REVIEW: Ghosts of Ibsen and Gore Galore at Akvavit's Ghosts and Zombies Through 10/29/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Akvavit Theatre Presents 

GHOSTS & zombies

By Henrik Ibsen & Gustav Tegby

Translated by Chad Eric Bergman
 

(left to right)  Micah Kronlokken, Victor Bayona and Marsha Harman with the cast of Akvavit Theatre’s production of GHOSTS & zombies. 
All Photos by Karl Clifton-Soderstrom.

Review:
I must say, this is the most thought provoking production with a blood splatter zone that I've ever seen. There are enough ax murders to make Lizzy Borden blush, and quite a few deaths by gunfire too. What's an outwardly fine, upstanding, philanthropic family without a few skeletons in the closet and in this case, zombies in the cellar as well? Ghosts and Zombies is high camp, to be sure, yet the script is surprisingly multilayered and nuanced.

(left to right) Marsha Harman, Christiane Schaldemose and Micah Kronlokken 

Staging is quite clever, with ample windows for optimal zombie viewing and access. The cellar is also a great off stage space, ripe for the imagining. Though a one room set is all that's shown, the four off stage spaces are brought vividly to life.

(left to right) Victor Bayona, Marsha Harman and Jeremy Trager 

Pastor Manders (Jeremy Trager) is a fascinating character in both his arrogance and fanaticism. His character flaws and courses of action speak volumes, and his facial expressions and agonizing transformation are something to see. This is as much a fight against internal as external monsters. 

 (left to right)  Victor Bayona and Jeremy Trager

There are even feminist overtones, as the smart and capable family matriarch, Mrs. Helene Alving (Marsha Harman), struggles with the soul eating burden of a philandering, drunk, ailing husband, and a lack of recognition for her own accomplishments. Victor Bayona is as horrifying as he is hilarious as zombie Chamberlain Alving. Chafing against the constraints of duty, responsibility and expectation for too many years, Helene Alving is driven, determined and delightfully jaded. Just as she seems finally free to escape the ghosts of hidden family secrets and the zombies of burdensome living relatives, history is doomed to repeat. 

(back, l to r) Micah Kronlokken and Marsha Harman with the cast of Akvavit Theatre’s production of GHOSTS & zombies. 

Catch GHOSTS & zombies while you still can. They'll be lurching off into the darkness after 10/29, just in time for Halloween.

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch

September 28 - October 29, 2017 at Strawdog Theatre Company

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're ready for the fall chill in the air and a touch of the macabre. We're also jazzed for Akvavit's latest, an updated spin on Ibsen by contemporary Swedish playwright, Gustav Tegby. 

I'm descended from Swedes who came to Chicago on a boat so rickety it sank on the return voyage! This is my heritage and ancestry and I adore the Akvavit's poetic mission statement. 

About Akvavit Theatre
Akvavit Theatre is haunted by Nordic visions: deep forests and ice-blue seas, the patience of the glacier, the sudden fury of the volcano, the arctic light and silence. Seeking the universal through the voices of contemporary Nordic playwrights, Akvavit Theatre is a kind of homecoming, a connecting back to the lands whose people and cultures have for generations been a part of the great prairies of North America that we call home. And like our namesake beverage, Akvavit brings a “strong spirit” to the work that we produce. Skål, Skál, Kippis! For additional information, visit www.chicagonordic.org.

 (front, l to r) Almanya Narula, Marsha Harman and Micah Kronlokken 

with (back) Victor Bayona  

Just in time to get you in the Halloween spirit, Akvavit Theatre is pleased to present GHOSTS & zombies, by Henrik Ibsen and Gustav Tegby, in a new American translation by Chad Eric Bergman*, directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch*. This dark and hilarious contemporary Swedish twist on Ibsen’s Norwegian classic Ghosts, will play September 28 - October 29, 2017 at the new Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice in Chicago. Tickets on sale at chicagonordic.org.

GHOSTS & zombies will feature Marsha Harman as Mrs. Helene Alving, Victor Bayona as Chamberlain Alving, Jeremy Trager as Pastor Manders, Joshua K. Harris as Carpenter Engstrand, Micah Kronlokken* as Osvald and Almanya Narula as Regine with and ensemble including Jessica Kearney, Dylan M. Lainez, Madelyn Loehr*, Christiane Schaldemose, Erik Schiller and Tyler Skafgaard.

GHOSTS & zombies puts a blood-curdling spin on Ibsen's classic drama, Ghosts. As in the original, Mrs. Alving is preparing to open an orphanage in her husband's memory, while welcoming her son home from a long absence. However, things soon take a turn for the weird and scary as their country estate becomes overrun by the un-dead. Haunted by the ghosts of her past, Mrs. Alving now finds herself confronted by zombies that she is forced to stand and fight. GHOSTS & zombies shows us that we can try to bury the parts of our life we would rather forget, but we cannot control whether they walk again – slowly, hungrily – in our direction.

(left to right)  Almanya Narula, Micah Kronlokken and Marsha Harman

The production team for GHOSTS & zombies includes: Chad Eric Bergman* (set design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch* (sound designer), Leticha Guillaud (properties design), Kirstin Franklin* (casting director), Bethany Weise (asst. costume designer), R&D Choreography (violence design), Christiane Schaldemose (music direction), Chris Waldron (asst. director), Amy Hopkins (production manager), Harrison Ornelas (technical director), Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager) and Katy Grabarski (asst. stage manager).

Location: Strawdog Theatre Company,1802 W. Berenice, Chicago
Dates: Preview: Thursday, September 28 at 8 pm
Regular run: Saturday, September 30 – Sunday, October 29, 2017
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 4 pm.

Tickets: Regular Run: $25. Students/seniors/industry $15. Tickets available at chicagonordic.org.

*Denotes Akvavit Theatre company members.

Akvavit Theatre is also pleased to announce the addition of new company member Madelyn Loehr and associate company member Maggie Fullilove-Nugent.

(left to right) Marsha Harman, Almanya Narula, Victor Bayona and Micah Kronlokken

Artist Biographies
Gustav Tegby (Playwright) was born in Umeå, Sweden in 1980, where he also grew up. He has written about twenty plays played at, among others, Drama, Malmö City Theater, Uppsala City Theater and a number of different free groups across Sweden, as well as in Finland and the USA. Among the titles noted, Gargantua was released to Bibu in 2014 and Everyone Loves Bernie Madoff, a raid scene version of the true and completely unlikely story of Wall Street's greatest scammers. The latter was set up on three different theaters and was also filmed for SVT's project Pulse in Sweden. As a dramatist, Gustav has been interested in popular culture, and especially for the horror genre – he has among other things given Ibsen's Gengångare an odd twist in his variant Ghosts & zombies, where the infection of Mrs. Alving's son is drawn to something worse than syphilis. In the summer of 2016 he was one of the authors of Sweden's Radio Drama's major success, The Voices of the Dead, a fictional horror documentary in eight parts. Gustav had previously run the Drama Cup for many years. He also works as a dramaturg at the National Theater.

Chad Eric Bergman (Translator) actively collaborates in the Chicago storefront scene having worked with Stage Left, Live Bait, Chicago Dramatists, MPAACT, parker, Plasticene and Akvavit in various artistic ways. He has been an artist in residence at the Ragdale Foundation and the University of Chicago’s Summer Incubator. He spent a year in Finland on a Fulbright exploring bilingual theatre. At North Park University, he has been developing a theatre curriculum that is based on the Chicago storefront theatre model.

Breahan Eve Pautsch (Director) is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She earned her BA in Theatre and English at UW-Madison and has been working in Chicago as an actor and director since 2003. She has been a company member with Akvavit Theatre since 2011, where she served as Literary Manager and Director of Development for several years before taking the position of co-Artistic Director at the beginning of 2017. She is also a company member with Indie Boots Theatre.  

OPENING: FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA’S YERMA 10/27-12/10/17 Via THEATRE Y AND RED TAPE THEATRE

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THEATRE Y AND RED TAPE THEATRE UNITE AS ARTISTIC PARTNERS TO BRING NEW ADAPTATION OF 

FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA’S YERMA, 

OCTOBER 27 – DECEMBER 10, 

TO THEIR NEW SHARED SPACE: “THE READY”

 The Companies’ Initial Co-Production Reunites Jeff Award-Winning Duo Director Max Traux and Composer and Music Director Nicholas Tonozzi

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we love it when our favorites play well together. We'll be out next week to review a collaboration between Theatre Y and Red Tape Theatre, who are not only co-presenting a show, they're movin' in together! We're looking forward to seeing their new space, The Ready, as well as catching their new Yerma adaptation.

Theatre Y and Red Tape Theatre are proud to present Federico García Lorca’s tragic poem, Yerma, in a new adaptation by Theatre Y Ensemble Member Hector Álvarez to be played at the companies’ new shared, and recently named space, The Ready, 4546 N. Western Ave. Álvarez’s adaptation of Lorca’s play is directed by Red Tape Theatre Artistic Director Max Truax and features original music by Composer and Music Director Nicholas Tonozzi. The duo reunites for Yerma following the success of their first major partnership, Oracle Theatre’s 2013 five time Joseph Jefferson-award winning production of The Mother, which was awarded Best Ensemble, Best Production and a win for Tonozzi for Original Music in a Play. Tonozzi went on to earn two more Jeff Award nominations and one win for his collaborations with Oracle Theatre. For tickets or more information visit www.theatre-y.com.

Yerma, playing October 27 – December 10, is Theatre Y and Red Tape Theatre’s first co-production as well as the inaugural production to take place in the two companies’ new, shared space, The Ready. The space is 3,300-square feet and offers a flexible black box performance area with an audience capacity of up to 75 seats, a spacious lobby and rehearsal space for the two companies to utilize. Located in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, The Ready is south of the Western Brown Line station. The space hosts both companies’ upcoming seasons, as well as staged readings, off-night and late night shows, classes and other programming and events for the community at large.

Yerma is the rarely produced second play of Lorca’s three rural tragedies about a woman driven to extremes by her desperate desire to have a child. Trapped in a passionless marriage with a husband who shows no interest in having children, her maternal longing becomes an obsession. Like much of Lorca’s other work, the play casts a critical eye upon what he called “the grotesque treatment of women” and the repression of female sexual desire.

In director Truax's production, the barrenness of Yerma’s marriage reduces her home to a prison, under the controlling force of the male gaze, personified by an ever-present male chorus. This is the "tragic poem" of a woman stretched between the burden of her family's honor and an all-consuming appetite she can't name or hold. With much of Lorca’s poems performed as songs with original music by Tonozzi, Theatre Y’s new immersive staging unearths the agony and anguish that propel Yerma toward her tragic fate. 


Katie Stimpson (Yerma)

Cast for Yerma includes: Héctor Álvarez (Man 2), Cody Beyer (Juan), Tanner Bradshaw (Man 1), Barbara Button (Old Pagan Woman), Adrian Garcia (Man 3), Arch Harmon (Man 5), Brendan Mulhern (Victor), Eric Roberts (Man 4), Laurie Roberts (Second Girl), Katie Sherman (Maria), Katie Stimpson (Yerma), Kris Tori (First Girl), Victoria Walters (Dolores), and Nick Wenz.

The production team for Yerma includes: Emily Altman (Scenic Painter), Héctor Álvarez (adaptor), Eric Backus (Sound Designer), Joanna Iwanicka (Set Designer), Melissa Lorraine (Costume and Makeup Designer), Morgan Massaro (Stage Manager), Taylor Ovca (Lighting Designer), Nicholas Tonozzi (Composer and Music Director), Max Truax (Director) and Ben Wardell (Choreographer).


ABOUT MAX TRUAX, Director
Max Truax serves as artistic director of Red Tape Theatre, where he has directed A Hedda Gabler and Brand.  He previously served as artistic director of Oracle Productions until 2016, where he directed No Beast So Fierce, The President, The Mother, The Sandman, Woyzeck, The Ghost Sonata and Termen Vox Machina. His production of The Mother received several Jeff Awards. Truax has been a resident director at Trap Door Theatre since 2008, where he has directed No Matter How Hard We Try, The Balcony, They Are Dying Out, Hamlet Machine, A Couple of Poor Polish-Speaking Romanians, and No Darkness Round My Stone. His production of A Couple of Poor Polish-Speaking Romanians performed at the Fun Underground Festival in Arad, Romania and at the Bagatela Theatre in Krakow, Poland. Truax studied visual art, performance art and post-modern choreography at Oberlin College and he received his MFA in Theatre Directing from California Institute of the Arts.


ABOUT NICHOLAS TONOZZI, Composer and Music Director
Nicholas Tonozzi is a composer and music director based in Chicago as well as an active singer. He was awarded the 2014 Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award for Original Music in a Play for his work on The Mother with Oracle Productions. He was honored with a second Jeff Award in 2015 for his original music in The Jungle also at Oracle.  He earned a second nomination in the same category that year for Oracle’s production of Circle Machine.  In 2014, Tonozzi worked as music director and composer for Trap Door Theater’s production of Regarding the Just, which enjoyed a run in Chicago before touring in and around Paris, France.  This was Tonozzi’s second show featured in Paris following in the footsteps of Trap Door’s production of Me Too, I am Catherine Deneuve.  Other credits include No Beast So Fierce, Hamlet Machine, Twelve Ophelias, and Anger/Fly.  Tonozzi, a tenor, may currently be heard singing as a cantor, chorister and soloist with the Schola Cantorum Cathedralis of Holy Name Cathedral.  Tonozzi returned to the Ravinia Festival in 2017 for their Lord of the Rings movie/concert series.

OPENING: The Black Renaissance (A MUSICAL RESISTANCE AGAINST RACISM) a Black Ensemble Theater World Premiere 10/14-11/26/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER CONTINUES 2017 

DANCE THEATER SEASON 

WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

The Black Renaissance 

(A MUSICAL RESISTANCE AGAINST RACISM)

Written and DIRECTED BY Jackie Taylor

October 14-November 26, 2017

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  

This Sunday, ChiIL Mama will be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's renowned Black Ensemble Theater Company for the press opening of the World Premiere of The Black Renaissance (A Musical Resistance Against Racism), another Jackie Taylor original. Check back soon for our full review. Despite being about as white as a blonde haired, blue eyed German/Swede can be, I have always felt completely and unequivocally welcome at BET. There is an undeniable friendliness and inclusive sense of community here, that's big enough to accept everyone.

The power vocals of BET's ensemble members are truly world class, and they seek not only to entertain, but to craft original, thought provoking, mind altering productions, season after season. In these regressive, repressive political times, where hate and divisiveness have found a platform, there's an aching need for healing, understanding, and powerful action that music and theatre can provide. I can't wait to see Black Ensemble Theater's latest world premiere. 

Black Ensemble Theater continues the 2017 Season (The Dance Theater Season) with the World Premiere of The Black Renaissance (A Musical Resistance Against Racism), written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. The Black Renaissance (A Musical Resistance Against Racism), will be performed at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, October 14-November 26, 2017. 

Through the struggles, trials and tribulations of those who fought and fight against oppression and racism, The Black Renaissance is a musical and historical depiction of the African American experience in a racist America that will uplift, inspire and motivate all of us to create a world where racism cannot exist. The Black Renaissance (A Musical Resistance Against Racism), is more than a play, it is a movement. A movement through song and dance that will help us understand the systemic process of racism and oppression. This thought provoking production will uncover the root of racism, what is it and why we must remove it from our society.  

When asked the reason why she decided to tackle this subject, Jackie Taylor replied, “Because of the climate within in our society today, now is the time! The Black Renaissance has difficult moments because the racism pill is a very difficult pill to swallow. In order to solve our societal issues we must be able to confront those issues. And that is the purpose of The Black Renaissance.”  

Through this historical presentation from slavery to Obama to Trump, we will be led on a spiritual journey that will ignite the healing process and help us understand how to respect and honor our differing cultures while learning how to live together as one race – the human race.  

The Black Renaissance features Michael Adkins, Brian Boller, Jana’ah Coates, Rueben Echoles, Lemond Hayes, Wendell Jackson, Dwight Neal, Linnea Norwood, Rhonda Preston, LeKeya Shearrill, Henri Slater, Lynn Solar and Levi Stewart. 

As with all Black Ensemble Theater productions, The Black Renaissance features live musicians, including musical director Robert Reddrick, (drums) Adam Sherod (piano), Mark Miller (bass) and Gary Baker (guitar).

The designers are Ruthanne Swanson (costumes), The A Team (set), Denise Karczewski (lights), Aaron Quick (sounds). The stage manager is Bekki Lambrecht. 

Tickets are available at the Black Ensemble Box Office located at 4450 N. Clark St in Chicago, or online at www.blackensemble.org, or by phone at (773) 769-4451. Tickets are $45 for previews (preview dates); $55 (Thursdays and Saturday matinees) and $65 (Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees).  There is a 10% discount for students, seniors and groups


Dates:


October 14-November 19, 2017
Previews: October 14, 15, 20 and 21, 2017
Press Performance: Sunday, October 22 at 3:00pm

Schedule:     

Thursdays: 7:30 pm

Fridays: 8:00 pmSaturdays: 3:00 pm 
8:00 pm 
Sundays: 3:00 pm 

Location: Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Valet parking is available.

Ticket prices: $45 Previews
$55 on Thursdays and Saturday matinees; 
$65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees
A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups. 
Box Office: Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (773) 769-4451

The Black Ensemble Theater 
Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space, rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage.  The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), with construction by General Contractor Norcon Inc., is expected in 2018. 

For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.

OPENING: Welcome to Jesus 10/26-12/3 And Full 33rd Season Casting Announced

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY ANNOUNCES COMPLETE

CASTING FOR SEASON 33:

World premiere of Welcome to Jesus by Janine Nabers

Chicago premiere of We’re Gonna Be Okay by Basil Kreimendahl

World premiere of Diagram of a Paper Airplane by Carlos Murillo

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're looking forward to another season of edgy, insightful productions from ATC. We'll be out to review their season opener, Welcome to Jesus, on October 30th, so check back soon for our full review. 

American Theater Company (ATC) announces complete casting for Season 33 productions: Janine Nabers’ world premiere of Welcome to Jesus, directed by Artistic Director Will Davis, October 26–December 3, 2017; Basil Kreimendahl’s Chicago premiere of We’re Gonna Be Okay, January 25–March 4, 2018, directed by Davis; and Carlos Murillo’s world premiere of Diagram of a Paper Airplane, May 3–June 10, 2018, directed by Bonnie Metzgar.

“At ATC we champion theater makers who are bold and curious about what is possible on stage, which means we're thrilled to kick off the season with the world premiere of Janine Nabers Welcome to Jesus, a remarkable new work fusing fable and horror in a 21st century take on the southern gothic tradition,” says Davis. “Welcome to Jesus speaks to the power of prejudice to define our fate and will be performed in a kinetic and magical darkness, punctuated by the high theater of small town football and old-time religion. Continuing in the ATC style of expansive and fearless approaches to play-making, Welcome to Jesus will be followed by Basil Kreimendahl's We're Gonna be Okay and Carlos Murillo's Diagram of a Paper Airplane. The Season 33 line up of artists exemplifies our commitment to equity, theatricality, and adventure, and we cannot wait to share their work with you.”

Season subscriptions are on sale now and range from $40-$114, with special pricing available for members under the age of 35. To purchase a subscription or for more information, visit

www.atcweb.org or call the ATC Box Office at 773-409-4125.

World Premiere

Welcome to Jesus

Written by Janine Nabers

Directed by Will Davis

October 26–December 3, 2017

Cast: Taylor Blim (Dixie Danver), Theo Germaine (Bud Henderson), Rashaad Hall (Him), Casey Morris (Officer Mike Danver), Josh Odor (Coach Arthur Henderson), John Henry Roberts (Sheriff Paul Danver Sr.) and Stacy Stoltz (Ma Danver).

In fictional Hallelujah, TX, football reigns, and the quarterback is king. Janine Nabers’ darkly funny and powerful new play unearths the tyranny of small town life and the power of prejudice to define our fate. Staged in a field of wood chips, about a town in search of some good news, Welcome to Jesus fuses fable and horror in a twenty-first century take on the Southern Gothic tradition.

Chicago premiere

We’re Gonna Be Okay

Written by Basil Kreimendahl

Directed by Will Davis

January 25–March 4, 2018

Cast: Adithi Chandrashekar (Leena), BrittneyLove Smith (Mag), Saraí Rodriguez (Deanna), Avi Roque (Jake), Kelli Simpkins (Efran) and Penelope Walker (Sul).

In the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy addressed the nation, “My fellow citizens: let no one doubt that this is a difficult and dangerous effort on which we have set out...But the greatest danger of all would be to do nothing.” Well, Efran and Leena and Mag and Sul are thinking about doing something. Something big. Straight from Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays, Basil Kreimendahl’s We’re Gonna Be Okay confronts the fears of the American middle class as two families wrestle with macrame, female empowerment and a shared property line.

World Premiere
Diagram of a Paper Airplane 

Written by Carlos Murillo

Directed by Bonnie Metzgar

May 3–June 10, 2018

Cast: Nicholas Bailey (Mario), David Cerda (Alvaro), Lawrence Grimm (Herman), Rebecca Spence (Valerie) and Allyce Torres (Lila).

Javier C. is dead, and in his wake are fragments and scraps of his magnum opus mailed mysteriously from New Mexico to his group of ex-friends in New York. Called "an absolutely extraordinary achievement from a writer at the height of his powers” by American Theatre Magazine, Carlos Murillo's Diagram of a Paper Airplane is the first in a trilogy of plays that examine the capacity of friendships to withstand the unimaginable. Director Bonnie Metzgar brings life to a night of mourning and celebration that will leave them wondering if Diagram of a Paper Airplane ever existed at all.

Bringing together theater artists and audiences often separated by physical ability, gender identity and ethnicity

ATC remains committed to its partnership with Chicago Inclusion Project, whose work creates inclusive theater experiences that bring together Chicago artists and audiences normally separated by physical ability, gender identity and/or ethnic background. The two companies partner on casting, giving diverse theater artists access to roles they might traditionally have been excluded from. Together with the Chicago Inclusion Project, ATC will continue its commitment to presenting works that boldly reflect the diversity of stories and experiences in America today.

Past world premiere productions at ATC include Stephen Karam’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play The Humans and Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning Disgraced, both of which enjoyed acclaimed Broadway runs. In Season 32 ATC produced the regional premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus’ Men On Boats, immediately following its Off Broadway run at Playwrights Horizons; reimagined classic, Pulitzer Prize winner Picnic by William Inge; and presented Dan Aibel’s world premiere of T., an exploration of the competitive ice skating saga between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.  

About American Theater Company

American Theater Company (ATC) challenges and inspires its community by exploring stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" ATC’s Ensemble includes Patrick Andrews, Kareem Bandealy, Jaime Castañeda, Kelly O’Sullivan, Tyler Ravelson, and Sadieh Rifai.

American Theater Company is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, ArtsWork Fund, Lagunitas Breweing Co, Actors’ Equity Foundation,

The Pauls Foundation and Robert & Isabelle Bass Foundation.

ROCK SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: Chicago’s Two Sets of Eyes Play Tonic Room 10/21/17

Chicago’s Two Sets of Eyes, featuring members of The Phantom Broadcast, Splor and Groove Cartel, offer up a progressive blend of post punk, hip hop, pop and jazz on their debut single “For the Last Time.”

“For the Last Time” streams at https://twosetsofeyes.bandcamp.com/releases and the band is playing The Tonic Room this Sat, Oct 21 as noted at http://tonicroom.ticketfly.com/event/1577647-faintlife-chicago/

https://www.facebook.com/twosetsofeyes/

OPENING: TATC ANNOUNCES CAST FOR A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE MUSICAL

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Allison Sill (Mary), David Sajewich (George) and Liliana Rena (Zuzu) will  appear in It’s A Wonderful Life: The Musical at Theatre at the Center.   Previews begin November 15.   Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Performances are 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, with select Tuesday afternoon and Thursday and Sunday evening performances. Individual ticket prices range from $40 - $44. To purchase individual tickets, call the Box Office at 219-836-3255 or Tickets.com at 800-511-1552. Group discounts are available for groups of 11 or more and gift certificates are also available.   

For more information on Theatre at the Center, visit www.TheatreATTheCenter.com.

Actors David Sajewich, in the role of George Bailey, and Allison Sill in the role of his wife Mary, lead the cast of Theatre at the Center’s  A Wonderful Life: The Musical  with James Harms as Mr. Potter, David Perkovich as Clarence, Jim Heatherly as Uncle Billy and Jason Richards as Mr. Martini. Previews begin November 16 with an Opening Night on November 19 and a run through December 23. A Wonderful Life: The Musical is made possible by the generous support of show sponsor American Community Bank.

“We are so excited to welcome the holiday season with A Wonderful Life,” said Artistic Director Linda Fortunato.  “All the charm, heart and humanity of the classic film are brought to the stage in this musical adaptation of the beloved life-affirming story. Perfect for a holiday celebration with the whole family”.

Based on the classic 1946 Frank Capra film starring James Stewart as George Bailey, A Wonderful Life: The Musical features book and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Joe Raposo. It’s the musical telling of how Clarence, George Bailey’s guardian angel, shows George how different the world, and everyone whose life he has touched, would be if he had never been born.   The beauty of the season, iconic Bedford Falls and yuletide spirit await audiences on the TATC stage for a musical that applauds the true meaning of Christmas.

David Sajewich was previously seen at TATC in All Shook Up and Beverly Hillbillies. Other credits include Les Miserables at Drury Lane Oakbrook, The Pajama Game and The Baker’s Wife at The Music Theatre Company and Fiddler on the Roof at Paramount Theatre. Allison Sill, who was also last seen at TATC in All Shook Up, has previous credits which include Honeymoon in Vegas, She Loves Me and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Marriott Theatre, Oklahoma at Paramount Theatre and The Producers at Mercury Theater Chicago.  

James Harms, who plays Mr. Potter, previously appeared at TATC in Beverly Hillbillies. James received Jeff Awards for his performances in The Fantasticks, Hello, Dolly, Me and My Girl, and La Cage aux Folles. Last year he made his debut at Carnegie Hall in concert with Chita Rivera. In the role of Clarence, David Perkovich, was last seen at TATC in Man of La Mancha and Phantom.   David has performed in more than 120 shows including the national tour of Evita and has directed more than 60 productions including TATC’s The 39 Steps, Spamalot, Beverly Hillbillies and Grease. Jim Heatherly is making his TATC debut as Uncle Billy. Jim’s recent work includes the world premiere of Dance For Beginners at Piven Theatre Workshop and Light Up the Sky at Citadel Theatre.  Jason Richards, playing multiple roles as Mr. Martini, Mr. Hepner and Mr. Campbell, was previously seen at TATC in Big River and Annie Warbucks.  Other credits include The Producers at Mercury Theater Chicago and Shrek at Chicago Shakespeare. Jason also received a Jeff Award for his performance as Nicky/Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q at Night Blue Theater.

The ensemble cast consists of Caron Buinis, Lexis Danca, Christopher Davis, Ann Delaney, Andres Enriquez, Neil Friedman, Daniel Hurst, Kayla Kennedy, Henry McGinniss, James Nedrud, Mary Nigohosian, Casiena Raether, Rick Rapp, and Denzel Tsopnang. Child performers include Lilliana Rene, Julian Solis and Kylie Sullivan.

William Pullinsi is director of A Wonderful Life: The Musical. Pullinsi served as TATC’s Artistic Director for 10 seasons prior to becoming Artistic Director Emeritus in 2015 when he was named “Chicagoan of the Year in Theatre” by the Chicago Tribune. In 2016, The League of Chicago Theatres also presented Pullinsi with their Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions influencing and inspiring the Chicago theatre community. Pullinsi has won 19 Jeff Awards for Best Production and/or Best Direction and produced and directed more than 400 productions of Broadway plays and musicals.  

Bill Underwood serves as Music Director and Gordon Schmidt is choreographer.  Linda Fortunato is TATC’s Artistic Director; Richard Friedman is General Manager and Ann Davis is Head of Production. Scenic Designers for A Wonderful Life: The Musical are Richard and Jacqueline Penrod. Lighting Design is by Denise Karczewski with Costume Design by Brenda Winstead, Wig Design by Kevin Barthel, Prop Design by Brittney O’ Keefe and Sound Design by Barry Funderburg. Stage Manager is Angela Adams.

About TATC:
Founded in 1991, the 410-seat Theatre at the Center is a year round professional theater at its home: The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana.Theatre at the Center is the only professional theater company in Northwest Indiana, offering downtown caliber performances in an accessible venue with plenty of free parking. Theater at the Center is located off I-80/94, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago.

Tony Award Nominee Orfeh to Return to Broadway in PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL

TONY AWARD NOMINEE ORFEH

CAST IN PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF

ORIENTAL THEATRE

MARCH 13 - APRIL 15, 2018

STARRING

SAMANTHA BARKS

TONY & GRAMMY AWARD WINNER STEVE KAZEE

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER BRYAN ADAMS

& JIM VALLANCE

BOOK BY

GARRY MARSHALL & J.F. LAWTON

DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY

TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER JERRY MITCHELL

Broadway In Chicago and Producer Paula Wagner are delighted to announce that Tony Award nominee Orfeh will return to Broadway in PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL. Based on one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time, Garry Marshall’s PRETTY WOMAN, the new musical will have its pre-Broadway World Premiere stage production in Chicago in the spring of 2018 at Broadway In Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a strictly limited 5-week engagement beginning March 13, through April 15, 2018.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will star stage, television and film actress Samantha Barks as ‘Vivian’ opposite Tony Award winner and Grammy Award winner Steve Kazee as ‘Edward,’ with Tony Award nominee Orfeh as ‘Kit.’

“When Bryan and Jim played me a song they had written for the character ‘Kit’ called ‘Rodeo Drive’ I immediately thought Orfeh!” said director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell, “I told the guys...here’s the voice that will make this song fly on Broadway!”

ORFEH (Kit) was last on Broadway as Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical for which she was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Orfeh’s other Broadway credits include Saturday Night Fever, The Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm and Footloose. Off-Broadway credits include Love, Loss, and What I Wore, The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Love, Janis. Television and film work includes Sleeping with the Fishes (with Gina Rodgriguez), Across the Universe, “Film U,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Sex and the City” and “Chappelle's Show.” She has performed at Lincoln Center with her husband, Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Andy Karl, and in numerous Broadway benefits including Hair for the Actors Fund (Grammy nomination). Her extensive recording career includes music with '90s top-40 group Or-N-More. She has performed with many music icons from legends the O'Jays to Chaka Khan. Her solo CD, "What Do You Want From Me" and latest single, "Forget My Name" are available on iTunes, as well as her most recent release, a live album titled "Legally Bound" that she and her husband recorded at Feinstein's/54 Below. Twitter: @official_orfeh, IG: @orfeh

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL has original music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Bryan Adams and his longtime songwriting partner Jim Vallance, book by Garry Marshall and the film’s screenwriter J.F. Lawton, is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and will begin performances Tuesday, March 13, 2018, for a strictly limited 5-week engagement at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL).

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will begin performances on Broadway in the fall of 2018 at a Nederlander Theater to be announced.

One of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time, PRETTY WOMAN was produced by Arnon Milchan (New Regency Productions) and swept the world off its feet in 1990 reinventing the romantic comedy genre by making the world believe in happily-ever-after.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL has scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner & Philip S. Rosenberg, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Will Van Dyke, and casting by Telsey + Company. 101 Productions, Ltd will be the Executive Producer and General Manager.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is produced by Paula Wagner, Nice Productions, LPO, New Regency Productions, Roy Furman, James L. Nederlander, Caiola Productions, Hunter Arnold, Stage Entertainment and The John Gore Organization.

For more information visit: PrettyWomanMusical.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/PrettyWomanBway
Twitter: twitter.com/PrettyWomanBway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettywomanbway/

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 Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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