produces live music & storytelling events designed to develop and showcase artists affiliated with Lifeline Theatre.
·         Sappho’s Salon (facebook.com/sapphossalon2): A monthly performance salon at Chicago's Women and Children First bookstore featuring expressions of queerness, gender and feminism.
·         Serving the Sentence (facebook.com/servingthesentencechicago): Different storytellers take the same first sentence -- each in their own direction. At the end of the show, a new sentence is drawn that the next show's storytellers will embark from!
·         Stir Friday Night (stirfridaynight.org): A 22-year-old Asian-American theater company, specializing in sketch comedy and improv. Alumni include Danny Pudi from Community, and Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead.
·         The Stoop (facebook.com/StoopStyleStories): The Stoop is hosted by Moth GrandSLAM champion Lily Be and Badass Clarence Browley.  Featured storytellers are given a theme and each share a short story related to that theme. The Stoop is a platform to bring Chicagoans to a better understanding of each other and to inspire change. Performing regularly at Rosa's Lounge in Humboldt Park, it is as much about community and survival as it is about entertainment. 
·         Sweat Girls (sweatgirls.org): With 24 years of shared history, the Sweat Girls represent the greying edge of Chicago's Live Lit community.  Known for their "contagious gusto" the Sweat Girls have been called "the undisputed tribal elders" of the solo performance scene (Chicago Reader, 2014).
·         Tellin’ Tales Theatre, featuring Tekki Lomnicki (tellintalestheatre.org): Tellin' Tales Theatre shatters the barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through personal story — adult solo performances as well as "Six Stories Up,” a mentoring program and show featuring kids and adults, with and without disabilities. Tekki Lomnicki is a solo performer, playwright, director and educator.
·         You’re Being Ridiculous (yourebeingridiculous.com): “Good stories are better than good times!” A group of real people telling real funny stories about their lives with a theme as their guide. They laugh at themselves and with each other.

LifelineTheatre-FilletofSolo2018 -- Shelby Marie Edwards

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE (January 12-14):

Friday, January 12

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   Around the World: Immigrant Stories   7:00 p.m.   GayCo

8:30 p.m.   Lily Be (“No Hay Mal”)                          8:30 p.m.   Serving The Sentence 

Saturday, January 13

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   Julie Ganey (“Vacationing in the         4:00 p.m.   GeNarrations

                  Moral High Ground”)                            5:30 p.m.   Lifeline Storytelling Project

8:30 p.m.   the kates                                              7:00 p.m.   R.C. Riley (“Wrong Way Journey”)

                                                                              8:30 p.m.   Sappho’s Salon

Sunday, January 14

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

4:00 p.m.   Tellin’ Tales Theatre/Tekki Lomnicki   4:00 p.m.   Jameson Wentworth (“[Out of] Context”)

5:30 p.m.   Sweat Girls                                          5:30 p.m.   Shelby Marie Edwards (“Holly’s Ivy”) 

WEEK TWO (January 19-21):                       

Friday, January 19

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   the kates                                              7:00 p.m.   Sappho’s Salon

8:30 p.m.   You’re Being Ridiculous                      8:30 p.m.   Stir Friday Night

Performance schedule, continued:

Saturday, January 20

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   Lily Be (“No Hay Mal”)                          4:00 p.m.   Serving The Sentence

8:30 p.m.   Julie Ganey (“Vacationing in the         5:30 p.m.   Carly Jo Geer (“I Come From Hoarders”) 

                  Moral High Ground”)                            7:00 p.m.   GayCo

                                                                              8:30 p.m.   Shelby Marie Edwards (“Holly’s Ivy”) 

Sunday, January 21

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

4:00 p.m.   Tellin’ Tales Theatre/Tekki Lomnicki   4:00 p.m.   GeNarrations

5:30 p.m.   Lifeline Storytelling Project                 5:30 p.m.   Ada Cheng (“Breaking Rules, Broken 

                                                                                                Hearts: Loving across Borders”) 

WEEK THREE (January 26-28):

Friday, January 26

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   Julie Ganey (“Vacationing in the         7:00 p.m.   Carly Jo Geer (“I Come From Hoarders”)

                  Moral High Ground”)                            8:30 p.m.   Stir Friday Night

8:30 p.m.   the kates                                              

Saturday, January 27

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

7:00 p.m.   Around the World: Immigrant Stories   4:00 p.m.   Lifeline Storytelling Project

8:30 p.m.   You’re Being Ridiculous                      5:30 p.m.   The Stoop

                                                                              7:00 p.m.   Ada Cheng (“Breaking Rules, Broken

                                                                                                Hearts: Loving across Borders”)

                                                                              8:30 p.m.   Jameson Wentworth (“[Out of] Context”)

Sunday, January 28

Lifeline Theatre                                                     Heartland Studio

4:00 p.m.   Tellin’ Tales Theatre/Tekki Lomnicki   4:00 p.m.   Serving The Sentence

5:30 p.m.   Sweat Girls                                          5:30 p.m.   R.C. Riley (“Wrong Way Journey”)

  

Now in its 35th season, Lifeline Theatre is driven by a passion for story. Our ensemble process supports writers in the development of literary adaptations and new work, and our theatrical and educational programs foster a lifelong engagement with literature and the arts. A cultural anchor of Rogers Park, we are committed to deepening our connection to an ever-growing family of artists and audiences, both near and far. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

Lifeline Theatre’s programs are partially supported by Alphawood Foundation; A.R.T League Inc.; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; Chicago CityArts, a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Common Cup; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; FGMK LLC; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The Grover Hermann Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Illinois Humanities Council; Lagunitas Brewing Co. Community Grant Program; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The PAV Grant Fund; The Polk Bros. Foundation; Poubelle Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation; Rogers Park Social; The Saints; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Shubert Foundation; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.