Category Archives: Theater in Chicago
Chicago Theatre Week 2015
Chicago Theatre Week 2015 is a celebration of Chicago’s world-class theatre scene. Presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago, Chicago Theatre Week is returning for its third year and will take place February 12-22, 2015.
This month, visitors and residents will again have the opportunity to choose from more than 100 productions and sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout Chicago.
February 12-22, 2015
$15 and $30 tickets (or less!)
Tickets are now on sale – Browse the participating productions HERE and try searching by genre, date, or neighborhood.
Remember, with over 250 professional theatre companies in Chicago and great deals at Hot Tix, Chicago Theatre Week is just the start of your theatre adventures! Chicago theatres are a vital part of the neighborhood landscape year-round, offering top-notch musicals, new works, classics, and more — housed in spaces ranging from renowned downtown theatres to the unique, raw, and intimate settings of Chicago’s storefront stages.
Wonka Ball 2015 WARHOL
In 1968, Andy Warhol proclaimed:
“In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.“
In 2015, About Face Theatre proclaims:
“It is the future and everyone can be Andy Warhol” at…
WONKA BALL: WARHOL
Named as one of Chicago’s top theatre, dance, and music events for the 5th year in a row, WONKA BALL: WARHOL will celebrate the Pop Art icon and his cadre of superstars, celebrities and subjects.
Guests will experience live, Warhol-inspired art-making and performances, plus fantastic food, delicious drinks, music and a stellar silent and live auction for which Wonka Ball itself has become famous.
Get your discounted Early Bird tickets now and support About Face Theatre, Chicago’s premiere center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and ally arts (LGBTQIA) as we celebrate our 19th year and party like superstars!
A Kid Like Jake – Chicago Premiere
Why Can’t A Boy
be A Princess?
—New York Times.
begins previews in only 16 days!
The Chicago Premiere of A KID LIKE JAKE
Written by Daniel Pearle | Directed by Keira Fromm
FEBRUARY 6th thru MARCH 15th
Thursdays thru Saturdays @ 7:30p
Saturday and Sunday Matinees @ 3:00p
Discounted PREVIEW TICKETS are still available, but they won’t be for long! Be among the first to see A KID LIKE JAKE – grab yours today.
Alex and Greg’s intelligent and precocious four year-old son Jake is a leading candidate for enrollment in one of Manhattan’s top kindergarten programs. But when attention turns to his passion for Cinderella and dress-up, Jake’s behavior becomes a lightning rod, calling into question assumptions about gender, class, education and acceptance through the lens of 21st century parenting.
PREVIEWS: Adults $20 | Students + Seniors $10
Adults $35 | Students + Seniors $20
The Greenhouse Theater Center 2257 N Lincoln Ave. in Chicago
Center on Halsted & About Face Theatre
Center on Halsted & About Face Theatre
STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY
Many in the LGBTQ community are or have at one point experienced loneliness or isolation because of how they identify. As a community-based organization, Center on Halsted tackles this need through providing programs, services, and space for individuals to commune and live powerfully in supportive inclusive environments.
In a new collaboration with About Face Theatre, Center on Halsted is hosting an OUT FRONT Series performance entitled STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY, a narrative, theatrical work in progress about youth, seniors and the gaps in between that explores the intergenerational sense of isolation in the LGBTQ community. The piece, led by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate, Kelli Simpkins, uses a collection of 50 interviews conducted over a five month period with intergenerational members of the Chicago LGBTQIA community and those advocating for youth and seniors.
Bruce is one of the dozens interviewed for the project and weighed in on the problem of loneliness in the LGBTQ community.
“As a psychotherapist and social service professional,” he said, “I hear the lament of loneliness almost as much from today’s LGBTQ young people as I did from my own generation. In spite of all the progress we’ve made toward securing our rights, the truth is that many LGBTQ youth continue to experience rejection, ostracism, harassment and violence that is fueled by homophobia.”
Kyla, another interviewee, believes this piece is poised to be inspirational and an agent for change.
“I want this [project] to turn apathetic people outside of the community into spokespeople for what the new idea of normal really is,” she said. “To be normal is to be true to yourself. [This project has the potential to] strengthen the existing community and provide common ground for youth and elders despite differences.”
Eric, who was also interviewed, agrees and sees conversation as integral to bridging community. In his experience, “life continues on, love always has a way to find you, and community will always back you up in times of strain.”
Center on Halsted and About Face Theatre invite you to join us in community, learn from our collective experiences, and combat loneliness in OUT FRONT: STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY.\
$10 suggested donation
| January 24th @ 7:00 p.m. |
| January 25th @3:00 p.m. |
| Center on Halsted |
| Reserve your seats today |
Book of Merman in Chicago
I love the fact that Chicago is like a mini New York. So many choices for dining, shopping and entertainment. There must be close to 100 theatre choices, on any given week.
NEW THIS WEEK, Pride Films and Plays launches The Book of Merman, a new musical comedy by Jeff Award-winning playwright Leo Schwartz. The show opens on January 17, 2015 (17th is SOLD OUT) at Mary’s Attic, 5400 North Clark Street.
When two Mormons ring a doorbell marked E.M. in a small town, they have no idea that a certain Ethel will open the door.
With some dazzling parody music and Schwartz’s original songs, laughter ensues throughout The Book of Merman catapulting you to places you didn’t know you wanted to go.
Starring : Sam Button-Harrison, Dan Gold and Libby Lane.
Jeff Award-winner David Zak* directs, with Jeff Award-winner Robert Ollis* music directing. Costumes are by Raquel Adorno*. Understudies are Parker Guidry and Edward Fraim*.
We got a sneak peak last night, and the play is funny, the talent and singing is top notch, and the story is extremely entertaining!
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Regular performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 5:00 through February 15th.
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Tickets $25 . Students and Seniors can save $5 per ticket. Ten Premium tickets with prime reserved seating for each performance are $30.
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Performances are at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark, Chicago.
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Purchase below or online at brownpapertickets.com or call 1800 838 3006.
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Pride Films and Plays offers subscriptions and memberships for 2014-15 for even greater savings.
GLASS PROTEGE in Chicago
Hollywood, 1949.
A time when the movies are king and the movie stars merely pawns for the studio bosses.
A time when passion was lauded but sex was never discussed.
So when naïve young actor Patrick Glass embarks on a scandalous homosexual love affair with his famous co-star, he starts to feel the full force of the studio’s career-destroying muscle.
Forty years later, as the truths of the past are uncovered, the true consequences of this “unacceptable” romance come to light. A powerful drama about money, image, and the power-obsessed “Hollywood machine.”
Giant Cherry Productions in association with Glitterati Productions
presents the U.S. premiere of
The Glass Protégé
Written by Dylan Costello with direction by John Nasca
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago, Ilinois 60657
Previews February 20 and 21, 2015 at 7:45 pm and February 22, 2015 at 3:00 pm
Closes March 29, 2015
Featuring: David Besky, Chazie Bly, Baird Brutscher, Christopher Carpenter, Tom Chiola, Tracey Green, Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, and Britt-Marie Sivertsen.
Playwright Dylan Costello is a passionate advocate and supporter of LGBT rights which led him to form his LGBT-focused production company Giant Cherry Productions, through which he and his team drive forward their manifesto ofproducing theatre, film and TV works which represent and feature LGBT people in a positive way.
Dylan believes it is vitally important for the gay community to see itself represented on film, stage and television.
Issues are universal, regardless of sexuality. We are all human beings who all live, love and lose just like everyone else. We have love stories; we have tragedies. Sexuality shouldn’t be an issue. So it’s always appealing to see plays, movies, TV shows where characters have the same problems as everyone else – and they just happen to be gay.
The Glass Protégé premiered for a five-week run in London, England in 2010 under its original title Secret Boulevard and was a huge hit. To this day, it still stands as the most successful production ever staged at London’s Courtyard Theatre. After its run in Chicago, the play will return to London for a new four-week run at the Park Theatre.
Dylan is proud to be a gay man, is a gay dad to a wonderful daughter and resides happily in London with his partner.
The BOOK OF MERMAN
Sam Button-Harrison and Dan Gold join Libby Lane in
THE BOOK OF MERMAN
A World Premiere opening January 17, 2015 at Mary’s Attic
Pride Films and Plays announces that Sam Button-Harrison* and Dan Gold join Libby Lane* as the cast of The Book of Merman, a new musical comedy by Jeff Award-winning playwright Leo Schwartz. The show opens on January 17, 2015 at Mary’s Attic, 5400 North Clark Street.
When two young missionaries ring a doorbell marked E.M. in a small town, they have no idea that a certain Ethel will open the door. With some dazzling parody music and Schwartz’s original songs, laughter ensues throughout The Book of Merman catapulting you to places you didn’t know you wanted to go.
Jeff Award-winner David Zak* directs, with Jeff Award-winner Robert Ollis* music directing. Costumes are by Raquel Adorno*. Understudies are Parker Guidry and Edward Fraim*.
Details: The Book of Merman by Leo Schwartz, directed by David Zak, musical direction by Robert Ollis, and featuring Libby Lane as Ethel Merman.
- Previews January 15 and 16, 2015 at 7:30
- Regular performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 5:00 through February 15th.
- Tickets $15 for previews and $25 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances. Students and Seniors can save $5 per ticket. Ten Premium tickets with prime reserved seating for each performance are $30.
- Performances are at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark, Chicago.
- Purchase online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/867656 or call 1800 838 3006.
- Pride Films and Plays offers subscriptions and memberships for 2014-15 for even greater savings.
Chicago’s Cross Dressing Reindeer!
CHICAGO’S FAVORITE CROSS DRESSING
REINDEER IS HOTTER THEN EVER AFTER 17 YEARS.
Break out your high heels and fishnets this holiday because Hell in a Handbag Productions is bringing back Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, David Cerda’s beloved parody of the classic children’s television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Now celebrating its 17th year, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer is the longest running holiday show featuring a transvestite reindeer in the history of Chicago, and quite possibly THE WORLD.
Santa is depressed. Nobody believes in him anymore and he doesn’t even believe in himself. Downsizing has taken its toll on the remaining elves. The North Pole morale and morals are at an all-time low and Mrs. Claus (Ed Jones) and her drinking have reached the point of no return.
When Tom and Jane Donner welcome the arrival of their new son, Rudolph, they are horrified to discover their new son’s predilection for women’s clothing and do all they can to stop him from being himself forcing Rudolph to run away from home. Can Rudolph, the North Pole’s biggest misfit elf, Herbie (Chad), and Yukon Cornelia (Lori Lee, returning for her 10th year!), the butch prospector with a deep, dark secret —accidentally save Christmas?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice this year… you definitely want to catch the show that Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune) dubbed “an ideal holiday escape for anyone who detests the commercialism of traditional Christmas shows”. And remember… “Being Normal Isn’t Normal At All!”
Where: Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St.
Runs: Thurs. – Sun. until Jan. 2
ShowTime’s: 3:30pm (Dec. 13, 20, 21) &7:30
Add’l shows: Dec. 22, 23 No Show: Dec. 7, 25
Admission: $16- $25 VIP Tickets– $35-$110 Group Rates– $16 w/10 or more tickets
Reservations: (800) 838-3006 or go to Brown Paper tickets online
Chicago Holiday Theatre Productions
Winter Memories and
It’s A Fabulous Life
Bookend the Holiday Season
at Pride Films and Plays!
Pride Films and Plays celebrates the Holiday Season with two events that bookend this festive frenzy. Winter Memories is a cabaret slated for Monday December 1 at Twisted Vine.
And It’s a Fabulous Life is a hilarious spoof scheduled for Tuesday, December 30 at Mary’s Attic.
Winter Memories is a showcase that will feature some of the best and brightest of Chicago’s LGBT talent and allies, with musical accompaniment by Justin Harner and Robert Ollis and performers including PFP’s ensemble members Kevin Webb, Libby Lane, Sam Button-Harrison, Jude Hansen and Donterrio Johnson as well as special guest performances by the Burlesque beauty Po’ Chop and story telling by Rose Freeman. The evening begins at 7:00pm at Twisted Vine, 3530 N Halsted, an intimate cabaret in the heart of Boystown. PFP Artistic Ensemble Member Jordan Phelps is the creative director for the evening. Tickets are $25 for reserved seats and $20 for general admission. Food is available from the Twisted Vine menu, and there is cash bar available. Each ticket holder gets entered in a drawing for holiday door prizes and will be warmed with a cup of cocoa. Tickets are available at Brownpapertickets.com, or by calling 1 800 838 3006.
In It’s a Fabulous Life we meet Bobby, a gay man who feels like he doesn’t fit into any of the ‘The Twelve Gays of Christmas’ stereotypes. After he wishes on the memory of Judy Garland to be straight, the Ghost of Christmas Sass visits him and grants his wish. In a series of sketches, we journey with him through an evening which concludes with hilarious mayhem. PFP Artistic Associates Kris Hyland and Alexa Ray Meyer are the creative team behind this project. Tickets are $25 for reserved seats (which includes one drink ticket) and $15 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling 1 800 838 3006. This show is free to PFP subscribers. The show is at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N Clark, Chicago.
About Pride Films and Plays
Founded in 2010, Pride Films and Plays is a leading player in the development of GLBT plays and musicals, screenplays and films, and has been nominated for 10 Jeff Awards in out first two years. Under A Rainbow Flag won Jeff Awards in 2013 for Best New Work (for Leo Schwartz) and Best Musical, and The Children’s Hour won for Best Supporting Actor (Nora Lise Ulrey) in 2014. Our current season began with the Jeff Recommended Chicago premieres of Some Men by Terrence McNally and Jeff Talbott’s The Submission which runs through November 25 at Apollo Studio Theater.
Other activities this month include the Queer Bits Fall Film Fest on November 10 at Public House Theater in Chicago, and Gay Film Weekend November 14 to 16 at Center On Halsted.
The season will continue with the highly anticipated world premiere of The Book of Merman by Leo Schwartz opening on January 17 at Mary’s Attic. It will be a followed by Topher Payne’s comedy Angry Fags opens March 8 as part of Steppenwolf Theatre’s Garage Rep.
For more information visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com.
Follow PFP on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram
See the PFP events calendar here.
Make a donation in support of our Pride Films and Plays here.
Sign up for the Pride Films and Plays email list here.
The Submission October 12 to November 25 at Apollo Studio, 2540 N Lincoln
Queer Bits Fall Film Fest November 10 at Public House Theater, 3914 N Clark
Gay Film Weekend November 14 to 16 at Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted
Winter Memories, December 1 at Twisted Vine
It’s A Fabulous Life, December 30 at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N Clark
The Book of Merman January 15 to February 15 at Marys’ Attic, 5400 N Clark
Angry Fags at Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Garage Rep, Spring 2015
Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer Returns
Break out your high heels and fishnets
this holiday because Hell in a Handbag Productions is bringing back Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, David Cerda’s beloved parody of the classic children’s television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Now celebrating its 17th year, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer is the longest running holiday show featuring a transvestite reindeer in the history of Chicago, and quite possibly THE WORLD.
Santa (Michael Hampton) is depressed. Nobody believes in him anymore and he doesn’t even believe in himself. Downsizing has taken its toll on the remaining elves. The North Pole morale and morals are at an all-time low and Mrs. Claus (Ed Jones) and her drinking have reached the point of no return.
When Tom and Jane Donner welcome the arrival of their new son, Rudolph, they are horrified to discover their new son’s predilection for women’s clothing and do all they can to stop him from being himself forcing Rudolph to run away from home. Can Rudolph, the North Pole’s biggest misfit elf, Herbie (Chad), and Yukon Cornelia (Lori Lee, returning for her 10th year!), the butch prospector with a deep, dark secret -accidentally save Christmas?
“For me, Rudolph is first kid’s story that encourages you to “just be yourself,” says Artistic Director and playwright David Cerda. “It’s a tale about MISFITS, and I could totally relate to Rudolph and his pain” says Cerda. “There were no anti bullying- campaigns when I was growing up. In my day, if you were picked on in your parents usually told you to stop whining and fight. I’m glad things are finally changing for kids.”
This year brings Handbag a new Rudolph, Grant Drager along with puppets by Lolly Extract and Amber Marsh plus additional new cast members, Caitlin Jackson, Kirk Jackson, Shiv Mann, Lizzie Schwarzrock as Clarice, Rudolph’s love interest and Jamie Smith as Sam the Snowman.
Also returning to the show are Barbara Figgins, Terry McCarthy, David Cerda,and of course Ed Jones as the Dragbeast.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice this year… you definitely want to catch the show that Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune) dubbed “an ideal holiday escape for anyone who detests the commercialism of traditional Christmas shows”. And remember… “Being Normal Isn’t Normal At All!”
Previews: Thursday and Friday, Nov. 29, 30 Dec. 4
Runs: Thurs. – Sun. until Jan. 2
Showtimes: 3:30pm (Dec. 13, 20, 21) &7:30
Add’l shows: Dec. 22, 23 No Show: Dec. 7, 25
Admission: $16- $25 VIP Tickets- $35-$110 Group Rates- $16 w/10 or more tickets
Reservations: (800) 838-3006 or go to Brown Paper tickets online http://
Chicago LGBTQ Youth – FACES
FACES is Back!
November 7th, 8th, and 9th
Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave, ChicagoLimited seating. Wheelchair accessible.
Click here to purchase tickets online!
YEPP’s mission is to seek a safe environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer street-based youth to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece.
THE BIRDS by Hell In a Handbag
Looking for some good inexpensive fun this Fall? Back by POPULAR demand! Hell in a Handbag Productions is proud to present a re-imagined remount of one of their most popular shows, their adaptation of The Birds.
A wonderfully entertaining cast! Comedy, drag, excitement and more!
The Birds is both a ridiculous parody of the classic Hitchcock film and a look inside the mind of lead actress, Tippi Hedren. Camille Paglia, author and American social critic, serves as your guide in this odyssey and there’s a touch of David Lynch thrown in for good measure.
The space, The Coach House at Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd. (Sheridan and Granville), is so charming and perfect! From the moment you walk in, the fun begins. Mr. Hitchcocks assistants meet you in the main house and walk you back to the coach house, which is the set of The Birds. You get to witness the “filming” of the Birds movie, but also get a sneak peak into what being on set, might have been like.
Meet newcomer, Tippi Hedren. Famed director, Alfred Hitchcock, has hand-picked her to star in the much anticipated follow-up to his smash hit film, Psycho. This film was to be called The Birds and it seemed like it would be a dream come true for any up and coming actress. And for a while it was…until it wasn’t.
Catherine McCafferty returns as fledgling actress, Tippi Hedren, whose journey begins her first day playing blonde socialite, Melanie Daniels. Melanie pursues the very dashing bachelor/lawyer, Mitchell Brenner, after a chance meeting in a pet shop. She secretly follows Mitch to Bodega Bay, a sleepy Oceanside town in Northern California. Melanie’s arrival marks the beginning of a series of bird attacks on the town. Movie history is about to be made.
Off camera, Alfred Hitchcock’s seemingly innocent interest in Ms. Hedren grew daily and he began teaching her film making. Unfortunately, what started as a brilliant director taking a novice under his wing suddenly turned into a harrowing experience for the naïve actress. Ms. Hedren experienced a terror far greater than any bird attack. We learn Alfred Hitchcock had a ravenous appetite for blondes and really sort of sexually harassed Hedren! In fact in 2012, HBO made THE GIRL which focused on Hitchcocks obsession with Hedrin!
While The Birds receives the full parody/homage treatment audiences have come to expect from Hell in a Handbag, the story takes a dark turn going inside the mind of Tippi Hedren who, as filming progresses, has trouble distinguishing the movie’s reality from her own.
Handbag ensemble members Ed Jones, Alex Grelle, Michael Hampton, Michael S. Miller, Lori Lee, Steve Love, Lolly Extract, Amber Marsh, and David Cerda are part of the large cast of characters. Also returning to the cast from 2013 are Steve Kimbrough (POSEIDON!) and Jamie Smith (Christmas Dearest). All the guys who perform as ladies, are just a riot of laughs!
Newcomers include Chazie Bly taking on the role of Mitchell Brenner/Rod Taylor, Lauren Miller as Peggy Robertson, the steely assistant to Mr. Hitchcock, Caitlin Coleman, and Christea Parent (Caged Dames) as Camille Paglia.
Handbag ensemble member, Cheryl Snodgrass (HAYWIRE!, Die! Mommie, Die!, The Rip Nelson Halloween Spooktacular, SCARRIE -The Musical, Límitation of Life) directs this year. “The Birds was my favorite film growing up so it feels like kismet to direct The Birds, my favorite Handbag script” says Snodgrass. “There are some big surprises in this year’s production, too While we’re still using Lake Michigan as Bodega Bay and Berger Park for the bird attacks, the newly renovated Coach House has inspired brilliant new concepts from the design team. More birds. More fun. Even if you’ve seen Handbag’s The Birds before – you have never seen anything like this one.”
Endorsed by none other than Ms. Tippi Hedren herself, The Birds stands out as one of Handbag’s most critically acclaimed and memorable shows. The environmental staging at the Coach House in Berger Park on Lake Michigan makes it a unique experience you won’t soon forget.
All Show times: 7:30 Admission: $17-$37
Matinee performances Oct. 18 and 25, 3pm
| Reservations: (800) 838-3006 or go to Brown Paper tickets online http://thebirds2014.bpt.me |
Hell in a Handbag Mission Statement
HIAH is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music, and homage.
Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Corporation.
All photos by Rick Aguilar Studios.
Donna McKechnie in Chicago Oct. 20
Pride Films and Plays annual fall benefit Simply Sensational: Legends will reach new heights this year when Tony Award Winner Donna McKechnie headlines the event on October 20. WGN’s Dean Richards serves again as the emcee, which features a preshow reception at 6 pm, the performance at 7, and a post show champagne toast with Ms. McKechnie.
McKechnie created the role of Cassie in the original production of A Chorus Line, and her breathtaking song and dance number “The Music and the Mirror” are part of American musical theater lore.
A full line up of talent – including performances from many of Chicago’s esteemed musical theaters, along with Spoken Word performer C.C. Carter and Performance Artist Kimberly Dark. There will be a dance from The Chicago Academy for the Arts Repertory Dance Company, Randy Duncan, Artistic Director. You will see excerpts from PFP’s upcoming productions of The Submission by Jeff Talbott and Angry Fags by Topher Payne. And we will be introduced to the first number from the world premiere of Jeff Award winning composer Leo Schwartz’ new musical The Book of Merman, featuring Libby Lane as Ethel Merman, with musical director Robert Ollis on the piano.
VIP Tickets for Simply Sensational are $100 for the center section of Stage 773’s Thrust Stage. For VIP ticket holders, the evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a pre-show cabaret reception featuring an appetizer buffet and cash bar at Cooper’s, 1232 West Belmont. Members of Pride Films and Plays Artistic Ensemble will perform cabaret style songs to provide entertainment during the pre-show.
General Admission side seating is $75. Admission at either the VIP or General Admission level includes one free cocktail from Stage 773’s bar.
The program will be performed at 7 pm in the thrust space of Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont, on Monday, October 20, 2014.
And tickets to a post performance reception with Ms. McKechnie, including post show chocolates and champagne, can be purchase for an additional $25.
There will also be a raffle for terrific fabulous door prizes, including airline tickets, theater tickets, hotel stays, dinners and more.
About Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie, the Tony Award winning star of A CHORUS LINE, is regarded internationally as one of Broadway’s foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. Most recently she created the musical staging for a production of Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks starring Leslie Caron at the Laguna Playhouse which has received a rave review from the Los Angeles Times. Donna is also co-starring in a new production called 4 Girls 4 with Maureen McGovern, Andrea McCardle and Faith Prince produced by Wayne Gmitter and John McDaniel.
PUSH Physical Theatre
Seeing award winning PUSH Physical Theatre is like watching a live action-movie. This talented group of performers inspires awe with physical illusions and gravity-defying, dance-infused, acrobatic high-jinx.
A cross between fine art sculpture and “The Matrix,” PUSH Physical Theatre will express the power of the human body at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
PUSH Physical Theatre is cool, athletic, entertaining, and impossible to resist. This theater of the body features performers who appear to manipulate time and space in a live environment. The performance is all about stories, the narratives of life played out with hope, strength and optimism. Experience PUSH to know the strength of the human soul.
“Our Physical Theatre is an art form created from borrowing,” said Darren Stevenson, founding director of PUSH Physical Theatre. “We have been inspired by the concepts and ideas of corporeal mime, modern dance, non-traditional partnering, and the areas of acting technique that relate to the use of the body as a tool of discovery; even gymnastics play a part. We attempt to create a true synergy between these theater forms.”
SNEAK PEAK
PUSH’s unique form has transformed it into a national company that has performed all over England, the United States and Mexico, and has appeared on PBS and NPR.
The performers will defy gravity in the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s Dorothy Menker Theater, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are $25 for the general public and $20 for students and seniors.
BUY TICKETS
More info at PUSH
About Face Theatre Gala October 10th
For one exclusive night, step back into the golden age of Chicago’s Bohemian society as About Face Theatre presents THE BLACK AND TAN SUPPER CLUB on Friday, October 10, 2014 from 7 pm – 10 pm at the swanky InterContinental Chicago, 505 N. Michigan Ave. on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. This magical throwback inspired by the 1930s cultural phenomenon known as the “Pansy Craze” will feature an evening of cocktails, dining and thrilling performances.
Travel back to Prohibition-era Chicago, when underground gay social clubs flourished in neighborhoods like Towertown on the northside and Bronzeville and Woodlawn on the southside. During the aptly-named “Pansy Craze,” gays, lesbians and other “non-conformists” flocked to these clubs known for their glamorous fashion, provocative performers, drag balls and rousing music.
Dress to the nines and step out with your friends at the most exciting event of the season!
Presented at the wonderful and historic InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. 505 N Michigan Ave.
Tickets for THE BLACK AND TAN SUPPER CLUB are available at www.aboutfacetheatre.org or by calling (773) 784-8565.
Snow White and 7 Drag Queens @ Hydrayte
-Tony Lewis, MidTangent Artistic Director
2014 Dates: September 5, October 3, November 7 & December 5
Tickets $20, available at the door or at midtangent.com
Michael Urie Benefit Performance – Last Sunday in June
The charming Michael Urie, who is currently in Chicago with Jonathan Tolins’ BUYER AND CELLAR, is doing a benefit for About Face Theatre on his night off!
How great is that?!
JUNE 2nd! $20
What a steal!
Get Tickets Now!
Michael Urie , Barbra Striesand and Buyer and Cellar, in Chicago
Barbra Striesands Basement of Stores in the where
BUYER AND CELLAR takes place.
These photos can not possibly do the show justice or capture its entertainment value!
It’s brilliant and funny! It’s a one man show that wildly entertains for 90 non-stop minutes.
Michael Urie is amazing and fresh and a wonderful story teller! Urie plays all of the characters, starting with a fictional out-of-work actor named Alex More who is hired to staff the underground mall of quaint shops that Streisand has built (really — this part’s true) beneath a barn on her Malibu estate.
And it is so refreshing, and so needed, for Broadway in Chicago to bring us an intimate show like this. THIS is what New York theatre is all about. Wonderful small shows in a small venue, where everyone can enjoy the actors talents and be pulled into the story! Chicago needs more of these types of shows.
Whether you like Barbra Streisand or not – this is a must-see entertaining show in Chicago, fresh from New York, and on it’s way to Los Angeles next. GO SEE IT!
Check out our interview with Michael HERE.
Michael Urie talks about Buyer and Cellar and Working for Barbra Streisand
Michael Urie is finally getting out of the cellar — and hitting the road.
The former “Ugly Betty” star will kick off a mini North American tour with Jonathan Tolins’ critically acclaimed, utterly charming and often wacky one-man show “Buyer & Cellar.” The tour makes it first stop in Chicago May 6TH!
Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling gay actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the mall in Barbra Streisand‘s Malibu basement. (Yes, she really has a STREET of stores in her basement that display her various collections. She has photos of it in her book My Passion for Design.)
He is employed to watch over the collections and keep things dusted. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs?
BUYER & CELLAR is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. – The only factual element of Jonathan Tolins’s whimsical fantasy is the actual existence of a subterranean street of shops that Streisand had built in her barn to display her collections.
“This is like a Fantasia!” exclaims Michael. “It’s not a real story. Alex is not a real person. And Barbra Streisand probably DOES NOT have someone working in her basement. This whole story came from Jonathan Tolins imagination!”
Urie talked to us recently about what it’s like playing the fictitious store manager of Babs’s personal shopping mall.
It’s a pretty funny thing for we mortals to imagine. A street of stores! Although I myself am a collector and have lots of “stuff” – I wish I had a room or shop in my place to display everything!
Do you think the play is kind to her?
URIE: I do. I think there are snipes taken, mostly by Barry (Alex’s boyfriend, voiced by Urie), but I know Jon (Tolins) and I, and the director (Stephen Brackett), took great care in rehearsals to make sure it was fair and kind, and only what we found funny, as opposed to malicious. Barry is mean, and he says mean things, but the opinion of the piece and the narrator is love … with the caveat that having a mall in your basement is funny.
JONATHAN TOLINS (Playwright) is the author of Buyer & Cellar, which was named Best Unique Theatrical Experience by the Off-Broadway Alliance when it premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. He explains,””What you’re laughing at is her need to control and to take herself so seriously. You’re not laughing at someone who’s actually a mess and endangering her life — she’s funny because she wants everything her way.”
How did you set about portraying Streisand on stage?
Urie: “As I say in the beginning of the play, I’m not going to do an impression. Really good impersonators can be uncanny and really funny impressionists.
I wanted the comedy of Barbra to come out of her behavior and not from gags. So I didn’t want to cross my eyes for instance. I just don’t want to gild the lily when it comes to sharing the fun of her idiosyncrasies. I’m only emulating her. So it’s a few faces here, and a few cadences there, the fingernails. I think what I focus on the most is the rhythms. I really watched her and studied her in Meet the Fockers. It’s a modern Barbra but playful and a bit silly.
Do you think that you will meet her some time?
Urie: “If she ever comes to show I would probably poop my pants! I hope someday that I can meet her. I don’t know what she’s really like. I feel that in private she’s probably more like when she’s acting than when she’s being interviewed. I have the sense that she’s more truthful as an actor. I was able to take gems—the voice and some of the cadences—from some of her interviews, but I kept going back to the movies, because I felt that’s more her.
At the end of the day, she really considers herself an actor more than anything. And it would make sense that she would give the most of private part of herself as an actor. She’s clever and witty at times in interviews and she makes good points, but she’s not alive and spontaneous, which is what I wanted for this show. She play-acts with my character. I didn’t want the withholding Barbra, because even in the in-depth interviews it feels like she’s withholding. I mean we all do—no offense! It’s still work when you’re being interviewed, whereas acting is more like play.”
Michael and his partner actor/writer Ryan Spahn have been together 5 and half years. And he hinted marriage is quite possibly in their cards.”We first met at a karaoke bar in Burbank. I noticed him and thought he was interesting and cute, but Ryan says he doesn’t remember meeting me. Our mutual friend tried to set us up, but I cancelled because a good friend of mine died. He’d had some unlucky dating experiences, so my excuse—my friend died—was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The ball was in my court, I guess, and I never rescheduled. Part of that was me being a flake. Part of it was, I was on TV. I was never a “man-whore,” but I enjoyed dating; I was enjoying the attention of being on Ugly Betty. A year later, a friend mentioned Ryan, and I told her to set something up. She said Ryan wasn’t interested. That’s when I felt bad.
The show moved to New York, and Ryan did, too. We supposedly kept crossing paths, but I didn’t realize it because by this time I didn’t remember what he looked like. It was sort of cruel. One night we were both supposed to meet a mutual friend, and she never showed up, so Ryan and I ended up getting a drink together. Of course, once he finally met me, I was completely irresistible!”
See more of the couple in OUT MAGAZINE
EVERYONE is saying this is must see Broadway! Even if you are not a Barbra fan, you will thoroughly enjoy this show!
Broadway In Chicago presents BUYER & CELLAR, starring Michael Urie. In Chicago for a limited engagement beginning May 6, 2014 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut). Producers Darren Bagert ), Dan Shaheen , Ted Snowdon and Daryl Roth (“Kinky Boots,” “Love Loss and What I Wore”) bring this hilarious new comedy to Chicago.
Sneak Peak on YouTube
Broadway in Chicago – Buyer and Cellar
Michael Urie
Michael Uri
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