Category Archives: Theater in Chicago
Well Strung Christmas Concert Dec. 10th
LOVE THESE GUYS!!!!
Tickets: $30 General Public/$25 Students, Seniors, Staff
STILL A FEW TICKETS LEFT!!!
BUY TICKETS
Starring Edmund Bagnell, Christopher Marchant, Daniel Shevlin and Trevor Wadleigh
Produced by Mark Cortale & Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander
The all-male string quartet Well-Strung has been receiving rave reviews all over the world, from the House of Blues in New Orleans to the Leicester Square Theatre in London. A Well-Strung Christmas includes the most beautiful and traditional melodies, such as Silent Night to irreverent “newly observed” versions of things like I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and the famous Sleighride, to George Michael’s This Christmas… and everything in between. There will be opportunities for the audience to participate and walk away from the evening’s holiday celebration with some special moments they will remember and keep close to their hearts. You might even see a little snow!
“Each member of Well-Strung sings and plays with effervescing warmth, making the holidays that much brighter.”
– Broadway World
Disenchanted Musical – November
“Disenchanted!” adds a performance! | ||||
Due to overwhelming popularity, the original performance of “Disenchanted: The Hilarious Hit Musical” has sold out. But don’t despair! We have added an additional performance at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 19. Tickets for the additional show go on sale on October 11 at 10 a.m.
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Todrick Hall in Chicago August 7 and September 10
Todrick Hall is a self-proclaimed queer, American singer, actor, dancer, director, choreographer, and wildly famous YouTuber!
He auditioned for the ninth season of American Idol, where he made it to the semi-finals. Since then, Hall has been performing on Broadway and YouTube.
As of January 31, 2016, Hall has exceeded 2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Videos on his channel have been played over 270 MILLION TIMES!
Videos of note include a flash mob thrown for Ariana Grande, a reinvention of the Wizard of Oz starring Pentatonix which was directed by and also stars Hall, and a Beyoncé themed flash mob performed in the middle of an actual Target store, which has garnered over 14 million views as of January 31, 2016, and which Beyoncé personally, publicly congratulated Hall on.
Todrick’s current North American Tour titled “Straight Outta Oz” is in full swing!
” Straight Outta Oz,” follows the triple threat performer as he embarks on his most ambitious tour yet: a full-length musical with original score by Hall, inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
The tour kicked off last week in Vancouver, and will continue through August. He’ll make a stop in Chicago at Thalia Hall, Sunday August 7th, 2016. GET TICKETS HERE – BEFORE THEY ARE GONE.
Awesomeness Films announced the start of production on their behind the scenes film following Todrick Hall’s upcoming tour and will be filming in Chicago at Thalia Hall!
Directed by Katherine Wright (Call Me Kuchu), the film will go behind-the-scenes as Todrick mounts the musical, which tells the story of his life growing up in small-town Texas, his struggle to come to Hollywood and eventually succeed.
Check out the video style album STRAIGHT OUTTA OZ here!
Get it on iTunes Here.
Then Todrick returns to Chicago Spetember 10th, for the 5th Annual OUT IN THE PARK event at Six Flags Great America! There will be a meet and greet with fans before the gates open at 7:30. Then Todrick will kick off the evening at 8pm with a couple live numbers! www.CelebrateDiversityChicago.com
A Walking Play – NATURE
Here is something really unique and different, in Chicagoland for a limited time!
TigerLion Arts presents Nature, the mythic telling of Emerson and Thoreau’s mutual love affair with the natural world. Grounded in the story of their friendship, this virtuosic production offers a perspective on their lives that is strikingly relevant, richly complex, and yet utterly simple. Nature is performed outdoors as a “walking play.” A professional ensemble of actors takes the audience on a journey through the natural environment as scenes unfold around them. Bagpipes, ancient flutes, drums and rich choral arrangements are intricately woven into the experience.
Nature is an extraordinary, family-friendly journey that co-mingles story, spirit, and nature, as a means to reconnect its audience with the natural world. This original work is collaboratively created with writer/actor Tyson Forbes, a direct descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In today’s world, we are so estranged from our natural environment, and at TigerLion Arts, we feel that humankind must reconnect with nature in order to survive.
As oil spills into our oceans, as we race through our lives, as we look further and further outside ourselves for the answers, it is our hope that Nature can be a catalyst for our collective healing.
The 2016 tour of NATURE is currently making it’s stop at the 1,700 acre Morton Arboretum in Lisle – about 45 minutes west of Chicago.
Here through July 31st!
Thursdays through Sundays at 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
Thornhill Shelter at Parking Lot P21
How long is the show?
90 mins/No Intermission
Come early for a 30-minute pre-show performance that includes bagpiping and choral music to enjoy! If possible, plan your trip so you can spend some time on the grounds. Bring a picnic to enjoy before or after the show.
BUY TICKETS HERE!
More details about the show HERE!
Avatar Meets Cirque Du Soleil
THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!
The new Cirque du Soleil touring arena show inspired by James Cameron’s record-breaking movie AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight, will be presented at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St, on August 3-7, as part of a global tour in arenas. The show is presented by Visa Signature® in association with United MileagePlus®.
The show
Inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight transports you to the world of Pandora in a visually stunning live setting. Experience a storytelling odyssey through a new world of imagination, discovery, and possibility.
Through a riveting fusion of cutting-edge visuals, puppetry and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score, Cirque du Soleil applies its unique signature style to James Cameron’s imaginary world and “makes the bond” between two kindred artistic visions that capture the imagination.
This live immersive experience also bears the distinct signature of directors and multimedia innovators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. It is a living ode to the Na’vi’s symbiotic coexistence with nature and their belief in the basic interconnectedness of all living things.
Narrated by a “Na’vi Storyteller” and populated by unforgettable characters, TORUK – The First Flight is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film AVATAR, and before any humans ever set foot on Pandora.
When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omaticaya boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands. Upon learning that Toruk can help them save the Tree of Souls, they set out, together with their newfound friend Tsyal, on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to find the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Prophecy is fulfilled when a pure soul rises among the clans to ride Toruk for the first time and save the Na’vi from a terrible fate.
tickets start at $38 !
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk
XANADU onstage in Chicago!
FREE TICKETS!!!! first email I get, wins 2 tickets!
Choice of dates; Friday June 24 8pm
Sunday June 26 2pm
Wednesday June 29th 8pm
or Thursday June 30th 8pm. BestGayCities@gmail.com
AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY OPENS XANADU
A TRIBUTE TO LATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PJ PAPARELLI
DIRECTED BY LILI-ANNE BROWN
NOW PLAYING THROUGH JULY 17, 2016
American Theater Company (ATC) opens musical comedy Xanadu, the final production of its Legacy Season, on Sunday, June 5. Presented as a tribute to ATC’s late Artistic Director PJ Paparelli—a not-so-secret fan of this camp classic—Xanadu is directed by Lili-Anne Brown with choreography by Brigitte Ditmars and runs at ATC now through July 17, 2016. The production has music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and a book by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film of the same title.
Single tickets for Xanadu range from $48-$58. Student tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID in-person at the Box Office. More information and tickets are available by visiting the ATC Box Office at 1909 W. Byron Street, by calling 773-409-4125 or visiting www.atcweb.org.
The cast for ATC’s tribute production of Xanadu includes Missy Aguilar (Calliope), Kasey Alfonso (Erato) Karla L. Beard (Melpomene), Jim DeSelm (Sonny), Landree Fleming (Kira), Aaron Holland (Danny Maguire, Zeus), Michelle Lauto (Kira U/S & Swing), Hanah Rose Nardone (Euterpe), James Nedrud (Terpsichore/Sonny cover), Daniel Spagnuolo (Thalia/Danny cover), and Cameron Turner (Swing).
Xanadu takes place in Venice, California in 1980. Struggling artist Sonny Malone seeks to create his own version of the American dream by renovating an abandoned warehouse into a venue for world-class entertainment – a roller disco! A hilarious and modern update of the1980’s camp classic, Xanadu celebrates the artist’s muse, even when it comes from the most unlikely of places.
Xanadu Performance Schedule
Regular Run: June 7–July 17: Tuesday–Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Paula Poundstone in Chicago / Skokie
THE NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WELCOMES THE COMEDIC BRILLIANCE OF PAULA POUNDSTONE
The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL welcomes comedian Paula Poundstone on Saturday, March 19th.
Thirty two years ago Paula Poundstone climbed on a Greyhound bus and traveled across the country — stopping in at open mic nights at comedy clubs as she went. She went on to become one of our country’s foremost humorists. You can hear her through your laughter as a regular panelist on NPR’s popular rascal of a weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me. Paula lent her distinctive voice to the character “Forgetter Paula” in the Academy Award nominated Disney Pixar film “Inside Out.”
Poundstone tours regularly, performing standup comedy across the country, causing Bob Zany with the Boston Globe to write: “Poundstone can regale an audience for several hours with her distinctive brand of wry, intelligent and witty comedy.” Audience members may put it a little less elegantly: “I peed my pants.”
While there is no doubt that Poundstone is funny, the thing that probably separates her from the pack of comics working today and that has made her a legend among comics and audiences alike is her ability to be spontaneous with a crowd. Poundstone says: “No two shows I do are the same. It’s not that I don’t repeat material. I do. My shows, when they’re good, and I like to think they often are, are like a cocktail party. When you first get there, you talk about how badly you got lost and how hard it was to find parking. Then you tell a story about your kids or what you just saw on the news. You meet some new people and ask them about themselves. Then, someone says, “Tell that story you used to tell,” and then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink, and you mock them. No one ever applauds me when I leave a party, though. I think they high five.”
Paula’s interchanges with the audience are never mean or done at a person’s expense. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval less artful comics have received.
Her most recent comedy CD, I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Boston was recorded during a performance at the Wilbur Theatre in the heart of the city and was released on April fool’s Day 2013. This was a follow up to her successful first CD I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Maine that was released in 2009.
Over the span of her career, Paula has amassed a list of awards and accolades that stretch the length of a great big tall guy’s arm. She not only shot through the glass ceiling, she never even acknowledged that it was there. Never one to stereotype herself as a ‘female comedian’ or limit herself to comedy from a ‘female’ point of view, in the early 90’s she was the first woman to win the cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special and the first woman to perform standup at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner where she joined the current President as part of the evening’s entertainment.
In November, 2012 in Washington DC, Paula was honored, along with Nina Totenberg, NPR correspondent; David Brooks, New York Times columnist; and Bob Mankoff, New Yorker Cartoon Editor, with the 2012 Moment Magazine Creativity Award at their 35th anniversary symposium and dinner, followed by a one-hour panel on the intersection of humor and politics. Just weeks later Paula was hand-picked to interview Calvin Trillin for the Los Angeles-series-darling, Writers Bloc, a series that presents conversations between the featured author and another interesting thinker.
Paula has starred in comedy specials on HBO and BRAVO, won an Emmy Award, served as “official correspondent” for The Tonight Show during the 1992 Presidential race, pioneered the art of backstage commentary during an Emmy telecast, steps up to the plate for causes she believes in, and is almost always included in any compendium – be it film, television or print, noting comedic influences of the 20th/21st century, most recently, We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy (October 2012, Sarah Crichton Books). Paula also appears on “Late Night w/Craig Ferguson” about 3 times a year and she’ll do an occasional editorial for NPR’s “All Things Considered”.
In April 2013 NPR Laughter Therapy (Highbridge Audio) released a 2-CD collection of NPR’s best interviews and stories with “funny folks” including Paula’s Talk of the Nation interview. If it means anything to anyone, she is recognized as one of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Paula won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic, and in 2010 she was one of a select group voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame.
Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me is now heard in 5 million homes across the country, including all of the major markets, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast. In 2008 it received a Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. On the show Paula gets to match wits with some of the country’s leading pundits. In May 2013 the show filmed its first Cinecast from New York’s Town Hall and Paula was one of the Panelists. The show made its television debut on BBC America with a “2011 Year In Review.” Paula was on that panel as well. Poundstone quickly goes on record about how much she loves being part of the show saying: “I am a proud member of the endorphin production industry. They allow me to say whatever I want on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me. The panelists are unscripted, so it’s perfect for me. I feel like I’m a batter in a batting cage. I get lobbed topics. Sometimes I just watch them go by, but every now and then I get a piece of one. If the others didn’t cheat, it would be an almost perfect work experience.”
Paula is also a published author and lecturer. Her hard cover book, There is Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say (Crown, 2006, with a forward by Mary Tyler Moore) is still in release on audio (Highbridge) and in paperback. Other writing credits include the back page columnist of Mother Jones, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, and Glamour magazine.
Not only a writer, but an avid reader, Paula continues her role for the American Library Association (ALA) as the Nat’l spokesperson for United for Libraries, their “Friends of Libraries” national network – a citizens support group who work to raise awareness and much needed funds to support their local libraries. Paula has appeared as the headliner at the ALA’s annual conference for their Laughs On Us panel the last four years, and to quote Sally Reed, the ALA Nat’l Director: “…you’d have to come to one of these events to see how adored Paula is by librarians. We love her and it’s never repetitive.” Paula has hosted many events to great success, including the Art Directors Guild Awards an unprecedented 4 times.
The National Endowment for the Arts recently requested Poundstone to sit down for a chat about the art of comedy and her career. Take a listen: http://arts.gov/audio/paula-poundstone
GET A LAUGH with Paula’s comedy CD:
I Heart Jokes – Paula Tells Them In Boston
cdbaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/paulapoundstone1/
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-heart-jokes-paula-tells/id632789944
Watch Paula on Craig Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6WnBZ5G6fc
Visit Paula at: http://www.paulapoundstone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/paulapoundstone
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PaulaPoundstone
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Showtimes: 8:00PM / Tickets: $45-$52 / Call: 847-673-6300
Visit: http://www.northshorecenter.org/
The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
About Face Theatre LE SWITCH
In Philip Dawkins’ world-premiere romantic comedy, Le Switch, marriage equality finally reaches the U.S., and commitment-shy David finds himself unsure how to react to the nation’s honeymoon phase. When his best friend’s bachelor party takes him to Montreal, he is unexpectedly swept off his feet by a beautiful, young florist. In the months that follow, David and his non-traditional family (his sister, grieving activist roommate and best friend) must decide for themselves what it really means to be committed, married, and queer.
Written by Philip Dawkins
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Presented by special arrangement with Doug Nevin
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes with intermission
YEPP Chicago Needs Your Help!
The Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) is a unique youth theatre initiative that seeks a safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth impacted by homelessness and housing instability to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece. In order to achieve its mission, they blend harm reduction, social justice, popular education, theatre of the oppressed, transformative and restorative justice work. YEPP is MOVEMENT BUILDING!
YEPP’s training program operates all year. However, within the course of six months, a cast led by director Bonsai Bermudez and supporting coordinators focus the work towards developing an original production to be shown in January 22, 23, 24, and 29, 30, 31 of 2016, at the Athenaeum Theatre.
What makes us unique? Our approach blends art, social justice and healing work in a way that encourages our ensemble members to create a performance that celebrates the strengths and advocates the needs of this often overlooked aspect of society.
We need your support. Annual funding assists our ensemble with the provision of a safe space, meals, transportation, workshops, and individual stipends. HELP NOW!
Act now! Whether or not you are able to make a monetary contribution, we invite you to be a part of our community and keep up with YEPP news through our website at www.WeSayYEPP.com.