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Monday, October 15, 2012

Dig Dragons? Win 4 Free Tickets to Ringling Bro. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Dragons #giveaway #ChiRingling

All of our readers are winners.   Enter the code MOM for discount tickets.   


We're circus freaks.  Our kids have been performing with CircEsteem for two years now, learning everything from aerial arts and juggling, to clowning, Spanish Web, Chinese Pole and more!   So our family live and breaths circus, and we freak out and get super excited when the pros come to town.   


What's better than circus?   DRAGON themed circus!!!!    Oh yeah.  We seriously can NOT wait to see them bring it for 2012--Year of the Dragon.  It's a lucky year for the Chinese and lucky for us, too, cause we've seen some amazing dragon themed shows already...with more to come.


What's better than DRAGON themed circus?   Winning free tickets from ChiIL Mama!  Enter through midnight 10/21.


Once again, we'll be giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to one of our lucky readers.   Winner can pick 4 tickets to either opening night at Allstate Arena Thursday Nov. 1 at 7:00pm, or Friday Nov. 2 at 10:30am at Allstate Arena, or Friday Nov. 14 at 7pm at United Center.


*Wait for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on the actual page title or "a Rafflecopter giveaway link" and it should pop right up).   Enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to FELD for once again providing us with review tickets, special pre-show opportunities & 4 tickets for our give away.


Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents DRAGONS is a once in a
millennium event that honors The Year of the Dragon. Circus performers
from the farthest reaches of the earth have assembled for Ringling
Bros.® Presents Dragons to showcase their astounding acts of bravery and
astonishing athleticism. Ringling Bros. Ringmaster Johnathan Lee
Iverson presides over this fantastical celebratory tournament of circus
champions that brings together mystic dragon lore with authentic circus
feats. Dragons is a never-before-seen blend of renowned spiritual and
real life legends that can be found only at The Greatest Show On
Earth®! 






Ringling Bros® and Barnum & Bailey Presents DRAGONS





Allstate Arena: Nov. 1-11, 2012

Prices: 
Circus Celebrity - $90 
Front Row – weekend =$60 / weekday = $50
VIP - $40
P1 – $25
P2 – $19
P3 - $13
**Circus Celebrity seats sell out early, with 20+ minutes where you and your family become a part of the show on the Arena floor.   Act fast if that's of interest.


Schedule: 
Thursday – 7:00
Friday – 10:30, 7:00
Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30
Sunday – 1:00, 5:00
Wednesday thru Friday – 7:00
Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30
Sunday - 1:00, 5:00



Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Sun.

NOV. 1
NOV. 2
NOV. 3
NOV. 4


10:30 AM
11:30 AM




3:30 PM
1:00 PM

7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
5:00 PM
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Sun.
NOV. 7
NOV. 8
NOV. 9
NOV. 10
NOV. 11



11:30 AM




3:30 PM
1:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
5:00 PM


United Center:  Nov. 14-25, 2012
Prices: 
Circus Celebrity - $90
Front Row – weekend =$60 / weekday = $50
VIP - $40
P1 – $25
P2 – $19
P3 - $13

Schedule: 
Wednesday – 7:00
Thursday & Friday – 10:30, 7:00
Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30
Sunday – 1:00, 5:00
Tuesday – 7:00
Wednesday –2:00, 7:00
Friday  & Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30
Sunday - 1:00, 5:00


Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Sun

NOV. 14
NOV. 15
NOV. 16
NOV. 17
NOV. 18


10:30 AM
10:30 AM
11:30 AM





3:30 PM
1:00 PM

7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
5:00 PM
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Sun.
NOV. 20
NOV. 21
NOV. 22
NOV. 23
NOV. 24
NOV. 25

2:00 PM

11:30 AM
11:30 AM




3:30 PM
3:30 PM
1:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM

7:00 PM
7:30 PM
5:00 PM








  • Doors open an hour prior to each performance ALL tickets holders are invited down to the arena floor for the FREE ALL ACCESS PRE-SHOW Power Up Party!!  Arrive early and bring your cameras for a chance to meet your favorite performers and animals.





The anticipation builds throughout Ringling Bros. Presents DRAGONS as Children Of All Ages bear witness to one phenomenal Ringling Bros. circus act after another, from Shaolin Kung Fu Warriors, charging Cossack riders, magnificent Asian elephants, fierce tigers to the frenzied Globe of Steel. As the audience observes these and even more real world displays that pay tribute to the dragon, their continued excitement will bring glimpses of the elusive beast. But, the big question remains; what will it take to lure a true dragon from its golden lair? 

Ringling Bros. Presents DRAGONS opens with the All Access Pre-show available to all ticket holders. Families can join Pre-show Host Andre McClain and participate in interactive experiences such as learning juggling and balancing skills, get performer autographs, see one of Ringling Bros. majestic Asian elephant’s paint a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and meet the Ringling Bros. Clowns, whose side-splitting spoofs, absurd antics and comical parody are guaranteed to keep audiences roaring with laughter!



Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey searched far and wide, from north to south and east to west, to bring audiences spellbinding acts, including:
  • The Shaolin Warriors, from China, eintense and fearless Kung Fu martial arts dating back to the 5th Century. Trained at an early age to become masters of their discipline, the Shaolin Warriors demonstrate powerful concentration and skill by using rapid movements and the sheer strength of their own bodies to twist eight foot long metal rods; break six foot long wooden poles in one precise strike; or be lifted seven feet in the air on the points of five handheld spears. Not even 16 steel blades rotating within a metal ring of fire can unnerve the steady mind of a Shaolin Warrior as he jumps through the razor-sharp blaze blindfolded!

  • The Riders of the Wind, a dozen of the most deftly-balancing Cossack riders, charge into the ring on their thoroughbred horses, displaying great strength and amazing dexterity. The equestrian acrobat riders perform intricate maneuvers on horseback, including a double-man pyramid that builds to a remarkable Roman riding five-man high pyramid, all while the horses are galloping at full speed!






  • The Globe of Steel features the Torres Family who will shatter all records by putting eightfamily members on specialized motorcycles. Once locked inside a 16-foot steel globe, all together they will orbit at an unprecedented 65 miles per hour within inches of each other.

  • Hailing from Great Britain and appearing in the United States for the first time, Alexander Lacey, trainer and award winning presenter, along with his big cats including tigers and lions, summons brazen bravadoand valor in one mixed cat display. Lacey’s fearless command of the big cats’ agility and strength demonstrates unconditional respect between man and predator.


  • Featured in a dazzling aerial display, Viktoriya Medeiros and Widny Neves, the Hair Hang Heroines ascend 35-feet in the air from just the strands of their long dark hair. Relying on the pure strength of their hair, they juggle, flip and even spiral down a silk chiffon!  

  • The Flying Caceres,with their double decker high trapeze specifically for Ringling Bros., will soar elegantly through the air at The Greatest Show On Earth. will present the wildly difficult forward triple somersault and in the first worldwide attempt, troupe leader George Caceres will undertake a full twisting double bar-to-bar somersault.



Lions....and tigers....and DRAGONS?!   OH MY!




  • A whimsical, heartwarming and awe inspiring display of showmanship brings an animal menagerie from 10 pounds to 10,000 pounds only found at Ringling Bros. DRAGONS. Treasured Ringling Bros. Asian elephants, the largest herd of any circus in North America, are presented in an incredible spectacle of majestic wonder and strength. Andre McClainpresents a charming display of mixed hoofstock including horses,ponies, mini-donkeys, goats; Hans Klose his ten high-energy rescue dogsdisplay their animal athleticism by high jumping, hurdling, back flipping, walking on their hind legs and even diving from 16 feet up in the air; and, Mayyaand Andriy Panfilovamaze as their troupe of performing domestic felinesscale a “kitty low wire,” balance on top of balls, jump through hula hoops and walk across parallel bars only using their front paws.

  • In a friendly tournament of Russian Bar Renegades and Teeterboard Titans, two amazing acrobatic troupes attempt to outdo one another as they vault from a 12-foot-long, six-inch-wide Russian bar showcasing an overwhelming series of flips, twists and somersaults sequences. These athletes will astonish as they ramp it up by securing themselves to six-foot-tall stilts before being launched from the teeterboard, executing not a just single, not even a double, but an unbelievable triple somersault!

Roaring through the arena sky is the dueling double motorcycle high-wire!  Hearts will pound as two daredevil riders race their motorcycles on specially designed high-wires suspended 30 feet over the audience. Precariously poised from each bike are beautiful aerialists who feed the flames of excitement with flips and spins all while on the moving bikes!

All Access Pre-show Descriptions:

Don’t miss DRAGONS, all-new circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®! Arrive an hour early and meet our animals and performers at the All Access Pre-show Power-up Party – free with your ticket!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® DRAGONS! goers can meet some of Ringling Bros.majestic animals, see a pachyderm paint a portrait and learn more about Ringling Bros. commitment to elephant conservation at the All Access Pre-show―Free with your ticket! Playing Allstate Arena Nov. 1-11 and united Center Nov. 14-25.  Get your tickets today at Ringling.com.

An hour before show time, audiences can join Ringling Bros.talented performers and learn new circus skillsthe All Access Pre-show, FREE with your ticket! Audience members can get up close and personal with Ringling Bros. performers to take photos, get autographs and learn circus skills at the All Access Pre-show. 

Playing Allstate Arena Nov. 1-11 and united Center Nov. 14-25.  Get your tickets today at Ringling.com.



Click here for sweet show videos, behind the scenes fun and more details.     





I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre -Show events.  


Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine

Saturday, October 13, 2012

ACT OUT: ChiIL Live Shows Highly Recommended List #reviews

Highly Recommended Theatre Now Playing:



Iron Stag King Part 1 at The House Theatre (review)-closing October 21!


all production photos from The House Theatre
credit Michael Brosilow

A myth is born!   The kids (9 & 11) and I caught opening night and thoroughly enjoyed The House Theatre's Iron Stag King Part 1.   They've created a truly magical, engrossing mythology which is at the same time archetypal and entirely new.   Highly recommended.   This is one show you do NOT want to miss this season!   


This is not a children's show as there is stage violence and a complex multilayered plot, but the show is fine for savvy tweens, teens and up, especially those familiar with Norse Mythology, The Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter and fantasy role playing games.   My 4th and 6th graders were entranced with the writing and captivated by the whole production, puppetry and drama.


One of our favorite things about House Theatre is their rampant creativity that runs through their original writing, set design, costumes and even their play bills.   They've outdone themselves this time with vintage postcards for tickets and a full blown, fold out map of the realm as a play bill!   Love it


After a bit of a slow start, the 2nd act is teeming with stage combat, magic,  chess worthy strategy and hallucinogenic mind games.   The youngest cast member and her father carried off the eeriest, most disturbing scene of all.   The only thing that makes me happier than seeing The Iron Stag King come to fruition is knowing it's just part one of a trilogy!    





Iron Stag King Part 1 

A myth of crowns and country


Now Playing through October 21


Featuring Company Members Cliff Chamberlain and Joey Steakley


“An EPICHIGHLY ENTERTAINING affair! …an EXPANSIVE and ARRESTING new production …an AMBITIOUS and EBULLIENT piece of original theater” 
Chicago Tribune

FOUR STARS “Performed with PLAYFULNESS and POLISH, it whets our appetite for the next installment.”
Time Out Chicago

RECOMMENDED "The action sequences are THRILLING and IMMEDIATE. The costumes, lighting and puppetry are CAPTIVATING and often EYE-POPPING! " 
– NewCity Stage 

From the writer/director of ‘Death and Harry Houdini’ comes a new epic journey filled with heated battles and life-size puppets.

Our unsuspecting hero, Casper Kent, is the son of a poor farmer. When an old storyteller reveals that Casper is the rightful heir to the throne, his life is threatened from all sides. Young Casper must escape the crownless, choose compatriots and question what is good and right for the land. Join him on his quest to lift the magical hammer that will unite or destroy them all.




Join us on Twitter or Facebook for updates. And follow the production process onTumblr





SEASON 11


THE IRON STAG KING

Part One
a myth of crowns and country

THE MAGNIFICENTS
a magician’s legacy is passed on

PLOUGHED UNDER: AN AMERICAN SONGBOOK
a concert of folk tales

Also

THE NUTCRACKER
our fantastical expansion of a holiday classic returns

THE MAGIC PARLOUR
at The Palmer House Hilton Hotel
Click here for our past coverage and show details including our video interview with Dennis Watkins, star of The House Theatre's ongoing Friday night Magic Parlour show now in an open run at Palmer House.



Metamorphoses at Lookingglass Theatre-now extended through Dec. 16th-Highly recommended!

Do NOT miss this truly transformative theatre.   This show will change you and leave ripples for years to come.  The deepest archtypal characters emerge from the subconscious of Lookingglass Theatre's reflecting pool and morph into flowers, trees, gold, and melt back into water again.

With the true skill of an alchemist, Mary Zimmerman brings forth the myths of Ovid and transforms them into storyteller's gold. 

Click here for our review and show details. 


I Love Lucy LIVE at The Broadway Playhouse through Nov 11th (review)-


ChiIL Live Shows had a chance to check out opening night and this musical adaptation is a hoot!  It's tame enough for the kids and a time travel trip for the elder generations.  There are in jokes, plenty of show references, and even a game show segment where members of the audience compete on I Love Lucy trivia.   However, the show also stands alone as a funny, fun piece, even if you've never see an original I Love Lucy episode.

Even though I wasn't born when the episodes initially aired, I do remember seeing most, if not all of them in daytime TV reruns, as a child in the 70's.   Just about the only time we were allowed to watch endless TV was when we were out of school sick.   So I Love Lucy is like comfort food to me.   I equate the amusing black and white episodes, Lucy's over the top facial expressions and quirky conundrums, and Ricky's Cubanglish and bongos with chicken soup, feather comforters, a big box of tissues, and a Lazy Boy recliner.

Broadway's version does a great job of recreating the naive plots, physical comedy and hilarity of the original, and even the technology of the times--with 1950's mics, cameras, and ads.   The studio singers who belt out all the sponsor jingles to soft shoe routines are homage and fodder simultaneously.

The intimate Broadway Playhouse space is perfect to simulate a studio audience situation, and this nostalgic nugget is a welcome respite from the complicated chaos of this century.  




The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart by National Theatre of Scotland at Chicago Shakespeare-*Check out our photo filled review and show details here.

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