SAVE THE DATES: VENUS CABARET THEATER ANNOUNCES FALL PROGRAMMING

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

 Fall line-up to include:

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents On the Radio;

Barb Bailey – The Sequel: Hollywood Stories; Tim Murray is Witches!; Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash starring Ginger Minj from Hocus Pocus 2; Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody; David Fiorello: The Beautiful City Project; With a Twist! featuring Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo and Nick Sula and Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring sings Karen Carpenter

 

Venus Cabaret Theater, the intimate performance space at Mercury Theater Chicago, under the director of Cabaret Director Honey West, Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens and Executive Producers Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon,announces programming for Fall 2022.

Venus Cabaret Theater is Mercury Theater Chicago’s second performance space, offering a unique theatrical experience complemented by specialty cocktails. Tickets for all Venus Cabaret Theater and Mercury Theater Chicago performances are available at MercuryTheaterChicago.com.

Cabaret Director Honey West comments, “As a performer, the Venus Cabaret Theater is one of my favorite places for cabaret. It’s a beautiful and intimate room and we thrilled to share it this fall with so many talented performers, including the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, Ginger Minj, Heidi Kettenring, Barb Bailey, Tim Murray and David Fiorello—and more! I know that performers and audience members, alike, will fall in love with the room, just as I have.”

The Venus Cabaret Theater Fall line-up includes:

 

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents On the Radio            

Saturday, September 17 at 7 pm and 9 pm

Tickets: $40 Reserved Seat, $25 General Admission

Tickets available on CGMC website https://www.cgmc.org/get-tickets/

 

On the Radio highlights Orson Welles' radio play "War of the Worlds" in a very CGMC-branded way. 29 chorus members celebrate 32 hits that permeated the airwaves. Whether it's about the radio, happened while listening to the radio, or Donna Summer's hit "On the Radio," the CGMC has it covered. Tune in this September. 

 

 

Barb Bailey – The Sequel: Hollywood Stories

Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $35 General Admission (in-advance), $40 General Admission (day-of)

 

New songs and more stories! A heartwarming and hilarious show about how a baby was found in a cardboard box in West Virginia and how she ended up in the Music Business in Hollywood. That baby was Barb Bailey. Her escapades with famous stars are tell-all; bombshell and unforgettable. With a song list just as eclectic as Barb is - the audience is regaled with Sondheim, Peter Allen, and Ella - and everyone in between. Hollywood is a thrill ride exposing celebs from Burt Reynolds to Lady Gaga to high class call girls. Barb is a gorgeous powerhouse of intimacy and unbridled laughter. And her audiences keep bombarding the box offices for more!

 

 

Tim Murray is Witches!

Saturday, October 8 at 8 pm

Tickets: $20 General Admission (in-advance), $25 General Admission (day-of)

 

Wicked-obsessed stand-up comedian and TikTok gay Tim Murray performs original comedy songs about his favorite pop culture witches! Murray has made a brand out of loving the musical Wicked and now he has harnessed his passion into a super gay Halloween show about his favorite witches from several different movies and shows. Tim is a stand-up comedian, host of Slumber Party Podcast on iHeart Radio and can be seen on The Other Two on HBO Max, The Vivienne Takes Hollywood, the film Swan Song starring Jennifer Coolidge, and all over TikTok with his viral (often Wicked themed) sketch comedy videos. He has appeared in 50 Shades the Musical Off-Broadway (New York Times’ Critics Pick), Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts Musical Parody in London, and has toured his hour of stand-up in the UK, US and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SF Sketchfest, DragCon UK and DragCon LA.

 

 

Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash

Starring Ginger Minj from Hocus Pocus 2

Featuring Ginger Galore, Aria Hard and Michael Burlow

Presented by Fruit Wine Productions

Friday, October 14 at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm

Saturday, October 15 at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm

Sunday, October 16 at 2 pm

Tickets: $40 General Admission

 

It's been 30 years and the Sanderson sisters are back! Join Ginger Minj, fresh off her appearance in Hocus Pocus 2, Gidget Galore and Aria Hard as Winnifred, Mary and Sarah for The Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash! Are you ready to run amok amok amok?

 

 

Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody

October 17 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

 

Since 1976 you've been in love with Carrie White, the telekinetic teen whose catastrophic prom night captivated the nation and led to thrilling adaptations, musicals, and revivals. Since 1999, you've completely missed the fact that Carrie has a legitimate cinematic sequel that tells the story of Carrie's half-sister, Rachel, an angst-ridden rebel whose life seems to be looking up until her mysterious powers take hold. 

 

Now, with Carrie 2: The Rage, The Unauthorized Musical Parody (In Concert), you can relive the magic of Carrie in nearly every way as prom night survivor-turned-school counselor Sue Snell seeks to help Rachel before it's too late, Rachel's hyper-religious mother tries to kill her, and popular high schoolers prove, once again, they are the absolute worst. 

 

 

David Fiorello: The Beautiful City Project

Monday, October 31 at 7:30 pm

Tickets, $25, will be available October 1 at http://www.thebeautifulcityproject.com

 

Join The Beautiful City Project as they present Project Moonfall, a Halloween-inspired evening of some of the darker songs in musical theater. Featuring many of the city's top talent, these shows tend to sell out quickly, so if you haven't seen one of their projects yet, now is absolutely the time!

 

 

With a Twist!

Featuring Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo, and Nick Sula

Friday, November 18 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $25 General Admission

 

With A Twist! is comprised of Kevin Bishop, Steve Kimbrough, Paul Motondo, and Nick Sula. The mixologists of song bring you their concoction of potent arrangements and refreshing mashups celebrating icons. They put their twist on classic and contemporary songs transforming them into unique, fun three-part harmony. They have been performing together since 2011 with numerous hit shows at Davenport’s, Park West, Stage 773, The Skokie Theater and Uptown Underground. Come on and get Twisted!

 

 

Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring sings Karen Carpenter

Friday, November 25 at 8:30 pm

Saturday, November 26 at 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Sunday, November 27 at 3:30 pm

Tickets: $70

 

Chicago’s favorite leading lady Heidi Kettenring (Wicked, Broadway in Chicago) and her exceptional band present the timeless treasures and holiday hits of Karen Carpenter. A storyteller sure to stir the heart, multi-award-winner Kettenring tenderly chronicles Carpenter’s troubles and triumphs with a familiar angelic radiance. Around the Town Chicago calls the show, “Glorious. An elegant, tear jerking, sing along concert event." Songs include "Close To You," "Merry Christmas Darling," "For All We Know," and "The Christmas Song." Presented by Artists Lounge Live.

COVID PROTOCOL: Mercury Theater Chicago follows the CDC and State of Illinois recommendations about maintaining a COVID safe environment. Any interaction with the public poses an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19. By visiting Mercury Theater Chicago, it is understood that everyone voluntarily assumes all risks related to exposure.

 

Patrons are highly encouraged to wear masks throughout the performance when not actively eating or drinking regardless of vaccination status.

About Mercury Theater Chicago

The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is 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 280 people, adjoining Venus Cabaret Theater (seating 80). 

 

The building that houses the Mercury opened in 1912 as a silent film nickelodeon, named The Blaine Theatre after actor and former Senator and Secretary of State James G. Blaine. The Blaine became obsolete when talking pictures became popular nationwide in 1928. The building served a variety of uses until 1994, when it was purchased by theater producer Michael Cullen and transformed into a live theatre, named the Mercury Theatre.

 

In 2010 the building was sold again and reopened as Mercury Theater Chicago under the direction of Walter Stearns, a veteran theater director and producer. Mercury Theater Chicago's second performance space, Venus Cabaret Theater, offers a unique intimate theatrical experience complemented by specialty cocktails. Mercury Theater Chicago is thrilled to be part of the city's vibrant theatre community, boasting record-setting long runs, employing hundreds of artists, and recognized with dozens of award nominations. Mercury Theater Chicago's team includes Christopher Chase Carter (Artistic Director), Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon (Executive Producers), Kristi J. Martens (Managing Director) and Honey West (Cabaret Director). Visit MercuryTheaterChicago.com.

FEST ALERT: Destinos, 5th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival SEPTEMBER 14-OCTOBER 16, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

DESTINOS

5th CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL LATINO THEATER FESTIVAL, 

RETURNS SEPTEMBER 14-OCTOBER 16, 2022 WITH A WILDLY DIVERSE SLATE OF NEW DRAMAS AND COMEDIES ABOUT THE LATINO EXPERIENCE FROM CHICAGO, THE U.S. AND LATIN AMERICA

Destinos, 5th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival will host (top, left) the U.S. premiere of Blanco Temblor by Puerto Rico’s Teatro Público, a play about mental health featuring Isel Rodríguez, September 29-October 2 at The Den Theatre. The Midwest premiere of Pequeños Territorios en Reconstrucción (top, right), a documentary about a group of Colombian women who built 98 houses with their own hands, from Mexico City’s Teatro Línea de Sombra, is co-presented by CLATA and Goodman Theatre, September 21-25. Mexican TV stars María del Carmen Félix (bottom, left) and Mariannela Cataño (middle) star in the world premiere of La Pájara de San Juan at the National Museum of Mexican Art, September 14-17. Latino favorite Flaco Navaja stars in UrbanTheater’s Midwest premiere of his first solo show Evolution of a Sonero, September 29-October 23. 

Destinos, 5th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, Chicago’s annual citywide festival showcasing Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America, returns September 14-October 16, 2022.

Destinos kicks off Chicago’s Hispanic Heritage Month with five weeks of Latino-centric shows, panels and student performances at downtown venues, neighborhood theaters, and cultural institutions throughout the Chicago area.

The full Destinos 2022 line-up – 13 amazing productions including six world premieres, four U.S. premieres and three Midwest premieres – is set and tickets to most productions are on sale at destinosfest.org. 

Chicagoans and visitors alike are encouraged to get their tickets now to experience new, vibrant solo shows and large scale productions playing on Chicago’s top stages in September and October, each celebrating the Latino experience.

Visit destinosfest.org to purchase tickets and for full show information. Sign up for CLATA’s weekly e-newsletter for first notice of festival events. Follow Destinos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, all at @latinotheater. 

Destinos is produced annually by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), a transformative cultural engine helping drive the city’s local Latino theater community to a more prominent level, founded in 2016 by Myrna Salazar, the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA), the International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC), and the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA). 

Chicagoans are still stunned by the recent loss of CLATA’s visionary leader, Myrna Salazar, who passed away suddenly on August 3.

“CLATA’s success would not have been possible without a visionary at the helm, a person with the tenacity and passion to bring Chicago’s Latino theater community to a level that had not yet been imagined,” wrote the CLATA staff in a program note dedicating this year’s Destinos to her memory. “Now, in her honor, CLATA is charged with the task of making sure her legacy forges ahead with the same unbridled zeal that Myrna brought to her beloved organization, the Destinos Festival, and her everyday life.” 

2022 festival highlights include three out-of-town productions from Mexico and Puerto Rico: 

The world premiere of La Pájara de San Juan, a Trump-era drama about two sisters, one documented, one not, on a fateful night in Chicago, starring Mexican TV stars María del Carmen Félix and Mariannela Cataño. It is written by Victor Salinas and Sergio Gezzi, and co-presented by CLATA and the National Museum of Mexican Art, September 14-17. Opens Wednesday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The Midwest premiere of Pequeños Territorios en Reconstrucción, a documentary fable about a group of Colombian women who created the “League of Displaced Women” and built 98 houses with their own hands, from Mexico City’s Teatro Línea de Sombra, co-presented by CLATA and Goodman Theatre in the heart of Chicago’s Loop, September 21-25. Opens Wednesday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m.

The U.S. premiere of Blanco Temblor by Puerto Rico’s Teatro Público. This is a dramedy about mental health as told via the story of Marina del Mar, a doctor in quantum astrophysics, a Puerto Rican, bipolar, suicide survivor, with a disease from birth: she could not tremble. Performances are September 29-October 2 at The Den Theatre in Wicker Park. Opens Thursday, September 29 at 8 p.m.

You want new plays by Latino writers? Destinos will see diverse new works by Chicago’s top Latino companies and artists, including:

Las Migas by Colectivo El Pozo, a world premiere drama set on the roof of a Chicago skyscraper as an eerie red moon disrupts city life below, presented at Chess Live Theater in Bridgeport, September 15-October 2. Opens Thursday, September 15 at 8 p.m.

The U.S. premiere of Bruna la Bruja Bruta by Mexican playwright Tomás Urtusástegui, starring Teatro Tariakuri Artistic Director Karla Galván as a modern-day Latina bruja who flies into her theater’s Marquette Park storefront space to get a few things off her chest before Halloween. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays, September 17-October 16. Opens Saturday, September 17 at 8 p.m.

The U.S. debut of Tebas Land by Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco, inspired by the Oedipus myth, about a series of meetings in a prison basketball court between a playwright and a young parricide (a person who kills a parent or close relative), presented by CLATA with the National Museum of Mexican Art, at Chicago Dramatists, September 22-October 9. Opens Thursday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m.

The world premiere of Enough to Let the Light In, produced by Teatro Vista and co-presented with Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The playwright is Paloma Nozicka, a Mexican-American actor, writer, director and filmmaker, bred in Chicago, based in L.A. Her newest work introduces us to girlfriends Marc and Cynthia, who spend a night celebrating a milestone, but it quickly devolves into chaos as buried secrets are revealed and lives are irrevocably changed. Performances are September 21-October 23 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater. Opens Friday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

Alma, an American Blues Theatre world premiere about a single mom who has single-handedly raised her daughter on tough love, home-cooked comida, and lots of prayers. But on the eve of her daughter’s SAT, she’s nowhere to be found. Alma, written by 2019 National Latinx Playwriting Award winner Benjamin Benne, runs September 22-October 22 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Opens Wednesday and Thursday, September 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Poet, actor, singer and Latino favorite Flaco Navaja stars in his first full-length solo show Evolution of a Sonero, a Midwest premiere from UrbanTheater Company. With unabashed love for the Bronx, a gift for crafting memorable characters, and genuine good humor, Navaja and five top-notch musicians bring on the charm, the rhythm, and the soul essential to a Bronx Sonero. Don’t miss this fresh salsa epic about growing up, getting inspired, and staying on track. Performances are September 29-October 23. Opens Thursday, September 29 at 8 p.m.

The world premiere of BULL: a love story by Chicago playwright Nancy García Loza, about a Mexican American ex-con who returns to his old Chicago neighborhood, Lakeview, only to discover how much has moved on without him. BULL: a love story is a Paramount Theater BOLD Series production, October 5-November 20 at the new Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora, Illinois’ second largest city with a 40 percent Latino population. BULL also marks the first-ever expansion of Destinos into a Chicago suburb. Opens Wednesday and Thursday, October 12 and 13 at 7 p.m.

The midwest premiere of Sancocho by Visión Latino Theater Company, written by Christin Eve Cato, directed by Xavier M. Custodio. The play tells the story of two sisters, 25 years apart, who come together to discuss their father’s will while making a traditional sancocho stew that suddenly becomes peppered with revelations about their family history. Performances are October 8-30 at Windy City Playhouse. Opens Monday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m.

The U.S. premiere of Cintas de seda from Aguijón Theater in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin/Hermosa neighborhood. Set on the eve of the Day of the Dead, this play by Norge Espinosa imagines a painter and nun coming together for an impossible dialogue with ghosts, hallucinations, and images of the past, October 13-November 20. Opens Friday, October 14 at 8 p.m.

The world premiere of The Wizards by Ricardo Gamboa, a supernatural thriller about a Brown and Black genderqueer couple who find a Quija board in their new Pilsen apartment that connects them to a ‘70s Mexican-American Motown cover band. The Wizards, co-produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance at Pilsen’s historic APO Cultural Center, runs October 14-November 26.

About Destinos, 5th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival

Now entering its fifth year, Destinos is the signature program of the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), a transformative cultural engine helping drive the city’s local Latino theater community to a more prominent level. The organization’s goal is to create the country’s leading international Latino theater festival with an emphasis on showcasing Chicago Latino theater artists and companies. 

Visiting companies making their Destinos Festival debuts include Teatro Línea de Sombra (México), Teatro Público (Puerto Rico), and La Pájara de San Juan (Mexico/Washington D.C.). Participating Chicago Latino theaters are Aguijón Theater, Colectivo El Pozo, Concrete Content, Teatro Tariakuri, Teatro Vista, UrbanTheater Company and Visión Latino Theater Company. Presenting partners are Goodman Theatre, the National Museum of Mexican Art and Steppenwolf Theatre. Collaborating partners are American Blues Theater and Paramount Theater. Venue partners are APO Cultural Center, Chess Live Theater, Chicago Dramatists, The Den Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and Windy City Playhouse. 

CLATA, which produces Destinos, was founded in 2016 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization by Myrna Salazar and Chicago’s three most prominent Latino arts organizations: the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA), the International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC), and the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA). 

“In Spanish, the word ‘destinos’ has multiple meanings: destinies, destinations or fate,” explained CLATA’s late Executive Director Myrna Salazar, who passed away suddenly this past August, and to whom the 2022 festival is dedicated. “Destinos showcases Latino theater artists from Chicago, across the U.S. and Latin America to present engaging and thought-provoking stories that transcend boundaries, amplify Latino voices, and diversify Chicago stages to encourage cross-cultural conversation.” 

Additionally, CLATA continues to provide local groups ongoing organizational, marketing and financial support, and works diligently to create a permanent home for Chicago’s Latino theater artists. Ultimately, CLATA strives to underscore Chicago’s reputation as one of the most exciting and culturally diverse theater cities in the world.

CLATA gratefully acknowledges foundation support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Ford Foundation, Walder Foundation, Driehaus Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Creative Reaction Lab, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Arts Council Agency and National Endowment for the Arts. Supporting partners are Allstate, Choose Chicago, Xfinity, 3Arts, ComEd and Wintrust.

For more, visit destinosfest.org or call (312) 631-3112.

OPENING: Paramount and Destinos Festival Pair Up for BULL: a love story by Nancy García Loza Oct. 5-Nov. 20

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

 BULL: a love story by Nancy García Loza 

closes Paramount’s BOLD Series with a tale about a contemporary Latino family 

Oct. 5-Nov. 20

Paramount’s BULL marks the first suburban production in Destinos Festival history

Bull dealt drugs, got caught, and served his time. After a decade, he is released from prison and returns to an unrecognizable Lakeview. What will it take to really get home? Find out in BULL: a love story, a world premiere play by Chicago writer Nancy García Loza. 

 

BULL: a love story, Nancy García Loza’s (left) world premiere play, directed by Laura Alcalá Baker, wraps up Paramount’s first BOLD Series, October 5-November 20, 2022 in downtown Aurora’s new Copley Theatre.

BULL: a love story has been developed for the past two years through Paramount Theatre’s Inception Project. Now this riveting, contemporary family drama will be brought to the stage as a full production as the finale of Paramount’s first-ever BOLD Series, now bringing a new brand of fearless, thought-provoking and unexpected forms of live theater to downtown Aurora.

Paramount’s new Copley Theatre is a sleek, state-of-the-art, 165-seat theater with a modern new lobby bar and lounge, reopened this past March as downtown Aurora’s newest live theater space following a two-year, $2 million, top-to-bottom renovation. The Copley is located at 8 E. Galena Blvd., in the North Island Center, right across the street from Paramount Theatre, in downtown Aurora.

BULL: a love story, directed by Laura Alcalá Baker, starts previews October 5, including two Pay What You Can Previews: Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, October 8, at 2 p.m. Press openings are Wednesday and Thursday, October 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. Performances continue through November 20: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $67 to $74.

For tickets and information to BULL: a love story at the Copley Theatre, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Note:  BULL: a love story is suggested for ages 13 and up for adult language.

BULL: a love story is part of the 5th Destinos, Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, an annual, city-wide event produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) showcasing top Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America, September 14-October 16, 2022. Paramount Theatre is proud to be the first suburban theater to be included in Destinos.

Use promo code DESTINOS online, via phone or in person at the Paramount box office to access $35 tickets to BULL: a love story for performances during festival dates, October 5-16. This discount may not be combined with any other offer, and excludes opening nights, October 12 and 13. Learn more about the 2022 Destinos Festival at destinosfest.org. 

Behind-the scenes of Paramount’s BOLD Series production

BULL: a love story was originally presented in January, 2021 as a virtual staged reading as part of Paramount’s new play development program, The Inception Project. “Nancy García Loza has written such a beautiful love story and we are so honored to be a part of the journey of this piece from inception to full production,” said Amber Mak, Paramount’s artistic producer and new works development director.

BULL: a love story features (from left) Eddie Martinez as Bull, Alexandra Casillas as Sadie, Kelsey Elyse Rodriguez as Sol, Jocelyn Zamudio as Emme, Sammy A. Publes as Tio, and Andrew Perez as Otherman, Lawman and G.

For its world premiere staging, Paramount’s cast features Eddie Martinez as Bull, Alexandra Casillas as Sadie, Kelsey Elyse Rodriguez as Sol, Jocelyn Zamudio as Emme, Sammy A. Publes as Tio, and Andrew Perez as Otherman, Lawman and G. 

The production team includes Yeaji Kim, scenic designer; Izumi Inaba, costume designer; Cat Wilson, lighting designer; Jeffrey Levin, sound designer; Aimee Plant, properties designer; Liviu Pasare, projection designer; Ismael Lara, Jr., dramaturg and associate director; Maegan Burnell, stage manager; and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage manager.

Nancy García Loza is an award-winning self-taught, pocha playwright rooted in Chicago, Illinois and Jalisco, México. She is a two-time alumni of the national Fornés Playwriting Workshop. She has enjoyed residencies with Goodman Playwrights Unit and Future Labs, Steppenwolf Theatre and The New Harmony Project, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Black Swan Lab, SPACE on Ryder Farm Institutional Residency, and more. Her audio drama, Brava, is available on all podcast platforms (Make-Believe Association, 2019). She is currently under commission/development with Steppenwolf Theatre (Ascent), Goodman Theatre (Rust), the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) (Pénjamo: a Pocha Road Trip story; Macha), and more. This year, she received The Joyce Award, as well as the APAP ArtsForward Award, both in collaboration with the National Museum of Mexican Art. She was most recently recognized by the Dramatists' Guild Council (NYC) as the 2022 Lanford Wilson Award recipient. She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the eldest daughter of seven children. She lives in Chicagolandia and writes in her kitchen. She is Mexican American, no hyphen.

Laura Alcalá Baker (director, she/her/hers) is a Chicago-based director and new play developer. She served as the Casting Director/Artistic Programs Manager at Victory Gardens Theater from 2016-2019 leading programs such as The Access Project and Directors’ Inclusion Initiative. Baker has developed and directed multiple new works including Isaac Gómez’s The Leopard Play, or sad songs for lost boys (Steep Theatre), The Way She Spoke (DCASE, Greenhouse Theater Center) and Omer Abbas Salem’s The Secretaries (First Floor Theater). She also directed the audio drama Brava by Nancy García Loza (Make Believe Association) which is available on all podcast platforms. Other select works include The Pillowman (The Gift Theatre), There is No Message in the Message, Shamed (The Gift Theatre’s TEN), Project Potential (Broken Nose Theatre’s Bechdel Fest), and Jets, Sharks, and Beckys (Collaboraction's PEACEBOOK Festival). Baker is a Steep Theatre Ensemble Member, a 2021 3Arts Make a Wave Recipient, and a proud member of the Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists. For more visit, labdirecting.com. 

"Nancy is creating a canon of Chicago narratives,” said Baker. “She paints vividly, urgently to capture these stories while they are still living memory. BULL: a love story is just the first of many to make it to the stage. It is a heartfelt love letter to Chicago’s Lakeview and the people who built a life there. I believe it to be a new American classic."

Special Events

Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can Performances on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, October 8, at 2 p.m.

College Night is Friday, October 21, at 8 p.m.

Church Night is Sunday, October 23, at 5:30 p.m. 

Access Services

Paramount will offer an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday, November 9, at 8 p.m.

If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.

Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a listening device.

Paramount Theatre’s Covid-19 commitment to and safety and protocol

Paramount Theatre has followed, and will continue to follow, the requirements of the State of Illinois and the Kane County Health Department. Therefore, Paramount is following the guidance of the State of Illinois and recommends, but no longer requires, masks, proof of vaccination or negative COVID test for patrons. Mask wearing is strongly encouraged, but will be optional. 

Across the street, Dreamgirls kicks off Paramount’s 11th Broadway Series, August 31- October 16

Right across the street from the Copley, Paramount Theatre is kicking off its 11th Broadway series with Dreamgirls, the Tony-winning musical inspired by The Supremes that spawned an Oscar-winning movie. Performances are August 31-October 16, 2022. 

Also playing the big stage during the final weeks of BULL: a love story is Paramount’s second 2022-23 Broadway production, The Sound of Music, November 9, 2022-January 8, 2023.

Paramount still offers the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” subscription offer, just as it has since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011. Four-show Broadway Series packages including Dreamgirls, The Sound of Music, plus Into the Woods and School of Rock in 2023 start as low as $56 (fees not included). To subscribe, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.

Photos of new Copley Theatre and lobby bar by Thomas J. King

About Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.

After launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount Theatre grew to be the second largest subscription house in the U.S. Before Covid, more than 41,000 subscribers from all over Chicagoland and the Midwest were enjoying Paramount’s critically acclaimed, 2019-20 Broadway-caliber productions. In addition, Paramount also presents an array of internationally known comedians, musicians, dance troupes and family shows annually.

Paramount Theatre is one of four live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority. ACCA also oversees downtown Aurora’s newly renovated 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s new BOLD Series, along with the Paramount School of the Arts, RiverEdge Park, the city’s 6,000-seat outdoor summer concert venue, and Stolp Island Theatre, an immersive space opening in summer 2023.

Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.

For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and @paramountarts on Tik Tok.

ART BEAT: The National Hellenic Museum announces two new exhibitions

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography

by Diane Alexander White

September 16, 2022 – April 30, 2023

 

Storytelling in Cloth and Light

Open run beginning September 16, 2022

 

Museum’s grand reopening celebration in September also includes

world premiere of Resilience by HRH Prince Nikolaos

Greek Independence Day Parade in Chicago (1980), photo by Diane Alexander White

 

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood—a premier museum dedicated to sharing Greek history, art, culture and the Greek American story—announced today two additional exhibitions as part of its grand reopening celebration this September. These exhibitions join the previously announced world premiere photography exhibition Resilience by HRH Prince Nikolaos.

In Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White (September 16, 2022–April 30, 2023), the Chicago-based Greek American photographer presents 80 historic works showcasing Chicago’s Greek American celebrations alongside other ethnic and cultural festivals and parades, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s. Depicted events include the Greek Independence Day Parade, Greek Festival, Bud Billiken Day Parade, Japanese Festival, Chinese New Year Parade, Puerto Rican Festival, Mexican Civic Society Parade, Mexican Festival, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Jewish Festival, German Von Steuben Day Parade, Polish Festival, Festa Italiana and the Indo-Pak Parade.

“Our mission at the National Hellenic Museum is to share Greek history, art and culture, and the Greek American experience. Diane’s works vividly capture how Chicago’s Greek American community gathers in the public space to show pride in its identity and share its culture. Through her images of other ethnic and cultural celebrations, Diane also explores the universality of how Chicagoans gather together to show pride in their diverse communities,” says NHM Executive Director Marianne Kountoures.

Storytelling in Cloth and Light (open run beginning September 16, 2022) presents a series of textiles and photographs side by side. The textiles, part of NHM’s expansive collection of more than 10,000 Greek American artifacts, were meticulously woven in Greece, largely by women, and brought across the ocean to the United States. The photographs are additional images from Diane Alexander White, which capture the people and landscapes of Greece in 1977, including her father’s village of Poulithra. Together, these artifacts tell stories connecting audiences with the people, places and events of the past—and encouraging viewers to remember their own stories.

These new exhibitions join the previously announced world premiere photography exhibition Resilience by HRH Prince Nikolaos (September 16–December 30, 2022). Prince Nikolaos’ North American debut includes 19 new works exploring Greece’s strong relationship with nature and environmental preservation. The exhibition also features the North American premiere of Together, an immersive scene of life-size illuminated, embracing olive trees accompanied by sounds of Greek nature, which first premiered at the London Design Biennale in 2021.

The National Hellenic Museum (333 S. Halsted Street, Chicago) presents three new exhibitions as part of its grand reopening celebration: the world premiere of Resilience by HRH Prince Nikolaos (September 16–December 30, 2022), Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White (September 16, 2022–April 30, 2023) and Storytelling in Cloth and Light (open run beginning September 16, 2022). Beginning Friday, September 16, museum hours are Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets to the museum are $10 and include admission to all exhibits. Discounts are available for seniors, students and children. For more information, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.

 The Resilience exhibition is sponsored by NHM Trustee John S. Koudounis.

 

Artist Bio

Photographs from film begin as negative images which are developed in the darkroom where a positive print is created. As a lifelong Chicago photographer, Diane Alexander White has explored the negative and positive effects of photography since 1972. Her father Angelo D. Alexander, who emigrated from Greece in 1920, became an avid photographer and shared his knowledge of the camera with his daughter, Diane. While attending the University of Illinois Chicago she took her knowledge of photography one step further by learning the ways of the darkroom. Photography instructor Robert Steigler opened her eyes to the art of capturing the street image as he was influenced by Harry Callahan, Arthur Siegel, Aaron Siskind and others at the Institute of Design (IIT). Upon graduating in 1976, she began working in studios and darkrooms and continued with her street photography. In 1983 Diane was hired by Field Museum head photographer Ron Testa to photograph natural history collections and she continues to work there to this day. For more information, visit dawhitephotography.com.

About the National Hellenic Museum

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) is a premier museum dedicated to sharing Greek history, art and culture, from ancient times to the present day, including the modern Greek American experience. NHM preserves the Hellenic legacy and makes this rich heritage relevant today through its collection of thousands of physical artifacts, oral histories, exhibits, educational programs and special events. Originally founded in 1983 and located in Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood since 2011, the NHM provides lifelong learning for the community and sparks inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives and society. Museum hours are Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.

22nd Annual Black Excellence Gala Awards November 14 at Black Ensemble Theater

 The African American Arts Alliance announces nominations for 

The 22^nd Annual Black Excellence Awards 

Recipients to be announced at the 22^nd Annual Black Excellence Gala Awards

November 14 at Black Ensemble Theater

The Board of Directors of the African American Arts Alliance (AAAA), and the Black Excellence Awards Committee announce the nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Excellence Awards. The Awards were established in 2002 to honor the outstanding works of art by African Americans in Theater, Dance, Music, Film, Literature, Visual Arts and Digital Media. 

 

The awards recipients will be announced at the 22nd Annual Black Excellence Gala Awards on Monday, November 14, 2022, at the Black Ensemble Theater, located at 4450 North Clark Street. The evening begins at 6:00 pm with a lavish reception for the 2022 nominees and sponsors. The awards ceremony begins promptly at 7:00 pm. Tickets, priced at $50, are available at https://www.aaaachicago.org/.

 

““The Black Excellence Awards moves the mission of the African American Arts Alliance forward by highlighting African American achievements in the arts and promoting the excellence of our artistic community,” comments AAAA Board Chair and Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor.”

 

African American Alliance Executive Director Jackie Williams adds, “The African American Arts Alliance is beyond excited to be back live, celebrating Black Excellence in the arts, and we invite everyone to join us for our 22nd year!”

 

The Black Excellence Awards provides recognition of professional African American artists for their achievements of excellence and creativity in the areas of dance, theater, film, literature, music, technology, and visual arts. More information is available at https://www.aaaachicago.org/.

The 2022 Black Excellence Awards Nominations are as follows:

MUSIC

 

Outstanding Achievement in R & B:

London Kay – London Kay

Brandon James – Brandon James

Illville Vanguard – IllVille 2022

           

Outstanding Achievement in Jazz:

Darrell Wilson Sax Preacher – Live at Music in the Park/Dolton IL

Ava Logan

Michele Thomas           

           

Special Recognition in Music:

Tony Wilson – Tribute to James Brown

           

THEATER

 

Outstanding Achievement in Theater Production:

Black Ensemble Theater Company – It's Just Like Coming to Church

Black Ensemble Theater Company – Grandma's Jukebox

Congo Square Theatre – What to Send Up, When IT Does Down

Theater 47 – Living All Alone, the Phyllis Hyman Musical

MPAACT Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre – Pulled Punches

 

Outstanding Achievements for Director:        

Jackie Taylor – It's Just Like Coming to Church

Michelle Renee Bester – Grandma's Jukebox

Daniel Bryant & Erika Ratcliff – What to Send Up, When IT Does Down

Lauren Wells Mann – Pulled Punches

John L. Ruffin Jr. – Living All Alone, the Phyllis Hyman Musical

           

Outstanding Achievement for Actor:

Vincent Jordan – It's Just Like Coming to Church

Vincent Jordan – Grandma's Jukebox

Anthony Irons – What to Send Up, When IT Does Down

Randle Michael – Living All Alone, the Phyllis Hyman Musical

           

Outstanding Achievement for Actress:          

Dawn Bless – It's Just Like Coming to Church

Jessica Brooks Seals – Grandma's Jukebox

McKenzie Chinn – What to Send Up, When IT Does Down

Melanie Victoria – Pulled Punches

Liberty Clay – Living All Alone, the Phyllis Hyman Musical

           

Special Recognition in Theater:

Felicia P. Fields – Pearl’s Rollin’ With the Blues: A Night with Felicia P. Fields

Jerod Haynes – Two Trains Running

Kierra Bunch – Two Trains Running

Mildred Langford – Intimate Apparel

Al’Jaleel McGhee – Intimate Apparel

Ayanna Bria Bakari – Relentless

 

DANCE 

 

Outstanding Achievement for Dance Company Production:  

Praize Productions – NINE

South Chicago Dance Theatre – An Evening with South Chicago Dance

MUNTU – MAMAYA

           

Outstanding Achievement for Choreographer:

Vershawn-Sanders-Ward – BLACKBIRD

Trevon Lawrence & Anthony Sampson – REACT

Kevin Iega Jeff – SURRENDER

Joel Hall – FOUR WOMEN

           

Special Recognition in Dance:

Muntu 50th Anniversary 

           

VISUAL ART

 

Outstanding Achievement for a Gallery/Exhibition:

South Side Community Art Center – EMERGENCE – Curated by Lamar Gayles, Jr and zakkiyyah najeebah dumas o'neal

Blanc Gallery – To Whom This Ground Belongs – Curated by Jalen Hamilton

Anthony Gallery – In The Eye of the Beholder – Curated by Isimeme "Easy" Otabor

 

Outstanding Achievement for an Individual Artist:

Brandon Breaux – BIG WORDS

Rose Blouin – To Washington Park, with Love

Gerald Lovell – In The Eye of the Beholder

           

DIGITAL MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY

 

Outstanding Achievement in Digital Media:   

Jewel Ifeguni – How We Got Here

Crystal Marshal – Real Talk in Jeans

Cody Mack – What's the Word TV

           

LITERATURE

 

Outstanding Achievement in Fiction:

Rahsaan Lewis – Forgotten Heir

Clyde David Jones – The Lost Babies of Dexter Street

Tracy Clark – What You Don't See (A Chicago Mystery)

           

Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction:

Mark Davis – Race Traitors

Dawn Turner – Three Girls from Bronzeville

Bernard Turner – A View of Bronzeville

           

Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature:   

Evan J. Roberts – Share Share Share

Darryl Harvey – What Do You Do When A Bully Picks on You?

Tony Lindsey – Almost Grown

The Black Excellence Awards, a lavish awards ceremony honoring outstanding artists and arts organizations in the categories of music, film, literature, theater, dance, visual arts, and technology is produced by the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago. The award was created to honor the voices, trailblazers, innovators, and risk takers, whose performances and works of art represent a wide representation of the arts in Chicago. The Alliance is committed to celebrating the artistic vitality of Chicago's African American community by recognizing their excellence through The Black Excellence Awards.

The Black Excellence Committee is a 33-member committee of the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago made up of art lovers and supporters from the community. Formed in 2001, the purpose of the Black Excellence Committee is to identify outstanding African American individuals and organizations working in the arts. The membership of each committee is made up of art lovers within the Chicago community. Each committee member must serve on a sub-committee in film, music, literature, dance, theater, visual arts, or technology/digital media. Each sub-committee must identify and nominate artists for the opportunity to receive a Black Excellence Award at the Annual Black Excellence Award Gala and has judging criteria specific to their art form. To serve on the Black Excellence Committee member must have a passion for the arts and the time to experience the work of as many artists and art organizations as possible within the category.

 

The Black Excellence Awards Committee Members are: Tanita Abrahamson, Mike Abrantie, Alan Davis, Ernson Augustin, Allan Baldwin, Ezra Brown, Pamela Brown, Marcus Bullock, Hilda Coleman, Sylvia Dyer, Erika Flowers, Sandra Gibson, Wilburn Green, Barbara Hayes, Valeria Hubbard, Jewel Ifeguni, Ivy Jackson, Elneda Khaan, Denise Leaks, Ronald Leveston, Claudette Lewis​, Portia McFarland, Barnetta Montgomery-McKinney, Lynette Moore, Alicia Moore, Rahsaan Clark Morris, Kim DuBoise Morris, Delaware Patricia, Mae Pearson, Troy Pryor, Alice Rivers, Pamela Roberts, Dara Sanders, Gwendolyn Sea, Bonnie Taylor-Williams, Gabrina Thornton, Scott Tia, Covana Washington, David Weathersby, Etta Williams, Wanda Young, and Roxanne Walton.

About the African American Arts Alliance

In 1997 a group of Chicago’s leading African American artists and arts organizations came together and formed a new organization; incorporated as the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago. This organization embraced the history of the original 1977 Chicago Black Theater Alliance while expanding their scope to include diverse groups of artistic mediums which includes theaters, dance, music, literature, film, visual arts organizations, and individuals.

 

The mission of the African American Art Alliance is to increase public awareness, interaction, communication and development of African American arts organizations and individuals while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

 

The Board of Directors includes: President Jackie Taylor (Black Ensemble Theater, Executive Director), Vice President Runako Jahi, Jackie Williams (AAAA Chicago, Executive Director), Treasurer Wendell Etherly (Playwright), Charlique-Rolle (Congo Square Theatre, Executive Director), Chuck Smith (Goodman Theatre, Associate Director), Cheryl Lynn Bruce (Goodman Theatre), Sydney Chatman (Tofu Chitlin' Circuit), Vershawn Sanders-Ward (Red Clay Dance), and Troy Pryor (Producer/Perfomer).

 

The AAAA is supported in part by the MacArthur Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, The Chicago Community Trust, Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Field Foundation of Illinois, the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Driehaus Foundation, the Walder Foundation, and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation