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Friday, June 6, 2014

PHOTO RECAP: Cirque Shanghai Warriors at Navy Pier #OriginalPhotos #Review #ChiILPicksList

ChiIL Mama was stoked to be back at Cirque Shanghai for the fifth year, to shoot and review at the press opening last week. It's become one of our favorite annual shows, and we were stoked to see many of their breathtaking signature acts are back again, along with new Warrior themed choreography.








Both of my kids and two of their friends were able to catch the show and the kids and I all dug it. 



We recommend Warriors as a fun, affordable, all ages treat and we've added them to our ChiIL Picks List.


Check Out Our Full Set Of Original Photos In The Slide Show Below:

(Check the bottom of this post for more of our favorite live show shots from that night, if you can't view the slide show on your device, or just want our "best of".)



ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Tips:

1.  Check out the merch table.  Seriously. Compared to most circuses where a sno cone will seriously set you back, Cirque Shanghai's merch is downright affordable! We got a cool half mask for $3 and the full face masks are just $5. Same goes for the big, red fans. They're a steal at $5. Be forewarned, this may be the loudest fan EVER. They snap open with a thwack and are waaaaaay more than $5 worth of fun. 3 of the 4 kids with me that night got them, and before we'd even left Navy Pier, they had choreographed fan routines worked up.  We're all about toys that inspire creativity!






The fans also double as a keepsake and a great place to collect signatures of the performers who are happy to sign after the show.  





If you're opposed to loud noised while driving, DO secure the fans before take off. I don't mind as long as there's no high pitched tween shrieking. That's where I draw the line. My daughter & her 2 friends had a fabulous time all the way home, belting out Eye of the Tiger and Crazy Train accompanied by frequent fan snapping.  





2. Catch the show on a Wed or Sat and stay for the free fireworks. They're short and sweet but they're a colorful, fun way to cap off the evening and happen shortly after the show.  Go for the evening show any Wed-Sat night and Navy Pier and the Chicago skyline look magical after dark!




We embrace the multicultural, here at ChiIL Mama, so we're listing their acts with the Chinese names as well as the English. Pretty cool, huh? (Your kids can practice their calligraphy.)

Speaking of Chinese characters, my kids are wondering what the wonderful fans they got at the show say.  Anyone who can translate, please let us know in the comments section.  I'm picking up a friend coming from O'Hare on Friday afternoon, who has been teaching in China for years, so if nobody has replied by then, I'll run it by her and share our findings!

List of Acts
1, Opening Wushu/ Kinetic poles
场荡竿/武术棍术


2, Masters of the Sword and Shield/ The water Meteor.
术盾剑/流星


3, Hoop diving
术对打/地圈




4, Chinese Mouth Balancing
顶技

                                                 
5, Teeterboard
功夫扇/大跳板






6,Silk
绸吊


7, Wushu: The pageant of Arms
华利器



8, Shoulder Ballet
肩上芭蕾


9, Comedy Bowl Kicker
滑稽翘碗


10, Wheel of Destiny
生死


11, Globe of Death
环球飞车







12, Final

谢幕




Check out the Warriors Promo Video Here:


“CIRQUE SHANGHAI: WARRIORS” RETURNS FOR 9th SUMMER SEASON TO NAVY PIER® PEPSI® SKYLINE STAGE MAY 21 – SEPTEMEBER 1

Tickets now on Sale for “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors” with New Acts Including the Martial Prowess of Chinese Kung Fu and Wu Shu Masters

Cirque Shanghai” is proud to return this summer to Chicago’s Navy Pier with a brand new show, “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors.” Performances begin Wednesday, May 21 and run through Monday, Sept. 1 at the Pepsi® Skyline Stage, a 1,500-seat, canopied, open-air theater on Navy Pier® (600 E. Grand Ave).

Tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com/shanghai.


Now in its ninth consecutive summer season at the Pepsi® Skyline Stage, this latest installment of “Cirque Shanghai” combines the impressive acrobatics audiences have enjoyed in the past with the martial prowess of Chinese Kung Fu and Wu Shu masters. The result is powerful display of athleticism and the mastery of disciplines that formed the backbone of military might in ancient China for thousands of years.

This summer’s production of “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors” brings an extraordinary line-up of thrilling acts to the stage, including The Kinetic Poles, the powerful Water Meteor and the heart-pounding Pageant of Arms. Returning to the production from last year is the fate-tempting “Wheel of Destiny,” and China’s premier daredevil steel-globe motorcycle troupe, “Imperial Thunder”.

Directed by Miao Miao Chen, “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors” is presented in this exclusive U.S. engagement by Navy Pier in conjunction with International Special Attractions, Ltd. (ISA) production headquarters in Shanghai, China. 


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION
“Cirque Shanghai” will perform May 21 – September 1. Performances will be held at 10:30 a.m. May 21 and 29. Beginning May 23 the regular performance schedule is:
  • Wednesday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m. 
  • Thursday at 2 and 8 p.m.
  • Friday at 2, 7 and 9 p.m.
  • Saturday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m.
  • Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m.

Tickets are on sale beginning May 2 via Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com/shanghai. Tickets are $19.50- $39.50 for adults and $15.50 for children ages 3 to 12. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are also available by calling GroupTix at 773.327.3778 or visiting www.grouptix.net.

Special Packages for summer 2014 include: The Navy Pier Fun Package containing, a Emperor’s Court “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors” ticket, a 40 min Skyline boat cruise, a Ferris Wheel voucher, a Pepsi Skyline Stage $5 concession voucher and a 20% off RIVA coupon for $43, with a children’s version available for $28. In addition, the Navy Pier Nightlife package combines a “Cirque Shanghai: Warriors” Emperor’s Court ticket, a Landshark Beer garden $10 voucher and a Hagen Daas double scoop cone/cup voucher for $36.50.



ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
International Special Attractions (ISA) was established in 1996 and over the past two decades has become a world leader in the production of large scale special attractions, events and theatrical productions. In addition to presenting Cirque Shanghai, ISA was the first company to bring Chinese acrobats to Broadway.  For the past two years, ISA has presented The Ice Kingdom, a 14,000 square foot experience made entirely of ice, at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.  ISA’s other ICE! attractions are mounted annually at four Gaylord Hotel locations throughout the United States, and are enjoyed by over 1 million people each year. ISA also produces Luminasia, the larger-than-life lantern attraction, which was seen last year at the Washington State Fair, and for the past four years at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY.  In 2014, ISA is adding two additional Luminasia locations, one in Blackpool, England, and another in conjunction with the LA County Fair.  ISA clients have included The Walt Disney Company, Gaylord Entertainment, The Queen Mary, The New Victory Theatre in New York, Navy Pier Chicago, The Galt House Hotel, Busch Entertainment Corp and Six Flags, Inc.  Featured Television coverage has aired internationally, on networks including NBC, CBS and ABC to name but a few.

Drawing from his classical music background, Haiping Ge was one of the earliest producers serving in the Shanghai government’s Office of Cultural Exchange Affairs. From that office, he hosted many of the first Western entertainers performing in China.

For the last two decades, Haiping Ge has been producing shows with ISA for the world’s premium venues. His current productions include: Cirque Shanghai for New Victory Theatre on Broadway; ICE! Attractions in Dallas, Nashville, Orlando and Washington D.C. in association with Gaylord Resorts; Luminasia at The Galt House in Louisville, KY, USA. Haiping also produced a Chinese acrobatic show for Disney World, Florida which will run through the end of this year.

Miao Chen is a second-generation performer as well as the show’s director.  She studied with the internationally famous Shenyang Performing Arts Academy beginning at age five, and joined the acclaimed Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, one of the top ten troupes in all of China, at age 13.  Chen is the recipient of a Gold Lion Award from the International Acrobatics Competition in France, and received the top award for Best Innovative Performance in Uruguay. Chen has performed throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. In 2006 and 2007, Chen worked as a choreographer for “Le Grand Cirque” which has toured in cities across Australia, the United Kingdom and United States. Chen previously directed hit productions of “Cirque Shanghai” in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

ABOUT NAVY PIER 

Located on Lake Michigan, just east of Chicago’s downtown, Navy Pier is the most-visited tourist and leisure destination in the Midwest, welcoming nearly 9 million annual visitors.  Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, it is now one of the country’s preeminent recreation and exposition facilities, showcasing 50 acres of parks, gardens, restaurants, shops, attractions, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exhibition facilities and more.

ABOUT CHIIL MAMA
ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama for the coolest happenings all summer long in Chi, IL and beyond. 
Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows  like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.

We have photo & video filled features, loads of great reviews and interviews, and lots of weekly giveaways--nationwide toys/games/products and Chicago based music and theatre tickets.  

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More Of Our Favorite Original Photos:





















































Thursday, June 5, 2014

OPENING: The Last Ship To Be Featured On The TONY AWARD BROADCAST Opens June 10th

Of course, here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama we've been excited about Sting's new musical, The Last Ship.  We've been promoting it for months, but it's nearly HERE!  Check back with us like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for loads of news, reviews, photo filled recaps, and more.  
In fact we just shot loads of show stills at TIDES last weekend, featuring percussionist, Bob Garret who is soon to appear in The Last Ship.



We'll have our full photo feature on TIDES up shortly, which also features Chiara Mangiameli, flamenco dancer lead in Rick Bayless's acclaimed Cascabel.  Tides featured more than 40 dancers, of all ages and from various backgrounds, addressing the events that changed their lives through flamenco dance and song forms with live accompaniment by musicians including Carlo Basile (Las Guitarras de Espana) and percussionist Bob Garrett.

Back to The Last Ship:




TUNE IN ALERT

CHICAGO’S PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE
TO BE FEATURED ON THE TONY AWARD BROADCAST

Sting, 16-time Grammy Award® winner, will perform a song from his upcoming musical, THE LAST SHIP, at the 68th Annual Tony Awards. The 2014 Tony Awards will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, on CBS, on Sunday, June 8, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. CST and are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.  For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit www.TonyAwards.com.

THE LAST SHIP will have its Pre-Broadway World Premiere in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street). Performances begin on June 10, 2014 for a five-week-only limited engagement through July 13, 2014.

ABOUT THE LAST SHIP
THE LAST SHIP is set in the English seafaring town of Wallsend, a close-knit community where life has always revolved around the local shipyard and the hardworking men construct magnificent vessels with tremendous pride.  But Gideon Fletcher dreams of a different future.  He sets out to travel the world, leaving his life and his love behind.  When Gideon returns home 14 years later, he finds the shipyard's future in grave danger and his childhood sweetheart engaged to someone else.  As the men of Wallsend take their future into their own hands and build a towering representation of the shared dream that defines their existence, Gideon realizes that he left behind more than he could have ever imagined. THE LAST SHIP is a portrait of a community so bound together by passion, faith and tradition, they'll stop at nothing to preserve the only life they've ever known.

TICKET INFORMATION

THE LAST SHIP 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, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances.  Tickets are available for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. 

In addition to adoring Sting's work, we're also quite fond of Wicked, Next to Normal and Once, and we've seen and reviewed the Broadway touring productions of all of them. So we're beyond excited to see this creative collaboration come to life on stage!  Got your tickets yet? 


David Bowie Is tickets on sale in July!



David Bowie Is 
September 23, 2014–January 4, 2015
Tickets on sale to the public on July 31. 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're lifelong fans of David Bowie (born David Robert Jones in 1947).  So, we are super stoked about the upcoming MCA exhibit--the first international exhibit of it's kind!  Get your tickets early. 



The Archer
Station to Station tour, 1976
Photo Credit: John Rowlands
© John Robert Rowlands

The MCA has just announced tickets to David Bowie Is, one of the hottest, anticipated exhibitions of 2014, begin THIS July. MCA Members will receive special access and are able to purchase tickets in advance, on July 15. 

David Bowie Is presents the first international exhibition of the extraordinary career of David Bowie—one of the most pioneering and influential performers of our time. The exhibition focuses on his creative processes and collaborative work with artists and designers, and demonstrates how his work has both influenced and been influenced by wider movements in art, design, music, and theater.

Tickets to see David Bowie Is are $25 which also includes general admission to the museum.

The MCA has extended hours during the exhibition (closed on Mondays):
Tuesdays: 10 am–8 pm
Wednesdays: 10 am–5 pm
Thursdays: 10 am–8 pm
Fridays: 10 am–10 pm
Saturdays and Sundays: 9 am–6 pm

This exhibition is organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Sound experience by Sennheiser.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

TONIGHT: My Gold Mask at Hideout (5/31) #DarkPop

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

Chicago's breakthrough dark-pop trio, My Gold Mask, plays The Hideout this Saturday. For fans of Crystal Castles and Karen O, My Gold Mask have climbed the ranks to be one of Chicago's most alluring and exciting live acts. Have a listen to their latest single, "Battles" on Noisey!

My Gold Mask
Oshwa, Savage Sister
Sat, May 31, 2014
Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:00 pm
The Hideout
Chicago, IL
$12.00





My Gold Mask Plays Chicago At The Hideout This Saturday 


Press Quotes
"they've been amassing a cultish following for their signature sound, which blends Rochelle's Siouxsie-esque vocal melodies with driving percussion and dark riffs that simultaneously recall the Cocteau Twins and look toward "futuristic gypsy tribe shit," as their bio aptly describes." -- Huffington Post

“a period homage that avoids sounding dated thanks to the band’s raw primordial stomp.” -- Pitchfork

"They didn’t skimp on dramatics, with Rochelle’s pleading vocals, Armondo’s spiraling guitar riffs and lyrics that grapple with psychosis and reference Gothic literature and Italo horror flicks. The result achieves a spellbinding emotional intensity that’s easy to inhabit." -- eMusic

"[they] exhibit enough emotional variation to hold a better audience, from a variety standpoint at least, than the majority of the hundreds of EP's that get sent to me each week." -- Earmilk

"...the smart and cynically bleak overtures are accompanied by enough captivating sounds and artistry to ensure a dedicated fan-base come next release. Don't say I didn't warn you." -- Altsounds
"My Gold Mask gets mega sounds and emotion out of two instruments" -- FADER
"...dark-pop purveyors who cut their thick, smoky atmospherics with buoyant rhythms and elevated melody." -- SPIN

"Gretta Rochelle's vocals paired with the bubbly synths and heavy-hitting percussion on "Battles" shows just how versitile the band's sounds have become." -- Noisey

Links


UPCOMING VIA HIDEOUT:
(One of our fav small venues here at ChiIL Live Shows!)

Before we get into this weeks events, if you didn't hear the news yesterday we've released the line-up for the Hideout Block Party / Onion & AV Fest!  We've got another fantastic bill with Death Cab for Cutie, The War On Drugs, The Dismemberment Plan, funky METERS, Mac DeMarco, The Handsome Family, Sylvan Esso, Valerie June, Bad Luck Jonathan and Plastic Crimewave Vision Celestial Guitarkestra!  Get all of the details here and get your tickets now!  Our limited $65 day passes will not last for too long.  More bands to be announced as well so stay tuned!
On to this fabulous week! 

Saturday, at the crossroads of underground and over the top, zoned in and plugged out, raw and riotous, lives Chicago’s My Gold Mask. The goth pop band’s exotic gypsy spells and murderous garage rock ballads have built a unique wall of sound that some have likened to a metallic symphony.  Oshwa and Savage Sister are kicking things off.
At midnight we start dancing, with the venerable Chances Dances throwing a benefit dance party for Chicago Dyke March.  The Chicago Dyke March Collective is a grassroots mobilization and celebration of dyke, queer, bisexual, and transgender resilience.  Get your dancing shoes on because Chances always knows how to throw down.

Sunday, for the second installment of Get Off the Couch, the singer-songwriter showcase is giving us a headlining set from Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Vivian McConnell (of Grandkids & Santah), Daniela Sloan and Sonny Apollo.  It was beautiful two weeks ago and we're happy they have landed on their regular first Sunday of every month here at the Hideout.
Monday we are closed.

Tuesday, we welcome back First Tuesdays with Mick & Ben.  Come and watch the Chicago Reader writers, Mick Dumke and Ben Joravsky, square off with some of the local movers and shakers in local politics.  Tonight they are joined by some of the youngest pols like state rep Christian Mitchell, AFSCME lobbyist Adrienne Alexander and recently elected state rep Will Guzzardi.

Later, we welcome Theatre Oobleck on the first night of the Toosday Night Residency for all of Joon!  Tonight they present 
One Up, a showcase of short solo work -- spoken, musical, and miscellaneous -- by Oobleck regulars and associates Kristin Basta, Martha Bayne, Emmy Bean (Baudelaire in a Box), Robin Cline, Barrie Cole, Kat McJimsey (Spirits to Enforce, Strauss at Midnight), Heather Riordan (Letter Purloined, Spukt), and Diana Slickman (Spirits to Enforce, Letter Purloined). Featuring new work by 
Oobleck ensemble member Mickle Maher (as performed by Kat McJimsey) and most likely an accordion or two. Ronnie Kuller, of Mucca Pazza DJs before and after.








At the crossroads of underground and over the top, zoned in and plugged out, raw and riotous, lives Chicago’s My Gold Mask. The band’s exotic spells and murderous ballads have built a unique wall of sound that some have likened to a metallic symphony - pretty impressive when you consider My Gold Mask has, until recently, been a duo.

Lead vocalist and percussionist Gretta Rochelle first met guitarist Jack Armondo at a rooftop party; their first words to each other were about music, and ever since the conversation between the two principal songwriters of MGM has stayed there, resulting in two well-received EPs in 2010: A Thousand Voices and A Million Miles (From Where We Were Last) , which had Pitchfork calling them “a band to watch”, as well as a self-titled debut LP and the band’s latest: 2013’s Leave Me Midnight.
Part of My Gold Mask’s success is that they have always been a band of versatility. From the beginning, the duo was synced by Rochelle’s expressive, genre-hopping vocals, and Armondo's reverb-soaked guitar riffs. But that hasn’t stopped the pair from evolving around those core staple elements. In both tone and structure, they’ve managed to transcend their earliest influences into modern atmospheric components from styles and nuances you can’t exactly pinpoint. 

When they needed percussion, Rochelle taught herself how to play; when they wanted to fill out the textured nuances of their sound, they commissioned drummer  James Andrew (now a full-fledged member of the band). Andrew brings forth both traditional and electronic drums - triggering synth pads and basslines - for  much denser arrangements and synthetic layers, that compliment the band’s core songwriting.“My Gold Mask has always been a vehicle for our ever evolving artistic impulses,” says Armondo on the band’s evolution.  “From day one we established that the very identity of the band could change at our whims, hence the name”.
“We like to explore those darker feelings that sometimes get left behind in pop music,” adds Rochelle, and the band has successfully found that balance by working on heavy-handed remixes with the likes of The Hood Internet and Crystal Castles’ engineer Alex Zelenka, who re-rendered the band’s biggest single to date, “Violet Eyes.” The song also caught the attention of fashion designer Phillip Lim who used My Gold Mask’s music in his 2010 Fashion Week shows and hosted the band for an in-store performance, which led Vogue to name it one of the “Ten Best Music Shows of Fashion’s Night Out.”

In the summer of 2013, My Gold Mask returned to the forefront with a new Daytrotter session, a first-ever national headlining tour and joined Metric at Red Bull Sound Select’s inaugural concert, building on their roster of supporting acts like Twin Shadow, The New Pornographers, Blonde Redhead, and Waaves.

The year also marked the debut of the band’s song "Some Secrets" on MTV's hit show "Awkward" (previously, "Ghost in Your Bed" and "All Up in the Air" appeared in episodes of "Gossip Girl"). Following suit, the enchanting number “Never Go Home” will air on Syfy’s hit supernatural show, “Being Human,” in January 2014.

In 2014, the trio continues to create new material, having just released digital-only singles of “Dangerous” followed by “Severed,” the hauntingly beautiful ballad Spin.com premiered saying the band is “already looking to push their sound further.” With the latest release of the bouncy synth hit, “Battles”, which premiered on Noisey, and  remix by electro Goth artist Mr. Kitty, MGM  is proving them right.

Look for the anthemic dance-rock single, “Dissipate”, produced by Sanford Parker, (producer, recording engineer, and musician at Corrections House), to be released in late May.

For a band that started with a nylon string guitar, simple drums and the frontwoman of A Thousand Voices (“Gretta could have been a voiceover talent,” admits Armondo) to a now fully-realized trio with new releases already in the works for this year, My Gold Mask is edging for the spotlight they’ve been waiting for. But perhaps music magazine Pretty Much Amazing summed it up best in their review, saying the band “infuses some heart into the mundane and makes it beautiful.”

OPENING: World Premiere Ask Aunt Susan at The Goodman


DON'T MISS THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF ASK AUNT SUSAN BY SETH BOCKLEY, NOW THROUGH JUNE 22 AT GOODMAN THEATRE 

***MEET THE CREATORS AND DISCUSS THEMES OF THE PLAY AT THE JUNE 1 “ARTIST ENCOUNTER” AND MEET REAL LIFE “AUNT SUSANS” AT A JUNE 16 CONVERSATION ABOUT ONLINE IDENTITY ***

Seth Bockley’s 21st century satire of the internet era, Ask Aunt Susan, directed by Henry Wishcamper is now in previews and opening on June 2 in the Owen Theatre.  Ask Aunt Susan tells the story of “Aunt Susan”, a 20-something man moonlighting as an internet advice columnist, dispensing advice for women’s everyday woes.



DISCUSS ASK AUNT SUSAN

ARTIST ENCOUNTER

A discussion with playwright Seth Bockley and director Henry Wishcamper about the themes of Ask Aunt Susan, moderated by Director of New Play Development, Tanya Palmer
Sunday, June 1 at 5pm | FREE for Subscribers, Donors and students with ID; $5 for general public |Reservations are required. Reserve by calling the Box Office at 312.443.3800 or online at GoodmanTheatre.org/AuntSusan.

CONTEXT Discussion: Authentic Artifice and Crafting Identity Online

Join social media leaders Dan Fietsam (@fietstweets; former creative director of BBDO and a current University of Chicago instructor in Creativity Branding and Technology), Shannon Downey (@shannondowney; owner of Pivotal Chicago) and Alex Mohr (@alexophile; formerly of Ketchum Inc.) to learn how people tasked with creating and maintaining false personas hold the line between their creation’s identity and their own identity. These “real life Aunt Susans”—leading professionals in search engine optimization, social media and digital marketing—discuss the creation of content versus identity and the space that lies between them.
Monday, June 16 at 6:30pm │ FREE, online reservations required at GoodmanTheatre.org

About Ask Aunt Susan 

Inspired by Nathanael West’s 1933 novella Miss Lonelyhearts—a Great Depression-era commentary of urban alienation through the eyes of an eponymous male newspaper advice columnist—Ask Aunt Susan begins with a young man working on the fringes of the burgeoning internet industry as a writer and coder. When an ill-conceived scheme to swindle Yelp.com lands him in hot water, Steve, his brash, entrepreneurial boss, decides to create AskAuntSusan.com and advises the young man to moonlight as the online advice guru, “Aunt Susan.” The scheme begins as a joke, allowing Steve to make a quick buck and Aunt Susan to keep up with his student loans—but Aunt Susan’s followers become incredibly loyal and the constant, desperate requests from readers spark a “need to be needed” in Aunt Susan. As his internet reputation mushrooms, so does Aunt Susan’s web of deceit—and soon the phenomenon is much larger than anyone could have imagined. 

As previously announced, the ensemble cast includes Alex Stage as Aunt Susan; Marc Grapey as Steve; Meghan Reardon as Betty; Jennie Moreau as Lydia; and Robyn Scott as Jill. Ask Aunt Susan runs now through June 22 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Monday, June 2). Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to change) are on sale now and can be purchased at GoodmanTheatre.org/AuntSusan, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the Owen Season Sponsor. Edelman Worldwide is the Corporate Sponsor Partner. Baxter, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Studley, Inc. are Contributing Sponsors.

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