FLASH GIVEAWAY: WIN Tickets To The Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival March 9-12, 2023, at Wicker Park’s Den Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar   

Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival

FLASH GIVEAWAY: 

ENTER AT THE END OF THIS POST FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A Pair of Tickets to Any Adult Circus Act! and/or 

A Family 4 Pack of Tickets to Any Family Show 

March 9-12 at Wicker Park’s Den Theatre, Opening Gala March 9

Chicago-Based Ensembles Offer Circus, Burlesque, Dance & Comedy

Chicago Circus & Performing Arts Festival, the Windy City’s newest multidisciplinary fest, will run March 9-12, 2023, at Wicker Park’s Den Theatre at 1331 N. Milwaukee. Thirteen unique performances from Chicago-based companies include traditional circus acts, avant-garde sideshow and burlesque offerings, family-friendly juggling and clowning shows, queer-themed work, plus several evening-length pieces that also include dance. Several shows are double features: twice the fun for the same price!

Single tickets are $15-40 and are available online or at 773-697-3830. The lobby features cashless cocktails from the newly renovated Haven Lounge before and after performances. The Opening Gala is on March 9, from 6-10 PM and includes vendor tables from local businesses and Chicago circus schools, door prize giveaways, and a silent auction. Exclusive previews for media and donors will be performed throughout the night. Metered street parking is available, and the apps ParkChicago, Spot Hero, Park Whiz, and Parq Ex are recommended to secure a spot. The venue is also accessible to the Blue Line (north of Division, south of Damen stops) and via various bus routes. The Festival’s media sponsors are The Actors Gymnasium and CircusTalk.

 

SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 9

Heath Mainstage & Lobby: 

6:00-10:00 pm Opening Gala: Show previews for media and donors, silent auction, local vendors.

 

Friday, March 10

Bookspan Stage: 

6:00-7:30 pm Creature Double Feature by Such Creatures (circus + dance fusion, queer-themed)

7:45-9:15 pm BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest (classic circus cabaret, all BIPOC cast)

9:30-11:00pm the Back Side Show by Yes Ma’am Circus (side-show, burlesque, circus, ages 18+)

 

Saturday, March 11 

Bookspan Stage: 

12:45- 2:15 pm Distillations & Don't Try This At Home- Double Feature by Luther Bangert & Dinder Brothers’ Circus (juggling solo show, family circus troop, side-show, family friendly)

2:30- 4:00 pm Double Feature- Poised & The Reluctant Mind Reader by Raphael Entertainment (solo juggling + solo magic, family friendly)

4:15- 5:45 pm BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest (classic circus cabaret, all BIPOC cast)

6:00- 7:30 pm Autobiography of a Late Bloomer by Lucid Banter Project (dance, queer-themed, ages 13+)

7:45- 9:15 pm Circus Dungeon Crawl by Yes Ma’am Circus (circus cabaret, burlesque, nerd-themed, ages 18+)

9:30- 11:00 pm Queer Double Feature: And They Were Shipmates, A Queer Pirate Romance Adventure & Queer Dance Freakout by Counterfeit Combat & Gender Fucked Productions

 

Sunday, March 12 

Heath Mainstage: 

10:30 am- 12:00 pm Serious Cirque by Duo Refraction+ (circus, clown, family friendly)

12:15- 1:45 pm Circus Cabaret of Wonder by the Amazing Prizzini Brothers (classic circus cabaret, clowning, family friendly)

 

Bookspan Stage: 

12:15- 1:45 pm Double Feature- Poised & The Reluctant Mind Reader by Raphael Entertainment (solo juggling + solo magic, family friendly)

2:00- 3:30 pm Distillations & Don't Try This At Home- Double Feature by Luther Bangert & Dinder Brothers’ Circus (juggling solo show, family circus troop, side-show, family friendly)

SHOWS/ENSEMBLES

The Amazing Prizzini Brothers’ Circus Cabinet of Wonder: The Amazing Prizzini Brothers’ classic circus cabaret features family-friendly circus acts and clowning. The goal is simple: to make the audience complicit in the mischief. 

Autobiography of a Late Bloomer: Lucid Banter Project presents Autobiography of a Late Bloomer, a collection of work created over a span of 15 years, following the choreographer's coming-out journey. Following Paula, Lucid Banter Project's director, through professional growth, family drama, religious realizations, sexual awakenings, relationship highs and lows, injury, and emotional abuse, the audience is brought along through the experiences, emotions, and growth of a late bloomer lesbian.

BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest Showcase: This circus cabaret features circus artists of Color as they share individual stories that depict human emotions and unique challenges faced by POC in contemporary America. Disciplines will include rope, straps, aerial hammock, diabolo, and silks. For ages 13+. 

The Back Side Show: Produced by Yes Ma'am Circus, the Back Side Show features burlesque, sideshow, and variety acts from around Chicago. For ages 18+. 

Circus Dungeon Crawl: Yes Ma’am Circus’ longest running cabaret! Come see the Chicago debut of Circus Dungeon Crawl, previously only shown to the elite crowd of gamers at GenCon in Indianapolis! Journey with Marcus the Bard as they attempt to drink, seduce, and thieve their way through the Multiverse, along with a cast of aerialists, clowns, and burlesque dancers.

Creature Double Feature: Creature Double Feature brings you not one, but TWO new works by Such Creatures Co-Directors Luke Greeff & Ashaand Simone. Missile Kid by Luke Greeff shows a punk-rock apocalyptic horror movement suite on unmasking the Autistic soul within the confines of an Allistic world … or a dancey existential crisis to good tunes… you decide. intimate youniverse by Ashaand Simone transports the audience into an 8-bit arcade world where they’re in charge of helping the protagonist’s disparate parts work towards some amount of peace. In doing so, they will learn firsthand what it looks like to re-wire the brain away from the impacts of (Complex) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and towards acceptance of intimacy and connection.

Distillations & Don't Try This At Home- Double Feature: A family friendly double feature. A solo contemporary juggling show performed by Luther Bangert, Distillations takes the audience on a multimedia and multidimensional journey through the anatomy of a moment, investigating causality, and emerging into the ground state of the juggling universe. Dinder Brother's Circus is proud to present the "DONT TRY THIS AT HOME SHOW!!!" Seen across the midwest since 2015 this blend of circus, magic, and danger is sure to entertain anyone ages 4 and up!  With mystifying aerials, feats of death, and astounding illusions everyone will find something they enjoy.

Double Feature- Poised & The Reluctant Mind Reader: A funny and dazzling 1-man duo show! Welcome to an experience that aims to have you question the absolute limits of what is humanly possible. Brought to you by one of Chicago's top jugglers, Poised is a family friendly show full of laughs and amazing feats of balance and coordination. Then stay and watch as someone with the ability to read minds shows off his powers while talking about the pains and annoyances that come with always hearing what people are thinking. The Reluctant Mind Reader showcases how some gifts aren’t what they’re cracked up to be.

Serious Cirque: Serious Cirque is a not so serious deconstruction of contemporary circus performance. It transparently and unabashedly reveals the hilarity, failures, successes and discoveries that come out of circus creation. What happens when Siri tries to third wheel your adagio duet opener? What if the duo trapeze porter loses his flyer and must perform only with sock puppets?

Queer Double Feature- And They Were Shipmates, A Queer Pirate Romance Adventure & Queer Dance Freakout: First, Counterfeit Combat presents a gay pirate show full of fights and fun that you can’t miss! Join us onboard Calico Jack’s ship, The Ranger, as we follow the tale of the infamous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. This occasionally true story based on historical facts will have you laughing, sighing, and gasping, oh aye! Then stick around for Queer Dance Freakout, an interactive, choose your own adventure spectacle produced by Gender Fucked Productions. This company of queer, trans, and nonbinary choreographers and storytellers will perform up to 30 dances that will have audiences booty shaking, grooving, and connecting with the queer community.

*Click HERE for your chance to WIN a FREE Family 4 Pack of Tickets to your choice of any family friendly show at the 2nd Annual Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival!

**Click HERE for your chance to WIN a FREE Pair of Tickets to your choice of any Adult Show at the 2nd Annual Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival!

Winners announced at noon Thursday, March 9th.

ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows are thrilled to partner up with the 2nd Annual Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival to give away A Family 4 Pack of Tickets to Any Family Show and/or A Pair of Tickets to Any Adult Circus Act!

GIVEAWAY: WIN 4 Tickets ($260 Value) To Middletown at Chicago's Apollo Theatre Through March 22, 2020

MIDDLETOWN® 

Comes to Chicago with Star-Studded cast at the Apollo Theater

WIN 4 Tickets ($260 Value) To 

Middletown 

at Chicago's Apollo Theater Through March 22, 2020. 

Winners choice of date/time pending availability.

Enter through midnight, Wednesday March 4th 

for your Chance to WIN!

I'll be out for the Middletown press opening March 4th, so check back soon for my full review. I'll also be giving away 4 tickets to one lucky winner. Enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often, through midnight March 4th. It's Chicago's birthday, but you might get the best present with a big ticket win! 

GFour Productions, producers of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL® and Tony-nominated FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, announced that they will present their new play MIDDLETOWN® at The Apollo Theater from February 27 - March 22, 2020. 

The cast will star SANDY DUNCAN, known for her portrayal of Peter in PETER PAN; DONNY MOST, known for his role as “Ralph Malph” in the hit TV show HAPPY DAYS; and ADRIAN ZMED, best known for his starring roles in the BACHELOR PARTY and TV’s T.J. HOOKER. 

The cast will also feature Chicago actress and multi Jeff Award winner KATE BUDDEKE (Broadway: Superior Donuts, Carousel, Death of a Salesman with Brian Dennehy, Gypsy with Bernadette Peters and A Streetcar Named Desire with Natasha Richardson).



An exhilarating and universal depiction of love and friendship, MIDDLETOWN® follows the story of two couples who endure the roller coaster of life together, including the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Staged without a set or props, the stars read directly from scripts, as if reading from the book of their own lives — and ours.

“I wanted to tell a relatable ‘every-person’s’ story in a direct and straightforward manner where human emotions are front and center – without bells, whistles, special effects, or props,” said writer Dan Clancy, best known for his play THE TIMEKEEPERS, which ran off-Broadway and in Israel for 13 years. “I wanted the words to speak for themselves.”

The initial workshop of MIDDLETOWN received a Carbonell nomination for “Best New Work” in 2017 and was originally presented at the Jan McArt Reading Series and West Boca Theatre Company. In 2019, MIDDLETOWN® premiered to critical acclaim in Las Vegas, Bucks County, Pa., and Wilmington, Del.

As the New Hope Free Press describes, “Like Love Letters, the ‘play’s the thing,’ as Shakespeare might say. The show has four podiums downstage where the actors stand with scripts before them. … For all intents and purposes, this is just the actor telling you their stories with no blocking. This only works if the stories are worth telling and the actors are good enough to tell them. And the answer is a resounding YES!”

Tickets are $65 and may be purchased at The Apollo Theatre, 2540 North Lincoln, or by phone at 773-935-6100 or online at www.apollochicago.com.  Visit the website for full performance schedule.

WIN 4 Tickets ($260 Value) To 

Middletown 

at Chicago's Apollo Theater Through March 22, 2020. 

Winners choice of date/time pending availability.

Enter through midnight, Wednesday March 4th 

for your Chance to WIN!

ENTER HERE

GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW: WIN a Pair of Tickets $120 Value/ 2 Winners To The Midwest Premiere Of DARLING GRENADINE at Marriott Theatre through August 18th

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
DARLING GRENADINE 


Heath Saunders, Paul the Dog and Phillip Huber 
Photo Credit for all Production Photos: Liz Lauren


Katherine Thomas and Heath Saunders 

Enter Below Through Midnight August 1st 

For Your Chance To WIN

a Pair of Tickets $120 Value/2 winners To 

DARLING GRENADINE at Marriott Theatre 

Valid for any performance through August 18, 2019 

(pending availability)

REVIEW:

by bonnie kenaz-mara

It was my great pleasure to catch opening night of Marriott Theatre's Darling Grenadine with a couple of friends. This powerful production is a must see for anyone who has loved and lost a person, a pet, a childhood friend, or a dream. It's a passionate love story, with surprising depth and insight about addiction, the travails of making a living as a creative artist in our society, the pain of selling out, and the joys and risks of putting your heart and your true self out there, for the world. 

The true charm of Darling Grenadine is in the details. All the little moments of playful banter, finding joy in the daily mundane, the changing of season, and fabulously flawed humans just being, are where this show shines. This isn't a happily ever after. Rather, Darling Grenadine is the painful process of growing and becoming. It's mistakes, missteps, failures and foibles, sexy and sad. What a true joy to see such stellar storytelling. The entire cast is crazy talented and Paul the Dog and his puppeteer/creator are something to see. The dog's vocalizations are cleverly "voiced" by trumpet by Mike Nappi.  

Paul the Dog and Phillip Huber 

Mike Nappi 

This pup's mannerisms, size, and look are modeled after legendary puppeteer, Phillip Huber's own Golden Lab with an intentionally open/mesh body design (Ala "War Horse") to both represent an unfinished story and to give the audience a bit of emotional cushion from becoming too attached. I'm not sure the latter helped much, as the entire audience bonded with this captivating canine from the opening scene.

ChiIL Mama ChiILin' with Paul the Dog and Phillip 

Paul Photos Below by B. Kenaz-Mara

It was truly a treat to hang with Paul the Dog at the opening night, post show party. We had a fascinating talk with Huber about his creative process, that my friend, Kathy Roman video taped on her phone. Check it out here.

This is not your typical lighthearted summer fare, or fluff piece musical. Darling Grenadine's dark undertones lend authenticity and realism to these characters and scenarios, sorely lacking in most musical theatre. The script is phenomenal and utterly relatable. 

Despite a hopeful ending, by the close of the second act, there were few dry eyes in the house. One of my friends was so emotionally devastated by this production, that she was still pretty undone well into the afterparty. Knowing the impact, be forewarned this production may be triggering for dog lovers and those who have struggled with alcoholism or addiction issues in family, friends and loved ones. Still, the message of second chances, growing into your potential and new beginnings is worth the emotional rollercoaster ride. Don't miss this. Highly recommended.

Nick Cosgrove

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she has published frequently since 2008: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

 

Terry James, Executive Producer

Aaron Thielen, Lead Artistic Director

Andy Hite, Artistic Director

Present the Midwest premiere of this boldly unique, bittersweet new musical
DARLING GRENADINE 

With its surprising melding of off-beat, whimsical humor and serious themes of denial and loss, DARLING GRENADINE makes its Midwest premiere, running June 26th through August 18th, at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Featuring an eclectic score and stirring book and lyrics by Daniel Zaitchik, DARLING GRENADINE takes audiences on an emotional journey of highs and lows, where old meets new and romance meets reality. Directed by Jeff Award winner Aaron Thielen, with musical direction by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson, this exhilarating show continues Marriott Theatre’s long tradition of presenting new musicals.

“We are thrilled to be bringing this new musical to life,” says Director Aaron Thielen. “It is an honor to be entrusted with Daniel’s words and music, and we look forward to the opportunity to take audiences on the journey of this vibrant, fresh show.”



Harry is a charming songwriter whose fanciful view of the world rivals the Technicolor of any MGM classic. But as Harry floats through the kind of Manhattan life that dreams are made of, he suddenly finds himself confronted with the idea that a dream may be exactly what it is. And reality isn’t nearly as beautiful. Told with a rich contemporary score, DARLING GRENADINE peels away the layers of musical comedy tropes to explore the friction between romance and reality, joy and heartbreak. This bittersweet new musical brings us something magical, moving, and unique.





DARLING GRENADINE was originally staged in concert form at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles, and further developed at the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals where it debuted on the Norma Terris Theatre stage. Now in a Midwest Premiere at Marriott Theatre, the musical stars Heath Saunders as “Harry” (Marriott Theatre debut! Broadway: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; Lyric Opera of Chicago: Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar; MCC Theater: Alice by Heart), Katherine Thomas as “Louise” (Marriott Theatre: Ragtime; Arena Stage: Jubilee; Milwaukee Rep: The All Night Strut) and Nick Cosgrove as “Paul” (Broadway: Jersey Boys; Marriott Theatre: Footloose, Oklahoma!, The Bridges of Madison County). DARLING GRENADINE also stars Phillip Huber, Mike Nappi, Allison Sill, and Brandon Springman, with understudies Laura Brennan, Adam LaSalle, Jeff Pierpoint, Jaq Seifert, Elizabeth Telford, and Patrick Michael Tierney.

The production features set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, media design by Anthony Churchill, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Robert E. Gilmartin, properties design by Sally Zack, orchestrations by Matt Moisey, and musical supervision by Patti Garwood. The production will also feature costume design by Theresa Ham. Marionette created, built, and provided by The Huber Marionettes.

The performance schedule for DARLING GRENADINE is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, excluding tax and handling fees. Call for student, senior, and military discounts. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of dinner-theatre packages available for purchase through the Marriott Theatre Box Office. 

To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Reservations strongly recommended. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

Enter HERE Through Midnight, August 1 

For Your Chance To WIN

a Pair of Tickets $120 Value/2 Winners To 

DARLING GRENADINE at Marriott Theatre 

Valid for any performance through August 18, 2019 

(pending availability)

ENTER HERE

GIVEAWAY: WIN 4 Tickets ($176) for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

FIRST FOLIO THEATRE PRESENTS 

THE FIRESTORM 

MARCH 27- APRIL 28

Enter Below for your Chance to 

WIN 4 Tickets ($176) 

for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019 

(winner's choice of any performance Wednesday-Sunday). Enter through midnight 4/12.

Ready for a double date at a mansion, girls' night out, family fun with the teens...?! ChiIL Live Shows is partnering with First Folio on another fabulous ticket giveaway for our readers. Grab 3 friends and catch a great show on us! Enter early & often. We'll announce our winner Saturday, April 13th.

In its 23rd season, First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) is exploring the consequences of today’s info-saturated environment with Meridith Friedman’s politically-charged production THE FIRESTORM. Directed by Artistic Associate Rachel Lambert, THE FIRESTORM highlights the repercussions “call-out culture” has on relationships, explores the challenges and triumphs of interracial relationships, and notes how couples can navigate the world together in a highly-politicized society. THE FIRESTORM runs through April 28, 2019.

THE FIRESTORM follows Gaby and Patrick, an interracial political power couple hot on the campaign trail. The couple is thrust into the center of a media frenzy when a racially charged incident from Patrick’s past surfaces. As the pressure intensifies, the political becomes explosively personal and the foundation of their seemingly picture-perfect marriage begins to fracture. The stunning production leaves audience members begging the question: when the past comes to haunt us, what do we do with the ghosts?

“We are excited to present The Firestorm to audiences at First Folio Theatre,” said Artistic Associate Rachel Lambert. “With focus on personal integrity, internal struggles with identity, and one’s moral compass, The Firestorm is an incredible, timely play. We are particularly thrilled to offer audiences an abstract experience that leans into the personal experiences of each of the characters in a rapidly moving and surprising way, while acknowledging the political climate of today’s society.”

Starring in THE FIRESTORM are Melanie Loren as Gaby and Steve O’Connell as Patrick, with Samuel Campbell III as Jamal, and Kayla Kennedy as Leslie. The production and design crew include Angela Weber Miller (Scenic and Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz (Original Music and Sound Design), Cassy Schillo (Properties Design) and Stephanie Nguyen (Costume Design) with Colleen Layton (Stage Manager) and Wallace Craig (Assistant Stage Manager).

Performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 31st St., off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook. First Folio is easy to get to from via the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. 

Preview tickets are $25. Regular priced tickets are $34 Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors and students are $29), and $44 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors and students are $39). Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

Enter Here for your Chance to 

WIN 4 Tickets ($176) 

for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019 

(winner's choice of any performance Wednesday-Sunday). Enter through midnight 4/12.

ENTER HERE

Disclosure: It's our pleasure to partner up with First Folio Theatre once again, on a giveaway for our readers. They have given us complimentary tickets for our giveaway and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.

WIN A Pair Of Tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre Through April 7, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Lifeline Theatre Presents 

The Man Who Was Thursday,

Opens February 25

Performances with Open Captioning on March 2 and March 22

Performance with Touch Tour and Audio Description on March 9

Enter Below for your chance to WIN a pair of tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre 

*(Winners choice of dates for the first weekend after opening -  Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 2 at 4 or 8 p.m. or Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m.). 

The production runs approximately 2 hours with an intermission. The novel will be on sale in the lobby.

My teen son and I will be checking this production out at the press opening February 24th, so circle back soon for my full review. 

Lifeline Theatre presents The Man Who Was Thursday, adapted by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Bilal Dardai and directed by Jess Hutchinson. Dardai and Hutchinson return to this 1908 satire after having first mounted it at New Leaf Theatre, where Hutchinson was the Artistic Director, in 2009 (Non-Equity Jeff nomination: New Adaptation) to re-explore this absurdist tale of identity and intrigue for a new decade. 

A shadowy cabal of anarchists has risen in London and Scotland Yard is determined to bring them down. When Gabriel Syme joins the undercover detail tasked with infiltrating the anarchists’ operations, he soon finds himself sitting on their Supreme Council with the code name “Thursday.” But as Syme unearths the Council’s true nature, it becomes clear that no one in this battle between law and chaos is as they seem. Challenge all assumptions and uncover the truth in this absorbing adaptation of the 1908 satire by G. K. Chesterton. 

The Man Who Was Thursday runs February 15 – April 7 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, Feb. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Feb. 16 and 23 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (February 28 – April 7) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Accessible Performances: The Saturday, March 2, 4 p.m. performance and the Friday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. performances will feature open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Saturday, March 9, 4 p.m. performance will feature a pre-show touch tour of the set at 2:30 p.m. and live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. For more information about Lifeline’s accessibility services, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator Erica Foster at 773.761.4477 x703 or at access@lifelinetheatre.com.

Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo as Gabriel Syme; in Lifeline Theatre’s production of “The Man Who Was Thursday,” adapted by Bilal Dardai, directed by Jess Hutchinson, based on the novel by G. K. Chesterton; previews beginning Friday, February 15, 2019, opening Monday, February 25, and running through Sunday, April 7. Lifeline Theatre is located at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Chicago, IL 60626. For tickets call the box office at 773-761-4477 or visit www.lifelinetheatre.com. 

Photo by Suzanne Plunkett. 

The complete cast and production team for The Man Who Was Thursday includes:

CAST:     

Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Christopher Walsh (Gogol/Tuesday); with guest artists Allison Cain (Sunday), Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo (Gabriel Syme),

Jen Ellison (Dr. Bull/Saturday), Linsey Falls (Professor de Worms/Friday), Sonia Goldberg (Familiar #2), Cory Hardin (Lucian Gregory), Marsha Harman (The

Secretary/Monday), Oly Oxinfry (Familiar #1), Corbette Pasko (The Marquis de St. Eustache/Wednesday). With understudies David Gordezky and Sarah

Scanlon.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Bilal Dardai (Adaptor) and Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach); with guest artists Amanda Beranek (Stage Manager), Lizzie Bracken (Scenic Designer), Kyle Bricker (Asst. Stage Manager), Jess Hutchinson (Director), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Jennifer McClendon (Production Manager), Caitlin McLeod (Co-Costume Designer), Jenny Pinson (Props Designer), Greg Poljacik (Fight Choreographer), Joe Schermoly (Technical Director), Zev Valancy (Dramaturg), Eric Watkins (Lighting Designer), Jonah White (Master Electrician), and Anna Wooden (Co-Costume Designer)

Lifeline Theatre presents The Man Who Was Thursday runs February 15 – April 7 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see
below). 

Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, Feb. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Feb. 16 and 23 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (February 28 – April 7) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Lifeline Theatre is accessible by CTA (Red Line Morse stop/busses) and free parking is available at Sullivan High School (6631 N Bosworth Ave, lot located on Greenview Ave. just south of North Shore Ave.) with free shuttle service before and after the show.  Street parking is also available. Lifeline is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.



 Now in its 36th 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.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; Chicago CityArts, a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; CIG Management; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; FGMK LLC; FlexPrint Inc.; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The Michael and Mona Heath Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Illinois Humanities Council; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The PAV Grant Fund; The Polk Bros. Foundation; Rogers Park Social; The Saints; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Shubert Foundation; The Steele Foundation; Th Manufacturing; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.

Enter Here for your chance to WIN a pair of tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre  

*(Winners choice of dates for the first weekend after opening -  Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 2 at 4 or 8 p.m. or Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m.). Enter through midnight 2/25/19. Winners will be e-mailed, and announced here and on our social media outlets.

ENTER HERE

Disclosure: It's been our great pleasure at ChiILMama.com & ChiILLiveShows.com to partner up with Lifeline Theatre for years. They have provided complimentary tickets for our giveaways and review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.

Ticket Giveaway: House Theatre of Chicago's World Premiere, BOREALIS 8/30-10/21/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

**ENTER BELOW! TWO OF OUR LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A PAIR (2) OF TICKETS UP TO $100 VALUE TO BOREALIS, GOOD FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 7PM**

THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR ITS WORLD PREMIERE SEASON OPENER, 

BOREALIS, 

BY BENNETT FISHER, DIRECTED BY MONTY COLE, 

AUGUST 30 – OCTOBER 21 

Both Playwright and Director Make their Debut with The House in this Epic Adventure Through the Corporate Guts of Big Oil 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, it's our great pleasure to partner up once again with The House Theatre of Chicago on a ticket giveaway for our readers. The House has a well deserved national reputation for epic productions and amazing feats of storytelling. They've long been favorites of ours and we make it a point to catch every show they mount. Whether you've never seen one of their shows or you're a regular, take a few minutes to enter at the bottom of this post, and you may be one of two lucky winners to enjoy a show "on the house".

The House Theatre of Chicago is proud to announce casting and the production team for the company’s season opener, Borealis. Director Monty Cole helms the professional premiere of playwright Bennett Fisher’s epic adventure through the corporate guts of Big Oil. Borealis runs August 30 through October 21 at Chopin Theatre’s Upstairs Theater, 1543 W. Division St., Previews begin Thursday, August 30 and play through Friday, September 7. Opening/press night is Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. (September 23 and October 7) or 7 p.m. (September 9, September 16, September 23, October 14 and October 21). Preview tickets are $20 and regular run tickets range from $30 to $50. $20 same-day tickets for students and industry professionals are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.


When a redacted and ominous letter arrives from her brother on the oil fields, thirteen-year-old Cozbi sets off for Anwar, Alaska to find him. Armed with a book on corporate communication strategy and a sharp axe, Cozbi battles her way through an Arctic wilderness in pursuit of her missing brother. But she'll have to face more than a multi-tentacled HR rep to learn the truth. Part mythic journey, part workplace satire, Borealis is a dark and funny adventure about family obligation, career aspiration and what we leave behind to make our way to the top. 


Cozbi’s search-and-rescue tale to the inner workings of Big Oil travels between mundane cubicles crawling with monstrous executives to desk-jockeys trapped by the dangerous ice-bound surround and out to the slick, sea-soaked rigging platforms. The House employs an immersive design with huge pipelines traversing up, around and behind the audience creating unique pathways and playing spaces for actors.


Borealis was first developed at the Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights workshop in 2014. It received further development at UC San Diego, the Unicorn Theater, Mixed Blood, Cutting Ball Theater, Custom Made Theater Company, the Alliance Theater (Kendeda Prize Finalist), and The House Theatre of Chicago and the Chicago Performance Lab through the Theatre and Performance Studies Program at the University of Chicago.

Borealis_Headshot Block.jpg: (L to R) Johnny Arena+ (Ensemble #1), McKinzie Chinn (Burke), Desmond Gray (Absalom), Ben Hertel+ (Ensemble #2), Paige Hoffman+ (Ensemble #3: McKnight/Langley/Zebedee, Internal Understudy for Burke), Madhura Jugade (Abbot & Cozbi Understudy), Juan Munoz (Absolom & Ensemble #3 Understudy), Karissa J. Murrell Myers* (Abbot), Oly Oxinfry (Ensemble#1 and #2 Understudy), Tia Pinson (Cozbi)


The cast of seven includes three House Company Members: Paige Hoffman+, Johnny Arena+, and Ben Hertel+. Returning guest artists include Desmond Gray (The Nutcracker, Hatfield & McCoy) and Tia Pinson (Hatfield & McCoy) as brother and sister, as well as new guest artists McKinzie Chinn and Karissa J. Murrell Myers*. The understudies are Madhura Jugade, Juan Munoz, and Oly Oxinfry. 

The Production and Design team includes Eleanor Kahn, scenic designer; Izumi Inaba^, costume designer; Lee Keenan+^, lighting designer; Sarah Espinoza, sound designer; Matthew Muñiz+, composer; Ellie Terrell, properties designer; Breon Arzell, choreographer; Gaby Labotka, fight choreographer; Abhi Shrestha, assistant director and Amalie Vega*, stage manager. 


*Member Actor’s Equity Association

+Company Member of The House Theatre of Chicago

^Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 


ABOUT BENNETT FISHER, playwright

Bennett Fisher is an artistic associate and former Shank Fellowship Playwright in Residence at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and a company member of Campo Santo and People of Interest and the Cutting Ball Theater. His other plays include Damascus (recently presented by Strawdog in Chicago, Samuel Goldwyn Award, O'Neill Conference finalist), Don't Be Evil, Candlestick, Campo Maldito, and the dialogue for the immersive theater experience The Speakeasy, currently running in San Francisco. His work has been presented and produced by the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Strawdog Theater Company, La Jolla Playhouse's WOW Festival, the Alliance Theater, the Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights Workshop, Florida Repertory Theater, the Martin E. Segel Center, Burbage Theater Company, People of Interest, Ubuntu Theater Project, Theater Emory, the Unicorn Theater, Sleepwalkers Theater, New Conservatory, the Cutting Ball Theater, Custom Made Theatre Company, and others. Fisher has been commissioned by The House Theater of Chicago, Theater Emory, Campo Santo, and others. His screenplay version of Damascus was optioned by Bill Mechanic and Pandemonium and he is currently developing work with e1 based on the experience of the former CIA officer-turned-whistleblower John Kiriakou. As an actor, dramaturg, and director, he has collaborated with California Shakespeare Theatre, Stanford Summer Theatre, Just Theater, Crowded Fire, Pear Ave Theatre, Adirondack Shakespeare Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, and many others. He received his MFA from UC San Diego in 2016.           
ABOUT MONTY COLE, director

Monty Cole is a director based out of Chicago and Los Angeles. Cole has directed for The Goodman Theatre, The Alley Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, American Theatre Company, Definition Theater Company/ALTA, The House Theatre of Chicago, the Chicago Theater Marathon, California Institute of the Arts and others. Cole directed the critically acclaimed and Jeff Award winning production of The Hairy Ape for Oracle Productions. Cole is working with collaborator and choreographer Breon Arzell on revitalizing In Dahomey, the first black written and performed Broadway musical from 1903 for the Center for New Performance. Recently, Cole directed William Shakespeare's Hamlet at The Gift Theatre and Kiss by Guillermo Calderon at the Haven Theatre Company. Cole is currently finishing his MFA Directing degree at the California Institute for the Arts.






ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO 


The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 70 Joseph Jefferson Awards (22 wins), became the 
first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 
2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 17th season of original work will begin with Borealis in the fall of 2018 and The House will continue its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.   

ENTER HERE! TWO OF OUR LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A PAIR (2) OF TICKETS UP TO $100 VALUE TO BOREALIS, GOOD FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 7PM

Winners will be chosen at random and announced here and via our social media outlets on September 7th. Winners will also be e-mailed. Enter early and often through midnight September 6th.

**ENTER HERE**

Disclosure: Thanks to House Theatre for providing tickets for our giveaway and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.