SAVE THE DATES: 63rd Season At Court Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

COURT THEATRE ANNOUNCES 63^rd SEASON

Season includes Five Guys Named Moe by Clarke Peters; directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson and Associate Director Felicia P. Fields; The Belle of Amherst, written by William Luce, directed by Sean Graney; Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, directed by Charles Newell; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, by Todd Kreidler, based on the screenplay by William Rose, directed by Marti Lyons; the Chicago Premiere of The Originalist, written by John Strand; and the remount of Court’s Iphigenia in Aulis at the Getty Villa 

Court Theatre proudly announces its 63rd season under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert. The company’s 2017/18 season will feature the lively musical tribute to the hit songs of saxophonist and songwriter Louis Jordan, Five Guys Named Moe, written by Clarke Peters and directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson and Associate Director Felicia P. Fields; an exploration of the complex life of Emily Dickinson with The Belle of Amherst, written by William Luce, directed by Sean Graney and featuring Kate Fry; an electrifying story of love and family with Arthur Miller’s American masterpiece All My Sons, directed by Charles Newell and featuring Timothy Edward Kane and John Judd; the classic family drama Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, by Todd Kreidler, based on the screenplay by William Rose, directed by Marti Lyons and featuring Jacqueline Williams; and the Chicago Premiere of the story of remarkable Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with The Originalist, written by John Strand.

In addition to the mainstage season, Court’s 2014 production of Iphigenia in Aulis will be remounted in California at the invitation of the prestigious Getty Villa. This is the highest achievement for theatres producing Greek or Roman work. Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, returns to direct the script translated by Court’s Founding Artistic Director Nicholas Rudall, featuring members of the original cast.

“From a celebratory musical to a leading American poet, from Arthur Miller’s tragedy of the common man to a stage adaptation of an iconic film and a portrait of a notorious figure in American jurisprudence, Court Theatre welcomes an eclectic and powerful season,” says Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director. “We are thrilled to invite a range of celebrated artists from Chicago and beyond to bring these stories to life for our audiences. It is also a distinct honor to bring our production of Iphigenia in Aulis to the leading American presenter of Classical Greek Theatre as the Getty Villa offers an incomparable setting for the study and enjoyment of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Roma, and Etruria.”

The 2017/18 Court Theatre Season Up-Close:

Five Guys Named Moe

September 7 - October 8, 2017

A Musical by Clarke Peters

Directed by Ron OJ Parson and Associate Director Felicia P. Fields

Music Direction by Abdul Hamid Royal

Featuring Louis Jordan’s Greatest Hits

Press Opening: September 16, 2017 at 8:00pm

A lively musical tribute to the hit songs of saxophonist and songwriter Louis Jordan, Five Guys Named Moe introduces Nomax: a broke, newly single guy singing the blues late into the night. Suddenly, five unexpected friends--Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Little Moe--emerge from his radio to help ease his broken heart. Pioneering musician Louis Jordan’s new approach to jazz paved the way for rock and roll in the 1950s.

The Belle of Amherst

November 2 - December 3, 2017

By William Luce

Directed by Sean Graney

Featuring Kate Fry as Emily Dickinson

Press Opening: November 11, 2017 at 8:00pm

Emily Dickinson's own original poems, diary entries, and letters welcome us into her Massachusetts home, where she shares snippets of joy and creation amongst the heartache of an isolated and misunderstood life.

This 1976 play by William Luce offers a glance into the complex life of one of the most prolific poets of our time. Playwright and director Sean Graney returns to Court for the fourth time to direct The Belle of Amherst, with Kate Fry (Electra; Caroline, or Change) starring as Emily Dickinson.

All My Sons

January 11 - February 11, 2018

By Arthur Miller

Directed by Charles Newell

Featuring Timothy Edward Kane and John Judd

Press Opening: January 20, 2018 at 8:00pm

Local businessman and manufacturer Joe Keller developed a bitter history with his business partner after dealing with profound tragedy during World War II. Despite the odds, love blossoms between Joe’s son Chris and his partner’s daughter Ann. Joe is destined to face old dilemmas and defend his decisions in this electrifying family drama.

All My Sons established playwright Arthur Miller as an American theater icon, and won the 1947 Drama Critics' Award for Best New Play. Court Theatre’s production is directed by Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and features Timothy Edward Kane (An Iliad; One Man, Two Guvnors; Harvey) and John Judd.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

March 15 - April 15, 2018

By Todd Kreidler (based on the screenplay by William Rose)

Directed by Marti Lyons

Featuring Jacqueline Williams

Press Opening: March 24, 2018 at 8:00pm

Matt and Christina Drayton live a modern, white upper-class life in 1960s San Francisco, but their comfortable life is muddled when daughter Joey returns home with John Prentice, a black physician whom she has known for ten days and intends to marry. Suddenly, their longtime progressive values are challenged; Matt and Christina find themselves facing difficult personal questions about the future of their daughter and their family. And unfortunately for the Draytons, Joey and John aren’t their only surprise guests coming to dinner.

Chicago Premiere

The Originalist

May 10 - June 10, 2018

By John Strand

Press Opening: May 19, 2018 at 8:00pm

When a Harvard Law School graduate with decidedly different views takes on a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, one of America’s most brilliant and polarizing figures, she discovers in him an infuriating opponent and an unexpected mentor. Their relationship faces the ultimate test as they confront one of the most polarizing cases to reach the nation’s highest court.

Written by Charles MacArthur Award winner John Strand, this daring new work shows just how much passion for the law and risk it takes to defend one’s version of the truth.

Additional casting and creative team information to be announced at a later date.

Subscription Information

Five, four, and three play subscriptions to Court’s 2017/18 season range from $96 to $300 and are on sale now. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court’s website at www.CourtTheatre.org. Individual tickets for all shows will be available on August 1^st.

Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

OPENING: Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Oriental Theatre 3/7-19

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

May be inappropriate for 12 and under. (Hedwig and the Angry Inch is recommended for mature audiences – for strong language and adult themes.)

• Playing at: Oriental Theatre

• Dates: March 7, 2017 - March 19, 2017

• Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes with no intermission

Purchase your tickets HERE.

Brilliantly innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is the landmark musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask that is “groundbreaking and ahead of its time” (Entertainment Weekly). This genre-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances, tells the story of one of the most unique characters to ever hit the stage. It’s about finding your other half; it’s the story of the origin of love.

Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and starring Tony and Olivier Award-nominee Euan Morton, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is the winner of four 2014 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. It played to record-breaking sell-out crowds on Broadway and promises to take Chicago by storm with what Rolling Stone proclaims is “the best rock musical ever!”

OPENING: Destiny of Desire at Goodman Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: SCANDAL, INTRIGUE, PASSION—AND FUN!—ABOUND IN THE TELENOVELA-INSPIRED COMEDY  DESTINY OF DESIRE  BY KAREN ZACARÍAS, DIRECTED BY JOSÉ LUIS VALENZUELA,  MARCH 11 – APRIL 16 ***SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDE MARCH 15 “DATE WITH DESTINY,” MARCH 16 “DRAMA AND DESIRE,”   MARCH 19 COLLABORATION WITH CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN*** ChiIL Live Shows will be out for the press opening, so check back soon for our full review. The plot twists, outrageous circumstances and fast-paced narrative style of the telenovela arrive on the Goodman stage this spring in Destiny of Desire—Karen Zacarías’ “terrifically entertaining theatrical rollercoaster, directed to perfection by José Luis Valenzuela” (The Los Angeles Times). Filled with original live music—arranged and performed in English and Spanish by Rosino Serrano—and movement by choreographer Robert Barry Fleming, Destiny of Desire is Zacarías’ smart, subversive and comic study of the clashes of the haves and have-nots that simultaneously honors and parodies the beloved Latin American TV serial drama.  Destiny of Desire, produced in association with South Coast Repertory, appears March 11 through April 16 (opening night is March 20) in the Albert Theatre. Tickets ($20-$75; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Destiny, the box office (170 N. Dearborn) or by phone at 312.443.3800.  Details about special events and performances—including “A Date With Destiny” March 15 Scenemakers Board fundraiser for young professionals, “Drama and Desire” March 16 Women’s Night and $10 College Night—appear below. Hoy is the Media Sponsor. “We are thrilled to welcome back Karen Zacarías, one of our most gifted writers, to the Goodman with this delightful new play,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls. “If you’re a fan of the telenovela, you’ll relish the twists and turns that are an essential part of the genre’s allure; if it’s your first experience, I think you’ll be charmed by Karen’s wit, ingenuity and sobering insights into the issues that confront us today. Either way, I predict you’ll be seduced by the unique pleasures of the telenovela as translated to the stage.” When women take destiny into their own hands, the world transforms! On a stormy night in small town Mexico, two baby girls are born—one to poverty, one to privilege—then secretly switched. Eighteen years later the girls meet, brought together by misfortune. Or is it fate? The 11-member company includes Esperanza America, Elisa Bocanegra, Eduardo Enrikez, Evelina Fernández, Fidel Gomez, Cástulo Guerra, Ricardo Gutierrez, Ruth Livier, Mauricio Mendoza, Ella Saldana North and Rosino Serrano. The creative team includes François-Pierre Courture (sets), Julie Weiss (costumes), Pablo Santiago (lights), John Zalewski (sound), Serrano (composer/music director) and Fleming (choreography). “I think the moment is right for a theatrically adventurous, wickedly subversive and raucously entertaining play that defies labels while challenging and celebrating a Latino tradition,” said Karen Zacarías, whose previous plays at the Goodman include The Sins of Sor Juana (2010) and Mariela in the Desert (2005). “Destiny of Desire is an act of rebellion, heritage and joy—as well as an aesthetic, artistic and political endeavor. Writing this play has been a joyful experience, and I’m thrilled to share it with Chicago audiences at the Goodman, which I consider an artistic home.” Televised serial dramas of Latin America, Korea, India and beyond are characterized by fast-moving plots, personal stories against political backdrops, music in storytelling, and encouragement of social change. Ugly Betty, Devious Maids, Jane the Virgin and Queen of the South are among U.S. versions of telenovelas. Unlike daytime soaps, telenovelas air during primetime, over the course of roughly 200 episodes (or chapters) up to six nights a week. "It is great to be at the Goodman with this play, which challenges the perception of Mexicans told through the familiar lens of the Telenovela genre,” said José Luis Valenzuela.  “Karen has masterfully created a raucous piece that combines music, humor, and a political edge that culminates in a night of beauty and provocation of what happens when women decide to take over their own destiny." Karen Zacarías was recently hailed by American Theater Magazine as one of the most produced playwrights in the USA. Other plays premiering in Chicago in 2017 include Native Gardens at Victory Gardens and Into the Beautiful North at 16th Street Theater. Other plays include Mariela in the Desert (World Premiere, The Goodman), The Sins of Sor Juana (productions The Goodman Theater and Teatro Vista), The Book Club Play (16th Street Theater), Legacy of Light (National Steinberg citation winner), the adaptations of Just Like Us (Denver Center), How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent (Round House). She collaborated on the libretto for the ballets Sleepy Hollow and Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises for the Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and has written 10 TYA musicals with composer Deborah Wicks La Puma. Her plays have been produced at The Kennedy Center, The Goodman Theater, South Coast Rep, The Guthrie, Cincinnati Playhouse, RoundHouse Theater, GALA Hispanic Theater, Denver Theater Center, Dallas Theater Center and many more. Zacarías is a core founder of the Latino Theatre Commons, a national network that strives to update the American narrative to including the stories of Latinos. She is the founder of Young Playwrights’ Theater, an award-winning theater company that teaches playwriting in local public schools in Washington, D.C. Zacarías lives in D.C. with her husband and three children.     José Luis Valenzuela is the artistic director of the Latino Theater Company (LTC) and The Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC) and also a professor and head of the MFA directing program at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. In 2010, under Valenzuela’s leadership, the LATC was nominated for an L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Best Theatre Season. Valenzuela’s artistic vision and community commitment has garnered numerous recognitions, nominations and awards including the Ann C. Rosenfield Distinguished Community Partnership Prize and the Hispanic Heritage Month Local Hero of the Year Award. He serves on the national steering committee of the Latina/o Theatre Commons and produced the national Latina/o Theatre Festival Encuentro in 2014. Most recently, he directed Destiny of Desire at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. and South Coast Repertory and La Olla – Plautus’s The Pot of Gold for the Latino Theater Company at the LATC. TICKETS, DISCOUNTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Tickets ($20-$75) – GoodmanTheatre.org/Destiny; 312.443.3800; Fax: 312.443.3825; TTY/TDD: 312.443.3829 Box Office Hours –12noon - 5pm; on performance days, the box office remains open until 30 minutes past curtain MezzTix – Half-price day-of-performance mezzanine tickets available at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX)  $10Tix – Student $10 day-of-performance tickets; limit four, with valid student ID (promo code 10TIX) Group Sales and dinner/theater packages with Latinicity restaurant are available for parties 10+; 312.443.3820 Gift Certificates – Available in any amount; GoodmanTheatre.org/GiftCertificates “A DATE WITH DESTINY” SCENEMAKERS EVENT – March 15 | 5:30pm reception at Catch 35, 7:30pm performance Tickets are $65. Join the Scenemakers Board for “A Date with Destiny”—a fateful fundraising event that supports New Play Development at Goodman Theatre. Mingle with Chicago young professionals and experience the kind of exciting new plays the Scenemakers Board works to support. GoodmanTheatre.org/DestinyDate COLLEGE NIGHT – March 15 | 6pm meet-the-artists pizza party, 7:30pm performance Tickets are $10 using code COLLEGE; includes dinner and performance. Students enjoy a pre-show reception with fellow theater-lovers and cast members, followed by a performance. GoodmanTheatre.org/CollegeNight “DRAMA AND DESIRE” WOMEN'S NIGHT – March 16 | 5:30pm cocktails and dinner at Petterino's, 7:30pm performance.Tickets are $75; includes dinner and performance. Mingle with the city’s best and brightest female leaders. GoodmanTheatre.org/WomensNight ARTIST ENCOUNTER – March 19 at 5pm | The Alice Center for Engagement and Education at Goodman Theatre.  Tickets are FREE. In a special collaboration with Chicago Foundation for Women, join Zacarías for an in-depth conversation about the play, as well as her experience as a female playwright and her role as an artist in advocating for women’s rights. GoodmanTheatre.org/ArtistEncounter ACCESSIBILITY AT GOODMAN THEATRE Touch-Tour,  April 8 at 12:30pm – A presentation detailing the set, costume and character elements Audio-Described Performance, April 8 at 2pm – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset ASL-Interpreted Performance, April 12 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played  Open-Captioned Performance, April 15 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance Visit Goodman Theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts. About Goodman Theatre America’s “Best Regional Theatre” (Time magazine) and “Chicago’s flagship resident stage” (Chicago Tribune), Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit organization distinguished by the quality and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Founded in 1925, the Goodman is led by Robert Falls—“Chicago’s most essential director” (Chicago Tribune), who marks 30 years as Artistic Director this season—and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who is celebrated for his vision and leadership over nearly four decades. Dedicated to new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musical theater works, Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned hundreds of awards for artistic excellence, including: two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, nearly 160 Jeff Awards and more. Over the past three decades, audiences have experienced more than 150 world or American premieres, 30 major musical productions, as well as nationally and internationally celebrated productions of classic works (including Falls’ productions of Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night, King Lear and The Iceman Cometh, many in collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy). In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” For nearly four decades, the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has created a new generation of theatergoers.  The 2016 opening of the Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement (“the Alice”) launched the next phase in the Goodman’s decades-long commitment as an arts and community organization dedicated to educating Chicago youth and promoting lifelong learning. Programs are offered year-round and free of charge. Eighty-five percent of the Goodman’s youth program participants come from underserved communities. Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000. Today, Goodman Theatre leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Joan E. Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women’s Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.  Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org—including OnStage+ for insider information—and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.

Playwright DAVID RABE Joins Chicago's GIFT THEATRE Ensemble

THE GIFT THEATRE WELCOMES 
TONY AWARD-WINNING

PLAYWRIGHT DAVID RABE INTO ITS FAMILY

The Gift Theatre’s artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton, co-founder William Nedved and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario are proud to announce Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe has joined the ensemble. Conceived in 1997 by Michael Patrick Thornton and William Nedved, The Gift Theatre’s mission was to grow and nurture an ensemble while laying roots in an artistically underserved Chicago neighborhood. Today, The Gift Theatre thrives in Jefferson Park as Chicago’s most intimate Equity theater, home to a nationally respected ensemble and daring new plays.

Rabe received a Tony Award for Best Play in 1972 for Sticks and Bones and also received Tony Award nominations for Best Play in 1974 for In the Boom Boom Room, 1977's Streamers and 1985's Hurlyburly. His critically acclaimed play Good for Otto received its world premiere at The Gift Theatre in 2015.

“Working with The Gift on Good for Otto, holed up in a hotel, pouring over text, and forging many more rewrites than I'd anticipated, more than anything I'd ever written before on a play already in rehearsal, I went into our ongoing rehearsals every day knowing that the actors of the ensemble would be there ready to take an enthusiastic run under Mike's simpatico eye at whatever I'd come up with,” says Rabe. “And then at a recent reading of a play whose scary, elusive tone escapes many actors, the ensemble members seated at the table with Mike and me found that tone within a few pages so effectively that their performances prompted such contagious laughter in all of us that it brought things to a halt more than once. It was some time ago that Mike invited me into the ensemble, but I'm hesitant to join anything other than unions or guilds. But a few days ago, remembering the reading, I thought: David, wake up. What are you waiting for? I wrote Mike to see if the door was still open. He checked with the cocker spaniel who he said makes these decisions, and I was told he approved. I'm ready to go.”

Similarly thrilled, Thornton comments, “Today marks the culmination of over a decade of producing and collaborating with David Rabe and his stunning works of art. From the earliest days of The Gift, David’s ouevre—powerfully searching, poetic, magical, haunted, and yearning—has always felt absolutely central to the emotional and ethical heart of The Gift. He has been such an aesthetic north star for us for so long that we are humbled and vivified to call David Rabe an ensemble member of The Gift. We’re excited to get to work.”

The ensemble is composed of actors, directors, writers and improvisers. For more than 15 years, The Gift Theatre has earned and deepened its reputation as an ensemble dedicated to acting of the highest caliber and a welcome home for new plays.

The now 32-member ensemble also includes:  Danny Ahlfeld, Maggie Andersen, Cyd Blakewell, Brittany Burch, Hillary Clemens, John Kelly Connolly, Paul D’Addario, Jenny Connell Davis, Brendan Donaldson, Will Eno, James D. Farruggio, Ed Flynn, Gabriel Franken, John Gawlik, Andrew Hinderaker, Marti Lyons, Alexandra Main, Laura Marks, Kenny Mihlfried, Benjamin Montague, Darci Nalepa, Keith Neagle, William Nedved, Lynda Newton, Sheldon Patinkin (in loving memory), Maureen Payne-Hahner, Mary Ann Thebus, Michael Patrick Thornton, Erica Weiss, Jay Worthington and Kyle Zornes.

About The Gift Theatre

TEN, The Gift’s annual kickoff celebration of ten-minute plays curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario took place in January. The all-new season consists of three world premieres and kicks off in February with Mona Mansour’s war-torn drama Unseen, directed by ensemble member Maureen Payne-Hahner (February 10–April 9), followed by Claire Kiechel’s futuristic Pilgrims, co-directed by ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton and guest artist Jessica Thebus (June 2-July 30). The  season closes with Janine Nabers’ time-hopping love story A Swell in the Ground, directed by guest artist Chika Ike (October 13-December 10). Season subscriptions are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at http://thegifttheatre.org/ or call 773-283-7071.

Joffrey Ballet Winning Works Free At Harold Washington Library 3/11 & 12

THE JOFFREY BALLET 

ANNOUNCES 2017 WINNERS OF THE

WINNING WORKS CHOREOGRAPHIC COMPETITION,

PRESENTED IN FIRST TIME COLLABORATION WITH THE

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY CENTER

Four aspiring choreographers will present World Premieres in “Winning Works”

in a weekend of FREE performances at the

Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center, March 11-12, 2017

**All shows are currently wait list only. Apply HERE.** 

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces the recipients of the seventh annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition: Shannon Alvis, Sean Carmon, Karen Gabay and Jimmy Orrante. This announcement follows a national call for ALAANA (African, Latino(a), Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications, which began in July. The choreographers’ world premiere works will be showcased on the members of the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program and Joffrey Studio Company in “Winning Works” presented in collaboration with the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center located at 400 South State Street, in three performances, Saturday, March 11 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM and Sunday, March 12 at 2:00 PM. For the first time in its seven-year history, the “Winning Works” performance will be free to audiences.

The Winning Works Choreographic Competition was created to recognize talented and emerging ALAANA choreographers and to provide them with a platform to showcase their original and innovative work. The winning choreographers are awarded a $5,000 stipend and have the opportunity to seek guidance from Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program Raymond Rodriguez.

“It is through the work of emerging choreographers that we are able to experience the world we live in through the future of our art form,” said Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. “Winning Works not only allows the Joffrey Studio Company and Trainees the chance to perform in these world premiere works, but also creates an opportunity to showcase the inspiring choreography of these diverse and talented artists.”

"Dance is a robust and rich language and this year, the Joffrey is honored to partner with the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center as we present the seventh annual “Winning Works”, said Greg Cameron, Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet. “Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon and Mayor Rahm Emanuel believe in the power of storytelling, community, and the expression of dance to engage and inspire - a mission well aligned with the “Winning Works” program. We're thrilled to present these four choreographers and look forward to activating the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center with their unique perspectives.”

"We are thrilled to launch this partnership and co-host these ambitious programs”, said Brian Bannon, Chicago Public Library Commissioner.  “Chicago Public Library is dedicated to supporting lifelong learning for patrons of all ages, and we know learning opportunities take many forms, such as those expressed through the performing arts. These “Winning Works” performances will provide Chicago Public Library and The Joffrey Ballet with an opportunity to engage people of all backgrounds and ages in a way that may inspire them to pursue new and exciting interests with both organizations."

Shannon Alvis is originally from Greenwood, Indiana and received her training at Butler University and the University of Utah. She began her career with the second company of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC), then went on to dance and perform professionally with HSDC for nine years. In 2009, Ms. Alvis went on to further her growth as a dancer at Nederlands Dans Theater under the direction of Jim Vincent and Paul Lightfoot. During her time in Chicago and Europe, she toured internationally performing works by many world renowned choreographers such as: Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Jorma Elo, and Crystal Pite. Having since returned to Chicago and given birth to a little baby girl, Shannon is once again sharing her artistry with the community. She has appeared in several productions at the Lyric Opera including Rob Ashford's Carousel, Susan Stroman's The Merry Widow, and most recently Les Troyens with Helen Pickett. She is on faculty at the Joffrey Academy of Dance, and Interlochen School for the Arts. Ms. Alvis is now very happy to be exploring her creativity through works of her own. In the past year, she has choreographed for Visceral Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, and DanceWorks Chicago.

Sean Carmon joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2011 and has performed major solo and featured roles in ballets by many notable choreographers. His own choreographies have been performed all across the country and internationally and have been lauded as "everything and then some..." and "powerful" and "seriously flawless" by major national print and online publications such as The New York Times, Newsweek, JET Magazine, BroadwayBlack, DanceSpirit and Dance Magazine. He has choreographed for the Youth America Grand Prix among other national competitions. Mr. Carmon has also created works on the AAADT for their 2012 and 2016 Ailey Dancer's Resource Fund benefit performances. Mr. Carmon created a new, critically acclaimed work, Youth Novels, on METtoo, a youth company, in Houston, TX and was commissioned by The Dance Gallery Festival to create fever dream featuring two fellow Ailey dancers. He also teaches master classes in contemporary jazz and Horton-based modern and choreographs for dance conventions, high schools, colleges and universities across America and internationally.

Karen Gabay grew up in San Diego and has had a career as a ballerina that spans over thirty-five years.  Her repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle in the title role and her most favorite role of Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. During Gabay’s long association with Ballet San Jose (formerly the Cleveland San Jose Ballet) she began dancing principal roles at the age of eighteen and later held the title of Artistic Associate.  As a choreographer, she created numerous ballets for the company including the 2012 production of BSJ’s annual production of The Nutcracker which led to her first children’s book, “The Nutcracker: A Story in Verse.” Gabay was awarded the Artist Fellowship Award for choreography by the Arts Council Silicon Valley and was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award for her performance in Tzigane. Gabay is the co-founding Artistic Director of her own ballet troupe, Pointe of Departure which performs in the bay area and in Northeast Ohio.  She is an active Screen Actors Guild Member and continues to pursue work in film and television. Gabay recently joined the faculty at the San Francisco Ballet and is part of their Master Class series.

Jimmy Orrante was a recipient of the 2005 Princess Grace Choreography Award, the 2011 Special Project Award for DanceTech and the sole recipient of the 2014 Choreography Mentorship Co Commission (CMCC) Award, all from the New York City based Princess Grace Foundation.

A native of Los Angeles, he attended The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and continued his training at The North Carolina School of The Arts. He has danced with Nevada Ballet Theatre, Memphis Ballet and 20 years with BalletMet where he had the opportunity to choreograph 15 premieres for the company. In addition to BalletMet, he has created ballets for Ballet Austin, Motion Dance Theatre, Rochester City Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi and UC Irvine’s National Choreographers Initiative. Mr. Orrante’s repertoire includes two full length ballets, The Great Gatsby, which premiered with BalletMet in 2009 and was reprised in 2015, and the children’s ballet The Ugly Duckling for Rochester City Ballet. This performance series included a successful sensory friendly performance which was featured on PBS’s Facebook page. His choreography on students has earned him several awards including the National Recognition Award from Regional Dance America, and he has served as choreographer in residence at Dennison University. Jimmy currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and 3 children.

Ticket Information

Tickets for “Winning Works” at the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center are FREE/RSVP required. 

About the Joffrey Studio Company

The Joffrey Studio Company is a scholarship program of the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet. The Joffrey Studio Company consists of 10 outstanding students selected by Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program Raymond Rodriguez. The Joffrey Studio Company and Trainees have performed on some of the most prestigious stages, including Lincoln Center in NY, the Auditorium Theatre, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Cadillac Palace Theatre and MCA Stage in Chicago, Music Hall in LA, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and more. The individualized training and performance opportunities provided by the Joffrey Studio Company offers students unique insight into the life of a professional dancer, assisting students in preparation for a professional career in dance and helping them expand their technique and artistry.

About the Joffrey Academy Trainees

The Joffrey Academy Trainee Program is a one to two-year program for students ages 17 and older who are preparing for a professional dance career. Students are selected to participate in the Trainee Program by invitation from Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and the Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program Raymond Rodriguez. This esteemed and rigorous program gives students a unique and well-rounded experience to prepare them for the next step in their careers. Trainees rehearse and perform classical and contemporary works from The Joffrey Ballet’s extensive repertoire and have the opportunity to work with guest choreographers throughout the year. Graduates of the Academy have gone on to dance professionally with companies throughout the world including The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Dresden Semperoper, Complexions, Milwaukee Ballet, Memphis Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, BalletMet, Polish National Ballet, Slovak National Ballet, and many more.

For more information on the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet and its programs please visit joffrey.org/academy.

OPENING: Spamilton at Chicago's Royal George Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

PREVIEWS NOW RUNNING FOR THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF “SPAMILTON” AT 

ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

Original Cast Recording of “Spamilton” Released Today on DRG Records

Chris Anthony Giles, Nicholas Edwards, Dan Rosales, Juwan Crawley and Nora Schell in "Spamilton." (Carol Rosegg)

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're HUGE Hamilton fans. The soundtrack has been in heavy rotation before and after we had front row seats to the live show. Now, like most super successful productions, Hamilton has spawned several spoof spinoffs. We're quite excited to check out Spamilton. Check back soon for our full review. 

“Spamilton,” the critically acclaimed off-Broadway parody of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sensation, “Hamilton,” begins previews tonight at the Royal George Theater (1641 N. Halsted). Created by Tony Award honoree Gerard Alessandrini, the mastermind behind “Forbidden Broadway,” the “smart, silly and compulsively funny show” (The New York Times) features an all-Chicago ensemble including Donterrio Johnson, Michelle Lauto, Eric Andrew Lewis, Yando Lopez and David Robbins with musical direction by Adam LaSalle, and special guest star: Sirius Radio Broadway Channel’s Christine Pedi. The Press Opening is set for Sunday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($59 – $99) can be purchased at the Royal George Theater’s box office online or by calling 312.988.9000.

In addition to the start of Chicago performances, the Original Cast Recording of the New York cast of “Spamilton” launches today from DRG Records (Hugh Fordin, President). The cast recording features original Off-Broadway cast members Dan Rosales, Nicholas Edwards, Juwan Crawley, Chris Anthony Giles, Nora Schell, along with special guest stars Christine Pedi and Glenn Bassett and Music Director Fred Barton at the piano. To learn more about the Original Cast Recording, including where to purchase, click here.

“Spamilton” celebrates, roasts and eviscerates the Broadway blockbuster with its versatile cast of seven. Its world-premiere production off-Broadway in New York has been extended three times and is now in its ninth smash month at the Triad. The New York production earned rave reviews across the board, hailed as "The next best thing to seeing ‘Hamilton’” (The New York Post), “So infectiously fun!” (The Hollywood Reporter) and had Lin-Manuel Miranda exclaiming, “I laughed my brains out!”

In addition to Alessandrini, the creative team includes Gerry McIntyre (Choreography), Dustin Cross (Costume Design), Fred Barton (Musical Director), and Richard Danley and Fred Barton (Musical Arrangements). “Spamilton” is produced in Chicago by John Freedson, David Zippel, Gerard Alessandrini, Margaret Cotter and Liberty Theatricals, in association with JAM Theatricals. Chuckie Benson and Arielle Richardson are the understudies the production.

The performance schedule for “Spamilton” is as follows: Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

For more information, visit Spamilton.com.

OPENING: Chicago Debut of ANNE " MR. BURNS" WASHBURN'S Newest Work, 10 OUT OF 12 at Theater Wit

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

MARTHA LAVEY, JOHN MAHONEY, PETER SAGAL 

JOIN  CAST FOR THEATER WIT'S  

10 OUT OF 12

CHICAGO DEBUT OF ANNE " MR. BURNS" WASHBURN'S NEWEST WORK, 

A NEAR-PERFECT RECREATION OF A TECH REHEARSAL, IS MARCH 3-APRIL 23

  

           

Chicago theater luminaries Martha Lavey, John Mahoney, Barbara Robertson and Peter Sagal will play key roles in Theater Wit's much anticipated Midwest debut of 10 Out of 12, the newest, most adventurous work by Anne Washburn, author of Wit's 2014 smash hit Mr. Burns, a post-electric play.

Theater Wit's Midwest premiere of 10 Out of 12 by (top, from left) Anne Washburn, directed by Jeremy Wechsler, 

features (row 2, from left) Chicago theater all-stars Martha Lavey, John Mahoney, Barbara Robertson and Peter Sagal in pre-recorded roles, integrated with the live on-stage action played by (row 3) Dado, Gregory Fenner, Kyle Gibson, Shane Kenyon, Erin Long, (row 4) Riley McIlveen, Adam Shalzi, Stephen Walker, Eunice Woods and Christine Yrem-Ydstie. 

Hailed by the New York Times as a "wholly original love song to the maddening art of the theater," 10 Out of 12 is an extraordinarily funny and touching workplace comedy. With its story of the challenges of bringing a new play to life, Washburn's near-perfect recreation of a technical rehearsal is also a moving tribute to the complexity and beauty of human endeavor.  

"No one in Chicago has ever seen anything like 10 out of 12. Simultaneously exactingly real-to-life and riotously funny, Anne Washburn's detonation of a single technical rehearsal is promising to be a unique and thrilling viewing experience," said Jeremy Wechsler, Artistic Director of Theater Wit and director of 10 Out of 12. 

"This is the most technically extravagant piece of design we've ever done at Theater Wit," he added. "For instance, armed with 98 individual headsets, our audience will get to experience the play in three distinct auditory spaces simultaneously. As a special bonus, Anne is working with us to customize the play to our city's own rich theatrical history (and contemporary reality), which is going to provide an immediacy and context that will make 10 out of 12 a must-see show for every Chicago theatergoer who loves Chicago Theater."

Performances are March 3-April 23, 2017: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Exceptions: Sunday previews on March 5 and March 12 are at 7 p.m. There is no performance on March 16. 

Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $12-$70. To purchase tickets, a Theater Wit Membership or Flex Pass, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150. 

Behind the scenes of  10 Out of 12

10 Out of 12 will feature the recorded voices of a clutch of Chicago on stage icons cast in key backstage roles: 

Former Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey will voice the lighting designer.

John Mahoney, best known for TV's Frasier, will play back stage crew person #3.

Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, is the sound designer. 

Noted Chicago classical actor Barbara Robertson will voice the costume designer. 

At every performance, each audience member will be given their own headset to hear their pre-recorded backstage chatter, mixed in real time with live actors on stage for a very meta look at seemingly the most mundane of processes and the hopes and visions that emerge from the 10 hours commonly known as "tech."

On stage, one of the city's edgiest storefront theater pioneers, Dado, takes on the role of the stage manager. Dado is joined by Gregory Fenner as Jake, an actor; Kyle Gibson as another actor, Ben; Shane Kenyon as the director; Erin Long as the assistant stage manager; Riley McIlveen as electrician #2, Adam Shalzi as assistant director; Stephen Walker as the troublesome lead actor, Paul; Eunice Woods as supporting actor, Siget; and Christine Yrem-Ydstie as the female lead, Eva. 

For a show that pulls the curtain on the tech process, major props are due for Wit's production team: Adam Vesness (set), Izumi Inaba (costumes), Diane Fairchild (lights), Brenda Didier (choreography), Andra Velis-Simon (original music and music director), Joe Court (sound), Vivian Knouse (props), Greg Pinsoneault (scenic charge), Andrew Glasenhardt (technical director), Kristof Janezic (master electrician) Majel Cuza (production manager) and Katie Klemme (stage manager). 

Anne Washburn (playwright) play, Mr. Burns...a post electric play, was produced by Theater Wit, Playwrights Horizons, Woolly Mammoth (DC) and The Almeida (London). Her other plays include Antilia Pneumatica, The Internationalist, A Devil at Noon, Apparition, The Communist Dracula Pageant, I Have Loved Strangers, The Ladies, The Small and a transadaptation of Euripides' Orestes. Awards include the 2015 Whiting Award, 2015 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Theater Award, the Guggenheim, a NYFA Fellowship, a Time Warner Fellowship, Susan Smith Blackburn finalist, and residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo. She is an associate artist with The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, Chochiqq, and is an alumna of New Dramatists and 13P. 

Jeremy Wechsler (director) most recently staged Theater Wit's workshop of Mitchell Fain's This Way Outta Santaland and the extended Midwest premiere of Mat Smart's Naperville. Other directing credits at Wit include the company's election night reading of The Trump Card by Mike Daisey, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence by Madeleine George, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Madeline George's Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and that show's summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit's acclaimed Completeness and The Four of Us (Itamar Moses), Tigers Be Still (Kim Rosenstock), This (Melissa James Gibson), Spin (Penny Penniston), Feydeau-Si-Deau (Georges Feydeau), Men of Steel (Qui Nguyen), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Will Eno), Two for the Show (James Fitzpatrick and Will Clinger) and The Santaland Diaries. A veteran director in Chicago with over fifty productions, his work has been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new plays.

About Theater Wit

Theater Wit, Chicago's "smart art" theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

"A thrilling addition to Chicago's roster of theaters" (Chicago Tribune) and "a terrific place to see a show" (New City), Theater Wit is now in its sixth season at its home at 1229 N. Belmont, in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. 

The company's most recent hits there include Naperville by Mat Smart, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England by Madeleine George, and Completeness and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses. 

In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater. Theater Wit also brings together Chicago's best storefront companies at its Lakeview home, including 2016-17 resident companies About Face and Shattered Globe. 

In addition to its popular Membership program, Theater Wit also offers a 10-play Flex Pass for $215 to anything presented in the building, a savings of up to 40%. To purchase a Theater Wit Membership, inquire about a Flex Pass or to buy single tickets, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.