ELF THE MUSICAL AT CHICAGO'S AUDITORIUM THROUGH DECEMBER 14TH ONLY

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

ELF THE MUSICAL 

BRAND-NEW TOUR OF

ELF THE MUSICAL

AT THE AUDITORIUM THROUGH DECEMBER 14 ONLY

"★★★★! Elf The Musical is a Christmas Gift. My grinchiness vanished, to be replaced with a big wide grin…THIS SHOW IS REALLY ELFIN' GOOD.” – Time Out New York

Crossroads Live North America and Temple Live North America, along with Broadway In Chicago are pleased to announce ELF THE MUSICAL will be sprinkling jolly joy as it starts tomorrow at The Auditorium (50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) for a limited engagement through December 14 only.

ELF THE MUSICAL, inspired by the hit film, is the hilarious and heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life changes forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa’s sack of toys one Christmas Eve. When he discovers he is human, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and, in turn, helps the Big Apple rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. This all-new tour is based on the acclaimed 2024 Broadway production, which was hailed by The New York Times, “The show has CRACKED THE CODE OF ALL-AGES COMEDY, the kind that will leave children and grown-ups equally helpless with laughter,” and celebrated by The New Yorker, “It’s enough to MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS.” This modern-day holiday classic, says The Daily Beast, “is a gift for kids and adults, and a very ‘sparklejollytwinklejingley’ night out!”

Following two hugely successful seasons in London’s West End in 2022 and 2023, ELF THE MUSICAL returned to Broadway for the first time in over a decade in 2024, and spread holiday cheer to sold-out, record-breaking audiences once again. Over the course of ELF THE MUSICAL’s 8-week run, the show delighted over 94,000 guests and broke two Marquis Theatre Box Office Records.

ELF THE MUSICAL features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, Smash, Boop! The Musical), with songs by Tony nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Prom, The Wedding Singer). The musical returned to Broadway in an acclaimed production directed by Philip Wm. McKinley (The Boy From Oz, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark) and choreographed by Olivier and Drama Desk nominee Liam Steel (Company ). Prior to that, this production was first staged at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End and became the venue’s fastest-selling show in nearly a century, breaking its own box office records the following year at the same venue and becoming a firm holiday favorite for London audiences.

Restager Dave Solomon and Associate Choreographer Richard J. Hinds will helm the US tour creative based on the 2024 Broadway revival production. The creative team features set and costume design based on the original by multi-Olivier Award winner Tim Goodchild (Strangers on a Train, We Will Rock You, Royal Shakespeare Company), lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe (Bat Out of Hell, Mamma Mia! The Party), sound design by Tony Award winner Gareth Owen (MJ the Musical, Hell’s Kitchen), video design by Ian William Galloway(The Audience, The Light Princess), and hair and wig design by Sam Cox (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club). Orchestrations are byDoug Besterman, dance arrangements are by David Chase, vocal arrangements are by Phil Reno, and music supervision, additional arrangements & orchestrations are by Olivier Award winner Alan Williams (Sunset Boulevard, Evita), with associate music supervision by Nate Patten and music direction by Charlie Yokom.

ELF THE MUSICAL was produced on Broadway by Temple Live Entertainment North America and Crossroads Live North America. General Management was by Wagner Johnson Productions. Mark Kaufman served as Creative Consultant for Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

ELF THE MUSICAL is produced by special arrangement with MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL, New York, NY. www.mtishows.com

www.ElfMusicalTour.com
@elfthemusicaltour




TICKET INFORMATION (As of December 1, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for ELF THE MUSICAL are on sale now and range from $40.00 - $110.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Patrons can also participate in a digital lottery for a chance to purchase $30.00 tickets for each performance, which is inclusive of all mandatory taxes, restoration, handling, and third-party fees. In addition to the lottery, a limited number of day-of-show, in person Rush tickets will be available for $49.00 for all performances. Click here for more info on Digital Lottery and In Person Rush. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place .

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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#broadwayinchicago

FREE: CABINET OF CURIOSITY PRESENTS “KAZOOZAPALOOZA: PEDAL POWERED PROGRAM YEAR 4: THE BLACK MAN FROM MACON” July Through September 2025

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: FREE Family Friendly Fun

CABINET OF CURIOSITY PRESENTS “KAZOOZAPALOOZA: PEDAL POWERED PROGRAM YEAR 4: THE BLACK MAN FROM MACON”

Images of Cabinet of Curiosity past events courtesy of Cabinet of Curiosity.

 This Musical, Interactive Celebration of the Man Behind the Kazoo, Alabama Vest, is FREE with Locations at Boler Park (July 26), Marquette Park (August 9), and Navy Pier (September 20) 

Cabinet of Curiosity presents “Kazoozapalooza Pedal Powered Program Year 4: The Black Man from Macon” beginning  July 26 at 1 p.m. to  2:30 p.m. at Boler Park and continues with two additional events at Marquette Park and Navy Pier (full details below).  This bike-powered spectacle is presented in collaboration with Working Bikes, the School of the Art Institute, the Homan Square Neighborhood Association, the Chicago Climate Action Museum, the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, and the Chicago Park District. All events are free, for more information go to www.cocechicago.com.

“Kazoozapalooza Pedal Powered Program Year 4: The Black Man from Macon,” is an outdoor interactive and participatory show written by Frank Maugeri, Lynne Jordan, Brandon Boler, Samarem Diaz-Negrete and Alexis Willis with illustrations by Mandy Newham-Cobb and engineered objects by Dustan Creech and Tom Robinson, and original music by Lynne Jordan, Gordon Middleton and Chicago saxophone player Michael Jackson. This bike-powered panoramic celebratory spectacle shares the visual tale of Alabama Vest, the inventor of the Kazoo. Each guest receives a free kazoo and is invited to contribute to the show's musical score. Early attendees are invited to attend a S.T.E.A.M. workshop, where guests, young and old, can engineer their own mechanical, illustrated story. 

Kazoozapalooza Pedal Powered Program events include:

Boler Park

3601 W. Arthington St.

Saturday, July 26 from 1 -  2:30 p.m.

Free

Marquette Park

6743 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago IL 60629

Saturday, August 9 from 1 -  2:30 p.m,

FREE 

Chicago Live! At Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Saturday, September 20, 3:30p.m, with a bubble parade prior

FREE with a live performance by Lynne Jordan and band members

The primary collaborators for  “Kazoozapalooza Pedal Powered Program Year 4” include Lynne Jordan (primary collaborator), Gordon Middleton (songwriter), Brandon Boler (community collaborator), Dustan Creech (engineer), Tom Robinson (engineer), Alexis Willis (performance actress), Mandy Newhan-Cobb (illustrator), Frank Maugeri (Cabinet artistic director), Samarem Diaz-Negrete (Cabinet associate artistic director) and Dayna Calderon (parks district rep). School of Celebration Summer 2025 students include Thanh Do, Lucca Duston, Nocturne Best and Olivia Gibson. Band members include Michael Jackson, Raymond Glower, Brady Williams, and Matthew Skoller.

ABOUT CABINET OF CURIOSITY

Cabinet of Curiosity (Cabinet) expertise and mission lies in interactivity, immersion, ritual composition, community building, and collaboration between artists and community members of various skill levels and mediums. Cabinet of Curiosity focuses on creating new types of experiences, gatherings, ceremonies, and rituals which promote community and interactivity amongst people who may not usually mix. Cabinet is composed of diverse project-by-project collectives who authentically collaborate on original celebrations and productions. Cabinet uses sophisticated puppetry and handmade devices to develop unique interactive experiences, productions, and events. The company supports multicultural professionals in the field of theater, visual arts, dance, sculpture, and music, while mindfully training high school and college-age apprentices to become the future creators of new, meaningful rituals. All the objects and devices created by Cabinet are engineered to expose their mechanical operations, so they are simultaneously educational, informative, and magical. Cabinet embraces commissions that require unique elements of ritual, ceremony, procession, and pageantry. These commissions create funding that establishes an innovative revenue stream, reducing the responsibility of sustainability from the board, audience, and foundations, trains apprentices through a unique scholarship apparatus, builds community, and funds our free and significantly discounted public work. Cabinet is committed to social engagement — both grand and intimate, with its purpose to promote curiosity, community, and culture.

LAST CALL: Don't Miss Lifeline Theatre's Midwest Premiere of Kid Prince and Pablo Now Playing Through February 16th

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List 

Lifeline Theatre Presents the Midwest Premiere of

Kid Prince and Pablo 

Based on The Prince and the Pauper

The production runs approximately 2 hours with an intermission.

Recommended for ages 13 and up

A new hip-hop adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper. This production will be a first-time collaboration with Salvadoran-American artists Brian and Marvin Quijada. 

Brian wrote and starred in Teatro Vista’s highly acclaimed 2022 world premiere musical, Somewhere Over the Border. 

Throw 'em a Lifeline...

You have 4 shots left to catch Kid Prince and Pablo. Don't miss this! 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've adored Lifeline Theatre for decades! When my children were young, we were season subscribers to all their fabulous KidSeries Shows and I've been reviewing just about all of their adult and family friendly productions since 2010. Lifeline Theatre is truly a local gem, and they've been struggling financially since the pandemic. If you can kick in a little financial love or make it a point to see their shows this season, please do! Tickets are a reasonable $20-$45. There are just 4 performances of Jeff Recommended Kid Prince and Pablo left, so don't miss this. 

ChiIL Mama's kids, Dugan & Sage (ages 9 & 7), ChiILin' in Lifeline Theatre's lobby Big Chair 

back in 2010! My son grew up to major in Theatre Arts at Northwestern University and now works in the industry in Chicago. 

Lifeline Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of Kid Prince and Pablo, a hip-hop musical based on Mark Twain’s story The Prince and the Pauper, January 3 – February 16 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Kid Prince and Pablo, adapted by Brian Quijada with music composed by Marvin Quijada, and directed by Raquel Torre, makes its Midwest premiere after its initial run at the Kennedy Center in 2019. 

Regular performance times through February 16, are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. 

In the divided Capital City, the ruling class has banned rap and dance after an attempted revolution by the People. Kid Prince is set to inherit the throne…that is, until he meets Pablo, a drummer who performs for underground rap battles. When the two hatch a plan to switch identities, mayhem and music ensue. But by standing in each other’s shoes, Kid Prince and Pablo discover connections that could start a whole new revolution. 

Photo credit: Josh Bernaski

Ticket prices are $45 for regular single tickets, $20 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $35 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half an hour before showtime, subject to availability), and $25 for previews. Group rate for 8 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com. 

Accessible Performances: The Sunday, January 26, 2:30 p.m. performance will feature a pre-show touch tour of the set at 1:00 p.m. and live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. The Sunday, February 2, 2:30 p.m. performance will feature open captioning for patrons who are hearing impaired. For more information about Lifeline’s accessibility services, please contact our Operations Manager John Craig at 773.761.4477 x703 or at access@lifelinetheatre.com.

The complete cast and production team for Kid Prince and Pablo includes:

CAST: Jesus Barajas (Pablo), Bryan Nicholas Carter (Clemens), Terrance Mayfield Jr. (Samuel), Shaina Toledo (Langhorne), and Joshua Zambrano (Kid Prince); with understudies Kevin Cruz, Yongwoo Park, and Sharon Pasia.

PRODUCTION TEAM: Kasey Alfonso (Choreographer), Heather Currie (Producing Director), Brenden Marble (Lighting Designer), Jasmin Aurora Medina (Costume Designer), Harrison Ornelas (Scenic Designer/Technical Director), Brian Quijada (Adaptor), Marvin Quijada (Composer), Stefanie M. Senior (Sound Designer), Avery Spellmeyer (Lighting Supervisor), Miranda Taylor (Stage Manager), Raquel Torre (Director), and Shokie Tseumah (Props Designer)

Now in its 42nd season, Lifeline Theatre continues to explore, interpret, and reimagine books and other literary works to create stories that move us beyond the margins of our own lives. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

Lifeline Theatre’s MainStage programs are partially supported by Carole Oppenheim and Jerome S Lamet Charitable Fund; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Anonymous; Goodman Theatre; Paul M Angell Foundation; Rogers Park Social; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; The Saints; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.