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Thursday, May 16, 2019

Casting Announced: American Blues Theater's The Spitfire Grill July 12 – August 17, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
American Blues Theater Announces Casting for
The Spitfire Grill
Based on the Film by Lee David Zlotoff



Book by James Valeq & Fred Alley
Lyrics by Fred Alley
Music by James Valeq
Directed by Tammy Mader
Music Direction by Malcolm Ruhl

Featuring Dara Cameron, Ian Paul Custer, Karl Hamilton, Donterrio Johnson,
Jacquelyne Jones, Gabrielle Lott-Rogers, and Catherine Smitko

July 12 – August 17, 2019

American Blues Theater announces casting for the Chicago revival of The Spitfire Grill, based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff, with book by James Valeq and Fred Alley, lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Valeq. The Spitfire Grill, directed by Tammy Mader with music direction by Malcolm Ruhl, runs July 12 – August 17, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening July 19th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah's Spitfire Grill. The New York Times calls THE SPITFIRE GRILL “a soul satisfying...work of theatrical resourcefulness” and The Wall Street Journal heralds its “soaring melodies”. 

The cast of The Spitfire Grill includes Dara Cameron* (Shelby Thorpe), Ian Paul Custer* (The Visitor), Karl Hamilton (Caleb Thorpe), Donterrio Johnson (Sheriff Joe Sutter), Jacquelyne Jones (Percy Talbott), Gabrielle Lott-Rogers (Effy Krayneck), and Catherine Smitko (Hannah Ferguson).

The creative team for The Spitfire Grill includes Sarah E. Ross* (scenic design), Jared Gooding* (lighting design), Lily Grace Walls (costume design), Rick Sims* (sound design), Mary O'Dowd (props design), Shandee Vaughan* (production manager), and Kate Ocker (stage manager).

Musicians include Ian Paul Custer* (piano), Greg Hirte (violin), Malcolm Ruhl (accordion), Scott Sedlacek (guitar / mandolin), and Magdalena Sustere (cello).

*American Blues Theater Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates. 



Dates:                          
July 12 – August 17, 2019 
Previews: July 12 – 14, 2019
Press Opening: Friday, July 19, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: July 20 – August 17, 2019

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

Blues Views: 
free post-show discussions follow Sunday performances

Additional performances on July 17 at 7:30pm and August 14 at 2:30pm
& 7:30pm

No performances on July 13 or 20 at 3:00pm nor August 17 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.

Save the dates:




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.

Season Announced: ARTEMISIA 2019-2020 Season To Feature Two Fully-Staged Productions

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Season to kick off in November with THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS by Shaw and Evelyn Glover and conclude in June 2020 with World Premiere of Lauren Ferebee’s EVERY WAITING HEART.



Lauren Ferebee, winner of Artemisia Fall Festival 2018. Her play EVERY WAITING HEART will be developed at Artemisia to be presented as a world premiere in June 2020.  

In a departure from the company’s previous production model, but not from its mission of fostering the development of new feminist plays, Artemisia Theatre will mount two fully staged productions in 2019-20 and forego its Fall Festival of New Play Readings.  Artemisia’s previous seasons consisted of the Fall Festival and a single fully-staged production. 

Artemisia Founding Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot says, “While we will continue to actively solicit and develop new scripts, we’re excited about the opportunity to champion new work by reaching the larger audiences that will be attracted to fully staged productions. Additionally, we will revisit landmark feminist dramas in full productions to celebrate and learn from these classic pieces.” In that spirit, the company’s 2019-20 season will include both an evening of one act plays from the canon of British Suffrage Drama of the early 20thCentury, and the World Premiere of the winner of Artemisia’s 2018 Fall Festival – the drama EVERY WAITING HEART, by Lauren Ferebee.

Playwright Lauren Ferebee and Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot are thrilled about their artistic collaboration and partnership.  

Lauren Ferebee:  “It means so much to me to be working with a theatre that privileges the complex and intricate narratives of women's lives. It is especially meaningful for this play, which looks at different generations of women and what strength has meant to them. I am proud to be working with a theatre whose namesake was one of the greatest women artists of all time, a theatre whose work carries her legacy into our shared future.” 
Julie Proudfoot:  "EVERY WAITING HEART is extremely special and sublime in its fierce feminist examination of the characters’ shared crisis of faith.  Playwright Lauren Ferebee has given us something previously unseen and incredibly unique and inspiring."

FALL 2019 – THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS

Artemisia’s season opener will be THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS, running November 1-24 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. The program will be three one-act comedies focused on the importance of voting rights for women and will celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in America. 

One of the most influential writers of suffrage plays was Evelyn Glover, who dramatized the arguments of working-class women in particular, because of the criticism that was leveled at the Suffrage Movement - that only middle-class women would benefit from sexual equality and the vote. Artemisia’s THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS will include two of her most popular plays. A CHAT WITH MRS. CHICKY, which depicts a conversation between a suffragette charwoman and an upper-class matron; and MRS. APPLEYARD’S AWAKENING. The latter play is a comedy in which an anti-suffrage activist comes to realize the fallacies and illogic of her views.  THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS will also include George Bernard Shaw’s one-act comedy PRESS CUTTINGS, a farce satirizing British politicians and attitudes against suffrage.  The comedy imagines a time when suffrage activism led to an imposition of martial law and a chaotic society.


SPRING 2020 – The World Premiere of EVERY WAITING HEART

Artemisia’s Spring 2020 production will be the World Premiere of EVERY WAITING HEART, by Lauren Ferebee. The drama will be performed at The Den in June 2020 and directed by Artemisia Founding Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot. This winner of Artemisia’s 2018 Fall Festival, EVERY WAITING HEART centers on the relationship between an overworked single mother and her rebellious teenaged daughter. Sherri and Annette have been an unbreakable mother-daughter duo since childhood, but Annette's sudden rebellion terrifies her mother.  Desperate for help, Sherri goes to a speed-dating event at a Pentecostal church that unexpectedly changes the course of both of their lives and fractures the bond that has held them together for so long. A deep and intimate dive into what it means to be a strong woman, EVERY WAITING HEART is an unflinching examination of faith and the many variations of love. 

ARTEMISIA’S COMMITMENT TO NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT

Artemisia will continue its annual search for all-new feminist plays that empower women.  Chicago playwrights as well as playwrights with whom Artemisia has a working relationship will be invited to submit each year for consideration.  Artemisia’s Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot will curate the submissions and select one play to be fully developed into a world or regional premiere production in Chicago.  Ten plays and playwrights are finalists under consideration for Artemisia’s 2020-2021 Theatre Season.


GET TICKETS
In proud partnership with media sponsor Windy City Times, Artemisia Theatre presents SWEET TEXAS RECKONING during National Pride Month, June 7th-30th.

The voice of Chicago's Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer community since 1985.

BE SURE TO CATCH THEM #DownAtTheDen


Artemisia's Midwest Premiere of SWEET TEXAS RECKONING, by Traci Godfrey, is funded in part by a grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. 

Artemisia is supported by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation's Gen Ops Plus strategy in the Chicago region provides general operations grants and an array of other kinds of support to help grantees sustain their artistry and strengthen their operations.

Artemisia's 2018-19 Theatre Season is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Artemisia Fall Festival 2018 was made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

CASTING ANNOUNCED: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Via Theo Ubique June 14 – July 28

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Will Lidke to lead cast of 
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, 
Toma Tavares Langston to direct production playing from 
June 14 – July 28


Cast, director and designers have been announced for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the thoughtfully funny and hard-rocking musical by Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell that will close out Theo Ubique’s first season in its new home on Howard Street in Evanston. Artistic Director Fred Anzevino said today the leading role of Hedwig Schmidt, a genderqueer glam punk rock artist, will be taken by Will Lidke. Lidke won praise for his leading role of Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS last fall at Drury Lane Theatre, where he most recently played Snoopy in YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN.


HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will be directed by Toma Tavares Langston, who received a 2018 Jeff Award nomination for his direction of THE LIGHT, which was named Best New Play in that year’s Jeff Awards and went to enjoy an off-Broadway production in New York City. Langston, who earned a fellowship in Victory Gardens’ 2015 Directors Inclusion Initiative, returns to Theo Ubique, where he worked on THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, EVITA, CABARET and BELLE BARTH: IF I EMBARRASS YOU, TELL YOUR FRIENDS.



HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will preview Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 17. It will play Thursdays through Sundays through July 28, 2019, at the Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard St., Evanston.

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH ran for over two years in its initial off-Broadway engagement, and later won four Tony Awards®, including Best Musical Revival, when it was produced on Broadway in 2014. It concerns Hedwig Schmidt, a trans rock 'n' roll goddess from East Germany whose botched sex-change operation from male to female intended to please a male lover left her with an “angry inch” of flesh where her female genitalia should be. One of the first musicals to explore issues of gender identity, its varied score includes hard rock songs like “Sugar Daddy,” the drag anthem “Wig in a Box” and the tender “Origin of Love.” HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH  is presented as a rock concert in which Hedwig tells her story, with the other players assisting in the dramatization of her life events.

Langston says,“Glam Punk Rock & Roll gives an artist a vehicle to challenge societal norms surrounding gender identity; it gives the freedom to blur the gender binary rules.” He adds, “I have always wanted to direct a rock & roll concert!”

Brittney Brown, who last appeared with Theo Ubique in SWEENEY TODD, will be the production’s Yitzhak. Brown’s credits also include HOT PINK, OR READY TO BLOW with New American Folk Theatre and BONNIE AND CLYDE with Kokandy Productions. The cast will also include Adriana Tronco as Background Singer East, Mom, and Yitzhak understudy; and Jacob Gilchrist as Background Singer West, Tommy, Luther and Hedwig understudy. Tronco was most recently seen in Drury Lane Oakbrook's A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Gilchrist, also known as the drag artist Mikki Miraj, has appeared in RENT at Metropolis Arts Center and APPLAUSE by Porchlight Revisits. Appearing as Hedwig’s band, “The Angry Inch,” will be music director Jeremy Ramey (Keyboards, conductor), Perry Cowdery (guitar), Joseph Drezmiecki (bass), Carlos Mendoza (drums), and Cesar Romero (guitar, vocals).

Top Row: Will Lidke, Brittney Brown
Lower Row: Jacob Gilchrist, Adriana Tronco 

Langston’s design and production team will include Colt Frank (scenic design), Bob Kuhn (costume design), James Kolditz (lighting design), Robert Hornbostel (sound design), Matt Chase (associate sound designer), Matthew Zalinski (properties design) and Keith Ryan (wig designer). Courtney Crouse is Production Manager and Hai Alvarez-Millard is Stage Manager.

All performances will be staged in Theo Ubique’s new home, the Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard Street, Evanston. Single tickets for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH are on sale now at www.theo-u.org or by phone (weekdays, 10:30 am – 5 pm) at 773-347-1109.

A “Hedwig-themed” three-course prix fixe dinner, catered by Soul & Smoke and served by cast members before the show, is available with prior reservations, for $25.00 per person. The HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH menu will include:
Beet Salad with Mixed Greens, Orange, and Goat Cheese
Meatless Meatballs in White Sauce with Lemon, Capers, and Potato. (Our own take on “Konigsberger Klopse,” a classic dish from Hedwig’s previous home of East Berlin, using Impossible Burger - a ground beef substitute made entirely from plants - in place of beef.)
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream. (A popular dessert from Kansas, where Hedwig moves after leaving East Berlin.)

June 14 – July 28, 2019
Press Opening Monday, June 17, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Ticket prices previews June 14-16: All seats $25.00 - $30.00 (show only)
Ticket prices regular run: Thursdays and Sundays $39.00- $49.00, Fridays and Saturdays $44.00 - $54.00
$5.00 discount on regular run prices for seniors and students
Dinner (optional) is $25.00. Advance reservations required
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 7:00 pm.
All performances will be held at Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard Street, Evanston
More information at www.theo-u.com or by phone at 773-347-1109 (weekdays 10:30 am – 5 pm).
Student/Industry Rush All Season Long!
(Starting 15 mins before curtain, all unsold seats will be released for $20 for those with a valid student ID or for industry with biz card or headshot.)

Hedwig Schmidt is a genderqueer glam rock 'n' roll goddess from East Germany whose botched sex-change operation left her with an “angry inch” of flesh where her female genitalia should be. One of the first musicals to explore issues of gender identity, its varied score includes hard rock songs like “Sugar Daddy,” the drag anthem “Wig in a Box” and the tender “Origin of Love.”

Theo Ubique’s New Home – the Howard Street Theatre
Theo Ubique’s new performance space is a renovated storefront owned by the City of Evanston at 721 Howard Street, on the north side of the street that is the border between Evanston and Chicago. The theatre has a flexible performance and seating area that can seat up to 85 patrons.



About Theo Ubique
Theo Ubique was founded in 1997 by Artistic Director Fred Anzevino. Productions were first staged at the Heartland Studio Theatre, and from 2004 to May 2018, at No Exit Café, where the company began focusing on musicals and revues, reigniting the cabaret theatre trend in Chicago. The company moved to its own space in Evanston in fall 2018. Theo Ubique has produced more than 60 shows and received more than 60 Jeff Awards, having received more than 100 nominations. It has also received three After Dark Awards.


CELEBRATE PRIDE WITH GET HAPPY: ANGELA INGERSOLL SINGS JUDY GARLAND at Mercury Theater Chicago's Venus Cabaret Theater June 20-30, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Artists Lounge Live presents 
GET HAPPY: 
ANGELA INGERSOLL SINGS JUDY GARLAND 
AT MERCURY THEATER'S 
VENUS CABARET


Emmy Nominee and Jeff Award Winner Angela Ingersoll Channels Judy Garland in Concert June 20-30

I've had the great pleasure to catch Angela Ingersoll live, embodying the soul of Judy Garland, and her vocal and physical resemblance is uncanny! She's a consummate performer and a joy to see. Combine her delightful rendition of Garland's legacy with one of our favorite intimate spaces, Mercury Theater Chicago's Venus Cabaret Theater, and it's sure to be an epic experience.

Artists Lounge Live presents GET HAPPY: ANGELA INGERSOLL SINGS JUDY GARLAND, June 20-30, at Mercury Theater Chicago's Venus Cabaret Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago. Angela Ingersoll's Emmy-nominated performance, as seen on PBS, celebrates Judy Garland live in concert with virtuosic vocals, compassionate storytelling, and naturally winning humor. Her intimate engagement at Venus Cabaret commemorates the 50th anniversary of Garland's passing and invites audiences to raise a glass to the birth of the Pride movement.

In addition to headlining concert stages nationwide, Ingersoll won acclaim for her superb portrayal of Garland in the play End of the Rainbow, including Chicago's Jeff Award and LA Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Chicago Sun-Times exclaims, “Phenomenal. Judy Garland has been reborn.” Songs include "Over the Rainbow," "Get Happy," and "The Man That Got Away.” Presented by Artists Lounge Live and Mercury Theater Chicago.

GET HAPPY: ANGELA INGERSOLL SINGS JUDY GARLAND runs June 20 through 30, 2019. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 3:30pm. Tickets are priced at $65 and are available online at MercuryTheaterChicago.com, by phone at 773.325.1700, or in person at the Mercury Theater Box Office, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago. More information is available online HERE.

LA Times cheers, “Ingersoll has incandescent star power.” Angela Ingersoll headlines concert stages nationwide with her Emmy Award-nominated performance, Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland, as seen on PBS. Ingersoll is also known for her stunning portrayal of Garland in the play End of the Rainbow (Chicago: Porchlight Music Theatre; Los Angeles: La Mirada Theatre, Laguna Playhouse; St Louis: Max & Louie Productions). Her star turn earned acclaim including Chicago's Jeff Award, a Broadway World Award, and LA Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Attracting the attention of Garland’s family, Ingersoll partnered with Garland’s son onstage for Joey Luft and Angela Ingersoll Celebrate Judy Garland. Other credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Hedy LaRue, Jeff Award nomination) at Marriott Theatre; and work with Paramount Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Drury Lane, Writers, Steppenwolf, The Second City, and Goodman Theatre. Other TV: Chicago PD. Other concerts: The 12 Dames of Christmas. Angela and husband Michael Ingersoll produce the Artists Lounge Live concert series. angelaingersoll.com

About Artists Lounge Live
Artists Lounge Live is a dynamic concert series featuring popular music of yesterday performed live by tremendous talent of today. Rising stars of stage and screen pay homage to the icons that influenced them in emotional evenings of storytelling and song. In addition to showcasing superb musicianship, powerful storytelling sets Artists Lounge Live apart. Shows explore the lives of icons with empathy and delve into the landscape of America when the music was being made. Headliners are not impersonators; rather, they are the artistic descendants of the icon they cover. By sharing their gratitude, the artists offer audiences a piece of their heart. Artists Lounge Live hopes that as you fall in love with the music all over again, you’ll also fall in love with the featured artist and their dedication to keeping your music alive for the next generation. Producer/performer Michael Ingersoll states, “Popular music is our shared heritage and we honor it the best way we know how: by gathering together to enjoy live entertainment. We believe in the restorative power of live entertainment, for both the individual and the community.” artistsloungelive.com

About Mercury Theater Chicago
The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is located in the heart of the Southport Corridor at 3745 North Southport Avenue, within a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful destination, Mercury Theater Chicago is a live-theater seating 290 people, adjoining Venus Cabaret Theater (seating 80). Guests are taken care of from the moment they arrive with valet service and luxe farm-to-table dining at its adjoining restaurant, Grassroots.

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

SAVE THE DATES: WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES 2019-2020 SEASON FEATURING IMMERSIVE STAGINGS OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTIONS “EVERY BRILLIANT THING” AND “THE BOYS IN THE BAND”

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

 WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES 2019-2020 SEASON FEATURING IMMERSIVE STAGINGS OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTIONS “EVERY BRILLIANT THING” AND “THE BOYS IN THE BAND”


Windy City Playhouse has been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows, since their inception. We've been wowed by Southern Gothic, in both locations, and highly recommend this uniquely interactive production. Most recently, we were gobsmacked by Windy City Playhouse's Noises Off, a fabulous farce that moves the entire audience backstage for act 2! It's hilarious and an absolute must see for fans of the genre. Noises Off is now extended through May 26th, so don't miss this. As if these two gems weren't enough, the 2019-2020 season brings a triple treat, we just can't wait to see. Save the dates!

Amy Rubenstein, Artistic Director and Evelyn Jacoby, Managing Director of Windy City Playhouse today announced the 2019-2020 season featuring the Windy City Playhouse premiere of Duncan MacMillan’s one-person-show, “Every Brilliant Thing” directed by Jessica Fisch this fall and Mart Crowley’s revolutionary play, “The Boys in the Band” directed by Playhouse Associate Artistic Director, Carl Menninger in the winter of 2020. The productions join Windy City Playhouse’s previously announced psychological thriller “The Recommendation,” which begins performances at Windy City Playhouse flagship in July. Season subscriptions are now available by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting www.windycityplayhouse.com.



“’Southern Gothic’ was such a clear landmark for our company stylistically,” said Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein. “We saw how connected audiences could become to stories when they are brought literally inside the action and given agency over their own viewing experience. I am so eager to continue exploring that kind of work with this next season with some important, riveting stories.”

Fresh off successful productions at The Old Globe and the Flea Theater, the current season wraps up with the psychological thriller, Jonathan Caren’s “The Recommendation.” The story follows two friends through the trials and tribulations of life and tests just how far they will go to get what they want. Stage Scene LA called the show, “Terrific… drama that will keep you guessing from its exhilarating start to its suspenseful finish… a rollercoaster ride of a play.” “The Recommendation” begins performances at Windy City Playhouse’s flagship on July 2, 2019.

The 2019-2020 season officially kicks off this fall with Duncan MacMillan’s “Every Brilliant Thing” starring Rebecca Spence. Directed by Jessica Fisch the play explores the comedy in tragedy, how we cope and the little things that make life brilliant. Ice cream. The smell of old books. The color yellow. We all collect these slivers of delight among the daily splinters of life. In this solo-performance show, the protagonist guides her audience through her personal chronicle of life's joys in the face of her mother's depression, from childhood to adulthood. “Every Brilliant Thing” will be played at a location to be announced this July.

Rounding out the 2019-2020 season is Mart Crowley’s game-changing play “The Boys in the Band” directed by Windy City Playhouse Associate Artistic Director, Carl Menninger. It's 1968 and Harold is turning thirty. Luckily, friend-enemy Michael is there with six mutual friends to help him ease into the big three-O.  The party is all jokes and quips until the host proposes a harmless game of truth or dare. What happens when you put eight, complicated men - out, closeted, flamboyant or "passing" - in one room with all their grudges? Fresh from its hit Broadway revival, this landmark play comes to Chicago for the first time in 20 years. “The Boys in the Band” begins performances at Windy City Playhouse’s flagship on January 29, 2020.

“After supporting the creative needs of the Playhouse since its inception, co-creating the landmark production ‘Southern Gothic,’ supporting ancillary program development and fielding all new work submissions, Carl has become a vital part of the Playhouse’s artistic voice and myself, Managing Director Evelyn Jacoby, and our Board are thrilled to formalize this relationship with the new title,” said Rubenstein.  


WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE’S 2019-2020 SEASON:

             “THE RECOMMENDATION”
              Written by Jonathan Caren (he/him/his)
              Directed by Jonathan Wilson (he/him/his)
              Previews begin: July 2, 2019

Aaron Feldman arrives at college fully prepared with a charming personality, wealthy father and plenty of connections. His freshman year roommate, Iskander Ioduoko, is not so lucky. The middle-class student has worked hard to get where he is and arrived on no one’s coat tails. Despite differing backgrounds, the two young men quickly develop a strong bond and pledge to a life-long friendship. That is, until one finds himself in legal trouble, and the other in a tricky position deciding whether to help.
       
             “EVERY BRILLIANT THING”
              Written by Duncan MacMillan (he/him/his)
              Directed by Jessica Fisch (she/her/hers)
              Previews begin: September 18, 2019

Ice cream. The smell of old books. The color yellow. We all collect these slivers of delight among the daily splinters of life. In this solo-performance show, our protagonist guides her audience through her personal chronicle of life's joys in the face of her mother's depression, from childhood to adulthood. Do water fights and roller coasters also get lost in the void, or do they flicker and spark? This fall, join the Playhouse for an interactive experience. Audiences are invited to speak on behalf of a vet, a father, a lecturer, or a even a therapist sock in this "come-as-you-are performance" with no prior acting experience or rehearsal required.  Who knows - maybe you'll walk away with a brilliant thing of your own.

             “THE BOYS IN THE BAND”
              Written by Mart Crowley (he/him/his)
              Directed by Carl Menninger (he/him/his)
              Previews begin: January 29, 2020

It's 1968 and Harold is turning thirty. Luckily, friend-enemy Michael is there with six mutual friends to help him ease into the big three-O.  The party is all jokes and quips until the host proposes a harmless game of truth or dare. What happens when you put eight, complicated men - out, closeted, flamboyant, or "passing" - in one room with all their grudges? Fresh from its hit Broadway revival, this landmark play comes to Chicago for the first time in 20 years. In winter 2020, the Playhouse hosts our next immersive birthday party. Sit inches from the prototype personalities that "helped spark a revolution by putting gay men's lives onstage" during the pre-Pride era. Come to a party where the cake tastes like truth, and everyone gets a slice.

About the Director for “Every Brilliant Thing”:
Jessica Fisch (Director) Recent credits: “I Wana F*#%ing Tear You Apart” (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble);  “Twilight Bowl” (University of Wisconsin at Madison); “Cry It Out” (Northlight Theatre); “You Across From Me” (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival); “Late Company” (Cor Theatre, Midwest Premiere); “The Firebirds Take The Field” (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); “Straight White Men” (Associate Director, Steppenwolf Theatre); “Trudy, Carolyn Martha and Regine Travel to Outer Space” (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival); “The Rosenkranz Mysteries: An Evening of Magic” (Royal George Cabaret); “Fefu and Her Friends” (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latina/o Celebration); “Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time” (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens); “Psychodramatic” (A Red Orchid, Incubator Series); “Traces” (Feast Productions/ Jackalope Theatre). Selected New York credits: “The Realm” (The Wild Project), “Strive/Seek/Find” (Abingdon Theatre); the 2009 Playwrights Horizons’ Stories on 5 Stories Benefit, “Personal History” (Ensemble Studio Theatre); “The Redheaded Man” (Barrow Street Theatre/Down Payment Productions, FringeNYC, FringeEncores); “Dressed in Your Dreams” (Public Theater/Emerging Writers Group); an adaptation of the cult 1960’s gothic vampire soap opera “Dark Shadows” (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Fisch was a resident director at Ensemble Studio Theater, The Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident, and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Upcoming Credits: “And Then There Were None” (Drury Lane Theater) MFA: Northwestern University. www.JessicaFisch.com

About the Director for “The Boys in the Band”:
Carl Menninger (Director) lived and worked in Chicago for many years and directed the 2016 production of “This” at Windy City Playhouse. Currently, he is the Associate Artistic Director at the Playhouse as well as an Assistant Professor of Theatre at American University, in Washington, D.C., where he ran the Theatre and Musical Theatre program for eight years.  Carl is one of the co-creators of the Playhouse hit “Southern Gothic.” He will direct the upcoming WCP production of “The Boys in the Band.” While in Chicago, Carl worked with Victory Gardens and Chicago Dramatists.  In addition to working with D.C.’s Ford’s Theatre, Studio Theatre and Adventure Theatre, his play “Everything But You: A Modern Romance” received a staged reading at Keegan Theatre in D.C. He is currently working on a play about silent film stars Ramon Novarro and Billy Haines.  Carl is the co-author of “Minding the Edge: Strategies for a Fulfilling, Successful Career as an Actor.” 

Two and three show packages are available starting at $109, with different options for varying days of the week. Single tickets for “The Recommendation” are on sale now. Single tickets for “Every Brilliant Thing” and “The Boys in the Band” will go on sale at a future date to be announced. With the 2019-2020 season, Windy City Playhouse is also offering a Platinum Subscription, which will include a $100 donation to the Playhouse’s artistic innovation and in turn offers complimentary drinks to those patrons. All packages offer a 25 percent savings and subscriber-only benefits. Subscriptions and tickets are available by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting www.windycityplayhouse.com



About Windy City Playhouse
Windy City Playhouse is a professional theater and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located on Chicago's northwest side. Premiering in March of 2015 with a mission to present contemporary, relevant, and approach art, the Playhouse has quickly become a mainstay of the Chicago theater scene. In 2018, its runaway hit, the immersive SOUTHERN GOTHIC, solidified the Playhouse as the first choice in Chicago theater for one-of-a-kind audience experience. "Experience driven. Audience first."

For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.


Monday, May 6, 2019

WORLD PREMIERE: Chicago Cubs Musical MIRACLE: A Musical 108 Years in the Making at Royal George Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

The World Premiere of
MIRACLE
A Musical 108 Years in the Making


A Miracle is coming to Chicago. Inspired by Chicago’s beloved 2016 World Series Champions the Chicago Cubs, MIRACLE, makes its highly-anticipated World Premiere at the Royal George Theatre (1641 N Halsted St) with previews May 8. With a book by Jason Brett (Co-Founder of the Apollo Theater and Co-Producer of the film About Last Night), and music and lyrics by Jeff Award-winner Michael Mahler (Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Jeff Award nominated Road Show; Drury Lane Theatre: Hot Mikado; American Blues Theater: Jeff Award Recipient Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story), this heartwarming musical is directed by Damon Kiely (World Premiere: Thieves Like Us; American Blues Theatre: Jeff Award nominated Hank Williams: Lost Highway; American Theater Company: Jeff Award nominated Oklahoma!) and produced by William Marovitz and Arny Granat.



Set against the backdrop of the Chicago Cubs 2016 Championship season, MIRACLE tells the story of a typical working class Chicago family and what it means to have faith, lose it and try to regain it again. The production chronicles the Chicago Cubs’ struggle to win the pennant, as well as the life of the Delaneys, a close-knit Chicago Irish family fighting to keep their bar near Wrigley Field afloat financially. Throughout MIRACLE, the audience will journey through Pops Delaney’s efforts to resolve conflicts with his son, Charlie, and Charlie’s attempts to keep the business alive, as well as cheer along with Charlie’s 11-year-old daughter Dani, who is completely enamored with the boys in blue, and his wife Sofia, a Chicago Public School teacher, who is the glue that keeps the family together.

“The Chicago Cubs have had a memorable impact on not only Chicagoans, but fans around the world,” says creator and producer William Marovitz. “This story is more than just baseball. It illustrates how hope, faith, and belief can take you somewhere where you never imagined. With this musical, we celebrate the highs and lows of life directly paralleled with the Cubs winning the World Series, and how believing in a miracle can get you further than you ever could have ever dreamed.”


MIRACLE stars Brandon Dahlquist as “Charlie” (Broadway: Bronx Bombers; San Francisco Playhouse: Dogfight; Writers Theater: Jeff Award nominated A Little Night Music; Porchlight Music Theatre: City of Angels), Gene Weygandt as “Pops” (Broadway: Wicked, Big; National Tour: Wicked, A Christmas Story; Marriott Theatre: Jeff Award Recipients A Day in Hollywood and Me and My Girl), Amaris Sanchez as “Dani 1” (Broadway: On Your Feet!; National Tour: On Your Feet!; Goodman Theatre: A Christmas Carol), Elise Wolf as “Dani 2” (Mercury Theater: The Christmas Schooner;  The Artistic Home Theatre: By the Bag of Cats, Miracle on 34th Street), Allison Sill as “Sofia” (Marriott Theatre: Pinkalicious, Honeymoon in Vegas, She Loves Me; Paramount Theatre: Oklahoma!; Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Seussical), Jonathan Butler-Duplessis as “Larry” (Writers Theater: Jeff Award Recipient Parade; Marriott Theatre: Dreamgirls, Ragtime, Man of La Mancha; Paramount Theatre: In the Heights, Little Mermaid), Veronica Garza as “Babs” (Theatre Wit: Jeff Award Recipient Tonya and Nancy; Firebrand Theatre: Jeff Award nominated 9 to 5; Theo Ubique: Jeff Award nominated A New Brain), and Michael Kingston as “Weslowski/Sleaze” (National Tour: Flashdance The Musical; Paramount Theatre: Hairspray; Jackalope Theatre: Ideation).

The production will feature choreography by Dina DiCostanzo, musical direction by Kory Danielson, set design by Collette Pollard, costume design by Izumi Inaba, lighting design by Christine Binder, sound design by Ray Nardelli, projection design by Mike Tutaj, and properties design by Angela McIlvain.

The performance schedule for MIRACLE is Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays at 2pm and 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. For more information, please visit www.miraclethemusical.com, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling The Royal George Theatre box office at 312.988.9000.



WILLIAM MAROVITZ (LEAD Producer, Concept Originator) was a State Senator in the Illinois Legislator.  He spent 18 years in the Illinois General Assembly, receiving many Best Legislator Awards and sponsoring many landmark pieces of legislation. In 1987/88, as the State Senator representing the Wrigleyville community, Marovitz worked with Major League Baseball, the Chicago Cubs and the surrounding neighbors to forge a compromise that allowed for the installation of lights at Wrigley Field (8/8/88). Following his tenure in the Senate, he developed many buildings in Chicago’s River North area, some of which included 60 story residential high-rises.  He is currently co-developing a new high-rise project in the hot Fulton Market Corridor. The project is called the City Tech Center. Marovitz is involved with many restaurants both in and out of Chicago, including his ownership of Carnivale Restaurant in the Fulton Market Corridor. He has been an investor in several Broadway shows, including Tony Award winners Spambot, Glengarry Glen Ross, and All the Way, and is currently an investor in Tootsie.

ARNY GRANAT (Co-Producer) is a full-time producer/promoter from Chicago focusing on traveling exhibits, concerts and events. Over the last 45 years he has been a partner at Jam Productions, Ltd, Jam Theatricals, Outback Concerts, Grand Slam Productions and a producer of many other events and tours. Among Granat’s many achievements in the music industry are being named Pollstar’s Talent Buyer of the Year and Performance Magazine Readers Poll Promoter of the Year. Granat has also won 10 Tony Awards as a producer on Broadway with Jam Theatricals.

DAMON KIELY (Director) is the Chair of Performance at DePaul’s Theatre School and the author of How to Read a Play: Text Analysis for Directors (Routledge 2016). His production of HANK WILLIAMS: LOST HIGHWAY won the Jeff Award for Best Musical Production Midsized. He recently directed Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Space and Boyfor TimeLine Theatre. From 2002 through 2007 he served as Artistic Director for American Theatre Company and has directed for American Blues, Strawdog, Route 66, A Red Orchid, Next and many others. His original plays Thieves Like us and The Revelwere produced by The House Theatre of Chicago.

MICHAEL MAHLER (Composer & Lyricist) (ASCAP) is the Jeff award-winning composer/lyricist of October Sky, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Something in the Game, Hero, The Man who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, How Can You Run with a Shell on your Back, and others. He contributed additional lyrics to Cameron Mackintosh’s Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Miss Saigon and served as original English lyricist for Boublil & Schönberg’s La Revolution Française. Projects in development include The Secret of My Success for Universal Theatricals, Jonestown, and Gravedigger’s Hamlet.

JASON BRETT (Writer) is the co-founder of Chicago’s famed Apollo Theater, where he produced dozens of plays and musicals featuring John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Laurie Metcalfe, William Peterson, Megan Mullally, James Belushi and Lily Tomlin. In film, Mr. Brett produced the romantic comedy hit, "About Last Night...". He has written films for Universal, Sony, Tri-Star, and 20th Century Fox. In television, Mr. Brett has created and written more than thirty TV shows. As an entertainment industry executive, he headed the scripted TV division of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, was president of Second City Entertainment and oversaw the comedy unit of AOL.

JULIAN FRAZIN (Co-Producer and Co- Concept Originator) was principal writer, lyricist and producer of the Chicago Bar Association’s famed “Christmas Spirits” gridiron shows for more than 50 years. His musical “Lords of the Levee” written with Alan Barcus and Rick Kogan, was named one the year’s top five entertainment events by the South Bend Tribune. Julian collaborated with jazz greats Larry Novak, Ed Tossing and Bobby Schiff on songs recorded by Dennis DeYoung, Ron Hawking, Alma Balier and Lucy Reed. A retired Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, he has been a theater critic for Chicago’s Law Bulletin Publishing for the past 30 years.

Thursday, May 2, 2019

OPENING: North American Premiere of Critically Acclaimed New Musical SIX at Chicago Shakespeare Theater May 14–June 30

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar


Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces
 North American premiere cast of
 critically acclaimed new musical 
SIX,
by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
May 14–June 30



The Queens of Chicago Shakespeare’s North American premiere production of SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, May 14–June 30, 2019. Pictured: Andrea Macasaet (Boleyn), Brittney Mack (Cleves), Anna Uzele (Parr), Abby Mueller (Seymour), Samantha Pauly (Howard), and Adrianna Hicks (Aragon). Photo by Jeff Sciortino.



The six wives of King Henry VIII headline 
electrifying pop-concert musical in The Yard at 
Chicago Shakespeare

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces the Queens of the critically acclaimed new musical SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which makes its North American premiere in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, May 14–June 30, 2019. The six wives of King Henry VIII headline an electrifying pop-concert spectacle—flipping the narrative on the one-sided story from our history books. After its runaway debut at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a sold-out UK tour, the musical phenomenon is now taking London by storm with an open-ended run on the West End, now nominated for five Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.



Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, the Chicago Shakespeare production will feature Adrianna Hicks(Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Seymour), Brittney Mack (Cleves), Samantha Pauly(Howard), and Anna Uzele (Parr). Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert and Mallory Maedke have been cast as the Alternate Queens.

Best remembered by the popular rhyme, "divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived," the Queens now take control of the mic to reclaim their identities beyond the shadow of their infamous spouse—remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of twenty-first-century empowerment. Backed by an all-woman band the "Ladies in Waiting," the score traverses the spectrum of modern-day pop with a soundtrack that has charged up the global music charts.




Pictured: Adrianna Hicks (Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Seymour), Brittney Mack (Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Howard), and Anna Uzele (Parr). Photo courtesy of Chicago Shakespeare.

Adrianna Hicks portrays Catherine of Aragon, the tenacious queen leading the way who rebuffs Henry’s attempts to send her to a nunnery with the feminist dance anthem "No Way." Hicks made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Purple, and went on to star as Celie in the production’s highly acclaimed National Tour. In addition to appearing in Broadway’s Aladdin, she has toured internationally throughout Europe in productions of Sister Act, Legally Blonde, and Dirty Dancing.

Portraying the flirty and fun-loving Anne Boleyn with her cheeky pop melody "Don’t Lose Ur Head" is Andrea Macasaet. A graduate of the prestigious Canadian College of Performing Arts, Macasaet has been seen frequently onstage at the Winnipeg Studio Theatre in memorable roles, including Heather Duke in Heathers the Musical, Christmas Eve in Avenue Q, and Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She also starred as Kim in the Victoria Operatic Society’s production of Miss Saigon.

As the soulful Jane Seymour—"the only one he truly loved"—with the heart-wrenching torch song "Heart of Stone" is Abby Mueller. Direct from starring in the Broadway and original National Tour productions of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Broadway’s Kinky Boots, Mueller returns to Chicago Shakespeare, where she notably appeared in the world premiere musical The Three Musketeers. Her off-Broadway credits include the developmental workshop performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock at Gramercy Theatre, and A Minister’s Wife at Lincoln Center Theater.

Brittney Mack is the hip-hop powerhouse Anna of Cleves who, after being rejected because of the King’s unrealistic beauty standards, reaps the spoils of her newfound liberation in "Get Down." A native of Chicago’s South Side, Mack is a veteran of the National Tour of Memphis and the off-Broadway production Black Nativity Now. She has also appeared as a featured dancer on FOX’s hit series Empire.

Samantha Pauly appears as the feisty Katherine Howard, who nevertheless persists despite a challenging past of being used and abused by men in power in "All You Wanna Do." Memorable Chicago performances include Eva Perón in Evita and Betsy Nolan in Honeymoon in Vegas at Marriott Theatre, as well as Jovie in Elf the Musicaland Amber von Tussle in Hairspray! at Paramount Theatre.

Rounding out the sextet of Queens is the fiercely independent Catherine Parr, portrayed by Anna Uzele—with her show-stopping power anthem, "I Don’t Need Your Love." Uzele recently debuted on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Once on this Island as Andrea Devereaux. Regionally, she has appeared off Broadway in The Holes in Human Flesh, and in multiple productions with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

Joining the Queens as Alternates, each covering multiple roles, are Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert and Mallory Maedke. Lambert is currently appearing as Crystal in Mercury Theater’s Little Shop of Horrors. She has also performed in Porchlight Theater productions of Memphis and In the Heights, as well as Marriott Theatre’s Seussical. Maedke has been making her mark in musicals on Chicago stages, including most recently in Paramount Theater’s Legally Blonde, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia, and Hairspray!, as well as in the Jeff Award-nominated company of Hair at Mercury Theater.

The "Ladies in Waiting" are Julia Schade (Keyboard/Conductor/Assistant Music Director), Kimi Hayes (Guitars), Stacy McMichael (Electric Bass), and Sarah Allen (Drums).





Presented by Chicago Shakespeare Theater by arrangement with Kenny Wax, Global Musicals, George Stiles & Kevin McCollum, SIX boasts an impressive multi-national creative team. Directors Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage and the original creative team are joined by Jeff Award-winning Music Director Roberta Duchak, as well as Assistant Director Megan E. Farley. The Yard is transformed into a rocking pop concert venue by Scenic Designer Emma Bailey, Costume Designer Gabriella Slade, Sound Designer Paul Gatehouse, and Lighting Designer Tim Deiling. The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran and vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton. SIX features original choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, in addition to the work of Associate Choreographer Melody Sinclair.

For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/SIX or follow the Queens’ ascent at #cstSIX on @chicagoshakes.

SIX will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, May 14–June 30, 2019. Single tickets ($32–$55) are on sale now. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

CST strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons through its Access Shakespeareprograms. Accessible performances for SIX include:
ASL Duo-interpretation – Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 7:45 p.m.
Open-captioning – Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 7:45 p.m.
Audio-description – Sunday, June 16, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. (optional Touch Tour begins at 1:00 p.m.)

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be—a company that defies theatrical category. This Regional Tony Award-winning theater’s year-round season features as many as twenty productions and 650 performances—including plays, musicals, world premieres, family programming, and presentations from around the globe. Chicago Shakespeare is the city’s leading presenter of international work, and has toured its own productions across five continents. The Theater’s nationally acclaimed arts in literacy programs support the work of teachers, and bring Shakespeare to life on stage for tens of thousands of students annually. Each summer, the company tours a free professional production to neighborhood parks across Chicago. In 2017 the Theater unveiled The Yard, which, together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs, positions Chicago Shakespeare as Chicago’s most versatile performing arts center.

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