Category Archives: Outside the City
Fresh Cooking Ideas with Chef Tong June 22 @ Chicago Bontanic Gardens
Foodies and their friends will be flocking to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden for this day of great tastes and gorgeous presentations.
Chef Christopher Tong of My Private Chef, one of Chicagoland’s most versatile Chefs, will share one of his favorite garden fresh recipes at Chicago Botanic Garden’s
popular annual Garden Chef Series.
Chef Tong will appear on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. in the
Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois.
The Garden Chef Series promotes the Garden’s message of growing and using seasonal vegetables,
fruits and herbs. Chef Chris will use the spectacular open-air kitchen and amphitheater at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden to present his cooking demonstration.
People who are casual cooks or lovers of gourmet food get to ask questions, discuss preparation,
and come away with a fabulous recipe that they can try at home. Chef Tong will give tips on ingredients, and serving. And, everyone gets to have a taste! Seating is limited and on a first-come, first served basis.
Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden and Garden Chef Series is free.
Parking is $25.00 per car; free for Garden members.
For more information about this Garden Chef Series event, call 847.835.5440
or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.
My Private Chef is enjoying popularity as one of Chicago’s favorite private gourmet dining services. Trained in European-style fine cuisine, Chef Tong established his reputation at fine restaurants and hotels in Florida, California, and Chicago. Now he has adapted his impressive skills to the world of private entertaining. My Private Chef offers enticing cuisine for a wide range of events, from intimate dinners
to weddings to corporate parties.
Chef Chris says: “Every event is different and I’ve met some wonderful people including many celebrities. Being part of very special occasions makes my work worthwhile. I also love doing cooking demonstrations where I get the feeling that audience members will go home and try some new dishes!”
Some recent appearances include cooking classes and demonstrations on local television, at Bloomingdale’s Home & Furniture Stores, Whole Foods Market, Gilda’s Club Chicago, Taste of Chicago and this return engagement at the Chicago Botanic Garden
For more information about My Private Chef, call Event Services at 773-370-8131 or visit www.myprivatechef.net.
Madison WI Fruit Fest June 14th
Madison’s Gay Summer Music Festival FRUIT FEST returns June 14th!
Fruit Fest is an Annual LGBTQI Summer Music Festival held in Madison, Wisconsin. The music festival is an all-ages free event organized to celebrate Madison’s gay community through a day of music, performance, art, and celebration. This year’s Fruit Fest will be held on June 14th and feature headliner Debbie Gibson, as well as many local folk musicians, punk bands, DJs & drag queens. The event will also include the 4th Annual Fruit Loop 5k run/walk, and the 4th Annual Star Fruit karaoke competition. Food, beer and alcohol will also be served on festival grounds from a variety of vendors.
Fruit Fest is located in the heart of Willy Street in the Marquette Neighborhood, an Eastside neighborhood swarming with LGBTQA folks making it the most diverse, and ‘coolest’ hood according to Madison’s Isthmus Favorites. Last year, attendance was near 1200+ over the course of the nine hour festival including locals & many from 90+ miles away.
Fruit Loop 5k
On June 14th Fruit Fest will be hosting the Fourth Annual Fruit Loop, a 5K run/walk through the beautiful Marquette Neighborhood, starting and ending at the Fruit Fest event grounds. The proceeds from the run/walk are distributed to Community Shares of Wisconsin who gives them to LGBT organizations.
In 2011, the First Annual Fruit Loop had over 120 runners and walkers. Check out all the great pictures from the event. We expect the turnout to be even greater this year! Dress as fruity as you want and come out to run or walk and have some fresh-squeezed summer fun for a good cause. If you are interested in participating in the upcoming Fruit Loop on June 14th, you can register here.
Keep up to date with their official FACEBOOK PAGE
Forget the Polar Vortex! HEATWAVE on Sale January 29th!
The party EVERYONE is talking about! HEATWAVE 2014!
Gay Chicago Just Got Hotter!
HEATWAVE Chicago 2014
Your Passport to 24 Hours of Tropical Paradise!
Imagine 24 hours of PRIVATE LGBT Paradise at Key Lime Cove INDOOR Water Park Resort where it is always 86 degrees and humid-add 2,000+ adults (21 + over) in swimsuits and underwear….. It’s going to be insane Fun! Booking starts 12:00 NOON on Wednesday,JANUARY 29th!
From the producers of OUT IN THE PARK @ SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA comes a brand new event! Be a part of the country’s first-ever 24-hour PRIVATE LGBT Indoor Poolside Dance Party and Water Park Celebration Benefiting Chicago Gay Mens Chorus!
The event will be Saturday, November 15th, 2014 (This will sell out much earlier!) Party Packages As Low As $85 Per Person includes ROOM + PARTY TICKETS!
Booking starts 12:00 NOON on Wednesday,JANUARY 29th!
Your reservation is paid in full at the time of booking, since this is a private party buy out. No refunds. However, you can re-sell your reservation and have it transferred, if need be.
• 414 Resort-Style Key West Guest Rooms and LUXE Suites
• Seven Room/Suite Options Sleeping/Connecting 2 to 12 Or More Guests
• 12-Hour Indoor Water Park Dance Party Admission Included In Your Room Price
• 4 Amazing DJ Sets from 3PM – 3AM
• 45 Minutes Away from Chicago, 45 minutes from Milwaukee, Across From Six Flags Great America in Gurnee Illinois
• 65,000 Square Feet of INDOOR Water Park FUN – Always tropically-inspired, 86 degrees and Humid
• 10,000 Square Foot State-Of-The-Art Gaming Arcade
• Restaurants, Bars, Confectionery Center, Convenience Store, Souvenirs EVERYTHING A Guest Needs for a 24-hour stay!
Open HEATWAVE Reservations Begin Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 at NOON to the general public. 1-877-360-0403 MUST SAY CODE “HEATWAVE” to have access to the event. (However, TONIGHT, Tuesday Jan. 28th, Scarlet will host a pre -sell event! Stop by from 7-9pm and find out more!)
Heatwave on Facebook
Brought to you by BestGayChicago.com and Red Bull!
Along with Scarlet Bar CREAM chicago and Ramsey Jay Prince Designs
room layouts ….
CREAM CHICAGO – The Monday Night Hot Spot
Lots of drinks specials including a brand new $5 martini list. More than 20! Ranging from Pop Champagne, The Marilyn, to Root Beer Russian and Purple Rain. LOTS of shots as well. Fruit Loop Vodka, Rumchata and Fireball, and more. The specialty drink menu is huge – something for everyone.
LiveStream of Marriage Equality Rally/Concert in Springfield
of the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality will provide a live
stream of the concert and rally in Springfield, Illinois, on Tuesday, October 22, 2013.
will be available in high definition. The service is provided by the
same vendor that streams live coverage from the Illinois House and
Senate chambers. Programming will go live at 11:45 am on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. The event is outdoor at the corner of 2nd Street and Capitol, next to the State Capitol Building, in Springfield, Illinois.
- 11:55 am —————– National Anthem
- 12:00 to 1 pm ———– Rock the March Concert
- 1 pm ———————- Welcome by Governor Patrick Quinn and Senator Dick Durbin
- 1 pm to 2:30 pm ——– Rally with speakers from LGBT, labor, immigration, women’s health, business, sports and faith communities.
- 2:30 pm —————— March begins, led by drummers and marching band.
- 2:30 to 3:30 pm ——– March around the Capitol
the scheduled first day of the fall veto session of the Illinois state
legislature. The “March on Springfield” is part of a broad grassroots
strategy to secure final passage of Senate Bill 10, the “Religious
Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” already approved by the Illinois
Senate. Once adopted, Illinois will become the 14th state plus the
District of Columbia, to treat all of its citizens equally under state
marriage laws, and all married people in Illinois will be treated
equally under federal law. For more information, visit http://www.MarchOnSpringfield.
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality October 22nd, 2013
Marriage is an important institution. It is through marriage that
adults throughout our country and throughout the world express their
commitment and devotion to each other. In turn, governments use the
institution of marriage to recognize and protect family units.
However, the definition of marriage has not been static throughout
history. The definition of marriage has changed considerably from
biblical historical days, when the marital unit might have included more
than 2 adults and when every participant’s consent may not have been
readily apparent. In past traditions, marriage was sometimes used to
consolidate wealth, produce children, and create kinship between
powerful families. The legal and social benefits of marriage continued
to evolve to accommodate changing needs of societies.
Marriage continues to serve as an important civil institution in
America today. Its protections continue on many levels: financial,
legal, social, and emotional. Even while the institution of marriage
evolves, it is still the avenue through which our society provides
benefits, rights, protections, and responsibilities to partners.
Marriage bestows a host of benefits -and responsibilities – to
couples who choose to marry. The following is a short, illustrative
list of some of the more than 1,000 benefits and responsibilities that
married couples enjoy automatically, yet are denied to same-sex couples
that cannot wed.
- Automatic inheritance, even without a will
- Responsibility for each partner’s debt
- Ability to put partner and partner’s children on medical or life insurance
- Hospital visitation rights
- Ability to make partner a U.S. citizen and prevent deportation
- Right to take leave to care for a sick partner
- Ability to make medical decisions in an emergency
- Privilege from testifying against partner in court
- Ability to file joint tax returns and use tax benefits for married couples
- Exemption from gift and estate transfer taxes
- Right to joint parenting, adoption, foster care, and visitation of children
- Right to recognition in all states
- Right to file wrongful death claims for a partner’s death
- Right to a divorce, court division of property, and visitation of children in times of breakup
GRAB A BUS RIDE THERE AND JOIN US!
High School Crowns Gay & Lesbian Best Friends As Homecoming King & Queen
School Crowns Gay & Lesbian Best Friends As Homecoming King &
Queen !
Irizarry and Ariana Reiff are close friends, and they are also the
newly crowned Waukegan High School homecoming king and queen. Upon
finding out at the school bonfire Wednesday night, both students said
they were surprised. – Both are gay.
and I are both out and open about our sexuality,” Irizarry said. “Our
attitude is we are who we are and if that bothers people, that’s OK, but
we have so many friends who accept us for who we are.”
Olympia Dukakis in ROSE November 16th
ROSE, by Martin Sherman, a one-woman play, is a portrait
of a feisty Jewish woman who has
survived some of the major events that shaped the 20th century with humor, guile, and
spirit. The play illustrates a remarkable life that began in a tiny Russian village, moved on
to Warsaw’s ghettos and ship called The Exodus, and
finally to the boardwalks of
Atlantic City, the Arizona Canyons and salsa-flavored nights in Miami Beach.
Dukakis first
performed ROSE in 1999 on stage at the Royal National Theatre in London and then in spring
2000 opened at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.
Recent praise for
ROSE “The
wonderful acting of Olympia Dukakis, herself a fighter for justice, an actress
with a forty-year
history of stage activity, as a university lecturer, the founder and director
of a New Jersey
theatre, in her classic roles, and especially in her total immersion into the
skin of a Holocaust
survivor as a symbol of the Jewish people and its suffering, make this play something so
sublime that the Cameri Theatre is deserving of applause for the third year of its cultural
enterprise (the International Theatre Festival).” – News1 Tel Aviv
4/18/2012
Long a vital,
respected actor of the classic and contemporary stage and the epitome of Mediterranean-styled
weariness, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film
actress until age 56 when she turned in an Oscar-winning performance as Cher’s sardonic
mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987).
Since then movie (and TV) fans have
discovered — an acting treasure. Her adaptability to various ethnicities
(Greek, Italian, Jewish,
Eastern European, etc.), as well her chameleon-like versatility in everything from cutting edge
comedy to stark tragedy, has kept her in high demand for the past 30 years as of one
of Hollywood’s topnotch character players.
Olympia Dukakis
Starring in “Rose,” a concert reading by Martin Sherman
Saturday, Nov. 16 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater @ Moraine Valley Community College
9000 W. College Pkwy. Palos Hills, IL 60465-2478
Buy
Tickets
***Dinner and a Show: Enjoy 25% off your total bill at Cíao Ristorante (10296 S. 78th Avenue, Palos Hills) before or after any Mainstage Series performance by showing your tickets.
Reservations are required by calling Cíao at (708) 237-2426. Some restrictions apply.
Rock the March: One Hour Concert Will Launch the October 22 March on Springfield for Marriage Equality
with a free one-hour concert live near the steps of the Illinois State
Capitol. The diverse entertainment bill includes reality TV stars from
“The Voice,” “American Idol,” and “America’s Got Talent;” a national
poetry slam winner; a world champion & MVP quarterback who is also a
pre-Grammy nominee; and a 2013 Trans 100 honoree fighting violence
against transgender people.
and faith,” said Tracy Baim, March Co-chair, “and Shakespeare wrote ‘If
music be the food of love, play on!’ We are marching to Springfield to
tell the people’s representatives that ‘love is love,’ and that our
families deserve the same marriage benefits granted to other loving
couples in Illinois. What better way to begin the March than by raising
our voices in song and poetry?”
performances by members of LGBT Choral groups including: Chicago Gay
Men’s Chorus, Windy City Performing Arts, Artemis Singers and Amasong.
Jammin for Justice EarthBeat Drummers will kick off the March.
Headlining performers will be:
* C.C. Carter – author, activist, teacher and performance poet
* De’Borah – singer, song-writer and star of “The Voice”
* Steve Grand – “All American Boy” singer, song-writer and YouTube sensation
* Sami Grisafe – all-star MVP quarterback and award-winning singer-songwriter
Marcus Terell & the Serenades – singer, performer and star
of “American Idol”, “America’s Got Talent”
& “Making The Band”
at the March on Springfield stage in front of the Illinois State
Capitol on 2nd Street. The marriage equality rally will immediately
follow the concert, with a march around the State Capitol starting at 2:30 pm.
OUT IN THE PARK raises $11,000 for Chicago House
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! To so many people who were involved in making Out in the Park at Six flags Great America 2013 a huge success. BestGayChicago.com alone, could not make this event happen without the help and support from our peers. Our media sponsors Stacy Bridges and Mark Nagle from GRAB Magazine, Mark Mariucci from QUEST Magazine in Wisconsin, Bill Pritchard and the staff of ChicagoPride.com and the staff of Zona Rosa Magazine all donated thousands of dollars in advertising, well exceeding our expectations and everyone really pitched in and went above and beyond! And a huge thanks to Mini Cooper of Chicago, our co-producer.
We always say, It takes a village to pull this off. This is not the Michael and Derrick BestGayChicago.com show. It’s a community effort coming together for the greater good. And an All Inclusive event. Almost 5,000 people came out this year to support the event and were so grateful. Six Flags Great America is willing to give our community an entire private Sunday 11am to 6pm but we have to deliver 10,000 attendees-we will get to that point-we’re determined to make it happen, that is the end all goal and feel our community is ready to support an all day private event.
We all need to find our own ways to serve; our own ways to give back. Our business on its own cannot write a big check to charity. However, we have a sizable network within our business, the relationship resources, strong partners and advocates, and ideas to collaborate and bring the community together – and all help write this year’s check, for almost $11,000!! This check is not from BestGayChicago.com – it’s from the ENTIRE community. We were just the instruments to help make it all happen.
Thanks to Jess Godwin and Isaiah Grass for their super live vocal performances. Teri Yaki, Debbie Fox and Cyon Flare all helped entertain the crowds. DJ Matthew Harvat always delivers a great evening of music and this year Scarlet’s Scotty T and Team Scarlet got the evening off and running with a bang. Walgreens helped spread the word this year through many of their stores. Scarlet, Taverna 750, Charlies and Lucky Horseshoe also helped with promotions and support.
Thank you to all of the volunteers and brand ambassadors who helped us spread the word. And most of all – thank you to YOU WHO BOUGHT THE TICKETS and came out and had a great time!
It is a huge risk to orchestrate an outdoor event a year in advance in the Midwest. Thankfully, we had a gorgeous Fall day. Kohls had bought out the park for the next day for employees and their families, the temperature dropped dramatically and it rained and rained hard most of the day. How lucky we were that was not our day this year, we would have been very negatively affected.
Six Flags Great America also did an amazing job of emptying the park in a record 45 minutes. They closed to the general public at 7pm and were able to allow us to begin entering at 7:45pm into an EMPTY park.
We will be doing a similar Gay Days party at Six Flags St. Louis on a Saturday night, June 7, 2014 and we’ll be back to Gurnee next September on a Saturday night for Out In The Park 2014 as well. And we have one more AMAZING party event in the planning stages for 2014, a private, charity-based, Water Park, 12-hour Saturday Night Dance Party in late Winter/early Spring unlike anything the Midwest has ever been able to enjoy before….stay tuned for all the details.
Friend us, Follow us, LIKE us – to get all of the updates as they happen.
Michael Snell
Derrick Sorles
BestGayChicago.com
MOMIX is back in the Chicago Area September 28th
MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists based in Washington, Connecticut, founded in 1981 by Moses Pendleton, with a worldwide audience base. Momix is unusual among contemporary dance companies for being a for-profit organization.
Saturday, Sept. 28 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater @ Moraine Valley Community College
9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, IL 60465.
GET TICKETS!
OUT IN THE PARK September 14th, 2013. Don’t Be Left Without a Ticket
OUT IN THE PARK 2013 Weekend of Parties in Chicagoland
In the Heights Comes To Paramount Theatre September 11 – October 6
Nominated in
2008 for 13 Tony Awards, taking home four including Best Musical, Best Score,
Best Choreography and Best Orchestration, In the Heights is an
exuberant contemporary musical that follows three days in the lives of
residents living in New York’s largely Hispanic Washington Heights
neighborhood.
Aurora’s Paramount Theatre will launch its third Broadway subscription
series this September with the first local professional staging of In the
Heights, one of Broadway’s most acclaimed contemporary musicals, a
potent reminder of the importance of chasing one’s dreams, and the show all of
Chicago will be talking about this fall. Performances are September 11 through
October 6, 2013.
For as little as $73.80, subscribers can purchase In
the Heights and see three more Tony Award-winning best musicals at the
Paramount in 2013-14 – Miss Saigon (directed by Jim Corti, October 30-November 24, 2013), 42nd
Street (directed by Rachel
Rockwell, January
15-February 9, 2014)
and Rent
(directed by Jim Corti, March 12-April 6, 2014). Join the nearly 20,000 Broadway series
subscribers who have already taken advantage of Paramount’s Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free offer. To meet growing
demand for its “better than Broadway” productions at such affordable prices, Paramount
has already extended the run of each show from three weeks to four in 2013-14.
Single tickets to In the Heights are also
on sale for $36.90 to $49.90. For renewals, new subscriptions,
single tickets and information, go to ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or visit the Paramount box office Monday through
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 2 hours prior to evening performances.
Conceived and
featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, with a book by
Pulitzer Prize- winner Quiara Alegría Hudes, In the Heights
transports audiences to a Latino enclave on 183rd Street in New York
City where family bonds are strong and neighborhood ties are equally as
binding. But change is in the air that will impact everyone. In the
Heights is a story of dreams and sacrifices, loyalties and love, all
taking place in one city block surrounded by millions. The pure energy of the
barrio pulses with the poetry of rap, soaring ballads and powerful Latin-inspired
grooves resulting in one of the most original scores to hit Broadway in years.
In a community on the brink of change, full of hopes and dreams, the biggest
struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you and which you
leave In the Heights. Rated PG.
As always, top theater artists from Chicago and all over the
country have been tapped to reward Paramount audiences with a breathtaking production
of In
the Heights. Rachel Rockwell, named “2012 Chicagoan
of the Year in Theatre” by the Chicago Tribune, and director of Paramount’s
wildly acclaimed productions of Hair, Annie and The
Music Man, will direct. The cast
features Nick Demeris (Usnavi), Paula Scrofano (Abuela Claudia), Lillian Castillo (Carla), Keely Vasquez (Daniela), Ricardo Gutierrez (Kevin), Lucinda Johnston (Camila), Luis Herrera (Sonny), Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Benny), Caitlainne Rose Gurreri (Vanessa), Christina Nieves (Nina) and David Baida (Piragua Guy). Ensemble
members are Kasey Alfonso, William Carlos Angulo, Mary Joe Duggan, Courtney Landwerlen, Rachel
Marie LaPorte, Eric Lewis, Terrance Martin, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Daniel
Spagnuolo and Lauren Villegas.
The set is a beauty,
a replica of the original Broadway design by Tony nominee Anna Louizos. Tom Vendafreddo (music director/conductor) will lead the
Paramount Theatre Orchestra with live, lush renditions of the play’s rich
musical score. Paramount’s In the Heights production team also
includes Katie Spelman
(choreographer), Elizabeth Flauto
(costumes), Jesse Klug (lights), Jeff Dublinske (sound), Sarah Ross (props), Dianne Morrisette (wigs), Rose Marie Packer (stage manager) and Beth Ellen Spencer (assistant stage
manager).
About The Paramount Theatre
The Paramount Theatre is the center for
performing arts, entertainment and arts education in Aurora, the second
largest city in Illinois. Named “One of Chicago’s Top 10 Attended
Theatres” by the League of Chicago Theatres, the 1,888-seat Paramount
Theatre, located in the heart of downtown Aurora at 23 E. Galena Blvd., is
nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb
acoustics and historic beauty.
The Paramount Theatre opened on September 3,
1931. Designed by nationally renowned theater architects C.W. and George L.
Rapp, the theater captures a unique Venetian setting portrayed in the art deco
influence of the 1930s. The first air-conditioned building outside of Chicago,
the Paramount offered the public a variety of entertainment, including
“talking pictures,” vaudeville, concerts and circus performances for
more than 40 years.
In 1976, Aurora Civic Center Authority purchased
the Paramount and closed the theater for restoration. The $1.5 million project
restored the Paramount to its original grandeur. On April 29, 1978, the
Paramount Arts Center opened, offering a variety of theatrical, musical,
comedy, dance and family programming. In 2006, a 12,000-square-foot, two-story
Grand Gallery lobby was added, with a new, state-of-the-art box office, café
and art gallery.
Groupon employees to participate in October 22 Marriage Equality March on Springfield
Illinois. Today they released a video, produced by Groupon employees, to
showcase that support.
participating in the March on Springfield, busing interested employees
to the rally that day in support of marriage equality on October 22.
the scheduled first day of the fall veto session of the Illinois state
legislature. The “March on Springfield” is part of a broad grassroots
strategy to secure final passage of Senate Bill 10, the “Religious
Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” already approved by the Illinois
Senate. Once adopted, Illinois will become the 14th state plus the
District of Columbia, to treat all of its citizens equally under state
marriage laws. For more information, visit http://www.marchonspringfield.
Live Nude Male Strippers Come to Chicago land : CREAM
CREAM is the newest night on Mondays featuring full on naked nude male dancers and strippers! Yep- full on junk in your face – because it’s outside Cook county line.
2 Great Shows Coming to Chicago
I LOVE to see shows in small theatres. Most of our theaters downtown are WAY TOO BIG for stage shows. If you are not in the first 12 rows, you miss out on so much. The theatre at Moraine Valley Community College is the perfect size. No bad seats. And they bring in some awesome shows!
Thodos Dance Chicago
Saturday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater and only $20-$25!
Embracing Chicago’s rich history via contemporary
dance like never before, The White City: Chicago’s Columbian Exposition
of 1893 is an ambitious one-act piece complete with period costumes and
video projections by Chicago filmmaker Chris Olsen.
Legendary Tony Award-winning Broadway choreographer Ann Reinking and
Artistic Director Melissa Thodos set the piece to Bruce Wolosoff’s
Songs Without Words.
All 12 ensemble dancers will perform to tell the
story of the legendary 1893 World’s Fair through dance.
Characters range from Mayor Carter Harrison Sr.; Harrison’s assassin,
Patrick Prendergast; John Root, one of the key architects of the Chicago
World’s Fair; and Dr. H.H. Holmes, the cunning serial killer who used
the fair to lure his victims to their death in his elaborately
constructed Murder Castle.
The evening also includes several other thrilling pieces drawn from Thodos’ inventive and imaginative repertory.
“Best Dance Event in Chicago of 2011″
— Chicago Sun Times
GET TICKETS!
And this, is SO COOL!
A Lamb Chop Celebration featuring Mallory Lewis
Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m.
Tickets $10-$20
An entertaining hour of laughter and song. The beloved children’s icon Lamb Chop,
skillfully bought to life by Shari’s daughter, Mallory Lewis.
Fun for
all ages, kids will fall in love with Lamb Chop, teens and
20-somethings will remember
Lamb Chop from Lamb Chop’s Play Along,
and grown-ups will enjoy revisiting their youth as they laugh and sing along with Lamb Chop and Mally!
“Once you’ve seen one of Mallory’s shows,
you’ll walk away with a wonderful memory and also feeling like you have
just acquired a new best friend.”
— Tonya Cook, Iowa State Fair
GET TICKETS!
Sci-Fi Meets Theatre as Intergalactic Nemesis hits Chicago
How It Works:
Three actors voice dozens of characters, one artist creates hundreds of
sounds, and one keyboardist accompanies while more than 1,000
hand-drawn, blow-your-mind comic-book images blast from a large screen.
The Story:
The year is 1933. Pulitzer Prize-winner Molly Sloan and her intrepid
assistant Timmy Mendez have traveled to Transylvania to meet a key
contact for a story about illegal pelt smuggling. As the crackling
fireplace warms the room against the blizzard outside, their contact,
Vlad, tells them that their story is at a dead end: all of the smugglers
have either disappeared or been killed by … something.
rumors of monsters in the Carpathian Mountains. Vlad hands Molly and
Timmy a map of something called the Central Hive when suddenly an
assassin appears in the doorway and Vlad falls dead, a knife in his
back.
Almost as suddenly, a mysterious and handsome stranger appears
behind the assassin, throws the assassin into the roaring fire, and
tells Molly and Timmy to run for their lives. Reporter Molly Sloan and
her assistant Timmy Mendez have stumbled upon the story of the century.
|
Grab your seats now . . . before it’s too late! |
|
“Totally nuts and a ton of fun! Do not miss it!” — The Austinist
“Something you simply must experience if you are a fan of awesome.” — collider.com |
Fine & Performing Arts Center
9000 West College Parkway
Palos Hills, IL 60465
Phone (708) 974-5500
Gay Day Gay Night at Six Flags Chicago September 8, 2012
An all-new private LGBT event featuring rides, live music and a party-like atmosphere
BestGayChicago.com and vitaminwater® are excited to premiere an all new LGBT event and fundraiser at Six Flags Great America. Out In The Park 2012 will be a private event for the LGBT community, their friends and families. “We are very excited Six Flags Great America is allowing us this unique opportunity to produce such an awesome event at their park,” said Derrick Sorles, owner of BestGayChicago.com. “We are proud to have TPAN (Test Positive Awareness Network) as our benefitting charity.”
On Saturday, September 8, 2012, from 9pm – 1am, the park will be closed to the general public for this private event. Guests will enjoy the music of DJs, Matthew Harvat and Phil DaBeatz, as it is heard live throughout the park. The DJs will be spinning together simultaneously as a team bridging two styles that compliment each other and bringing a signature dance floor experience to Six Flags Great America. This amazing LGBT event is expected to welcome people from the five surrounding states coming together to pride-fully celebrate!
Tickets purchased in advance are $35 which includes admission to the park all day long, free parking and admission to the Private Event! A portion of the advance ticket sales will benefit TPAN.
Tickets are available now online at sixflags.com using promo code OUT2012.
A limited number of bus tickets will be available departing from Uptown on Montrose Avenue, 1 block West of Broadway. Busses will depart at 3pm and also at 6pm. All busses will leave the park at 1am and return to Uptown. Bus tickets are extremely limited. Visit gaysixflagschicago.com for more information or call 773-878-5323.
A BIG THANKS to the generous support of our co-sponsors! ChicagoPride.com, GRAB Magazine, BOI Magazine, The L Stop, Rainbow Pizza, Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours, and Halsted Healthmart Pharmacy!!
BONUS WHITE PARTY – OUT on the BEACH!
Sunday September 9th – noon – 6pm
At the gay (Osterman) Hollywood Beach, in CHICAGO!!!
CO$T: FREE. Goes all day until 6PM! Music!
Come to relax & recover OR to socialize or dance!
About TPAN
Now in its 25th year, TPAN empowers everyone living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS to live open, healthy, and productive lives. TPAN innovates to deliver peer-led support programs and collaborative wellness services and to communicate comprehensive information. TPAN will do so until HIV/AIDS is eradicated.
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Pianist Philip Fortenberry Jan 22 in Naperville
A true Southern gentleman, pianist Philip Fortenberry will tickle the
ivories whilst telling a story or two when he comes to Naperville.
Fortenberry will perform a cabaret-style show called “Give My Regards”
Jan. 22 at North Central College. The show begins at 6 p.m. in the
College’s Madden Theatre.
During the show, he will perform popular songs spanning all genres and
styles, interspersing them with his own recollections of the many
composers, directors and performers who continue to inspire him.
He has accompanied such legendary Broadway icons as Eartha Kitt, Betty
Buckley, Donna McKechnie and Laurie Beechman in concerts in New York and
across the nation, and currently serves as the associate conductor of
“Jersey Boys” at the Palazzo Theater in Las Vegas.
“’Give My Regards’ is a show I’ve put together. I’ve had a career of
playing for great shows; great music of all sorts of genres from rock
music to Broadway, and I’ve worked with a lot of amazing artists —
singers, choreographers, conductors and composers,” he said. “This show
essentially pays homage to that music from my perspective. I tell
stories about the music that I play from my perspective as a pianist. I
offer a setting, you might say.”
His show is almost entirely him and the piano.
“I will usually do this number that Katharine Hepburn actually recorded, and who knew she could sing? I figured if she could do it, so could I,” he said with a laugh. “That’s the only reason I would ever sing. I talk, I tell the stories, and I play the songs, essentially.”
Some songs you will hear include medleys from “Mamma Mia” and “Saturday Night Fever;” plus songs from musicals like “Cats” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” You’ll even hear some ragtime and Liberace’s “Chopsticks.”
“It’s a variety of things,” he said. “It’s such a broad concept. It covers people and experiences in my life.”
Fortenberry has gone from being a four-year-old child plunking around on a toy piano in Southern Mississippi
to playing at the Palazzo Theater in Las Vegas. It has been a
remarkable journey, he said, and it’s that journey he shares with the
audience.
“’Give My Regards’ — there are a lot of people who came across my path
and a lot of experiences I’ve had that are going to bring me to
Naperville, Illinois,” he said. “Never in my life did I dream that is
where I would find myself. It will be an honor to be there.”
Get a sneak peak with this video!
