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Monday, July 17, 2017

PHOTO RECAP: Opening Weekend 2017 Adventures at Bristol Renaissance Faire

Travel Back in Time and Party Like It's 1599!











We've been avid fans and frequent visitors to Bristol Renaissance Faire for decades, since the early 90's. The faire has grown and changed greatly over the years, with an increase in shows and family friendly fare, and basic comforts like more modern plumbing. We can't rave enough about how much fun the faire is!



Check out Sir Dugan's Full Set of Photos Here
 More favorites are embedded below. 
Photo credit for most: Dugan Kenaz-Mara (16)


Disclosure: Thanks to Bristol Renaissance Faire for providing my family with complimentary tickets for review purposes. As always, all opinions, experiences, and photos are our own. 

This year was a bit different for us. Our kids are now 14 & 16, and well in the throes of their teen years. Hence, for the first time ever, they chose not to dress up. I'm hoping they come back to a love of costumes when they grow up a bit more. But fashion is a choice and dress up is certainly not mandatory for anyone. Chose your battles. Plenty of visitors to merry olde England are far more comfortable in 21st century summer shorts, and the plethora of freaks and geeks who love to dress up still make the people watching prime. 



Flashback to Bristol Ren Faire 2008 when my costumed kids were 
knighted by the queen & met Greenman.


 



(For 2017 my daughter went fairly 21st century, but she did consult Pinterest for a fun hairstyle and concede to a pirate(ish) skull n crossbones necklace/bones t-shirt tho I wouldn't go so far as to say she went in costume.  My son did bring Renaissance looking pants and shirt and a pouch of juggling balls, but decided at the last minute that the pants were too hot, so he just did the shirt & pouch.) 


Ren Hair Don't Care

(Can't complain about the teens' new lack of enthusiasm for 16th century garb too much. My 14yo did a fabulous job dutch braiding my hair in a circular crown!)




Despite my teens, I have not outgrown playing dress up, and happily came in Renaissance(ish) garb (tho sadly I have temporarily outgrown my beloved blue corset from 7 years ago). I brought 2 parasols and loaned one to my MIL, and they were a HUGE hit. We were complimented all day on them and stayed cool and comfortable, out of the direct sun. 







We caught many old favorites among the shows like Barely Balanced, Adam Crack, 






and Mooney, 





as well as two new acts. Cirque du Sewer (the trained rat & cat show) and Duende, an energetic, multiculti accordion outfit with a red hair woman lead and ballads from around the world. Duende is a high-energy dance band that marries melodies from the Balkan Regions with Latin flavors & American vivacity. This accordion-heavy band led by Amanda Kitchens will take you on a journey of passion through the music of other cultures. Whether you are looking to free-style or dance a traditional lesnoto, Duende is the band for you. Both shows end at Bristol Ren Faire July 30th. Don't miss this!! 






  
Speaking of old favorites, I've been dreaming of a Mile High Chocolate Crepe all winter. Literally every time we get one, someone says "WOW! What is THAT and where can I get one?!" They also have a couple other versions I've never tried (because chocolate... duh) that feature fruit instead. I also tried a root beer float at another stand, which hit the spot on a hot weekend. They make a sarsaparilla version as well. 









Of course we saw our old friends, The Swordsmen, and got our annual Doug & Doug shot. I think we have at least one a year since my husband Doug (Dug) did the audio for The Swordsmen DVD in 2007. I bump into David Woolley at theatre openings in Chicago throughout the year while reviewing shows, but we only get Doug Mumaw sightings at Bristol Renaissance Faire. Doug's are a rare bunch, though reputed to be concentrated in the arts and particularly on the ren faire circuit!




Flashback to Bristol Ren Faire 2008


When both Dougs had long brown curls and my kids were much shorter! Somehow David Woolley remains the same.








Another big change this year is the teens were old enough to go venturing out in the world to make their fortunes... or was that the hobbits and 3 little pigs?! At any rate, they were over hanging with the adults, so we sent the teens off and got some quality adult shopping, noshing and show time in. It was lovely! After a bit, my 16 year old son, who has a great eye and artistic bent, asked to borrow my pro camera and media credentials. I happily handed them over and he took off to shoot some amazing photos. His Fairy Garden shots are epic, and he captured the creativity of the crowds well too. 







  

(Check out more photo favorites at the bottom of this feature).






As always, we had a terrific time and can't wait to return. Bristol Renaissance Fair is one of the best in the nation and wins awards annually. Highly recommended. 







Click HERE for full information on admission prices, hours, ticket purchasing, ticket discounts, special themed dates and more.





Bristol Renaissance Faire is open for nine weekends. Located just west of I-94’s Russell Road exit, near Kenosha, Wis. Open rain or shine, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday, July 8 through Sep. 3, and Labor Day Monday, Sep. 4. 


Tickets are $25.95 for adults and $11.50 for children, ages 5 to 12. Advance ticket discounts are available at RENFAIR.COM, and participating Walgreens stores.




Disclosure: Once again, thanks to Bristol Renaissance Faire for providing my family with complimentary tickets for review purposes. As always, all opinions, experiences, and photos are our own. 





 More of Sir Dugan's Fabulous Photos:






















  
  









  

  








Saturday, July 15, 2017

LAST CALL: REVIEW: Agency Theater's World Premiere of Nautilina at The Den Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE AGENCY THEATER COLLECTIVE OF CHICAGO PRESENTS
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 
NAUTILINA,
WRITTEN BY BRIAN FOSTER
CO-DIRECTED BY SOMMER AUSTIN AND ANNA LUCERO
JUNE 16 – JULY 16 AT THE DEN THEATRE


(L to R) Armando Reyes, Manny Ortiz.
Photo by Robert Littwin

Grab a drink at one of the Den's several well stocked bars and saunter on in to Finnegans, a dark and edgy alternate reality Cheersesque bar, where nobody knows your name. Pull up a bar stool or pick a booth, or table. It's impossible to tell the actors from the audience at first, and you just may find yourself sharing space with someone with more than a few lines... pick up or otherwise. There's even a live piano man with a storied past, ready to reminisce through a medley of memorable music. The plethora of candles are illuminating, and the characters' back stories even more so. From PTSD and search for meaning in dead end jobs through crazy rants full of wisdom and loves found and lost, Nautilina will keep you captivated. Recommended.

The Agency Theater Collective is pleased to announce its summer  production the world premiere of Nautilina, written by Brian Foster and co-directed by Sommer Austin and Anna Lucero, June 16 – July 16, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Opening night is Friday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Closing is Sunday, July 16 at 3 p.m. Ticket prices for previews are $15 and for the regular run $24.  For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://thedentheatre.com or call The Den Theatre Box Office at 773-697-3830.

Nautilina is series of scenes and monologues that lock into each other like puzzle pieces to create a larger narrative of a fracturing psyche. Nautilina is an examination of what makes people tick, what makes them behave the way they do and the power that history has over us all.


Meg Elliot
Photo by Andrew Gallant


The Agency Theater Collective Nautilina acting company includes:
The artistic and production staff of includes: Sommer Austin*, co-director; Anna Lucero, co-director; Niki Dreistadt, asst. director and sound designer; Kathryn McNall; production stage manager; Shannon Lauzier, asst. stage manager; Hope Rehak, dramaturg; Kate Jacobsen*, costume designer; Ellie Humphrys*, lighting designer; Alec Long, scenic designer; Manny Ortiz, technical director; Taylor Tolleson, properties designer; Zachary Sigelko and Huck Poe, video designers; Michael Chancellor, scenic painter.  Andrew Gallant, artistic director of The Agency; Sommer Austin, managing director of the Agency and Tim Touhy, company manager of The Agency.

The acting ensemble includes: Matthew Collins, (The Couple/Rod); Meg Elliott (Ray); Zach Hebert (Owen); Logan Hulick (Eric); Alex Kliner (Piano Player/Walter); DeChantel Kosmatka (Cassandra); Manuela Rentea (Simone/Mary); Bob Norman (Bar Patron/John); Manny Ortiz (Bar Patron/Robert); Armando Reyes (Bartender/Paul/SSG Cooper); Sara Faye Richmond* (The Couple/Ashley); Kate Gilbert (Understudy); Kate Jacobsen* (Understudy); Carter Petray (Understudy); and David Trudeau (Understudy).

*indicates The Agency Theater Collective Company member

ABOUT THE AGENCY THEATER COLLECTIVE
Founded in 2010, The Agency Theater Collective creates relevant, authentic work with a focus on new or rarely produced plays. Past productions include Paul Pasulka’s Skin for Skin, Mia McCullough’s Chagrin Falls, Copi’s Four Twins, Clifford Odets’ Paradise Lost, Out of Tune Confessional, I Wish to Apologize to the People of Illinois, At the Center, Truth in Context (Non-Equity Jeff Award nominee for Best New Work in 2015/2016), and The Spirit of ’76. The Agency also hosts “No Shame Theatre,” a weekly theatrical open mic, every Saturday night at The Lincoln Loft. The Agency Theater Collective hold these principles sacred: revelation, paradox, humor, mischief and collaboration.

Zach Hebert, DeChantel Kosmatka
Photo by Andrew Gallant

EXTENDED: HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC AT STEPPENWOLF’S LOOKOUT SERIES

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

STEPPENWOLF’S LOOKOUT SERIES EXTENDS  
HOW TO BE A ROCK CRITIC 
(BASED ON THE WRITINGS OF LESTER BANGS)
BY JESSICA BLANK AND ERIK JENSEN
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND 


NOW PLAYING THROUGH JULY 29, 2017

By popular demand Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series extends its rock ‘n’ roll production of the solo play, How To Be A Rock Critic (Based on the Writings of Lester Bangs) by award-winning theatre artists Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, starring Erik Jensen (The Walking Dead, Mr. Robot) as Lester Bangs and directed by Jessica Blank (Made in Jersey, The Namesake). Described as “a fascinating window into one of the last century's most compelling and fearless critics,” (Chicago Tribune), the 90-minute production continues for three additional performances through July 29, 2017 in the 1700 Theatre, situated behind Front Bar: Coffee & Drinks (drinks permitted in the theater).

Performances in the regular schedule are Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 3:30pm and 8pm. Tickets ($30) to the additional performances of How To Be A Rock Critic on sale Saturday, July 15 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Added performances of How To Be A Rock Critic include:

Thursday, July 27 at 8pm
Friday, July 28 at 8pm
Saturday, July 29 at 8pm

America’s greatest rock critic, gonzo journalist and inventor of the word “punk,” legendary music writer Lester Bangs was an American icon. Outsized, manic, fucked-up and impossibly creative, Lester traveled with some of the most iconic musical figures of the 20th century—The Clash, Bob Marley, Lou Reed— peeling away the veneer between “star” and audience and revealing the “greats” as flawed and failing humans. He was at once irreligious and messianic about his hopes for the future, humanity in general, and music in particular. Music could save the world. At least that’s what you tell yourself when you start out. But when the ragged, rebel ethos of the seventies gave way to the corporate pop of the eighties, Lester lost the myth he’d built a life around, and died of a drug overdose in 1982.

This solo play by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen (award-winning writers of The Exonerated and Aftermath) adapts Lester’s own writing to chart the life, work and death of one of the 20th century’s most ground-breaking, risk-taking, pioneering voices.

Each evening show in the regular run is followed by legendary Chicago area musicians playing some of Lester Bangs’s personal favorite songs and artists. This weekend will feature The Lester Bangs Memorial Tribute Band with Jim DeRogatis (July 13-15), followed by David Singer & The Sweet Science (July 20-22). Saturday matinees on July 15 & 22 will be followed by discussions with music critic and Lester Bangs biographer Jim DeRogatis and the artists.

Lester Bangs was a rock critic who reached iconic status in the 1970s with his passionate, intellectually honest writing in books and publications such as Rolling Stone, Creem, The Village Voice, Penthouse, Playboy and others. He spent time with and wrote about the 20th century’s greatest musicians, including The Clash, Bob Marley, Lou Reed, Paul McCartney, Blondie, Iggy Pop, The Ramones and many more. He was born in Escondido, California on December 14, 1948, and he died in New York City on April 30, 1982.

Jessica Blank (Co-writer and Director) co-wrote the play Liberty City with April Yvette Thompson and directed its Off-Broadway production at New York Theater Workshop (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Her second novel, Karma for Beginners, was published by Hyperion in 2009 and her third is forthcoming from Penguin in 2018. As an actor, Jessica appeared regularly as the lead’s loudmouthed big sister in CBS’ Made in Jersey. Additional TV credits include the pilot of High Maintenance for HBO, Blue Bloods, Elementary, The Following, The Mentalist, Bored to Death, Rescue Me, Law and Order: CI, The Bronx is Burning, and several more. Film acting credits include The Namesake (dir. Mira Nair), The Exonerated, and several indies including Creative Control (SXSW Grand Jury Prize, 2015), On the Road with Judas (Sundance) and You’re Nobody Until Somebody Kills You (prod. Spike Lee). She has acted in theaters throughout New York City and has three new films coming out in 2017.

Erik Jensen (Co-writer and Performer) TV acting credits include major arcs on The Walking Dead and Mr. Robot, leads in the CBS pilot Second Sight, NBC pilot The Frontier and Fox TV movie Virtuality (dir. Peter Berg). He appeared as baseball legend Thurman Munson in miniseries The Bronx is Burning, and has made numerous recurring and guest appearances including The Americans, House of Cards, Turn, Elementary, Person of Interest, Major Crimes, Chicago PD, CSI, and many more. His film credits include Black Knight, The Love Letter, and over two dozen indies. Theater credits include the Pulitzer-Prize winning production of Disgraced at LCT3, The Good Negro at the Public, and Arthur Kopit’s Y2K and Terrance McNally’s Corpus Christi at MTC. His sci-fi graphic novel The Reconcilers was published in 2010 to wide acclaim.

How To Be A Rock Critic is presented as part of LookOut, Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form. Emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Steppenwolf Red Card and Black Card Members may use credits towards LookOut programming. The LookOut Series is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. John Zinn, Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 8am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Front Bar serves artisanal coffee and espresso is provided by La Colombe and has a new menu with food prepared by Goddess and the Grocer. The menu focuses on fresh, accessible fare, featuring grab-and-go salads and sandwiches for lunch and adding shareable small plates and desserts for evening and post show service. More info at front-bar.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 49 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Additional outreach initiatives include Steppenwolf Education, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities with teen programming, educator training and community partnerships; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of The Audience to Open Season 21 for Timeline Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY OPENS 21ST SEASON WITH THE 
CHICAGO PREMIERE OF PETER MORGAN'S INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PLAY 
THE AUDIENCE, 
DIRECTED BY NICK BOWLING, 
AUGUST 16 - NOVEMBER 12, FEATURING TIMELINE COMPANY MEMBER 
JANET ULRICH BROOKS AS QUEEN ELIZABETH II


Ensemble cast also features Chicago theatre veterans Matt DeCaro, 
David Lively, Carmen Roman and Mark Ulrich, with Sophie Ackerman 
and Audrey Edwards, all making their TimeLine debuts



TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of THE AUDIENCE by (from left) Peter Morgan, directed by Nick Bowling, and featuring Janet Ulrich Brooks, Matt DeCaro, David Lively, Carmen Roman and Mark Ulrich, with Sophie Ackerman and Audrey Edwards. 

TimeLine Theatre Company announces the first production of its 2017-2018 season—the Chicago premiere of THE AUDIENCE by Peter Morgan, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, and featuring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks in the central role of Queen Elizabeth II, August 24 – November 12, 2017 (previews August 16 – 23) at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Press Night is Wednesday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6. 



TimeLine brings Chicago its first view of Peter Morgan’s “funny and truthful” (The Times) and “hugely enjoyable and cumulatively very affecting” (The Independent) Broadway and West End hit. Known as the author of FROST/NIXON (another TimeLine hit, in 2010) and the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for THE QUEEN, Morgan also created the highly rated Netflix series THE CROWN, inspired by THE AUDIENCE and streaming now.
Every Tuesday afternoon for more than 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II has met with her Prime Ministers in a private audience, a gesture of unity between government and Crown. Through moments of tension, negotiation, war, and unrest, these conversations with political leaders from Winston Churchill to Harold Wilson to Margaret Thatcher have remained a constant across the years. Playwright Peter Morgan re-imagines these meetings, giving us a glimpse at the queen’s role in guiding the circumstances that have shaped Great Britain, and a window into the mystery, compassion and humor of the woman behind the iconic crown. 

Cumulatively, THE AUDIENCE cast members have been nominated 25 times in acting categories at the Joseph Jefferson Awards, and have received eight awards. Leading the cast will be TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks as Queen Elizabeth II. A six-time Jeff Award nominee for roles at TimeLine, including 33 VARIATIONS, A WALK IN THE WOODS and ALL MY SONS, her other recent credits include VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE (Jeff Award nomination) at the Goodman Theatre, WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD (Helen Hayes Award nomination) at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C., and BAKERSFIELD MIST at TimeLine.

Surrounding Brooks will be a spectacular Chicago ensemble cast all making their TimeLine debuts: Matt DeCaro (Winston Churchill / Harold Wilson / Tony Blair), David Lively (Equerry), Carmen Roman (Margaret Thatcher), and Mark Ulrich (John Major / Gordon Brown / Anthony Eden / David Cameron), with Sophie Ackerman and Audrey Edwards sharing the role of Young Elizabeth. 
The production team for THE AUDIENCE includes Jeff Kmiec (Scenic Designer), Theresa Ham (Costume Designer), TimeLine Associate Artist Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), TimeLine Associate Artist Andrew Hansen (Sound Designer), Amy Peter (Properties Designer), Katie Cordts (Wig Designer), Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), Jared Bellot (Dramaturg), Carol Ann Tan (Assistant Dramaturg), Helen Young (Associate Director), Brennan T. Jones (Assistant Director) and Luci Kersting (Stage Manager).

SPONSORS
TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of THE AUDIENCE is sponsored in part by Dan and Claudia Cyganowski, in memory of Carol Cyganowski to honor her long-time support of Chicago theater.   

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS 
PREVIEWS: Wednesday 8/16 through Saturday 8/19 at 8 p.m.; Sunday 8/20 at 4 pm.; Tuesday 8/22 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday 8/23 at 7:30 p.m.
PRESS NIGHT: Wednesday 8/23 at 7:30 p.m.
OPENING NIGHT: Thursday 8/24 at 7:30 p.m.
REGULAR RUN, through November 12: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. (except 8/26) and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. 

DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:
— Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday 8/30, Thursday 9/7, Sunday 9/10, Thursday 9/28, Sunday 10/8, and Wednesday 10/11.

— Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg with members of the production team on Sunday 9/17 and Wednesday 9/20.

— Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday 9/16 at 4 p.m. Partial support of open captioning is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

— Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday 9/24.

— Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday 10/1.
All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.

BUYING TICKETS
Single ticket prices are $40 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $54 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Preview tickets are $25. Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.
Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.
Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING
THE AUDIENCE will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. TimeLine Theatre is located near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood.
The location is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. TimeLine offers discounted parking at the Standard Parking garages at Broadway Center ($8 with validation; 2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall ($9 with validation; 2836 N. Clark), with other paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking.

ACCESSIBILITY
TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs should contact the TimeLine Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements. See DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS above for information about the open-captioned performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

BIOGRAPHIES

Peter Morgan (Playwright) is an award-winning British film and television screenwriter and playwright. Morgan is best known for writing historical films and plays, including THE QUEEN, FROST/NIXON, THE DAMNED UNITED and RUSH, and is the creator of Netflix's currently running drama series THE CROWN. Other film work includes THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL; HEREAFTER; 360; MARTHA, MEET FRANK, DANIEL AND LAURENCE; and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. 

Nick Bowling (Director) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (THE HISTORY BOYS, THE NORMAL HEART, FIORELLO!, THIS HAPPY BREED and THE CRUCIBLE at TimeLine, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Porchlight Music Theatre, and ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for BLOOD AND GIFTS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, HAUPTMANN and THE LION IN WINTER at TimeLine; CLOSER THAN EVER at Porchlight Music Theatre; CITY OF ANGELS, THE KING AND I and MAN OF LA MANCHA at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include A DISAPPEARING NUMBER, THE LAST WIFE, DANNY CASOLARO DIED FOR YOU and JUNO. Other Chicago credits include Marriott’s THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, Paramount's A CHRISTMAS STORY, Northwestern University’s CABARET, Porchlight’s A CATERED AFFAIR, Writers Theatre's BACH AT LEIPZIG and Shattered Globe Theatre's TIME OF THE CUCKOO and FROZEN ASSETS.

Janet Ulrich Brooks (Queen Elizabeth II) is a TimeLine Company Member, where she has appeared in more than 10 productions, most recently BAKERSFIELD MIST, with Mike Nussbaum. She has received Jeff Award nominations for her work at TimeLine in 33 VARIATIONS, A WALK IN THE WOODS, ALL MY SONS, NOT ENOUGH AIR, WHEN SHE DANCED and WEEKEND. Other recent credits include The Goodman Theatre’s 2666 and VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE (Equity Jeff Award nomination, Actress in a Principal role – Play), and WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD (Helen Hayes Award nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play; Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Washington, DC). Other theatre credits include the remount of TimeLine’s TO MASTER THE ART (Chicago Commercial Collective and Broadway in Chicago at the Broadway Playhouse); A TRUE HISTORY OF THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD, TEDDY FERRARA, and THE SEAGULL (Goodman); NATIVE GARDENS and FAILURE: A LOVE STORY (Victory Gardens); SOUTH OF SETTLING (Steppenwolf); TEN CHIMNEYS (Northlight); and portraying Golda Meir in GOLDA’S BALCONY (Pegasus Players, Non-Equity Jeff Award, Outstanding Solo Performance). Brooks’ television credits include the Netflix series SENSE8, CHICAGO FIRE, BOSS, UNDEREMPLOYED, and THE PLAYBOY CLUB. Film credits include DIVERGENT, CONVICTION, POLISHBAR, ONE SMALL HITCH, THE MIDDLE DISTANCE, I HEART SHAKEY, and Recursive Pictures’ short film FOR A GOOD TIME. Brooks was the first recipient of the Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award from the University of Central Missouri. She is a proud member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 20 seasons, TimeLine has presented 71 productions, including nine world premieres and 31 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 11th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 53 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times. 

The rest of TimeLine Theatre’s upcoming 2017-18 season includes: 
— IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, Sarah Ruhl’s Victorian-era tale of a woman’s journey to understand herself and find greater equality in her marriage and the world, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, October 20 – December 17, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.
— The Chicago premiere of BOY by Anna Ziegler, inspired by the real-life story of a boy who claims his true identity after being raised as a girl, and finds love, directed by Damon Kiely, January 10 – March 18, 2018 at TimeLine Theatre.
— And the world premiere of TO CATCH A FISH by Chicagoan Brett Neveu, the first play to be produced that was written and developed through TimeLine’s inaugural Playwrights Collective, about a family and a community torn apart by a flawed search for justice, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 25 – July 1, 2018 at TimeLine Theatre.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Seabury Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation. 

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District.


Recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions
TimeLine Theatre Company | 773.281.8463 | timelinetheatre.com

Thursday, July 13, 2017

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE of THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER STARRING DANI SHAY of THE GLEE PROJECT and AMERICA’S GOT TALENT at STAGE 773 8/31-10/15

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

PERMOVEO PRODUCTIONS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH PRIDE FILMS & PLAYS, PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

CIVIL WAR ERA MUSICAL 
THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER STARRING DANI SHAY 
OF THE GLEE PROJECT AND AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, AUGUST 31 – OCTOBER 15 AT STAGE 773


Photo of Dani Shay - courtesy of Dani Shay. 


Set During the Civil War, this Incredibly Timely New Musical Features a Book by 
GLAAD-Nominated Writer Jay Paul Deratany, 
Music and Lyrics by 
Acclaimed Folk Musician Joe Stevens and Emmy-Nominated Writer / Director Keaton Wooden

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to check out this world premiere. Just today, I got an e-mail that the House of Representatives will vote on an anti-transgender Hartzler Amendment that would prohibit transition-related care for service members and their families. It's astounding to me that the military still has a huge issue with treating gay, trans, and even women soldiers in any kind of equitable way. That's all the more reason to revisit, recount and remember the heroic stories of brave individuals like THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER. 

Permoveo Productions, in association with Pride Films & Plays, presents the world premiere production of The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier playing at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., August 31 – October 15, starring former Glee Project star and America’s Got Talent Contestant Dani Shay. The production is co-composed and directed by Keaton Wooden, co-composed by Joe Stevens, written by Jay Paul Deratany and is music directed by Jon Schneidman. 

Opening night is Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. and preview performances are August 31 – September 3. The regular performance schedule, running through October 15, is Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. 

Preview tickets are $30 and regular run tickets are $40. You may purchase tickets at http://www.stage773.com and get more information at www.albertcashierthemusical.com.

This true story, set between 1862 and 1915, tells the astonishing, “timely, essential, insightful” and true story of “an amazing figure from [our] history” (The Windy City Times). In The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, Albert Cashier is a Civil War soldier with a secret that resonates with today’s modern world. Detailing the soldier’s life fighting in more than 40 engagements during the Civil War, the musical follows Cashier through retirement and the onset of dementia, when a life-long secret was discovered: That Albert was born Jennifer Hodgers. Causing an uproar in the small southern Illinois community where Cashier lived, Cashier was prosecuted for impersonating a soldier, requiring fellow soldiers to return once again after 60 years to detail Albert’s heroism and life.

In a joint statement, Director Keaton Wooden and cast member Delia Kropp said "in so many ways, Albert's story is a true American one -- a soldier who served their country and wanted nothing more than personal liberty to live life as they wished to. We don't know how Albert identified. All we know is they were born female, and lived as Albert. So, in a time where all of America was fighting to define what it would become, Albert fought to define themselves on their own terms. Male? Female? Soldier? Farmer? In Albert's time (and possibly in ours) there may have been no words to describe who Albert wanted to be. So we took the story to a place beyond words: a musical. This is a story about self-determination. While American society drew attention to Albert's gender, this story asks us to look through the eyes of a person who lived simply, authentically, and at peace with themselves until the outside world interfered. In the end, Albert became an outlaw for simply existing."

Jay Paul Deratany and Director Keaton Wooden worked together with acclaimed musician and trans composer Joe Stevens to translate Albert's story to music. The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier has been workshopped at The Chicago Musical Theater Festival at Victory Gardens, and The Los Angeles LGBT Arts Center. The show will make its world premiere in the same state that Albert Cashier lived: Illinois.




Photo of Cast headshot block courtesy of Permoveo Production: (L to R) Charlie Baker, Delia Kropp, Katherine Condit, Chuck Quinn, Josiah Robinson, Billy Rude, Roy Samra, Gabriel Fries, Jonathan Stombres and Jordan Harris. 



Cast for The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier includes: Dani Shay (Young Albert), Katherine Condit (Old Albert), Delia Kropp (Nurse), Billy Rude (Jeffrey), Chuck Quinn IV (Billy), Gabe Fries (Collins/Kirby), Jordan Harris (Joe/U/S Jeffrey), Jonathan Stombres (John/Confederate Soldier), Roy Samra (Bugle Boy/Ensemble/U/S Billy and John), Josiah Robinson (Hearing Officer/Ensemble/U/S Joe, Collins and Kirby) and Charlie Baker (U/S Young Baker). Additional cast will be announced at a later date.

The production and creative team for The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier includes: Jay Paul Deratany (writer/lead producer), Keaton Wooden (director/co-composer/creative producer), Joe Stevens (co-composer), Jon Schneidman (music director), Derek Van Barham (choreography), Robert Ulrich (casting director/producer), Tim Smith (marketing and sales manager), Christopher Pazdernik (associate producer) and David Zak (creative consulting producer). Additional production and creative team members to be announce at a later date.

ABOUT DANI SHAY, Playing Young Albert Cashier
Dani Shay is a non-binary trans singer/songwriter, actor, and activist is honored to portray Albert D.J. Cashier in this poignant piece. After experiencing big waves of internet attention, then appearing on America's Got Talent and The Glee Project 2, Shay co-founded Be More Heroic, a non-profit organization geared toward helping young people cultivate more compassion and confidence. Shay has also worked with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, Epic Leaders, PeaceLove, and ASTEP: artsINSIDEOUT.  Most recently, Shay started an artist commune in Los Angeles, where seven creatives, a goofy dog, and a lazy cat happily coexist. Shay's original music can be found in all the usual online places.

ABOUT JAY PAUL DERATANY, Book, Additional Lyrics and Lead Producer
A graduate of Michigan State University and then DePaul Law School, Jay Paul Deratany built a career in Chicago as one of the top 100 lawyers in the country and became a well-known human rights advocate, writing op-eds and multiple advocacy articles for legal and political journals. He then decided to pursue his passion for creative writing as a playwright and screenwriter and graduated as valedictorian with a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California.  Two of Deratany’s earlier plays include Veronica, performed at Victory Gardens, and a comedy Two Grooms and A Mohel, at Bailiwick Theater.

When Deratany saw the abuses committed against the LGBTQ community worldwide, and specifically the murder of alleged gay youth he was inspired to write Haram Iran, for which he received a London Arts counsel grant, and a nomination for a GLAAD award for best theatrical writing in California. Haram Iran initially played in Chicago and went on to the Celebration Theater in LA, London’s Above the Stag Theater and, most recently, at TADA in New York.

In 2012, Deratany wrote his first feature film, Saugatuck Cures, a comedy which follows the struggles between a gay brother and his right wing Christian sister, which earned acclaims:  Official Selection and Audience Choice Award from the Cinema Diverse film festival inPalm Springs, Official Selection from the QFlix film festival in Philadephia and the REELING 32 film festival in Chicago. His recent screenplay, Foster Boy, is currently in production, and is backed by Double Dutch Entertainment and Executive Produced Antoine Fuqua and directed by Youssef Delara.  

Deratany’s recent stage play, The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, is a musical that has been received with standing ovations for staged readings at the LGBT Center for the Arts in Los Angeles and will be fully produced in Chicago at Stage 773 this September.  Deratany continues to be an advocate for global LGBT youth rights.

ABOUT KEATON WOODEN, Co-Composer and Director
Keaton Wooden is an Emmy and Rhodes nominated writer, producer and director. Wooden's early work gained him an Emmy nomination for "Vibrations," following the Indiana School for the Deaf as they create a performing arts troupe. His next project was the feature film NightLights, at the Lifetime Movie Network. Wooden is a proud member of theatrical producing firm Chicago Commercial Collective, who remounted Chicago's biggest plays, including Ike Holter's Hit the Wall and The New Colony's 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, and was producer Irvine Welsh's world premiere theatrical adaptation of his novel/film Trainspotting USA. A Rhodes scholar nominee, Wooden studied Modern Literature and Critical Theory at the University of Oxford England as part of the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford program, and has travelled the world on humanitarian missions. He has presented research on his experience in the entertainment industry and the humanities at the University of Oxford England, Kingston University, IFP Chicago, Wheatstone Academy, and the Screen Actors Guild.

ABOUT JOE STEVENS, Co-Composer
Originally from Sacramento, CA, Joe Stevens received a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA, and has been touring and wandering the U.S.A. for the last ten years. Stevens’ music rides the edge of the first wave of transgender performers to break through into the public consciousness. The social media explosion combined with shifting public opinion created the conditions that enabled trans and queer artists, a highly marginalized and isolated subculture, to connect and gain visibility. There is now a thriving community of trans and queer musicians, with new comers and folks who have been playing music all along, that is visible and growing in every corner of the world.

Between 2006 and 2012 Stevens’ first band, Coyote Grace, released five well-loved albums and toured with the Indigo Girls, Melissa Ferrick, and Girlyman; sharing stages with Chris Pureka, Greensky Bluegrass, Reverend Payton's Big Damn Band, and legends such as Cris Williamson and Lowen and Navarro. They quickly gained a strong cult following in the Folk/Americana world, taught workshops at many colleges and universities around the country and drove many a mile touring with their contemporaries and heroes.

Stevens released his first solo album “Last Man Standing” in 2014, recorded in Seattle at Empty Sea Studios and co-produced with everything-man Michael Connolly. The album has a strong focus on word craft, with folk roots and old time sensibilities, yet with subtly altered meters, progressions and content, a work that is both alternative and traditional.

“Songs of the People” was birthed in 2014; a project where Stevens writes songs based on interviews with willing folks. Creating a cohesive narrative of one’s life is a way to come to terms with the past, reintegrating an often times broken sense of self and honoring the conditions that give rise to who we are is one of the gifts of art and songwriting.

ABOUT JON SCHNEIDMAN, Music Director
Jon Schneidman is a Jeff-nominated music director, composer and musician. He has worked on various projects theaters all around the Chicagoland area, including Lookingglass Theater, Mercury Theater, Chicago Children's Theatre, as well as Refuge Theatre Project's award winning production of High Fidelity. Schneidman has also been seen on stages around the country with Close to You: The Music Of The Carpenters. He is a proud Barrel of Monkeys company member. 

ABOUT PERMOVEO PRODUCTIONS
Permoveo was created by Jay Paul Deratany to shed light on his professional and personal experiences with social injustices and bring awareness to the changes needed in society. Permoveo is Latin for “I move, shake up, agitate, or stir up.” Figuratively meaning “I move deeply, stir or rouse up, excite or influence.” Permoveo Productions is about bringing together people that are passionate for change and a greater good in society.  This company is about believing in all that have a voice and telling their story through creating productions that stir up thoughts or ideas.

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS & PLAYS
Pride Films and Plays (PFP) changes lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ positive characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. The company produces a four-play season of full productions, shoots one short film each year, and continues our famed play developmental projects. PFP is the principal tenant in Pride Arts Center. 

Pride Arts Center, in its own right, produces events complimenting the PFP vision, including dance, cabaret, film, and more. Events can be one-night or limited run productions, or feature national treasures like Charles Busch.  PAC occupies The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway, which has 85 seats, and The Buena, which has 50 seats at 4147 N Broadway. PAC is also the home of Red Tape Theater. 

Welcome METROPOLITAN BREWING’S NEW AVONDALE LOCATION With THE NEO-FUTURISTS' THE FOOD SHOW 7/27-9/2

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE NEO-FUTURISTS PREMIERE DAN KERR-HOBERT’S THE FOOD SHOW AT METROPOLITAN BREWING’S NEW AVONDALE LOCATION

The Neo’s Ongoing Partnership with Metropolitan Expands with this Full-Length World Premiere About Relationships, Memories and Traditions Created Around The Family Table 

FoodShowEdit - (pictured Dan Kerr Hobert and Caitlin Stainken) photo by Will Sonheim

This makes me grin and not just because it's happening in my awesome Avondale neighborhood. Theatre and food (and beer) make a great paring and this concept sounds like too much fun in the capable creative hands of the Neo-Futurists. Welcome to the hood!

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Dan Kerr-Hobert’s The Food Show, partnering with Metropolitan Brewing to bring the site-specific world premiere to the brewery’s new Avondale location, 3057 N. Rockwell, July 27 – September 2. 

Previews are Thursday, July 27 – Saturday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay what you can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

What does it mean to change a family recipe? The Food Show, created by Dan Kerr-Hobert with the help of his cousin and Neo-Futurist alum Caitlin Stainken, explores how food brings us together and sets us apart. An ensemble of five writer-performers get their hands dirty in this celebration and cross examination of food and its relationship to identity. The Food Show honors the traditions of our past and acknowledges our impact on the environment as each generation of eaters must decide what parts to keep and what parts to throw away. Farmers, restaurateurs, writers, musicians and audiences come together to experience the common thread of food and memory in American culture.

“The Food Show was partially inspired by my Grandmother and her sisters and an argument they had over the official family recipe for Arroz con Pollo,” says creator Kerr-Hobert. “We take these stories, and we work and talk and cook and eat. And there is music, and there is dancing. We knew we wanted to make a mess and we didn’t want to do it in a theater. I’m so excited to be making another premiere with such an exciting group of artists, especially at Metropolitan—they’re like family to us. This is really a homecoming.”

The Food Show features performances from Oliver Camacho, Neo Alum Bilal Dardai**, Tif Harrison*, musician Spencer Meeks, and New York Neo-Futurist Kyra Sims, with music composed by Mucca Pazza Artistic Director Ronnie Kuller. The six-week run returns Kerr-Hobert to a Metropolitan brewery, after he directed The Neo-Futurists’ Beer in 2009 at Metropolitan’s original location in Ravenswood. The new Avondale location is expected to open to the public in July.


dougofesthorns -(pictured Doug Hurst) - photo by Tracy Hurst

“We’ve been loyal fans of The Neo-Futurists since long before the brewery opened less than half a mile away from the theater in 2007,” said Tracy Hurst, co-founder and president of Metropolitan. “The original partnership to produce and host Beer just as we were releasing our very first kegs of beer into

the world was a synergy of art, craftsmanship and community. Reviving this collaboration is a true celebration of the growth of both organizations over the past eight years, as well our mutual dedication to the preservation and creation of greatness in Chicago. Neos and Metro for life!”


Dan Kerr-Hobert - photo by Joe Mazza

ABOUT DAN KERR-HOBERT* creator/director
Dan Kerr-Hobert* received his BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. He works as an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists and Blair Thomas and Company and he is the former artistic director of Sans-culottes Theater and Manifest Theatre. As a freelance puppet designer, director, writer, deviser and performer, his work has been seen at The Detroit Institute of Art,  The New York Fringe Festival, The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Steppenwolf Theatre, the Pritzker Pavilion and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Dad’s Garage in Atlanta, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington D.C. and The National Opera of Belgium. Additionally, he has taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and works as an adjunct professor of acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Kerr-Hobert holds a regular teaching artist position at Snow City Arts. 

* denotes an active member of The Neo-Futurist Ensemble

**denotes a Neo-Futurist Alum

The Food Show

July 27 – September 2, 2017
Metropolitan Brewing’s new Avondale location, 3057 N. Rockwell

Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Dan Kerr-Hobert and Neo-Alum Caitlin Stainken

Previews:  Thursday, July 27 – Saturday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices: Thursdays and Previews Pay-What-You-Can, Run $10-$25 

Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 9,936 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and over 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

About Metropolitan Brewing
German-style lagers have been, and will always be, Metropolitan Brewing's focus, mission, and passion. Since 2007, the Metro team has been producing beer in a 4,500 square foot production facility in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. In 2017, Metro Brewing will relocate to a ferociously needed 22,000 square foot production facility and taproom in the freshly burgeoning Avondale neighborhood. Metro beers can currently be found on draft and in bottles throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. In the near future, Metro beers will also ship to Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota.

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Chicago Community Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. 

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

OPENING: Award Winning Broadway Spectacle AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Comes To Chicago's Oriental Theatre 7/15-8/13

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Most Awarded Musical of 2015 
to play
Broadway In Chicago’s Oriental Theatre
for three weeks only July 25 – August 13, 2017


AN AMERICAN IN PARIS will play Broadway In Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a limited three-week engagement July 15 through August 13, 2017.


Inspired by the Academy-Award winning film, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is the romantic story about an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war. Directed and choreographed by 2015 Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon, the show features the music and lyrics of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, and a book by Craig Lucas.





The creative team is also comprised of Tony Award-winners Bob Crowley (set and costume designer) and Natasha Katz (lighting designer); Jon Weston (sound designer); 59 Productions (projection designer); Rob Fisher (musical score adaption, arrangement and supervision); Todd Ellison (musical supervisor); David Andrews Rogers (musical director/conductor); Christopher Austin and Bill Elliott (orchestrations); Sam Davis (dance arrangements); Telsey + Company/Rachel Hoffman, C.S.A. (casting); Rick Steiger (production supervisor); Dontee Kiehn (associate director and associate choreographer); and Sean Kelly (associate choreographer and resident director).

The score of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS includes the songs "I Got Rhythm," "Liza," "'’S Wonderful," "But Not For Me," "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," and orchestral music including "Concerto in F," "Second Prelude," "Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture" and "An American In Paris."

The production opened to widespread critical acclaim at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in April 2015 after its world premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The New York production closed in October, 2016 after playing more than 600 performances.  A West End production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS opens in March 2017 at the Dominion Theatre.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS won four 2015 Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Drama League Award for Best Musical, three Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and two Theatre World Awards. The musical was included on the Year’s Best lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker, the Associated Press, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Masterworks Broadway Original Broadway Cast recording of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS was nominated for the Best Musical Theater Album Grammy Award.

The producing team includes Stuart Oken, Van Kaplan and Roy Furman by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical, Pittsburgh CLO and Théâtre du Châtelet. 

For more information, visit www.AnAmericanInParisBroadway.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no matinee on July 26)
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no evening performances on August 6 and August 13)

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at the Oriental Theatre range from $27 - $98.  A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.  Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including The PrivateBank Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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