OPENING: STOMP at the Bank of America Theatre #BroadwayInChicago

THE INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION SENSATION

 RETURNS TO CHICAGO FOR ONE WEEK ONLY

AT BANK OF AMERICA THEATRE 

FROM JANUARY 20 – 25

CHICAGO 

Get your rhythm on with STOMP. This rockin', world famous show will thaw your frozen soul and provide the perfect excuse to brave the chill and get out of the house. Here at ChiIL Mama, we can't wait to check out this infamous recycled object band gone Broadway touring extravaganza.

Chicago's Bank of America Theatre hosts the international smash hit STOMP. This famed high-energy show features a cast of eight performers, creating wildly rhythmic sounds with unconventional instruments — everything from brooms and garbage cans to matchboxes and hubcaps and more — and also features plenty of unexpected comedy and audience interaction. A true worldwide phenomenon, STOMP has won both Obie and Drama Desk Awards. Since the first performance in 1991, this thrilling production's played in over 350 cities, earning praise as one of this generation's most mesmerizing theatrical events.

STOMP returns to Chicago by popular demand for a limited one-week engagement at the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe) January 20 – 25, 2015.  From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 20 years, having performed in more than 50 countries and in front of more than 24 million people.

Chicago critics and audiences have raved: “A phenomenal show!  Bashing, crashing, smashing, swishing, banging and kicking – a joyous invention!” says Chris Jones with the Chicago Tribune. “A show-stopping, thrillingly dangerous, heartbeat-hiking percussive spectacle.  Full of sound and fury and fabulous fun!” exclaims Hedy Weiss with the Chicago Sun-Times.

Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP continues its phenomenal run with four global productions: the ongoing sell-out production at New York's Orpheum Theatre, a permanent London company, and North American and European tours.  Throughout its life, the show has continued to change by creating new material; next year, it will incorporate two new pieces.  It is safe to say you will never again look at supermarket carts  or plumbing fixtures the same way… or paint cans, or kitchen sinks or…

STOMP, an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews, numerous awards, and sell-out engagements, is the winner of an Olivier Award for Best Choreography (London's Tony Award), a New York Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience, and a Special Citation from Best Plays.

In addition to the stage shows, STOMP has been an overwhelming success marked by rave reviews, numerous awards, an Academy Award nomination, four Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award for their acclaimed HBO special Stomp Out Loud, noteworthy TV appearances including The London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, The Academy Awards (produced by Quincy Jones), Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and a series of award-winning international commercials. 

The performers “make a rhythm out of anything we can get our hands on that makes a sound,” says co-founder/director Luke Cresswell.  A unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy, STOMP has created its own inimitable, contemporary form of rhythmic expression: both household and industrial objects find new life as musical instruments in the hands of an idiosyncratic band of body percussionists.  It is a journey through sound, a celebration of the everyday and a comic interplay of characters wordlessly communicating through dance and drum.

Synchronized stiff-bristle brooms become a sweeping orchestra, eight Zippo lighters flip open and closed to create a fiery fugue; wooden poles thump and clack in a rhythmic explosion.  STOMP uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - dustbins, tea chests, radiator hoses, boots, hub caps - to fill the stage with a compelling and unique act that is often imitated but never duplicated.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.stomponline.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday at 7:30 PM

Wednesday at 7:30 PM

Thursday at 7:30 PM

Friday at 7:30 PM

Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM

Sunday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to STOMP range from $20-$65. A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances.  Tickets are available now 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.

OPENING: Accidentally, Like a Martyr at A Red Orchid #Theatre

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS 

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF  

ACCIDENTALLY, LIKE A MARTYR

DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER SHADE MURRAY

JANUARY 15 – MARCH 1, 2015

A Red Orchid Theatre continues its 22^nd Season with the Chicago premiere of Accidentally, Like a Martyr, written by Grant James Varjas and directed by Ensemble Member Shade Murray and featuring Ensemble Members Steve Haggard, and Doug Vickers with David Cerda, Layne Manzer, Luce Metrius, Troy West and Dominique Worsley The production runs January 15 – March 1, 2015, at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells.

In a dive-y gay bar on Manhattan’s lower east side the regulars and the restless others do battle, joke and drink their way through a lonely winter evening. Different generations and backgrounds collide, secrets are revealed and old wounds are torn anew as these survivors come to grips with life, loss and aging in the 21st century.  Family and friendship are the focus of this humor filled drama in the tradition of The Time of Your Life and Small Craft Warnings.

Dates: Previews: January 15 – 18, 2015

Press opening: Monday, January 19 at 7 p.m.

Regular Run: January 20 – March 1, 2015

Schedule:     Thursdays: 8:00 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 8:00 p.m.  

Sundays: 3:00 p.m. 

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.

Tickets: $15 previews, $30-$35 regular run.  ($30Thurs, $35 Fri, Sat, Sun)

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 

The creative team for Accidentally, Like a Martyr includes John Holt (Set Designer), Karen Kawa (Costume Designer), Rachel Levy (Lighting Designer), Brando Triantafillou (Sound Designer), Arianna Soloway (Props Designer) and S. G. Heller (Stage Manager).

Accidentally, Like a Martyr premiered at The Paradise Factory in NYC, 2011

About the Artists

Grant James Varjas (Playwright) is the writer of the GLAAD nominated play 33 To Nothing which enjoyed a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production directed by Randall Myer (Love, Janis), and Accidentally, Like A Martyr, a critic's favorite from 2012.  As an actor, Off-Broadway: The Shape Of Something Squashed (written/directed by Tom Noonan), Twelve Dreams (Lincoln Center); Franz Kafka's The Castle (Manhattan Ensemble Theater); Tesla's Letters; Killing Hand and Sockdolager (Ensemble Studio Theater); Accidentally, Like A Martyr; I Could Say More (Other Side Productions); 33 To Nothing.  Grant is a member of Moises Kaufman's Tectonic Theater and has collaborated with him on many projects, including “The Laramie Project" (HBO Films); The Common Pursuit (Roundabout Theater); and 33 Variations (CTG at the Ahmanson Theater with Jane Fonda).  Film:  "Peter and Vandy"; "Territory"; "Paradise Framed"; "Parallel Lives".  Television: "Sex and the City"; "Law & Order: Criminal Intent".  Grant is a board member of Tom Noonan's Paradise Factory Theater.

Shade Murray (Director) is a member of the artistic ensemble at A Red Orchid where he recently directed Marisa Wegrzyn’s Mud Blue Sky, Annie Baker’s The Aliens and Nick Jones’ Trevor. Also at AROT; The Butcher of Baraboo, Abigail's Party (Jeff Nomination, Director) and Kimberly Akimbo.  He recently had the pleasure of directing Mike Leigh’s Ecstasy for Cole Theatre, The Vandal at Steep Theatre, and Annie Bosh is Missing for Steppenwolf Theatre’s First Look. Other credits include End Days at Next Theatre, The Chosen (Jeff Nomination, Director), The Subject Was Roses at Writers' Theatre, Fatty Arbuckle... at Second City, The Petrified Forest, The Good Soul of Szechuan,  Marathon '33 and many more at Strawdog Theatre, Stupid Kids (Jeff Nomination, Director), Some Explicit Polaroids, Santaland Diaries, Never Swim Alone at Roadworks as well as productions at the MCA, Shattered Globe, About Face, Colbalt, Shakespeare's Motley Crew, Timberlake Playhouse and dance theatre in collaboration with MK and Birgitta Victorson. 

David Cerda (Scott) is the co-founder, resident playwright, and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, Chicago’s leading camp and parody theatre company. He was last seen on the stage as Suzanne Pleshette in his critically acclaimed adaption of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Cerda has been featured in numerous publications including NewCity’s top 50 Players in Chicago theater, and the Chicago Reader’s annual people issue and in for his body of work with Hell in a Handbag Productions.

Steve Haggard (Mark) was last seen at A Red Orchid Theatre in The Aliens and has been an ensemble member since 2007.  Other Orchid shows include Kimberly Akimbo and The Mandrake.  Chicago credits: Tribes (Steppenwolf); Wasteland (Timeline); Old Glory, The Subject Was Roses and Our Town (Writers’); Season’s Greetings and She Stoops to Conquer (Northlight Theatre); King Lear, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare).  Regional Credits: American Players, Milwaukee Repertory and Indiana Repertory.  Steve is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Love to Kelsey, Mom and Q.

Layne Manzer (Brendan) was recently seen in Cole Theatre’s Ecstasy, by Mike Leigh directed by Shade Murray. He was in the original cast of Hit The Wall with The Inconvenience as part of Steppenwolf's 2012 Garage Rep and the remount in 2014. Other Chicago credits include The Jewels with TUTA Theatre, Assisted Living with Profiles Theatre, The Lady's Not for Burning with Theo Ubique, Our Bad Magnet with Mary-Arrchie as well as working with TimeLine Theatre, & Jackelope Theatre.  Film credits include the upcoming No Resolution and recently released feature film In Between Engagements.  Layne attended the School at Steppenwolf in 2009 and earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Luce Metrius (Jay) is making his A Red Orchid Theatre debut.  Recent Chicago credits include All Our Tragic with The Hypocrites and Buzzer at The Goodman Theatre.  Luce understudied roles in Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine Theatre Company and other Chicago credits include The March at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Iphigenia at Next Theatre Company, and Romeo & Juliet at Crowded Tub Collective. Mr. Metrius received his BA in acting from of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Doug Vickers (Charles) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he was most recently seen in Simpatico.  Other appearances at A Red Orchid include three plays by fellow ensemble member, Brett Neveu: Four Murders, Eric La Rue and The Meek, as well as Fatboy, Hunger and Thirst, The Grey Zone and more. Doug has also appeared at many other theatres around town, including Chicago Shakespeare (Comedy of Errors), Next Theatre (U.N. Inspector), Remy Bumpo (The Best Man) -Jeff Award for Cameo Performance, Famous Door, Raven, Trap Door, Hell in a Handbag, and Court Theatre. He's done various commercials over the years, and he appeared as a large red beanbag in a little known children's film.

Troy West (Edmund) has appeared previously at A Red Orchid Theatre in The Physicists, The Grey Zone, The Hothouse and BUG. Later Mr. West played in the OFF- BROADWAY run of BUG at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York. He has collaborated with Mr. Murray once before in the Roadworks production of Some Explicit Polaroids at Steppenwolf. Mr. West is an artistic associate with the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago

Dominique Worsley (Jeffrey) is thrilled to make his A Red Orchid debut. He most recently performed as an understudy in Steppenwolf Theatre’s adaptation of Animal Farm. Other Chicago credits include Tartuffe  at Court Theatre, BlackTop Sky (performing understudy) at Steppenwolf Garage Rep. and Titus Andronicus with The Right Brain Project. He has a BFA from the University of Illinois where he also ran Track and Field.

About A Red Orchid 

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993.  Chicago Magazine named Red Orchid Chicago’s Best Theatre Company of 2010. Over the past 22 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories. In addition to its professional season, the company also produces an annual youth project.

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West

OPENING: Cor Theatre's A Map of Virtue at Rivendell Theatre 1/8-2/14

A Map of Virtue by Erin Courtney

Part interview, part comedy, part middle-of-the-night horror story, 

A Map of Virtue is a hauntingly romantic play about a shared obsession 

that leaves a group of friends stranded in the woods. A bird statue is the guide through this symmetrical tale about the limits of our virtues and what we leave behind.

ChiIL Live Shows is catching the press opening tonight, so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. Our full review will be live soon.

"one of the most terrifying plays of the past decade" 

- The New York Times 

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

ChiIL Live Shows will be there for the press opening, so check back soon for our full review. In the meantime, book your tickets now for the best selection on dates. Seating is GA.

*Free parking is available at Senn High School.*

A hauntingly romantic play with a mystery at its center, A Map of Virtue was hailed “one of the most terrifying plays of the past decade” by the New York Times. It premiered at New York’s 13P in 2012, won an Obie Award and was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick. 

Cor Theatre, the new Chicago company that made its mark with 

Skin Tight at A Red Orchid Theatre in 2012, returns with the Midwest premiere of 

Erin Courtney's A Map of Virtue, 

directed by Cor Theatre Artistic Director Tosha Fowler.

  

Cor Theatre's Midwest premiere of A Map of Virtue will be only the play's second professional production. Cor Artistic Director Tosha Fowler will direct. The cast includes Will Von Vogt (Mark), Mallory Ness (Sarah), Nick Mikula (Nate), Ruben Adorno (Victor), Eleni Pappageorge (June), Adam Benjamin (Ray) and Scottie Caldwell  (The Bird). 

Designers are Tierra G. Novy (set), Stefin Steberl (costumes and props), Eric Vigo (lights) and Jeffrey Levin (sound). Elyse Cowles is assistant director/dramaturg. Production stage manager is Navid Afshar.

Cor Theatre will present A Map of Virtue January 8-February 14, 2015 at Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge Ave., in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Previews are Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. Soft Opening is Saturday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. Preview and Soft Opening tickets are $10. 

Regular performances continue January 15 through February 14: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 5 p.m. Performances are $25; $10 students and industry. Tickets to A Map of Virtue go on sale December 1. For tickets and information, visit cortheater.org or call (866) 811-4111.

  

More about Cor Theatre's A Map of Virtue

Tosha Fowler (director) is the co-founder of Cor Theatre, where she produced and acted in the critically acclaimed Skin Tight, under the direction of Victoria Delorio. Also with Cor she co-produced, wrote and performed in her original solo show, Mami, Where'd my O go? Fowler has produced theatre for almost ten years for companies including Mary-Arrchie Theatre, The Chicago Fringe Festival, The Academy Theatre in Atlanta, and her founding company, Fowl Brick in Savannah, Georgia. Her directing credits include A Doctor's Stories, Poof! and Bash and Bully Breakdown in HD. As an actress, Fowler has performed in Chicago with Lifeline Theatre, Emerald City, MPAACT, Cock & Bull and Circle Theatre. She has worked as a playwright with American Theatre Company's "Chicago Chronicle Project," the DePaul University Diversity Initiative, and the Academy Theater. Fowler is an adjunct professor in Theatre at DePaul University, and she holds an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul.

Erin Courtney (playwright) has said A Map of Virtue "is about people fantasizing about other people's lives, thinking their lives are better than their own lives, and really we are all just trying to get by." 

A Map of Virtue has been published along with her play Black Cat Lost by 53rd State Press. Courtney's other works include Honey Drop, Alice the Magnet, Quiver and Twitch, and Demon Baby. Her work has been produced and developed by Clubbed Thumb, The Flea, New York Stage and Film, Adhesive Theater, Soho Rep, The Vineyard and The Public. She collaborated with Elizabeth Swados on the opera Kaspar Hauser and is starting work on a new musical with Swados on the life of Isabelle Eberhardt. She was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013, a NYSCA grant, two MAP Fund grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, and has been a resident at the MacDowell Colony. Demon Baby is published in two anthologies; New Downtown Now, edited by Mac Wellman and Young Jean Lee and published by University of Minnesota Press, and Funny, Strange, Provocative: Seven Plays by Clubbed Thumb edited by Maria Striar and Erin Detrick and published by Playscripts, Inc. She is an affiliated artist with Clubbed Thumb, a member of 13P, and a member of New Dramatists. She teaches in the MFA playwriting program at Brooklyn College and is a co-founder of Brooklyn Writers Space. She is a graduate of Mac Wellman's MFA program at Brooklyn College in 2003, and earned her BA at Brown University in 1990.

  

About Cor Theatre

 Cor Theatre (cortheater.org) is a professional theatre company committed to producing stories about courage and exploring the hidden hero within us all. The company believes that there are certain intrinsic values that connect people at the core of their being. Cor Theatre seeks to expose those values.

Cor debuted in September 2012 with its production of Skin Tight by Gary Henderson at Chicago's A Red Orchid Theatre. About a powerful, enduring love, complete with punches, laughter, knife fights, confessions and forgiveness, Skin Tight was rewarded with enthusiastic audiences, critical acclaim and made just enough money to establish a not-for-profit corporation. The company named itself Cor Theatre, deriving its name from the Latin root of courage - meaning heart.

Today, Cor is a new and ambitious Chicago professional theatre company under the leadership of Tosha Fowler, Artistic Director, and Navid Afshar, Managing Director. Company members include Chris Brickhouse, Elyse Cowles, Brian Crawford, Claire Meyers, Stefin Steberl and Will Von Vogt.With strong experience behind it, Cor is committed to produce works that provide an environment in which its audience can explore the unexplored and expect the unexpected.

Cor will return to Rivendell Theatre in the spring, June 4-July 11, 2015 with Love and Human Remains, the first Chicago professional production in nearly 20 years of the ground-breaking play originally titled Unidentified Human Remains and the Nature of True Love. Ernie Nolan will direct.

For more information, visit cortheater.org, call (866) 811-4111, like Cor Theatre on Facebook or follow the company on Twitter, @TheatreCor.

Rivendell Theatre

5779 N. Ridge Ave

Chicago, IL 60660

Edgewater Neighborhood

Rivendell is a few short blocks away from both the Bryn Mawr Red Line el stop, as well as the Clark Street #22 bus. 

OPENING: Northlight Theatre presents The World Premiere of White Guy on the Bus 1/23

 Northlight Theatre presents

The World Premiere of

White Guy on the Bus

by Bruce Graham

directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones

January 23-February 28, 2015

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

ChiIL Live Shows will be there for opening night, so check back soon for our full review.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the world premiere of White Guy on the Bus by Bruce Graham, directed by BJ Jones. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from January 23-February 28, 2015.  

*The cast is an all-star Chicago company, including Francis Guinan, Mary Beth Fisher, Jordan Brown, Amanda Drinkall and Patrese D. McClain*

A wealthy white businessman and a struggling black single mom ride the same bus every Saturday. As they get to know each other, the threads that tie these disparate individuals together gradually unravel in a complex web of moral ambiguity, revenge, and racial biases. This world premiere play provides a candid and surprising perspective on the racial and socioeconomic divide.
        

Dates: Previews: January 23-January 29, 2015

Regular run: through February 28, 2015

Schedule: 
Tuesdays: 7:30pm (except Feb. 3, 10 and 24)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except Feb. 11)

and 7:30pm (except Feb 18)

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 8:00pm (except Opening on January 30 at 7:30pm)

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 24) and 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (except Feb. 1 and 8)

Open Captioned performance Sunday, March 22 at 7:00pm

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,

Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $25-$54

Regular run: $25-$78

Student tickets are $15, any performance

(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300; northlight.org

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.

*This is Bruce Graham’s third world premiere at Northlight.  His other Northlight world premieres are The Outgoing Tide and Stella & Lou, which both then transferred to the Galway Arts Festival. Graham’s relationship with Northlight has been ongoing since the production of his play Belmont Avenue Social Club in 1992.*

“The challenge of new work is always exciting, mysterious and even scary. But when I'm working with Bruce Graham, whom I’ve known for many years and worked on several of his plays, the process is familiar, well oiled, but never less than surprising,” comments BJ Jones. “With White Guy on the Bus, Bruce fearlessly plunges into the country's racial psyche, stripping away liberal hypocrisy and exposing the raw nerve that is race in America. With a blue-chip cast headed by Francis Guinan and Mary Beth Fisher, White Guy on the Bus continues Northlight's fruitful relationship with one of America's most prolific and ambitious playwrights.”

The creative team includes John Culbert (scenic), Rachel Laritz (costumes), JR Lederle (lighting) and Andrew Hansen (sound).  Rita Vreeland is the stage manager.

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

*In the current season, Northlight is producing two world premiere works (White Guy on the Bus and Shining Lives: A Musical), the second-ever productions of two plays (The Commons of Pensacola and Outside Mullingar) and a classic rarely produced in the US (The Mousetrap).  In addition, Northlight has a number of new works in development throughInterplay, a program that has sent 25 out of 29 scripts on to full professional productions throughout the country and developed Northlight’s three best-selling plays: Better Lateby Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright, The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham and Chapatti by Christian O’Reilly.*

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free. 

Post-Show Discussions with a Northlight facilitator, engaging audiences in a dialogue about the play's themes, will follow every performance of White Guy on the Bus.

Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal.  Backstage with BJ for White Guy on the Bus will be held on Friday, January 16 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3605 or specialevents@northlight.org.

Community Events

Thursday, January 29, 6:00-7:30pm

Curt's Café, 2922 Central Street, Evanston

A panel of civic leaders and social service representatives will address the local impact of issues raised in the play. Panelists include representatives from: City of Evanston, Curt's Café and Literature for All of Us.

Tuesday, February 3, 3:00-4:00pm
Wilmette Public Library, 1242 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette
Northlight artists and cast members engage in audience Q&A following scene selections from the play.

Thursday, February 5, at Northlight Theatre following the 7:30pm performance (Panel is free, tickets to the preceding performance required)

A panel of civic leaders and social service representatives will address the local impact of issues raised in the play. Panelists include representatives from: Connections for the Homeless, The James B. Moran Center, Youth Job Center of Evanston and YWCA Evanston/North Shore. 

Wednesday, February 11, 10:30-11:30am

Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Ave, Highland Park
Northlight artists and cast members engage in audience Q&A following scene selections from the play. 

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 in its 40^th season, the organization has mounted nearly 200 productions, including over 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 188 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 31 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.

                                                     

The 40^th Anniversary is supported by season sponsor BMO Harris Bank and lighting sponsor ComEd.

White Guy on the Bus is sponsored in part by The Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Room & Board and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from the Paul M. Angell Fund; BMO Harris Bank; Cramer-Krasselt; The  Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; First Bank &  Trust; Full Circle Foundation; The Homestead Hotel; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; KinderMorgan Foundation; 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; NorthShore University HealthSystem; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Plante Moran; The Pritzger Pucker Family Foundation; Quince at the Homestead; The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation; Room & Board; Sage Products; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Skokie Fine Arts Council; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; the Venturous Theater Fund; and The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation.

REVIEW: The Hypocrites' Trifecta of Gilbert & Sullivan Shows Are a Riotous Round of Hilarity Through 2/7/15 #Review #‎ChiILPicksList

Gilbert & Sullivan Rep

It was our great pleasure to catch all 3 of The Hypocrites' Gilbert and Sullivan musicals this past month and we highly recommend you hightail it over to The Den Theatre ASAP and see them. We loved The Mikado last year and couldn't wait to see it again and add H.M.S. Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance to the mix. These shows are great for theatre freaks, kids and adults of all ages, and the reluctant theatre goer as well. They have a small bar right in the performance space and a free range audience that's welcome to move about at will and sit, stand or lounge around the whole performance space or the traditional chairs. Click here and scroll down for loads of our past Hypocrites coverage.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 




The whole vibe begins more like a party than a play, with people with drinks in hand milling about and chatting up strangers, kids playing on the multilevel set pieces, and musicians everywhere. At all 3 shows we saw, there in the fray was director, Sean Graney, grinning ear to ear. And he had every right to beam like the Cheshire Cat. The Hypocrites are on to something magical and spectacular! 

I think Sean has the right idea. I kinda want to join him and spend the whole winter in The Hypocrites world of playful fun and light!

Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama we can't think of a better way to spend the darkest, coldest days of the year than under the twinkling circus tent lights with The Hypocrites. Their trifecta of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals is a joyful celebration of light, color, music and ridiculous rhyme. We've never seen any troupe make better use of the promenade style. They don't just break down the 4th wall, they run rings around it! 

The Mikado is still our pick of the litter, but we dug all 3 and suggest you get a package deal and do it up right. I mean, come on, where else can you find a talented tribe of rag tag minstrels to serenade you in a pillow pile at the foot of a slide where you can snuggle a passel of stuffed animal cats, or on bunk beds, or in a rubber duckie filled kiddy pool sans water for cripes sake! I dare you not to grin. Perfect for a date night or fam friendly fun. 



We're also absofreakinlutely loving The Den Theatre's new performance space with no steep stairs, a bountiful bar and a spacious, open performance area! Joy. 

The Hypocrites' unique take on new and traditional works is something to see! Highly recommended. 

Do you want to come back to the show again? Do you want to see the other two in rep? Do you want to encourage others to do so and get a $6 discount per ticket? We created the code "comeback" for you to enter at checkout in order to do just that. 

Here's the Official Scoop:

Gilbert and Sullivan Rep 2014-15

November 26, 2014 – February 7, 2015

Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon Gilbert & Sullivan Rep Directed by Sean Graney and Thrisa Hodits featuring the world premiere adaptation of H.M.S. Pinafore Adaption by Sean Graney, Matt Kahler & Andra Velis Simon along with the highly anticipated return of BOTH Pirates of Penzance  Adaption by Sean Graney & Kevin O'Donnell and Mikado Adaption by Sean Graney The Hypocrites’ 2014-15 Season will continue in December 2014 with another world premiere: a playful re-imaging of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. PINAFORE, adapted and directed by Sean Graney, with new arrangements by Matt Kahler and Andra Velis Simon. In what has become an annual celebration of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, H.M.S. PINAFORE will run in repertory with remounts of the company’s wildly popular productions of THE MIKADO and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, also adapted and directed by Graney. Reviews: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★)    “The Hypocrites apply their winning formula of hip deconstruction and dark comedy to the cherished operetta” Chicago Tribune “Spirited, affectionate, and nearly irresistible” Boston Globe “Terrific…The Hypocrites’ musicianship has never sounded better.” TimeOut Chicago For the full schedule of the rep, click here Missed All Our Tragic this time around? Saw it but wanted to come back or tell your friends? Well now you have a second chance Buy your tickets for next summer now Looking ahead to 2015: Pirates of Penzance, Mikado and HMS Pinafore  now-February 7th (tickets on sale here) Endgame by Samuel Beckett Directed by Halena Kays Feb-April 2015 (tickets on sale soon) Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov Directed by Geoff Button April-June 2015 (tickets on sale soon) Remount of All Our Tragic June-August 2015  (tickets on sale here) Announcement of their 19th season coming April 2015 plus a lot of exciting surprises   to be announced throughout the year

OPENING: Clock Productions' Scary Tales 2015 at The Alley Stage 1/15 #theatre

Clock Productions will present  the next in its series of “Scary  Tales” with “Scary Tales 2015” which opens on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at the Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

There will be six tales, some from past versions and some new ones based on short stories which have been adapted to the stage.  They are tales of treachery, fear and irony and include A Tale of Greed, A Tale of Loneliness, A Tale of War, A Tale of Botany, A Tale of Madness and A Tale of Candy.

Written, adapted and directed by David Denman, the cast includes Kayla Boye, Andrew Buel, Sierra Buffum, Brittany Handle, Emilie Hanlet, Sara Heller, Ben Powell and Christopher Rozenboom.  Co-Director and Stage Manager is Amber Mandley with Scenic Design by David Denman and Costume Design by Arin Mulvancy.  Sound design is by Larry Bryan and Lighting Design by Benjamin Dionysus.

“Scary Tales 2015” will open on Thursday, January 15^th at 8pm and will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm to February 8.  Tickets are $15 and can be obtained at Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/909822. 

OPENING: West Side Story at Drury Lane Theatre 1/15-3/22

West Side Story at Drury Lane Theatre
FROM JANUARY 15 THROUGH MARCH 22, 2015

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to see Drury Lane's take on this well loved classic. They do a spectacular job with high caliber productions from talent to tech. We'll be reviewing opening night so check back early and often. We've seen the Broadway touring version of West Side Story twice along with a host of hometown reincarnations and we're looking forward to this production.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, is kicking off the New Year with WEST SIDE STORY, the revolutionary Tony Award-winning production that forever changed American musical theater. Experience the passion, drama and heart-pounding excitement of WEST SIDE STORY like never before. The production previews January 15, opens January 22 and runs through March 22. Multi-Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell (Les Misérables, Ragtime, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, and Oliver! at Drury Lane Theatre) will direct, and Rhett Guter (who starred in the International Tour of WEST SIDE STORY and Choreographed Anything Goes at The Utah Shakespeare Festival) serves as Choreographer and Associate Director and stars as “Riff.” The musical's famous choreography is being reimagined says Rockwell, "Modern re-stagings of the famous dances often romanticize the violence of the piece. As we restructure the brilliant work of Jerome Robbins, much of the balletic movement will be replaced with more percussive dance and in some cases outright combat to depict the tragedy as the two rival street gangs wage a war in the back alleys of Manhattan.”  WEST SIDE STORY features a dynamic cast led by Christina Nieves as “Maria” (Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The Sins of Sor Juana at Goodman Theatre), Jim DeSelm as “Tony” (Godspell at Theatre at the Center and South Pacific at Marriott Theatre), and Michelle Aravena as “Anita” (Rocky, A Chorus Line, and Jersey Boys on Broadway and the National Tour of West Side Story).

WEST SIDE STORY is a provocative exploration of race relations with an underlying message of hope that is as relevant today as ever. Variety raves that the musical “Still dazzles after more than 50 years. Majestic! Some of the most achingly beautiful expressions of love ever sung!” The San Francisco Chronicle exclaims that it is “A miraculous fusion of theatrical elements…full of musical treasures!” and the New Yorker enthuses that WEST SIDE STORY is “So exciting it makes you ache with pleasure!”

A modern retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the 1950s, WEST SIDE STORY is the poignant tale of Tony and Maria, star-crossed young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs. The musical has an electrifying Latin and Jazz-infused score including “Somewhere,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America.” WEST SIDE STORY first premiered on Broadway in 1957 and is the result of a collaboration between three theatrical luminaries, featuring a masterful Book by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, Music by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Leonard Bernstein and Lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winner Stephen Sondheim. The smash hit 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and catapulted the musical to the center of the national conversation.

The cast also features John Francis Gray as “Officer Krupke,” Roger Mueller as “Doc” (Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre and My One and Only at Marriott Theatre), Lucas Segovia as “Bernardo” (Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet with Joffrey Ballet Chicago), Bret Tuomi as “Lt. Shrank” (Rock of Ages on Broadway and The Iceman Cometh at Goodman Theatre) and Tommy Rivera Vega as “Chino” (Cats at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater). The ensemble includes Adrian Aguilar (“Action”), Isaiah Allatorre (“Anxious”),  Anthony Avino (“Indio”), Larry Baldacci (“Gladhand”), Annelise Baker (“Graziella”), Lillian Castillo (“Rosalia”), Courtney Cerny (“Minnie”), Carl Draper (“Diesel”), Cameron Erdis (“Snowboy”), Lucas Fedele (“A-rab”), Ryan Fitzgerald (“Big Deal”), Rachel Marie LaPorte (“Consuela”), Kristina Larson-Hauk (“Pauline”), John Marshall, Jr. (“Baby John”), Deanna Ott (“Velma”), Chip Payos (“Nibbles”), Todd Rhoades (“Luis”), Elena Romanowski (“Teresita”), Emma Rosenthal (“Anybodys”), Will Skrip (“Gee-Tar”), Glenn Snellgrose (“Pepe”) and Lauren Villegas (“Francisca”).

Musical Direction for WEST SIDE STORY is by Roberta Duchak (Les Misérables and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre, and vocal coach for Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman for the Academy Award-winning film Les Misérables). The set, designed by Scott Davis (Les Misérables and Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre and Shrek the Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater), recreates the gritty streets and Upper West Side apartment living in 1950s New York City. The artistic team also includes Nick Heggestad as Properties Designer (Camelot and The Game’s Afoot at Drury Lane Theatre), Rick Jarvie as Wig and Makeup Designer (Camelot, The Game’s Afoot and The Sound of Music at Drury Lane Theatre), Yael Lubetzky as Lighting Designer (the Broadway production of Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam), Ray Nardelli as Sound Designer (Camelot, Young Frankenstein, and Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre), Erika Senase as Costume Coordinator (Camelot, Les Misérables and Young Frankenstein at Drury Lane Theatre) and Original Costume Design is by David Woolard , featuring costumes from the 2012 National Tour. Eva Breneman is the Dialect Coach (Camelot and Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre) and Matt Hawkins is the Fight Choreographer (Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre and The Wheel and Belleville at Steppenwolf Theatre Company).

The performance schedule for WEST SIDE STORY is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($45), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($45) and 8 p.m. ($50), Fridays at 8 p.m. ($60), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($60), and 8:30 p.m. ($60), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($60), and 6 p.m. ($55). Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $35 for matinees. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit www.drurylane.com.