45th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards June 11th at The Athenaeum Theatre Chicago

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we'd like to congratulate all the nominees. There is so much world class theatre in Chicago the competition is steep and we had the pleasure of seeing many phenomenal productions this year. We'll be back with a recap after Monday's award night. Kudos also to one of our long time favorites, Strawdog Theatre. They've been chosen to receive a 2018 Non-Equity Special Award, and it's not even a leg lamp! They are being honored for 30 years of collaboration as an innovative and provocative Ensemble. Strawdog has been dedicated to its mission of bringing audiences “the whole wide world in a little black box,” and is known for its enduring theatrical history. As described by the Ensemble itself, “When the Earth is destroyed by plague, war and famine there will still be cockroaches, Twinkies and Strawdog Theatre Company.”  Read more details on Strawdog below.

The 45th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards will be hosted by Veronica Garza and held on Monday, June 11, 2018, at the Athenaeum Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with several cash bars available, and the awards will start at 7:30 p.m. Following the show, cash bars will remain open and complimentary light bites will be available. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 on June 11. To purchase tickets, visit the Athenaeum website (http://athenaeumtheatre.org) or TodayTix app. A group rate of $40 is available for parties of 10 or more by calling the Athenaeum box office. 

Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. TodayTix is an official sponsor of the 45th Annual Non–Equity Jeff Awards. 

For more information, contact Drew Blau, Non–Equity Wing Chair, at nonequitywing@jeffawards.org. Follow live tweets from the ceremony and behind the scenes at #jeffawards. 

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 55 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre (including producers, directors, actors, playwrights, designers, professors of theatre, entertainment lawyers and agents, and theatre lovers), the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. Opening night judges include not only the members but also Artistic & Technical theatre volunteers (the “A/T Team”), including Artistic Directors, producers, directors and artists from Chicago theatres.

The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year, the Jeff Awards judges over 300 theatrical productions and host two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non–Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non–union theatre. The next Equity Awards will be held on Monday, October 22, 2018, at Drury Lane Oakbrook.

2018 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD 

NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS

The nominated productions that I caught personally, and covered at ChiILLiveShows.com are in bold below. 

Production - Play
Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Ideation - Jackalope Theatre Company
Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
The invisible Hand - Steep Theatre Company
The Light - The New Colony

Production - Musical
Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions 
Marie Christine - BoHo Theatre
Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Violet - Griffin Theatre Company

Director - Play
Audrey Francis - The invisible Hand - Steep Theatre Company
Gus Menary - Ideation - Jackalope Theatre Company
Margaret Knapp - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Robin Witt - Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
Toma Langston - The Light - The New Colony

Director - Musical
Fred Anzevino - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Lili-Anne Brown - Marie Christine - BoHo Theatre
Scott Weinstein - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Scott Weinstein - Violet - Griffin Theatre Company
Spencer Neiman - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions

Ensemble
Ideation - Jackalope Theatre Company
Insurrection: Holding History - Stage Left Theatre
Into the Empty Sky - Trap Door Theatre
Mother of the Dark Water - Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theater
Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery - Pegasus Theatre Chicago

Performer in a Principal Role - Musical
Dani Shay - The Civility of Albert Cashier - Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays 
Denzel Tsopnang - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Desiree Gonzalez - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions 
Jacquelyne Jones - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jason Richards - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Kyrie Courter - Marie Christine - BoHo Theatre 
Laura McClain - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Matthew Huston - Yank: A World War II Love Story - Pride Films and Plays
Max DeTogne - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions
Nicole Laurenzi - Violet - Griffin Theatre Company 
Philip Torre - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Performer in a Principal Role - Play
Alejandro Tey - The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity - Red Theater Chicago
Alexandra Fisher - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel - Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr - The Light - The New Colony 
Joel Reitsma - The invisible Hand - Steep Theatre Company
John Mossman - How I Learned To Drive - The Artistic Home
Lucy Carapetyan - Nice Girl - Raven Theatre 
Michael B. Woods - Cyrano - BoHo Theatre
Sara Pavlak McGuire - Time Stands Still - AstonRep Theatre Company
Tiffany Oglesby - The Light - The New Colony 
Vince Kracht - The Nance - Pride Films and Plays

Performer in Supporting Role - Play
Andrew Neftali Perez - Water & Power - UrbanTheater Company
Bryce Gangel - 1980 (Or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson) - Jackalope Theatre Company
Chris Chmelik - Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
Gregory Fenner - Megastasis - Eclipse Theatre Company
Kathleen Ruhl - I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn't Even Smile - Redtwist Theatre 
Kelli Harrington - Perfect Arrangement - Pride Films and Plays
Owais Ahmed - The invisible Hand - Steep Theatre Company
Renee Lockett - Surely Goodness and Mercy - Redtwist Theatre
RjW Mays - Kingdom - Broken Nose Theatre
Stella Martin - Nice Girl - Raven Theatre

Performer in a Supporting Role - Musical
Billy Rude - The Civility of Albert Cashier - Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays 
Emily Goldberg - The Spitfire Grill - Refuge Theatre Project
Gina Francesca - Lysistrata Jones - Refuge Theatre Project
John Marshall Jr. - Yank: A World War II Love Story - Pride Films and Plays
Katherine Thomas - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Missy Wise - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions 
Molly LeCaptain - Yank: A World War II Love Story - Pride Films and Plays
Nicole Michelle Haskins - The Spitfire Grill - Refuge Theatre Project
Stephen Allen - Violet - Griffin Theatre Company 
Veronica Garza - A New Brain - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

New Musical
David Cerda - Lady X - The Musical - Hell in a Handbag Productions
Jay Paul Deratany, Joe Stevens, Keaton Wooden - The Civility of Albert Cashier - Permoveo Productions i/a/w Pride Films and Plays
Preston Max Allen - Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) - Underscore Theatre Company

New Play
Douglas Post - Forty-Two Stories - City Lit Theater Company
Lloyd Suh - Franklinland - Jackalope Theatre Company
Loy A. Webb - The Light - The New Colony
Michael Allen Harris - Kingdom - Broken Nose Theatre 
Patricia Cotter - 1980 (Or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson) - Jackalope Theatre Company
Shepsu Aakhu - Never the Milk and Honey - Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theater

Choreography
Breon Arzell - Marie Christine - BoHo Theatre 
Jenna Schoppe - Yank: A World War II Love Story - Pride Films and Plays
Kevin Bellie and Kara Schoenhofer - Bullets Over Broadway The Musical - NightBlue Performing Arts
Shanna VanDerwerker - Lysistrata Jones - Refuge Theatre Project
William Carlos Angulo - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company

Fight Choreography
David Blixt - Her Majesty's Will - Lifeline Theatre 
Jon Beal - Cyrano - BoHo Theatre
Kyle Encinas - The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity - Red Theater Chicago

Music Direction
Jeremy Ramey - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Jermaine Hill and Ellen Morris - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
John Cockerill - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions 
Jon Schneidman - The Spitfire Grill - Refuge Theatre Project
Robert Ollis - Yank: A World War II Love Story - Pride Films and Plays

Original Music in a Play
Jeffrey Levin - Her Majesty's Will - Lifeline Theatre 
Jesse Case - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Mike Mazzocca - Into the Empty Sky - Trap Door Theatre
Nicholas Tonozzi - Round Heads and Pointed Heads - Red Tape Theatre
Red Clay and Desta Sound - Never the Milk and Honey - Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theater

Scenic Design
Eric Luchen - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Jeffrey D. Kmiec - American Hero - First Floor Theater
Joe Schermoly - Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
John Wilson - The Light - The New Colony 
Ray Toler - Choir Boy - Raven Theatre

Lighting Design
Brandon Wardell - Lela & Co. - Steep Theatre Company
G. "Max" Maxin IV - Cyrano - BoHo Theatre
Heather Gilbert - Marie Christine - BoHo Theatre 
James Kolditz - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
John Kelly - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project

Costume Design
Beth Laske-Miller - Shockheaded Peter - Black Button Eyes Productions 
Bill Morey - Sweeney Todd - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
John Nasca - The Nance - Pride Films and Plays
Rachel Sypniewski - Ragtime - Griffin Theatre Company
Zachery Wagner - The School for Lies - The Artistic Home

Sound Design
Jesse Case - Foxfinder - Interrobang Theatre Project
Justin Glombicki - In the Soundless Awe - Saltbox Theatre Collective
Michael J. Patrick - Bonnie & Clyde - Kokandy Productions 
Morgan Lake - Pillars of the Community - Strawdog Theatre Company
Thomas Dixon - The invisible Hand - Steep Theatre Company

Strawdog Theatre Company to Receive 2018 Non-Equity Special Award 

Top row, left to right: Paul Fagen, Shannon Hoag, Nicole Bloomsmith, Anderson Lawfer, Becca Levy, Terry Bell, Scott Danielson, Sarah Goeden, Sam Hubbard, Second row, left to right: Mike Dailey, Kamille Dawkins, *Aly Greaves Amidei, Michaela Petro, John Henry Roberts, John Ferrick, Jamie Vann, Heath Hays, Hank Boland, Bottom row, left to right: Carmine Grisolia, Claire Chrzan, Elly Green, Gage Wallace, *Daniella Pereira, John Kelly, Kat McDonnell, *Justine C. Turner, Michael Reyes Not pictured: Kyle Hammon, Janice O'Neill (Photos by Jon Cole Media unless noted with *) 

The Jeff Awards announced today that Strawdog Theatre, Known for its massive ensemble (over 140 members throughout its 30 years), Strawdog has constantly worked to feature exciting new works, reimagined classics and modern favorites that speak to our American lives. Strawdog presented their first production, Five of Us, in 1988 while working out of the Shakespeare Street Theater. The Ensemble went on to produce many other memorable and award-winning productions, including Burn This (1996), Hurlyburly (1999), Detective Story (2004), Marathon '33 (2007), Red Noses (2010), Great Expectations (2014) and Barbecue (as a LookOut Visiting Company at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre) (2017). The final production of Strawdog’s current 2018 season is Damascus, a world premiere by local playwright, Bennett Fisher, and directed by Raven Theatre’s Artistic Director, Cody Estle, which runs through June 23, 2018. Strawdog has explored theatre in many exciting and challenging ways, including 31 world premieres, 8 fully produced radio plays, 7 Shakespeare plays, and 3 Chekhov classics. Strawdog’s longtime venue was located atop a steep staircase at 3829 N Broadway where, in addition to the Mainstage, they created an additional 50-seat theatre known as Hugen Hall (after the late Ashley Hugen, a beloved Strawdog friend). Hugen Hall served as a home for new work and adaptations, as well as Chicago Theatre's Community Center where late night audiences enjoyed original programming including BYO, The Hit Factory, Theatre Wars!, The Game Show Show and Stuff, The Direct Off!, Nikki and the City and J&M Comedy Hour. 

After Strawdog’s home of 26 years was demolished for redevelopment in 2016, the Ensemble spent a year at The Factory Theater in Rogers Park, mounted a production at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre and eventually found a new home at 1802 W Berenice (previously occupied by Signal Ensemble Theatre and most recently Oracle Productions). 

Strawdog has been nominated for 61 Jeff Awards and received 24 Awards that span every category across the ballot, which is testimony to Strawdog’s excellent and comprehensive theatrical vision. 

OPENING: LILY MOONEY’S EMPTY THREATS VIA THE NEO-FUTURISTS Through July 14, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THE NEO-FUTURISTS 

ANNOUNCE 

LILY MOONEY’S EMPTY THREATS, 

DIRECTED BY KRISSY VANDERWARKER, 

Lily Mooney by Joe Mazza/Brave Lux

JUNE 7 – JULY 14

Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Lily Mooney Holds a Character of Her Own Creation Hostage in this Dark Comedy 

About Truth, Power and Change

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Lily Mooney’s Empty Threats, directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, in her directorial debut with The Neo-Futurists, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., June 7 – July 14. Previews are Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

In Empty Threats, writer-performer Lily Mooney presents a send up of power dynamics found in contemporary theater and in modern life. The show begins with a fictional premise: Victor, a college professor, prepares to leave his office at the end of a long day. Soon the play’s author, a “real person,” barges in and stages an interrogation, forcing Victor to defend his fictional existence. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and David Mamet’s Oleanna serve as springboards for this complex, comedic and vigorous investigation of truth and responsibility.

Empty Threats features performances from Lily Mooney* and Jared Fernley.

The production team of Empty Threat includes Krissy Vanderwarker (director); Mitchell Chapman (stage manager); Rachel Flesher (violence designer); Zach Payne (assistant violence designer); John Kelly (lighting designer); Grant Sabin (scenic designer); Leah Hummel (props designer); Andrew Tham (sound designer) and Kate Hardiman (production manager).

* denotes member of The Neo-Futurist Ensemble

ABOUT LILY MOONEY* Creator/”Pearl”
Lily Mooney is a writer, performer and teacher in Chicago. Since 2012, she has been an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists, where she makes short plays for the company's flagship show, The Infinite Wrench. Alongside Artistic Director Kurt Chiang, she co-creates and produces The Arrow, a experimental storytelling show that collides prose, plays, and improvisation. Other Neo-Futurist credits include Saturn Returns, (writer/performer) and The Neo-Futurists: Body (contributing writer). Mooney studied and performed improv at The Annoyance Theatre and holds an MFA from Northwestern University.

ABOUT KRISSY VANDERWARKER, Director
Krissy Vanderwarker is a director/maker. Vanderwarker’s directing credits include: Home Invasion, Midsommer Night's Eve (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure (Lookingglass), Skin of Our Teeth (Remy Bumppo), Harry & The Thief (Pavement Group), The Grown-Up (Shattered Globe), Psychonaut Librarians (The New Colony) and with Dog & Pony Theatre Co.: Breach, Counterfeiters, God’s Ear, As Told by the Vivian Girls, Mr. Marmalade, Ape, Osama the Hero, As Much As You Can and Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake). Vanderwarker is currently making Ghost Army, a city-wide interactive experience, and her first short film titled “Monster Convention.” 

ABOUT JARED FERNLEY, “Victor”
Jared Fernley’s stage credits include work with Writers Theatre, Northlight, Strawdog Theatre, Jackalope, Griffin Theatre and The New Colony, as well as Backroom Shakespeare and One Year Chekhov (where he is an ensemble member). Fernley’s TV credits include “Chicago Fire,” (NBC) and “Patriot,” (Amazon). Fernley is also an artistic associate with Erasing The Distance, a company that sheds light on mental health through documentary theater. He is a proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. 

EMPTY THREATS
June 7 – July 14
Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Lily Mooney
Directed by Krissy Vanderwarker
Previews: Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Thursdays and Previews Pay-What-You-Can, Regular Run: $10-$25 
Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 10,071 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and more than 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Lily Mooney’s Empty Threats, directed by Krissy Vanderwarker, in her directorial debut with The Neo-Futurists, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., June 7 – July 14. Previews are Thursday, June 7 – Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

FINAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED for the 4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival at The Second City's UP Comedy Club

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Second City announces lineup for the

4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival

Hosted by Godfrey, David Pompeii and Azhar Usman

June 7 - 9 at Second City’s UP Comedy Club

The Second City announces the lineup for the NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival, which spotlights rising talent from across the country. The festival will be hosted by incomparable comic Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), Second City alumnus David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele) and special guest Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY).

“The Second City Diversity and Inclusion program was formally introduced over 25 years ago as part of Second City’s ongoing mission. The Bob Curry and Break Out Festival events, which are the centerpieces of the initiative and a vital part of the overall programming at Second City, are not to be missed. The weekend is exploding with fresh, diverse voices,” said Dionna Griffin-Irons, Director of Diversity Talent and Development. “The stories and narratives that will be seen on stage June 6-9 at Second City are the perfect antidote to the political and social climate in America these days.”

4th Annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival
Second City’s UP Comedy Club (230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
June 7 - 9, 2018
Tickets: $10-$25, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

Thursday, June 7 at 7:30pm ($20-$25): Hosted by David Pompeii
with special guest Azhar Usman
Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at 7:30pm and 10pm ($20-$25): Hosted by Godfrey
Saturday, June 9 at midnight ($10): Hosted by Azhar Usman

Back for its fourth year, this dynamic partnership with NBCUniversal and Second City will again showcase some of the hottest emerging and seasoned diverse comedic acts in stand-up, sketch and improv from around the country. This year’s Break Out Comedy Festival features hosts Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele), Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY).

On Thursday, June 7, 7:30pm, Second City alum, David Pompeii will host with special guest Azhar Usman. Veteran Chicago stand-up comics will perform, along with up-and-coming new talent. Performers include newcomer Vincent Bryant Second City trained comedians Anthony Bonanza, Joel Boyd, Amy Ramelli and Lauren Walker, award-winning journalist Mariam Sobh (WBBM radio), Marz Timms (founder of Pimprov), and Bob Curry Fellowship Toronto alum Carol Zoccoli.

Friday, June 8, 7:30pm and 10pm, will be hosted by Godfrey with introductory emcee Alex Kumin (Chicago Reader’s Stand Out Comics to Watch). The show will feature Second City alum Mona Aburmishan, Jayson Acevedo and Stephanie Branco (Second City’s Urban Twist), current Bob Curry fellow Aaron Branch, newcomer Max Desolhn, Adam Mamawala (Funny or Die’s Top 30 Under 30 Comedians to Watch), Naperville native Vik Pandya, Felonious Munk (Blipster Life, Comedy Central), and Wisconsin comic Esteban Touman,

The Saturday, June 9, 7:30pm and 10pm performance will be hosted by Godfrey and will include introduction emcee Alex Kumin, Kerry Codett (BET’s The Rundown with Robin Thede), New York-based comic Paul Elia (Conan), Houston comic Mickey Housley, Chicago comedians TMurph, Calvin Evans and Shannon Noll, Azhar Usman and Toronto-based comedian Carol Zoccoli.

On Saturday, June 9, midnight, the late night show will be hosted by Azhar Usman and will feature up to five performers who be selected from the Break Out Stand Up Social event earlier that day.

All shows will also feature select graduates of the Bob Curry Fellowship Program.

Break Out Stand Up Social Event
Second City’s UP Comedy Club (230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
Saturday, June 9th
12pm - 2pm
FREE Event

Break Out Comedy Festival’s panel and social event for newcomers and emerging comics to network, connect with local and out of state comedians to compete for a chance to perform in Saturday’s Late Night (midnight) show, hosted by Azhar Usman. Up to five comics will be selected after the panel event to share their material and set for selection.

The Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase
Second City’s e.t.c. Theater (230 W North Ave, 2nd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
Wednesday, June 6 at 8pm
Tickets, $15, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

The 5th annual cohort of the Bob Curry Fellowship program, comprised of 16 of the best and brightest new voices in comedy, will perform together in the Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase, directed by Second City Co-Artistic Director, Matt Hovde. The showcase will highlight ten weeks of master improv training, with original material and best of Second City archival scenes.

The 2018 Bob Curry Fellows are: Angela Alise, Trumane Alston, Damian Anaya, Aaron Branch, Menaka Delekar, Jillian Ebanks, George Elrod, Steve Han, Maya Haughton, Javid Iqbal, Asia Martin, Julia Morales, Yazmin Ramos, Ana Silva, Max Thomas and Shadee Vossonghi.

Building upon a unique partnership established with Universal Television, the Bob Curry Fellowship is a professional mentoring and development program focused on cultivating the best new voices in improv and sketch comedy. A highly competitive and rigorous process, applicants must audition to be considered for the program. In 2018, over 250 applicants submitted with sixteen diverse actors and improvisers from a diverse, array of multicultural, ethnic backgrounds being selected. The Bob Curry Fellowship is offered bi-annually at Second City Toronto, and an inaugural program launches at The Second City Hollywood this summer.

The success of The Bob Curry Fellowship program is felt on Second City’s stages, as several participants in the fellowship have been cast in The Second City’s professional companies. Tyler Davis and Tien Tran are graduates of the fellowship who now perform in the current Second City Chicago Mainstage production of Dream Freaks Fall from Space, with numerous other fellows touring with the Second City Touring Company and Second City Theatricals.

About Bob Curry
Bob Curry was Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and director. In 1966, Curry became the first African-American to join The Second City’s resident company before joining what evolved into the first-ever touring company. In 1986, he received a Jeff Award for the Northlight Theatre production of Boesman and Lenam, tying for Best Supporting Actor with Danny Glover. An inspired director, Curry coached many actors of color in the Chicago theatre community on several projects, and he directed Paul Robeson at Kennedy-King College shortly before his death in 1994.

About NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion
NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion hosts a variety of programs and events and partners with other entertainment entities to develop, nurture, showcase and provide networking opportunities for new and diverse actors, writers, directors and other talent.  The programs include Late Night Writers Workshop, NBCUniversal Short Film Festival, NBCU Emerging Directors Program, Writers on the Verge, StandUp NBC, Scene Showcase, the Casting Apprentice Program and the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, among others.  For more information, please log onto www.nbcunitips.com.

About The Second City
Since opening its doors 1959, The Second City has grown to become the world’s premier comedy club, theater and school of improvisation, entertaining 1 million theatergoers a year around the globe. Alumni of The Second City’s resident stages, touring companies, and theatrical divisions include some of the biggest names in entertainment, and in addition to the sold-out shows playing nightly on resident stages in Chicago and Toronto, the comedy empire has staged productions with a wide range of illustrious creative partners and theatre companies, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Portland Center Stage, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, La Jolla Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and even the Chicago Bulls.

OPENING: THE COLOR PURPLE THE MUSICAL TO PLAY CHICAGO'S AUDITORIUM THEATRE TWO WEEKS ONLY JULY 17 – 29, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

THE COLOR PURPLE

AUDITORIUM THEATRE TWO WEEKS ONLY!

JULY 17 – 29, 2018

Broadway In Chicago presents THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Tony winner John Doyle (Sweeney Todd and The Color Purple), at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Congress Pkwy.) for a limited two-week engagement July 17 - 29, 2018.



Cast members from the 2016 Broadway revival lead the touring company, including Adrianna Hicks (Aladdin, Sister Act - Germany) as Celie, Carla R. Stewart (Ghost – National Tour, Rent - Regional) as Shug Avery and Carrie Compere (Holler If You Hear Me, Shrek the Musical – National Tour) as Sofia.

They will be joined by Gavin Gregory (The Color Purple - Revival, The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess) as Mister, N’Jameh Camara (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation) as Nettie, J. Daughtry (The Color Purple - Revival, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Harpo, along with Darnell Abraham, Amar Atkins, Kyle E. Baird, Angela Birchett, Jared Dixon, Erica Durham, Bianca Horn, Gabrielle Reid, C.E. Smith, Clyde Voce, Nyla Watson, J.D. Webster, Brit West, Nikisha Williams and Michael Wordly.




Based on the Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Warner Bros. / Amblin Entertainment motion picture, THE COLOR PURPLE is adapted for the stage by Tony- and Pulitzer-winner Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Tony Award®-winning director and scenic designer John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company) recreates his award winning work for the national tour, alongside costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting by Jane Cox, sound by Dan Moses Schreier and wig & hair design by Charles G. LaPointe.



The revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opened to great acclaim in summer 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, followed by a Broadway bow on November 10, 2015 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. THE COLOR PURPLE went on to win two 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, two Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the 2017 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy®. THE COLOR PURPLE played 483 performances on Broadway, closing on January 8, 2017.



The North American tour is produced by Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Troika Entertainment, David Babani, Tom Siracusa, Caiola Productions, James Fantaci, Ted Liebowitz, James L. Nederlander, Darren Bagert, Candy Spelling, Adam Zotovich, Eric Falkenstein/Morris Berchard, Adam Blanshay Productions, Tanya Link Productions, Jam Theatricals, Independent Presenters Network and Carol Fineman.

For more information, please visit www.colorpurple.com.

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for THE COLOR PURPLE at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Congress Pkwy.) range from $27 to $100 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 



ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE
The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Pkwy. in Chicago, is an Illinois, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining over 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Encore Run of American Blues Theater's BUDDY – The Buddy Holly Story To Play Stage 773 June 29 through September 15, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Due to popular demand

American Blues Theater 

announces

an encore run of

BUDDY – The Buddy Holly Story

By Alan Janes

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown

Musical Direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler

June 29 through September 15, 2018

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we dig Buddy Holly and can't wait to catch American Blues Theater's acclaimed production. The encore run is selling out fast, so get your tickets while you can.

American Blues Theater announces encore performance run of BUDDY – The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. BUDDY – The Buddy Holly Story will reopen June 29 – September 15, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets now on sale for the encore run.

https://www.facebook.com/americanbluestheater/videos/10156163512493930/

Before the Beatles or the Rolling Stones ever played a note, rock & roll was forever changed by the bespectacled kid from Texas. BUDDY tells the true story of Buddy Holly through his short yet spectacular career and features the classic songs "That’ll be the Day," "Peggy Sue," The Big Bopper’s "Chantilly Lace," Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba," plus many more.



“American Blues Theater is thrilled to present an encore run of our production of Buddy—The Buddy Holly Story, our company’s best-selling musical to date. We’ll take a break from May 27-June 28, but the cast will be back in our intimate space at Stage 773 through September. We couldn’t be happier with the outstanding reviews and audience reaction,” comments Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside.

Buddy Holly is an American music icon. Regarded as one of the most significant figures in the birth of rock music, he is often cited as the innovator of the traditional rock lineup of instruments – two guitars, bass, and drums. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Elton John all name Buddy Holly as a major inspiration in their respective careers.

The Encore cast of BUDDY includes Keirsten Hodgens (Apollo Performer), Chuckie Benson (Apollo Performer), Liz Chidester (Vi Petty), Ian Paul Custer* (Hi Pockets), Elisa Carlson (Company), Ann Delaney (Company), Vasily Deris (Big Bopper), Alex Goodrich (Clearlake Announcer), Derek Hasenstab (Norman Petty), Molly Hernández (Maria Elena), Cisco Lopez (Ritchie Valens), Michael Mahler* (Tommy / Cricket; music director), Kieran McCabe (Jerry / Cricket), Daniel Riley (Apollo Performer), Zachary Stevenson (Buddy Holly), and Shaun Whitley (Joe / Cricket).

The creative team includes Sarah E. Ross* (scenic design), Samantha C. Jones* (costume design), Jared Gooding* (lighting design), Rick Sims* (sound design), Kevin Rolfs (properties), Malcolm Ruhl (music consultant) and John Martinez (assistant director and choreographer). The Production Stage Manager is Cara Parrish*.
*American Blues Theater Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates.



About the Artists
ALAN JAMES (Playwright) is an English writer and producer who has worked in TV, film, radio, and theatre. His best-known work is the musical Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story which ran for over 14 years and almost 6,000 performances in London’s West End and has been on tour in the UK for 17 years. Buddy has also played Broadway, 5 U.S. National Tours, 8 years in Germany, 3 years in Australia and New Zealand, and countless other productions around the world. Janes was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical for Buddy. He also co-wrote and produced the musicals 125th Street and Jailhouse Rock, which both premiered on London’s West End.

LILI-ANNE BROWN (Director) A native Chicagoan, Brown works as a director, actor and educator, both locally and regionally.  She is the former Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she directed Dessa Rose (Jeff Award), Passing Strange (BTA Award and Jeff nomination for Best Director of a Musical), See What I Wanna See (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep), and the world premiere of Princess Mary Demands Your Attention by Aaron Holland. Other directing credits include The Wolf at the End of the Block (16th Street Theater); Marie Christine (BoHo Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts); The Wiz (Kokandy Productions, BroadwayWorld Award); Xanadu (American Theater Company); Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi E. Kelley (world premiere, Chicago Children’s Theatre); American Idiot (Northwestern University); the national tour of Jesus Snatched My Edges; Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Unnecessary Farce, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story (Timber Lake Playhouse). She is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and a graduate of Northwestern University.

MICHAEL MAHLER (Tommy / Cricket; Music Director) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. His Blues appearances include It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, “Seymour” in Little Shop of Horrors, “Clifford” in Side Man, and “Jimmy” in Hank Williams: Lost Highway. Other Chicagoland credits include Honeymoon in Vegas (Marriott Theatre); The March (Steppenwolf Theatre); Working (Broadway Playhouse); The Illusion (Court Theatre); The Fox on the Fairway, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Jeff nomination), and The Producers (Theatre at the Center). Recent music directing credits include Parade (Writers Theatre) and Road Show (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Jeff nomination). Michael is a composer/lyricist who contributed additional lyrics to the new Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Other works include Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Man who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (Jeff Award), October Sky (San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award), and Hero (Jeff Award).

CHUCKIE BENSON (Apollo Performer) recently originated “Truman Hayes” in the world premiere musical, TRU, at the Chicago Music Theatre Festival. He received a Jeff nomination for his performance as the “Lion” in Kokandy’s production of The Wiz. Chuckie was also a part of the Chicago cast of Spamilton. He has played some of his favorite roles at Wagon Wheel Center of the Arts including “Coalhouse Walker Jr.” in Ragtime, “Curtis” in Sister Act, and “Teen Angel” in Grease!  Regional credits include: Hair (Mercury Theater Chicago), “Tom Collins” in Rent (Theo Ubique), Woman of the Year (Porchlight Music Theatre), and “Jim” in Big River (Timber Lake Playhouse). Chuckie received his BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University, and is a native to Lansing, MI.

LIZ CHIDESTER (Vi Petty) is a singer/songwriter, actor, and teaching artist from Virginia. Her Chicago theatre credits include: Lizzie (Firebrand Theatre), High Fidelity (Refuge Theatre Project, Jeff Award - Best Musical), Billy the Kid (Cabinet of Curiosity Events), Big River and Pump Boys and the Dinettes (Theatre at the Center), Ring of Fire (Mercury Theater Chicago), and Stupid F**ing Bird (Sideshow Theatre Company). Her original albums with her band LIZ AND THE LOVELIES include Progress into Simplicity (2017 - Best Roots EP, Independent Music Awards 2018), Otter Hill (2015), and People Pumping Pedals (2014). She teaches group and private lessons at Old Town School of Folk Music.

IAN PAUL CUSTER (Hi Pockets) is an Ensemble member at American Blues Theater. Recent American Blues credits: “David Halberstam” in The Columnist (Jeff nomination - Best Production, Midsize), It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (Jeff nominations - Best Ensemble and Best Production, Midsize), “Orin Skrivello” in Little Shop of Horrors (Jeff nomination - Best Production of a Musical, Midsize), and “Adam” in Yankee Tavern. Recent Chicago credits: Bad Jews (Theater Wit, North Shore Center, Royal George), 33 Variations (TimeLine Theatre, Jeff Award - Best Production, Midsize), Annie Bosh is Missing (Steppenwolf Theatre), High Holidays (Goodman Theatre), To Master the Art (Broadway Playhouse/TimeLine Theatre), Strangers, Babies (Steep Theatre), and Fiddler on the Roof (Paramount Theatre).  Regional credits: Hero: The Musical (Asolo Rep Theatre), Cymbeline (Notre Dame Shakespeare), Romeo and Juliet (Cardinal Stage), and Peter Pan (360 Entertainment - London, England).  Television credits: APB, Empire, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD.  

ELISA CARLSON (Company) She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and theater from Indiana University.  She is a company member of Innervation Dance Cooperative, an ensemble member of Barrel of Monkeys, and a singer and multi-instrumentalist at Howl at the Moon Chicago, entertaining audiences nightly on the piano, violin, drums, and bass.

ANN DELANEY (Company) is making her American Blues Theater debut. Her recent Chicago theatre credits include Hatfield and McCoy (The House Theatre of Chicago); It’s a Wonderful Life, Cabaret, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Spamalot, and Big Fish (Theatre At The Center); All Our Tragic and Gilbert and Sullivan Rep (The Hypocrites); Hobo King (Congo Square Theatre); and Mr. Burns (Theater Wit).

VASILY DERIS (Big Bopper) Chicago credits: the Jeff Award-winning Smokey Joe's Café (Theo Ubique), “Barry” in the Jeff Award-winning High Fidelity (Refuge Theatre Project), “Eric” in Creatives (Chicago Theatre Workshop), “Shawn Eckhardt” in Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera (Underscore Theatre), and “Pharaoh” in Joseph (Paramount Theatre).

ALEX GOODRICH (Clearlake Announcer) makes his American Blues Theater debut. Credits include Hero: The Musical (Jeff Award - Best Supporting Actor in a Musical); Honeymoon in Vegas; She Loves Me; How To Succeed in Business..; Elf the Musical; On The Town; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; and For The Boys (Marriott Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest (Writers Theatre); Love's Labor’s Lost; The Emperor’s New Clothes; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Seussical; Taming of the Shrew; Aladdin; and How Can You Run... (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Miss Bennet; Shining Lives; Civil War Christmas; and She Stoops to Conquer (Northlight Theatre); Old Jews Telling Jokes (Royal George); The Comedy of Errors and One Man Two Guvnors (Court Theatre); Everything Is Illuminated (Next Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Indiana Repertory); and Goodnight Moon and Harold and the Purple Crayon (Chicago Children’s Theatre).

KEIRSTEN HODGENS (Apollo Performer) Most recent credits include: Ragtime (Marriott Theatre), The Naked Truth (reading, West End Lounge), Spamilton (Royal George), Jesus Christ Superstar (Paramount Theatre), and Smokey Joe’s Café (Drury Lane Oakbrook). She would like to thank her friends, family, extraordinary girlfriend, her team at Stewart Talent.

DEREK HASENSTAB (Norman Petty) makes his American Blues Theater debut. Chicago theatre credits include shows with Lookingglass Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Writers Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, About Face Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Court Theatre, Marriott Theatre, and Drury Lane Oakbrook, among others. Regional credits include: “Doc” in Come Back, Little Sheba (IRNE and Elliot Norton Nominations, Huntington Theatre Company), “Hermes” in Metamorphoses (Arena Stage, Mark Taper Forum), and “Tom” in The Glass Menagerie (Kansas City Repertory Theatre). National Tour: “Zazu” in The Lion King.

MOLLY HERNÁNDEZ (Maria Elena) makes her debut at American Blues Theater. Favorite credits include “Rosabella” in The Most Happy Fella (Theo Ubique); “Julie Jordan” in Carousel, Mary Poppins, Evita, and Scapino (Timber Lake Playhouse); Crime Scene: Breath Life and Forgotten Future: Education Project (Collaboraction). Last year she was given the Award of Excellence in Professional Theatre from the Illinois Theatre Association and was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in The Most Happy Fella. Molly can be seen on Chicago PD ep. 105 as “Elisa Rodríguez” and APB ep. 105 as “Maya Ruiz”.

CISCO LOPEZ (Ritchie Valens) makes his American Blues Theater debut. Chicago credits include Merrily We Roll Along, Woman of the Year, New Faces Sing Broadway 2001, and In the Heights (Porchlight Music Theatre); Bonnie & Clyde (Kokandy Productions); In To America and Letters Home (Griffin Theatre); Planted (Rogue Elephant Productions); Dead Man Walking (Piven Theatre); Mutt (Stage Left and Red Tape Theatre); Macbeth (Midsommer Flight); Take Me Out (Eclectic Theatre); and Fiddler on the Roof and Damn Yankees (Light Opera Works). Film credits: Boystown and Closet Memories. He holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Baylor University and is represented by Shirley Hamilton.

KIERAN MCCABE (Jerry / Cricket) This Philadelphia native is making his American Blues Theater debut. Kieran’s favorite credits include “Fluke Holland” in Million Dollar Quartet, “Scapino” in Scapino, “Orin Scrivello” in Little Shop of Horrors, “Agustin Migaldi” in Evita, “Mr. Manningham” in Gaslight, “Stacee Jaxx” in Rock of Ages, Carousel, Mary Poppins, Titanic, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Timber Lake Playhouse), and “Freak” in columbinus (Loyola Chicago). Kieran drums and writes for the Indie Rock trio Day Off (@dayofftheband). Kieran puts his English Creative Writing degree to good use as a Head Writer for Kettle Camp Studios, a Chicago based production company.

DANIEL RILEY (Apollo Performer) is a Chicago-based performer who studied at Harold Washington College and Roosevelt University.  He has worked in theatre and cabaret with numerous groups in and around Chicago, most recently Paramount Theatre, Davenport’s Piano Bar, The Inconvenience, and the Ravinia Festival. Dan also coaches and accompanies soloists and choirs of all ages in many styles of music. He regularly sings with Holy Name Cathedral and the Lakeside Singers, and can be seen Sunday mornings on WGN-TV singing for Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Dan is also featured (along with Michael Mahler) on Dark Side of the Moon A Cappella (VOCOMOTION Productions).

ZACHARY STEVENSON (Buddy Holly) makes his American Blues Theater debut. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Zach recently relocated to Chicago after spending the last few years being based in Kansas City, MO. Select credits include: Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre – “Carl” U/S), Hair (CanStage), Ring of Fire (Chemainus Theatre Festival / Western Canada Theatre), Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave (Blue Bridge Repertory), Urinetown (Belfry Theatre), Red Rock Diner (Arts Club Theatre), Assassins (Quintessence), and more than ten productions of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story throughout the US and Canada, for which he’s been nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award and Ovation Award. Zachary has also had the pleasure of music directing several productions, including Million Dollar Quartet (Arts Club), and Ring of Fire (Chemainus Theatre Festival), as well as performing in countless headlining concerts across North America. Off stage, Zach is busy writing a one-man show about the 1960s folksinger and activist, Phil Ochs.


SHAUN WHITLEY (Joe / Cricket) returns to American Blues Theater. He is a multi-instrumentalist, actor, composer, and Jeff-nominated music director. He performed nearly 1800 times as “Carl Perkins” in the longest running Broadway musical in Chicago history, Million Dollar Quartet. Other Chicago credits include: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Oakbrook, The Second City, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Strawdog Theatre, TUTA, Redmoon Theater, Blindfaith Theatre, and Provision Theater. He studied Shakespeare at RADA in London. He teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Community Service
For this production, American Blues Theater will offer complimentary tickets to students of Chicago Public Schools and Guitars Over Guns. In addition, artists will visit assisted-living facilities to give mini-concerts. American Blues also continues its “Pink Previews” to donate proceeds from all preview performances to The Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research.


Encore Run: June 29 – September 15, 2018

Schedule:
Thursdays:  7:30pm
Fridays:  7:30pm
Saturdays:  3:00pm & 7:30pm
Sundays:  2:30pm
Free post-show discussions on Sundays

Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Ticket prices: $19 - $49
Box Office: Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.327.5252.



About American Blues Theater
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious 2016 National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 34-member Ensemble has 600+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2018, the theater and artists received 195 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 35 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.  

American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor.

The Cabaret Room at Drury Lane presents The Summer Series Featuring Some of Chicago’s Top Cabaret Artists

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Cabaret Room at Drury Lane presents The Summer Series

featuring Chicago's Cabaret Queen Denise Tomasello,

Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael,

and Joan Curto

August 2018 in the Cabaret Room at Drury Lane

The Cabaret Room at Drury Lane Theatre announces The Summer Series featuring some of Chicago’s top cabaret artists in unforgettable limited engagements at Drury Lane’s intimate Cabaret Room. The Summer Series will include performances by Chicago's Cabaret Queen Denise Tomasello (August 3 and 4), Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael (August 17 and 18), and Joan Curto (August 24 and 25). Performances will be held on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Cabaret Room at Drury Lane Theatre located at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. 

The elegant evenings of Chicago’s premier cabaret performers will feature a special menu from Drury Lane’s Lucille restaurant, including shareable plates, classic cocktails, and a wide selection of wines, beer, and coffee. Performances will be held on Fridays at 7:30pm and Saturdays at 5pm and 8:30pm, with doors opening in advance for food and beverage service. Tickets for The Cabaret Room’s Summer Series are priced at $50 for ringside tables and $40 for general seating. There is a $25 food and beverage minimum per person. Reservations may be placed by calling the box office at 630.530.0111.

The Cabaret Room’s Summer Series schedule for August 2018 is as follows:

Chicago's Cabaret Queen Denise Tomasello in “To Chicago With Love”
Friday, August 3 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6pm)
Saturday, August 4 at 5 pm (doors at 4pm) and 8:30 pm (doors at 7:30pm)
“To Chicago With Love” is a retrospective of Denise’s remarkable and enduring 40-year career that made her the toast of Chicago. The unforgettable evening will feature her fan-favorite signature songs, classics from the great American songbook, and show-stopping Broadway numbers, as well as a special video and photo presentation of career highlights.

Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael present "That 60’s Show"
Friday, August 17 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6pm)
Saturday, August 18 at 5 pm (doors at 4pm) and 8:30 pm (doors at 7:30pm)
The sixties are back!  “That 60’s Show” - a celebration of the decade that forever changed popular music. From the idyllic early Motown sound and British invasion to Woodstock, “That 60’s Show” will feature songs by many of the decades favorites including The Beatles, The Supremes, The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Petula Clark, Simon and Garfunkle, and many more, all done in Menzie & Michael’s unique award-winning style.

Joan Curto salutes “Broadway Women”
featuring songs from women who performed on and composed for Broadway
Friday, August 24 at 7:30pm (doors at 6pm)
Saturday, August 25 at 5pm (doors at 4pm) and 8:30pm (doors at 7:30pm)
Women and Broadway have a long history not only for the songs that have been introduced and made famous by legendary performers but also for the songs composed by legends as well. This show celebrates their contributions to Broadway history, from Mary Martin to Carole King and Angela Lansbury to Sara Bareilles and many in between!

For more information or to make a reservation, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111.

About the Artists

DENISE TOMASELLO most recently sold out concerts at the Auditorium, the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, Skokie Theatre, and The Drake Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Winner of the After Dark Award for “Outstanding Cabaret Performer” and the Gold Coast Award from CCP, Denise has headlined and sold out every major venue in Chicago including Park West, the Chicago Theatre, Empire Room, The Pump Room, Davenport’s, a six-year record-breaking run at Sages, and a two-year residency at The Fairmont’s Metropole Room. Denise has performed at New York’s Town Hall and Eighty Eights; Michael Feinstein’s Cinegrill and Gardenia in Los Angeles headlining with entertainers Don Rickles, Jackie Mason, and Alan King.

BECKIE MENZIE & TOM MICHAEL have appeared in NYC’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, Park West, the Pritzker Stage at Millennium Park, Empire Room, and Davenport’s. Their imaginative musical twists on jazz favorites, standards, contemporary pop, Broadway show tunes, and film gems have won them audience and critical acclaim across the country and around the globe. These five-time After Dark Award winners’ recording efforts have been praised by Billboard Magazine, BackStage, Show Business Weekly, and Playbill. Their duo CD, “Better Two-gether,” is currently available on iTunes and Amazon.

JOAN CURTO created, produced, directed, and appeared in concerts at the Auditorium Theatre celebrating the music of Cole Porter and vocal legends Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne. She has appeared across the nation in concerts and clubs, often celebrating the music of the Great American Songbook. A Chicago-based artist, she is a familiar face to Chicago audiences, garnering a reputation for her thoughtful interpretations and powerful voice. Joan has performed in many Chicago theaters and clubs including: the Auditorium Theatre, the Harris Theater, Empire Room, Victory Gardens, Davenports, Drury Lane Theatre, Park West, the Thorne Auditorium, and the Claudia Cassidy Theater. She has been seen in numerous Chicago Humanities Festivals and the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Conventions. Nationally, Joan has performed in some of the top cabaret clubs and concert series, including New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Room, the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Milwaukee, the Overture Center in Madison, Gardenia in Los Angeles, and the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. In 2016, Joan was recognized and awarded with the Gold Coast Award by Chicago Cabaret Professionals for her contributions to the art of cabaret and awarded the Chicago After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist. She continues to explore the songs of both the Classic and the New American Songbook and has developed and performed shows across the country featuring the music of Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerry Herman, and Stephen Sondheim.

Drury Lane Theatre 2018/2019 Season and Subscription Information
The 2018/2019 season will open with the Tony Award-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein landmark musical South Pacific (April 5 – June 17, 2018). The season continues with Tennessee Williams’ sultry family drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (July 5 – August 26, 2018) followed by the darkly comedic musical Little Shop of Horrors (September 6 – October 28, 2018). For the holiday season, Drury Lane brings to life the treasured story of Belle with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (November 9, 2018 – January 27, 2019) and then closes its 18/19 season with the global smash-hit Mamma Mia! featuring the music of ABBA (February 7 – April 14, 2019). The 2018/2019 season runs April 5, 2018, through April 14, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Subscriptions for the 2018/2019 Season are priced from $157 to $187 and are currently on sale. Subscribers receive special offers on dining, flexible ticket exchanges, and early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts. 

The performance schedule for all productions is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $40 for matinees. Dinner and show packages are also available. For individual ticket on-sale dates and ticket reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111 or TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

About Drury Lane Theatre
Under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis and Artistic Director William Osetek, Drury Lane Theatre is a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, presenting world-class productions in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading actors, artists, writers and directors. Over the past 30 years, Drury Lane has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for more than 350 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane is committed to breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing audiences to exciting new works.

Throughout its 30-year history, Drury Lane has employed more than 7,500 actors and 10,000 musicians, designers and crewmembers to entertain upwards of nine million audience members. Originally founded by Anthony DeSantis, Drury Lane Theatre remains a family-run organization known for producing breathtaking Broadway classics, top-rated musicals, bold new works, hilarious comedies and unforgettable concert events.

REVIEW: Nobody's Home, Part of the Physical Festival Chicago at Stage 773

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Nobody's Home, 

part of the 

Physical Festival Chicago at Stage 773, 

showing at 1225 W. Belmont 

(773)327-5252

Review
By Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic 

Wow.

I have never seen a play before where all the action revolves around a bathtub. “Set in a bathroom, Nobody’s Home follows a soldier’s journey through his own mind, as he struggles with the monsters of his past to finally come home,” as described by Theatre Temoin and Grafted Cede theatre. While sometimes hard to witness, Nobody’s Home is an important story to tell about PTSD---the hell it creates for the central figure as well as his frustrated and exasperated wife. During the pre-show introduction, the audience is reassured that if anyone needs to step out because of the intensity of the show, the actors will not be offended; they are used to it from their many performances on military bases.

Returned soldier Grant and wife Penny are struggling to return to normalcy after his third tour of duty, which has pushed him over the edge. Penny wants Grant to finally fix the bathtub drain, but Grant’s demons prevent him from accomplishing anything other than basic survival. While her traumatized husband plays Zombie Hunter for endless hours in the bathroom, his also-suffering wife reminisces to their unborn child about the man she married. “He’s been home eight months, and I still feel like I’m waiting.” She reassures herself by reading the love letters he had sent home from the front. The husband she knew is damaged beyond recognition. “Either he’s playing video games in the bathroom, or he is lying next to me, and I’m afraid for my life.”

Will Pinchin does a great job playing the emotionally tormented Grant. But his real-life wife Dorie Kinnear as Penny is amazing in her many roles, playing a psychiatrist, a dead comrade who torments Grant’s thoughts, (“Where were you when I was getting my face blown off?”) and a woman Grant encountered overseas who still haunts him. Penny deserves a medal for what she is tolerating, and I wondered how spouses in these tough circumstances are able to cope. (They are heroes as well.) Just as she is ready to leave Grant, he begs her to stay. In a cool bit of choreography, Pinchin and Kinnear alternate between reality and scary flashbacks in a move they call “the spin.” The lights dim when Grant envisions the native woman from the war and brighten as he embraces Penny, trying to not let her slip away.

Nobody's Home has been perfected over the ten years since its inception. We were lucky to chat with the actors after the show, delighted to discover they are a married couple with a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Americans from the two coasts, they met doing theater and currently reside in England. They said the play has a prominent, kind of weird place in their relationship. It is a story that needs to be told. 

Pinchin and Kinnear were impressed with our city and commented on how “nice everyone has been in Chicago.” Awwww. They planned to explore a bit the next day, so we made suggestions on where to eat and what to see. We are lucky they shared their unique play with the Windy City and hope they return soon.

Click here for full details on all Physical Festival shows and workshops

LET’S GET PHYSICAL!

FINAL WEEK PHYSICAL FESTIVAL CHICAGO HIGHLIGHTS:

AN INGENIOUS DON QUIXOTE VIA SPAIN/UK

A KICK-ASS, ONE-WOMAN LITTLE GIRL WAR

REFUGEE TALE VIA BRAZIL/FRANCE

THIS JUST IN!

A NEW AUDITION WORKSHOP

WITH A LEADING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TALENT SCOUT

New workshop just added!

From the Inside Out- Dance/Physical Theater Guided Improv – Friday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Learn directly from top Cirque du Soleil talent scout Leon Kupferschmid. Find out what he looks for in potential performers prior to Cirque du Soleil’s Chicago auditions for dancers, clowns and physical actors, June 9 and 10.

Bouffon Workshop with Eric Davis (aka Red Bastard), Sunday, June 3, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. has sold out.

Limited space is still available for the remaining workshops:

Sculpting Space with Dorie Kinnear and Will Pinchin (UK/USA), Monday, June 4,
10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Dreams, Wishes, Lies with Michael Montenegro, Wednesday, June 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Create Your Own Solo with Gaël Le Cornec and Ben Samuels, Thursday, June 7,
10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Comedy & Clowning with Little Solder Productions, Saturday, June 9 at 10 a.m.-1 p.m.


Visit physicalfestival.com/workshops for full workshop descriptions and to register. Workshops are $50 each, or look for information on a discounted workshop pass.



Tickets and for full details on all Physical Festival shows and workshops HERE