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Friday, October 10, 2014

REDMOON’S 5TH ANNUAL BONESHAKER TOPS HALLOWEEN SOCIAL CALENDAR (21+) #discount


BONESHAKER'S BACK!!
(earlybird discount pricing through Oct 24th)

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've caught a number of the Boneshaker bashes over the years. The 2014 rendition has the added bonus of actually falling on HALLOWEEN NIGHT (FRIDAY THE 31ST) this year! If you're legal age, check out this must see extravaganza. They promise there'll be plenty of fire. Boneshaker is one night only, so get your tickets before they sell out! Want to bring the little punk kin out to play in addition or instead? Check out Skelebration below--Redmoon style Fam Friendly Fun for 2 weekends this year!  


PHOTO FILLED RECAPS:






BONESHAKER 2014 (21+):
 

Outdoor Fire Garden, Mezcal Salon, Demonic Comedy Club, Devilish Cooking Class, Aerial Performers, Creative Food & Cocktails plus Redmoon’s Haunted Attic Maze “The Nest,” all part of an interactive seasonal extravaganza

At Redmoon’s Pilsen home, October 31


 This Halloween, Redmoon’s wildly popular costume party Boneshaker returns for its fifth annual spectacular installment.  For one night only, Redmoon transforms its massive Pilsen headquarters (2120 S. Jefferson Street) into an otherworldly playground for 1,000 revelers with interactive experiences, inventive machines, creative food and cocktails, and dancing to beats from DJs on three different dance floors.  Boneshaker takes place Friday, October 31 (Halloween night) beginning at 9 pm.

Boneshaker is coordinated and produced by the 18-member Young Engineers of Spectacle (Y.E.S.) Committee, Redmoon’s young professionals’ board.  This year, the event is directed by Kasey Foster, with Will Bishop and Alex Balestrieri under the conceptual direction of Redmoon Producing Artistic Director Frank Maugeri.

Redmoon’s Boneshaker 2014 promises an all-new array of multisensory delights, including:
·        An outdoor Fire Garden featuring Fire Buoys, a sculptural arrangement of flaming devices that debut in the Great Chicago Fire Festival (October 4) on the Chicago River; The Fire Candelabras, two massive, 18-foot-tall candelabras with 10 wood-burning fire pots; and, The Sonic Boom DJ device with skyward-shooting flames.
·        Redmoon’s Celestial Swing, an eerie mausoleum on the outside with a peaceful, ethereal swing inside.
·        The UFO Carousel where guests climb inside one of three gigantic flying saucers and spin off into space alongside a DJ and snacks provided by Spin Spun.
·        A team of three wild DJs alongside Redmoon’s Signature DJ Devices keep the event moving all night long.
·        Two specially featured, interactive experiences include “The Devil’s Confessional,” an intimate, surreal writing room where guests can pour out their deepest secrets to a fiendish confessor, who then gives them a diabolic penance task to perform with the room at large, and Redmoon’s “Cartoon Adventure,” a mini movie theater where guests don headphones and enjoy five original short animated films by Laura Heit, Joseph Hodgson and Franck Aubrey, Hannes Vartianien and Pekka Veikkolainen, Selina Wagner and PES.
·        Graceful acrobats of Aerial Dance Chicago perform overhead and descend on silks to deliver sweet treats to the earth-bound revelers. 
·        Redmoon premieres its newest food service device The Pastry Wheel, which whimsically pairs the iconic image of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair Ferris Wheel with urban pedal power, serving cupcakes, brownies and other enticing sweets. 
·        Performers roam the space serving delightful treats and beverafes, including signature Redmoon mechanical marvels such as The Floating Trays, The Libation Machine, The Monkey Butlers and The Fish Bubble Man.

Guests can enter Redmoon’s haunted sideshow-like series of rooms known as “The Devil’s in the Details,” which hold eerie, humorous and sensual experiences including:
·        “The Chocolate Bar,” a delectable room of dip-able treats.
·        “The Bedroom Swat-a-Fly,” a larger-than-life human fly swatting game.
·        “The Cinematic Cemetery” film studio, where guests can be the star of their own scary movie.
·        “Satan’s Cackle Shack,” where Matt Demon, voted “Hell’s Most Humorous Devil” 1998, entertains the audience with his killer stand-up routine. 

By spinning a wheel to determine a nominal additional fee, which could range from $5 to $10 to a silly physical act, guests gain access to four other experiences:
·        A chance to play “Fired Up,” Redmoon’s newest carnival game where guests shoot a target and are rewarded with a spectacular surprise.
·        “Heck’s Kitchen,” a cooking class with the Devil where guests participate in making Deviled Eggs.
·        A specialty Cigar and Mezcal-Tasting Salon, where an expert cigar-roller creates unique take-aways to sample along with Métl Reserva Especial Mezcal in the outdoor Fire Garden.  
·        Visitors brave enough to enter “The Nest” will ascend into a frightening attic maze.  An adventure into a vampire nest inspired by Bram Stoker’s gothic tale of Dracula, “The Nest” creates an eerie, mystical and enigmatic world that’s chilling without resorting to horror or gore, instead playing on the sounds, shadows and corporeal experience of encountering the supernatural in everyday life.


Multiple full bars serve an array of cocktails, craft beer and wine all night long.

Free shuttle service during Boneshaker is provided by Chicago Classic Coach.  For pick-up location and schedule visit www.redmoon.org.

Tickets
Early Bird tickets for Boneshaker are $75 and are available until October 24, which include snacks, desserts and open bar (excluding spin-the-wheel add-on experiences).  Tickets purchased October 25 or later are $100, including snacks, desserts and open bar (excluding spin-the-wheel add-on experiences).  Group tickets for 10 or more are available at a 10% discount. 

Tickets are available in advance online at redmoon.org/box-office or by calling 312-850-8440 ext. 123.  Tickets will also be available at the door, subject to availability.  Boneshaker is for patrons age 21 and up. 

One of three annual fundraisers in Redmoon’s “Indoors” season, Boneshaker is a key component to Redmoon’s core mission of bringing unique experiences to public spaces across the city. The money raised at Boneshaker directly funds Redmoon’s free outdoor performances that engage neighborhoods throughout Chicago. 


SKELEBRATION 2014:
For the whole family: Skelebration
The two weekends leading up to Boneshaker, many of the same components will be available in a family-friendly format at Redmoon’s second annual Skelebration at 2120 S. Jefferson Street, Saturdays and Sundays, October 18-19 and 25-26.  The UFO Carousel, Celestial Swing, “Fired Up” game, devilish cooking class, “Bedroom Swat-a-Fly” game, demonic “Comedy Club,” interactive movie set and “The Nest” attic maze all remain. 

Audiences can enter Skelebration at staggered entrance times as follows:  Saturdays at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm, Sundays at 1 pm and 4 pm.  Adult tickets are $20 (age 18+), youth tickets are $12 (age 4-17) and children are free (age 3 and under).  Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.  Tickets are available in advance online at redmoon.org/box-office or by calling 312-850-8440 ext. 123.  Tickets will also be available at the door, subject to availability. 


About Redmoon
Redmoon's mission is to transform the experience of Chicago through free large-scale theatrical events that promote community, creativity and an empowered democracy.  Redmoon burst into Chicago’s cultural consciousness with its award-winning production of Moby Dick in 1995.  While the indoor productions continued to receive critical acclaim and popular support, Jim Lasko chose to focus the theater’s energy outdoors, where Redmoon sought to deploy spectacle to bridge difference and transform the ways that people see and understand public spaces.  Over the past 24 years, Redmoon has become a highly valued Chicago institution with its high-profile collaborations, vibrant outdoor performances and authentic community partnerships.  In 2009, Lasko joined forces with long-time collaborator Frank Maugeri to co-lead Redmoon as it garnered international attention for its unique productions, site-specific performances and participatory events.  Since 1991, Redmoon has performed for more than 250,000 people in 30 different neighborhoods in 116 public spaces. 

Redmoon partners with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Chicago Park District (CPD) to present the inaugural Great Chicago Fire Festival.  A new and totally free urban ritual celebrating Chicago’s grit, greatness and renewal following the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871, as well as showcasing the rich diversity of neighborhoods that have arisen since, the Great Chicago Fire Festival culminates in a unique public River Bazaar and pyrotechnic Grand Spectacle on the main branch of the Chicago River, Saturday, October 4.

Generous funding for Redmoon’s 2014-15 programming has been provided by The 1111 Foundation; Alphawood Foundation; The Amgis Foundation: The Cookie Jar Fund; The Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund; The John R. Halligan Charitable Fund; The Marshall Frankel Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The Irving Harris Foundation; Lagunitas Brewing Company; Mardi Gras Fund; The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; Sahara Enterprises, Inc. and The Thanksgiving Fund.


For more information on Redmoon and its programs, visit www.redmoon.org.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

ACT OUT: Don't Miss Season on the Line, A Moby-Dick Adaptation at The House Theatre Through Oct 26th

THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE 
OF SEASON ON THE LINE, 
A MOBY-DICK ADAPTATION, 
WRITTEN BY VETERAN HOUSE COMPANY MEMBER SHAWN PFAUTSCH AND DIRECTED BY JESS MCLEOD THROUGH OCTOBER 26 
AT THE CHOPIN THEATRE

It's their lucky 13th year over at The House Theatre and they're kicking it off with a whale of a tale. Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're huge fans of the fabulous works The House Theatre presents and we make a point to try to catch all their productions. This one's high on our must see list, but don't wait around for us. Go already! It's Jeff Recommended, pulling in rave reviews, and geared toward adults and teens. 


PS They also have the coolest t-shirts & swag of any local company we've seen! Get 1... or 3. Click here to check out their store & support the arts.





They also have Monday night shows (which is generally a dark day in the theatre world) if your fall weekends have been as crazy busy as ours. If you're in the industry or a student, they'll even make you a smokin' deal on Sun/Mon tickets & day of tickets, seats permitting.




"4 STARS"
- TimeOut Chicago

"VERY FUN NEW SHOW... startlingly frank and expansive....[It] took considerable guts."
- Chicago Tribune (If you like meta, come read this!)

"READER RECOMMENDED! Its smart pleasures are open to everybody."
- Chicago Reader

Written by Shawn Pfautsch
Directed by Jess McLeod
Based on Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick

PRICES: $25 and 35 for Regular Run
TIMES: Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays and Mondays at 7:00pm.
RUN TIME: Three one-hour acts and 2 intermissions (Don't worry! As our Reader Recommended review says, "The 200-minute running time may sound long, but I can't imagine what I’d cut." )
PARENTS' GUIDE: Season on the Line is recommended for adults and teens, and you can read more in our Parents' Guide!

Buy Tickets
Save up to 40% right here!


Melville’s Pequod crew is transformed into the fictional Bad Settlement Theatre Company, beleaguered by a dilapidated building, strained finances, and an aging artistic director with a singular focus: the first-ever perfect production of Moby-Dick. Still reeling from a scathing review and badly failed production of his Moby-Dick 20 years prior, the director is hell-bent on mounting the perfect new vision to vindicate himself and save his company from ruin. A novice assistant stage manager joins the ranks at the top of the company’s make-or-break season, and is thrown quickly into the fray. Mirroring Melville’s unconventional forms, the play swings from soliloquy to encyclopedic investigation to action-adventure story.  Season on the Line is our young narrator’s look back at the industry he has grown to love, even as those around him pay the ultimate price in pursuit of their great white whale.

Leonora Dickson is the Production Sponsor for Season on the Line. Development of Season on the Line has been supported in part by the Boeing Company and University of Chicago's Summer, Inc. residency.


Show Dates: through Oct 26 2014 
Location: Chopin Theatre
1543 W. Division St, Chicago


The House Theatre of Chicago presents Season on the Line, the first production of the company’s 13th season, at the Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., through Sunday, Oct. 26. The play, a world premiere adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby- Dick, is written by Company Member Shawn Pfautsch and directed by Jess McLeod, in her debut at The House.

Regular performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays and Mondays at 7pm. The running time is approximately 2 hours, 45 mintues. Regular run tickets range from $25 – 35. 

*$10 Student and Industry same-day discounted tickets are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.
Pfautsch’s modern adaptation, Season on the Line, is a love letter to American theater featuring a 19 person cast. Melville’s story of the hunt for the white whale is transformed into the Bad Settlement Theatre Company, beleaguered by a dilapidated building, strained finances and a tyrannical artistic director with a singular focus: the first-ever perfect production of Moby-Dick. A novice assistant stage manager joins the ranks at the top of the company’s make-or-break season and is thrown quickly into the fray. Mirroring Melville’s unconventional form, Season on the Line is the young narrator’s look back at the industry he has grown to love, even as those around him pay the ultimate price in pursuit of their own great white whale.
The cast for Season on the Line features Equity guest artists Thomas J. Cox* as Artistic Director Ben Adonna, and Maggie Kettering* as his right-hand and stage manager, Day Starr. Guest artist Ty Olwin steps into the role of our narrator, mirroring the reflections of Melville’s Ishmael. House Company Member Marika Mashburn (last seen in Death & Harry Houdini) steps into the role of Elizabeth, a company director helming a wacky avant-garde production in the company’s season. House Company Member Abu Ansari (also last seen in Death & Harry Houdini) appears as a Ugandan actor and voice of reason. Returning guest artists Christopher M. Walsh and Mary Hollis Inboden both play designers stretched to their limits by the outrageous demands of the season. Guest artists Danny Bernardo, Tiffany Yvonne Cox, Shane Kenyon, Bob Kruse, Andy Lutz, Molly Lyons, Marvin Quijada, Jessica Dean Turner, and Rawson Vint fill the ensemble with actors, designers, and technicians. Sean Sinitski completes the ensemble as the primary object of obsession, the chief theater critic.
The production team features work from House company members Shawn Pfautsch (Playwright), Lee Keenan (Scenic and Lighting design), Kevin O’Donnell (Composer/Sound Designer); with guest artists Jess McLeod (Director), Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer).
ABOUT SHAWN PFAUTSCH
Pfautsch is a veteran company member with The House Theatre of Chicago having joined the company in 2000. Two of Pfautsch’s full-length plays have been produced at The House: Hatfield & McCoy and The Attempters. His short plays and one-acts have been produced in Chicago as well as Texas, Florida and Iowa.
With The House, he has worked or starred in Death & Harry Houdini (all incarnations), The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan, all three entries in the Valentine Trilogy, Cave With Man, The Boy Detective Fails, the first production of Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe, Thieves Like Us and Cyrano. He has also travelled with The House to the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami twice, taking the stage with The Sparrow and Death & Harry Houdini.
As a member of The Hypocrites avant garde Gilbert & Sullivan Rep, Pfautsch has been performing The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado to audiences in Chicago (at the Chopin Theatre and Steppenwolf Garage) and around the country (at American Repertory Theatre in Boston and Actors Theatre of Louisville) since 2010.
Elsewhere in Chicago and abroad, he has been on stage with: Steppenwolf Theatre (Theatrical Essays), Chicago Shakespeare (Julius Caesar), Chicago Childrens’ Theatre (A Year With Frog and Toad), Lakeside Shakespeare in Michigan (Henry V, Love’s Labors Lost, King Lear, As You Like It), Signal Ensemble (Old Wicked Songs) and the Dallas Theatre Center (South
Pacific). Pfautsch also had a role as the recurring character Alan Devlin on FOX’s “Mob Doctor.”
ABOUT JESS McLEOD
McLeod directs for the first time with The House Theatre of Chicago. She is an Associate Artist at The Music Theatre Company, where her credits include The Pajama Game, Fugitive Songs in Concert, and the Young Artist Program productions of Mill Girls, Zanna, Don't!
and YAPbook '11. Other Chicago: Funeral Wedding: The Alvin Play (Strange Tree Group), L-Vis Live! (Victory Gardens), Kin (Griffin Theatre), The Wedding Singer (Haven Theatre), and Venus at Steppenwolf, co-produced by Northwestern's M.F.A. directing program, through which McLeod also directed In Trousers and Mourning Becomes Electra and co-created "Master Clash," the M.F.A. Writer/Director short play festival. From 2005-08, McLeod served as Director
of Programming for The New York Musical Theatre Festival, where she oversaw all curating and directed pop/musical theatre fusion concerts including The Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds. She has also directed workshops of new plays and musicals for American Theater Company, The Music Theatre Company, The American Music Theatre Project and The House, and heads
Timber Lake Playhouse's Summer Playwrights Lab.
Leonora Dickson is the Production Sponsor for Season on the Line. Development of Season on the Line has been supported in part by the Boeing Company and University of Chicago's Summer, Inc. residency.


ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO
The House is Chicago's premier home for original works of physical and spectacle storytelling. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.
The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 60 Joseph Jefferson Awards (19 wins) and became the first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007. Now in its 12th year of original work, The House continues its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.


Sunday, October 5, 2014

ACT OUT: Jane Eyre at Lifeline Through October 26th

Jane Eyre is high on our must see list. The fall theatre season has been so full, we haven't had time to catch it yet, but we've been hearing great things. Also, our friend, Ada Grey (10), youngest critic in town, and her dad are both in it, so there's extra incentive to go. You may remember her as the creepy little girl in The House Theatre's The Iron Stag King, another show she was in with her dad. Many of the Jane Eyre performances, especially weekend shows, are sold out, so don't miss out. Get your tickets today.



Production photos by Jackie Jasperson

"★★★ Streamlines the complicated plot while providing compelling glimpses of the psychological demons and moral deformities haunting its lovers... stark but effective staging choices" -Chicago Tribune

"All the complexities of Jane's life and the atmosphere of the novel are translated into sights, sounds, and emotions in front of us." -Time Out Chicago

"Dorothy Milne's expressionistic direction moves the story along... every actor here is in top form" -Chicago Reader




Jane Eyre runs Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 4pm & 8pm, and Sundays at 4pm, through October 26. 


Special Performances:





After a troubled childhood, Jane Eyre searches for new purpose as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But a fragile peace gives way to turbulent passion when she meets Mr. Rochester, a man concealing a dark secret. Their unconventional relationship leads to a terrible revelation, and Jane must forge a new future from the ashes of her ravaged dreams. As she struggles to free herself from the ghosts of her past, Jane realizes that her only hope is to find love on her own terms. A highly theatrical exploration of one woman’s independent spirit in a beloved adaptation based on the classic 1847 novel by Charlotte Brontë.
Based on the classic romance by Charlotte Brontë
Adapted by Christina Calvit
Directed by Dorothy Milne
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)



Audio Description and Touch Tour
Saturday, October 25 - Touch tour: 2:30pm, Performance: 4:00pm

Visit our Accessibility page for more information about these special shows.

Many upcoming performances are already sold out - call the box office today at (773) 761-4477 or order online.




Saturday, October 4, 2014

Chicago punks Dead On TV will celebrate the release of the EP Creeper with a show at Township on Saturday, Oct. 18

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar
Dead on TV (Record Release)
(Aboriginal Rock)

mPshows.com Presents
Dead on TV (Record Release)
/ Crude Humor / Happy99 / Off Color

Saturday, Oct 18, 2014 6:00 PM CDT (6:00 PM Doors)
Township, Chicago, IL





ALL AGES!
Record release show for Dead On TV's new EP, CREEPER! 



DEAD ON TV
Shit Show New-Wave Garage Punk From Chicago, Dead on TV has stroked audiences all over the nation with their brand of explosive new-wave punk narcissism. This sound, coupled with the smash and grab disruption of lead singer Dan Evans, the brutal machine-like ineptness of drummer Vince Mcaley, the pounding low end of synth player Mike Bradberry and a complete and heinous disregard for the life of guitar player Corey Devlin has resulted in some of the most epically offensive shows ever removed from youtube for violation of community standards.

CRUDE HUMOR
Nik, Omar, and Bradley were born as siamese triplets. We found Luke later on. He was a prom night dumpster baby.

HAPPY99
Punk Rock/Alternative/Whatever you think we are band band from Chicago.


OFF COLOR


Friday, October 3, 2014

Second City Comedy 2nd To None

There's a reason Second City is a world renowned breeding ground for comedians. They're very good at what they do and have a gazillion famous alums. Still, if you live here in Chicago it's easy to forget the ongoing shows in the onslaught of stellar short runs. So we're going to give a little love to the reigning kings & queens of improv and sketch comedy. 

I was just there a few days ago for a press preview/World Premier of What's Happy Got to Do With It? with the fabulously funny and insightful Doctor G (Author, Deborah Gilboa) in Second City’s ETC Theatre. Thanks to Second City for wining and dining us and hosting this program geared towards parents. Deborah Gilboa has a down to earth persona and an uncanny ability to impart truly useful nuggets of parenting wisdom without coming across as a know it all. Thanks to our friends over at The Silverman Group for the heads up. 


I have a background in improv and theatre arts and actively acted throughout high school, college and a bit beyond, though I never did work for Second City. I can't tell you though how many of my college improv colleagues and Chicago theatre pals have passed through those hallowed halls! Many of them are STILL teaching there and/or can be seen on stage. 

Here's Second City's Up Comedy Club current lineup:


UP COMEDY CLUB
(of course live theatre doesn't technically have a rating system like films, but do note, these shows are self rated "R" and make a better parents' night out than a family foray.)



Click here for all the stand up going down.



Nick Thune





THE SECOND CITY'S DEEP CUTS
SECOND CITY'S NEWEST ARCHIVAL SHOW (ending 10/12)


Join the cast of The Second City's Deep Cuts as they navigate the daily apocalypse of the internet age, where the end of the world is simply fodder for top ten lists and worldwide politics are boiled down to philosophical T-Rex memes. Too busy googling your ex-boyfriend to make a new memory at prom? Too many Big Macs ruining your profile smile?  It's easy to go to the hit single, but the deep cuts are where it really gets rewarding.


CAST: Bente Engelstoft, Peter Kim, Kelsey Kinney, Adam Peacock, Dewayne Perkins, Rashawn Nadine Scott
DIRECTOR: Anthony LeBlanc
MUSICALDIRECTOR: Vinnie Pillarella
STAGE MANAGER: Meghan Teal

Follow along with #SCDeepCuts.
90 minutes with a brief intermission.
Suggested Rating: R




The Second City’s Incomplete Guide to Everything 
Open Run
Tuesdays at 8pm
Saturdays & Sundays at 4pm Location:
UP Comedy Club, Piper’s Alley, 3
rd Floor, 230 W North Ave

Tickets: $24 - $29 
Box Office: 230 W North Ave; by phone at 312-662-4562; online at www.upcomedyclub.com 

From the great books to the worst presidents, The Second City has spent half a century laughing in the face of our past, present and future.  And now it’s all in one show…sort of.  UP Comedy Club presents The Second City’s Incomplete Guide to Everything, a hilarious collection of scenes and songs that skewers everything that you learned in college – or that you should have learned in college on the days you slept in.  

Incomplete Guide is directed by Ryan Bernier with Musical Direction by Vinne Pillarella.  The cast of The Second City’s Incomplete Guide to Everything includes Second City veterans Sayjal Joshi, Shad Kunkle, Beth Melewski, Tim Stoltenberg, Daniel Strauss and Niccole Thurman.

Suggested Rating: R
Run Time: 90 minutes; brief intermission



Second City’s Game Night
Open Run
Wednesdays at 8pm
Location: UP Comedy Club, Piper’s Alley, 3rd Floor, 230 W North Ave
Tickets: $24 
Box Office: 230 W North Ave; by phone at 312-662-4562; online at www.upcomedyclub.com 
Everyone wins at Second City's Game Night! Get ready to join in the fun with Chicago's best improvisers for an evening of unscripted improvisational comedy. Join in the fun by earning points for your team and playing classic game shows. So raise your hand for a chance to get on stage and to win a prize!
Game Night features Joey Bland, Brendan Dowling, Paul Grondy, Megan Hovde, Tim Paul and Sue Salvi with musical direction by Matthew Cohen. Meghan Teal is the stage manager.

Run Time: 90 minutes; brief intermission


Second City Improv All Stars
Open Run
Mondays at 8pm
Location: UP Comedy Club, Piper’s Alley, 3rd Floor, 230 W North Ave
Tickets: $17 
Box Office: 230 W North Ave; by phone at 312-662-4562; online at www.upcomedyclub.com 

See Chicago’s finest improvisers under the direction of the legendary Mick Napier in an evening of unscripted and unequaled improvisational comedy.  This show is highly interactive, hilarious and thoroughly original.

Suggested Rating: R
Run Time: 60 minutes




The Second City’s Holidazed and Confused Revue
November 16 – December 27, 2014
Thursdays at 8pm
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays 8pm and 11pm
Sundays at 7pm
Location: UP Comedy Club, Piper’s Alley, 3rd Floor, 230 W North Ave
Tickets: $24 
Box Office: 230 W North Ave; by phone at 312-662-4562; online at www.upcomedyclub.com 

UP Comedy Club presents the hilarious sketch comedy show Second City's Holidazed and Confused. Laugh this season with family and friends as Second City skewers all that is right and wrong about the holidays.

Suggested Rating: R
Run Time: 90 minutes; brief intermission.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

OPENING: BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF AT LAST: A TRIBUTE TO ETTA JAMES WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JACKIE TAYLOR


Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more. Chi, IL Live Shows on stage and on our radar.

SEPTEMBER 27–DECEMBER 28

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've been wowed for years, by Black Ensemble Theater and the stellar talent of Jackie Taylor. BET consistently produces high caliber, professional shows that feature some of the best vocalists and live musicians in the city.  If you adore Etta James' work like we do, BET are the ones to do her justice. Come check out the remount of this acclaimed production.



Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces the return of the Black Ensemble classic At Last: A Tribute to Etta James written and directed by Jackie Taylor and co-directed by Daryl D. Brooks.  At Last: A Tribute to Etta James will be presented at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, September 27-December 28, 2014.  

This phenomenal superstar giant lives again through the pen of Jackie Taylor. Ms. Taylor brings back this Black Ensemble classic featuring 15 of Etta James' biggest hits.
                                                                                                                
Title:                             At Last: A Tribute to Etta James
Written by:                    Jackie Taylor
Co-directed by:             Jackie Taylor and Daryl D. Brooks
Musical Director:           Robert Reddrick
Dates:                          September 27-December 28, 2014
Previews: September 27 and 28, October 3 and 4
                                    Press Performance: Sunday, October 5 at 3:00 p.m.
Schedule:                     Wed & Thurs:               7:30 p.m. (except Oct. 1-23, Nov. 27, and
Dec. 25)
                                    Friday:                         8:00 p.m.
                                    Saturday:                     3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday:                       3:00 p.m.
Location:                      Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street.
                                    Valet parking is available.
Ticket prices:                $55 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday matinees; and $65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings, and Sunday matinees. A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.
Box Office:                   Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (773) 769-4451

The Black Ensemble Theater
Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space; rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage.  The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), is expected in to begin construction in 2014.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

OPENING: Evil Dead The Musical at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place


COMING TO THE BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT 
WATER TOWER PLACE
SEPTEMBER 23 
THROUGH OCTOBER 12

ChiIL Live Shows will be there... will YOU?! Want a musical that'll send chills up your spine? Want to have a bloody good time in the splatter zone?! Of course you do. Come on out for some kitschy blood bath fun. We'll be there to review opening night so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. (Not recommended for the 12 & under set).



Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the cast and creative team for Evil Dead - The Musical, winner of the 2007 Dora Audience Choice Award as Toronto’s favorite show, which will bring mayhem and fun to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E Chestnut) for a limited three-week engagement Sept. 23 through Oct. 12, 2014. 

“We’re excited to showcase a cast full of Chicagoans at the Broadway Playhouse,” said Corey Ross, president of Starvox Entertainment.  “Don’t miss this show to see an unforgettable, hilarious transformation splattered with evil fun.”

Evil Dead – The Musical will feature a cast full of Chicagoans including Julie Baird, Callie Johnson, Ryan McBride, David Sajewich, Creg Sclavi, Demi Zaino and Toronto native Andrew Di Rosa.

Evil Dead - The Musical, the hilarious, record-breaking Canadian musical, George Reinblatt (Book & Lyrics), Frank Cipolla (Music), Melissa Morris (Music) and Christopher Bond (Direction & Music), tells the outrageous story of five college friends spending the weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods after accidentally unleashing an evil force that turns them all into demons.

The production is choreographed by Stacey Renee Maroske with music direction by Aaron Eyre, and features scenic design by Lindsay Anne Black, costume design by Claudia Kada, lighting design by Gareth Crew and sound design by Michael Laird.  Evil Dead – The Musical is produced by Starvox Entertainment in association with Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment.

Those familiar with Evil Dead - The Musical will remember that audience members sitting in the designated “Splatter Zone” (the first four rows) get covered in fake blood as the production incorporates some fun ‘real-life’ effects during certain scenes. In addition to some dismembered limbs, demons telling bad jokes, and catchy tunes (“Look Who’s Evil Now”, “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons”), the show features a saucy combination of wit and sexual innuendo that keeps audiences laughing out loud.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 7:00 and 10:30 p.m.
Saturdays 7:00 and 10:30 p.m.
Sundays at 3 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to Evil Dead - The Musical are on-sale now with additional seating in the Splatter Zone.  Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.  Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.evildeadthemusical.com.

About Evil Dead - The Musical
This musical first glimpsed the light of day in Toronto, where early workshop engagements played to capacity and beyond. While local mainstream theatre audiences flocked to the show, diehard fans of the Evil Dead film series made pilgrimages from across North America to witness the birth of a new cult hit. The popular workshop production enjoyed two sold-out runs at Toronto’s Tranzac Club in 2003 before heading off to Montreal in 2004 as part of the 22nd Just For Laughs Festival.  It opened off-Broadway at New World Stages in November 2006 and was produced by Jenkay LLC, Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment and Just for Laughs Live. Evil Dead - The Musical returned to Toronto in 2007 for a record-breaking run of more than 300 performances at the now defunct Diesel Playhouse. The production enjoyed a hugely successful remount at Toronto’s Randolph Theatre in the fall of 2013. This production is now on its latest American tour. 

About Starvox Entertainment
Founded in 2005 by Corey Ross, Starvox Entertainment is ranked number 17 on Profit Magazine's list of Toronto's top 50 growth companies in 2013. Starvox produces, manages, represents and promotes cross-over performing arts shows that tour across Canada and the United States, as well as México, China, the Middle East and Europe.  In 2013, Mr. Ross was a producer on the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS and remounted Evil Dead-The Musical to record-breaking sales in Toronto and Philadelphia. Starvox is also the producer of HAIR - which toured throughout the United States. Starvox is the producer of the successful Harry Potter themed off-Broadway sensation Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience which continues to tour and experience sold-out engagements across the United States during its' 2013-2014 tour. Potted Potter launched its first tour in México in February 2014 with a second Canadian tour planned for the winter of 2014. Starvox has presented three productions written and directed by Woody Harrelson, John Malkovich in Giacomo Variations, and nationally broadcast concerts for the Stephen Lewis Foundation featuring Alicia Keys and Annie Lennox.  Starvox is currently working with Beyoncé’s creative team, to produce the multi-million dollar reboot of the classic Las Vegas revue show Jubilee for Caesars Entertainment.

CAST BIOS
JULIE BAIRD (Linda) is from the suburbs of Chicago and is thrilled to be a part of this bloody production!  Recent credits include Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, Riverside Center, and Cape Fear Regional Theatre), Elly May in The World Premiere of the Beverly Hillbillies: The Musical! (Theatre at the Center) and Amber in Hairspray (Summer Repertory Theatre).  She also has spent several summers at Six Flags Great America as a singer in their main stage shows. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Western Michigan.

RYAN CZERWONKO (Swing/Fake Shemp) is so excited to be on his first national tour!  Based in Chicago, recent credits there include Broken Fences (16th Street Theater), Cymbeline (First Folio Theatre) and Dozens of Cousins (Trap Door Theatre). Regionally, he has worked with Livermore Shakespeare, Orlando Shakespeare, and the Monomoy Theatre.  Independent films: The Glass House, Wiggah. Ryan holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Ohio University.

ANDREW DI ROSA (Jake) is thrilled to join the company of Evil Dead – The Musical!  Andrew hails from Toronto, Ontario, where he graduated from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College Specialized Bachelor of Arts Joint Program. Andrew's past performances include Danny Zuko in Grease, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Laurie in Little Women, the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz and most recently the title role in Shrek: The Musical.  He also stars in the feature film “Fragile Minds” which is slated for release next summer.  

CALLIE JOHNSON (Annie/Shelly) is a Chicago-based actress and is thrilled to be a part of Evil Dead - The Musical!  Recent Chicago credits include Pal Joey (Porchlight Music Theatre, Jeff Award: Cameo Performance); Next to Normal (Drury Lane Oakbrook, Broadway World Award: Best Musical Revival).  Callie recently finished playing Carrie White in the Chicago premiere of Carrie the Musical.  She is a 2012 BFA graduate of Columbia College Chicago's musical theatre program, a proud player of the Peninsula Players in Door County, and is originally from Genoa, IL. 

JESSICA KINGSDALE (Swing) Jessica Kingsdale is thrilled to be part of the Evil Dead team!  A Chicago-based actor, she has worked at such theatres as Chicago Shakespeare, BoHo, Paramount Theatre, Lookingglass, Griffin Theatre, and The Music Theatre Company.  Some favorite roles include Rizzo in Grease (Paramount), Marta in Kiss of the Spider Woman (BoHo), and her recent cover of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare).

RYAN McBRIDE (Ed/Moose) is so excited to be touring with Evil Dead - The Musical!  Chicago credits include: the national touring production of Letters Home (Griffin Theatre); Damn Yankees, Annie Get Your Gun (Light Opera Works); Fair Maid of the West (Chicago Shakespeare Project); Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Sita Ram (Lookingglass Theatre); Fallow (Steep Theatre).  Regional Theaters include Bucks County Playhouse, Pocono Playhouse, and Open Air Theatre. Proud graduate from the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

DAVID SAJEWICH (Ash) is excited to be going on this ass kicking adventure!  Based out of Chicago, he’s performed in Les Miserables (Drury Lane Oakbrook); The Pajama Game, The Baker’s Wife, and Do I Hear a Waltz? (The Music Theatre Company); Fiddler on the Roof (Paramount Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (First Folio Theatre); The Baker’s Wife (Circle Theatre); Man of La Mancha (Light Opera Works), and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Lifeline Theatre). Regionally, he’s performed in Once Upon a Mattress and Legally Blonde (Fireside Theatre); Little Women (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre) and Evita with St. Louis’ New Line Theatre.

CREG SCLAVI (Scott) is absolutely thrilled to be playing the role of Scott in the US National Tour of Evil Dead - The Musical!  He enjoys spending his time playing guitar, hanging out with friends, and doing his best to NOT be dismembered or possessed by demons (particularly of the Candarian persuasion).  Based in Chicago, Creg was most recently seen on the 2014 National Tour of HAIR as well as in the Bleecker Company’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire in Wellsboro, PA.  Chicago area credits include Bobby Strong (Jeff Nominated) in Urinetown:The Musical (Circle Theatre), Sonny LaTierri in
Grease (Paramount Theatre), Ensemble in Miss Saigon (Paramount Theatre), Sir Robin in Spamalot! (NightBlue), Gabe Green in Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Fox Valley Rep.) and Charlie in The Pajama Game (TMTC). 

DEMI ZAINO (Cheryl) is overjoyed to be joining the cast of Evil Dead the Musical!  Theatre Credits include: Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare), Hairspray (Marriott Lincolnshire). Educational Credits include: Emma Goldman (Ragtime), Radio (Caroline or Change), Dr. Scott (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray), Mrs. Lovette (Sweeney Todd), Lorna Moon (Golden Boy) and Bee-Bee (Suburbia).

                                                                                                                                               THE CREATIVE TEAM
GEORGE REINBLATT (Book and Lyrics, Co-Composer) is a comedy writer whose credits are so varied, he literally needs a bio to list them all. Luckily for you, this is that bio. George has written jokes for the last six Comedy Central Roasts including the “Roast of James Franco” and the highly rated “Roast of Charlie Sheen.” George was a writer for two seasons on Comedy Central’s “The Burn with Jeff Ross.” He has also written comedy for the likes of Steve Martin, Tina Fey, John Cleese, Craig Ferguson, Andre-Philippe Gagnon, and even Kelly Ripa.  George was the head writer for two “MuchMusic Video Awards” writing for LMFAO, Psy, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida and many more.  He was a contributing writer for “The Arsenio Hall Show.”  He has also worked as a writer on “Rick Mercer’s Monday Report,” “Canada’s Walk of Fame,” “Match Game” and “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.” Evil Dead – The Musical is George’s first stage production.

CHRISTOPHER BOND (Director, Co-Composer, Additional Lyrics) is best known as the director, co-creator and co-composer of the hit show, Evil Dead, The Musical.  He developed and directed Evil Dead since 2002, including the show’s US debut Off-Broadway (nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical) and its return to Canada at the Diesel Playhouse (Winner of the 2007 Dora Mavor Moore Audience Choice Award) which also received a Dora nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Musical.  Christopher most recently co-wrote and directed the official stage version of Night of the Living Dead Live at Theatre Passe Muraille, which was executive produced by George A. Romero.  Christopher’s screenwriting credits with his co-writer Trevor Martin include “A Little Bit Zombie” starring Stephen McHattie & Shawn Roberts.  “ALBZ” won the Best Feature Film awards at the 2012 Canadian Film Festival and Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil and is currently being distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Their second feature film “Patch Town” also garnered the Best Feature Film at the Canadian Film Festival in 2013 and is being distributed through Kino Lorber.  Chris and Trevor are currently writing music for an upcoming musical kids TV series called “Acting Up” with the Chorus Network.  Christopher is thrilled to direct Evil Dead for a lucky eighth time!

FRANK CIPOLLA (Co-Composer, Music Supervision).   I'm one of those people who always have a song in my head.  As a kid, I was constantly banging pencils or forks to some cerebral rhythm, until my parents bought me a drum set (and ear plugs for themselves).  I loved making up songs for my dog.  Then one day I got a blank canvas to unload all of these sonic nuggets that had been brewing in my head for decades. No idea was too ridiculous; no chord change too strange.  And what came out was Evil Dead-The Musical. And the catharsis was complete.  I hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as I loved making it. BTW – my dog really likes the show.

MELISSA MORRIS (Co-Composer) has a BAH in Music and Drama from Queen’s University.  She is an actor, singer, writer, composer and teacher. She has written five plays/musicals; The Fred Astaire Story, an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland with Dr. Craig Walker, Maid for a Musket with Lucia Frangione, Asylum by the Lake with Dana Fradkin, and of course, Evil Dead-The Musical.  Melissa has also written original music for productions of A Winter’s Tale and The Passion for Theatre Kingston, Othello and Midsummer Night’s Dream at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival.  As a performer, she has worked with such theatre companies as Port Hope Festival, Toronto Chamber Opera, Shakespeare in the Square, Sunshine and Company Festival, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Vaughan City Playhouse, Acorn Theatre, Possible Arts, Metaphysical Theatre, St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival and Theatre Kingston.

LINDSAY ANNE BLACK (Scenic Design) has designed sets and costumes for theatre and dance of all sizes, independent and commercial, both scripted and devised. Selected projects include: Dinner at Seven-Thirty (Theatre Rusticle), Night Of The Living Dead Live (Nictophobia Films), Chile Con Carne (Alameda Theatre), Laws Of Motion (Small Elephant), This Must Be The Place: The CN Tower Project (Theatre Passe Muraille); HOMEbody (Shannon Litzenberger Dance), Saucisse: A Foo Musical
(Foo Productions); Sia (Cahoots Theatre Projects); The Atomic Weight of Happiness (Stand Up Dance); Macbeth (Driftwood Theatre Group); and My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding (Mirvish).  She has led workshops at Tarragon Theatre and Canadian Stage, as well as in high schools and at drama festivals. Two of her costumes have been on display at the Design Exchange, and she was the recipient of the 2007 Pauline McGibbon Award, as well as five Dora Award nominations, though never a bride.

CLAUDIA KADA (Costume Design) is thrilled to yet again resurrect her costume design for Evil Dead-The Musical.  Claudia began her costume career with Evil Dead – her first costume design was the Evil Dead production at the Tranzac Club in 2003.  A Toronto-based designer for theatre and television, she has designed sets for Joan Rivers, Isaac Mizrahi and Suzanne Somers for broadcast (Rogers Media).  Theatre credits include Night of the Living Dead Live (Nictophobia Films), Evil Dead-The Musical (Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment/Just for Laughs) and Mein Kampf (U of T).  Claudia is a graduate of York University’s Theatre Program and the University of Toronto's Graduate Drama Program.

GARETH CREW (Lighting Design) Back in 2003, Gareth had the privilege of lighting an off-beat cult musical work shopping in a small bar in Toronto.  It's been eleven years, and since then he's lit Assassins (BirdLand/TIFT), the Canadian Premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera (Hart House), Sweeney Todd (Theatre Sheridan), and, of course, The Rocky Horror Show (Fallen Rock).  Needless to say, he is beyond ecstatic to be coming home to Evil Dead - The Musical.  Gareth has been nominated for two Dora Awards, in 2014 for Marry Me a Little (Tarragon), and in 2011 for Madhouse Variations (Eldritch).  Gareth is designer in residence at Toronto's premiere Lovecraftian punk horror-comedy puppetry troupe, Eldritch Theatre.  Gareth is a proud member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

MICHAEL LAIRD (Sound Design) Selected Sound Design credits:  Once On This Island (Acting Up Stage); Annie, Cinderella, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Princess and the Handmaiden, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Wizard of Oz (YPT); Seussical (YPT/Citadel Theatre); Romeo & Juliet, Spamalot!, Sound of Music, Little Women (Citadel Theatre); God of Carnage, Clybourne Park, Stuff Happens (Studio 180/Mirvish);  Our Class, The Overwhelming, Blackbird (Studio 180); Great Expectations, Barber of Seville (Soulpepper); Speaking in Tongues, Through the Leaves, Festen, Marion Bridge (Company Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage); A Synonym for Love (Volcano Theatre); Evil Dead: The Musical (Off B’way & Toronto); A Beautiful View (da da kamera).

AARON EYRE (Music Director) is thrilled to be once again returning to the cabin! He is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with degrees in Composition and Theatre, and is the recipient of the NUMUS Award for Composition for The Poison Tree.  Selected credits as Music Director include Let the Sunshine In (Welcome Wood), Central Park Tango (Theatre Sheridan/CMTP), Opening Doors (Theatre Sheridan), The Last Five Years (Angelwalk), Evil Dead - The Musical (Latimer Entertainment) and BoyGroove (M.Rubinoff Productions).  Also an accomplished choral conductor and vocal arranger, Aaron conducted the Note by Note Singers in a tribute concert for Canadian choral composer Alfred Kunz.  Aaron arranged music for The Nick Drake Project and composed new material for Trey Parker's Cannibal! The Musical.  He records with and acts as Music Supervisor/Accompanist for 2Divine.

STACEY RENEE MAROSKE (Choreographer) is a Toronto based performer, singer, dancer, musician, teacher, adjudicator and award-winning choreographer. A York University graduate, Stacey is the director of her own company: “The Next Level Entertainment” which previously produced the Next Level Dance Convention, featuring famous choreographers from “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “Dancing With The Stars.” Stacey’s company also produces live shows, entertainment and musical acts/ bands for corporate events and theme parks across North America including Ontario Place, Canada’s Wonderland and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.  Stacey has had the opportunity to choreograph for numerous music videos, commercials, television and live shows including George Romero's Night of The Living Dead Live, and the 2013/14 national tour of Evil Dead- The Musical.

STARVOX ENTERTAINMENT/COREY ROSS (Producer), Founded in 2005 by Corey Ross, Starvox Entertainment is ranked number 17 on Profit Magazine's list of Toronto's top 50 growth companies in 2013. Starvox produces, manages, represents and promotes cross-over performing arts shows that tour across Canada and the United States, as well as México, China, the Middle East and Europe.  In 2013, Mr. Ross was a producer on the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS and remounted Evil Dead-The Musical to record-breaking sales in Toronto and Philadelphia.  Starvox is also the producer of HAIR - which toured throughout the United States.  Starvox is the producer of the successful Harry Potter themed off-Broadway sensation Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience which continues to tour and experience sold-out engagements across the United States.  Potted Potter launched its first tour in México in February 2014 with a second Canadian tour planned for the winter of 2014. Starvox has presented three productions written and directed by Woody Harrelson, John Malkovich in Giacomo Variations, and nationally broadcast concerts for the Stephen Lewis Foundation featuring Alicia Keys and Annie Lennox.  Starvox recently produced a multi-million dollar reboot of the classic Las Vegas revue show Jubilee for Caesars Casino, with pop mega-star Beyoncé’s creative team.

JEFFREY LATIMER (Producer) has produced and managed live theatre, musical productions, artists, events and sponsorships in North America for the past 20 years.  His company, JLE, is based in Toronto and currently has various projects in production.  Jeffrey’s shows include Forever Plaid, Stomp, Forever Tango, Forever Swing (with Michael Bublé), Grease, Cookin At The Cookery (with the legendary Bea Arthur), An Evening with George Burns, Defending the Caveman and many more.  Jeffrey worked with Second City and Just for Laughs in business development.  He is currently producing and developing shows such as Evil Dead-The Musical, Queen For A Day: The Musical, as well as many other projects. Jeffrey manages the International Juno Award winning, Platinum selling recording artists, The Tenors, as well as the young pop rock group Neverest, The amazing Lisa Ray and Juno Award winning soul sensation Sean Jones.

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