Jason Kingsley as Zastrozzi and Dani Smith as Matilda are particularly impressive. photo credit: The Division
The
Division knows how to make an entrance! Check out the final days of
the first show of their debut season, Zastrozzi! In a city bursting at the seams with great storefront theatre, it's rare to find a new contender worth raving about. The Division Theatre Company is off to an impressive start.
We were able to squeak in and see them Wednesday, near the end of their run and we're glad we did! They made the daring choice to introduce their company with George Walker's Zastrozzi, The Master of Discipline and the press lapped it up.
ZASTROZZI IS...
"Horrifying and wickedly amusing"
RECOMMENDED ~ Centerstage Chicago
"Exciting, Lively and engaging"
RECOMMENDED ~ Time Out Chicago
"Arresting...Voluptuous"
Chicago Tribune
"Great laughs, sexual tension and surprises"
RECOMMENDED ~ Chicago Stage Style
"Handled with attention and wit"
RECOMMENDED ~ Chicago Reader
"Impressive... Riveting... Swashbuckling thrills"
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ~ Windy City Times
There's not a weak link in the cast. And the characters are written with a delightful mix of traits, taunting the audience to love the handsome roguish, brilliant murderers and find the virginal brat and the visionary artist annoying.The wealthy are imbecilic and the servant a genius. The show is full of eloquent monologues, witty observations, and intriguing contradictions, as the saintly are seduced but not to self destruction, and those who wish to protect, destroy. Even the power plays are not one sided between the protagonists, but ebb and flow in a tantalizing trade off, much like many of the characters' very insanity and lucidity.
The Division's mission statement:
...to engage the community in questions of
ethics, morality, and the demands of civilization. By exploring these
issues in a theatrical setting, we seek to stimulate dialogue, self reflection, accountability, and a greater apprehension of each individual's role in shaping the culture and the world we live in.
Their ambitious debut:
ZASTROZZI The Master of Discipline
Europe, 1893. Zastrozzi - atheist, art-critic, and master
criminal - has spent the past three years in the singleminded
pursuit of revenge against his mother's murderer, the born-again,
former performance artist and self proclaimed Messiah of caterpillars, Verezzi.
With the aid of his murderous protege
Bernardo, and his sometimes lover the accomplished seductress Matilda, Zastrozzi
has finally cornered Verezzi for a final showdown between good and evil, love
and hate, art and mediocrity.
There are only 2
nites left to check out Zastrozzi. So Chi Town...what are you waiting for?!
I've been a sucker for sword fights since I took stage combat and
fencing in college back in the day.... Victorian BDSM and witty word
play well done indeed.
“You think that a wall
as solid as the earth
separates civilization from barbarism.
I tell you the division is a thread,
a sheet of glass.
A touch here, a push there,
and you bring back the reign of Saturn.”
~ John Buchan
Zastrozzi plays through Feb 25th at Viaduct Theatre
THE DYBBUK FALL 2012 In
an isolated Jewish shtetl community, brilliant young Talmudic scholar
Hannan delves deep into the mystical arts of the Kabbalah, hoping to win
the hand of the beautiful Lehla.
When Lehla's engagement to
someone else is announced, Hannan dies on the spot... But his
relationship with Lehla is only beginning.
In a world where the dead and the living sit side by side at table, history can not be forgotten, and love can not be ignored.
Houdini
Box at Chicago Children's Theatre opened to rave reviews and critical
acclaim. ChiIL Mama had the great opportunity to interview director,
Blair Thomas and book/lyrics writer, Hannah Kohl. Catch this show while
you can, before it performs a disappearing act worthy of the great
magician himself. Houdini
Box is suitable for kids 5 and up, but all ages through adults will
enjoy this magical production full of puppetry, excellent music, and a
mysterious, creative storyline. Houdini Box is playing in Chicago at
The Mercury Theatre through March 4th, then rematerializing in Skokie
from March 14th-25th.
Badfish and Scotty Don't rocked House of Blues Chicago, February 4th, 2012. Check back with ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL....early and often. We've got show video footage and CD reviews coming soon!
Here are ChiIL Live Shows original shots from The House of Blues-Chicago show on 2/4/2012. It was our great pleasure to see Badfish and Scotty Don't live. Local favorites, Midwest Hype, opened and we enjoyed a first listen to Full Service, pictured above.
It may still be winter in Chi-Town but all 4 bands made us want to dance barefoot and welcome the summer festival season in with a vengeance. We had a chance to check out Full Service'sself titled CD, released in 2011, with 10 fun tracks including Lately, Coconuts, Hi Ho, Gymnasium, Ramona, Tasteless Gravy, Rocketships (LIVE), Hotter in the House, Trumpets & Hallways. It may just make you wanna pack up the tent in a micro bus and hit the road! Keep an ear out for these boys on the summer circuit. They put on a sweet, live show.
They're currently rockin' Austin, TX (their current home base) and just premiered their documentary, "TAKEOVER!", about their unique, determined underdog style of co-opting tours and scrambling their way up from the parking lot scene to the main stage!. Check out the details on their Takeover! Facebook page and website.
Home is Where The Yard Is Vol 1 is now available, too.
ChiIL Live Shows will have HD videos from that night, from all 3 bands, coming soon. So check back like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. See you out there.
Reptar has just announced that their debut full-length album, Body
Faucet, will be released May 1st via Vagrant. Produced by Ben Allen
(Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, Washed Out), the new record is the
follow up to the group’s debut EP Oblangle Fizz Y’all. Grouplove
support tour dates, Sasquatch and Bonnaroo announcements, and more.
To celebrate the announcement, they're
asking fans to sign up for the band's mailing list to grab a free
download of the lead track and first single from the record,
"Sebastian."
ChiIL Live Shows has a brand spankin' new Facebook Page and we could use some like love. We'll be running loads offree downloads, worldwide tour news, live Chi, IL show dates/features in the theatre and music scene, and new artists that will only appear on our FB page.
Then we'll run also run a feed from the blog with our original band video interviews, live show shots, give aways and reviews. To kick things off right, we're giving away Colin Quinn's Long Story Short DVD to one of our random likers as soon as we hit the big 100, thanks to our friends over at MVD.We're more than half way there!
Every time we hit a new 100 likes we're picking
one winner from our followers for new DVDs, CDs & more. First up-this
sweet DVD-Colin Quinn-Long Story Short ($19.99).
Remember Colin Quinn-side kick on MTV's Remote Control? He's nobody's sidekick now!! We were front row, center on opening night, when he came through Chi-Town with his freakin' funny one man show. Now he can be all yours, to play at will, without leaving the couch.
His wise and wickedly witty take on humanity and history had us laughing out loud. Even now, months later, his schtick is still stuck in my head. I can't sit down to work without his rant about bloggers and cavemen coming to mind. I'm a bit flattered, though. He mostly lampoons people groups, and only a few professions made the cut. Note to Colin...bloggers may have the cave man keyboard stance, but we're the cockroaches of the publishing world...surviving, thriving and multiplying while traditional media is dropping like the dinosaurs.
I know you WANT this DVD.
COLIN QUINN - Long Story Short on DVD and Blu-ray
The one-man show directed by Jerry Seinfeld
"Hilarious!" New York Times
Nominated for a 2011 Emmy Award Taped before a live audience at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York City, Colin Quinn: Long Story Short showcases the comedian's keen observations in the uproarious history of the world, juxtaposing modern-day human behavior with the rise and fall of empires.
Colin Quinn began his comic career in New York as a regular on the comedy show circuit. Colin made his television debut as co-host of MTV's popular game show "Remote Control". Quinn landed a spot on the legendary late-night show, "Saturday Night Live" where he entertained audience for five seasons. After SNL, Quinn tackled societal issues on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn". Colin's first one-man show Sanctifying Grace, began off-Broadway in 1994 and was later produced as Colin Quinn - An Irish Wake and played at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Last summer, Colin appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy "Grown Ups". He can be seen in Sony's "Donny's Boy" opposite Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, June 2012.
From his personification of Caesar as the original Italian mobster, to his complaints about Ancient Greece and Antigone giving way to Costco and Snooki, Quinn is at his satirical best, taking on the attitudes, appetites and bad habits that have toppled the world's most powerful nations.
First running on Broadway, then airing on HBO, the show's Broadway run was extended due to the popularity. Quinn has been touring Long Story Short throughout 2011 and took a show to the highly acclaimed Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal where it received tremendous accolades. Directed for the stage by Jerry Seinfeld, the Broadway show was produced by Eva Price and Richard Martini.
Bonus Features: - Commentary with Colin Quinn and director Jerry Seinfeld - Behind-the-Scenes Footage - Press Event Footage
Press: "Quinn is a Master. A Polished Act." - Daily News "Colin Quinn nails it. State of the art." Time Magazine "Brisk and Seinfeldian" New York Magazine
ABOUT VIDEO SERVICES CORP. Founded in 1993 by former rock critic Jonathan Gross, Video Services Corp. is a leading independent DVD distributor with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. With a vast catalogue strong in television, sports and comedy, some of VSC's releases include the Canadian hit Corner Gas, The Roller Derby Chronicles The Tom Green Show, The WHA Chronicles and Spectacle: Elvis Costello With.... VSC also owns the e-commerce websites sportonvideo.com, laffstock.com and jewishflicks.com.
ABOUT MVD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP MVD Entertainment Group (previously known as Music Video Distributors, Inc) was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman, an industry veteran of more than 40 years, whose background includes retailing stints with Record Hunter, Sam Goody, Musicland, CBS Retail, and wholesale experience with Jem Records. MVD initially acted primarily as a one-stop, buying all labels' music-related VHS releases and reselling to music and video stores. In the last 10 years, MVD has transitioned from being a one stop/wholesaler for music video to a corporation consisting of three major divisions: MVD Visual, MVD Audio, and MVD Distribution. Some of the artists MVD has worked with include Sublime, Pixies, Bad Brains, Devo, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, the MC5, Dead Kennedys, Danzig, Marillion, Ween, Shane MacGowan, Stryper, Johnny Winter, and much more. Since 1999, MVD has released over 1500 exclusive titles. For more information, visitwww.mvdb2b.com.
