DENNIS WATKINS GIVES 1,000TH PERFORMANCE OF THE MAGIC PARLOUR FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 AT THE PALMER HOUSE HILTON HOTEL

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DENNIS WATKINS GIVES 1,000TH PERFORMANCE OF 

THE MAGIC PARLOUR 

REACHING MILESTONE FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 

AT THE PALMER HOUSE HILTON HOTEL

I've caught The Magic Parlour every few years, since it's early days in the eclectic basement digs of Chopin Theatre. Back in 2012 I had the great pleasure of interviewing mystifying magician, Dennis Watkins, in his home. Check it out here:

Dennis Watkins expounds on being Harry Houdini in Death and Harry Houdini for Chicago's House Theatre and being his own magical self in the long running Magic Parlour show. He's done the water torture cell escape upwards of 100 times now! He also discusses the history of the show as it's evolved since 2001 and his own family history of magicians.

Since then, Watkins has moved up in the world, out of the cellar and into the elegant Palmer House Hilton Hotel! The Magic Parlour is a top pick of ours for tourists and locals alike. Watkins is charismatic, charming, and utterly baffling, while remaining refreshingly free of ego. The Magic Parlour show and Potter's Palmer House local are classic Chicago and truly a treat. 



Over the past eight years, my husband, kids, and friends have joined me at various Magic Parlour performances, and all have been amazed and well entertained by Dennis Watkins' close magic. Watkins remains one of our favorite premiere prestidigitators. We're excited to celebrate his 1,000th performance this month, as star in the longest currently running magic show in Chicago. Highly recommended! 



Dennis Watkins, a renowned third-generation magician and mentalist, has baffled and bemused audiences with his performance of The Magic Parlour. Produced by The House Theatre of Chicago, Watkins reaches a milestone on January 25 when he presents his 1,000th performance in the longest currently running magic show in Chicago. Each week, intimate audiences of just 44 guests are treated to 90 minutes of tom-foolery through close-up magic and mystifying mentalism at the storied Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe. The 1,000th show will be performed Friday, Jan. 25 at 9:30 p.m. While seating is limited for this milestone performance, the open run show continues in its season of five shows weekly thereafter. To find more about Watkins and The Magic Parlour, visit TheMagicParlourChicago.com.

“When we conjured up The Magic Parlour, it was a once-weekly late-night show in Wicker Park. Finding our home at the Palmer House on New Year’s Eve 2011 helped us evolve this project into the sophisticated production it is today. The audience’s imagination is at the heart of a truly magical and personal experience,” says Watkins.

The Palmer House has a rich history filled with hosting nearly a century’s worth of legendary magic performers including Chicago native and world-renowned magician Harry Blackstone, Sr., Paul Rosini, Richard Cardini, Ching Ling Fu and others. Watkins’ unsurpassed milestone at the historic venue is a testament to his ability to meld the best of magic’s captivating draw with a modern show, keeping the allure of Chicago’s deep-rooted magic scene alive for locals and visitors alike.

Available for only The Magic Parlour ticket holders, guests can toast the occasion with a magical cocktail and a special prix-fixe Magic Menu dinner at Lockwood Restaurant & Bar at Palmer House throughout February. 

I can attest, their food is fantastic! 

“I keep the show fresh by adding new material throughout each year, always diving deeper into the lessons about inspiring wonder my grandad imparted to me.  With both believers and skeptics participating, every show is a one-of-a-kind happening,” explains Watkins.



The Magic Parlour is an upscale event and cocktail attire is encouraged. The show is open to guests ages 12 and older. Tickets for The Magic Parlour are $79 or $89 each, which includes wine, beer and soft drinks served during the performance. The prix-fixe Magic Menu at Lockwood Restaurant & Bar costs $41 per person, all inclusive, and dinner reservations can be reserved at the time of ticketing.

Purchase tickets at www.themagicparlourchicago.com or by calling The House Theatre of Chicago Box Office at 773-769-3832. 


ABOUT MAGICIAN DENNIS WATKINS
Dennis Watkins is a third-generation magician who travels the country bringing world-class magic to the world's largest companies, as well as exclusive private and society events.

Watkins' critically-acclaimed one-man-show, The Magic Parlour, has been running at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago for seven years. Produced by The House Theatre of Chicago, The Magic Parlour is an intimate evening of classic magic and impossible mind-reading in a private suite at one of Chicago's most historic and noteworthy hotels. 

As a Company Member with The House Theatre of Chicago, Watkins has written, acted, and directed and performed in over 21 world-premiere productions. He appears as one of America’s greatest magicians in The House’s production of Death & Harry Houdini, including a death-defying nightly performance of the Water Torture Cell. Houdini has played seven times in Chicago over The House’s 17-year history. With awards and honors from the Texas Association of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and the Desert Magic Seminar, Dennis specializes in creating unforgettable magical experiences for each and every one of his audiences. The Chicago-based magician was honored to be an invited guest on Penn & Teller’s Fool Us television show.

ABOUT THE MAGIC PARLOUR
The Magic Parlour starring Dennis Watkins is an intimate evening of classic magic and mind-reading featuring the work of the third-generation magician. Guests to this intimate, magic-packed evening gather at Potter's in the Palmer House lobby before Watkins personally escorts them to the performance space. Once inside, the audience participates in much of the performance as Watkins wows the room with classic sleight of hand, unbelievable mind-reading and magical wisdom passed down from his grandfather. 

Since finding its home at The Palmer House on New Year’s Eve of 2011, The Magic Parlour has enjoyed phenomenal success and unimagined growth.  With only 44 seats available per show, The Magic Parlour has entertained over 30,000 guests for nearly 1,000 ticketed audiences and dozens of private groups, facilitated three truly magical wedding proposals, and has been featured in two books (Chicago Magic: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle and 100 Things to do in Chicago Before You Die).


ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO 
The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded in 2001, led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular art form.

Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has won 22 Joseph Jefferson Awards, became the first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®. 

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of On Clover Road Via American Blues Theater at Stage 773 Through March 16, 2019

American Blues Theater Presents

the Chicago Premiere of  

On Clover Road 

By Steven Dietz 

Directed by Halena Kays

Featuring Ensemble Members Gwendolyn Whiteside and Philip Earl Johnson

February 1 – March 16, 2019

**On Clover Road is recommended for ages 14+**

I'll be out for the press opening February 7th, so check back soon for my full review. Halena Kays is one of my favorite directors so I'm eager to see her take on this edgy thriller and intense subject matter.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with the Chicago Premiere of the thriller On Clover Road, by Steven Dietz and directed by Halena Kays. On Clover Road runs February 1 – March 16, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  

At an abandoned motel on a desolate American road, a mother meets with a cult deprogrammer, believing she will be reunited with her runaway daughter. On Clover Road features Joseph Jefferson Award winners and American Blues Theater Ensemble members Gwendolyn Whiteside and Philip Earl Johnson. DC Metro Arts says this smart, harrowing, edge-of-your-seat thriller will “consume your attention for its full 90 minutes, and you'll leave the theatre fully entertained."  

The cast of On Clover Road includes Philip Earl Johnson* (Stine), Gwendolyn Whiteside* (Kate Hunter), Jon Hudson Odom (Harris McLain), Grace Smith (A Girl), and Caroline Phillips (A Girl).

The creative team includes Lizzie Bracken (scenic), Alison Siple (costumes), Alexander Ridgers (lighting), Rick Sims* (sound), Mary O’Dowd (props) and Shandee Vaughan* (production manager). The stage manager is Kate Ocker.

*Denotes Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates of American Blues Theater


Featuring: Philip Earl Johnson* (Stine), Gwendolyn Whiteside* (Kate Hunter), Jon Hudson Odom (Harris McLain), Grace Smith (A Girl), and Caroline Phillips (A Girl)

Creative Team: Lizzie Bracken (scenic), Alexander Ridgers (lighting), Alison Siple (costumes), Rick Sims* (sound), Mary O’Dowd (props) and Shandee Vaughan* (production manager). The stage manager is Kate Ocker.

Dates:
February 1 – March 16, 2019
Previews: February 1 – 6, 2019
Press Opening: Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: February 8 – March 16, 2019

Schedule:
Thursdays:  7:30pm
Fridays:  7:30pm
Saturdays:  3:00pm & 7:30pm
Sundays:  2:30pm

Town Halls: free post-show discussions follow Sunday performances

Additional performances on February 6 & 18 at 7:30pm and March 13 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm

No performances on February 2, 9 & 23 at 3:00pm or March 15 & 16 at 7:30pm 

Location:
Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Ticket prices:
$19 - $39
Box Office:
Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.654.3103.



About American Blues Theater  
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.  
  
The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 36-member Ensemble has 600+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2018, the theater and artists received 204 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 36 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.    
  
American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor. 

OPENING: A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER AT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE JANUARY 25 – MARCH 10, 2019

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS THE 2014 TONY-AWARD WINNING BEST MUSICAL 

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER 

STARRING JEFF AWARD-WINNER MATT CROWLE

JANUARY 25 – MARCH 10, 2019

Crowle Plays Eight Members of The D’Ysquith Family in this Tour de Force Musical about One Man’s Unbridled Journey to Inherit his Family’s Fortune Featuring Music by Stephen Lutvak, Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, and a Tony Award-winning Book by Robert L. Freedman with Direction and Choreography by Stephen Schellhardt 

and Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon.

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Mainstage 2018 – 2019 season continues with 2014 Tony Award-winning Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, January 25 – March 10, 2019 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder stars Matt Crowle and features Music by Stephen Lutvak, Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, and a Tony Award-winning Book by Robert L. Freedman, is directed and choreographed by Stephen Schellhardt and music directed by Andra Velis Simon. 

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Porchlight Music Theatre the first weekend in February, so check back soon for my full review. 

Previews are Friday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (January 27, March 3 and March 10) and 6 p.m. (February 3, February 10, February 24 and March 10) with weekday matinee performances Thursday, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 at 1:30 p.m. Please note: There are no performances Sunday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.; Thursday, Jan, 31, Thursday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.; full schedule is included at the end of the release. Tickets are $39 - $66 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Based on the 1907 novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal” by Roy Horniman and the source for the 1949 British film “Kind Hearts and Coronets” starring Alec Guinness, The New York Times said A Gentleman’s Guide is “Among the most inspired and entertaining new musicals." This tour de force musical comedy tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way. All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress (she’s after more than just love), his fiancée (she’s his cousin but who’s keeping track?), and the constant threat of landing behind bars! Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance…and be done in time for tea. 

The cast of Porchlight Music Theatre’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder includes: Matt Crowle, “The D’Ysquith Family;” Andrés Enriquez, “Monty Navarro;” Caron Buinis, “Miss Shingle;” Emily Goldberg, “Sibella Hallward;” Ann Delaney, “Phoebe D’Ysquith;” Sharriese Hamilton, “Eugenia;” Ryan Dooley, “Magistrate;” Billy Dwyer, “Copley;” Megan Elk, “Tour Guide;” Rachel Klippel, “Barley;” Phoebe Moore, female swing and Adam Ross Brody, male swing.

The A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder production team includes Stephen Schellhardt, director and choreographer; Andra Velis Simon, music director, Aubrey Adams, assistant director/choreographer; Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Jeff Hendry, costume designer; Denise Karczewski, lighting designer; Anthony Churchill, projection designer; Angie Miller, scenic designers; Kevin Barthel, wig designer; Mealah Heidenreich, props designer; Noah Watkins, assistant to the director; Linda Madonia, musician contractor; Mary Zanger, stage manager; Cody Westgaard, production manager and Bek Lambrecht; technical director.

ABOUT MATT CROWLE, “The D’Ysquith Family” 
Matt Crowle is a proud Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate. Crowle gratefully returns to Porchlight where his credits include his recent Jeff-nominated turn as “Charley Kringas” in Merrily We Roll Along and” Hysterium” (Jeff Award) in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Other Chicago theatre highlights include The Santaland Diaries at Goodman Theatre; The Producers (Leo Bloom) at Mercury Theater Chicago; Mary Poppins (Bert) at Paramount; Singin’ In The Rain (Cosmo Brown), Spamalot (Patsy), Bye Bye Birdie (Albert Peterson), and South Pacific (Luther Billis, Jeff Award) at Drury Lane Oakbrook. Broadway/National Tour: Monty Python’s Spamalot and Doctor Dolittle starring Tommy Tune. He earned his BFA in Music Theatre under the guidance and mentorship of the late great Dr. Bruce Kirle. 

ABOUT ANDRÉS ENRIQUEZ, “Monty Navarro”
Andrés Enriquez returns to Porchlight where he was previously seen in Merrily We Roll Along, In The Heights and New Faces Sing Broadway 1939.  He is an ensemble member at both Barrel of Monkeys Productions and Lifeline Theatre, where he is also the casting director. Enriquez is also proud to have worked at several Chicagoland theaters including Remy Bumppo, The Hypocrites, Fox Valley Repertory, Theater at the Center, 16th Street Theater and Lifeline Theater. 

ABOUT STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT, director and choreographer
Stephen Schellhardt has been acting, directing, choreographing, producing, casting and teaching professionally for over a decade. He has acted in numerous Equity productions in Chicago-area and regional theatres, receiving three Equity Jeff Award nominations and a Barrymore Award for acting, as well as a Non-Equity Jeff Award nomination for his directorial work on Urinetown, and his choreographic work on Dogfight at BoHo Theatre, where he was recently appointed artistic director. 

In Chicago, Schellenhardt has worked with the Marriott Theater, Writers Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Mercury Theater Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, About Face Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, The Goodman Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, BoHo Theatre and the Ravinia Festival. National Tours include Altar Boyz. International credits include Jane Austen’s Persuasion at The Royal Winchester Theatre in England and the Shanklin Theatre on The Isle of Wight (Chamber Opera Chicago).  He has directed/choreographed at About Face Theatre, Writers Theatre, Timberlake Playhouse, The Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Ars Nova in New York City, The Casino Club, Northwestern University, and BoHo Theatre. 

He is a founding member of the Chicago Artists Chorale, co-director for The Children’s Theatre of Winnetka, casting associate at About Face Theatre and most recently served as the associate producer and casting director for Writers Theatre in Glencoe. 

Currently, Schellenhardt spends most of his time in Evanston where he is a full-time lecturer of musical theatre at Northwestern University and director of the annual Waa Mu Show. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Drama School and a proud member of the Actors Equity Association. 

ABOUT ANDRA VELIS SIMON, music director
Andra Velis Simon is thrilled to return to Porchlight Music Theatre, where she music directed the Porchlight Revisits productions of They’re Playing Our Song and On a Clear Day. She is the resident music director for Firebrand Theatre, where she just completed their run of Caroline, or Change.  She also music directed Firebrand’s inaugural production of LIZZIE, as well as 9 to 5 The Musical.  Currently, Velis Simon is serving as vocal director for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's La Ruta by Isaac Gomez.  Her work as a music director, adapter, arranger, pianist and vocal coach has been seen regionally at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, A.R.T. in Cambridge, Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYU’s Skirball Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pasadena Playhouse and Berkeley Rep. In Chicago, she has worked with The Goodman Theatre, The Hypocrites, Theater Wit, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and many others. From 2008-2016,Velis Simon served as the staff music director for the Theatre Department at Columbia College Chicago, where she continues to teach musical theatre performance.   

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.



ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
As Chicago’s home for music theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre continues its 24th season and its second as an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 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 including a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” camp and a Saturday morning youth program. The company’s many accolades include 28 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and seven awards, as well as a total of 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Mr. Crowle’s performance is sponsored by Anne and Greg Taubeneck

Porchlight Music Theatre is supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Events Lighting, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Hopsmith Tavern, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Morgan Stanley Foundation, The Saints, Top Nosh Hospitality and the Topfer Family Foundation. 

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

OPENING: Midwest Premiere! of GIRL IN THE RED CORNER Via Broken Nose Theatre February 1 – March 2, 2019 at The Den Theatre

Midwest Premiere!

Broken Nose Theatre Presents

GIRL IN THE RED CORNER

By Stephen Spotswood

Directed by Elizabeth Laidlaw 

February 1 – March 2, 2019 at The Den Theatre

All Performances Pay-What-You-Can!

Broken Nose Theatre is pleased to continue its seventh season with the Midwest premiere of Stephen Spotswood’s drama GIRL IN THE RED CORNER, directed by Elizabeth Laidlaw, playing February 1 – March 2, 2019 at BNT’s resident home, The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at www.brokennosetheatre.com. Tickets for all Broken Nose Theatre productions are available on a “pay-what-you-can” basis, allowing patrons to set their own price and ensuring theatre remains economically accessible for all audiences. 

I'll be out for the press opening February 4th so check back soon for my full review.

GIRL IN THE RED CORNER will feature BNT company member Elise Marie Davis* and artistic associate Kim Boler^ with Michelle Courvais, August N. Forman and Mark West.

Unemployed and fresh from an abusive marriage, Halo steps into a gym one day and signs up for mixed martial arts lessons. Her family thinks it’s ridiculous. Her trainer thinks she’s soft. But none of them know the anger that fuels her ambition. When it’s rage that brought you into the cage, are you really ready to see what winning looks like? GIRL IN THE RED CORNER is a visceral, fast-moving tale of self-discovery, one that allows women to take centerstage in a world so often dominated by men.

Comments Artistic Director Elise Marie Davis, “Girl in the Red Corner is a show that allows women and other marginalized voices to step into a story (and an arena) so often dominated by men, all while being unapologetically messy and complicated and real. There's something extremely empowering about allowing women to be the anti-hero, about giving us a platform to tell stories of characters who often muddle the best of intentions with poor execution. We are thrilled to have director Elizabeth Laidlaw, fight choreographer John Tovar, and a host of other guest artists joining us for this production. Broken Nose is proud to bring this play and these characters to Chicago audiences, with their scrapes, scars and bruises on display for all to see.”

The production team for GIRL IN THE RED CORNER includes Therese Ritchie (scenic design), Lizzie Cook (costume design), Cat Davis (lighting design), Isaac Mandel (sound design), Devon Green^ (props design), John Tovar (fight choreography), Alison Dornheggen (associate director), Madisen Dempsey (assistant director), Rose Hamill* (production manager), Dominique Zaragoza (technical director), Liz Gomez (master electrician) and Jenna Thiel (stage manager).

* Denotes BNT company member   ^ Denotes BNT artistic associate      
    

Cast (in alphabetical order): Kim Boler^ (Brinn), Michelle Courvais (Terry), Elise Marie Davis* (Halo), August N. Forman (Gina) and Mark West (Warren).

Location: The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, February 1 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 pm

Opening: Sunday, February 3 at 3 pm
Press performance: Monday, February 4 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Thursday, February 7 – Saturday, March 2, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Industry night: Monday, February 18 at 7:30 pm
Understudy night: Wednesday, February 27 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can. Tickets are currently available at www.brokennosetheatre.com.

About the Artists
Stephen Spotswood (Playwright) is a DC-based playwright, educator and journalist, who received his MFA in playwriting from the Catholic University of America in 2009. At the 2017 Helen Hayes Awards, he received the Charles MacArthur Award For Outstanding New Play for Girl In The Red Corner. Produced works include: Doublewide (NNPN Rolling World Premiere); Girl In The Red Corner (The Welders); The Last Burlesque (Pinky Swear Productions); Walking The City Of Silence And Stone (Forum Theatre); In The Forest, She Grew Fangs (defunkt Theatre, Washington Rogues); We Tiresias (Best Drama, Capital Fringe Festival 2012); When the Stars Go Out (Bright Alchemy Theatre); Sisters of Ellery Hollow; The Resurrectionist King (Active Cultures Theatre); Off A Broken Road (Imagination Stage); and A Cre@tion Story for Naomi (Bright Alchemy). He is a current member of The Welders playwrights collective and a member of Forum Theatre’s artist ensemble.

Elizabeth Laidlaw (Director) has worked in Chicago and regional theatre professionally for 25 years. She is the founder and artistic director of Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre, begun in 2003. At LST, she has directed Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew, and co-directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream (with Jeff Christian) and most recently Henry VIII, (with Christy Arington). She is also the co-producer (with Mia McCullough) of The Haven web series, co-directing episode 2. She assisted director Terry Kinney with East of Eden at Steppenwolf Theatre. This past season, she served as the intimacy consultant on The Doppelgänger, also at Steppenwolf, and as the violence and intimacy designer for A Moon for the Misbegotten at Writers Theatre. As an actor, Elizabeth has appeared onstage at Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Writers Theatre, Court Theatre, The Goodman and many, many others. Film credits include the features, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Into the Wake, Eastern College, Dimension and Three Days. Television includes Chicago PD and Crisis (NBC), Betrayal (ABC) and Boss (Starz), The Chicago Code (FOX). Ms. Laidlaw spent the autumn of 2018 filming The Red Line, a new drama series for Warner Bros and CBS television, written and produced by fellow Chicagoans Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss, Her voice can be heard narrating Hard Earned, a documentary produced by Kartemquin Films for Al-Jazeera America, and in numerous television commercials, audiobooks and video games. She received her BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University and completed post-graduate Shakespeare studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art of London, UK.


About Broken Nose Theatre:
Broken Nose Theatre is a Pay-What-You-Can theatre company. Founded in 2012, BNT was this year's recipient of the Emerging Theater Award, presented by the League of Chicago Theatres and Broadway in Chicago. The company has produced and developed 11 full-length plays (including 8 Chicago or World Premieres) and over 40 new womencentric short plays through their annual Bechdel Fest. We strive to spark conversation, cultivate empathy, and amplify underrepresented voices, and are committed to making new, exciting and relevant theatre that is economically accessible to all audiences. For more information, please visit www.brokennosetheatre.com.

Warm Your Winter With Sausage Fest, First Thirst-Days, Valentine’s Kinderfest and More at HOFBRÄUHAUS CHICAGO

WARM UP THIS WINTER 

AT 

HOFBRÄUHAUS CHICAGO

Hofbräuhaus Celebrates Munich-Style Valentine’s Day Offerings, Special Holiday Kid Menu Options, Seasonal Brews and More

Hofbräuhaus Chicago, the 20,000-square-foot German microbrewery, restaurant and beer hall located in Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district, will help its customers beat the winter blues this season with a variety of offerings including seasonal brews, free holiday meals for kids, a Valentine’s Day sausage fest celebration, Valentine’s Kinderfest and more.

To pair with its authentic German fare, Hofbräuhaus Chicago brews special seasonal beers each month at its onsite microbrewery. “Schwarzbier,” a deep black lager with a roasted malt and sweet chocolate flavor, will be available throughout the month of January. In February, guests can enjoy Hofbräuhaus Chicago’s Bockbier. These seasonal brews will join the three beers brewed and offered year-round at Hofbräuhaus Chicago: Lager, Hefe Weizen and Dunkel.

In addition to the live music offered every night by bands direct from Germany and Austria and launching their local artist evenings, Hofbräuhaus Chicago will host special performances from The Muller Fasching Verein Nordamerika Inc., also known as the Milwaukee Mullers, Saturday, Feb. 2 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The Mullers are a non-profit organization with a passion for spreading their Tyrolean (Austrian) folk customs to the United States through dance. Donning hand-carved wooden masks and unique costumes, the group travels across the country to perform a story surrounding the four seasons.



Hofbräuhaus Chicago will celebrate the arrival of each new seasonal beer on the first Thursday of every month with “First Thirst-Days.” Hofbräuhaus will host a small keg tapping ceremony at 7 p.m. with its brewmaster Rob Hunter. Hunter will provide visitors with more information about the seasonal beer, free half-liter samples of the new brew and brewery tours upon request. February’s “Bockbier First Thirst-Day” is scheduled for Thursday, February 7.



For winter fun for the whole family, Hofbräuhaus Chicago will offer free meals for kids under 12 with the purchase of a full priced meal for all school holidays including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Pulaski Day and Memorial Day. On Sunday, February 10, the restaurant will host a “Valentine’s Kinderfest” from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Families can enjoy $5 meals for children ages 12 and under in addition to a variety of free activities including face painting, make your own valentine, a balloon artist, a parade and more.



Hofbräuhaus Chicago will celebrate the most romantic day of the year by hosting a “Sausage Fest” with a “This Isn’t Your Boyfriend’s Weiner Schnitzel” food special and beer pairing. The special will be valid on Thursday, Feb. 14, Friday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, Feb. 16.  The special food menu includes:

A sausage tower for $14.95 (regularly 24.95)
Salmon sausage with wild mushroom risotto and butter lemon sausage
Skillet fried cabbage with rabbit sausage and mashed potatoes
Grilled pierogis with kielbasa
Wurstplatte – a sausage plate with Vienna style frankfurter, pork and chicken sausages served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and onion mustard

In addition to the special Sausage Fest menu, Hofbräuhaus will host a Sausage Fest party for singles on Valentine’s Day with a variety of sausage themed games, giveaways and photo opportunities.

Hofbräuhaus Chicago is located at 5500 Park Place in Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district.  Valet parking is available for a minimal charge. Parking is also available in the nearby parking garage (free with validation). For reservations and more information, call 847-671-BREW (2739) or visit hbchicago.com.

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List: Adult Night Out About Face Theatre Presents DADA WOOF PAPA HOT Through February 16, 2019 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List: Adult Night Out

Chicago Premiere!

About Face Theatre Presents

DADA WOOF PAPA HOT

By Peter Parnell

Directed by AFT Artistic Associate Keira Fromm

Through February 16, 2019 at Theater Wit

Here at ChiIL Mama we know loving families come in many different configurations. Here in Chicago I personally have many gay friends who are raising their own or adopted kids and I have more friends currently looking to adopt. I've even had gay male friends father children for lesbian couples I know. If anything, these families are stronger and more stable than most of the straight families I know because most had to go above and beyond to create their chance to parent. I'm booked solid for most of February, but I'm trying to get over to Theater Wit to check this one out. AFT is a favorite of ours and I'm excited they're bringing the Chicago premiere of DADA WOOF PAPA HOT to the stage.

(left to right) Shane Kenyon and Bruch Thomas Reed in About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere of DADA WOOF PAPA HOT. All Photos by Michael Brosilow.

About Face Theatre is pleased to continue its 2018-19 season with DADA WOOF PAPA HOT, a sexy comedy about gay parenting and modern families from Peter Parnell (The Cider House Rules), directed by Jeff Award-nominated AFT Artistic Associate Keira Fromm*. DADA WOOF PAPA HOT will play January 10 – February 16, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at aboutfacetheatre.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

DADA WOOF PAPA HOT features AFT Artistic Associate Benjamin Sprunger* with Jos N. Banks, Shane Kenyon, Keith Kupferer, Lily Mojekwu, Bruch Thomas Reed and Rachel Sullivan.

(left to right) Bruch Thomas Reed, Keith Kupferer, Lily Mojekwu and Benjamin Sprunger 

(front) Bruch Thomas Reed with (back, l to r) Shane Kenyon, Jos N. Banks and Benjamin Sprunger 

This tender, funny and very timely play introduces two gay couples and a circle of friends trying to find their way in the fast-paced high stakes world of modern parenting. As friendships deepen, vulnerabilities get exposed and the foundations of family and relationships – gay and straight – get shaken. Now that marriage equality is the law of the land, what happens next? And what gets left behind?

Comments Artistic Director Megan Carney, “Peter Parnell’s work has long captivated audiences in Chicago and around the country and this is a hilarious, forthright and deeply revealing play. The journey of Dada Woof Papa Hot connects people across many different experiences in the struggle to balance the delights of autonomy and independence with the comforts of coupledom and family. I love Keira Fromm’s vision for the production to illuminate how social pressures and personal longing impact couples.”

(left to right) Bruch Thomas Reed and Benjamin Sprunger 

Adds Director Keira Fromm, “Dada Woof Papa Hot is a funny and moving play about the challenges of modern-day marriage and parenting. It’s also a play about how becoming a parent impacts one’s sense of identity and individuality. I love how the play reaches into contemporary married life and examines its difficulties for straight and gay people alike. The play takes place today in our post-marriage-equality moment where gay relationships and parenting have been normalized in our culture. The way it explores the unique problems that Alan and Rob (the central couple in the play) encounter while raising their young daughter in the wake of marriage equality makes for incredibly potent and compelling theater.”

DadaWoof-8 (left to right) Benjamin Sprunger and Lily Mojekwu in About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere of DADA WOOF PAPA HOT. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

The production team for DADA WOOF PAPA HOT includes William Boles* (scenic designer), Noël Huntzinger (costume design), Claire Chrzan (lighting design), Christopher Kriz (sound design, music composition), Jamie Karas (properties design) and Catherine Allen (production manager).

*Denotes AFT Artistic Associate

This production is sponsored in part by a generous donation from Dr. Charles Rhee.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Jos N. Banks (Scott), Shane Kenyon (Jason), Keith Kupferer (Michael), Lily Mojekwu (Serena), Bruch Thomas Reed (Alan), Benjamin Sprunger* (Rob) and Rachel Sullivan (Julia).

(left to right) Benjamin Sprunger and Bruch Thomas Reed 

(left to right) Bruch Thomas Reed and Rachel Sullivan 

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 10 at 7:30 pm, Friday, January 11 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, January 12 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, January 13 at 3 pm and Wednesday, January 16 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Friday, January 18 – Saturday, February 16, 2019.

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Saturday February 16, 2019 at 3 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $15. Regular run: $20 – $38. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are currently available at aboutfacetheatre.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at Theater Wit Box Office.

(left to right) Keith Kupferer and Lily Mojekwu in About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere of DADA WOOF PAPA HOT. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Artist Biographies
Peter Parnell’s (Playwright, he/him/his) plays, including Sorrows of Stephen, The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket, Romance Language, Hyde in Hollywood, Flaubert’s Latest and An Imaginary Life, have been produced by the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, the Mark Taper Forum, the Seattle Rep Theatre, the Old Globe and Center Stage in Baltimore, among others. His two-part stage adaptation of John Irving's The Cider House Rules won the American Theatre Critics Association Award, Ovation Awards, Joseph Jefferson Awards and Drama League nominations, and was produced at the Seattle Rep, the Taper, Trinity Repertory and the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York. His play QED was produced at the Taper and then on Broadway at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre. For television, he was a co-producer for The West Wing (NBC; two Emmy Award Citations, two Humanitas Awards), producer for The Guardian (CBS, GLAAD episode nomination), and Inconceivable (NBC). He has written television pilots for ABC and Fox. He has served on the Literary Award Committee in Playwriting for PEN, and been the recipient of Guggenheim, Ingram Merrill, NEA and Fund for New American Plays grants. He has taught playwriting at Dartmouth and at the New School, and television writing in the Columbia University Film Division. His children’s book, And Tango Makes Three, co-authored with Justin Richardson, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2005, and is an ALA Notable Book, a Henry Bergh Award winner and was nominated for a LAMBDA Literary Award as best children’s book of the year.

Keira Fromm (Director, she/her/hers) is a Jeff Award-nominated director, casting director and teacher based in Chicago. Some favorite recent directing credits include: Bull in a China Shop (About Face Theatre), hang (Remy Bumppo), Significant Other (About Face Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City (Route 66 Theatre Company), Bright Half Life (About Face Theatre), The Columnist (American Blues Theater), How the World Began (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), A Kid Like Jake (About Face), Luce (Next Theatre), Charles Ives Take Me Home (Strawdog), The How and the Why (TimeLine Theatre), Broadsword (Gift Theatre) and Fallow (Steep Theatre). Keira is a proud Artistic Associate with About Face Theatre. She received her MFA from DePaul University, her BFA from Boston University, is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and is a member of SDC, the professional directors union. Keira is a frequent guest director at DePaul, as well as Roosevelt University. She will be directing Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at TheatreSquared in Northwest Arkansas this fall. 


About Face Theatre creates exceptional, innovative, and adventurous theatre and educational programming that advances the national dialogue on sexual and gender identity, and challenges and entertains audiences in Chicago and beyond.

(front, l to r) Jos N. Banks and Shane Kenyon with (back, l to r) Benjamin Sprunger and Bruch Thomas Reed

Jackie Taylor's Anti-Racism Drama Series and Residency Program Partners with Northeastern Illinois University January 2019 – March 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Black Ensemble Theater and Northeastern Illinois University partner for 

Black Ensemble Theater’s 

Jackie Taylor's Anti-Racism Drama Series

and Residency Program

January 2019 – March 2019

 

Black Ensemble Theater and Northeastern Illinois University announce a partnership for Black Ensemble Theater’s Jackie Taylor's Anti-Racism Drama Series and Residency Program.  The series will include the staging of three one-act plays produced by the nationally renowned Black Ensemble Theater that speak to different aspects of racism. All performances will take place at Northeastern Illinois University locations, January 2019 – March 2019.

The Jackie Taylor Anti-Racism Drama Series consists of three dramatic plays written by members of Black Ensemble Theater’s Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI), an educational incubator for aspiring Black playwrights. The series features works that are relevant to current events and speak to the demise of recent racial equity issues.  The plays aim to help audiences understand the devastating effects of racism and to spark conversation about what we can do as a community to recognize and denounce racism.  All performances will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

Black Ensemble uses theater as a learning facilitator that purposely helps audiences respect and accept our differences while embracing our sameness as human beings. The three plays were written to motivate audiences toward having healthy, hearty and safe conversations about racism in our society. Post-show conversations will address how audiences can recognize racism on a systematic level while helping us to be active participants in denouncing and negating this ever-present issue.    

Plays and performances for The Jackie Taylor's Anti-Racism Drama Series are: 

January 17-19, 2019 

National Anthem
by Ervin Gardner
directed by Jackie Taylor

Thursday, January 17 at 7:30pm; Friday, January 18 at 7:30pm; and Saturday, January 19 at 5pm

NEIU Auditorium (Main Campus), 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

This dramatic one-act play speaks to the controversy surrounding professional athletes and their right to peacefully protest. A star college athlete and pro prospect must decide whether or not to make a political stand in light of the possible consequences to his professional career.


February 7-9, 2019 

In The Shadow of Justice
by L. Maceo Ferris
directed by Rueben D. Echoles

Thursday, February 7 at 7:30pm; Friday, February 8 at 7:30pm; and Saturday, February 9 at 7:30pm

Donn F. Bailey Legacy Hall at the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd.

This intense drama depicts how two young Black police detectives—one woman and one man—are forced to face corruption, brutality and murder in a South Side Chicago police precinct where they have been assigned. Will they accept business as usual or care enough to try and change a racist status quo?  



March 14-16, 2019

The Plea
by Reginald Williams
directed by Daryl D. Brooks

Thursday, March 14 at 7:30pm; Friday, March 15 at 7:30pm; and Saturday, March 16 at 7:30pm

NEIU Stage Center Theatre (Main Campus), 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.           

The Plea addresses the violence epidemic that has engulfed so many Chicago communities resulting in senseless murders and the hopelessness and traumatic mental anguish that has consumed our neighborhoods. In particular, the play depicts how due process is withheld from so many in our criminal justice system which encourages plea-bargaining as opposed to trials that provide people with an opportunity to defend themselves.                                                                      

Tickets for individual productions are $20 and can be purchased online at http://www.neiu.edu/tickets. Packages for the full series are $45 and are available by calling the Welcome Desk at (773) 442-4636. Tickets are free for Northeastern students, employees and alumni by calling the Welcome Desk or picking up tickets at the box office the night of the show.

As part of the partnership, Black Ensemble Theater will offer a Residency Program, which will allow Northeastern Illinois University students in a technical theater practicum to participate with the company in the technical aspects of producing each play. The program will give the students six (two for each play) master classes in theater areas of interest as defined by the students. All classes will be taught by the Black Ensemble play directors: Jackie Taylor, Founder and Executive Director, Daryl D. Brooks,Managing Producing Director, and Rueben Echoles, Associate Director.

About Northeastern Illinois University

Founded in 1867, Northeastern Illinois University has a rich tradition of educational innovation and prides itself on preparing teachers and administrators who make a difference in Chicago. That tradition continues to this day and has expanded to include an array of academic disciplines, allowing the University to embrace fully the community in which it resides. Northeastern is regarded as the most diverse public comprehensive university in the Midwest and is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Diversity is an important factor in the character of Northeastern and in the social fabric of its student body. The University has an enrollment of more than 8,000 students; African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American students represent roughly 60 percent of the student body.

With the Main Campus located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago, the University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The University has additional locations in the metropolitan area: Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro, Center for College Access & Success, and the University Center of Lake County.

Read more about Northeastern at neiu.edu.




The Black Ensemble Theater  

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  

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

Educational outreach programs rooted in the performing arts were developed to mitigate the destructive consequences of racism and to empower youth, teenagers, the mentally and physically challenged and other disenfranchised communities to realize that despite the challenges they face, they too have greatness that must be recognized and utilized. More than 15,000 individuals are served annually through Black Ensemble Theater’s educational outreach programs.

For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.