CHI, IL LIVE SHOWS--Milwaukee Ave. Arts Fest 7/20-22

LOGAN SQUARE ROCKS We love our hood and when it comes time for the  annual Milwaukee Ave. Arts Fest, so does everyone else. Check out the sweet line up below with some of ChiIL Live Shows top picks in red.   Festival Center Main Stage at Milwaukee & Logan Friday July 20 9:00 - Disappears 7:45 - The Mutts 6:30 - This Is Cinema 5:15 - Shannon Hayden Saturday July 21 9:00 - NOMO 7:45 - Loyal Divide 6:30 - Cains & Abels* 5:15 - Del Rey* 4:00 - Unicycle Loves You* 2:45 - Los Vicios De Papa* 1:30 - Rambos* 12:00 - Pinkalicious The Musical (Family) Sunday July 22 8:00 - Ana Tijoux 6:30 - My Gold Mask 5:15 - In Tall Buildings 4:00 - Eastern Blok 2:45 - Speck Mountain *presented by saki 1:30 - Las Guitarras de Espana 12:00 - Rhythm Revolution (Family)

Nomo Ana Tijoux * Chicago Mixtape   Showcase

Cole's Stage at Milwaukee & Belden Friday July 20 9:00 - Yolks 8:00 - Rabble Rabble 7:00 - Big Colour 6:00 - VILLAGE Saturday July 21 ALL FEMALE FRONTED SHOWCASE 9:00 - The Runnies 8:30 - Ruby yo 7:15 - Tyler Jon Tyler 6:45 - Trinity 5:45 - Moritat 4:45 - Blizzard babies 3:45 - Swimsuit addition 2:45 - Charming People 2:00 - Shugga Shug 1:00 - squish Sunday July 22 9:00 - Al Scorch 8:00 - Weepin Willows 7:00 - Laurance Peters 6:00 - Mike Musikanto 5:00 - Deadbeat

Hairpin Arts Center at 2800 N. Milwaukee presented by Tito's Handmade Vodka LIVE JAZZ PRESENTED BY ELASTIC ARTS AND CHICAGOMUSIC.ORG: Friday July 20 9:45 Vocalo DJ Collective After-Party Featuring Trancid with Shazam Bangles Saturday July 21 6:30 - 7:15 Josh Berman - cornet, Matt Schneider - guitar 7:45 - 8:30 Guillermo Gregorio - reeds, Jason Roebke - bass, Brian Labycz - electronics 9:00 - 9:45 Cameron Pfiffner - saxophone, Anton Hatwich - bass 9:45 Vocalo DJ Collective After-Party Featuring Jesse De La Pena with Charlie Sunday July 22 4:00 - 4:45 David Hernandez & Street Sounds 6:30 - 7:15 Jason Adasiewicz - vibraphone, Nate McBride - bass 7:45 - 8:30 Jim Baker - piano, Josh Abrams - bass 9:00 - 9:45 Mars Williams - saxophone, Kent Kessler - bass

Full Moon Fire Jam July-Photo Filled Feature

It was a purely magical evening at July's full moon fire jam last Monday.   We ran into loads of CircEsteem teachers and students that we know, including fire jugglers Brian & Maria.   We're currently editing all our HD clips from the jam into a longer piece with music, that we'll have up soon, so check back with ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often!    For the rest of the Full Moon Fire Jam Season dates and more photos, check out our prior coverage here.

CHI, IL FILMS ON OUR RADAR-FACETS MULTIMEDIA

I've volunteered at Facets every month since September of 1990 and have seen some incredible indie films, classics, and multicultural offerings over the last 20+ years.   Check out their nightly features, midnight cult classics on Saturdays, Children's International Film Fest, and one of the most comprehensive video rental libraries in the nation.   Check out their main site right here for more info, upcoming film, and membership details.

Facets Cinematheque
Starting Friday, July 6th :
DARK HORSE


Dark Horse has a surprising roster of actors which prove a perfect match for the skewed sensibility of filmmaker Todd Solondz, adding vitality to his signature style and tone, as indicated by such films as Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness. Solondz has established himself as American cinema's crown prince of comic discomfort and once again, he has made another provocative film which finds humor and insight in our deepest neuroses, pains, and misdeeds. 


Facets Film School
FACETS FILM SCHOOL
Summer Session: July 12 - August 22, 2012
Facets Film School provides a forum for discussion among film lovers, emerging mediamakers, and film veterans, encouraging an appreciation for movies as an art form and means of communication, and allowing for an exploration of various film genres, techniques, filmmakers, actors, and more.


Led by local professors and other film experts, Film School courses run one evening per week for six weeks. Each three-hour class session includes a film screening in our intimate small theater, along with time for lecture and discussion. Film School courses are designed to be accessible to students of all levels, with or without any prior background in film studies.






Facets Film School Reel Talk


REEL TALK: FILM SCHOLARS ON TAP
Monday, July 9, 2012




Join fellow film fanatics for an evening of movie clips, cinematic insights, mingling, and munchies. A panel of film scholars will kick off the night in Facets' Cinémathèque theater with scintillating observations illustrated by scenes from various films. Reception to follow the event. Informal but lively discussion is encouraged. More Info






Facets Film Portal
FREE FILMS ONLINE @ FACETS FILM PORTAL




Facets Multi-Media's mission is to preserve, to present, and to distribute independent, world, and classic film, and to educate adults and children in the art and legacy of film.


Facets Film Portal extends that mission by scouring the web for streaming films that have fallen through the cracks, and presenting our discoveries daily. Feel free to search, to watch, to discuss, and to suggest what would make your experience better. More Info




Facets in the Community


SUNDOWN IN K TOWN:
NORTH LAWNDALE DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
Tuesdays and Thursdays at sundown July 10-24, 2012
Special program on Friday, July 27, 2012




Better Boys Foundation and Facets Multi-Media announce a film festival comprised of a series of social documentaries screened outdoors at the Better Boys Foundation, 1512 S. Pulaski Rd. These groundbreaking documentaries such as The Murder of Fred Hampton, And This is Free, Been Rich All My Life and others exemplify the role of independent, particularly documentary, filmmaking in reporting about and shaping Chicago.
Discussion panels of film professionals, journalists, and individuals relevant to the films will follow the screenings.


Admission is free and parking is available at 1512 S. Pulaski Rd. For further information, please contact Mary Visconti at the Better Boys Foundation (773) 542-7300.

Time Travel to Another Century-Ren Faire Opens This Weekend!

photo credit-Bristol Renaissance Faire

What's a quarter of a century old and centuries ago?   Time travel back like Dr. Who and steam punks do....to party like it's 1599.

It's 1 day...19 hours...20 minutes till the gates open for Ren Faire 2012!

Bristol Renaissance Faire has been an annual fav of ours for nearly 20 years.   We can't wait to do it again this weekend when Ren Faire opens for their 25th summer!   ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows will be there Sunday and we'll have a photo and video filled recap for you.    Check out a few links to some of our favorite past coverage here:

Steampunk Day 2011 at Ren Faire

Huzzah-2011 Photo Filled Adventures

Play Locally-Bristol Ren Faire Opens 2011


Lost:   Ren Faire 2010

Faire Weather Friends-2009

Now That's a Hat

Ren Fair Photo Filled Feature 2008 

Ren Fair Redux 2008

FAIRE FACTS

◆ WHO: More than 1,200 period artisans and performers including jousting knights, juggling jesters, willful wenches and a newly arrived cast of street-performing fools presiding over revelry of epic proportions.

◆ WHAT: A rollicking romp through Elizabethan England, complete with 16th century games, rides, arts, crafts, food, music and dance, recreating the summer day in 1574 when Queen Elizabeth visited the English hamlet of Bristol. This summer, Bristol commemorates its 25th anniversary with the biggest, boldest and most boisterous celebration to date.

◆ RENQUEST: Bristol’s live action fantasy-play game, which debuted in July 2008, returns with an all-new story line. Bristol’s RenQuest brings the worldwide popularity of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, like World of Warcraft, into the live action dimension of the Renaissance fair, and offers gamers the chance to test their role-playing prowess beyond the realm of their computer screens.

◆ ENTERTAINMENT: Sixteen stages of nonstop entertainment featuring Faire favorites such as Dirk and Guido (“The Swordsmen”) *they've been friends of ours since my husband, Dug did the location sound for their DVD years ago, the Sturdy Beggars Mud Show and MooNiE the Magnif’Cent — Juggler, Ropewalker and Foolish Mortal. Also, many of the United States’ top touring Renaissance Faire performers will drop in to help celebrate this summer’s special anniversary. These performers include the Celtic fusion band Tartanic, steampunk bagpipe group Klaxton, the Clan Tynker family circus and sidesplitting Renaissance scientist Doktor Kaboom!

◆ MARKETPLACE: Nearly 200 artisans and crafters showcasing wares ranging from jewelry and leatherworks to tapestries and hand-crafted longbows. Demonstrations by potters, glassblowers, broom caners, forgers and other working artisans.

◆ FOOD AND DRYNKE: Roasted turkey legs, skewered shrimp, barbecued ribs, garlic sauteed mushrooms, steak sandwiches, grilled chicken, ice cream, fruit crepes and other delicacies. Thirst-quenching ales, fine wines, iced tea and fresh-squeezed lemonade.

When: Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day Monday, July 7 through Sep. 3, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., rain or shine

Where: Kenosha, Wis., west of I-94 near Illinois/Wisconsin border (Russell Road exit)

Tickets $19.95 for adults and $9.50 for children (ages 5-12) at the gate.  (discount coupons at Walgreens)

*Kids under 5 are FREE!

RenQuest Info: participation costs an additional $10 per day.  

Discounts available online at renfair.com or by phone, (847) 395-7773.

Check out Bristol Renaissance Faire's Main Site here for more info

photo credit-Bristol Renaissance Faire

Music Box--Films on Our Radar

With the mercury bubbling over 90 degrees in Chi-Town all week and a sweltering high of 98 predicted for Tuesday, it's a great time to head for the cool, dark caves of your local indie-movie theatres.    Check out these excellent picks at Music Box.

Music Box Theatre presents: Documentary Filmmaker Kirby Dick's THE INVISIBLE WAR   2012 Sundance Audience Award Winner! “Even by the Sundance Film Festival's impressive standards, 'The Invisible War' is exceptional.” -Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES  About the film. THE INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of our country's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within our US military. Today, a female soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire with the number of assaults in the last decade alone in the hundreds of thousands.  Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of several young women, the film reveals the systemic cover up of the crimes against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. THE INVISIBLE WAR features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm conditions that exist for rape in the military, its history of cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much needed change. Dir. Kirby Dick | 93 min | Color | English language Film details. What: Kirby Dick's THE INVISIBLE WAR Where: The Music Box Theatre When: Opens Friday, June 29, 2012

Music Box Theatre presents THE DO-DECA-PENTATHLON 25 Events 2 Brothers 1 Champion “Endless enjoyable…undeniably hysterical.” - Twitchfilm                  Opens Chicago Friday, July 6!           Director Jay Duplass IN-PERSON July 7! About the film. THE DO-DECA-PENTATHLON is the story of two grown brothers who secretly rekindle their fiercely competitive childhood sporting event – a homemade Olympics of 25 events – during a family reunion in order to finally determine the ultimate champion. When the rest of the family is disrupted by their unfinished business, the brothers must choose between their passion for beating the hell out of each other or the greater good of the family. Film details.What: THE DO-DECA-PENTATHLONWhere: The Music Box Theatre When: Opens July 6, 2012 Add’l info: Dodecapentathlon.com

Saturday, July 7 at 7:00pm!   About the event. Filmmaker Jay Duplass (Cyrus; Jeff, Who Lives At Home; The Puffy Chair) will host a screening of the Coen Brother’s classic Raising Arizona for the fourth installment of “The Film That Changed My Life” series, based on Robert K. Elder’s book of the same name. Duplass will appear live to have a post-film discussion with Elder. Duplass and Elder will sign copies of The Film That Changed My Life following the screening and Q&A. The evening also features a screening of Jay Duplass’ new film The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, opening at The Music Box on July 6th. SCHEDULE 7pm – Screening of The Do-Deca-Pentathlon and Q&A  (Purchase tickets) 9:30pm – Screening of Raising Arizona and Q&A (Purchase tickets) Pricing  Single Feature tickets are $10, Double Feature tickets are $12 About 'The Film That Changed My Life'. A veritable who’s who of accomplished directors, The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark(Chicago Review Press, January 2011) includes interviews with everyone from Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney, who expounds on the virtues of the surrealistic film The Exterminating Angel, to Danny Boyle, who raves about the visceral genius (and madness) of Apocalypse Now. A movie guide for seasoned film lovers or those recently drawn to the silver screen, The Film That Changed My Life will inspire a whole new generation of film aficionados. For more info on the book, please visit http://www.filmchangedmylife.com. Film details.What: The Film That Changed My Life: RAISING ARIZONA with Jay DuplassWhere: The Music Box Theatre When: Saturday, July 7, 2012 Add’l info: http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/events/raising-arizona-2012-07-07-2130

Music Box Theatre presents: THE FILM THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: RAISING ARIZONA with Jay Duplass

Music Box Theatre presents: ELENA   WINNER! SPECIAL JURY PRIZE 2011 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL UN CERTAIN REGARD            Opens Chicago Friday, July 13! "Post-Soviet Russia in Andrei Zvyagintsev's somber, gripping film "Elena" is a moral vacuum where money rules, the haves are contemptuous of the have-nots, and class resentment simmers." - Stephen Holden, The New York Times About the film. Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Elena is a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir and Elena uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment—he’s a still-virile, wealthy businessman; she’s his dowdy former nurse who has clearly “married up.” Estranged from his own wild-child daughter, Vladimir openly despises his wife’s freeloading son and family. But when a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan…. Masterfully crafted by award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev (Golden Globe nominee The Return) and featuring evocative, Hitchcockian music by Philip Glass, Elena is a subtly stylish exploration of crime, punishment and human nature. Dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev | Russian | 109m | 2:35:1 Film details.What: ELENAWhere: The Music Box Theatre When: Opens Friday, July 13

Tickets Admission for main features and midnight films is $9.25 (different prices may apply to special presentations). The first show of the day on Mondays through Thursdays is only $8.25. Admission for the 11:30am matinee films is $7.25. The Music Box Discount Card provides 5 admissions for $33.00 (a savings of up to $13.25; good for six months; limit two admissions per visit). Cards are available at the box office. Film info line: (773) 871-6604. Getting there The Music Box is located at 3733 North Southport Avenue, Chicago. Metered street parking is available on Southport Avenue. The Music Box is a short walk east from free street parking on Ashland Avenue. There is a parking lot one block north of the theatre at the Blaine School ($10). The theater is near the Southport station on CTA's Brown Line and the 152 Addison, 9 Ashland and 80/X80 Irving Park bus routes. For public transit information, call 836-7000. Facebook Be our friend on Facebook MySpace Be our friend on MySpace Twitter Follow us on Twitter YouTube Watch trailers on YouTube Visit Music Box Films

Dralion's Goddess of the Air Interview With ChiIL Mama #original video interview

Who saw a Cirque du Soleil show at age 12 and told her Mom, "That's what I want to do when I grow up"....and did it?!   (Her mom just flew in from Orlando last week to see her daughter fly through the air on silks at Allstate Arena).


Who trains for and runs triathlons when she's not rocking the aerial arts in Dralion's graceful love story? (Her partner on the silks for the last two years is also her personal trainer and good friend.)

Who can you see LIVE at United Center through July 1, dazzling in cobalt blue, as Azala, Goddess of the Air?  (this tiny but mighty girl has a lofty job description as keeper of the sun and the guardian of immortality.)

Meet Amanda Orozco, fascinating aerial artist with Dralion and world class athlete.   

Dralion Rocks United Center Through July 1 #original live show shots

ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows original live show shots-Dralion, Chicago 2012 (full set).    Double click on the slide show to go to SmugMug and browse through the photos at your own rate.

We were so stoked to be invited to shoot the first act of Dralion LIVE, during their two weeks in the Chicago area.  Cirque du Soleil's Dralion is THE must see this summer.  What better way to celebrate 2012--The Year of the Dragon?  

Costume Facts:

(*Via Cirque du Soleil Dralion's site)

The primary sources of inspiration for the costumes of Dralion come from China, India and Africa. The palette favors vibrant solid colors, while the shapes are guided by the artists’ movements and choreography.

Each of the four elements and its associated family are represented by their own unique color. Blue is identified with air, green symbolizes water, red is for fire, and ochre represents the earth.

• Over 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) of fabric were used in creating the costumes;
• The fabrics come from regions around the globe, including China, the United States, Italy, France, England and Quebec;
• Materials that might be considered unusual were used in creating costumes and accessories: horse hair, raffia, metal, window screen, emu feathers, crystals, Styrofoam, plastic, bubble wrap, fun fur, springs and an array of hardware items
• To create the texture on the chest plate on the singer’s costume, bugs were glued on and then molded into different shapes;
• The artisans at the Cirque du Soleil costume workshop in Montreal worked for over three months fabricating the original costumes, hats, wigs and footwear required for Dralion. New costumes are continuously made.
• The majority of the Dralion costumes are custom-made for each artist, including shoes and head pieces.
• Dralion has close to 1500 costume pieces including shoes, hats and accessories.
• The Dralion wardrobe team includes 4 permanent touring staff and 3 local wardrobe employees in each city. The wardrobe team is responsible for maintaining and repairing all costumes.
• The Dralion tour travels with washers and dryers because most costume pieces are machine washable and then hung to dry.
• Over 300 pairs of shoes are cleaned and painted by hand every week

The Set:

A mammoth structure creates the huge backdrop that dominates the stage. This metallic set piece is 60 feet wide and 26 feet tall and is suggestive of a futuristic Chinese temple or a giant plate of medieval armor.

The most imposing feature is the metallic wall which spans the full length of the stage. Covered with perforated aluminum tiles, the wall is strong and resilient while giving the impression of being light and flexible. The six giant claws attached to the structure allow artists to climb and suspend themselves from the wall.

Three concentric aluminum rings are suspended high above the stage. The first serves as a catwalk for performers and technicians. The second is used to support technical and acrobatic equipment, including the enormous lantern that descends at the end of the first half of the show. The third ring is used to move performers up, down and through the world of Dralion.

What is Dralion:

Fusing the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature. The show's name is derived from its two emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.

In Dralion, the four elements that govern the natural order take on a human form. Thus embodied, each element is represented by its own evocative colour: air is blue; water is green; fire is red; earth is ochre. In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, Man and Nature are one, and balance is achieved.

Characters:

(*Via Wikipedia)

Dralion features 50 members in its performance troupe.   Here are the major players

• Azala (air): The goddess of air who is dressed in blue, keeper of the sun and the guardian of immortality.
• Gaya (earth): The goddess of earth, dressed in ochre.
• Océane (water): The goddess of water, dressed in green.
• Yao (fire): The god of fire, dressed in red, who is both good and evil.
• L'Âme Force: The show's singers who symbolize harmony between the four elements.
• Kala: Represents the heart of the wheel of time, making time evolve.
• Little Buddha: The chosen child who possesses powers that will eventually allow him to become an Âme-Force, but dreams of being a regular child.
• Dralions:   Dralions: Mythical creatures inspired by the imagery of the Chinese lion dance and dragon dance.
• Clowns: The clowns manage to push this otherwise harmonious universe slightly off-kilter.    

Acts: 
The acts of Dralion combine unique western and eastern acrobatic skills.

• Single handbalancing: A single woman balances on one hand and accomplishes a variety of poses.
• Bamboo poles: Five acrobats twirl and throw 25-foot-long (7.6 m) bamboo poles while Yao waves a flag as the acrobats jump over it.
• Juggling: An artist performs juggling infused with breakdancing and acrobatics.
• Trampoline: A group of acrobats perform on trampolines using the set's futuristic backdrop both as a diving board and landing pad.
• Dralions: Three acrobats and three Dralions perform tumbling feats and Chinese lion dance-like dance.
• Medusa: A group of artists execute graceful and lithe movements, in the style of acrosport.
• Aerial hoop: A single artist performs choreography using a hoop suspended in mid-air.
• Spirits: Four couples perform a gravity-defying ballet.
• Aerial pas de deux: Azala and her male counterpart perform an aerial dance in silks.
• Hoop diving: Acrobats jump through a tower of hoops, which is sometimes spinning.
• Skipping ropes: A group of acrobats perform jump rope alone or together in pyramids and in towers.

WHAT THE MEDIA SAY ABOUT THE SHOW:

"I would recommend Dralion highly to those who can appreciate the artistry and acrobatic talent displayed in the show."

The Examiner

"Truly a wonderful experience."

Reading Eagle

"Cirque's unpretentious "Dralion" offers one visual gravity-defying stunner after another."

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Make some lasting family memories with this multicultural feast for the senses.  Hurry and book your tickets today.   Dralion is only in Chicago at The United Center through July 1!   Click here for tickets and more.