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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ACT OUT EXTENDED: Cock at Profiles

PROFILES THEATRE EXTENDS
HIT PRODUCTION OF
COCK BY MIKE BARTLETT


Profiles Theatre announces an extension for their Midwest premiere of Cock by Mike Bartlett, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production opened February 20, 2014 and will extend for an additional seven weeks through May 25, 2014. Original cast members Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard and Jake Szczepaniak continue their roles with Torrey Hanson joining the cast beginning April 10, 2014. Performances are held at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway.



In this tense comedy about sexual identity, Cock explores one man's choices about which path of love to pursue. When John takes a break from his longtime boyfriend, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a woman. Trapped between two lovers, John feels the physical and emotional tug as neither party wants to lose the battle for his heart. John must make a choice as he navigates his sexuality, selfhood, and the intersection of the two.

Cock received its World premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre, selling out its entire run in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs before opening in November 2009. Directed by James Macdonald, it won the 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre as well as a nomination for Best Play at the 2010 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The American premiere, also produced by Royal Court and staged by Macdonald, opened off-Broadway in May 2012 and received a nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Outstanding Play for the 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards. Mike Bartett won the Old Vic New Voices Award for Artefacts at the Bush Theatre while Contractions at Royal Court received a nomination for the TMA Best New Play Award. Bartlett, a Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court in 2007, currently works as Associate Playwright at Paines Plough.

Tickets for Cock are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

FACTS

Title:  Cock
Playwright:  by Mike Bartlett
Directed by: Darrell W. Cox
Featuring: Guest Artists Torrey Hanson, Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard, Jake Szczepaniak
           
            Dates: Extended through May 25, 2014

Schedule:        Thurs., Fri.:                  8:00 p.m. 
                        Saturday:                     5:00 p.m. and 8:00p.m.
                        Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Location:          Profiles Theatre, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway
                        Parking is available for $14 - $20 at 4100 N. Clarendon
(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices:    Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.
Box Office:       Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org
or call (773) 549-1815



ABOUT THE ARTISTS

MIKE  BARTLETT (Playwright) is currently Associate Playwright at Paines Plough. In 2011 he was writer-in-residence at The National Theatre and in 2007 he was Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court Theatre. His play Love, Love, Love won Best New Play in the 2011 Theatre Awards UK, and his play Cock won an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre; he won the Writer's Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes for Not Talking and the Old Vic New Voices Awards for Artefacts. Additional theatre credits include 13 (National Theatre), Decade (co-writer), Earthquakes in London, Contractors and My Child. His radio credits include: "The Core," "Heart," "Liam," "The Steps," "Love Contract," "Not Talking," and "The Family Man," all on BBC. Mike’s screen credits include "Earthquakes in London" and "Hometown." His directing credits include Honest by DC Moore. Mike is currently under commission from Headlong Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre and The Royal Court Theatre.

DARRELL W. COX (Director) is the Co-Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre and most recently directed the holiday season revival as well as last year's 20th Anniversary productions of Hellcab by Will Kern. Prior to that, he directed the Midwest premiere of Bachelorette by Leslye Headland, the American premiere of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Profiles’ Midwest premieres of This is How it Goes, “Coax” and the titular piece from Things We Said Today and Profiles’ long running hit, Autobahn, all by Neil LaBute. Mr. Cox has directed numerous productions for Profiles over the years including the Midwest premieres of The Radiant Abyss by Angus MacLachlan and Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire. Other directorial credits for Profiles include The Water Engine, How the Other Half Loves and The Twilight Zone: The Series.

TORREY HANSON (F) is making his Profiles Theatre debut in Cock. He most recently appeared in Chicago in Language Archive at Piven Theater Workshop. Other Chicago credits include Paulus with Silk Road Rising Theater, Spoon River Anthology with Provision Theater, Julius Caesar, Elizabeth Rex and Madness of King George with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Never The Sinner at Northwestern University. Torrey’s regional and international credits include Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, The Cleveland Play House, Indiana Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (five seasons), Utah Shakespeare Festival, Madison Repertory Theatre, Subaru Theater Company, Tokyo, and seventy-five productions in seventeen seasons at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. His television credits include Crisis, Chicago Fire, Cheers and Wings.

ELENI PAPPAGEORGE (W) is makes her Profiles Theatre debut in Cock. She is a Waltzing Mechanics company member focusing these past few years on developing and performing original documentary theatre including EL Stories and Over My Dead Body. She’s also had the pleasure of working with Northlight, The Chicago Dramatists, Remy Bumppo, Second City, Chemically Imbalanced Comedy, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Circle Theatre and The Pre-Post Humanists. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

CHRISTOPHER SHEARD (John) is makes his Profiles Theatre debut with Cock. He was last seen in Chicago in SS! Romeo and Juliet with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and A Christmas Carol for Metropolis PAC. His regional credits include Skylight, Troilus and Cressida, Les Liaisons Dangereuses  and Antony and Cleopatra with American Players Theatre as well as Henry IV Part One and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Great River Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Florida State University with a BA in Theatre and received his MFA from The University of Illinois PATP.

JAKE SZCZEPANIAK (M) appears with Profiles Theatre for the first time. He was last seen in Unwilling and Hostile Instruments with Theater Seven, Burn This with Shattered Globe, Changes of Heart with Remy Bumppo and Girl You Know It’s True with Pavement Group. He has also worked with Baliwick Chicago, Circle Theater, Red Tape Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Pride Films and Plays and (re)Discover theater. Jake is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana acting program and an artistic associate with Pavement Group. 



ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE


Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

Northlight Theatre's First Selections For Their 40th Season

Northlight Theatre announces the first selections for its 
40th Season
including Amanda Peet’s New York hit The Commons of Pensacola
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap
and World Premieres by Bruce Graham
and Jessica Thebus, Andre Pluess and Amanda Dehnert

Our 2014/15 season includes two world premieres, two Midwest debuts, and a classic whodunit that's been running in London's West End for 62 years!



Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces the first four selections of its 40th Anniversary Season.  The celebratory season kicks-off with the current Off-Broadway hit The Commons of Pensacola, which is expected to be the first regional production.  The season continues with Agatha Christie’s mystery The Mousetrap, which is the world’s longest-running play.  Playwright Bruce Graham (Stella & Lou, The Outgoing Tide) returns to Northlight for the World Premiere of White Guy on the Bus. Shining Lives: A Musical, based on Melanie Marnich’s play, commissioned by Northlight and written by Jessica Thebus (book & lyrics), Andre Pluess and Amanda Dehnert (music) will make its World Premiere in the Spring.  An additional title is yet to be announced.

Artistic Director BJ Jones comments, “I have been with Northlight as an actor and director since it was the Evanston Theatre Company and I am proud and honored to serve as Artistic Director as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary. In recent years, Northlight's hallmark has been our embrace of new work by great playwrights—from Jason Robert Brown, Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright, to Bruce Graham and Christian O'Reilly. Additionally, we have presented refreshed classics, intense dramas and great comedies. We have enjoyed a large, loyal audience for 40 years because they enjoy the quality and range of theater Northlight has come to represent. Our 40th Anniversary mirrors our desire to continue to reflect our community, bringing the world to Northlight—and Northlight to the world.”

The 2014-15 season includes:

The Midwest Premiere of
The Commons of Pensacola
by Amanda Peet
September 12 – October 19, 2014

Judith is a woman in exile, relegated to a Florida condo after her husband’s Madoff-like crimes have expelled her from a luxurious life.  Family ties are tested when her daughter Becca comes to visit for Thanksgiving, joined by Becca’s filmmaker boyfriend and rebellious niece.   Guilt by association, lost wealth, and questionable motives make trying to love your family an uncommonly difficult challenge in this funny, incisive and timely new drama.

The Mousetrap
By Agatha Christie
November 7 – December 14, 2014

On a snowy night at Monkswell Manor, newlyweds Mollie and Giles welcome a group of strangers to their guest house, only to discover news of a murderer in their midst! A police investigation reveals the sordid details of each guest’s mysterious past, but not soon enough to stop the killer from striking again. Agatha Christie’s masterful whodunit weaves an intricate plot filled with nerve-rattling suspense, all leading up to the ultimate final twist!

Renowned mystery writer Agatha Christie is not only the best-selling author of all time, but The Mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play, now at 62 years on London’s West End!


The World Premiere of
White Guy on the Bus
by Bruce Graham
January 23– March 1, 2015

Ray, a successful white business executive, rides the bus past the state penitentiary every Saturday.  On his weekly ride he befriends Shatique, a young black woman putting herself through school and struggling to raise a son on her own.  The threads that tie these disparate individuals together gradually unravel in a complex and explosive examination of race, intent, and racial biases from a candid and unexpected perspective.

Bruce Graham, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter behind Northlight’s highly successful The Outgoing Tide and Stella & Lou, has never been sharper than in this fresh, surprising, and gutsy world premiere.


The World Premiere of
Shining Lives: A Musical
book & lyrics by Jessica Thebus
music by Andre Pluess & Amanda Dehnert
Based on the play These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich
May 8 – June 14, 2015

It’s 1922 and the young women of Chicago’s Radium Dial Company are living a dream— earning good wages and beaming with new-found independence.  After years of hand painting watch dials, the so-called "harmless" radium that provided for so much joy leads to tragic results.  Four courageous women upend their lives with a determination to change the future in this compelling new musical, the transcendent tale of heroic lives that glowed with promise.

This world premiere musical, developed through Northlight’s Interplay Series, is adapted from the play These Shining Lives, both commissioned by Northlight Theatre.


Northlight offers the following Engagement Events for each production:
POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS
Northlight artistic staff lead a conversation about the play and the artistic process immediately following select performances.

BACKSTAGE WITH BJ
This behind-the-scenes discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones and other special guests is offered for each show while still in rehearsal.  2014-2015 dates are to be announced and will be available online at northlight.org/events.

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Northlight partners with community organizations to offer enrichment opportunities ranging from panel discussions with local experts to scene selections and conversations with the cast and/or director.  Frequent locations include the Skokie Public Library and Wilmette Public Library, among others.  2014-2015 dates are to be announced, and will be posted in the theatre lobby for each production, as well as online at northlight.org/events.

INTERPLAY
Northlight’s Interplay Reading Series gives audiences the opportunity to witness the early stages of play development, as a new play evolves from first draft to full theatrical production.  Since its inception in spring 2006, Interplay has staged readings of 29 new plays, 25 of which have gone on to full productions at Northlight, in Chicago, and around the country.  Readings are open to the public and include a post-show discussion with the playwright. 

Interplay readings will be posted in the lobby and online as they are scheduled.  For more information and upcoming dates, visit northlight.org/interplay.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Subscriptions to the 2014-15 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at 847.673.6300 or online at northlight.orgRenewals are currently available.  New subscriptions will be available beginning in May 2014With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. 

Subscriptions range in price from $105-$240.  A limited number of season subscriptions for the Opening Night performances (also includes a reception with the cast) are available for $320, subject to availability.  Northlight subscribers will have the first chance to purchase additional tickets before they go on sale to the general public. For more information, visit northlight.org.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now entering its 40th season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including more than 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 28 Awards.  As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.


Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from BMO Harris Bank; Cramer Krasselt; Draft FCB; the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; First Bank and Trust; The Homestead Hotel; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Plante Moran; Pioneer Press; Quince at the Homestead; Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation; Room & Board; Sage Products; Sanborn Family Foundation; Shubert Foundation; Skokie Fine Arts Council; Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; and the Venturous Theater Fund.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Jason "Sexy Elbows" Narducy's Split Single Record Release at Schubas THIS Saturday

Schubas will be smokin' Saturday. The infamous Jason Narducy's record release party for Split Single is in the PM and they have an 11am show for the rock tots with Schubas family Series.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been talking about Split Single's debut, Fragmented World (4/1 release), since mid February.  Now you can finally check it out and see them live.  Be there.



Fragmented World, Split Single's debut full-length was just released 4/1 on Inside Outside Records.


JASON NARDUCY OF SPLIT SINGLE'S 
SEXY ELBOWS: 
ARE THEY A BLESSING OR A CURSE? 
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO FIND OUT.

Check out this hilarious video featuring Fred Armisen, Tim Meadows, Margaret Cho, Dave Grohl, Britt Daniel, Jon Wurster, rock photographer Paul Natkin, Bob Mould, Mac McCaughan and more. It really helps address one thing everyone's thinking about but nobody's talking about: 
Split Single's Jason's elbows.



Split Single, Band Featuring Spoon's Britt Daniel and Jason Narducy, Announces Debut Album

If there was an indie-rock Jeopardy! category, the following would certainly be a question: “Who is the only musician to have played with Bob Mould, Robert Pollard, Superchunk, Britt Daniel, and Telekinesis – and served as the inspiration for Dave Grohl to devote his life to playing music?” If you answered Jason Narducy for $5,000, you’d probably win that episode. “Watching Jason was the first time I thought I could start my own band, and write my own kind of music,” Dave Grohl says. “Jason totally set my life in this new direction. It wasn’t a Jimmy Page or KISS poster I had – it was fuckin’ him!” Indeed, if indie rock has a Zelig, a Forrest Gump, it’s Narducy. “Jason's been doin' the rock since he was a snot-nosed little punk,” Robert Pollard notes. “And I can attest from his work with me on the road that he's got it down. And it's not going to stop anytime soon.”

Narducy’s career in rock does prove uniquely epic upon inspection, and continues as such to this day. He first appeared as a co-founder of Verböten – one of the seminal acts in the Chicago punk scene that produced groundbreaking bands like Naked Raygun and Big Black. Narducy then went on to become frontman/songwriter/guitarist for Verbow, another beloved Windy City outfit who signed a major-label deal with Epic/Sony during the ‘90s alt-rock bubble. He followed that up with an ongoing, nearly decade-long run as indie-rock’s secret weapon – serving as bassist and backing vocalist for indie-underground icons like Mould, Pollard, and Superchunk, as well as Seattle’s indie power-pop faves Telekinesis. 

Now Narducy is returning to center stage as a bandleader with Fragmented World – the debut album from Split Single. A new project formed with fellow travelers Britt Daniel (Spoon, Divine Fits) on bass and drummer Jon Wurster (Superchunk, Mountain Goats, Bob Mould, Ben Gibbard, Robert Pollard), Split Single proves equal parts solo project and collective. “I liked the concept of a split single,” Narducy says. “It’s a communal thing: two bands have to work together in this handshake commitment, which then exposes each band to the other’s audience. 

It’s also the name of a two-stroke motorcycle engine invented at the turn of the century to be more efficient and powerful than previous engines. All those things together seemed to really reflect the spirit of what we did.”

Thursday, April 3, 2014

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Midwest Hype Album Release Party 1/5/12


ChiIL Live Shows/Midwest Hype Album Release Party at Schubas 1/5/12




New Album Release THIS Friday (21+)


Double Door Welcomes
Midwest Hype
Spare Parts, The Palmer Squares, cLOUD9, ILL Ambition, DJ Steezy
Friday, April 4, 2014
Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
$10.00

Chicago’s Midwest Hype will celebrate the release of its new album The Time with a show at The Double Door on Friday, April 4:http://www.doubledoor.com/event/516713-midwest-hype-chicago/



You can listen to the title track at https://soundcloud.com/midwesthype/the-time and check out the band's site for more. http://www.midwesthype.com


We've shot Chicago's own Midwest Hype in action a number of times in the past and they're a lot of fun live.  Click here for more of our past photo filled features.  Then get out and see them live tomorrow.



Midwest Hype Album Release at Double Door Friday 4/4 (21+) #OriginalPhotos #TBT

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

We've shot Chicago's own Midwest Hype in action a number of times in the past and they're a lot of fun live.  Click here for some of our past photo filled features.  Then get out and see them live tomorrow.



Double Door Welcomes
Midwest Hype
Spare Parts, The Palmer Squares, cLOUD9, ILL Ambition, DJ Steezy
Friday, April 4, 2014
Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
$10.00

Chicago’s Midwest Hype will celebrate the release of its new album The Time with a show at The Double Door on Friday, April 4: http://www.doubledoor.com/event/516713-midwest-hype-chicago/

You can listen to the title track at https://soundcloud.com/midwesthype/the-time and check out the band's site for more. http://www.midwesthype.com

Throwback Thursday: ChiIL Live Shows/ Midwest Hype

House of Blues Chicago 2/4/12

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

TAMAR BRAXTON ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE 2014 TOURING PLANS SUPPORTING R.KELLY IN ARENAS THIS SPRING EMBARKING ON LOVE AND WAR HEADLINE TOUR

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Known for powerful and passionate live performances, Tamar Braxton will bring her dynamic and unforgettable show to audiences across North America this spring and summer.



Tickets on sale Friday, March 28 for Tamar Braxton at Concord Music Hall on Friday, June 6th, at Clubtix.com

The Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, personality, and television producer is set to be direct support for R&B legend R. Kelly on his upcoming arena jaunt followed by a headline run of her own.

Expect to hear and see her Streamline/Epic debut, Love and War, come to life vividly and vibrantly on stage nightly. Her instantly recognizable voice always captivates, while her presence remains invigorating. Idolator has called her live show, "very impressive", while Perez Hilton claims, "her vocals are ON POINT". You'll definitely feel Love and War stage when she rolls through your town.

Right now, Tamar is also compiling ideas for her forthcoming release and preparing for the nationwide launch of The Real— the syndicated, one-hour daily talk show set to launch nationwide in Fall 2014 on Fox Television Stations and premiering in a second window on BET. Viewers can also catch her on the  hit series Tamar & Vince and Braxton Family Values.

In just the past year, Tamar has solidified herself as one of R&B’s leading divas. Love and War became the #1 R&B album upon debut, selling 400,000 copies since its September release. In support of the record, she performed to packed houses across the U.S. on a 30-city tour supporting John Legend, engaged in a whirlwind European promo run, and even picked up two 2013 Soul Train Awards, after performing at the event in Las Vegas. She also released her very first holiday album, Winter Loversland. On top of it all, she gave birth to her first son, feeling like as she puts it, “I won!”


Love and War hit #2 on the Billboard Top 200 upon release, making for 2013's highest debut from a female R&B artist. Meanwhile, it also topped the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart and iTunes Top R&B Albums Chart. Press acclaim also showered the release. Vibe described the record as "Emotional and amazing", while ARTISTdirect.com called it "everything a classic R&B record should be and so much more". After gracing the cover of Ebony Magazine, she celebrated the album's release with performances on Good Morning AmericaLive With Kelly & Michael, and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

WIN $1000!! TMBG Video Contest is ON through 4/12

ALL MEDIUMS WELCOME! 
Directors! Animators! Motion graphic folk! Puppeteers! Powerpointers! Claymators! Mixed-media makers!
          
                                            YOU! 


This one's not an entry, but cool:

3 winners--$1000 US cashola to each! Judged by Judge John Hodgman. New deadline is April 12. 


Go to www.tmbg.com for all the important info. PREPARE TO WIN! 

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