Category Archives: Theater in Chicago
In The Jungle – Final Weeks! Theatre in the Round
In the Jungle
is a play about a fight between two men, George Garga and C Shlink. – and it is being staged inside Brown Elephant in Andersonville!
Wakadoo Productions and the Howard
Brown Health Organization are pleased to present Wallace Dirge’s
adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s In the Jungle of Cities, directed by
Emmy-nominee Keaton Wooden. As part of an ongoing mission of Wakadoo
Productions to use Art to serve the community in tangible ways, half of
all ticket proceeds will go to the Howard Brown Health Organization to
help promote sexual wellness in Chicago for the LGBT community.
Dirges’ In the Jungle, an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s In the
Jungle of Cities, is an allegorical story of the epic battle between a
wealthy businessman and a poor bookseller in 1912 Chicago.
The
production is running until Dec. 18th at Brown Elephant, 5404 N Clark, at the site of the historic Calo
Theatre in Andersonville. Each evening the thrift store will be
transformed into a 1912 makeshift boxing ring, with set designed by the
talented Shaun Renfro.
Edward Eberwine III plays George Garga. Written in Germany in 1921 but set in Chicago, 1912, In the Jungle portrays the arbitrary duel of a lumber merchant and a poor book clerk. It takes place in the form of a boxing match, with each scene representing one round. Shlink is a wealthy lumber merchant at the start of the play and Garga is only a clerk in a book lending library.
The setting was partially inspired by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, but contains Brecht’s unique imagination and mistaken assumptions about America. Among the many themes of the play are communism, capitalism, animalism, love, hate and human isolation. It is a dense, nihilistic portrayal of the human condition.
“We want to make a powerful, memorable event that will not only affect Chicago emotionally, but also physically,” explains director Wooden. “This piece is a tale of the senseless power of hatred, its devilish intimacy and its ultimate destruction, how easily we resort to it and how painful the results are. The danger and perhaps even the draw of this story is its acknowledgment that we all have thought to resort to the vulgar actions made by these characters. I am thrilled to bring this haunting story to the Chicago community.”
“Overall, this a remarkable production, a powerful piece of work
performed in an unlikely setting, with a host of amazingly strong
performances – 9 out of 10 STARS… “
**DISCOUNT TICKETS** you can all now get discounts to see the
show.
Originally a $30 ticket, you can now get 1/2 price tickets!
in the promotional code “georgewins” for a $15.00 ticket.
For more information, please visit InTheJungleChicago.com
and facebook.com/inthejunglechicago
Magician James Galea Nov. 19
Australiaʼs
No. 1 Magician and YouTube sensation James Galea will be performing at
the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College
on November 19, 2011.
200 performances in the last year have seen
more than 100,000 fans flock to see his sell-out shows in over 15
countries. Galeaʼs award-winning magic grabbed the attention of ʻTheEllen DeGeneres Showʼ producers earlier this year and he was immediately
flown out to appear on the show.
Due to success of his introduction on
US television, James was invited to perform on ʻEllenʼs Somewhat Special
Specialʼ filmed for TBS in June to perform his signature trick, ʻ673
King Streetʼ.
James Galea is vastly different to the
stereotypical ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’ magician – he breathes new
life into the dying art of magic and trades the traditional rigid tuxedo
and stiff top hat for a pair of sneakers, jeans and a tee shirt.
Energetic
and effortlessly cool, James presents the art of magic with a wicked
sense of humor disarming audiences with his youthful charm and
astonishing them with his talent.
James started learning magic at
age 14 from someone he thought was a magician. He later found out that
his mentor moonlighted as a professional con man who cheated in high
stakes poker games. While his colleagues were learning how to make
hankies disappear from old magic books Galea learnt how to deal aces
from the bottom of the deck from a professional card shark.
GET TICKETS!
Moraine Valley Community College
Fine & Performing Arts Center
9000 West College Parkway
Palos Hills, IL 60465
Phone (708) 974-5500
LOVE SUCKS on stage at Hydrate in Chicago
Pride Films and Plays
presents the award-winning play
LOVE SUCKS, the company’s first fully staged production – at HYDRATE.
Love Sucks by Rob Mersola, a not-so-romantic comedy of bad manners, opened this week and we got a sneak peak a couple nights ago.
Love Sucks, follows six romantically challenged philanderers through a 48-hour maze of the bars, back seats, and bathroom stalls of New York’s Lower East Side.
Love Sucks was recently named Best Production of a Comedy by the L.A. Scenie Awards, and Backstage Magazine hailed it as “90 minutes of down and dirty fun!”
PFP Artistic Associate John Nasca directs the comedy, which features PFP Artistic Ensemble members Valerie Heckman, Cyra K. Polizzi, Chad Ryan, Kevin Webb,(Chad and Ryan are pictured) and guest artists Edward Fraim and Adam Habben. The acting is top notch and the space at Hydrate provides a great room for the play.
Love Sucks will be performed at Hydrate, 3458 North Halsted. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm through November 26. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets, or by calling 1 800 838 3006. It’s a great deal for 90 minutes of fun!
Director John Nasca is an Artistic Associate of PFP and co-founder and Artistic Director of Glitterati Productions. His directing credits include Gypsy, Mr. Shaw Goes to Hollywood, Beautiful Thing, The Ritz, and Moon Over Buffalo. He is also a 3-time Jeff-recommended costumer and the proud recipient of an After Dark Award. His costume work includes Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (Hartzell Productions), Anyone Can Whistle (Pegasus Players), Noises Off for producer/director Michael Leavitt, the Midwest premiere of Metropolis for Academy Award-winner Joseph Brooks, and Phantom (Porchlight). For Hell in a Handbag Productions, he designed Pussy on the House, Die! Mommie, Die!, Poseidon: An Upside-Down Musical, and Lady Ex. Other favorites include Follies, The Miracle Worker, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, Me and My Gal, The Little Foxes, Rigoletto, Annie, The Great White Hope, Tintypes, The Women, On the Waterfront, and at Drury Lane, Something’s Afoot.
About Pride Films and Plays
Pride Films and Plays, based in Chicago, links an international network of writers with professionals working in film and theater. PFP fosters excellent writing for the stage and screen that speaks not only to the LGBT community, but is essential viewing for our friends, family, and co-workers. Using stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters or themes, Pride Films and Plays develops human stories that become a cultural bridge to understanding. Through readings, contests, classes, screenings, and full theater productions, PFP engages artists and audiences in the full developmental process needed to make great artistic experiences. For more information, visit Pridefilmsandplays.com.
IN THE JUNGLE – A very cool Play in the Round at Brown Elephant in Andersonville
In the Jungle
is a play about a fight between two men, George Garga and C Shlink.
Edward Eberwine III plays George Garga. Written in Germany in 1921 but set in Chicago, 1912, In the Jungle portrays the arbitrary duel of a lumber merchant and a poor book clerk. It takes place in the form of a boxing match, with each scene representing one round. Shlink is a wealthy lumber merchant at the start of the play and Garga is only a clerk in a book lending library.
The setting was partially inspired by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, but contains Brecht’s unique imagination and mistaken assumptions about America. Among the many themes of the play are communism, capitalism, animalism, love, hate and human isolation. It is a dense, nihilistic portrayal of the human condition.
The show is currently in rehearsals and will open at the Brown Elephant Thrift Store in Andersonville on November 17th, 2011.
How cool is that?!
Wakadoo Productions and the Howard Brown Health Organization are pleased to present Wallace Dirge’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s In the Jungle of Cities, directed by Emmy-nominee Keaton Wooden. As part of an ongoing mission of Wakadoo Productions to use Art to serve the community in tangible ways, half of all ticket proceeds will go to the Howard Brown Health Organization to help promote sexual wellness in Chicago for the LGBT community.
Dirges’ In the Jungle, an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s In the Jungle of Cities, is an allegorical story of the epic battle between a wealthy businessman and a poor bookseller in 1912 Chicago. The production will run from Nov. 17th-20th and Nov. 30th-Dec. 18th (16 shows) at Brown Elephant, 5404 N Clark, at the site of the historic Calo Theatre in Andersonville. Each evening the thrift store will be transformed into a 1912 makeshift boxing ring, with set designed by the talented Shaun Renfro.
“We want to make a powerful, memorable event that will not only affect Chicago emotionally, but also physically,” explains director Wooden. “This piece is a tale of the senseless power of hatred, its devilish intimacy and its ultimate destruction, how easily we resort to it and how painful the results are. The danger and perhaps even the draw of this story is its acknowledgment that we all have thought to resort to the vulgar actions made by these characters. I am thrilled to bring this haunting story to the Chicago community.”
Tickets for $30 are on sale to the public and may be
purchased by visiting Brownpapertickets.com/event/207296.
For more information, please visit InTheJungleChicago.com
and facebook.com/inthejunglechicago
Love Sucks Comes to Chicago November
Pride Films and Plays
presents the award-winning play
LOVE SUCKS, the company’s first fully staged production
Love Sucks by Rob Mersola, a not-so-romantic comedy of bad manners, opening November 3. In Love Sucks, we follow six romantically challenged philanderers through a 48-hour maze of the bars, back seats, and bathroom stalls of New York’s Lower East Side.
Love Sucks was recently named Best Production of a Comedy by the L.A. Scenie Awards, and Backstage Magazine hailed it as “90 minutes of down and dirty fun!”
PFP Artistic Associate John Nasca directs the comedy, which features PFP Artistic Ensemble members Valerie Heckman, Cyra K. Polizzi, Chad Ryan, Kevin Webb, and guest artists Edward Fraim and Adam Habben.
Executive Director David Zak says, “We are excited to take the next step in the growth of Pride Films and Plays. With scene study classes running at Center on Halsted beginning October 6 and the Screenplay Finale Weekend at COH October 20-23, this is an exciting time of growth for us.”
Love Sucks will be performed at Hydrate, 3458 North Halsted, with press opening Thursday, November 3 at 8 pm. Show times thereafter are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm through November 26. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets, or by calling 1 800 838 3006.
Director John Nasca is an Artistic Associate of PFP and co-founder and Artistic Director of Glitterati Productions. His directing credits include Gypsy, Mr. Shaw Goes to Hollywood, Beautiful Thing, The Ritz, and Moon Over Buffalo. He is also a 3-time Jeff-recommended costumer and the proud recipient of an After Dark Award. His costume work includes Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (Hartzell Productions), Anyone Can Whistle (Pegasus Players), Noises Off for producer/director Michael Leavitt, the Midwest premiere of Metropolis for Academy Award-winner Joseph Brooks, and Phantom (Porchlight). For Hell in a Handbag Productions, he designed Pussy on the House, Die! Mommie, Die!, Poseidon: An Upside-Down Musical, and Lady Ex. Other favorites include Follies, The Miracle Worker, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, Me and My Gal, The Little Foxes, Rigoletto, Annie, The Great White Hope, Tintypes, The Women, On the Waterfront, and at Drury Lane, Something’s Afoot.
About Pride Films and Plays
Pride Films and Plays, based in Chicago, links an international network of writers with professionals working in film and theater. PFP fosters excellent writing for the stage and screen that speaks not only to the LGBT community, but is essential viewing for our friends, family, and co-workers. Using stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters or themes, Pride Films and Plays develops human stories that become a cultural bridge to understanding. Through readings, contests, classes, screenings, and full theater productions, PFP engages artists and audiences in the full developmental process needed to make great artistic experiences. For more information, visit Pridefilmsandplays.com.
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS Oct 7-8, An Improvised Evening With Katharine Hepburn
DARK BLUE THEATRICALS
and STAGE 773
are proud to announce
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS !
Returning to Chicago in
“KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE!”
An Improvised Evening With
Katharine Hepburn
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED
BY SEAN ABLEY
“KATIE’S CORNER is an evening of fun, fun, fun, no matter what you go in expecting. Alexandra Billings is a masterful actress and her sustained speech patterns and overall demeanor as the aging Hepburn are deliciously & devilishly perfect.”
KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE! returns to Chicago after a previous, sold-out performance in April 2011, and extended runs in Los Angeles and Fresno, CA. The performances will feature Chicago favorites Honey West, Molly Brennan (500 Clown), David Cerda (Handbag Productions, The Joan Band), Mitchell Fain and many more surprise guests.
Performances October 7-8, @10:30pm
Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont , Chicago IL, 60657
Box office – 773.327.5252 or Stage773.com
BestGayChicago.com
Cloris Leachman in Chicago September 24
Cloris Leachman in “Leachman’s show is both touching and wildly funny.” – San Jose Mercury News “Enchanting and madly wonderful!” – BeyondChron.com The celebrated actress takes you on a hilarious and sometimes poignant journey through her spectacular career and life. Cloris Leachman won an Academy Award for The Last Picture Show, and is the only actor to win nine Emmy Awards.
“Cloris! A One-Woman Show”
Saturday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Dorothy Menker Theater
@ Moraine Valley Community College
” … it’s through a canny mix of melancholy and mirth that Leachman holds us spellbound through her show.” – The San Francisco Chronicle
Now, she shares stories about her Broadway years, the triumph of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, her zany characters in the classic Mel Brooks films Young Frankenstein and High Anxiety, and her recent scene-stealing performances on Dancing with the Stars. The show, set in an imaginary living room, includes video clips, songs and more—including Miss Leachman sitting down at the piano to tackle Rhapsody in Blue and Chopin’s Minute Waltz. A “once-in-a-lifetime” event!
(This show will definitely contain adult langauge!)
BUY TICKETS FOR CLORIS LEACHMAN ONLINE
More on Cloris Leachman
Dance For Life Chicago 20th Anniversary Aug. 20
DANCE COMPANIES
featured in
“DANCE FOR LIFE”
To Raise Funds for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Services
on August 20, 2011
Five of Chicago’s most renowned and talented top dance companies will come together for one spectacular, celebratory evening of dance – on one stage!
Currently honoring a milestone 20th anniversary this year, Dance for Life is the largest performance-based AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest and has raised nearly $4 million since 1992.
This highly anticipated event is held annually to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs and is hosted by Dean Richards, Entertainment Critic and Reporter for WGN-TV (CW), Chicago; National Cable Channel, WGN America and News Talk 720, WGN Radio.
· The Joffrey Ballet
· Ron De Jesus Dance
· Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago
· Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
· River North Chicago Dance Company
To commemorate 20 years for the event, Dance for Life will host two world premiere dances by renowned choreographers Harrison McEldowney and Randy Duncan.
Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011
4:45 p.m. – Gala Reception
7:30 p.m. – Dance for Life performance – Auditorium Theatre
$50-$75 (performance only)
$175-$500 (includes admission to 5 p.m. gala reception and premiere seating at the performance.)
To purchase tickets, please call 312-922-5812
or visit
Danceforlifechicago.com
Auditorium Theatre
50 East Congress Parkway
Chicago
Photos by SANDRO
Chicago premiere of “Beyond Brokeback” Nov. 13
Chicago premiere of Beyond Brokeback at Auditorium Theatre celebrates role of LGBT community in attaining equality for all.
Contributions made by the LGBT community in attaining the American dream of inclusiveness and equality for all will be celebrated Nov. 13 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Congress Parkway) with a screening of the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain and the Chicago premiere of Beyond Brokeback.
Joining the Chicago History Museum’s ongoing year-long exhibit, Out in Chicago, Roosevelt’s day-long program will feature a 2 p.m. screening of the Academy Award-winning film Brokeback Mountain, followed by a 4:35 p.m. panel discussion with makers of the film and a 5:35 p.m. staged reading with music of messages, essays and poetry that have been inspired by the landmark movie. Attendees are invited to come and go as they like during the event.
“It has been a little more than five years since Brokeback Mountain captured our nation’s conscience and imagination. With this production of Beyond Brokeback, we are not only remembering the movie, but we are also embracing its impact and a desire to be inclusive, which is in keeping with Roosevelt University’s historic mission of social justice,” said Brett Batterson, executive director of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
One of Hollywood’s highest-grossing romance films of all time, Brokeback Mountain tells the story of a complex romantic and sexual relationship between two men in the American West between 1963 and 1983, and is based on a short story written by Annie Proulx.
Its award-winning director, Ang Lee, screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry and producer James Schamus have been invited to participate in the panel discussion on the impact the movie has had since its release in 2005.
Adapted for the stage by Gregory Hinton, and based on a book by the same name, Beyond Brokeback is a staged reading with music. It features excerpts of poignant and humorous messages, essays and poetry that were written by contributors to the Ultimate Brokeback Forum discussion website.
Original music is by composer Shawn Kirchner and director of the production is David Zak, an instructor in The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Students and faculty from Roosevelt’s theatre conservatory, working alongside several celebrity actors, also will have parts in the Chicago premiere, which is being presented for the first time in the Midwest and only the third time ever in the United States.
Tickets are $15, $20 and $25, and are on sale at Ticketmaster.com or at the box office of the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. For information, call 312-922-2110.
Jai Von Block Brings LIFE AFTER CRAIGSLIST to 3160
“Life After Craigslist”
Laugh your ass off, have a few cocktails and support a great Chicago Foundation at the same time!
“Is it normal to check missed connections 3-5 times a day?”- yes…says funny guy Jai Von Block
An evening of
Sketch * Stand-Up * Musical Parodies
$15 suggested donation. Portion of the proceeds go towards the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Featuring:
Jai Von Block, Sarah Garner, Chanté Linwood, Abel Castro,
Jonathon Shaw on piano and Hosted by Christine Gutierrez
All 5 shows start @ 8PM
Thursday Aug. 18th, Friday Aug 19th, Saturday Aug 20th
****
ALSO Thursday Aug 25th, Friday Aug 26th
This show is not recommended for people with sensitive ears OR any past craigslist tricks……I’m just kidding you can come.
Invite your friends. Find it on Facebook!
Dance for Life Chicago on PBS Wttw 11 on August 11
Brings Twenty Years
of Strength and Community
in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
to the Big Screen
Moving Documentary on Two-Decade Journey Premieres on WTTW-11 on Aug. 11, 10 p.m.
In its 20-year journey, the original small grassroots dance performance event, Dance for Life, has evolved to support HIV/AIDS services in Chicago and financially assist those living with HIV/AIDS within the dance community into the Midwest’s largest, must-see performance, raising nearly $175,000 annually for the cause. Now, a new, riveting documentary, which debuts on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 10 p.m. on WTTW 11, follows the emotional journey and shares the passion of Dance for Life in a style that can best capture its essence: dance.
The hour-long film paints the story of Dance for Life through electrifying choreography and personal stories. Shared in one-on-one interviews with the dancers, founders and supporters, these narratives convey the significance and evolution of Dance for Life throughout the film. It will premiere only nine days before the twentieth anniversary performance in Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway.
Produced by Emmy Award-winning HMS Media, the documentary is a poignant look at the need for renewed hope and for a cure. Chronicling the 30-year impact of HIV/AIDS in Chicago and its large dance community, the film illustrates the evolution of the fundraiser. Founders Harriet Ross, Keith Elliott, Danny Kopelson and Gail Kalver, as well as beneficiaries, choreographers and dancers recount the impact of HIV/AIDS and their desire for continued progress.
(Photographs by Sando)
“Dance for Life initially empowered the dance community in Chicago to take care of itself,” said Elliott, a former dancer with Joseph Chicago Holmes Dance Theater. “The documentary empowers Chicagoans to understand the power of the HIV/AIDS movement and offers a way to get involved while experiencing the best dance the city has to offer.”
From flamenco to Fosse-style jazz, performance excerpts serve as a backdrop for the emotional, yet triumphant story of Dance for Life’s origins and its future. Participants featured in the documentary include Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and River North Chicago Dance Company. Archival clips illustrate the event’s meteoric rise, having grown from the first sold-out performance at the former 400 seat Organic Theatre to this year’s event at the 4,000 seat Auditorium Theatre.
Dance for Life began as an effort to promote the art of dance in Chicago, while raising awareness of and supporting HIV/AIDS services in Chicago. Later, the Dance for Life Fund was formed as a program to ease the financial burden of Chicago dancers dying of complications of AIDS. As treatment for HIV/AIDS has evolved, so has the Dance for Life Fund. It now helps dancers battling any life-threatening condition to get back on their feet and continue to pursue their passion for dance. Proceeds from this year’s performance will exclusively benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Dance for Life Fund.
“The dedication of staff, dance companies and volunteers is as astounding as the level of artistry,” said Harriet Ross, co-founder of Dance for Life. “Though its purpose is practical, the performance enlightens and educates. We sincerely hope that life will continue to mirror art as survival rates improve and as Dance for Life continues to flourish.”
Dance for Life the documentary will air on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 10 p.m. on WTTW 11.
The live, on-stage performance of Dance for Life will be held on Saturday, August 20 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in Chicago. Tickets are $50-$75 for the 7:30 p.m. performance, with tickets for the 4:30 p.m. gala and performance ranging from $175-$500. Tickets are available at Danceforlifechicago.com or by calling 312-922-5812.
Since 1992, Dance for Life has raised more than $4 million in the fight against HIV/AIDS; showcased Chicago’s top professional dance companies; financially established a fund that provides assistance to dancers living with HIV/AIDS; helped to support and produce five spin-off pre-events; and helped raise money for many of Chicago’s leading AIDS organizations.
2 Events at Center on Halsted August 8th & 10th
H.E.A.L. Ourselves
Monday, August 8, 7:00pm Center on Halsted
Two great performances on one great night. ‘The Faggot Who Could Fly’ stars KOKUMO, a 22 year old intersex/trans woman of color who uses her life of sexual and mental abuse as catalysts for personal and communal change. KOKUMO’s story is about realizing her gender identity in relation to domestic violence and societal oppression.
And ‘No Gender Left Behind’ stars Rebecca King who was fired from a teaching position for being a transgender woman. The experience left her wondering what America is teaching its children – and its adults – about gender, conformity and being just a little bit different.
Free community event. To reserve seats, RSVP by email : tflohr@centeronhalsted.org.
Wednesdays
starting August 10, 6:00pm
Center on Halsted
Gain the skills you need to recognize and avoid danger in this new self-defense class taught by internationally certified Taekwondo instructor Matt Cowell! Learn how to protect yourself with basic hand and foot strikes, “See, Stand, or Breathe” techniques, and improvised weaponry. Above all, empower yourself with skills that will improve your self-confidence, self-discipline, and self-respect.
$10 community discount price. For more info, email : mross@centeronhalsted.org.
BestGayChicago.com
OVO Announces 50% off certain shows and certain seats
OVO is a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.
The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.
Currently at the United Center, OVO has announced 50% off certain tickets. Check it out online!
The theatre/tent is smaller this time – Ovo only uses about 75% of the tent. I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house!
Get a sneak peak of OVO online.
Broadway Show Tunes Comes to Chicago’s Millenium Park July 13
Part of the Grant Park Music Festival,
Wednesday July 13th.
Summer is here and it’s time for one of the best things about living in Chicago. Free evening concerts!
Who wants to wait until Sundays for show tunes? This event will feature music from some of our favorite shows like The Wiz, Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mamma Mia, and Tommy.
Songs lively and loud enough that we won’t get shushed by anyone this time.
So grab your blankets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and wine as we gather to take in the scene and sing along.
Concert at about 6:30pm
MTV in Chicago to Film Live Performance of INHIBITION-LET GO, July 9th
VERY UNIQUE –
coming to the Chicago stage…so unique, MTV is coming to Chicago to film it!
Expose Theater Company
proudly presents their flagship production- Inhibition: Let GO!
The show, which will be in two acts, will enable it’s audience to let go of inhibitions that tie them down, including the mind, body, and soul.
Allow notable Chicago Drag Queen Tajma Hall and ASCAP recording artist Cyon Flare to set you free! Also set to perform is Andrea Eve, the upcoming pop sensation, performing her single, “Watch Out!” The show doesn’t stop there!
Teri Yaki and the Windy City Beauties, including Dida Ritz, will hit the stage with numbers that are sure to mix the emotions.
Burlesque dancers will be under the spotlight with their Burlesque, sultry acts.
Also set for the stage is Dolce and Gabanna DiVita, and Chicago’s hottest boys, including Anthony Jay, the adorable young man with angelic looks who performs all over Chicago, plus Pavel, Fernando, Tristan, and many more of Chicago’s hottest dancers and choreographers.
Allow yourself to be set free with an evening of raw entertainment! (above photo…the fabulous go go God, Anthony Jay)
MTV announced today on their website that they will be coming to the Portage Theater on July 9th to
film Inhibition: Let GO!
Parts of the show will be broadcast throughout the summer on television and internet mediums.
They said, “our
The
The event will begin at 7:30pm,
and last 2.5 hours.
An after-party reception will be hosted in the lobby and foyer of the theater, with meet and greets of the cast, and more.
Date- July 9, 2011
Time: Doors open at 6:00pm
Show starts at 7:00pm (drag time)
Where: Portage Theater
4050 North Milwaukee Avenue
( near Irving Park)
Chicago, IL 60641
Cost: $20.00, which includes after-party. (General Admission)
For $10 ! Ride the Venga Bus to and from plus get a couple free drinks!
There will also be an after-after party at COCKTAIL, 3359 N. Halsted, 12:30 – close. A bus will take people from the theatre to Cocktail. Party all evening – lots of drink specials!
Tickets will also be available at select locations throughout Chicago.
Buy tickets online now.
BestGayChicago.com
QUEERGASM May 28th at Marys Attic
QUEERGASM!
A Cabaret of
Queer Performance
Saturday May 28,
7-9pm.
Mary’s Attic
5400 N. Clark Ave
Chicago IL
Northwestern University’s Queer Pride Graduate Student Association presents an evening of burlesque, drag, stand up, sketch comedy, belly dance, poetry, music, and more! Featuring DAAN, Candy Lawrence, Jay Welch, Rebecca Kling, Dan Stermer, Mo Welch, Trandroid, Oliver Bendorf, Lahore Vagistan and more!
Come find out what makes YOU queergasm!
Queergasm! is part of NUQPGSA’s annual Queertopia! academic festival, and is co-sponsored by The Sexualities Project at Northwestern, NU Performance Studies, and NU Gender Studies.
northwestern.edu/queerpride
Wanda Sykes and Linda Eder Together in Chicago May 14th
has been called “one of the funniest stand up comics” by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America. Her smart-witted stand up has sent her career in many different areas.
Showcasing one of the greatest contemporary voices of our time, Linda Eder’s diverse repertoire spans Broadway, standards, pop, country and jazz. Most recently, Linda crowns her two-decade recording career on a new album, Now, which reunites Eder with Broadway and pop composer Frank Wildhorn. The new release marks the musical return of this legendary team after six years. Eder’s transcendent voice is the perfect complement to Wildhorn’s lush, imaginative music. Now introduces 12 dynamic tracks that elevate the spirit while capturing many moods.
See both ladies together,
one night only!
Saturday, May 14th
HUMAN FIRST 2011 GALA
at the Harris Theatre! Over 1200 tickets sold already!
GET TICKETS ONLINE
BestGayChicago.com
Moraine Valley Academic Theater presents ‘Sexual Perversity in Chicago’
The Obie award-winning
“Sexual Perversity in Chicago”
is the next production for Moraine Valley Community College’s Academic Theater Department.
Performances will be
April 28 to 30 and
May 6 to 7 at 7:30 p.m.,
and May 1 at 3 p.m.
The play will be in the Dorothy Menker Theater, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are just $12 for the general public and $10 for seniors and students.
Please note: This play includes adult language and sexual content and is not appropriate for minors.
The four characters in “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” are a representation of 20-somethings co-habiting and mating in urban America in 2011. This tragic satire is the story of one couple who meets, begins a relationship and moves in together. The show starts out comically, ends seriously and is a look at how people influence their friends.
The play was written by David Mamet in the 1970s and is set in Chicago. While some of the references have been updated to reflect current day, many of them have been retained because they are still relevant. The play was revived in London about five years ago.
“Despite the graphic language and sexual content, this is a beloved Chicago play that still is respected in the theater,” said Dr. Craig Rosen, the director of the show and an associate professor of Theater at the college. “It focuses on the age group students at Moraine Valley are or are on the verge of being.”
Tickets for “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” and other upcoming performances can be purchased at morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) 974-5500, or at the Box Office located on the south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Johnny Weir April 30th Discount Tickets for BestGayChicago.com Readers
ICE DREAMS TOUR
with Johnny Weir
comes back to Chicago April 30th!
Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville
735 East Jefferson
Bensenville, IL 60106
an exclusive offer for Best Gay Chicago readers, if you type in promo code “johnnyweir” you can receive half off the ticket price!
There is also VIP seating available which will provide on-ice seating and access to Johnny’s intimate after party where they can meet him!
ICE DREAMS TOUR
$1 from every ticket sale goes to American Red Cross: Japanese Disaster Relief fund.
Johnny has even created a special t-shirt to help raise needed monies for Japan.
BestGayChicago.com
New Theater Classes from Center on Halsted
PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS
and CENTER ON HALSTED
Announce New Co-operative
Venture in LGBT Acting
and Writing Classes
New theater classes will explore LGBT issues on stage. The acting class on Mondays is for working actors regardless of their sexual orientation who are interested in exploring great same-sex scenes in LGBT literature. The class on Tuesday is for LGBT writers, performers, and community members interested in creating performance pieces that tell their own story. The classes are a part of Center on Halsted’s ActOUT program
Honesty and Authenticity in Same-Sex Scene Study
This class is for working actors of all ages and types regardless of their sexual orientation who are interested in exploring great same-sex scenes from both classic and new LGBT theater. Work for honesty and authenticity through great scenes from The Children’s Hour, Boys in the Band, Angels in America, and great contemporary scripts. The cost is $300 for an 8-week session that runs from Monday, April 18 to Monday, June 6, from 6:30 to 9 pm. The class will culminate in a free, open performance on Monday, June 13 in the Hoover-Leppen Theater at Center on Halsted. The class is taught by PFP’s Executive Director David Zak, and will have a maximum of 12 students.
Tell Your Own Story And Shape It For Performance
This class is for LGBT performers, writers, and community members who are interested in creating theatrical work meant for performance. These works could be audition-length or longer works, and could be performed by the author or another performer. Students will work on developing their own written material in their unique “voice,” and then shape it for performance. The cost is $300 for an 8-week session that runs from Tuesday, April 19 through Tuesday, June 7, from 6:30 to 9 pm. The class will culminate in a free, open performance on Monday, June 13 in the Hoover-Leppen Theater at Center on Halsted. The class is taught by PFP’s Executive Director David Zak, and will have a maximum of 14 students.
All classes are at Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted.
Register on line. For further information email PrideClasses @ gmail.com
BestGayChicago.com
