Putting Edge Glow In The Dark Mini Golf & Arcades $20 Birthday Party Discount

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama at a chill black light mini golf and arcades!   We're always on the lookout for cool places for birthday parties.   And as the kids grow older it gets to be more of a challenge to find exciting places they haven't aged out of.   

We have never been to Putting Edge in Norridge, but US Family Coupons and Putting Edge have offered us a change to come out and play for a day and tell you all about it!   We'll have a photo filled review and feature up shortly, but in the mean time, they're offering our readers $20 off on a birthday party through 8/31/13.

Enter a new dimension of FUN with Putting Edge Glow in the Dark Mini Golf! Engage in a social atmosphere for any group, any size. From the moment you walk through the front door, you have left "the real world" and have entered a world full of Fun, Imagination, and Activity.  Whether six or sixty, male or female, Putting Edge Glow in the Dark Mini Golf delivers a high energy, high quality experience that is ideal for birthday parties, an outing with family or friends, special interest groups, corporate functions and more.  So take a break from reality, and visit your Putting Edge Glow in the Dark Mini Golf Today! 

Save $20 off your next birthday party at PuttingEdge Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf! 

Disclaimer:  Thanks to Putting Edge and US Family Coupons for providing the discount for our readers and free passes for our family to come out and review Putting Edge, Norridge.   All opinions are our own.

ACT OUT: FAMILY FRIENDLY THEATRE ON OUR RADAR

KIDS DRIVE THE ACTION IN SECOND CITY'S G-RATED INTERACTIVE COMEDY "IMPROV EXTRAVAGANZA EXPLOSION!" AT UP COMEDY CLUB

We're big fans of improv.   I founded Tower Players Improv Troupe back in 1987 and performed with them at Miami University for several years.  The award winning troupe went on to last over 20 years and many of the alums are performing nationwide, including Chicago!   ChiIL Live Shows  covers the big improv fests, and local improv offerings as often as possible. 

   

Honestly, we haven't had a spare Saturday to check this one out in person, but I love the concept that this is family friendly improv, so you can bring the littles without fear of F Bombs, and still get all the creativity, edginess, and immediacy of improv theatre fun.

Second City Theatricals presents the G-rated "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" at UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor Saturday's at 12 noon, now through December and into 2013. Tickets are $11. Doors open at 11 a.m. Lunch is available before and during the show for an additional charge (kids and regular menus are available). For tickets or more information, call 312.662.4562 or visit upcomedyclub.com/show.

A quintet of Second City's best lace up their sneakers and reach deep into their imaginations to present "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!," an hour of interactive, family friendly improvisation comedy based on ideas straight from the audience, and made up on the spot. The Chicago Tribune hails the show as "empowering for a kid…refreshing" and Chicago Parent calls it “high-energy and hilarious!” "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" is perfect for birthday parties and field trips, and is recommended for ages 5 – 12.
 
The rotating cast of ten actors for "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" includes Ross Bryant, Chelsea Devantez, John Hartman, Hans Holsen, Becky Poole, John Sabine, Nate Sherman, Katie Thomas, Katie Klein and Scott Morehead. The creative team includes ensemble includes Reid Janisse (Director), Anthony LeBlanc (Assistant Director), Tara Trudel (Musical Director), Greg Mulvey (Lead Video Editor) and CJ Arellano (Video Editor/Graphics). Stage manager is Meghan Teal.

"Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" is one of four theatrical productions currently playing in the UP Comedy Club, a new hybrid performance venue with an eclectic blend of comedy. In addition to a diverse slate of original programming, UP Comedy Club also features a full service restaurant and bar with a Chicago-style menu that includes Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza, Vienna Beef and Eli's Cheesecake. This custom designed, new cabaret-style club includes state of the art audio visual capabilities, in an inviting room wrapped with intimate booth seating, and two levels of cabaret-style seating for around 300 guests. Additional information can be found at upcomedyclub.com.

Profiles

ROSS BRYANT (Ensemble) is a graduate of the NC School of the Arts and Appalachian State. Ross travelled the world as a member of Second City’s Touring Company, performs at the iO Theater, and is an ensemble member of Improvised Shakespeare and Baby Wants Candy. He has also been seen at ComedySportz Chicago, in the Mediterranean Sea with Second City and hosting the comedy rap battle HATERADE.
He co-wrote Second City’s "Wildcat on a Hot Tin Roof" for Northwestern.
 
CHELSEA DEVANTEZ (Ensemble) grew up in every state in the Southwest, studied at NYU and fell in love with Chicago. She recently performed in Second City’s "Charmed and Dangerous" in Baltimore and before that, spent four months with Second City at Sea on a cruise ship. She improvises at iO with "A Raptor," and writes songs with DING!
 
JOHN HARTMAN (Ensemble), member of The Second City Touring Company, wrote and performed "Your Friends and Enemies" and "I’m Sorry I Missed You" at the Annoyance, for which he received Time Out Chicago’s Critic’s Picks, and has performed at the TBS Just for Laughs Festival. He improvises at iO with The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience & Hootenanny and Murderers and at the Apollo with Baby Wants Candy. John has written for "Chicago Live!" on WGN Radio with The Second City and the Chicago Tribune.
 
HANS HOLSEN (Ensemble) has improvised and performed scripted comedy here at Second City, at iO, The Annoyance, and ComedySportz, among others, and improvises with The Improvised Shakespeare Company and Baby Wants Candy. He toured the U.S. with The Second City Touring Company for two years and toured The Netherlands with Boom Chicago for two years as well.
 
KATIE KLEIN (Ensemble) Before arriving in Chicago she graduated from Indiana University and lived in D.C. where she performed with Comedy Sportz and iMusical. In Chicago she has trained with iO and The Second City, and can be seen playing with Hey, Rocket!, Sit Still and her partner-in crime, in their tag-team duo, Ed and Kath.
 
SCOTT MOREHEAD (Ensemble) in addition to performing in the "Improv Extravaganza Explosion!" Morehead performs with The Late 90’s at the iO Theatre and can regularly be seen at The Annoyance, CIC (w/ CPL), and The Second City. He also performs at the Apollo Theatre with the improvised musical geniuses of Baby Wants Candy.
 
BECKY POOLE’S (Ensemble) recent Chicago performances include the Chicago Children’s Theatre production of "Goodnight Moon," The Hypocrites, "Pirates of Penzance," "Chalk & Saltwater" with the Neofuturists, and her solo sketch show at iO "Sit on My Lapse." Becky has done voice over work for Nickelodeon, The Cartoon Network, Nintendo Wii and various other projects. She is a co-founder of SketchFest NYC and has performed with sketch comedy groups MEAT and Becky & Noelle across the country.
 
 
JOHN SABINE (Ensemble) Originally from Dallas, he graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Theatre and Dance. After moving to Chicago to attend Second City’s Comedy Studies Program, he studied at the Second City Training Center and iO. He can be seen around Chicago performing with The Late 90’s. He recently performed with The Second City on Norwegian Cruise Line’s The Epic and BenchCo.
 
NATE SHERMAN (Ensemble) started performing Improv Comedy at The Ohio State University with the College Group, The 8th Floor. He is a current member of the iO Harold Team, The Late 90’s and an original cast member of "Oprah! A Comedy! Live Your Best Laugh!" at the Annoyance Theater.
 
KATIE THOMAS (Ensemble) This Detroit native and University of Michigan graduate has performed at The Second City, iO, The Annoyance, and ComedySportz. She currently performs with her beloved independent team, The Katydids, and Uncle Magic. She spent last summer in Alaska performing on the Norwegian Star. Katie is a yoga instructor and teaches improv to teenagers. Find out more at meetkatiethomas.com.
 
TARA TRUDEL (Musical Director) has been the Music Director for productions by The Second City directing program, Comedy Sportz, Vampeero, and Storytown. She has taught music and songwriting for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Merit School of Music and performs children’s concerts around Chicago. She can also be seen at TT and Friends, her monthly talent showcase at Scarlet Bar.
 
MEGHAN TEAL (Stage Manager) Second City credits include: the 99th Mainstage Revue "South Side of Heaven," Second City Theatricals regional revues in D.C., Baltimore, Arizona, and Philadelphia; and she was a member of The Second City Touring Company for more than five years. Other credits include; "A Catered Affair" with Porchlight Music Theatre and various productions at the Annoyance Theatre and iO.
 
REID JANISSE (Director) is an Alumnus of The Second City Toronto where he wrote and performed in four Mainstage reviews including the Canadian Comedy Award winning "Barack to the Future" and "0% Down, 100% Screwed." For more than ten years he has been the Creative Director of Mad Science Productions, where he has written and directed shows that have played for thousands of family audiences across The United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and Korea. Recent writing and directing credits include "Star Trek: Live" and "CSI: Live (Mad Science)," "Miracle on Mercer St." (Second City) and "Stop Punching Judy: (SC Edco). He currently writes, directs and teaches for The Second City Toronto, is a regular Theatresports cast member at Toronto’s Comedy Bar, and works in film and television in Canada.
 
ANTHONY LEBLANC (Assistant Director) is from Beaumont, TX. He performed with Boxaganga while obtaining a Computer Science and Physics BS at Loyola University New Orleans. An original member of DSI: The Beatbox, He wrote two Second City Chicago Main Stage Revues, "America: All Better" and "Taming of the Flu."

 
 

Weekend Recap: Ghost Busters, Backyard Mini Golf, Triple Birthday Bonanza, Blackhawks Training Camp and Chic-A-Go-Go

Who ya gonna call?   Friday we had a chiil time at Haas Park.   Ghost Busters was showing as one of the final films of Movies in the Parks, a fabulous Parkways Foundation funded program.  They've shown over 160 Free movies, from June 18-Spetember 10th, on giant, inflatable screens at parks all over Chicago.


Saturday was a crazy, triple birthday bonanza!   Sagezilla went truckin' out to Niles with a school friend for a birthday party at Jump Zone.   Rumor is, it was bigger, better, cleaner and more fun than our local Pump It Up.   And parents can duck out to near by Fresh Farms for international and organic deals at a reasonable price!

The second birthday party was a fun, in the home party.   The kids ate home baked pizza and played Wii and Monopoly as well as old school outdoor games like horse shoes and bean bag toss.   I was impressed the family got strips of indoor/outdoor carpet and made a 5 hole putt putt golf course in the back yard. They used swim noodles and other objects to create obstacles and different shaped holes.   It was super creative and fun.

Our final birthday of the night was an adult friend who wanted to find a great sushi place.   We wanted to humor the birthday girl, but my kids won't eat sushi.   We found the perfect solution in Manee Thai, an old favorite of ours, newly revamped and serving both awesome Thai food and rockin' Japanese Sushi under the label "pan Asian".   They have 2 locations now, with the same menu, but their newly rebuilt Pulaski location is our favorite, by far.   It's risen again, like a mythical Phoenix, from the ashes of a kitchen fire, that gutted the place several years ago. 

The birthday girl was impressed with the sushi, that came with colorful names like Godzilla, Tarantula and Rainbow, and equally fun presentation.   I'd share the photos here, but they're missing at the moment.   I snapped lots of Blackberry photos of the plates, but managed to lose my phone on the way out of the restaurant!   


Sagezilla fell asleep, so I was carrying her to the car, several blocks away, and her sleepy legs wrapped around me and knocked my purse open and my cell off somewhere.   We got all the way home before I realized it was missing, then had to drive back and retrace our steps.   It was gone, but I'm still hopeful someone honest and nice found it.   Someone checked the voice mails and called the first friend in my address book.   Are you out there?   Anyone? 


We'll have a full feature on the Blackhawks Training Camp later this week. 



Sunday is official catch up with homework, and bath with hair washing day.   If we finish in time, we still hope to go rock out with puppet, Rattso, and Miss Mia for the taping of Chic-A-Go-Go's Halloween Show.