OPENING: The Hypocrites Present Gilbert & Sullivan Rep #FamilyFriendly #Theatre

The Hypocrites are truly a treat. Highly recommended. Consider gifting your loved ones with tickets to this triple play. Last year we had the pleasure of seeing Mikado and it was one of our top favorites of the year. The Hypocrites worked the promenade style exceedingly well, and pulled the audience right into the show. This year we plan on checking out the acclaimed H.M.S. Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance as well.

ChiIL Mama & the kids ChiILin' at The Hypocrites' Mikado 

Gilbert & Sullivan Rep

Directed by Sean Graney and Thrisa Hodits

Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon

featuring the world premiere adaptation of

H.M.S. Pinafore

Adaption by Sean Graney, Matt Kahler & Andra Velis Simon

along with the highly anticipated return of BOTH

Pirates of Penzance 

Adaption by Sean Graney & Kevin O'Donnell

and

Mikado

Adaption by Sean Graney

Looking for something fun to do with the family

this Thanksgiving holiday week?

Join The Hypocrites for the first week of

H.M.S. Pinafore:

Wed 11/26/2014 8:00 PM

Fri 11/28/2014 8:00 PM

Sat 11/29/2014 8:00 PM

Sun 11/30/2014 3:00 PM

Mon 12/1/2014 8:00 PM

H.M.S. Pinafore: Nov 26th-Feb 7th

Mikado: Dec 11th-Feb 7th

Pirates: Dec 18th-Feb 7th

The Hypocrites are one of our top local favorites, and the Jeff Committee seems to agree with us. We're elated to see The Mikado will return December 2014-February 2015 along with the whole Gilbert & Sullivan Rep. 

Mash Note to Mikado:

Dear Hypocrites Mikado-- We were so elated to see you last December. You lit up the darkest, coldest of times with flash and panache. We told everyone we knew about you and couldn't wait to introduce them to you. Of course you charmed anyone who came within reach of your siren's song!

You didn't just break down the 4th wall, you ran rings around it! We were so impressed with your acting, costumes, and the whole interactive, participatory vibe. You were a colorful, riotous explosion of song, dance and fun and a blast to spend an evening with.

We can't wait to see you again!

ChiIL Mama & the kids

The intimate tent like setting full of tiny bulbs was a welcoming beacon of warmth and celebration of light at the darkest time of the year. The rag tag band of circus sorts doing a hybrid of the traditional Mikado score with an utterly unique and playful spin was a compelling mix. We adore the improv elements The Hypocrites employ and the way they truly engaged the crowd and played off of them and WITH them.

Promenade staging (or shows where the audience stands and mingles in the performance space and follows the action, moving as needed) was used to great effect for The Hypocrites runaway hit, The Mikado. We've honestly never seen the 3rd wall so effectively broken down. The Mikado was playful, fun, interactive and highly effective as a promenade style piece.  

This past year, The House Theatre's acclaimed Dorian production was promenade style, as was a Midsummer Night's Dream at Strange Loop Theatre among others. Red Moon Theatre's Bellboys, Bears and Baggage, was billed as a promenade style spectacle, too. Yet we've never seen the style pulled off as well as The Mikado does.

Reviews from Mikado and Pirates:

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)   

"The Hypocrites apply their winning formula of hip deconstruction and dark comedy to the cherished operetta"

Chicago Tribune

"Spirited, affectionate, and nearly irresistible"

Boston Globe

"Terrific...The Hypocrites' musicianship has never sounded better."

TimeOut Chicago

For the full schedule of the rep, click here.

All Our Tragic Returns June-August 2015

Missed All Our Tragic this time around?

Saw it but wanted to come back or tell your friends?

Well now you have a second chance

Buy your tickets for next summer now

The Hypocrites at

Den Theatre Mainstage 

1329 N Milwaukee  

The Blind Shake New LP Breakfast of Failures Out On Goner Now

The Blind Shake On Fall Tour Now Listen to "Parachutes" on  Brooklyn Vegan New LP Breakfast of Failures Out On Goner Now Remaining Fall Tour Dates 11.19 - Subterranean Chicago IL 11.20 - Donovans Detroit MI 11.21 - Silver Dollar Toronto ON 11.22 - The National Montreal QC 11.23 - Great Scott Boston MA 11.25 - Cake Shop Brooklyn NY 11.26 - Baby's All Right Brooklyn NY 11.28 - Underground Arts Philadelphia PA 11.29 - Kings Raleigh NC 12.01 - Hi Tone Memphis TN 12.03 - The Earl Atlanta GA 12.04 - Siberia New Orleans LA 12.05 - Good Vibrations Festival at Hotel Vegas Austin TX Tracklist 01. Old Lake 02. Parachute 03. Dots In The Fog 04. Breakfast of Failures 05. Go Lie 06. Young Carnival Waste 07. Pollen 08. In A Trance 09. Mildew 10. Nobody Else Listen to "Parachute" on Brooklyn Vegan Dense, massive locomotive music from this Minneapolis three-piece. Powerful sounds with the ability to careen through one cinematic, post-apocalyptic chase scene after another.  Breakfast Of Failures comes clanging and crashing through these confused times. "The Blind Shake is at once spacey, primitive futuristic, and brutal: a kind of backyard extraterrestrial minimal surf-punk party. One guitar, one baritone guitar, a fuckload of reverb, and a drummer who deserves an Olympic medal." --SF Weekly Fronted by brothers Jim and Mike Blaha, with friend Dave Roper on drums, the trio have been tunneling through the underground since before telephones could talk. Having six full length albums to their credit, several singles, three collaborations with psych legend Michael Yonkers and another with downstroke warrior John Reis, the band continues to push the sliding scale between catchy punk songs and pitch red noise. Breakfast Of Failures was recorded by Chris Woodhouse at The Dock in Sacramento, CA. Listen to "Old Lake" on Noisey Links Website Facebook Twitter Goner Records

OPENING: The Mousetrap at Northlight Theatre

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more. 

Chi, IL Live Shows on stage and on our radar.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we adore a good mystery and The Mousetrap is the world's longest running play (now at 62 years on London’s West End), written by one of the finest masters of the craft, renowned mystery writer Agatha Christie.

We'll be there for opening night tonight, so check back for our full review shortly. Northlight is a long running favorite of ours for stellar production values and excellent casting choices. Book your tickets before they disappear like the guests of Monkswell Manor!

On a snowy night at Monkswell Manor, newlyweds Mollie and Giles welcome a group of strangers to their guest house, only to discover news of a murderer in their midst! A police investigation reveals the sordid details of each guest’s mysterious past, but not soon enough to stop the killer from striking again. Agatha Christie’s masterful whodunit weaves an intricate plot filled with nerve-rattling suspense, all leading up to the ultimate final twist!

The Mousetrap

PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL BROSILOW

The cast of The Mousetrap includes Greg Matthew Anderson (Det. Sgt. Trotter), Patrick Clear (Major Metcalf), Joey deBettencourt (Christopher Wren), Joe Dempsey (Mr. Paravincini), Laura T. Fisher (Mrs. Boyle), Keith Neagle (Giles Ralston), Lindsey Pearlman (Miss Casewell) and Cora Vander Broek (Mollie Ralston).

Title:  The Mousetrap

Written by: Agatha Christie

Directed by: Jonathan Berry

         

Featuring:                 Greg Matthew Anderson, Patrick Clear, Joey deBettencourt, Joe Dempsey, Laura T. Fisher, Keith Neagle, Lindsey Pearlman and Cora Vander Broek.

         

                         

            

           Dates:  Regular run: November 15 – December 14, 2014

          Schedule:  Tuesdays: 7:30pm (except Nov. 18 and Dec. 2)

                           Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except Dec. 10) and 7:30pm (except Nov. 26)

                           Thursdays: 7:30pm (except Nov. 27)

                           Fridays: 8:00pm (except Opening on Nov. 14 at 7:30pm)

                           Saturdays: 2:30pm (except Nov. 8) and 8:00pm

                           Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (except Nov. 16 and 23 and Dec. 14)

Open Captioned   Sunday, December 7 at 7:00pm

Performance:

Location:  Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

                             Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,

                             Skokie

Tickets:                   

                              Regular run: $25-$78

                             Student tickets are $15, any performance

(subject to availability)

Box Office:              The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

                                    847.673.6300; northlight.org

INCOMING: Quinn Tsan Debut EP Release at Constellation 11/14 (18+)

Chicago singer-songwriter Quinn Tsan will celebrate the release of her debut EP, Good Winter, with a show at Constellation on Friday, Nov. 14. Passerines and Kelsey Wild will be on hand to open the show.

Quinn Tsan

Passerines

Kelsey Wild

FRI, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

9:30 PM

$10.00

QUINN TSAN

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, singer/songwriter Quinn Tsan began playing music in 2008 when she relocated to Chicago, IL to sing back-up for Joe Pug. Classically trained in dance though always having an affinity for music, Tsan quickly immersed herself in the local scene, going on to sing with Sarah Holtschlag, Rachele Eve, Johnny Lewis, and Sima Cunningham, among others. This performance will celebrate the release of her debut EP, Good Winter. 

"precise and sweetly comforting, deliberate while staying endearing, all while showing off a knack for mood-building that most young acts don't develop so quickly."

PASSERINES

Passerines is a Chicago based music group that weaves together aspects of chamber music, indie folk, and r&b.

KELSEY WIL

Born: 1990 in Honolulu USA
Piano lessons: 1996-2002
Writing music since 2004

I have a cat, a dog, a goldfish named Nancy Kerrigan. I like to roller skate, I have a scar on my left index finger from a box-cutter, I love coffee, I hate licorice, and I don't like to dance except when the music's good and I'm with friends who are also bad at dancing. 
I love to play and write music, but not all the time. It's a relationship with highs and lows, plagued by doubt and frustration but always good enough to keep going. I read an essay by Ray Bradbury once about how art is created because of the artist's ego, and I think that's true. I try to find other reasons so I don't feel so guilty.

I like the ocean and I like to walk places.

https://www.facebook.com/quinntsanmusic

https://soundcloud.com/come-virgil-music/sets/good-winter

SAVE THE DATE: "Mearra - Selkie From the Sea” at Old Town School Sunday 12/7 (6+) #FamilyFriendly

Chicago singer-songwriter Linda Marie Smith will be presenting the multimedia show "Mearra - Selkie From the Sea” at the Old Town School on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3PM.

This family-friendly performance features Smith's adaptation of a classic Celtic tale told with original songs and performed with a six piece orchestra playing along to projected animation. 

In this re-imagined story, Mearra, a mythical seal, makes use of her magical ability to transform into a human being, marries Ian, a lonely fisherman and eventually starts a family; knowing all the while she must inevitably return to the sea as a seal, or perish. The characters experience love, loss and transformation while emotionally charged music, beautiful stage lighting and evocative projected imagery all come together to make for an unforgettable multi-media concert experience.

This show comes to life on the heels of Smith's successful previous multi-media music production The Triumph of Artemisia. Smith's unique vocal style has a folk rock sensibility and her music has been described as romantic, soulful and earthy; her lyrics and melodies weave colorful stories of intriguing people and curious places. 

She received honorable mention in the Billboard Songwriting Contest, has co-produced and performed in two of the acclaimed Michael Smith's musical productions, teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and has been recognized by the Illinois Arts Council in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Sunday, December 7, 2014  ♦  3:00 PM

Linda Marie Smith presents

Mearra - Selkie from the Sea

Recommended for Ages 6+

4544 N Lincoln Ave · Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall · 773.728.6000

• $18 General Public
• $16 Members

Click here to purchase tickets & for more details.

http://www.lindamsmith.com/mearra/

INCOMING: 10th Annual Barn Dance Apocalypse, featuring The Golden Horse Ranch Band (17+)

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

10th Annual Barn Dance Apocalypse, featuring The Golden Horse Ranch Band, at Thalia Hall on Saturday, Nov. 8.

What began as a gathering of friends at Open End/Av Aerie has grown into huge crowds at unique and undisclosed locations around Chicago. After taking a tour of the unfinished Thalia Hall in 2013, The Golden Horse Ranch Band knew this old dancehall would be the perfect location for the 10th annual Barn Dance Apocalypse.

Third generation square dance caller Annie Coleman summons her roots of calling dances at her grandparents dude ranch, after which the band is named. While the band plays street festivals, city-sponsored events, and weddings year-round, the real deal is the Barn Dance Apocalypse. It's loud, wild, and loaded with love, with a strong queer following. Friends and lovers have met and a beautiful community of friends has been built.

This is the band's first ever public Barn Dance. In the past, the underground spaces have filled to the brim quickly, and a big crowd is expected for this exciting event at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport in Chicago, on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 8PM CST.

http://www.goldenhorseranch.com/

FOO FIGHTERS CONFIRM ALL-CHICAGO ALL-STAR WRIGLEY FIELD LINE-UP CHEAP TRICK, NAKED RAYGUN & URGE OVERKILL TO SUPPORT ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29

TICKETS ON SALE 10am CT MONDAY, OCTOBER 27 Foofighters.com Pre-Sales Begin 10am CT October 24 Sonic Highways Out November 10 on Roswell/RCA

Fresh off the critically lauded, ratings smash Chicago-centric debut of their HBO series Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways and a packed to the gills premiere shindig at Wrigleyville’s Cubby Bear, Foo Fighters have confirmed the Windy City as the site of the band’s first ever U.S. stadium headline show: On August 29, 2015, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear will return to the same neighborhood where Grohl saw his first ever live show, this time to play the storied Wrigley Field.

And now it has been confirmed that Foo Fighters’ Wrigley extravaganza will feature a day-long multigenerational celebration of Chicago’s musical heritage: Kings of the Chicago underground Urge Overkill will open the festivities, followed by Naked Raygun a/k/a the band that played that same Cubby Bear gig that was teenage Dave Grohl’s first live show. In the penultimate spot will be the local and international multi-platinum legends Cheap Trick, whose Rick Nielsen both appears in the Sonic Highways series and contributes his unmistakable guitar tones to the album’s lead track and current Rolling Stone Playlist #1 “Something From Nothing."

Tickets for Foo Fighters’ historic Wrigley Field stand will be on sale to the public Monday, October 27 at 10am CT at cubs.com/foo, with fan club pre-sales beginning 10am CT Friday, October 24 and running through 5pm CT Sunday, October 26. A 4 ticket limit for the general admission floor, and 6 ticket limit for the reserved sections will be strictly enforced.

For further information stay tuned to foofighters.com

OPENING: The triumphant all-American opera returns to Lyric -- The Gershwins’Porgy and Bess

The triumphant all-American opera returns to Lyric

The Gershwins’

Porgy and Bess

by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Opens Monday, November 17 at Lyric Opera

13 performances through December 20

Lyric

Photo Credit: Dan Rest

Lyric Opera is a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows. Their immense talent pool, lavish sets, and ability to make the rarified world of opera accessible and interesting to novices and aficionados alike, are nothing short of impressive. The 2014 season continues in the same vein with this familiar Gershwin score – including jazz standards “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” and “Oh Lord, I’m On My Way”. This production is a great way for jazz fans to be introduced to opera or for opera fans to hear classic jazz/musical theater work in a new way.

Eric Owens, SFO 

Photo Credit: Terrence McCarthy  

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess in a revival of the acclaimed production from renowned director Francesca Zambello, conducted by Ward Stare. It opens on Monday, November 17 with 13 performances through Saturday, December 20. Performance dates are Nov. 17, 19, Dec. 2, 5, 8, 13, 16, and 20 at 7:30pm; and Nov. 23, 26, 28, Dec.11 and 18 at 2pm.

Hailed by innumerable critics as the greatest American opera, George Gershwin’s masterpiece of 1935 has lyrics by Ira Gershwin (the composer’s brother) and Dorothy Heyward, and a libretto by Mrs. Heyward’s husband, DuBose Heyward. The opera is based on the 1927 Broadway play Porgy by Mr. and Mrs. Heyward and Mr. Heyward’s own novel of the same name, written in 1924.

Onstage in the opera Porgy and Bess, an entire community comes to life: the fictitious tenement called Catfish Row on the shore of Charleston, South Carolina. It is there that the lame Porgy (bass-baritone Eric Owens) meets and falls in love with the sultry Bess (soprano Adina Aaron, Lyric debut), girlfriend of the hulking Crown (baritone Eric Greene). Bess leaves Crown to live with Porgy but is susceptible to the drugs (“happy dust”) offered her by the devious Sportin’ Life (tenor Jermaine Smith). The cast also includes soprano Karen Slack (Lyric debut) as the devout Serena, soprano Hlengiwe Mhkwanazi (Lyric debut) as the endearing young mother Clara, contralto Gwendolyn Brown as the earthy Maria, and baritone Norman Garrett (Lyric debut) as Clara’s warmhearted husband Jake.

Porgy and Bess will be conducted by Ward Stare and directed by Francesca Zambello.  Peter J. Davison is set designer, Paul Tazewell is costume designer, Mark McCullough is lighting designer, Michael Black is chorus master, and Denni Sayers is choreographer and associate director.  

Says Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, “Lyric had such a great success with the company premiere of Porgy and Bess during the 2008-09 season that we decided to bring this magnificent work back for further performances in Francesca Zambello’s vibrant, revelatory production. Ward Stare conducts an almost totally new cast, including the incomparable Eric Owens in the title role.”

Eric Greene, Lyric 

Photo Credit: Dan Rest

Starring

Eric Owens, Adina Aaron, Jermaine Smith, Eric Greene, Karen Slack,

Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi, Norman Garrett, Gwendolyn Brown

Ward Stare/conductor, Francesca Zambello/ director,

Peter J. Davison/sets, Paul Tazewell/costumes, Mark McCullough/lighting,

Michael Black/chorus master, Denni Sayers/choreographer

For tickets and information call (312) 827-5600 or go to lyricopera.org/porgy. Watch video and read articles about this production at lyricopera.org/InsidePorgy.

Follow the conversation on Twitter: #LyricPorgy.

The Nov. 17 opening night performance will be broadcast live on 98.7WFMT and streamed on wfmt.com starting at 7:15pm. For those listening to the broadcast, live mobile titles will be available at lyricoperalive.org.

Lyric Opera presentation.  Generous sponsors are the Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, Cherryl T. Thomas and Adrmore Associates, and Roberta L. and Robert J. Washlow, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Production owned by Washington National Opera.

Operagoers can also enjoy the exhibit DON GIOVANNI: Past to Present before curtain and during intermission of all Lyric performances. Located in the Opera Club Wine Cellar on the lower level of the Civic Opera House, this new exhibit showcases the 60-year history of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Lyric and pays tribute to Lyric’s brand-new production. It is free to all ticket holders and will on display through December.

About Lyric

Founded in 1954, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of general director Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become the great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.

HELP LOCALLY: Razorhouse To Headline Yoga for Recovery benefit at the Lincoln Tap Room 10/23

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

Chicago’s Razorhouse will headline a Yoga for Recovery benefit at the Lincoln Tap Room on Thursday, Oct. 23, and drop the single “Girl Like a Hand Grenade” on Nov. 11, 2014. 

Come Out and Support A Great Cause!
- $5 Tecate & Cuervo Silver shot
- $4 Fat Tire pints
- $2 Hamms & Strohs cans
- $4 Fireball shots
- $5 Absolut cocktails
- $5 PBR Bottle and Jameson shot

http://www.lincolntaproom.com/events.html 

ACT OUT CLOSING: Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar-- Fall Favorites Closing Soon #theatre #reviews

FALL 2014 THEATER HIGHLIGHTS

Via The League of Chicago Theatres

Fall 2014 will see Chicago continue to produce some of the most exciting theater in the country.  Offerings from the city’s more than 200 producing theaters includes a range of special fall programming, featuring everything from the latest musicals to highly anticipated world premieres.   

Be sure to check back with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We're passionate about Chicago Theatre and we review everything from the big Broadway in Chicago touring extravaganzas to Chicago's vital and thriving storefront scene.

We've marked some of our fall top picks below in red. Catch them while you can. Many are closing soon. We're your source for fall closings, holiday openings, theatre reviews, news, video interviews, and ticket giveaways. Follow us on Facebook, like our Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter, and Google + so you don't miss out.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions including a Fall Theatre Guide, visit the League of Chicago website, www.chicagoplays.com.  Discounted tickets are available at www.hottix.org or at the three Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph); in the Water Works Visitor Information Center (163 E. Pearson); and the newest location at Block Thirty Seven, Shops at 108 N. State. Hot Tix offers half-price tickets to more than 200 Chicago area theatres, full price tickets to all Ticketmaster events including concerts and sports, and Play Money gift certificates.

“This fall will bring a brand new theater season to Chicago, and true to the reputation of Chicago theater, the season promises to be exciting, creative, and unique.  Theaters will present works ranging from family-friendly shows to hard-hitting dramas, and Chicago remains a leader in developing and producing new works,” says Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. “We are anticipating a triumphant season filled with incomparable quality and variety.”

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago throughout the fall:

New works and adaptations include:
*Goodman Theatre brings back Noah Haidle’s hit new work Smokefall, September 20 – October 26, 2014. 

ChiIL Live Shows caught opening night of Smokefall this season and last and we were blown away by this production. Smokefall is an absolute must see. I had the great pleasure of seeing it the first time around with my dad, who is a twin. It's a great production to see with relatives, as it added an extra layer to this complex and compelling family drama. Smokefall gives "Family Tree" and "baggage" a whole new twist! This production is spot on about the things that truly matter and so funny you'll hardly notice as characters'  wit and wisdom seep in and get under your skin. Highly recommended.
  
Isaac’s Eye, a new work by Lucas Hnath reimagines the world of a young Isaac Newton plays at Writers Theatre at Books on Vernon, September 2 – December 7, 2014.  

Musicals include:
The world premiere musical Amazing Grace, based on the awe-inspiring true story, plays at the Bank of America Theatre, October 9 – November 2, 2014.

Griffin Theatre Company presents Titanic, the Tony Award-winning musical re-imaged and re-written for the stage in its first major US Production, October 18 – December 7, 2014

*The hit modern musical Avenue Q continues at The Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave, through October 26, 2014.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, Avenue Q is one of our all time favorite musicals, and The Mercury Theater production is every bit as wicked and witty as the Broadway version. If you still haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Go already! This should be mandatory viewing for all older teens, recent high school and college graduates, and everyone who has ever struggled to make ends meet, had quirky neighbors, lived the urban dream, or loved muppets in childhood. Do note--these puppets are raunchy, irreverent, cynical and not particularly kid appropriate. That said, they'll crack you up and rock your reality. Highly recommended.

*Black Ensemble Theatre brings back At Last: A Tribute to Etta James, featuring 15 of Etta James’ biggest hits, October 24 – December 28, 2014.

BET's remount of At Last: A Tribute to Etta James, is a pure delight. They don't dilute the truth, and feature the tough times, addictions and attitude along with the award winning genius that is Etta James. Her multifaceted personality and life long career are creatively played by multiple Ettas of various ages. The vocal talent at Black Ensemble Theatre is stunning, and entirely impressive. Highly recommended.

Dramatic works include:
Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents a compelling new drama The Night Alive by Conor McPherson, directed by Henry Wishcamper, September 18 – November 16, 2014.

*Shakespeare’s King Lear, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. Directed by Barbara Gaines and featuring Chicago favorite Larry Yando in the title role, September 9 – November 9, 2014.

Two words--Larry Yando! Don't let the King Lear title fool you, Yando is King Midas and his name is box office gold! This production is well worth seeing, as Yando embodies the complexities of Lear with panache. He's at once detestable yet charmingly pitiful. Chicago Shakespeare keeps the set minimalist and the costumes modern. The stage rain and thunderous clashes are particularly evocative and amazing. Recommended.

My Name is Asher Lev, adapted by Aaron Posner from the novel by Chaim Potok, premieres at TimeLine Theatre Company at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave, through October 18, 2014.

The classic Arthur Miller drama All My Sons performs at Raven Theatre in Edgewater. September 16 – November 15, 2014.


About Chicago theater
Chicago theater is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theaters throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theaters in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theaters serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In 2009-10 alone Chicago theater companies produced more than 130 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theaters send new work to resident theaters across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. 

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement
The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theaters which leverages its collective strength to promote, support and advocate for Chicago's theater industry locally, nationally and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theater in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theaters and theater professionals.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago website, www.chicagoplays.com.  Discounted tickets are available at www.hottix.org



“FOO FIGHTERS SONIC HIGHWAYS: LIVE FROM THE CUBBY BEAR” On Sale TOMORROW 10/15 10am!

HBO® TO PRESENT “FOO FIGHTERS SONIC HIGHWAYS: LIVE FROM THE CUBBY BEAR” ON FACEBOOK Concert Event Streaming Live From Chicago at https://www.facebook.com/hbo on Friday, October 17 At 11:59pm (EST) Immediately Following the HBO Premiere Episode of Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways Tickets to Attend the Event Go on Sale Wednesday, October 15 at 10:00am (CST)

The highly anticipated new HBO series Foo Fighters: Sonic Highwaysdebuts on Friday, October 17 at 11:00pm (EST). In celebration of the premiere, HBO will collaborate with Facebook to present “Foo Fighters Sonic Highways: Live from The Cubby Bear,” a live stream of the Foo Fighters premiere party concert, which will be made available to fans in the U.S. on the HBO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hbo.  

Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear will take the stage at Chicago’s The Cubby Bear at midnight (EST) on Friday, October 17 immediately following a screening of the premiere episode. The show will feature the first ever in-concert performance of the new single “Something from Nothing” from the band’s forthcoming album, also titled Sonic Highways (out November 10 on Roswell/RCA). 

Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways is an unprecedented eight-part documentary series that digs deep into the heart and soul of America’s musical identity. Directed by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, each one-hour episode is devoted to a different American musical landmark, chronicling the history, cultural environment and people that define each city’s unique musical identity.

The premiere episode takes place in Chicago and prominently features The Cubby Bear, a small club with huge personal significance to Grohl, who saw his first punk rock show at the venue – an event that set him on his life’s path. 

Fans located in Chicago can attend the concert by purchasing tickets online athttp://itsh.bo/FFChicago beginning Wednesday, October 15 at 10:00am (CST). A two-ticket limit per customer will be strictly enforced and attendees must be 21+. All tickets will be held at will-call and are non-transferable. Ticket holders and their guests must check in at the same time, present government-issued photo ID and immediately enter the venue. Doors open at 8:30pm (CST).

For fans who won’t have the opportunity to attend or catch the live stream of the concert, an archived version of the event will be made available on certain HBO platforms at a later date. 

Follow twitter.com/HBOPR for more info

OPENING: CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER'S WORLD STAGE PRESENTS U.S. DEBUT FROM PARIS THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE'S IONESCO SUITE

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CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER'S WORLD STAGE PRESENTS

U.S. DEBUT FROM PARIS

THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE'S

IONESCO SUITE

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've enjoyed Ionesco's quirky take on life since we first encountered his works in college in the late 80's. After studying Rhinoceros, I could never quite look at theatre the same way again. So many of Ionesco's quotes are brilliant. Whether you are a newbie to his works or a long time admirer, come see Ionesco Suite by THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE in French with fabulous accents and English subtitles! Check it out. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) continues the dynamic World’s Stage Series with the U.S. debut of Théâtre de la Ville’s Ionesco Suite from Paris, France. Directed by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, this absurdist masterpiece celebrates the work of maverick avant-garde playwright Eugène Ionesco with a whirlwind montage encapsulating seven of his plays, brimming with wicked humor and hard-hitting themes. In its only United States engagement, Ionesco Suite will be performed in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, October 15–October 19, 2014.

The cast of Théâtre de la Ville’s IONESCO SUITE, a World’s Stage presentation from Paris. Left to right: Jauris Casanova, Céline Carrère, Stéphane Krähenbühl, Sandra Faure, Olivier Le Borgne, and Charles Roger Bour. Photo by Agathe Pouoponey. 

Stéphane Krähenbühl and Gérard Maillet in Théâtre de la Ville’s IONESCO SUITE, a World’s Stage presentation from Paris. Photo by Agathe Pouoponey. 

Conceived and directed by celebrated Théâtre de la Ville Artistic Director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, the scene for Ionesco Suite is set in a seemingly ordinary dinner party attended by five characters. The gathering descends into an absurdist nightmare, making for a lively rampage against social conventions and a scathing parody of human behavior.

Blouin Art info proclaims the production, “both terribly funny and deliciously scary.” France’s TouteLaCulture calls Ionesco Suite “extravagant, chilling…Quintessential Ionesco, exactly as it should be.”

Sandra Faure and Jauris Casanova in Théâtre de la Ville’s IONESCO SUITE, a World’s Stage presentation from Paris. Photo by Agathe Pouoponey.

French-Romanian dramatist Eugène Ionesco pioneered the Theater of the Absurd along with such visionaries as Samuel Beckett, Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter, creating works that challenged notions of life’s meaning and order.  The piece combines excerpts from seven of the avant-garde playwright’s wildly innovative plays—from the well-known The Bald Soprano and The Lesson to the more rarely performed Jack, or The Submission and Two for Delirium. When Director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota staged Ionesco’s Rhinoceros ten years ago, he developed a fascination for the playwright’s humor and his obsessions with cohabitation and solitude—inspiring him to create Ionesco Suite so that contemporary audiences could discover the work anew.

The illustrious Théâtre de la Ville produces over 100 different shows annually across the vast spectrum of genres, including theater and performance art, contemporary dance, and classical and world music. They have developed new audiences at home and abroad, forming partnerships with theaters in Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Greece, England and the United States.

In January, CST hosts two contributions to the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival (January 14–25, 2015): The Table from the UK’s Blind Summit and FREEZE! from Belgium-based artist Nick Steur. CST presents the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland collaboration, Dunsinane, which imagines the aftermath of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (February 26–March 22, 2015). The season began with the Shakespeare’s Globe production of Hamlet from London and an inventive Australian walkabout theatrical journey, Since I Suppose. Over the past decade, CST has imported more than 700 international artists to Chicago.

Jauris Casanova (center) surrounded by the cast of Théâtre de la Ville’s IONESCO SUITE, a World’s Stage presentation from Paris, which will be presented in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, October 15–19, 2014. Back left to right: Charles Roger Bour, Céline Carrère, Stéphane Krähenbühl, Sandra Faure, Gérard Maillet, and Olivier Le Borgne. Photo by Agathe Pouoponey. 

Ionesco Suite will be presented October 15–19 in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare. Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s presentation of Ionesco Suite is performed in French with projected English translation. Tickets are on sale now for $45–$55 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more, as well as CST for $20 tickets available for patrons under 35. All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets or a season subscription, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to producing extraordinary production of classics, new works and family fare; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 600 performances, CST attracts 200,000 audience members annually. One in four of its audience members is under eighteen years old, and today its education programs have impacted the learning of over one million students. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. Visit www.chicagoshakes.com.

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