The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre Through January 29th, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

HOLIDAY RUN OF 

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS 

AT THEO UBIQUE CABARET THEATRE 

The production features an all femme directing team with director Landree Fleming, choreographer Jenna Schoppe, and music director Isabella Isherwood.

Check out Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's “Hard Candy Christmas” holiday hoedown production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The award-winning musical comedy later adapted into the cult film starring Dolly Parton will play at Theo’s Howard Street Theatre December 2, 2022 through January 29, 2023. Please note there are no performances December 22-25, 2022 and January 1, 2023. The creative team reunites director Landree Fleming (she/her) with choreographer Jenna Schoppe (she/her), who led the critically celebrated Theo production of Once Upon a Mattress last season. Music Director Isabella Isherwood (she/her) makes her debut with the company.

"I am over the moon excited to share The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with audiences. If you're a fan of Dolly Parton, then you've most likely seen the beloved cult classic film, and our staged Whorehouse will be completely fresh and immersive!” says Fleming. “We're going to entertain the boots off y'all and pay homage to the world's oldest profession, while artfully navigating and shining a light on society's penchant for cyclical, hypocritical witch hunts. Quite frankly, I'm a big fan, and I can't wait for audiences to visit the Ranch."

The cast lauds many Chicago and Theo favorites including Anne Sheridan Smith (she/they) as the owner of the chicken ranch, Miss Mona, with Cynthia F. Carter (she/her) as Miss Jewel and Marc Prince (he/him) as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd. The talented company includes Teddy Gales (he/him), David Blakeman (he/they), Chamaya Moody (she/her), Michaela Shapiro (they/them), Halle Bins (she/her), Kaitlin Feely (she/her), Laura Quiñones (she/her), Quinn Simmons (they/them), Brandon Acosta (he/him), Michael Penick (he/him), Bruce Holtman (he/him) and standby Miss Mona Khaki Pixley (she/her).

Bringing the chicken ranch to Theo’s intimate Howard Street Theatre will be scenic designer Manuel Ortiz (he/him), lighting designer Josiah Croegaert (he/him), costume designer Gregory Graham (he/him), properties designer Lonnae Hickman (she/her), and sound designer Stefanie Senior (she/her). The production team also includes production manager Molly Smith (they/them), stage manager Michelle Levinson (she/they), assistant director Lillian Castillo

(she/her), assistant choreographer/swing J Alan (J/she), technical director Carl Herzog (he/him), audio engineer Isaac Mandel (he/him) and scenic painter Cassie Gant (she/her).

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas. 

Tickets can be purchased online at theo-u.com or via phone at 773-939-4101. Single tickets are $35 for preview performances, and range $45-$55 during the regular run of performances. Box office hours are Wednesday-Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m. In addition to single tickets, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is also available as a part of a three-pack subscription offer that includes the remaining shows in the season The Threepenny Opera and Passing Strange. Theo continues to offer its one-stop dinner and theatrical experience with pre-show dinner courtesy of a local restaurant to be announced! All performances take place at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre located at 721 Howard Street in Evanston.

Previews: Dec. 2-10 (Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 6:00pm) Run: Dec., 12-Jan. 29 (Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 6:00pm) Please note: No performances Dec. 22-25 and Jan. 1

Nominated for 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this bawdy-but-wholesome crowd- pleaser skewers pretension, celebrates life and touches the heartstrings. Miss Mona, the madam of a beloved Texas whorehouse, finds her business suddenly under attack from a television evangelist and local politicians. A raucous, red-blooded, hilarious musical comedy about a "Lil Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place," Whorehouse took Broadway by storm and continues to enthrall audiences worldwide.

ABOUT THEO UBIQUE

Theo Ubique was founded in 1997 by Artistic Director Fred Anzevino. Productions were first staged at the Heartland Studio Theatre, and from 2004 to May 2018, at No Exit Café, where the company began focusing on musicals and revues, reigniting the cabaret theatre trend in Chicago. The company moved to the Howard Street Theatre, a venue owned and developed for Theo Ubique by the City of Evanston, in fall of 2018. Theo Ubique has produced more than 60 shows and won 64 Jeff Awards, having received 154 nominations. The company also earned three After Dark Awards. www.theo-u.com

The Den Theatre Presents Comedian CAMERON ESPOSITO December 30 & 31, 2022 on The Heath Mainstage

  ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Den Theatre Presents Comedian

CAMERON ESPOSITO

December 30 & 31, 2022 on The Heath Mainstage

Plus: Ring in 2023 at “The Den’s New Year’s Laughin’ Eve”

The Den Theatre is pleased to welcome back comedian Cameron Esposito, performing two stand-up shows December 30 & 31, 2022 on The Heath Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood Tickets are currently available at thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830. Regular, mezzanine and VIP table seating available. Drink service is provided for all seats (two drink minimum).

Following Cameron’s December 31 performance, ring in 2023 at The Den’s New Year’s Laughin’ Eve, featuring additional comedy performances by Chicago favorites Lucia Whalen and Nate Armbruster, music from DJ Thee David Davis and a midnight toast with a surprise drag queen! Admission ($47 including fees) includes two cocktails and a midnight champagne toast! Purchase a ticket to Cameron’s NYE show and check your email confirmation for a code that unlocks a 50% discount on tickets to the party.

Cameron Esposito is an award-winning standup comic, actor, podcaster and bestselling author. Cameron most recently appeared in HBOMax's Moonshot and ABC's A Million Little Things. Cameron's new hour is about divorce, self-acceptance and butthole surgery.

 

Performance schedule:

Friday, December 30 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 31 at 8:30 pm (followed by The Den’s New Year’s Laughin’ Eve)

 

COVID safety: Effective November 21, 2022, The Den Theatre will no longer require patrons to offer proof of vaccination for COVID-19 to gain entry into the facility. For the most up-to-date information on our venue’s COVID precautions, please visit thedentheatre.com/covid19-policy.

 

About The Den Theatre

The Den Theatre opened in 2010 in the Wicker Park neighborhood with just a single theatre space. Now celebrating its thirteenth year, Co-owners Ryan Martin and Carol Cohen, along with their talented and dynamic staff, have developed The Den into a multi-level, live entertainment venue that boasts five intimate and unique theaters ranging from 50 – 300 seats. In addition, the first floor houses The Den Bar & Lounge – a full-service bar where audiences gather before and after performances to share a drink and commune with like-minded culture-hounds. Today, The Den is focused on providing world-class stand-up comedy and cultivating its first love – the theatre. The Den is home to six resident theatre companies including About Face Theatre, The Artistic Home, Broken Nose Theatre, First Floor Theater, Haven and The New Coordinates. Hundreds of other companies, artists and comedians from Chicago and beyond have called The Den home – from national names to local stars, and The Den consistently plays host to a lineup of exciting and diverse talent. As a building created for interdisciplinary arts, The Den has accommodated a wide variety of programming, including plays, musicals, stand-up comedy, improv, dance, film screenings, seminars and speaking engagements. For additional information, visit thedentheatre.com.

December At Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret Includes Holiday Offerings And More

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Wicker Park Venue Hosts Mr. Cooke for his Christmas Spectacular, Miriam Plotkin, Kim Grossman’s Holiday Spectacular and Much More During This December

Nitz and Howe Experience

There are few venues that bring a community together like a piano bar and Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret, has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. Friends we've known for decades are regular performers here, and the inimitable Daryl Nitz, playing every Saturday and New Years Eve, shares a condo building with one of my closest lifelong friends. 

Davenport’s Chicago’s premier location for enjoying music in an intimate setting, announces its roster of December performances including Holiday offerings in its Cabaret and Piano Bar. Davenport’s, 1383 North Milwaukee Avenue, is open Thursdays from 7 - 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. and Sundays from 6 - 11 p.m. Performers, tickets and more are available at DavenportsPianoBar.com.

Please note: All patrons must be vaccinated. For entry, patrons must provide proof of vaccination, such as a Vaccination Cardand a valid photo ID. Masks will be required upon entry and when not seated.

All performances In The Cabaret are ticketed events with a two-drink minimum on the night of the performance. 

In The Cabaret this December are:

Jefferey Cooke

Holly and Berries and Everything Merry - My Christmas Spectacular!

Friday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 with a two-drink minimum

Join us for a fun, lighthearted tribute to the Christmas specials of yester-year. Packed with audience participation (including games and fabulous prizes), there will be a mix of old holiday classics and some songs that you may have never heard before; along with a surprise guest star.

Miriam Plotkin

Anxiety Tonight! (Pigtails are Kosher)

Saturday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

These performances are sold out - encore performance added Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $25 with a two-drink minimum 

After missing last year because of the pandemic, Miriam Plotkin returns with her hit show Anxiety Tonight! (Pigtails are Kosher), a Jewish themed parody song filled cabaret in true Allan Sherman fashion. Extra shpilkes! Masks! New material! Get ready to laugh your “OY” off and “shed” the neurosis, not the virus!

Kim Grossman

Kim Grossman’s Holiday Spectacular

Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $20 with a two-drink minimum

It’s been quite a while since we’ve been together and I’ve missed you all oh so dearly. So put on your coziest sweater, grab a friend and join us for an evening of holiday tunes both old and new. Featuring Kim Grossman, Kimi Arquines and Ben Hebert, with a special visit from your friendly neighborhood elf! Let's raise a glass and celebrate the season!

Las Tinas

Fa-la-la Las Tinas: A Christmas Special

Friday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $10 with a two-drink minimum

‘Tis the season to be DRAMATIC! Come see Fa-la-la Las Tinas: A Christmas Special, a show where your favorite telenovela stars will reward all who’ve been nice with a steamy kiss, punish the naughty with a treacherous slap and gift everyone with plenty of laughs.

Michael Joseph Mitchell

“Reclaiming the [Musical] High Ground”

Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $20 with a two-drink minimum

Us! In pants! In a room! Together! We’ll shake the rafters with some jubilant music, some exuberant harmonies, plus a few quiet moments to contemplate what the heck just happened. Pop, showtunes, unexpected mashups, mushy stuff, you name it. We’ve been holding it in for 18 months, so step back and give us some room. Or better yet, pipe up and chime in! Michael is joined by the amazing singers Devri Chism, Emily Goldberg and Valerie Jonkoff, plus Adam Whiteman on drums and Andrew Hollander-Urbach on piano.

Michael Joseph Mitchell is a Chicago-based actor and singer, who has performed at The Lyric Opera, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Victory Gardens, and many regional theaters. This is his fourth new act at Davenport’s.

 

Sarah Christine w/ Special Guest Taylor Tuke

The Festive Vibes Tour

Thursday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. 

Tickets are $15 with a two-drink minimum

The wonderfully talented Sarah Christine is bringing her Holiday Tour to Chicago on the Davenport's stage! She will be singing favorite carols and, wait…WHAT?!? Yes! Some original holiday songs as well as requests of originals! Oh, but there’s more! The amazing Taylor Tuke is making his way from Nashville to join in the festivities! Missing this spirited show would be like missing Christmas morning itself. In other words - get your tickets now!

 

Jennifer Blades and John Bowen

Dear Santa, a Christmas Cabaret

Saturday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 with a 2-drink minimum

Join the dynamic cabaret duo of Jennifer Blades and John Bowen for a musical letter to the North Pole's most famous resident. This holiday romp will offer perspectives on the fat man in the red suit ranging from the traditional to the surprising to the downright shocking. So whether you're naughty or nice, check your schedule and check it twice, because if you don't see this show, not only do you not know Santa, you don't know Jack. . . Frost!

 

New Year’s Eve Special Event

Nitz and Howe Experience

Friday, Dec. 31 - doors open at 8:30 p.m. - show from 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Tickets are $25 

Davenport’s favorites celebrate the start of 2022 with a special New Year’s Eve performance. Ring in the new year at Davenport’s with song and laughter and a countdown to midnight with a champagne toast and party favors. The New Year’s Eve performance is limited to only 50 tickets.

 

December performances in The Piano Bar include: 

Sundays 8 - 10 p.m.

Every Sunday: Sunday Night Social Lounge. hosted by Micky York

Mondays 8 - 10 p.m.

December 13: George Howe Holiday Sing-Along

Thursday 8 - 10 p.m.

December 2: Julie Merchant

December 9: Mark and Anne Burrell

December 16: Mark and Anne Burnell

December 23: Closed

December 30: Closed

Fridays 8:30 - 11:30 p.m.

Every Friday: George Howe

Saturdays 9 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Every Saturday: The Nitz & Howe Experience+

Please note: Davenport’s will be closed from December 20 - 30.

+All Saturday appearances have a $5 cover, with no drink minimum and is limited to 50 guests.  

ABOUT DAVENPORT’S PIANO BAR & CABARET

Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret is Chicago's premier location for enjoying music in an intimate setting. With two performance spaces, visitors may enjoy performances by national and local talent. The cabaret room has performances most nights showcasing a variety of types of music. The piano bar provides music from an accomplished roster of musicians and a talented serving staff that can both make a drink and sing you a Broadway-caliber song.

REVIEW: What the Elf? At Second City Chicago

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

What the Elf?

Review 

by Catherine “Land of Misfit Toys” Hellmann, Guest Critic 

Second City shows can be rather hit-or-miss. Like Forrest Gump’s proverbial box of Advent chocolates, you never know just quite what you’re gonna get…I was sort of hoping that What the Elf? was going to be a hilarious sendup of my beloved movie, Elf. 

It’s not. But--it is very entertaining as an absurd collection of goofy holiday sketches with a very talented cast of six: three women and three men who deliver an exuberant collection of strange, oddball, occasionally touching, and frequently funny scenes. 

The show begins with a funny tribute song about Chicago scenes like The Bean and traditions like “Don’t Eat Ketchup on Your Hot Dog.” My first favorite sketch was a funny song by Javid Iqbal called “The Muslim Song” with lyrics that he “can’t wait to eat with you” at the end of Ramadan. 

Two “identical twin” elves appeared (never mind that they are different genders) to interact with the crowd with gift suggestions for those hard-to-buy-for loved ones on your list. Bill Letz’s over-the-top energy was incredible in every scene he inhabited. When told that one woman’s fiance loves “The Bears, wine, and his iPad,” the twins advise that she needs to get him “some other interests for Christmas.” The fiance was sitting right there, which made it even funnier, especially after a couple drinks. Another guest with a tough-to-buy-for relative was told: ”Get him a fucking flashlight or something.” 

One of our absolute favorite sketches was a game-show-like premise to guess “Which one is NOT an Elf?” One sweet-looking character, played by the very talented Jenelle Cheyne, had a surprise Satan voice, accompanied by her contorted face and hands, that was hysterical. The final summary was: “Don’t trust someone because they say things with conviction and have a platform.” Wise message. ;-) 

Before intermission, there was a wonderfully choreographed dance number from The Nutcracker performed in office chairs. That was a hoot! 

Scrooge and Jacob Marley did a wonderful sketch using audience suggestions that worked beautifully into the dialogue. Very funny results using lines of dialogue from movies and song lyrics, like the Bruce Springsteen line of “Tramps like us, baby we were born to run!” on Scrooge’s gravestone. (You couldn’t predict an awesome moment like that!) And “You shook me all night long!” very inappropriately said to sweet, innocent Tiny Tim. This is what improv was made for! 

Jenelle Cheyne had some marvelous audience interaction as a poor, hungry orphan begging for food from the front row. Someone gave her a lime, which she scoffed as “wet citrus.” She persuaded a woman to give her a coat and another lady her cell phone; those items she planned to sell on Ebay!

One of the highlights of the evening had to be the wives of the Three Wise Men dishing about their husbands. “For three wise men, our husbands can be morons!” That was a very inspired scene with their gossiping how Joseph was a carpenter who “must be good with his hands!” and how Mary “should have had a birth plan” before she gave birth in a manger! What was Mary thinking not getting a hotel reservation?! 

There was a bonus Act III with more of the pure improv and joy that has made Second City famous. It’s worth sticking around. 

Whether you live in town or the ‘burbs, if you're hanging at home for the holidays, or need to entertain out of town guests, What the Elf? is sure to please every adult on your list this holiday season.

Catherine Hellmann has a birthday near Christmas and has always felt rather ripped off. But at least she’s on vacation from school. Santa would put her on the naughty list based on swearing alone…  

What the Elf?

It’s just not the holidays without hot cocoa…and hot takes! Make merry at The Second City with this original sketch, variety, and improv celebration of the season. After all, what better time to look back and laugh at 2022? Let’s toast to the best…and roast all the rest. 

Thursdays – Saturdays at 8pm

Sundays at 7pm 

The Best of Holidays 

We guarantee yule laugh a whole latke as The Second City unwraps the most wonderful time of the year in our nut-cracking-est, jingle-bell-ing-est revue ever! Celebrate over sixty years of sketches, songs, and comedic conviviality as the next generation of comedy superstars perform our greatest holiday hits. 

Mondays at 8pm

Saturdays at 3pm 

Holiday Improv Brunch

From uproarious laughter to limitless libations, The Second City’s Holiday Improv Brunch is the gift that keeps on giving! Bring your band of merrymakers as we scramble together two of everyone’s favorites, comedy and brunch, for a scrumptiously seasonal breakfast with a totally improvised experience from the city’s finest. 

Sundays at noon

 

FEST ALERT: Pride Winter Film Fest to include award-winning dramatic and documentary features and an international program of “Hot Holiday Shorts”

Festival to stream December 7 – January 8.

Pride Film Fest will follow its successful fall series of weekly LGBTQ online film screenings with a winter festival consisting of four separate programs, each streaming for 11 days. The festival will begin December 7, 2022, and continue through January 8, 2023. The feature films will include several award winners.  

The winter series will open with the feature-length documentary PAT ROCCO DARED – the life story of one of Hollywood’s gay pioneers, remembered both for his political activism and his erotic gay films. The film has won five “Best Documentary” awards in recent festivals from Australia, France, and throughout the United States. This winner of 10 awards overall has been seen in nearly 40  festivals worldwide and will stream from December 7-18.

Second in the festival will be the award-winning 2022 feature UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS, winner of two awards in the 2022 LA Outfest (Best Narrative Feature, Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature) and winner for Outstanding First Feature award in the 2022 Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. This entertaining road-trip dramatic film involving a dwarf and his alien-obsessed neighbor will stream from December 14-25.

Concluding the winter festival will be the Canada’s DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR, a dramatic feature about a trans woman returning home and introducing her new identity to her family on a farm in Nova Scotia, which will stream from December 28, 2022 – January 8, 2023.DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR has been recognized in eight recent film festivals in the US, Canada and Australia, in which it has won awards for Best Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Audience Choice.

 

From UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS. 

The festival’s third week will be HOT HOLIDAY SHORTS - a program of eight short films from the USA, France, Germany, Russia, and Denmark. The program explores gay male sexuality in genres ranging from the erotic, humorous, poetic, and fantastic; in situations that depict seduction, comic misunderstandings, and the support and freedom found within the gay community. The shorts will stream from December 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023.

 

From the short film BROTHERS. 

Access to the films is $12.00 per film. Monthly memberships are also available for $10.00 per month which entitles the purchaser to a $5.00 discount on each of the festival programs ($7.00 per program) plus one free membership event and free admission to an Open Space Arts staged play reading to take place in 2023. 

Tickets for the individual programs are now on sale HERE

Membership passes are available HERE

 Winter 2022-23 Pride Film Festival –Complete Schedule

Week 1 – December 7 - 18, 2022

PAT ROCCO DARED

(2021, USA, 1:30)

Directed by Morris Chapdelaine and Bob Christie

Written by Bob Christie

In this colorful trip back in time, filmmaker and activist Pat Rocco shares his incredible life story as one of Hollywood's original boundary-pushing gay pioneers, remembered both for his political activism and his erotic gay films. The cast includes Phyllis Diller, Rev. Troy Perry and Harvey Milk. Winner of 10 awards in festivals throughout the United States and the world.

 

Week 2 – December 14 – 25, 2022

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS (2022, USA, 1:40)

Directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta

Written by Juan Felipe Zuleta and Leland Frankel

One of the most entertaining and unique road-trip movies! An uptight dwarf and his free-spirited, alien-obsessed neighbor hit the road on a border-defying search for their place in the universe. 2022 Award winner - Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival  (Outstanding First Feature), 2022 LA Outfest (Best Narrative Feature, Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature).

Week 3 – December 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023

HOT HOLIDAY SHORTS - Gay short films from the Gonella Film Collection 

 

 

 

Clockwise from top left: BROTHERS, FIRE ISLAND, LA DISYUNTIVA, LE DERNIER MATIN DU MONDE.  

BROTHERS (France/Russia, 9:20)

Damien and François decided to come out of the closet today, but no one believed them. They didn't look gay enough.

FIRE ISLAND ‘79 (USA, 7:44)

Directed by Todd Verow and Patrick McGuinn

Written by Todd Verow

When filmmaker Chase Hook committed suicide on December 31st, 1979, his conservative family destroyed all his gay erotic films. Recently super8 home movies of his last summer on Fire Island were found, along with the tape from his answering machine. The contrast between the natural freedom of the beach and the messages he got is remarkable.

LA DISYUNTIVA (Germany, 13:00)

Directed by Antonio Zucherino

Two men walk agitatedly on a dirt road between underbrush until one follows the other in the foliage. This short is intense and sexual.

LE DERNIER MATIN DU MONDE (France, 8:34)

A young man on Christmas Eve prostitutes himself in the streets of Paris when he meets a character who may be an angel Guardian.

 

Clockwise from top left: LE GOUT DE L'AUTRE, LOVE YOU TYLER, PD, and SPANDEX. 

LE GOÛT DE L'AUTRE (France, 8:43)

Written and directed by Jordan Fleury Kervella

Over a cup of tea, Julien tries to seduce Alan. Surprised, Alan avoids Julien. After this failure, Julien goes back to his sex addiction. Julien’s memories and imagination join to lose himself until he enters the poetic world of Alan.

LOVE YOU TYLER (USA, 8:42)

Directed by Ari Itkin and Devon Diffenderfer

Things get a little awkward when Luke starts to talk about his new girlfriend, Tyler, who has the same name and career as his straight roommate.  This interaction is funny and unexpected.

PD (France, 7:19)

A cruising area takes on majestic proportions as we discover Greek-esque male bodies in the forest. The sonnets 18, 57, and 20 by William Shakespeare add to the film's Midsummer Night's Dream-like ambiance. PD began as an homage to the book Derek Jarman’s Garden photos by Howard Sooley and is filmed entirely with a mobile phone.

SPANDEX - A TIGHT STORY ABOUT MASCULINITY (Denmark, 23:00)

A lovely black and white film about sports and dance, love and friendship, and leopard print spandex!

Week 4 – December 28, 2022 – January 8, 2023

DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR (2021, Canada, 1:30

After her mother's death, a young trans woman returns to the family farm in Nova Scotia, where she sees her father and sister for the first time in many years and the first time since her transition.DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR has been recognized in eight recent film festivals in the US, Canada and Australia, in which it has won awards for Best Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Audience Choice.

 

ABOUT PRIDE FILM FEST

Pride Film Fest began in 2012 as Queer Bits, an in-person film festival that was a program of Chicago’s Pride Films and Plays artistic company. In 2002, Pride Film Festival was spun off as off as a separate entity and promises year-round LGBTQ film programming presented in streaming and occasionally in-person formats in Chicago.

Through this abundance of programming, Pride Film Fest will showcase the breadth of world LGBTQ film art – from shorts to features and everything in between - that expresses the variety and complexity of queer life across the globe. The fall schedule will include six separate programs streaming for 12 days each. Themes will explore the experiences of gay men and women, trans, gender queer, non-binary, and even asexual identities.

David Zak is the director of Pride Film Fest, a program of Open Space Arts. Open Space Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to performances related to contemporary issues. This past summer, Open Space Arts presented the world premiere of THE KRAMER PROJECT, a dramatic adaptation by David Zak of Larry Kramer’s seminal 2004 speech, “The Tragedy of Today’s Gays.”

JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK Via PrideArts November 28 Through December 18, 2022

 PrideArts’ JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK 

to bring British holiday panto tradition to adult audiences

RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 18+

To borrow the catchphrase from the Monty Python TV series, PrideArts will next present “something completely different” for the holidays by bringing the British theatrical genre of panto to Chicago. Panto (short for pantomime, but not to be confused with mime), is a tradition with roots going back to Commedia Dell’Arte, and is a loud, fun, enjoyable musical comedy theatre production that takes well-loved children’s tales and turns them into a show full of giggles for kids along with subtle adult-minded jokes. PrideArts’ holiday show, though, will be the US Premiere of a very adult holiday panto that premiered in London in 2013 and has enjoyed multiple productions around the UK since then. 

Top row L-R: Eustace Allen, Tyler Callahan, Hannah Eisendrath, Lisa Fiori.

Middle row L-R: Neill Kelly, Joe Lewis, Sam Martin, Peter Moeller.

Lower row L-R: Anna Seibert, Sara Torre.

JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK was written by Tom Whalley, arguably the leading panto artist of Great Britain. While Whalley has written for general, all-family audiences, he has additionally created several pantos, like this one, that are strictly for adults. PrideArts’ production will be a full-scale musical, with popular songs performed live by the cast, a four-piece band, and lively choreography. The show is recommended for ages 18 +. Press opening is Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 pm, following previews November 28-30. The production will play through December 18, 2022, at the Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Whalley’s take on the traditional fairy tale of the boy who steals magic beans from a giant atop a huge beanstalk adds several characters - Princess Jill, who is a love interest for Jack and is kidnapped by the giant and his evil henchman Fleshlight. An ally for Jack Clapp and his mother Dame Clapp is Fairy Flick Bean. Though British in origin, JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK will include many local references and inside jokes, as is also part of the panto tradition. Songs, performed live by the cast and backed up by a four-piece band, will include favorites by such American artists as Kelly Clarkson and Whitney Houston. With audience participation involving call and response reactions, and with alcoholic drinks (available in the lobby for a donation) allowed inside the theater, the audience experience will be as much a party as attending a live performance.

Anna Seibert (Left) and Joe Lewis (right). Photo by Bryan McCaffrey Click on image to download high-res file.

JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK will be directed by Bryan McCaffrey, whose credits include stage and musical direction for PARADE, GUYS AND DOLLS, and SOMETHING ROTTEN for Theatre Nebula; PASSING STRANGE for Porchlight Music Theatre, and A CHRISTMAS KAROL: A HOLIDAY INTERVENTION for PrideArts in 2021. Music direction is by Anna Wegener, whose recent credits include PARADE and GUYS AND DOLLS (Theatre Nebula), QUEER EYE: THE MUSICAL PARODY (The Second City), and NOTES AND LETTERS (Underscore Theater). The choreographer is Ariana Cappuccitti, who recently choreographed SPONGEBOB: THE MUSICAL, CHICAGO, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, and BIG FISH in the Chicago suburbs and has performed in WONDERFUL TOWN (Goodman Theatre), FUNNY THING… FORUM (Porchlight Music Theatre), MAMMA MIA (Music Theatre Works) and SOMETHING ROTTEN (Theatre Nebula).

The cast who will deliver the outrageous humor, raunchy puns, and sexual innuendo of Whalley’s creation includes Joe Lewis, seen in PrideArts’ GIRLFRIEND and in 2021’s CHRISTMAS KAROL: A HOLIDAY INTERVENTION CABARET, as Jack. His love interest, the Princess Jill, will be played by Anna Seibert (of SHOUT! at Metropolis Art Center). Eustace Allen, whose credits include MODIGLIANI, and NIGHT OF THE IGUANA for The Artistic Home; and INTIMATE APPAREL and AFTER THE FALL for Eclipse Theatre, will be Jack’s mother, Dame Clapp. Neill Kelly (of Theatre Nebula’s PARADE) is Fleshlight and will also understudy Dame Clapp. Hannah Eisendrath will be Fairy Flick Bean, and Tyler Callahan is Fist the Cow. Additional understudies are Sam Martin (Jack), Lisa Fiori (Jill), Peter Moeller (Fleshlight, Fist), and Sara Torre (Fairy Flick Bean).

The production team, in addition to McCaffrey, Wegener and Cappuccitti, includes Victoria Jablonski (Costume Designer), Brett Baleskie (Scenic Designer), Amelia Simonoff (Lighting Designer), Valerio Toretta Gardner (Sound Designer), Carlos Concetta (Sound Engineer) AlJoya Hall (Master Electrician),  Emma Ferguson (Props Designer, Assistant Stage Manager), and Christa Retka (Stage Manager).

Performances will begin with previews November 28, 29 and 30 at 7:30 pm each night. Opening night is Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 pm. Regular performance schedule is Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets are on sale now online at www.pridearts.org.

Previews Monday, November 28, Tuesday, November 29, and Wednesday, November 30 at 7:30 pm

Press Opening Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 pm

Regular run December 1–December 18, 2022

Curtain times Wednesdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago

Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.

773-857-0222

BIOS

Bryan McCaffrey (Director) in 2022 has directed productions of PARADE and GUYS AND DOLLS for Theatre Nebula. He has also served as Music Director for Theatre Nebula’s production of SOMETHING ROTTEN, for Porchlight Music Theatre’s PASSING STRANGE and for PrideArts’ A CHRISTMAS KAROL: A HOLIDAY INTERVENTION.

Tom Whalley (Writer) trained at Associated Studios, London graduating with a Diploma in Musical Theatre and studied Drama & Scriptwriting at Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom. Tom has made a name for himself as a performer and writer working with a number of theatre companies, directors and creatives in London and elsewhere in the UK. Following an appearance on BBC Three’s reality series Shoplife, Tom has since starred in a number of off West End productions and UK Tours (Dick Whittington eat your heart out!). Passionate about Pantomime, Tom starred in his first panto as an ‘Ugly Stepsister’ while still at school and has gone on to start his own business writing and licensing pantomime scripts for theatre companies across the globe: www.tomwhalleypantomimes.com 

Jay Españo (PrideArts Artistic Director). Born in Manila, The Philippines, he joined the prestigious Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company in 1998, where he trained with acclaimed Filipino director Nonon Padilla. He acted in several commercials, television series and films. Notably, he was a regular cast member of Koko KwikKwak - a spin-off of Batibot (Philippine SESAME STREET). He toured The Philippines with that show’s mascots, performing for kids throughout the country. In 2000, Jay was one of many Filipino actors who were cast in the Action Theater Singapore’s hit musical CHANG AND ENG, which toured Asia for several years.

Since joining PrideArts as Artistic Director in 2021, Jay has directed THE THINGS I NEVER COULD TELL STEVEN, 4000 DAYS, CHRISTMAS KAROL: A HOLIDAY INTERVENTION, TOMMY ON TOP, and GIRLFRIEND.  Elsewhere in the Chicago area, Jay has worked with storefront theater companies such as Silk Road Rising, Prologue, Ghostlight, Halcyon, and PrideArts. He has played the role of the King in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I with various theater companies in the US and in Canada.

 

ABOUT PRIDEARTS

PrideArts tells queer stories on a variety of platforms, including both live and virtual performances. Since its founding in 2010, PrideArts has had several chapters, including operating as an itinerant theater for their first six seasons, and as the developer and primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center since 2016.

The company produces full seasons of plays and musicals, as well as events including cabaret, and more. The company has earned 39 Jeff Awards and nominations, and six nominations in the most recent (2019) ALTA Awards from the Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago. Programming has reflected the diversity of queer communities by including work made by and illuminating the experiences of women, gay men, transgender people, and BIPOC.

PrideArts is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, The Pauls Foundation, The Heath Fund, The Service Club of Chicago, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation, Arts and Business Council, and Alphawood Foundation.

PrideArts is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. PrideArts is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Northalsted Business Association, Lakeview East, Uptown United, and The League of Chicago Theatre.

For more information and to donate, visit www.pridearts.org or call 1.773 857 0222.

THE INSPECTOR CLUZO SINGLE "SWALLOWS" HERE AND NEW ALBUM: HORIZON OUT JANUARY 27, 2023

   THE INSPECTOR CLUZO

SHARE SECOND SINGLE "SWALLOWS"

NEW ALBUM: HORIZON 

OUT JANUARY 27, 2023

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE

Photo Credit: Philippe Salvat

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we caught The Inspector Cluzo live in Chicago when they opened for Clutch, and we thoroughly enjoyed their set. Check 'em out. 

Check out their video for Swallows HERE.

The Inspector Cluzo says "We decided to write a song about the swallows not only because they are so beautiful spinning around in the sky or flying over our organic wheat and corn fields to collect bugs to feed their young, but also to point out that farming is possible without destroying the world. We've been trying out this agro-ecological system for more than 10 years now and are so fortunate to welcome swallows every year”

"Running a family farm is more rock than playing rock’n’roll music "

The DIY Guascon farmers are thrilled to announce the release of their second single "Swallows". The track is accompanied by a stunning animated video, which is available here. The single is taken from the band’s forthcoming ninth studio album Horizon set for release on January 27, 2023, via F.thebassplayer Records. 

"Swallows" video has been drawn by Cecilia Pepper and animated by Maxime Cazaux, it perfectly embodies the spirit of this track. Swallows is quintessentially a The Inspector Cluzo song, it is more than a ballad, it brings to the frontline crucial issues we all face, with rock elegance, unbearable sadness and profound anger. 

The Inspector Cluzo comments: "At Lou Casse organic farm, we're fortunate enough to see migratory birds such as swallows building their nest in the old barn. Pesticides used worldwide make it hard for swallows to find food because bugs are being killed in the fields. Furthermore, the proliferation of urban zones prevents them to find proper shelter to raise their young. We can see them disappearing little by little. It's ironic to know that the use of pesticides is said to "feed people" - most food on Earth is made using chemical agriculture techniques - whereas it destroys every little life around it.

We decided to write a song about the swallows not only because they are so beautiful spinning around in the sky or flying over our organic wheat and corn fields to collect bugs to feed their young, but also to point out that farming is possible without destroying the world. Though it'll be a long shot and a long fight before modern society understands this.

At Lou Casse, we've been trying out this agro-ecology system for more than 10 years now and are so fortunate to welcome swallows every year... "

The band’s forthcoming record, Horizon, comes after the critically acclaimed LP We The People Of The Soil (2018) and the live album Brothers In Ideals – We The People Of The Soil Unplugged (2020). Recorded in three weeks and produced by Grammy Award winner Vance Powell, Horizon is the deepest and truest album The Inspector Cluzo have written to date. 

Each song shares and takes inspiration from real life events and experiences. For example, "Wolfs At The Door", tells the story of the struggle the two farmers experienced when standing up against a duck factory located in front of their farm and the fight they had to put up when faced with a massive bird flu pandemic. "Saving The Geese" describes the civil disobedience against the French State and the big local agro-industries corporations that wanted to kill the band’s healthy animals as "prevention”. "Shenanigans" re-evokes the great times the band spent in Nashville with their friend Bill Elder who run the Shenanigans bar and who put them up during all Nashville studio sessions. "Rockophobia", on the other hand, is one of the surprises The Inspector Cluzo reserved for the fans, it is a fun rock number, in which the band wonders "what does rock mean today?" laughing at Iggy Pop, who later decided to feature on the track.

In keeping with their reputation as one the most prolific touring bands in the world (they have played over 1200 shows in 67 countries to date), The Inspector Cluzo completed sold out USA support tours with Clutch and Eels in 2019, alongside a host of festival appearances across the globe (including Lollapalooza Chile and Brazil) and a maiden US headline tour. In the summer of 2022 The Inspector Cluzo played extensively on prestigious stages across Europe, including the widely renowned Hellfest Festival, where they gathered a crowd of 50,000 fans.

Horizon Track-List

Act Local Think Global

Wolf At The Door

Running A Family Farm Is More Rock Than Playing Rock ‘n’ Roll

Shenaningans

The Outsider

Swallows – Where are The Swallows Gonna Build Their Nest

Horizon

Rockphobia – feat. Iggy Pop

The Armchair Activist

9 Billion Solutions

Saving The Geese

Swallows Back – When Will The Swallows Return

About The Inspector Cluzo

The Inspector Cluzo is a Gascony based Rock-Blues duo, created in 2008 by Laurent (Guitar, Lead Vocal) and Mathieu (Drums). The two met at their 1st year of Physics studies in Mont de Marsan. Since 2008, the band have released 8 albums via their self-run record label F.TheBassPlayer Records, they are totally 100% self-financed, family-based organized, and 100% DIY.

They have played more than 1200 gigs in 67 countries all around the world. They played festivals such as Fuji Rock festival (Japan), Pentaport Festival (South Korea), Lollapalooza (Brazil &Chile), Download (UK), Paléo Festival (Switzerland), Oppikopi (South Africa), Blues Fest (Australia), Shaky Knees Fest (USA), Hell Fest (France).

However, the band’s main activity is farming. They are organic professional farmers, they run a 15Ha family farm called "LOU CASSE" (“the oak” in Gascon language) in Gascony, producing organic wheat and organic corn with their own free seeds. No GMO, no hybrids seeds, no chemicals or pesticides are used. They belong to a new generation of farmers that are into an Agro-Ecologic system challenging and fighting climate change for the new generations.

Follow The Inspector Cluzo: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Spotify | Twitter