PLAY LOCALLY: ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar Tonight Through Friday

There's plenty of music and theatre openings this week around Chi-town.   Fall is the perfect season to get out and see shows.   Here are our top picks this week.

TONIGHT Tuesday, 10/9 

Adam Ashbach (music 21+/ $5-$8/Double Door)

After a period of relative quiet, Adam Ashbach (ex-band leader of Lollapalooza vets Musical Outfits) will make his return to the Chicago stage with a show at Double Door on Oct. 9 (supporting local garage poppers Jonny Rumble)

Check out all the details here at Double Door's main site.

Check out Adam's FB page here. 


After living in Brooklyn for a short time to pursue the artist’s dream, Adam Ashbach came home to Chicago in 2008 and recorded the well-received EP Puzzle Pieces at CRC and Studio Ballistico.

After playing only a few shows in support of the EP, Ashbach then took time off to reflect on life and everything other than music. But once again the music bug has bit and brought him back to familiar territory. He fell right back into Tim Sandusky's Studio Ballistico to collaborate on new music with all new musicians save for Jason Angelilli (his bass player and friend from grade school), who has become a stalwart writing companion.

Joining Adam and Jason in the studio, and rounding out the live show, is Neal O'Hara, Reid Muchow and Taras Horalewskyj. These talented musicians can be found playing out in multiple bands on any given night in Chicago. Their contagious desire has rubbed off on Ashbach. Eager to release his newest EP, Too Much Left To Write, Adam brought years of experience and what he likes to call "getting old" to the studio. For this go around, Adam is happy to be playing music for the joy leaving behind the drama of old bands and he is reveling in what is happening right now.

Wednesday, 10/10



Black Watch (theatre) at Broadway Armory.  National Theatre of Scotland in conjunction with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

•  Click here for our past coverage and show details.   ChiIL Live Shows will be there for opening night and we'll have a full review up shortly.

• We're pretty stoked to see the highly acclaimed production of Black Watch, also by National Theatre of Scotland.   Click the link for video clips, behind the scenes, reviews and more.   We missed it the last time around and are eagerly awaiting it's return October 10th.   It's playing at The Broadway Armory through Oct. 21st.
  
  

  by Gregory Burke directed by John Tiffany at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway, Chicago October 10–21, 2012 “  A feast of rich and finely detailed work...A show those with even a drop of Scottish blood in their veins should not miss!” –Chicago Tribune “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Superb 'Black Watch' is riveting.” –Chicago Sun-Times **Recommended for audiences 13 years and older. The production contains very strong language, loud explosions and strobe lighting.**

  Back by popular demand! CST brings the National Theatre of Scotland's world-renowned Black Watch to Chicago audiences for a return engagement at the Chicago Park District's Broadway Armory. This impassioned, urgent telling of a heroic Scottish regiment's tour in Iraq deftly interweaves events both past and present. Battles leap to heartrending life, glorious bagpipes resound, and the intimate moments of soldiers' lives are revealed as they discover what it means to make the journey home again. Approximate Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes (no intermission) Click here for more video footage and show details at Chicago Shakespeare's site.

Nick Waterhouse (R & B music) at Lincoln Hall

ChiIL Live Shows will be there shooting stills.   This should be one sweet show you won't want to miss.  21+

Nick Waterhouse 

Allah Las

DJ Misa

Buy on iTunes

$14.00

Wednesday, October 10 2012

9:00 PM | 21+

Click here for Lincoln Hall's main site and more Nick Waterhouse info

• Bio
  Nick Waterhouse is the New Breed – An R&B fanatic who combines an uncanny old-school sensibility with a charged, contemporary style. At just 25, He joins the ranks of a growing cabale of similar acts and producers of recent times – Mark Ronson, Mayer Hawthorne, the Daptone Crew et al – that are all moving forward into the past, yet all quite different. For Waterhouse, his muse is the over-modulated sound of vintage R&B, and his take on such a time-honored tradition evokes the back-alley thrill of New Orleans, Detroit and Memphis in their heyday. He combines an astute attention to detail with an honest desire to match the emotional impact of the music that inspires him.
  When asked to pinpoint the sound or style he strives for, Nick Waterhouse simply shrugs and responds, “American music. And I know that’s pretty general, but it is what it is. I have spent so much of my life immersed in this stuff, because I wanted to figure it out, [yet] all I figured out was that there was no plan.” In other words, whatever musical style Nick may choose to espouse, it’s not done because someone else did it, but done for the same reason someone else did it. “To me, [the music I play] is not a ‘type’ of music,” he emphasizes; “it IS music. The records I listen to ARE music. A record is a moment in time, and something recorded in 1955 is the same as something recorded in 2010.” Growing up in the Southern California, Waterhouse eschewed his surroundings and found emotional authenticity in the vintage wax of Ray Charles, Roy Head, Little Willie John and the whole panoply of American music, where feel so often trumps technique. After the sold out release of his own self-produced 45, the raunchy ‘Some Place’, and a string of exciting shows with his live group The Tarots, Nick went to work on his forthcoming full-length for Innovative Leisure – continuing an undeniably raw and rhythmic take on American music.
  His approach to production – entirely vintage analog equipment, open-reel tape machines, lacquer cutting machines, and even hand letter-pressed labels – has left a few fans wondering where and when he comes from; Long-lost deadstock Rhythm & Blues artifact? White or Black? New or old? It’s a fitting recall to the days of early Rock & Roll, when rhythms crossed the tracks and no-one was quite sure WHAT or WHO this music was. As LA Record bears witness, “You’ve gotta be one kind of maniac to produce like this, and a whole other kind to shout like this, and an even more frightening kind to make the first two maniacs work together. Nick pulling this all off simultaneously means preternatural powers in play”
  Career Highlights
  • Nick Waterhouse performs live on KEXP
  • Nick Waterhouse's SxSW performance highlighted on Rolling Stone
  • Nick Waterhouse's SxSW performance praised by Chicago Tribune
  • Nick Waterhouse featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition 2012
  • Nick Waterhouse on Last Call with Carson Daly
  Current Tours

  Date	Venue	City	State	With
  Tue 10/09/12	Magic Stick	Detroit	MI	Allah-Las, Richie Wohlfeil
  Wed 10/10/12	Lincoln Hall	Chicago	IL	Allah-Las, DJ Misa
  Thu 10/11/12	Fine Line Music Cafe	Minneapolis	MN	Allah-Las, Mike 2600
  Sun 10/14/12	Neumos	Seattle	WA	Allah-Las, Gred Vandy
  Mon 10/15/12	The Wild Buffalo	Bellingham	WA	Allah-Las, DJ Yogoman
  Tue 10/16/12	Biltmore Cabaret	Vancouver	BC	Allah-Las, Jonny Grayston (of the East Van Soul Club)
  Wed 10/17/12	Star Theater	Portland	OR	Allah-Las, DJ Beyonda
  Sat 10/20/12	Bimbos 365 Club	San Francisco	CA	Allah-Las, DJ Primo
  Sun 10/21/12	El Rey Theatre	Los Angeles	CA	Allah-Las, Aquarium Drunkard/Light In The Attic
  Fri 11/02/12	Fun Fun Fun Fest	Austin	TX
  Mon 11/05/12	Santa Fe Brewing Company	Santa Fe	NM
  Wed 11/07/12	Casbah	San Diego	CA

Thursday 10/11

The Luck of Eden Hall at The Burlington
only $5 suggested donation

Rocket Miner | The Foreign Resort (Copenhagen, Denmark) | The Luck of Eden Hall

doors 9pm
Click here for The Burlington's main site
The Burlington is at Fullerton and Kimball in Logan Square


Friday

• ChiIL Live Shows will be there for opening night and we'll have a full review up shortly.

---

October 12th - November 10th , 2012

Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS

CHICAGO 2012 

By examining and bringing together (in a dream-like way) the narratives of the assassinations and attempted assassinations of the US presidents during our national history, Composer Stephen Sondheim weaves together the pain that lies just beneath the surface of American consciousness – the pain of alienation, regret, and failure to achieve the “American Dream”. But in the end, who is responsible for that failure? Ourselves? Our Parents? Our Society? Our President?

And yet, in all this darkness there lies just the glimmer of hope. Each of these individuals, pushed by themselves and unseen forces to commit desperate and despicable acts, contain within them a certain sense of innocence. Buried deep in these stories is an overwhelming heart – yes, Assassins is a love story, oddly enough. A story about men and women so desperate to be heard and validated, so desperate to find love that they would do anything to get it – in a way, to achieve their manifest destiny. What’s more American than that?

Mixing dark humor with unforgettable musical numbers, and strong showcase roles for our talented cast of character actors, this show will be a wonderful way to get in the mood for the 2012 election season, no matter what your politics are!

For questions and box office issues, please contact: 

tickets@thegoforth.com

(312) 212-3470 

Running time: Approximately 90 minutes 

Tickets - $45  

BUY TICKETS

Local reggae crew Akasha will be supporting Hawaii’s The Green @ Bottom Lounge on Friday, Oct. 12. (17+)

Click here for all the Akasha details on Bottom Lounge's home page.

Click here for Akasha's Main Site

Cyndi Lauper & Harvey Fierstein On Kinky Boots #BroadwayinChicago

Check out ChiIL Live Shows' original HD Video footage from the Kinky Boots press conference.


The Second City's second to none in our hearts.   And at the press conference for Kinky Boots' Pre-Broadway World Premiere, everyone from Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper to the producers and cast all expressed their adoration for The Windy City.


ChiIL Live Shows was elated to be invited to the press conference and we'll be reviewing the show opening night on October 17th.   Preview tickets are available right now!    


We rented the indie film the musical was based on and loved it.   It was right on so many levels.   Check it out locally at Facets Multimedia then book your tickets for the live version.  We can't wait to see the adaptation to stage, and we're so stoke that Chi-Town gets to see it first.


Tickets and further info are available here.





PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE!

From Grammy® Award-winning pop icon CYNDI LAUPER and four-time Tony Award® winner HARVEY FIERSTEIN comes the exhilarating new musical KINKY BOOTS, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® winner JERRY MITCHELL.




Charlie Price has suddenly inherited his father's shoe factory, which has been in his family for generations but is now on the verge of bankruptcy. In trying to save the business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As they try to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair discovers that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible.


Featuring a sensational new score by Cyndi Lauper, knockout dancing, and a spectacularly uplifting story, KINKY BOOTS proves that sometimes, the best way to fit in is to stand out!


Ticket prices are $33 to $100.

Groups of 15+ now on sale! 312-977-1710

Midnight Circus Rocks the Parks Photo Filled Feature #photos

Midnight Circus is a Chi-town favorite and we've been fans for decades.   They performed in Daley Plaza as a centerpiece of Chicagoween for years.   Check out some of our past, photo filled coverage here.    Back in the day, Midnight Circus founders Julie and Jeff worked on a movie, with Dug (my location sound engineer husband), and we've enjoyed checking out their work ever since.

Now the next generation is taking to the stage, too.   Jeff and Julie have a son who is now rockin' the hat tricks, clowning and partner acro.   We hope to interview them soon for our ongoing video series on How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create.

My daughter was in awe of the girl on Spanish Web who seemed to be all about being mighty, just like Sagezilla.   Sage started learning Spanish web herself last year, and lyra, too, like the tiny but mighty kid on the hoop.







The juggling/acro duo was quite fun.



And the adults were digging this one even more than the kids!

Circus GangNam Style!

Midnight Circus did a colorful, creative mix of classic circus arts and the latest YouTube sensation.




Come check 'em out and don't put off getting tickets.   All of these shows have been selling out.   Proceeds benefit the Chicago Park District!    How cool is that?!   You can be well entertained and help out an amazing, underfunded, Chicago resource at the same time.   

Click here for more details and to order your tickets.

Shows run every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 21st and rotate to different parks.   Click here for the schedule.

Tickets to Circus Soirée Benefit Still Available #CircEsteem

10 Days Until the Soirée! Dear Bonnie, Take a peek below to learn about our fundraising goals, how to buy tickets for Circus Soirée or to volunteer and/or participate at the event! It's CircEsteem like you've never seen us before at this fall's Circus Soirée! Join CircEsteem on Thursday, October 18th from 7pm-10pm at Architectural Artifacts for an evening of inspiring performances, delectable food and libation, a spectacular silent auction- Whimsy, surprise and amazement around every corner! VIP ticket holders can enjoy a private pre-party reception from 6pm-7pm in the Architectural Artifacts garden with special food, an open bar and exciting live performance as well as reserved VIP seating at the main event! Learn more about the needs behind our fundraising- $50,000 a year-   CircEsteem offers free tutoring and circus instruction 3 days a week, 32 weeks of the year, through our 'HomeWork & CircusWork' program.This program is 100% free to participants and serves over 30 youth each week. 20,000 miles a year to transport-  CircEsteem transports 30 youth a week, picking them up at school and taking them home afterwards.  Money raised at Circus Soirée will help us buy a new van allowing more youth to participate. Will YOU support CircEsteem and help us reach our goals?   40,000 participants CircEsteem reaches over 40,000 people each year offering over 150 workshops and performances.  We crisscross the city and suburbs providing circus programs at 15 offsite locations 5 days a week.  100% High School graduation rates- CircEsteem has a 100% graduation rate from high school, with all of the students going on to pursue higher learning.  To date CE graduates have amassed over $600,000 in outside scholarships thanks to our partnership withChicago Scholars. $10,000 in matching funds- CE has employed over 60 youth since the creation of theCircusTeens Job Program. To date CircusTeens have been paid over $40,000 with almost $15,000 of it being saved for college. In addition CE has provided matching funds to encourage college savings totaling nearly $10,000. There's still time to buy your tickets to Circus Soirée! Nothing would please us more than having you join our fundraising efforts on Thursday, October 18th at Architectural Artifacts for our Circus Soirée! Your contributions help make our free programming, youth employment efforts and community outreach a continued reality! For more info, to purchase tickets or make a financial contribution  please visit Brown Paper Tickets.   Kindly, Maribeth Joy Executive Director It's a family circus....Du-Jay and Sagezilla are performing with a slew of talented CircEsteem kids.   We'll be there shooting stills and video.   If you can't make it or don't live locally, you can still donate.   CircEsteem's doing amazing work.   Check it out!

I Went to A Sinfonietta And A Circus Broke Out! #ChicagoSinfonietta #CircEsteem

ChiIL Mama's daughter rocks the Chicago Sinfonietta with CircEsteem Monday night.    All photos by Mary Rafferty Photography   

Monday night there was a rustle of programs and quizzical looks across the audience as The Chicago Sinfonietta began their 2nd number.   There was nothing in the billing about circus arts, but the surprise guests of the evening stole the show and provided a lovely example of collaboration in the arts and the theme of the evening, Performance.  Art.  

Unicyclists careened down the aisles of Symphony Center and jugglers materialized in the balcony and wings.   ChiIL Mama's own 9 year old daughter flipped upside down into a bridge and crab walked across the stage in front of the orchestra, while adults foot juggled a table and large pot, and stilt walked.   A teen rolled out in a giant, metal gym wheel, and the audience was treated to Performance.  Art.  indeed!   

The surprise guests of the evening were the uber talented kids and staff of Chicago's own CircEsteem, including ChiIL Mama's own kids, Du-Jay (11) and Sagezilla (9).   The performers were under the radar, and the applause was off the charts.   

The Chicago Sinfonietta opened its 25^th Anniversary Season with a concert called Performance. Art, featuring lively guest musicians, the New York-based jazz-hybrid ensemble PROJECT Trio.  The concert took place Saturday, September 29 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville and Monday, October 1 at Symphony Center in downtown Chicago.   The performers from CircEsteem were special, surprise guests for both the Naperville and the Symphony Center concerts.

PROJECT Trio was also a joy to see live.   They brought an unbridled enthusiasm and rock star esthetic to their pieces.   The talented trio even sited Jethro Tull as one of their influences and did their own version of merging classical and classic rock.    

The official press release for the evening along with links to further information on The Chicago Sinfonietta and CircEsteem are below.

 

Chicago Sinfonietta Opens 25^th Anniversary Season with

PERFORMANCE. ART.

Featuring genre-crossing virtuosos PROJECT Trio

Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College, September 29

Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, October 1

The Chicago Sinfonietta’s milestone 25^th Anniversary Season opening concert, titled Performance. Art., features a unique collaboration with the Brooklyn-based, high-energy chamber ensemble PROJECT Trio (Greg Pattillo, Peter Seymour and Eric Stephenson).  Blending their classical training with a wide array of musical styles, including jazz, hip-hop and rock, PROJECT Trio’s virtuoso performers use their passion and versatility to make an impression on audiences of all musical tastes.  Performance. Art. will be performed at Wentz Concert Hall,171 E. Chicago Avenue in Naperville, Saturday, September 29 at 8 pm and at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Monday, October 1 at 7:30 pm.

“PROJECT Trio combines flute, cello and bass to achieve musical colors that you would never have thought possible,” said Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen.  “Not only do they bring a distinct sound, they also bring a lot of movement to the stage – so much energy!  It will be very fun to have them join the Sinfonietta for our Silver Anniversary season opener, and I’m so glad we can share the talents of this incredible group with our Chicago and Naperville audiences.” 

Chen opens the concert with a distinctive variation on Johannes Brahms’ one-movement work Hungarian Dance No. 5.  The program continues with three exceptional performances by PROJECT Trio both with the orchestra and on their own, including Fast and Random Roads – two works composed by its own members – and an unusual take on J. S. Bach’s Bourrée from Suite in E Minor for Lute. 

The first movement of Israeli composer Avner Dorman’s rhythmically vigorous Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! continues the second half of the program, featuring Eric Goldberg and Shuya Gong, winners of the CSO Young Artist Competition in 2010, 2011 and 2012, on marimba and other percussion instruments. 

The concert culminates with Igor Stravinsky’s regal and soaring Firebird Suite.

Tickets

Single tickets range from $40-$50 for concerts at Wentz Concert Hall and $26-$50 for concerts at Symphony Center, with special $10 pricing available for students. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Chicago Sinfonietta at 312-236-3681 ext. 2 or online at www.chicagosinfonietta.org.

About the Guest Artists

PROJECT Trio, with Greg Pattillo (flute), Eric Stephenson (cello) and Peter Seymour (bass), is pushing the boundaries of classical music with a high-octane mix of jazz, hip-hop and rock.  Hailed for their “wide appeal, subversive humor and first-rate playing” by the Wall Street Journal, the Trio performs over 70 concerts a year, playing to fans of all ages in venues around the world.  Highlights of the Trio’s current season include concerts with the Charlotte Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Walla Walla Symphony and the Britt Festival.  Internationally, they will make their second tour of Germanyand their first tour of the former Soviet Union as part of American Music Abroad sponsored by the US Department of State.  The Trio is dedicated to arts education, inspiring a whole new generation of concert-going music lovers.  They are in their second year of residency with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra as Family Concert Artists in Residence.  For more information on PROJECT Trio visit www.projecttrio.com.

Eric Goldberg and Shuya Gong are members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Percussion Scholarship Group directed by CSO percussionist Patricia Dash and Lyric Opera of Chicago percussionist Douglas Waddell.  As members of the Scholarship Group ensemble, Goldberg and Gong have performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and the League of American Orchestras National Conference and have also been featured on the National Public Radio show From the Top and the Introductions radio show on WFMT.  The Group performs twice annually at Chicago’s Symphony Center and has given additional Symphony Centerconcerts in conjunction with the CSO Youth in Music Festival. Goldberg and Gong are both juniors at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School where they are members of the Advanced Band and Philharmonic Orchestra. 

About the Chicago Sinfonietta

For 25 years, the Chicago Sinfonietta has pushed artistic and social boundaries to provide an alternative way of hearing, seeing and thinking about a symphony orchestra.  Each concert experience fuses inventive new works from a diverse array of voices with classical masterworks to entertain, transform and inspire.

The Chicago Sinfonietta has a proud history of having enriched the cultural, educational, and social quality of life in Chicago.  Under the guidance of Founding Music Director Paul Freeman, the orchestra has performed at the highest artistic level since 1987.  Mei-Ann Chen succeeded Paul Freeman as the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Music Director beginning with the 2011-12 season.  The Chicago Sinfonietta musicians truly represent the city’s rich cultural landscape and continue to fulfill the orchestra’s mission of Musical Excellence through Diversity^™. 

The Sinfonietta was recently honored with two national awards for excellence from the League of American Orchestras, one for adventurous programming and one recognizing Maestro Chen with the Helen M. Thompson Award for an Emerging Music Director. 

Mei-Ann Chen, also Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, has appeared with symphonies all over the country and the world, include the symphonies of Alabama, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Edmonton (Canada), Florida, Fort Worth, Honolulu, National (Washington, D.C.), Oregon, Pacific, Phoenix, Princeton, Seattle, Toronto, and the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra.  The first woman to win the Malko Competition (2005), Chen has served as Assistant Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony.  Born in Taiwan, Chen has lived in the United States since 1989.  She was the first student in New England Conservatory’s history to receive master’s degrees simultaneously in both violin and conducting. 

The Chicago Sinfonietta thanks Supporting Season Sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Lead West Suburban Sponsor BP, and Lead Media Sponsor Chicago Sun-Times Media.  Additional thanks to Opening Night Sponsor JP Morgan Chase and the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.  Support for Wentz Concert Hall performances provided by the Hinsdale Center for the Arts and Naperville’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities Fund.  Additional media support provided byChicago Magazine, ABC-7 Chicago, WFMT, WBEZ, WDCB, Arte y Vida Chicago, Today’s Chicago Woman, Naperville Sun and Naperville Magazine.  Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of the Chicago Sinfonietta.  Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park and Hotel Arista in Naperville are the Official Hotels of the Chicago Sinfonietta.

For more information on the Chicago Sinfonietta please visit their main site here. 

For more information on CircEsteem, click here.

**See these talented kids live at Circus Soiree Benefit Fundraiser Thursday, October 18th at the gorgeous Architectural Artifacts space.  Eat, drink, and bid for a great cause.  It's shaping up to be THE party of the year.   Click here for details. **

Thursday, Oct 18, 2012
Circus Soiree

6:00 PM
Architectural Artifacts
4325 North Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL

CircEsteem’s Circus Soiree is coming up fast.   Tickets are flying like aerial artists!!   Get yours before they sell out!    If you can't make it the 18th, you can still help out with a donation right here.