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Monday, April 25, 2016

OPENING: Babes With Blades' 180 Degree Rule

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 180 Degree Rule,
Opening April 25, 2016


**Do note, there is violence & violence of a sexual nature**


A love story wrapped in a mystery.

Come see the show inspired by the pioneering female film directors in early Hollywood...and the world that was stacked against them.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we've long been fans of Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s excellent productions. I'll be there for the press opening so check back soon for our full review. They're excellent about providing a showcase for women in stage combat roles as well as showcasing talents of female directors and writers. They excel at historical pieces and this show will be their 18th world premiere production!


About the Play
 A 1960s film professor searches for the missing film masterpiece of an obscure lesbian director - killed pre-World War II at the height of her talent - and speculates she was murdered because of her defiant flaunting of her sexuality with the studio’s “it” girl. But once the director’s former lover, now an aging, reclusive German movie star, is involved in the search, a more disturbing narrative unravels. Moving between 1930s Berlin and Hollywood and the late ’60s, this play shifts from film to live action, flashback to the present as it reveals the truth behind a doomed romance.

 “This is a murder mystery, but it’s also a memory play,” says director Rachel Edwards Harvith. “It involves characters reaching across time to find each other. Memory plays tricks on us. Sometimes we remember hard facts, and other times we fill in gaps with assumptions—over time those assumptions become rewritten history. This production has visual poetry layered in with scenes, weaving between time periods, as characters struggle to find the truth, detect the lies, and express love they have been afraid to show.”

Inspired by the pioneering female directors of early Hollywood, such as Dorothy Arzner, Alice Guy-Blaché, and Lois Weber, 180 Degree Rule’s  most extensive historical nod is to Arzner, an open lesbian who was notorious for affairs with her leading women, including Joan Crawford.  She worked throughout the 1920s-40s, creating films with independent, complex female protagonists – often with lesbian subtext.

180 Degree Rule is a 2013 graduate of BWBTC’s Fighting Words script development program, was a finalist in the 2013 Pride Series Women’s Work Competition (for works by women with lesbian characters or themes), and was hosted for a final public reading by Chicago Dramatists.

This production has been awarded grants by the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and the Dramatists Guild Fund.



Post-show discussion, pay-what-you-can dates, and lots of desserts are in store for audiences during the run of the show

Events and deals have been announced for Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 180 Degree Rule, written by Chicago playwrights Barbara Lhota (playwright, The Double and BWBTC ensemble member) and the late M.E.H. Lewis, to be performed at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., in Chicago. The show will run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3 from April 28 - May 21, plus Wednesdays May 11 and May 18 8pm.

180 Degree Rule is directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith (Associate Artistic Director, Chicago Dramatists) and the cast features Kate Black-Spence, Tommy Bullington, Chris Cinereski, Amy E. Harmon*, Lisa Herceg*, Kimberly Logan*, Jason Narvy, and Kelly Yacono.*

The design and production team of 180 Degree Rule includes Leigh Barrett* (Sound Design), Libby Beyreis* (Violence Design), Kurt Brandt (Props Design), Jason Fleece (Dialect Coach), Adam Greye (Stage Manager), Kaitlyn Grissom (Technical Director), Amy E. Harmon* (Production Manager), Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Design), Barbara Lhota* (Production Manager), Carter Martin (Film Director/Editor), G. Max Maxin IV (Projection & Scenic Design), Heather Meyers (Dramaturg), Tim Tavano (Director of Photography), and Laura Wiley (Lighting Design).

*denotes BWBTC ensemble member



EVENTS
The Thursday performances of May 5 and May 12 will offer pay-what-you-can admission.

Sunday, May 8, stick around after the show for a post-show dessert buffet, featuring an array of tasty treats, homemade by the BWBTC ensemble. Delicious and free!

Wednesday, May 11, join us for “Cookies and Collaboration,” a post-show discussion with playwright Barbara Lhota.

Wednesday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 18 will be Industry Nights, offering ½ price tickets to anyone with proof of industry affiliation.

All closing weekend, May 18-21, BWBTC will be collecting monetary donations for the Pro Bono Network (http://www.pro-bono-network.org/)

Additional discounts and deals will be offered on BWBTC’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bwbtc

180 Degree Rule is a 2013 graduate of BWBTC’s Fighting Words script development program, was a finalist in the 2013 Pride Series Women’s Work Competition (for works by women with lesbian characters or themes), and was hosted for a final public reading by Chicago Dramatists.

This production has been awarded grants by the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and the Dramatists Guild Fund.


Tickets:
$22 general admission
$14 students and seniors
$10 previews
Available at babeswithblades.org or 773-904-0391.

About the Company


Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to place women and their stories center stage. Through performance, script development, training, and outreach, our ensemble creates theatre that explores the wide range of the human experience, and cultivates broader perspectives in the arts community and in society as a whole.

Dreamgirls at Porchlight Extended Through May 22

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND - PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES EXTENSION AND 
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES FOR ITS SPRING ENGAGEMENT OF DREAMGIRLS


The Tony and Academy Award Winning Musical Extends Through May 22 and Adds More Thursday and Sunday Performances at Stage 773

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the extension and additional performances of Dreamgirls, book and lyrics by Tom Eyen, music by Henry Krieger. This production is directed and choreographed by Porchlight Artistic Associate Brenda Didier and music directed by Porchlight Artistic Associate Doug Peck, now through May 22

Regular performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Added performances Thursday, May 5, 12 and 19 at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Single tickets may be purchased at porchlightmusictheatre.org or 773.327.5252. Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612 or grouptheatertix.com.

“We are excited to see that the audiences’ anticipation of this iconic production is as great as ours,” said Weber. “Several performances have already sold out and we are adding these performances to meet the demand. The cast, crew and everyone at Porchlight are looking forward to sharing this very special performance with Chicago. Come April all of Chicago will be wanting to experience the drama, the music and the magic of Dreamgirls.”

Full of on-stage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls is the story of an up-and-coming 1960s all-female singing group from Chicago and the triumphs and tribulations that come on the road to fame and fortune, and features unforgettable hits including, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," "One Night Only" and "Listen." With a story that lives through the journey of popular music in America, and presented in Porchlight's signature intimate and up-close style, this Tony Award and Academy Award-winning musical will receive an intense and illuminating interpretation by Chicago’s leading talents.  

Making her Porchlight Music Theatre debut, Donica Lynn stars as “Effie Melody White” with Candace C. Edwards, recently seen in Porchlight’s critically acclaimed Far From Heaven, as “Deena Jones,” Katherine Thomas, making her Porchlight debut as “Lorrell Robinson” and Evan Tyrone Martin, recently in Porchlight’s Chicago premieres of Far From Heaven and Side Show, as “Curtis Taylor Jr.”

The full cast of Dreamgirls includes Caleb Baze (Cadillac Boy/Stage Manager), Michelle Bester (Ensemble), Dawn Bless (Ensemble), Kyrie Courter (Ensemble), Gilbert Domally (C.C. White), Jared Grant (Ensemble), Matthew Hunter (Ensemble), Reneisha Jenkins (Ensemble), J. Michael Jones (Marty), Eric Lewis (Jimmy Early), Andrew Malone (Ensemble), Brian Nelson Jr. (Ensemble), Trequon Tate (Ensemble) and Cherise Thomas (Ensemble).
The Dreamgirls production team includes: Porchlight Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik (assistant director); Chris Carter (associate choreographer); Porchlight Artistic Associate Bill Morey (costume designer); Porchlight Artistic Associate Jeff Kmiec (co-scenic designer); Greg Pinsoneault (co-scenic designer); Denise Karczewski (lighting designer); Kevin Barthel (wig designer); Mealah Heidenreich (properties designer); Robert Hornbostel (sound designer), Sara Gammage (stage manager) and Porchlight Artistic Associate Aaron Shapiro (production manager).

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE BRENDA DIDER, director/choreographer Brenda Didier, recently named one of the “major musical theater forces” working in the Chicago area, is a multi-award-winning director/choreographer having received Joseph Jefferson Awards for both direction and choreography, After Dark Awards for choreography, the National Youth Theatre Award for choreography and the 2010 Broadway World Chicago Fan Favorite Award for choreography. Didier has collaborated with Porchlight Music Theatre on ten productions, most recently the return of the smash-hit Ain't Misbehavin' (Jeff Award Best Production and Direction) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as well as How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Pal Joey, Putting It TogetherRagtime and Once on this Island, all for which she received Jeff nominations. She has served as a guest instructor and choreographer for Northwestern University, Columbia College, the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College. Didier has choreographed musicals, industrials, special events as well as productions for Second City's mainstage and five installments of Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier's Skyline Stage the summers of 2007-2012. Didier is owner and director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, now in its 16th successful season in its 5000 square foot facility. 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE DOUG PECK, music director
Doug Peck is one of Chicago’s leading music directors, having won six Joseph Jefferson Awards (The Jungle BookPorgy and Bess, Caroline, or Change, Carousel, Fiorello! and Man of La Mancha) and two After Dark Awards (Guys and Dolls, Hello, Again), as well as the Sarah Siddons Award and the Guy Adkins Award, for his music direction and orchestrations in Chicago and across the country. In addition to Porchlight, Peck’s work has been heard in Chicago at Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, TimeLine, Writers Theatre and the Ravinia Festival. Regional credits include work at Glimmerglass, the Huntington Theatre Company, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Peninsula Players Theatre, among others. Peck can be heard on the recordings Bright Young People: The Songs of Noël Coward, Foiled Again Live and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein. For the Chicago Humanities Festival and Porchlight’s annual Chicago Sings concerts, he and Rob Lindley have presented unique one night only events focusing on various aspects of the music world and performance.  Peck is a graduate of Northwestern University and also trained at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is a creative partner with the Goodman and a faculty member of the National High School Institute of the Arts.

ABOUT DONICA LYNN, “Effie Melody White”
Donica Lynn has appeared at many of the top-tier theatres in the Chicago area including, most recently, opposite Andre de Shields in Confessions of a P.I.M.P. at Victory Gardens as well as at The Goodman (Crowns and Ain’t Misbehavin’,) Court Theatre (Caroline or Change,) Drury Lane (Hairspray and Aida,) Marriott Theatre (Once on this Island and Suessical,) TimeLine (Fiorello,) The Mercury Theatre (The Color Purple and Barnum,) Chicago Opera Theatre (Queenie Pie,) Congo Square (Black Nativity and Santified,) and The Paramount (Hair). Dreamgirls marks Lynn’s Porchlight Music Theatre debut.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 21st season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in works of theatre in which music is an essential element. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 13 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation. The company’s many accolades include 11 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and two awards, as well as a total of 115 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 31 Jeff Awards, recently garnering three consecutive Best Production awards for Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).


Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the National Association of Realtors, Bloomberg Philanthropies, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation and The Saints. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events

NEW RELEASE: Grindmother's Debut Album Age of Destruction Out April 28th

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we love to see mothers pushing the boundaries of what's socially acceptable and expected and making a huge success of it. There's an unlikely viral star on the decidedly young, male, grindcore scene, a 67 year old Canadian mom. Check out her vocals. She's not just a gimmick, she's good!



Never has a mother screaming at her son been so sweet.

-Refinery

All hail the Grindmother!
-Nerdist

She’s no mere novelty. Her vocals are paint-peeling face-rippers! 
-Dangerous Minds



Band: Grindmother
Location: Ontario, Canada
Title: Age of Destruction
Genre(s): grindcore, punk, metal
For fans of: Napalm Death, Slayer, Sepultura, System of a Down
Label: Independent
Format(s): CD, digital
Tracks: 10
Release Date: April 28, 2016

An unlikely grindcore star, thanks to her impressively ferocious vocals! 
-Daily Mail

We're literally watching a star being born in real time.
-OC Weekly

One of the coolest 67-year-olds you’ll ever come across!
-Alt Press

GRINDMOTHER is a 67 year-old grindcore vocalist!  She got her start in early 2015, when an adorable, yet hilariously bad-ass video where she records guest vocals for her son's band, Corrupt Leaders, went viral. Later that year, Grindmother released a video for her very own solo track "Any Cost", which features music by her son Rain Forest.  The video again went viral, and celebrities Ozzy Osbourne and Eric Andre posted the video on social media.  Most recently, a video about her posted by New York Post reached 2.5 million views in less than one week.

In Feb 2016 Grindmother announced her debut album, "Age of Destruction", which is due April 28, and a brand new video for the album's title track has been released.




 OPENING: Discord at Northlight May 6 - June 12


Northlight Theatre concludes its 2015-16 season with
The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord
By Scott Carter

Directed by Kimberly Senior


May 6 – June 12, 2016

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Northlight Theatre concludes its 41st Season, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, with The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord by Scott Carter. Discord, directed by Kimberly Senior, runs May 6 – June 12, 2016 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to catch Discord. Kimberly Senior is one of our absolute favorite directors and this debate looks like a dozy!


**Kimberly Senior previously directed 4000 Miles and The Whipping Man at Northlight.  She directed the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated play Disgraced on Broadway and in several theaters across the country.**

Previews: May 6 – 12, 2016
Regular run: May 13 – June 12, 2016

Schedule: Tuesdays: 7:30pm (May 10 only)
Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except May 25) and 7:30pm
Thursdays: 7:30pm
Fridays: 8:00pm
Saturdays: 2:30pm (except May 7) and 8:00pm
Sundays: 2:30pm; and 7:00pm (May 8 and 29 only)

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-$79
             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


What do a Founding Father, a Victorian novelist and a Russian revolutionary have in common? Not much, but each of these notoriously great minds was once brazen enough to pen his own Gospel. Brought together, they debate the meaning of life and the nature of God in a whip-smart comedy that illuminates the brilliance, flaws and humor of three unforgettable philosophers.

**Playwright Scott Carter is the Executive Producer/Writer of Real Time with Bill Maher since its debut on HBO in 2003. Carter has been an Emmy co-nominee for Real Time with Bill Maher every year since 2005 for both Writing in a Variety/Talk show and Outstanding Variety/Talk show. He has also received eight Emmy nominations for his writing and producing work on Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect from 1993 to 1997.**


Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free, unless otherwise noted: 

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 Butler will be held on April 29 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3555 or specialevents@northlight.org

An Artist Q&A will be held on Monday, May 23 at 3:00pm at the Wilmette Public Library. Northlight artistic staff will facilitate a discussion with members of the cast, who will also present scenes from the play.

Local experts join a Northlight facilitator for a series of Post-Show Discussions, engaging audiences in a dialogue about the play's themes and the creative process behind live theatre. Discussions will be held after performances on May 8 at 2:30pm, May 10 at 7:30pm, May 11 at 7:30pm, May 18 at 1:00pm, May 22 at 2:30pm, May 26 at 7:30pm and June 1 at 1:00pm.

An Open Captioning performance is scheduled for Saturday, May 28 at 2:30pm.
                    


“Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, Count Leo Tolstoy and Charles Dickens all had their own versions of the New Testament? Imagine tossing those egos into a Limbo to debate their world views and to grapple in an intellectual cat fight. Carter has done just that in this fascinating and imagined depiction of three of history's gigantic intellects and their little known exercises of retelling the Bible,” comments BJ Jones. “Scott Carter, best known as a writer/producer of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, applies his intensive research to these towering personalities, and through their work has crafted a hilarious debate ranging from faith to political beliefs and sprinkled with artistic observations and petty jealousies. We are thrilled to have Scott's work with us this season, and as directed by Northlight veteran Kimberly Senior, this sharply told tale is both insightful and entertaining.”

The cast includes Nathan Hosner (Jefferson), Mark Montgomery (Tolstoy) and Jeff Parker (Dickens).

The designers include Jack Magaw (Scenic Design), Nan Zabriskie (Costume Design), Sarah Hughey (Lighting Design), Andrew Hansen (Sound Design), and Stephan Mazurek (Projection Design).  The Production Stage Manager is Rita Vreeland.

Northlight’s production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord is supported in part by Cramer-Krasselt, Coldwell Banker Evanston, Michael and Joan Callahan and Carol and Steve Mullins.

**Cast members Mark Montgomery (Outside Mullingar) and Jeff Parker (Mothers and Sons) are returning to the Northlight stage.  Nathan Hosner is making his Northlight debut.**

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
KIMBERLY SENIOR (Director) Previously at Northlight: 4000 Miles, The Whipping Man. Broadway: Disgraced (2013 Pulitzer Prize, Best Play Tony nominee). Her many Chicago credits include Disgraced; Rapture, Blister, Burn (The Goodman); Marjorie Prime, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Letters (Writers Theatre, where she is a Resident Director); Want, The North Plan (Steppenwolf); Inana, My Name is Asher Lev, All My Sons, Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre, where she is an Associate Artist); Disgraced (American Theater Company); Waiting for Lefty (American Blues), among others. New York and regional credits include: Sex with Strangers (Geffen Playhouse); Disgraced (Lincoln Center Theater 3, Seattle Rep, Berkeley Rep);The Who and The What (La Jolla Playhouse, Lincoln Center Theater 3); Little Gem (City Theatre); Games Afoot, Murder on the Nile, A Few Good Men (Peninsula Players); Mauritius (Theatre Squared, Fayetteville, AR). Kimberly is a proud member of SDC.

SCOTT CARTER (Playwright) is Executive Producer/Writer for Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. He produced the first 1,100 episodes of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, from its 1993 Comedy Central debut to its 1997 move to ABC. While at “P.I.,” producer/writer Carter won eight Emmy nominations and three consecutive CableAce Awards for Best Talk Series. In 1997 Variety named him one of “50 Creatives to Watch.” In 2007, he won the Producers’ Guild of America’s Johnny Carson Award for Real Time. In addition to his two full-length monologues Heavy Breathing and Suspension Bridge, Carter’s full-length play, The Gospel According To... Discord had an extremely successful 2014 and was produced at both the NoHo Arts Center and the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

NATHAN HOSNER (Jefferson) is making his Northlight debut. Chicago credits include productions with Writers, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Paramount, About Face, First Folio, Shaw Chicago and Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Other credits include: Peter and the Starcatcher (First National Tour) and productions with American Players, New Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, BoarsHead Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare and Madison Repertory New Play Festival. Nathan is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

MARK MONTGOMERY (Tolstoy) returns to Northlight where he appeared in Outside Mullingar and Experiment with an Air Pump. Other Chicago credits: 2666, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Camino Real and Stage Kiss (Goodman); Hedda Gabler and The Letters (Writers); Agamemnon, Iphigenia in Aulis and M. Butterfly (Court); Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Rose Rage, Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3 and As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Victory Gardens); The Wheel, The Time of Your Life and Want (Steppenwolf); In the Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison (Journeymen, After Dark Award) and productions at Remy Bumppo, among others. New York credits: The Seagull and Mamma Mia! (Broadway), Our Town (Barrow Street), Macbeth (Public), The Runner Stumbles (Actors Company) and The Madras House (Mint). Regional credits: Julius Caesar (American Repertory) as well as the show's French tour. Television: Law & Order and Chicago Fire.

JEFF PARKER (Dickens) returns to Northlight where he most recently appeared in Mothers and Sons. Recent Chicago credits: Objects in the Mirror (Goodman), The Secret Garden (Court), Samsara (Victory Gardens) and Isaac's Eye (Writers). Other Chicago credits include: Camino Real, Candide, Turn of the Century and Bounce (Goodman); The Brother/Sister Plays (Jeff Award - Best Ensemble) and Venus (Steppenwolf); Cymbeline, As You Like It and The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare); Sweet Charity and Days Like Today (Writers); and Nine (Jeff Nomination - Best Actor in a Musical, Porchlight). Off-Broadway and regional credits: Candide (Huntington), My Fair Lady (Asolo Repertory), 1776 (A.C.T.), Boy Gets Girl (Manhattan Theatre Club), The American in Me (Magic) and Winesburg, Ohio (Kansas City Repertory). Television and film credits: Chicago P.D., Love is a Four Letter Word, Prison Break and Early Edition. Jeff holds a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Southern California.

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

Now entering its 41st season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including more than 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 194 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 32 Awards.  As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, BMO Harris Bank; Henrietta Lange Burk Fund; Cramer Krasselt; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; ComEd, An Exelon Company; The Davee Foundation; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; NorthShore University HealthSystem; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; Turner Construction; and the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.




Friday, April 15, 2016

OPENING: TASTE at Redtwist Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

RED THEATER CHICAGO
and Aperture Entertainment in association with Redtwist Theatre
present the Chicago Premiere of
TASTE
by Benjamin Brand
Directed by Artistic Director Aaron Sawyer 

April 23 - May 22nd, 2016, at Redtwist Theatre




**Warning: Due to strong sexual content and imagery, no one under the age of 18 will be admitted.**


  
Based on true events, Taste tells the story of two men who meet online and make a unique arrangement: one man will kill, cook, and eat the other. Over the course of the evening, secrets are revealed, boundaries are tested, and a strange but beautiful relationship unfolds. Deliciously voyeuristic, sinfully elegant, and surprisingly touching, this is Taste.

CAST: Kevin V Smith (Vic); Gage Wallace (Terry)

Runs: Apr 23 to May 22, 2016 at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr 

Performance times: Saturdays at 3pm, & Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Sundays at 7:30pm

Captioned Performances: 5/1, 5/4, & 5/21. For additional questions about Accessibility including Captioned and Touch-Tour performances, please visit www.redtheater.org/access/

FREE Theater Tickets: available at redtheater.org/tickets or by calling (773) 733-0540 or emailboxoffice@redtheater.org


Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. 


Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Our Top Picks For CIMMfest 2016

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL 
MOVIES & MUSIC FESTIVAL No. 8 
RUNS APRIL 13-17 THROUGHOUT CHICAGO 




Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest) is one of our annual favorites that we've been covering for years. It merges two of our passions, music and film. The 5 day fest can be a bit daunting, but the full schedule is on line by event type, date, and venue, so it's easy to make a plan and follow your bliss. Short on time or eager to branch out and see something new? ChiIL out with ChiIL Live Shows (adult) and ChiIL Mama (family friendly) before, during and after CIMMfest and we'll tell you what peaked our interest. Hope to see you out there. 


In the meantime we have some amazing CIMMfest related giveaways going on including 2 pairs of adult concert tickets/blow out/no chip manicure salon packages ($125 value each) AND the last 2 tickets in town to Lisa Loeb's SOLD OUT kids show along with her latest kids CD ($43 value). ENTER HERE FOR EITHER OR BOTH THROUGH MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 4/14.


Here's The Scoop:
The five-day multimedia city-wide festival features over 150 films including three World Premieres, one North American Premiere, five U.S. Premieres, and 19 Chicago Premieres; over 130 bands live in concert representing a wide range of genres; multiple events featuring Live Scored Films – musicians performing live to films, music videos, and a video game; and CIMMcon, a dynamic professional and entrepreneurial industry conference. International films and artists come from nearly twenty different countries including Canada, Cuba, Iceland, India, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Scotland, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest) announces its movie and music lineup for the eighth edition, running April 13-17, 2016 across twenty different venues in many of Chicago’s culturally-diverse neighborhoods including Logan Square, Wicker Park, Hyde Park, Lakeview, and Pilsen. Individual event tickets start at $8 for concerts and $12 for films; passes start at $79 with VIP passes at $149. Festival passes and a la carte tickets are currently available at CIMMfest.org.

ChiIL Live Shows ChiIL Picks List:
Our top picks are in bold below. Here's where I'll be Wednesday night. My husband's a location sound engineer who's interviewed Butch Vig and the frontwoman for the band Garbage, and filmed at Smart Studios for a French documentary a few years back. So this CIMMfest screening and Q&A is of particular interest to me since he's been there/done that and it's a relative unknown to me, aside from adoring many of the bands who recorded or did post production at Smart Studios.  



Opening Night kicks off with the Midwest Premiere of the documentary film The Smart Studios Story (Official Film of Record Store Day 2016) on Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00pm at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave, followed by a Q&A with Director Wendy Schneider and Smart Studios Founders Butch Vig & Steve Marker. The celebration continues with the official Opening Night After-Party at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St, featuring ‘90s rockers Catherine and Negative Example (members of Tar Babies).

Chi, IL On Screen:
Films with strong Chicago ties include The Night Smokers of Chicago, The Terry Kath Experience: A Daughter’s Journey, 1001 Afternoons in Chicago, Horn to the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story, Savage Beliefs: The Movie, and 147 Pianos, featuring 200 Chicagoans. Local artists on the CIMMfest lineup include Daniel Knox, Avery R. Young, the sibling rock’n’roll duo White Mystery, and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Official Fest Highlights:
Additional musical highlights at CIMMfest No. 8 include a kid-friendly concert with Lisa Loeb followed by a performance of her classics later that same evening, sound artist Tim Hecker, Moonface, Hip Hop artist David Banner, indie rock band California Wives, alternative band Poliça, and a tribute to J Dilla by Slum Village and Black Milk.

CIMMfest’s Classical program, curated by George Lepauw of International Beethoven Project, includes films featuring Yehudi Menuhin with live performances to celebrate his 100th birthday from Dawn Gingrich, Consuelo Lepauw and others; and Ton Koopman. A nine-piece ensemble will perform a live score for a video game with music by François-Xavier Dupas of Vibeavenue, Montreal. Returning to CIMMfest this year is Sound of Silent Films, a CIMMfest highlight featuring newly-composed scores performed live to modern silent films by Composer/Radio Host Seth Bousted’s Access Contemporary Music (ACM).

The movie Desire Will Set You Free, which anchors the LGBTQ programming, follows Ezra, an American writer of Palestinian and Israeli parentage, through Berlin’s queer and punk scenes. Additional programming highlights include a selection of TV documentary series such as PBS’ American Epic and family-friendly programming such as a sampling of short films co-produced with Facets Multi-Media.

To mark the 50th Anniversary of the classic Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, CIMMfest will present a Brian Wilson retrospective. Films to be shown include Pet Stories and Pet Sounds: Live From London a short doc and concert film directed by Chicago filmmaker and frequent Brian Wilson collaborator John Anderson; Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, about the great lost album of the 1960s; Brian Wilson presents SMiLE, a concert film that captures Brian Wilson and his band's first live US performance of SMiLE in 2004; and the acclaimed 2015 biopic Love & Mercy, starring Paul Dano and John Cusack as the young and middle-aged Wilson.

CIMMfest will pay tribute to David Bowie with a retrospective of his film work. Films to be shown include Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars which marked the “death” of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona; vampire thriller The Hunger; and Jazzin’ for Blue Jean, a short by Julien Temple, last year's CIMMfest Baadasssss Award winner, will play before the rarely-screened BBC documentary Cracked Actor.


Gordon Quinn will be the fourth recipient of the CIMMfest BAADASSSSS Award to honor his amazing career on Friday, April 15 at 7:00pm at 1st Ward Chop Shop. Quinn, Co-Founder & Artistic Director of Kartemquin Films, celebrating its 50th Anniversary, will be interviewed by Bob Hercules, a veteran television producer/director and a co-founder of Media Process Group. In addition to receiving this year’s BAADASSSSS Award, a retrospective of films with which Quinn has been involved will be shown, including Festival, the first music documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award; And This Is Free, about the legendary Maxwell Street Market; A Good Man, a documentary about choreographer Bill T. Jones; and Prisoner Of Her Past, which follows Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich as he journeys across the U.S. and Europe to uncover why his mother, Holocaust survivor Sonia Reich, believes the world is conspiring to kill her. Quinn will also present clips of his music documentary work with artists such as Bob Dylan and Phish.

A full list of CIMMfest’s movie and music events are at CIMMfest.org. Additional highlights of confirmed films and musical acts at CIMMfest No. 8 are below:
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THURSDAY, APRIL 14

The Lure (Corki Dancingu) (Poland)
Thursday, April 14, 7:00pm
Society For Arts, 1112 N. Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska
When a family of Polish musicians encounter two winsome mermaid sisters named Silver and Golden, they do what anyone else would–recruit them to join their band. After performing at a neon-lit Warsaw club, Silver becomes entangled with the bass player. Golden, who cannot escape her bloodthirsty nature, worries that her sister’s relationship will doom their shared dream of swimming to a new life in America. First time director Agnieszka Smoczyńska unleashes an absurdly wild, 1980s-set musical horror film that grabs you by the tail and refuses to let go. 92 min

Hunky Dory (USA) CHICAGO PREMIERE
Thursday, April 14, 7:15pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson
A bisexual, glam rock dilettante with lofty dreams of becoming a musician takes the stage at seedy dive bars, but his hedonistic lifestyle is put on hold when his ex-girlfriend drops their son off at his high-heeled feet and skips town. Struggling to let go of his musical aspirations, Sidney’s life goes into a tailspin as the reality of fatherhood slaps him in the face. Director Michael Curtis Johnson paints a bittersweet portrait of love, sacrifice, and rock ‘n’ roll, showing us that life isn’t always hunky dory. 85 min

Savage Beliefs: The Movie (USA) WORLD PREMIERE
Thursday, April 14, 8:00pm
Martyrs, 3385 N Lincoln Ave
Directed by Charlie Fink
Not many bands get to play themselves in their own movie–The Beatles, KISS … Savage Beliefs. The local hardcore heroes take on a serial killer in this unearthed gem of a slasher parody/slice of Chicago punk life that's been collecting dust since 1984. (As with a lot of no-budget indie films, the money dried up before it could be released.) How gemmy? The assistant director of photography was none other than Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński (Schindler’s List). See what you've been missing all these years. 85 min

Hustlers Convention (UK) CHICAGO PREMIERE
Thursday, April 14, 9:00pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Mike Todd
In 1973, Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, a member of the legendary poetry and music group The Last Poets, released an album that changed the face of music and would later cement Nuriddin’s status as “The Grandfather of Rap.” Released under the pseudonym of Lightnin’ Rod, Hustlers Convention gave a voice to the streets and resonated hard within inner cities across America. The album tells the gritty story of two young hustlers named Sport and Spoon who attend the eponymous convention and eventually find themselves in a police tangle. Blending historic archival footage with animated sequences set to the music, director Mike Todd dives deep into Nuriddin’s personal story as one of rap’s true pioneers. Featuring powerful interviews with key figures such as Chuck D, Ice-T, Fab 5 Freddy, and Melle Mel, Hustlers Convention is a journey into an album that is just as relevant today as it was then. 93 min

Taj Mahal Trio
Thursday, April 14, 7pm & 9:30pm
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln Ave

Deer Tick “Acoustic”
Wednesday, April 13, 7pm & 10pm
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln Ave


Peter Murphy "Stripped"
Thursday, April 14, 9:00pm
Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St

17+
$25 / $30 / $35

A rare opportunity to see Peter Murphy in an intimate setting performing acoustic versions of his music from throughout his illustrious career.

Thursday, April 14, 9:30pm
The Promontory, 5311 S Lake Park Ave

Thursday, April 14, 8pm
Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave
The singer-songwriter, violinist, and actress from Hungary emerged from her eleven-year musical hiatus last year with critically-acclaimed Airless Midnight, an eerie yet artful Americana album. The New York Times said “Her songs are full of characters on the run… Miss Balint has her own film-noir sensibility as a songwriter.” She can also be seen as the violin-playing love interest on Louis C.K. this season.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Blackhearts (Norway) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Friday, April 15, 8:30pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Fredrik Horn Akselsen, Christian Falch
A fresh look into Norway's notorious black metal scene from a striking new angle. While the genre's Norwegian pioneers settle into middle age, wiping off the corpse paint and embracing family life, three obsessive fans from vastly different religious and political backgrounds risk family ties, freedom, and even their souls to perform in the place where black metal became synonymous with Satanism, arson, and murder. Heartfelt and surprisingly funny, Blackhearts examines just how far people will go for the music they love. 83 min.

Fela Kuti: Music Is The Weapon (France)
Friday, April 15, 7pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Jean-Jaques Flori, Stéphane Tchalgadjieff
Twenty-five years before Fela Kuti's life became the stuff of Broadway, this crackling French-made documentary captured the impossibly charismatic Afrobeat king and self-styled "Black President" at the peak of his musical, political, and spiritual powers. Railing against corruption and brutality in his native Nigeria, Kuti philosophizes on power and art wearing only his briefs and a cigarette, playing and preaching all night long at his iconic Lagos nightclub, the Shrine. As fresh and as relevant today as the day it was made.

Friday, April 15, 7pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Tony Hubner
Shot on location in El Paso, Ilinois, and points south of Rt. 61 from Chicago to Baton Rouge, We Are Kings is a road movie about a down and out bluesman saved by a "ghost"...and three young musicians. Original music composed and recorded on location and performed in the movie! A live performance by John “Boogie” Long, Sam Blue and Rita Graham live @ Rosa’s Lounge, 9:30pm follows the film.

A Song For You: The Story of Austin City Limits
Friday, April 15, 7pm
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave
Directed by Keith Maitland
Quick: Which TV music show has won both a Peabody Award and the National Medal of Arts? Austin City Limits. A Song for You makes clear why. Featuring a bevy of pivotal performances by everybody from Willie Nelson and Jack White to Ray Charles and Radiohead, this is the ultimate backstage pass to the longest-running music show in television history, recounting ACL's 40-year evolution from local outlaw-country showcase to a required stopping point for superstars, cult bands, and up-and-comers from just about every corner of popular music. 93 min.

Friday, April 15, 10:30pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Suki Hawley
Featuring members of Rodan, Lambchop, and the Grifters, this underground classic captures the highs, lows, and bored in-betweens of mid-90s indie rock-dom as a bunch of Louisville kids commandeer a van full of instruments and bluff their way across Kentucky and Tennessee, pretending to be a band. Screening with David Fair Is the King, acclaimed underground filmmaker Skizz Cyzyk's visit with the affable Half Japanese co-founder, and Half-Cocked producer Michael Galinsky's video for the St. Lenox track "I Still Dream of the '90s," composed of his photography from the era. 81 min.

Local H Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of “As Good as Dead”
Friday, April 15, 8pm
Metro, 3730 N Clark St

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble with JD’s Revenge & special guest GLC
Hosted by Drunken Monkee & M'Reld Green
Friday, April 15, 9pm
Martyrs', 3385 N Lincoln Ave
The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a family band consisting of seven blood brothers who began their musical training at the tender ages of four and five by their father, jazz trumpeter/band leader Kelan Phil Cohran (Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Sun Ra). The boys went on to form the Phil Cohran Youth Ensemble in 1990. By 1999, the brothers discontinued playing with dad in order to find their own sound, growing into the band now known as Hypnotic Brass Ensemble or HBE. The group’s sound was best put by Fader Magazine’s Edwin Stats, who called their music: “a huge brass bridge of hypnotic polyphony connecting the cosmic jazz of Sun Ra’s Arkestra with the urgency of hip hop, and the sweeping emotional scale of a Curtis Mayfield blaxploitation opus.” Their song, “War” was featured in the movie, The Hunger Games.

J Dilla Tribute with Slum Village and Black Milk
Friday, April 15, 9pm
The Promontory, 5311 S Lake Park Ave
J. Dilla may have died in 2006, but his legacy lives on through his creations with names like A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Erykah Badu. The Slum Village member is one of the most respected and powerful hip-hop producers of the last two decades and CIMMFest is honoring him through two tribute bands.
Founded by rappers–J Dilla (RIP), Baatin (RIP) and T3–in the early ‘90s while still in high school, Slum Village broadcasts a hard lyrical edge atop their jazzy and soulful beats. Existing now as a duo, T3 and producer Young RJ, released Yes in 2015 and contains posthumous Dilla beats.
Gifted emcee Black Milk was J Dilla's protege and initial replacement as the producer for Slum Village. Experimenting with dusty grooves, minimal electronics and live instrumentation, Black Milk balances street, personal and conscious topics. He has worked with Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dank, Lloyd Banks, Canibus, Pharoahe Monch.

Kap G w/ V!SUAL, Ray iLLa aka "iLLz", KID-RO, Presented by Hello Hip Hop and Right Now Tour
Friday, April 15, 10pm
1st Ward Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave
The Mexican-American rapper hails from the south side of College Park in Atlanta, Georgia and has collaborated with some of the biggest name in the rap game, like, Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa and Spenzo. Layering his Mexican heritage with African American culture, Kap G brings a unique perspective with some sick beats.

Friday, April 15, 11pm
Township, 2200 N. California Ave
GGOOLLDD's indie take on the electronic pop genre has earned the synthpop band from Milwaukee a strong following, and a reputation as "the Pringles of music" because of their addictive quality. Last year, they were listed as one of six Wisconsin bands to watch by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Pact gives the listener a clever blend of polished rock with an electrifying indie pop sound, and you can trust that oath is made in blood. Already creating a buzz in the media, the young Chicago-based group is bringing the festival their self-recorded debut album, “Reaching in the Dark.”
Armitage is a Chicago-based, alternative rock band whose members teamed up as Columbia College students quickly earned a solid reputation built on their powerful sound, catchy melodies, and thoughtful songwriting.

London Souls / We Are The Asteroid
Friday, April 15
London Souls’ Guitarist Tash Neal and drummer Chris St. Hilaire formed in NYC (not London!) in 2008. Their newest album, Here Come The Girls, is a smart and savory blend of ‘60s mod rock, classic soul, and modern New York grit. The glue? Funky chops and, above all, mighty songs.
From the ashes of a torched compost shack in Austin, Texas emerge We Are The Asteroid. They create just the sort of aural dogpile you'd expect from ex-members of Butthole Surfers, Pain Teens and Ed Hall – rock, mental illness and roll for everyone.

Friday, April 15, 9pm
Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave
RACS, Rami Gabriel, Alex Hall, The Fat Babies, Casey McDonough (NRBQ, Western Elstons, Flat five), Scott Ligon (NRBQ, Western Elstons, Flat five) RACS present new original songs in the great American traditions of Soul and Country music. All veteran rock, jazz, and blues musicians, their live show is a blazing dangerous rock n’ roll conflagration.
There is nothing that captures the spirit of the Midwest and the South than great Americana music that effortlessly compels its audience to toe tap and bop along. Singer-songwriter Nick Dittmeier has mastered the upbeat and cheerful music that dances along perfectly with the American lifestyle.
Having started their career known as One I'd Trouser (taken from a Monty Python song), the Toronto-based band from Nova Scotia rock it out hard. Their last album eponymously titled The Trews was the band's highest charting debut to date reaching #1 on the Rock, Alternative and Independent Album Charts in Canada.
Chicago may not be the city that first comes to mind when one thinks of country music, but Lonesome Still just might be the band to change that. Lonesome Still’s retro-country sound has blues, folk, and rock tones that shape their hearty music. The eight-member group is packed full of the true soul of country music.

Friday, April 15, 9pm
Emporium, 2363 N. Milwaukee Ave
This sister-brother duo, Alex and Francis White, have been rocking it out non-stop since 2008, and have five albums to their credit. It’s no mystery that their ferocity has a following worldwide. Last year, their movie That Was Awesome premiered at CIMMfest.

Known for their frenzied live sets, Brooklyn's Dirty Fences throw down a particularly sweaty form of rock ‘n’ roll. Their newest, Full Tramp, reeks alternately of an early ‘70s basement bong party and CBGB’s bathroom after a long night. A lovely bouquet.

The vocal bile and fast/slow-flowing guitar ooze of Hanna Hazard is efficiently pumped through the sewer pipes by Alex and Adam, the rhythm section of Chicago's own Lifestyles. Filth and anger never sounded so good…
Somewhere in the wilds of Cleveland, the O'Connor brothers, a.k.a. Archie and The Bunkers, back their van into the garage and unload not the usual beat-up guitars, but a classic vintage organ and a four-piece drum kit. With these tools they unleash what they dub HI-FI Punk, as apt a name as any for such beautiful noise.

Friday, April 15, doors open at 8pm
Burlington, 3425 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago reedman Ken Vandermark is one of the world's most prolific purveyors of improvised music. One of his many ongoing projects, Made To Break, combines saxes/drums/bass trio with the warped electronic genius of Austria's Christof Kurzmann, whose loops and keyboard flavors keep things bubbling and unpredictable.
Pausing from ripping on the guitar, Brian Case of Disappears will bring his synth-pop experimental sound to the festival. Playing solo, Case will use guitar loops and sequencing to craft minimal soundscapes that are, as he calls “imperfect” and aren’t driven by the momentum generated from the sound tools.
One half of Ken Vandermark’s quartet Made To Break, Christof Kurzmann (keys/electronics) and Tim Daisy (drums/percussion) take you on an uncharted voyage to WHO KNOWS WHERE…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Sigur Ros: Heima (Iceland)
Saturday, April 16, 4pm
Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave
Directed by Dean DeBlois
Returning to Iceland after a world tour in 2006, Sigur Rós did a series of what would now be called pop-up shows, playing for free at village halls, in open fields, at an abandoned fishery, and an environmental protest camp. That unusual jaunt yielded a tour film unlike any other. Heima juxtaposes Sigur Rós’ soaring, otherworldly sound with Iceland's soaring, otherworldly landscape to create a visually stunning record of the band, and its sonic palette of serene contemplation and ecstatic release, as very much a product of its homeland’s wild vistas and close-knit culture. 97 min.


















Bill Evans: Time Remembered CHICAGO PREMIERE
Saturday, April 16, 4pm
Society For Arts, 1112 N. Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Bruce Speigal
Watching Bill Evans hunched intently over 88 keys and hearing the melodious, miraculous sounds he made, it's easy to agree with Tony Bennett that "nobody played with more feeling." During a short life marred by drug abuse and personal tragedy, Evans redefined jazz piano, gaining renown as a Chicago-based sideman before staking his place in music history with Miles Davis on the groundbreaking album Kind of Blue and leading his own acclaimed trios. This sensitive and insightful biography opens a window to the mind and art of a brilliant but elusive jazz genius. 124 min.

Saturday, April 16, 5pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Steve Read
Often cited as “The Godfather of Electronic Pop Music,” Gary Numan was one of the world’s biggest-selling recording artists in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Although songs such as “Cars” and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” were massive hits, no one had ever seen (or heard) anyone quite like Numan. Suffering from Asperger’s syndrome helped forge his tunnel-like ambition and enlightened his music and unique presence, but it also brought upon crippling stage fright, anxiety, and depression. At a time when the public knew little about the condition, he was labeled a “freak” by the media. Facing near bankruptcy and a waning musical career, he fell in love with his biggest fan and now wife Gemma, who helped him rediscover his passion for music. Follow the Numan family as they embark on a new life in the States with filmmakers Steve Read and Rob Alexander journeying with them, revealing that the man behind the mask is human after all. 85 min.

Million Dollar Mano w/ Ghetto Division; Presented by Hello Hip Hop and Right Now Tour
Saturday, April 16, 6pm
1st Ward Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave
Revered for his innovative sound, design and visual art Mano is coming to CIMMFest fresh off a Grammy-win for his "The Hills" collaboration with Canadian singer, The Weeknd, which has also become a 7x certified platinum record. At the forefront of the Chicago hip-hop renaissance, Mano is now spearheading the Treated Crew collective’s campaign. Be sure to check him out.

Tim Hecker
Saturday, April 16, 9pm
Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave
A prolific Montreal-based avant-electronic musician, Tim Hecker has produced a range of audio works that explore the intersection of urban noise, dissonance, and melody that fosters an approach to songcraft both physical and emotive. Hecker follows his acclaimed 2013 Virgins with his new album Love Streams.

Afrika Bambaataa: Godfather of Hip Hop with Lovebug Starski
Saturday, April 16, 11pm
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave

Saturday, April 16, 9pm
Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave
It’s mind blowing to find out that there are only two instrumentalists behind The Claudettes’ sound. Johnny Iguana on piano and Michael Caskey on drums come together to create a hypnotizing blend of blues and soul-jazz that forces the audience to let loose. The duo is joined by Yana, who lends her smooth vocals to many of the band’s tracks.
Big Lazy is a guitar, drums, and bass trio that refuses to be defined by just one genre. Their music takes listeners on a journey akin to one experienced on the New York subway; it’s a gritty tale with eclectic and strange characters that all seem to come together in harmony.

Saturday, April 16, 10pm
1st Ward Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave
For over a decade, the Chicago Afrobeat Project, a world music ensemble has been building on the music pioneered by Fela Kuti with powerful live performances and innovative recordings. An upcoming release features master drummer Tony Allen (Fela’s drummer) along with JC Brooks, Ugochi and others. The group’s appearance will feature a video collaboration with artists Chuck Przybyl and Edyta Stepien.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 17

Bang! The Burt Burns Story
Sunday, April 17, 6pm
The Logan Theater, 2646 N Milwaukee Ave
Directed by Brett Berns, Bob Sarles
Music meets the Mob in this biography of '60s hitmaker and 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bert Berns. A prolific songwriter ("Twist and Shout," "Piece of My Heart," "Hang on Sloopy") and producer (Solomon Burke, Van Morrison) with an output to rival that of storied contemporaries like Lieber-Stoller and Goffin-King, Berns died of a heart attack at only 38 and his name receded into relative obscurity. Narrated by Steven Van Zandt, Bang! tracks a colorful life story that takes in Cuban revolutionaries, shady showbiz dealings, and gangster ties along with some of your favorite songs.



Sunday, April 17, 11am
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave
Lisa Loeb was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract. Her five studio CDs include her debut album and gold-seller Tails, followed by the Grammy-nominated gold-seller Firecracker. Loeb will perform music selections from her album and book Lisa Loeb's Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs and Nursery Rhyme Parade!

Sunday, April 17, 7pm
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave

Sunday, April 17, 5pm & 8pm
City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph
Fresh from the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival, City Winery and CIMMfest present Nari, an arresting, multigenerational, multimedia mashup featuring animation, family archives and a live performance by Gingger Shankar, Dave Liang and Sun Yunfan. Nari shares the unsung story of Lakshmi Shankar and her daughter, Viji, two extraordinary artists who helped bring Indian music to the West in the 1970s through their close collaboration with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. An accomplished artist and performer, Gingger Shankar is the only female in the world who has mastered the 10-string Double Violin, an instrument that covers the entire range of the orchestra’s double bass, cello, viola and violin, and of which there are currently only two in existence.

Sunday, April 17, 7:30pm
Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave
Moonface is the moniker under which Canadian artist Spencer Krug currently produces, releases, and performs his music. Whether it be solo or collaborative material, Moonface could generally be described as dark, introspective, slightly absurd, simultaneously hopeful and hopeless, and perhaps intelligent. Sometimes more pop than rock and sometimes more rock than pop, each album tends to explore new instrumentation and work within parameters different from the last. Before Moonface, Krug wrote, recorded, and performed with such bands as Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, and Fifths of Seven.



FESTIVAL PASSES
Festival passes (starting at $79) are available now at cimmfest.org. For this year’s festival, CIMMfest is proud to partner with Oxfam America for their “Give a Sh*t” festival pass. With each 5-day pass purchase, fans are encouraged to donate at least $6 to Oxfam; CIMMfest will then match the first $6 donated. The $6 + $6 donation goes directly to Oxfam’s lifesaving work. Across the world nearly half of the world’s population live off just $2.50 a day and one out of nine people goes to bed hungry each night. With CIMMfest and Oxfam America’s “Give a Sh*t” festival pass fans will help communities around the world break free from poverty and tackle global inequality and injustice. Passes for the industry conference CIMMcon are $35; they are $20 with a festival pass purchase.

PARTNERS/PRESENTERS
Engineering and Recording Society of Chicago (EARS), IDEO, 2112, STAGE 18, Eversport Media, Matchnode, 8stem, Keepsake, TourSmart, NoiseFloor, 1871, LiveOne, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Columbia College Chicago, 8tiv Labs, Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), Canadian Consulate General, Creative Cypher, Swanson Marin & Bell, LLP, SAE Institute, Pop Montreal, Quebec Gov’t Office of Chicago, Pitchfork Media, Wicker Park Chamber of Commerce, Choose Chicago, Red Bull Music Academy, DePaul Film School, Mayflower Travel, The Radler, Emporium, Roland, WXRT, Driehaus / MacArthur Foundation and more.  

ABOUT CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL MOVIES AND MUSIC FESTIVAL (CIMMfest)
The Chicago International Movies and Music Festival (CIMMfest) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing together filmmakers, musicians, artists, industry leaders and audiences from diverse cultures around the world. In addition to producing year-round film screenings, concerts, and professional development programming, the organization produces one of Chicago's most highly anticipated and largest cultural events of the year: CIMMfest. The five-day, 200-plus multimedia event features film premieres, live concerts, live scored films, and a dynamic professional and entrepreneurial industry conference. CIMMfest serves a growing, diverse community of artists, industry and fans, in order to reveal the transformative power of music to foster creativity and communication, educate, enlighten, and entertain.

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