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Sunday, October 29, 2017

OPENING: DIE WALKÜRE at Lyric Opera of Chicago November 1 - 30

What You Need to Know About
DIE WALKÜRE
at Lyric Opera of Chicago
November 1 - 30

Die Walküre during technical rehearsals. PHOTO: Michael Brosilow


The opening-night performance of Die Walküre on Wednesday, November 1, can be heard live locally on 98.7WFMT and globally on wfmt.com, beginning at 5:15pm.

New production dedicated to Sir Andrew Davis, Lyric’s music director and principal conductor, to mark the 30th anniversary of his Lyric debut

Running time 4 hours 45 minutes, including two intermissions.
Sung in German with projected English translations.

Die Walküre focuses on the conflict between Wotan, king of the gods, and his mortal son, Siegmund, who has unwittingly fallen in love with his own twin, Sieglinde, the wife of the brutish Hunding. This arouses the wrath of Wotan’s wife, Fricka (goddess of marriage), and the compassion of Wotan’s daughter, the warrior-maiden Brünnhilde. The turning point of the opera arrives when Brünnhilde disobeys her father by siding with Siegmund in the latter’s fight against Hunding. Both Siegmund and Hunding are killed, and Wotan punishes Brünnhilde.

Music Director Sir Andrew Davis celebrates his 30th anniversary at Lyric by conducting all performances of Die Walküre -- including one on November 14, the actual anniversary date. Lyric is dedicating the new production to Sir Andrew to celebrate this milestone.
Taboo-breaking love, violated vows, deadly disobedience, fierce retribution. Family dysfunction taken to the limits.

Provocative, shocking, deeply moving story inspired by Norse mythology.
Ravishing, dramatic, powerful, tender, sublime music that really tells the story. Every character has a distinctive musical theme. If you love Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones…come see what inspired those sagas.

Before there was Wonder Woman...there was Die Walküre.
You’ll recognize the exhilarating “Ride of the Valkyries” music from Apocalypse Now, What's Opera, Doc? and countless commercials. Now hear that glorious music in context, live and brilliantly played by Lyric’s expanded 93-piece orchestra (including Wagner tuba, bass trumpet, and contrabass trombone!) conducted by Ring leader Sir Andrew Davis.



“Sheer beauty,” “sheer humanity,” “glorious music” are among the phrases Lyric’s general director Anthony Freud uses to describe this monumental yet intimate work.

Directed by David Pountney, one of the great stage directors in the world.
Outstanding international creative team: original scenic design by the late Johan Engels; set designer Robert Innes Hopkins, costumes designer Marie-Jeanne Lecca, lighting designer Fabrice Kebour, choreographer Denni Sayers.
German composer Richard Wagner wrote the entire libretto and music.
Die Walküre is through-composed -- the music flows from one scene to the next.

It’s a dramatic and musical thrill ride that you’ll never forget, with A-list Wagnerian singers who will blow you away. Soprano Elisabet Strid and tenor Brandon Jovanovich as twins Sieglinde and Siegmund will thrill with their rapturous duet before the deadly duel with Hunding, portrayed by bass Ain Anger. (Strid and Anger will both make Lyric debuts in these performances.)
As Fricka, preserver of sacred marriage vows, mezzo-soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner will overpower her willful husband Wotan with her righteous indignation.

As Wotan, bass-baritone Eric Owens gave the Millennium Park concert audience a taste of what’s to come. 9,000 attendees listened raptly to his heartrending farewell to favorite daughter Brunnhilde as he put her into a trancelike sleep and encircled her with magic fire, to be penetrated only by the bravest of heroes (in Part 3, Siegfried). Before the Big Sleep, soprano Christine Goerke will astonish audiences with her powerfully emotional performance as Brünnhilde, capturing perfectly the passionate spirit of a headstrong young woman fighting for what she believes is right.

These world-class singers will triumph in their demanding marathon roles. All are internationally acclaimed Wagnerians in the absolute prime of their careers.
The Valkyries sing gloriously -- and they ride flying horses. Die Walküre stands alone as a brilliant opera -- and it’s also part of the mighty Ring cycle. Lyric is presenting one Ring opera per season through 2020, then will perform the full cycle three times over the course of three weeks following the regular 2019/2020 season.

7 Performances November 1 - 30 
at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago

Evening performances start 5:30pm, matinees start 1pm. 
Doors open an hour before curtain.

Box suppers available for purchase before performances, 
for pickup at first intermission.

More opera for your money! 

For more information and to order tickets, visit lyricopera.org/Walküre or call 312-827-5600.

NOTABLE NOVEMBER CITY WINERY CHICAGO SHOWS ON SALE NOW

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: 

ICONIC BRITISH PSYCHEDELIC POP LEGENDS THE ZOMBIES, THE RETURN OF SOUL SINGER/SONGWRITER DWELE AND QUEEN OF THE BLUES SHEMEKIA COPELAND
PLUS: FRENCH JAZZ SINGER CYRILLE AIMEE AND A BENEFIT CONCERT WITH CHICAGO’S GENRE-BENDING NICO SEGAL AND THE JUJU EXCHANGE


PUBLIC TICKETS NOW ON SALE 

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces English rock band The Zombies – with over 50 years of music, multi-Grammy Award nominee Dwele and more. The following shows are currently on sale to the public at citywinery.com/chicago.

Nico Segal Presents: The JuJu Exchange – a Benefit Concert for Merit School of Music 
Tuesday, November 28; 7:00 p.m.
$20/$25/$30/$45

Drawing from hip-hop, jazz, classical and pop music, Nico Segal and The JuJu Exchange present a benefit concert for West Loop’s Merit School of Music which serves nearly 5,000 Chicago-area youth by removing barriers to high-quality music education. Nico Segal (previously known as “Donnie Trumpet” from the Chance the Rapper-affiliated band, The Social Experiment), Julian & Everett Reid and Lane Beckstrom use The JuJu as a way to build off of their past experiences in order to make a genre-bending style of music that looks to the future while dealing with the problems of the present. The ensemble is based on a musical partnership of these childhood friends who came up through Chicago Public School music programs, including Merit School of Music which band members attended between 1998 and 2013, three of whom graduated from Merit’s Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-free Conservatory. The musicians attribute their music and personal success to the exceptional training they received at Merit. Founded in 1979, Merit is a nationally accredited music school that offers its diverse student body sustained access to the highest-quality musical instruction, helping young people transform their lives through music education.

Shemekia Copeland 
Saturday, December 9 
$38/$45/$48/$52
Whether she's belting out a raucous blues-rocker, firing up a blistering soul-shouter, bringing the spirit to a gospel-fueled R&B rave-up or digging deep down into a subtle, country-tinged ballad, Shemekia Copeland sounds like no one else. With a voice that is alternately sultry, assertive and roaring, Copeland's wide-open vision of contemporary blues, roots and soul music showcases the evolution of a passionate artist with a modern musical and lyrical approach.

Dwele
Thursday, December 14; 7:00 & 9:30 p.m.
$38/$45/$55/$60
Influenced by the sounds of jazz and Motown, Dwele is a multi-Grammy Award nominated songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He began his career in Detroit’s underground hip-hop scene during the late ’90s and has since released five albums and collaborated with artists like Big Sean and Kanye West, including work on West’s 2007 Flashing Lights. His fifth studio album, Greater than One, mixes silky ballads and crispy up-tempo jams to create what Dwele calls “bedroom music.”

Cyrille Aimee
Thursday, February 15
$38/$35/$32/$28
Cyrille Aimée (Sur­real M­A) is a French­Dominican vocalist and actress. Winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival's Vocal Competition, the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition and finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition, Aimée is—in the words of Will Friedwald of The Wall Street Journal—"one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation."

The Zombies 
Monday-Tuesday, March 19-20
$65/$68/$75/$78
The Zombies have returned to celebrate the release of their latest Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger, and their 2nd nomination for the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Zombies is led by founding and current members vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent alongside bassist Jim Rodford (formerly of ARGENT and The Kinks), Rodford's son Steve Rodford on drums, and renowned session guitarist Tom Toomey. The band's live performances take fans on a journey through time, from their early hits, such as 1968 masterpiece “Odessey & Oracle,” to post-Zombies solo favorites to today with Still Got That Hunger.

City Winery also announces Josh & Erika (of the Empty Pockets) opens for Poco featuring Rusty Young on Oct. 25 and Marie Miller opens for Kris Allen on Dec. 18.

All City Winery events are open to all ages and start at 8 p.m., unless noted.

Only members of City Winery Chicago’s signature VinoFile™ program have access to advanced ticket sales in addition to receiving: a waiver of ticket service fees; free valet parking; Restaurant Loyalty Rewards, such as a free pair of VIP concert tickets for every $500 spent on food & beverage in the restaurant; exclusive membership-only events; and access to the proprietary City Winery Virtual Sommelier™, which helps make suggestions for wines one might enjoy based on past consumption at the venue.

The Zombies, Shemika Copeland, Nico Segal & The JuJu Exchange, Dwele, Marie Miller and Cyrille Aimee join a diverse mix of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music, theater, dance, spoken word and comedy presented at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts:

David Crosby & Friends (Oct. 30-31); Lizz Wright with Lyric (Nov. 1-2); Tim Reynolds & TR3 (Nov. 3); Jackie Greene & Anders Osborne with Cris Jacobs (Nov. 4; 5 & 8pm) The Accidentals with Jake Allen (Nov. 5, 11:30am); Victor Wooten Trio (Nov. 5, 5 & 8pm); An Evening with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall (Nov. 6-7); Mariza (Nov. 8); Ryan Montbleau Band with The DuPont Brothers (Nov. 9); The Revelers (Nov. 12, 1pm); Black Violin (Nov. 12, 5:30 & 8pm); Sharon Shannon (Nov. 13); Take Me to the River (Nov. 14); Loudon Wainwright III with Lucy Wainwright Roche (Nov. 15); Kandace Springs (Nov. 16); Loose Ends (Nov. 17, 7pm); Mike Doughty (Nov. 18); Chicago Philharmonic Brunch - True Crime Radio Stories (Nov. 19, 12pm); Jackopierce with Marie Miller (Nov. 19, 7pm); Badfinger featuring Joey Molland (Nov. 20); Miki Howard (Nov. 21); Joshua Davis (Nov. 22); The Verve Pipe (Nov. 24); Kurt Elling: The Beautiful Day (Nov. 25-26, 5 & 8pm); Marcus Johnson (Nov. 27); Earl Klugh (Nov. 29, 6:30 & 9pm); Rhett Miller with Matthew Ryan (Nov. 30); Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton (Dec. 2); Jeffrey Foucault & Kris Delmhorst (Dec. 3); The Secret Sisters with Brian Dunne (Dec. 4); Marc Roberge of O.A.R. (Dec. 5, 7 & 9:30pm); Joe Pug with Juanita Stein (Dec. 6); Chicago Philharmonic Brunch - FairyTale Noël (Dec. 10, 12pm); Los Lobos with Matt Andersen (Dec. 10-11); Los Lobos with Future Stuff (Dec. 12-13); The Empty Pockets with Nate Jones (Dec. 17, 7pm); Kris Allen (Dec. 18); Bebel Gilberto (Dec. 19-20); Avery*Sunshine (Dec. 21, 7 & 9:30pm); Michael McDermott with Heather Horton (Dec. 22); Michael McDermott (Dec. 23, 5 & 8pm); Poi Dog Pondering (Dec. 26-30); BoDeans (Dec. 31, 7:30 & 11pm; Jan. 1, 5 & 8pm); Freddy Jones Band with The Nadas (Jan. 12-13); Eric Benét (Jan. 19, 7 & 10pm); The Posies (Jan. 31); 10,000 Maniacs (Feb. 9, 7:30 & 10pm; Feb. 10, 5 & 8pm) and Alan Doyle (Mar. 2).

Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. Chicago’s only fully operation winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 92-point 2015 Verna’s Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence “for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world” by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable “listening room” experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery’s commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

OPENING: Wild Boar Via Silk Road Rising 11/9-12/17/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Silk Road Rising Presents
Wild Boar
The U.S. Premiere
Written by Candace Chong
Translated by Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith
Adapted by David Henry Hwang
Directed by Helen Young

November 9th - December 17th, 2017

Silk Road Rising (Chief Programming Officer and Mission Trustee, Jamil Khoury and Founding Executive Director, Malik Gillani) is proud to announce the U.S. Premiere of Wild Boar, written by Candace Chong, translated from Chinese to English by Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, adapted by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang, and directed by Helen Young.  The production will run November 9th to December 17th, 2017 at Silk Road Rising located at 77 W. Washington St., Lower Level, Chicago, IL, 60602. 


Synopsis

A gripping investigation of journalistic integrity, city planning, and social conscience, Wild Boar is a new play from one of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed playwrights. When a controversial professor goes missing, an editor and his student band together to publicize the truth. Old flames spark and friendships are tested in the U.S. premiere of this turbulent thriller about media manipulation, fake news, and who gets to speak for the poor.


Artistic Statements 

“We love Wild Boar not only because it’s smart, sexy, and topical, but because, in a rare combination, it exudes both confidence and self-doubt simultaneously. It builds and unpacks all at once, seemingly unable to differentiate right from wrong without flip-flopping, which is part of the play’s inherent strength. At a time when journalism, governance, nation-states, and citizenship all feel in flux, Wild Boar probes those feelings with an air of mystery, flirtatiousness, and whodunit intrigue. “  - Chief Programming Officer and Mission Trustee, Jamil Khoury

“As a fable, Wild Boar is a cautionary tale. It sounds an alarm. Today, this call has crossed the oceans, traversing 12,518 kilometers to Chicago. I believe the power of art will shorten the physical distance between us. Watching the fire from the other shore, will you feel the pain less acutely? I hope not. If this fable hasn’t provided a proper warning for my own city, let its ending be a mirror for audiences elsewhere.” - Playwright of Wild Boar, Candace Chong

“In giving this play its American premiere, Silk Road Rising builds a road connecting Candace’s community with our own. In our current national moment, Wild Boar has also become an American story.”- Adapter of Wild Boar, David Henry Hwang

“We make choices to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Some of those choices touch on self-censorship or the censorship of others. Wild Boar’s challenge is this: we must not forget to examine and reflect on those choices. We may be giving up a deeply held long-term gain for a short-term smaller good. And in the case of an ideal, once it’s given up, it takes a fight to get it back.” - Director of Wild Boar, Helen Young


Cast/Crew

The creative team for Wild Boar includes Candace Chong (Playwright), Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith (Translators), David Henry Hwang (adapter), Helen Young (Director), Corey Pond (Production Manager), Joshua Baggett (Stage Manager), Yeaji Kim (Set/Projections Designer), Tony Churchill (Projections Designer),  Melissa Ng (Costume Designer), Lindsey Lyddan (Lighting Designer), Thomas Dixon (Sound Design and Original Music), Katy Vest (Props Master), Jason Pikscher (Tech Director), Carol Ann Tan (Dramaturg), Brent Ervin-Eickhoff (Assistant Director), and Bailey Howard (Assistant Stage Manager). 

The cast includes Christine Bunuan* as Tricia, F. Karmann Bajuyo as Ruan, Fin Coe as Yam, Emily Marso as Karrie, and Scott Shimizu as Johnny. Understudies include Zhanna Albertini, Harrison Hapin, Dwight Sora, Marie Tredway, Ian Michael Smith, and Marie Tredway.  

* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.


About the Artists

Candace Chong (Playwright) is a recipient of the Best Artist Award (Drama) by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and the winner of four Hong Kong Drama Awards (Best Script) for Alive in the Mortuary (2003), Shall We Go to Mars (2004), The French Kiss (2006) and Murder in San Jose (2009). Her plays have been translated and presented in Seoul, Tokyo, Macao, Singapore, and Shanghai, and her first commission as librettist, for the opera Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was selected as part of New York City Opera’s VOX: Contemporary American Opera Lab in May and will receive its world premiere this fall in Beijing and Hong Kong. Ms. Chong is a prolific translator of stage work, and her translations include Titus Andronicus, Betrayal and The Shape of Things, among many others. Her play, Wild Boar, premiered at the 2012 Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Helen Young (Director) is grateful and excited for another opportunity to work with the good people at Silk Road Rising! Recent work at SRR includes Great Expectations, The Hundred Flowers Project (as assistant director), and Red Flamboyant (as reading director). Other Chicago credits include the Jeff Recommended American Hwangap with A-Squared and Halcyon Theatres (director), and Tea—also Jeff Recommended—at Prologue Theatre. Helen also has several credits with TimeLine Theatre: Tiny Dynamite(director), The Audience (associate director), The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (reading director), and Chimerica (assistant dramaturg). Other directing credits include work with Indie Boots, Polarity Ensemble, Artemisia, Broken Nose, and Artistic Home. 


Performance Schedule

Wild Boar will run from November 9th to December 17th, 2017. Performances will occur Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 4:00pm, and Sundays at 4:00pm. 
Added performance: Tuesday, 11/21 at 7:30pm.

Previews:  November 9 - November 17, 2017
Press Opening: November 18, 2017 at 4:00pm
Regular Run: November 19 - December 17, 2017


Tickets

Preview Performances: $25 for adults, $12.50 for students 
Regular Performances: $35 for adults, $17.50 for students 
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at www.wildboarplay.org or by calling the Silk Road Rising Box Office at 312.857.1234 x201. 

Steppenwolf LookOut Series Winter 2017-18 Lineup to Include Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:




Additional Winter Highlights Include a One-Woman Show Written and Performed by Ensemble Member Molly Regan, an Evening of Improv with Michael Patrick Thornton and Performances by Returning LookOut Guests Jessie Fisher & Erik Hellman, Growing Concerns, and You’re Being Ridiculousplus Chicago musical theatre & storefront stars

Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series is pleased to announce their exciting Winter 2017-18 Lineup, which will feature two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. The one-night-only event will be on Monday, December 11 at 6:30pm in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted). Public tickets go on sale Friday, November 3 at 11am. Member Pre-Sale for the Chita Rivera concert starts Wednesday, November 1 at 11am.

Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performs alongside Sirius XM Radio host and creator/star of Broadway's Disaster! Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. This unscripted evening will feature Rivera performing the greatest hits of her vast musical theater repertoire, including songs from her now legendary roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma in Chicago. Produced with Mark Cortale, the evening will be a seamless mixture of intimate, behind-the-scenes stories of her career through insightful, funny and revealing questions posed by Rudetsky. An acclaimed actress, singer and dancer, Rivera has earned 10 Tony nominations for her beloved Broadway roles. This spontaneous evening of hilarity and show-stopping songs is not to be missed. 

Additional winter highlights include a one-woman show written and performed by ensemble member Molly Regan, an evening of improv with Michael Patrick Thornton and performances by Returning LookOut Guests Growing Concerns Poetry Collective and Po’Chop, plus new music, comedy, theatre, storytelling and more. Full lineup below.

Tickets to most Winter LookOut programming go on sale Friday, November 3 at 11am through Audiences Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf Red and Black Card Members may use credits towards shows in the 1700 Theatre. Lineup below; prices vary. For information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is an 80-seat cabaret-style space connected to Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks at 1700 N Halsted St., an inviting space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Guests can take drinks into the theater.

LookOut Winter 2017-18 Lineup
Listed in date order. All artists, dates and prices subject to change
*Doors open 30 minutes before performance time

She's Folks' Holiday Hootenanny
Thursday, December 7 & Friday, December 8 
8pm
$18
The Folks are hitchin' up the sleigh to bring you their signature Story, Song and Sass - with a seasonal twist. Join Betsy Morgan and the Boys as they celebrate the holidays with charming tales, Yuletide classics and a medley of holiday hymns, as well as original tunes.

Erik and Jessie and Everyone You Know Variety Show: Holiday Edition 
Monday, December 11
8pm
$15
Local actor/musicians Erik Hellman and Jessie Fisher present a Holiday edition of their variety hour: Original music, special guests, comedy, magic, improv, and ephemera along with the tightest country/soul band in the land. Fast-paced, fun, funky and fresh.

Bette Midler: Xmas at the Baths
Tuesday, December 12 & Wednesday, December 13
8pm
$25
Hell in a Handbag presents Caitlin Jackson as Bette Midler in the return of their steamy cabaret sensation - with a holiday twist! A live tribute to the legendary shows at New York's infamous Continental Bath House with Jeremy Ramey on piano and a slew of special guest stars to help ring in the holidays - Handbag style! 

Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky 
Monday, December 11 
6:30pm
$79-$150
Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performs at Steppenwolf for one-night-only alongside Sirius XM Radio host and creator/star of Broadway's Disaster! Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. This unscripted evening will feature Rivera performing the greatest hits of her vast musical theater repertoire, including songs from her now legendary roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma in Chicago.

Steppenwolf Member Pre-Sale for this performance starts November 1 at 11am.

Youth in a Roman Field
Saturday, January 6
8pm
$12
Youth in a Roman Field wants to help you break the rules. The bastardized string quartet-meets-jazz-combo-meets-folk-band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Claire Wellin incorporates sounds of "Appalachia, cayenne pepper, & ghosts.”

The Accidental Curator
By Molly Regan
Directed by Mary B. Robinson
Friday, January 12 – Sunday, January 14
Friday and Saturday 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm
$40
With equal amounts of wry humor and warm wisdom, Steppenwolf ensemble member Molly Regan takes on one of life's most challenging-but-under-appreciated rites of passage in this solo show: becoming the keeper of the keepsakes, repository of family memory, appraiser and disseminator of the valueless and the invaluable.

Sand & Friends
Friday, January 19 & Saturday, January 20 
8pm
$20
Sand is an improv ensemble made up of Thomas Kelly, Scott Nelson and Mike Brunlieb, accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Tim Joyce. Gentle, sweet little misfits and power-mad demonic rage-machines and kinda vacant functionaries and righteous Christian punk guitarists are some of Sand's favorite people.

Poems for the People: Growing Concerns Poetry Collective Book Release + Concert
Friday, January 26 & Saturday, January 27
8pm
$15
With this evening of music and performance, Growing Concerns Poetry Collective celebrates the release of its first book, a collection of the poetry of McKenzie Chinn and Mykele Deville, published by Candor Arts. 

The Przmatics: Chicago Songs
Tuesday, January 30
8pm
$10
Join The Przmatics for an evening of quirky power-pop with jazz harmonies filtered through garage band mentalities. This performance features songs written in and about the city of Chicago and will showcase special guests from the local scene performing new collaborations.

You’re Being Ridiculous: I LOVE…
Friday, February 2 & Saturday, February 3
Friday, February 9 & Saturday, February 10
8pm
$20
At You're Being Ridiculous, real people tell true stories about their lives. Each performer is linked by rotating themes, and by the desire to make you laugh—and, once in a while, cry. This month’s theme: I LOVE…

YOU & ME
Thursday, February 8
8pm
$20
YOU & ME is a two-person, entirely improvised, no suggestion set with Michael Patrick Thornton and a guest artist. Hilarious, horrifying, and human.

Sinfolk / Sound + Fury
Monday, February 12
$15
7pm
Featuring Gabriel Ruiz, Marvin Quijada and Jess Godwin, Sinfolk and Sound + Fury come together for a theatrically augmented concert experience benefitting Puerto Rico relief efforts. The split bill will host Sinfolk, an intimate acoustic duo, and Sound + Fury's electronic bombast, to create a unique evening of diverse music and theatrical experiments.

WildClaw Theatre Company Presents
Open Heart Surgery 2: Invasive Procedures
A Salon of Medical Horrors
Wednesday, February 14
8pm
$25
WildClaw Theatre Company is proud to present Open Heart Surgery 2, the sequel to 2014’s Horrific Valentine’s Day Salon. Join WildClaw as they explore matters of the heart… and lungs… and liver…

Thank the Lorde!
By Po’Chop
Friday, February 16 - Sunday, February 18
Friday and Saturday 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm
$20
The spirit moves in Po'Chop’s Thank the Lorde! This tribute to the revolutionary women who work together as friends and lovers is church service as performance. Filled with secular interpretations of all your favorite sacraments. Only this time, the object of worship is a Black Lesbian Feminist doing her work. Have you done yours? 

A Concert Presentation of:
East’o, West’o!
Music and Lyrics by Michelle J. Rodriguez
Friday, February 23 & Saturday, February 24
8pm
$20
Weaving together Appalachian harmonies, bluegrass and contemporary folk, a Norwegian tale becomes an American myth in this joyful musical, celebrating a big-hearted heroine navigating the spaces between womanhood, belonging and home. Starring the composer/lyricist, Michelle J. Rodriguez, the first Chicago presentation of East’o, West’o! promises to be an experience of powerful, cleansing, revitalizing joy.

We Three: Loud Her. Fast Her. Funny Her. 
Monday, February 26 & Tuesday, February 27 
8pm
$25
Meghan Murphy, Danni Smith, & Cassie Slater are three giants (literally they're all 5'10+) in the musical theatre world. Here, they join forces to sing about the sweet release of a well-timed belly laugh and the life affirming power of a new found friendship.

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Tickets to all LookOut programming are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), steppenwolf.org or 312-335-1650. Prices vary for each show. Steppenwolf Red Card and Black Card Members may use credits towards any LookOut programming. The LookOut Series is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. John Zinn, Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks, offering a warm, creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Open Tuesdays – Sundays from 8am to midnight, Front Bar serves artisanal coffee and espresso is provided by La Colombe and food prepared by Goddess and Grocer. The menu focuses on fresh, accessible fare, featuring grab-and-go salads and sandwiches for lunch and adding shareable small plates and desserts for evening and post show service. www.front-bar.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble today features 47 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Public Mariann Mayberry Memorial Celebration Slated for 11/6/17

Steppenwolf Theatre Hosts Public Memorial Celebration for
Longtime Ensemble Member
    Mariann Mayberry



     Monday, November 6 at 1pm CST 
     
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will host a public memorial celebrating ensemble member of 24 years Mariann Mayberry. The memorial will take place Monday, November 6 at 1pm in Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. To RSVP, email MariannMayberryMemorial@steppenwolf.org or call 312.654.5657. Following the event, all are welcome to gather in Front Bar.

Mariann Mayberry passed away on August 1, 2017 after a long, private battle with cancer. She left the world peacefully in the company of family and friends who love her deeply.

The November 6 event will celebrate the powerful presence Mariann brought to our lives and the stage. Her remarkable talent, humor, strength and bravery were a gift to all those who knew her or saw her on stage. We are so lucky to have had her in our Steppenwolf family. She is greatly loved.

The Barrow Street Theatre in New York, 27 Barrow Street, will also host a gathering to honor and celebrate Mariann Mayberry’s life on Monday, November 13 from 6-8pm. Light refreshments served; all are welcome.

Mariann Mayberry became an ensemble member in 1993 and most recently appeared in Grand Concourse (2015). The Chicago Tribune hailed her performance as one of the ‘Top 10 performances of 2015.’ Previous Steppenwolf credits include Russian Transport, Good People, for which she won the 2013 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress; August: Osage County (Chicago, Broadway, London and Sydney), Love Song, Last of the Boys, and many others. Broadway credits also include One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Metamorphoses. Off-Broadway credits include Go Back To Where You Are (Playwright's Horizon) and The Notebooks Of Leonardo Da Vinci (Second Stage).  Some other favorites include Argonautika (Lookingglass), The Odyssey (Goodman), Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare) and How I Learned to Drive (Northlight/Alliance).  Television credits include Person Of Interest, Are We There Yet, Law & Order (C.I., Trial By Jury, SVU), Mercy, The Dave Chappelle Show, The Pennsylvania Miner’s Story. Film credits include Dogman, The Company, War of the Worlds and Since You’ve Been Gone.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble today features 47 members who represent a remarkable cross- section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programming includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

REVIEW: Underscore Theatre Scores With Campy Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) World Premiere

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Underscore Theatre Company Presents the World Premiere of
CARRIE 2: THE RAGE
(AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY)
Book, Music and Lyrics by Preston Max Allen
Co-Directed by Isaac Loomer and Rachel Elise Johnson

Music Direction by T.J. Anderson 

October 13 – November 19, 2017 at The Arkham

(left to right) Michael Idalski, Britain Gebhardt, Annie Pfohl, Taylor Snooks, Alex Newkirk, Amanda Giles, Carissa Gonzalez, Joe Wesolowski, David Kaplinsky and Sam Button-Harrison in Underscore Theatre Company’s world premiere musical CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody). All Photos by Evan Hanover.

Review:
Halloween season is ripe for gory stories, and Underscore delivers, in a hidden little storefront, Arkham theatre in Uptown, named specifically for this production. Note: The Arkham was the asylum in the Carrie-verse, which is in turn named for H.P. Lovecrafts' fictional town. Don't forget to "check in" to the asylum on social media! 

Underscore Theatre's macabre musical parody takes place 10+ years after the fateful, pig blood infused prom night, when bullied Carrie White went homicidal. What this low budget production lacks in stage blood it more than makes up for with laugh inducing melodrama, soaring songs, and copious use of the word telekinesis. Underscore Theatre scores again with a creative, over the top parody that makes poking fun at it's subpar namesake far more fun than the original. With plenty of catchy tunes, dramatic gestures, and larger than life characters, Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) makes for a fun night out. 


(front, l to r) Taylor Snooks and Demi Zaino with (back l to r) Alex Newkirk, Sam Button-Harrison, Michael Idalski, Joe Wesolowski and Amanda Giles

We were already booked on the press preview, so we ducked in last night for their packed house, Monday show. We caught two understudies, Miki Byrne as Amy and Taylor Snooks as Lisa/Monica. The whole cast was tight and a delight to see, particularly the women. The boy band moves of the football team are a hoot, too, even as they sing about threatening with physical violence. 

(left to right) Amanda Giles, Carissa Gonzalez and Britain Gebhardt



(left to right) Annie Pfohl, Taylor Snooks and Sam Button-Harrison

Standouts were the traumatized guidance counselor, Sue Snell (Britain Gebhardt), the religious nut mother, Barbara (Annie Pfohl), with a tiny but mighty role and fierce vocals, mean girl supreme, Tracy (Amanda Giles), and scary Carrie's little half sister, Rachel (Demi Zaino).


(left to right) Demi Zaino and Michael Idalski with the cast of Underscore Theatre Company’s world premiere musical CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody). 

Until human beings learn to quit being so awful to each other, mean girls, rapey jocks, adults with mental issues, and vengeful teens with preternatural powers are always in season. Catch this wacky world premiere while you can. Rachel (AKA: Carrie 2) will be raging through November 19th. 

**Note: If your weekends are crazy busy, this show runs 
Monday nights too!**


Back in the mid 90's, I played Carrie in a haunted house for two seasons, moving kitchen drawers and banging cupboards with my mental powers (and a little help from backstage). It was huge fun donning my deliciously bloody prom dress and air brushed makeup and scaring full grown adults into screaming idiots. I'd never made anyone pee themselves before, run shrieking into walls, or completely lose their minds. So, I'll always have a soft spot for the Carrie character.

Just in time for Halloween, Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to launch its 2017-18 Season with the world premiere of with CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), an irreverent, rock-infused send-up of Stephen King’s iconic horror film Carrie and its subsequent spin-off The Rage: Carrie 2, featuring a book, music and lyrics by Preston Max Allen. Co-directed by Isaac Loomer and Rachel Elise Johnson, with music direction by T.J. Anderson, CARRIE 2: THE RAGE will play through November 19, 2017 at The Arkham, 4609 N. Clark St. in Chicago. Tickets on sale at underscoretheatre.org.

CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) will feature Demi Zaino as Rachel, Alex Newkirk as Jesse, Britain Gebhardt as Sue Snell and David Kaplinsky as Producer/Arnie with Sam Button-Harrison, Amanda Giles, Carissa Gonzalez, Michael Idalski, Annie Pfohl, Taylor Snooks and Joe Wesolowski.


(left to right) Joe Wesolowski, Taylor Snooks, Sam Button-Harrison, Demi Zaino, Michael Idalski and Carissa Gonzalez 

More than a decade after Carrie White burned her high school to the ground with her mind, goth teenager Rachel Lang has her own issues to deal with, and Sue Snell, Carrie’s former classmate and Rachel’s guidance counselor, must grapple with surprising similarities between the two outcasts before history repeats itself. Framed as a backer’s auction for a ridiculously ambitious Broadway production, this irreverent meta-musical pokes fun at the entire “Carrie” canon through a punchy, rock-infused score.

The production team for CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) includes: Eric Luchen (scenic design), Rachel Johnson and Isaac Loomer (costume design), Erik Barry (lighting design), Timothy McNulty (sound design), Mealah Heidenreich (props design), Andrew Lynn (production manager), Karla Meyer (sound engineer), Elias Nelson (stage manager) and Josh Prisching (technical director, master electrician).

Location: The Arkham, 4609 N. Clark St., Chicago
Regular run: Friday, October 20 – Sunday, November 19, 2017
Curtain Times: Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 4 pm. Please note: there will be an added Halloween performance on Tuesday, October 31 at 7:30 pm.


Tickets: $20 Sundays & Mondays; $25 Fridays & Saturdays. Tickets on sale at underscoretheatre.org.




Artist Biographies
Preston Max Allen (Book, Music and Lyrics) is a writer, composer, lyricist and bizarrely avid Carrie fan based in New York City. Their work has been featured at the New York Musical Festival, Musical Theatre Factory, Feinstein's/54 Below, Joe's Pub, Laurie Beechman Theatre, Signature Theatre, York Theatre ("Tune In Time" winner), Gallery Players and Second City Chicago. Preston conceived and wrote book, music and lyrics for We Are The Tigers, A New Musical (Hudson Backstage Theatre, L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation winner for Best Lyrics/Composition, nominee for Best Production and Music Direction), Remission (NYMF Developmental Reading Series), CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) (Feinstein's/54 Below) and My Gay Killer Husband: A Lifetime Original Musical (Boo Festival Award Winner). Additional projects include book/lyrics for Franklin Pierce: Dragon Slayer (composer Will Buck, Sound Bites 4.0 Selection), music/lyrics for Bradical and the Pink Socks (Diverging Elements), music/lyrics for The Hunted: Encore (LA Webfest Outstanding Score), book/music/lyrics for The Untitled Agent 355 Project with collaborator Jessica Kahkoska (Marion International Fellowship Recipient) and a collaboration with composer/lyricist Rob Rokicki. Preston is a graduate of the Second City Chicago Comedy Studies Program and alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

Isaac Loomer (Co-Director) Originally from MN, he is excited to be putting on his director hat with long time friend Rachel Johnson for the first time since moving to Chicago. He has been obsessed with musical theatre for as far back as he can remember and is thrilled to be working on the world premiere of The Rage: Carrie 2. One of the the things that drew him to the project is a love of the famously flopped musical version of Carrie, and after reading the script to The Rage knew that it would succeed where it's predecessor had failed. It's a show that relishes in the Carrie-verse's successes and flops while still maintaining a clear relevant message for any era.

Rachel Elise Johnson (Co-Director) most recently assistant directed Underscore’s world premiere of My Name is Annie King. She also serves as Underscore’s Company Manager and has been performing in the Chicago theatre community since moving here from California.

T.J. Anderson (Music Director) Recent music direction credits include Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes Productions), Now. Here. This., [title of show], A New Brain (Brown Paper Box Co.) and Borderlands (Underscore Theatre Company). He has also recently been seen onstage as an actor in productions with Brown Paper Box Co., City Lit Theater Company and 20% Theater Company. T.J. is an artistic associate with Brown Paper Box Co. and a trumpet player throughout the city.

Monday, October 23, 2017

OPENING: Dark Holiday Cheer Returns With THIS WAY OUTTA SANTALAND at Theater Wit

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

MITCHELL FAIN’S HOLIDAY TELL-ALL 
THIS WAY OUTTA SANTALAND
IS BACK AT THEATER WIT WITH A FULL PRODUCTION,
NOVEMBER 24-DECEMBER 30


Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've enjoyed Mitchell J. Fain's annual holiday snark in The Santaland Diaries for years. I worked two seasons as an actor in a "santaland" set up in Ohio, with a trail of full blown improv fairy tale scenes leading up to Santa. We lost one alcoholic Santa after payday when he was a no show. The next, much more animated elf, was fired after the director and I walked in on him in an elevator actually smoking a crack pipe! As much as I empathize, and as funny as the Sedaris classic is, we're truly looking forward to the next iteration, as Fain returns as creator and performer of his own Very Special Xmas Special(tm), playing his own funny self in Chicago’s frothiest holiday show.


After an amazing workshop last year, Chicago's favorite holiday performer, Mitchell J. Fain, returns to Theater Wit with a full-blown, mainstage production of his hilarious and touching tell-all, This Way Outta Santaland (and other Xmas miracles). Press opening is Friday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through December 30.

For eight seasons as the star of Theater Wit’s The Santaland Diaries, Fain was forced to restrain his most anarchic, improvisatory impulses while constrained in stripey tights and a silly elf costume.

A tour-de-force blend of storytelling, improvisation, cabaret and cocktails, This Way Outta Santaland is a sweet, sentimental evening of hard truths that change night to night. Fain squeezes holiday tales from his audience, then swirls them with his own personal war stories about family, drunks, jewelry, funerals, the holiday spirits and more than 250 performances as Crumpet the Elf.

Cameos by a rotisserie of Chicago cabaret powerhouses like Meghan Murphy, Vanessa Dunleavy and Amy Lewis Montgomery and madcap pianist Julie B. Nichols are also on tap.

Chicago Theater Review hailed last season’s workshop production "Highly recommended. A brand new, indispensable tradition, at once hilarious, tragic, moving and profane."

Don’t miss This Way Outta Santaland, conceived and performed by Fain, in this new, fully decked-out production directed by Jeremy Wechsler, and designed by Julie B. Nichols (music), Courtney O’Neill (set), Mike Durst (lights) and Jeffrey Levin (sound).


Performances are November 24-December 30: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., with two added holiday week performances, Wednesday, December 20 and 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont, in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

The best way to secure seats to This Way Outta Santaland is to sign up for a Theater Wit Membership. Wit’s “all the theater you can eat” deal comes with special perks and lets members see as many plays at they want in any of Wit’s three spaces for one low monthly fee of $29/$22 for students. This includes shows presented at Wit by 2017-18 resident companies About Face, Kokandy Productions and Shattered Globe, and other top storefront and visiting companies.

Single tickets to This Way Outta Santaland are $28-$40.

To purchase tickets, a Membership, or to inquire about Flex Pass options, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150.


Behind-the-scenes of This Way Outta Santaland


In addition to eight years in Theater Wit’s perennial holiday hit The Santaland Diaries, Mitchell J. Fain has also been seen in This at Theater Wit, Le Switch at About Face, at UP Comedy Club at The Second City as host of Best Musical, at La Jolla Playhouse with The Second City and at Actors Theatre of Louisville in Lookingglass Theatre’s Lookingglass Alice. Fain is an Artistic Associate of The Midnight Circus and About Face Theatre and former co-host of The Windy City Queercast. Other credits include Stilettos, Circus and Soul, Hamlet-The Musical, Henry VI, Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As Bees in Honey Drown, Bitches, Hay Fever, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and The Lynching of Leo Frank. He also performed improv and sketch comedy on The Norwegian Star as a part of a Second City touring company.


Jeremy Wechsler (director) most recently staged Theater Wit’s Midwest premiere of Anne Washburn’s 10 Out of 12, last season’s holiday 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 50 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.

In addition to This Way Out of Santaland, Theater Wit’s 2017-18 season opens with Significant Other by Joshua Harmon, author of Wit’s 2015 smash hit Bad Jews, about a gay man in New York whose girlfriends are all getting married, co-produced with About Face Theatre (November 2–December 10, 2017). Wit also presents America’s premiere monologist, Mike Daisey, three nights only, in three different shows commenting on the current state of the U.S.A.: This is Not Normal, The End of Journalism and The White Man’s Burden, November 16, 17 and 18.

2018 opens with Wit’s world premiere of The Antelope Party, Eric John Meyer’s comedy about adult fans of My Little Pony (January 5-February 24, 2018). Spring sees the Chicago debut of Women Laughing Alone with Salad, Sheila Callaghan’s meta-feminist satirical comedy about friendship, salad, sex, bodies, yoga, salad, men, envy, diets, salad, uppers and salad (March 9-April 29, 2018).

“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 seventh season at its home at 1229 N. Belmont, in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. 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.

The company’s most recent hits include 10 Out of 12 and Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Naperville by Mat Smart, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, 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.

To receive an “artisanal selection of consonants and vowels from Theater Wit,” sign up at TheaterWit.org/mailing for exclusive updates, flash deals and behind-the-scenes production scoop every few weeks.

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