SWEET TAP CHICAGO AT CITY WINERY MARCH 10, 2019 AT 3 AND 7 P.M.

TWO SHOWS ONLY! 

CHICAGO TAP THEATRE RETURNS TO CITY WINERY WITH 

SWEET TAP CHICAGO, MARCH 10 AT 3 AND 7 P.M.

  

A Celebration of Music and Motion as Chicago Tap Theatre Returns to City Winery with an All-new Program of Dance with Live Music hosted by Taylor Mallory

Artistic Director Mark Yonally and Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) presents Sweet Tap Chicago Sunday, March 10 at 3 and 7 p.m. at The City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St.  Sweet Tap Chicago is a celebration of Chicago musicians and music, with all new arrangements by Kurt Schweitz, a live jazz quintet featuring rapper/singer/host Taylor Mallory and tap dancing.  Musicians and bands to be covered include Chicago, Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield and more. 

Doors open one hour prior to start time and the running time of the performance is one hour and twenty minutes including one short break. Tickets are $40 for reserved admission seating and may be purchased at ChicagoTapTheatre.com, by calling 800-440-8539 or at the door, pending availability. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.

New this year will be live video projection giving audiences the most intimate view of Chicago Tap Theatre they’ve ever had in its 15-year history. “We will be live-projecting the dancers on both sides of the stage, allowing the audience to see every intricate movement and better connect the sound and visuals,” said Yonally. 



“Bringing tap dance to the jazz club is important to CTT, and we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to return to City Winery, one of the premier live-music destinations in Chicago. I grew up tap dancing in the jazz clubs of Kansas City, and the connection between live music and tap dance has always been the root of my love affair with tap. This helps fulfill my young-artist dreams to make sure that even as CTT becomes associated with larger venues and grander shows, we keep one foot in the jazz club door,” Yonally continued.

He added, “The best thing about bringing back Sweet Tap Chicago for another round is that we now have the opportunity to bring back all the favorites from last year’s edition, plus my two favorite dances from Tapped for the Very First Time, and then add some all-new work to the mix. It is going to a “Greatest Hits Plus” experience, for the dancers and the audience!”

One of these pieces is going to be a brand-new all-male dancer piece, featuring the 5 men currently dancing in the Company, choreographed by Kirsten Uttich, who’s been making a name for herself as a dancemaker.

Sweet Tap Chicago will feature choreography by Mark Yonally, Kirsten Uttich and Rich Ashworth. Dancers include Mark Yonally, Jennifer Yonally, Kirsten Uttich, Isaac Stauffer, Aimee Chase, Sterling Harris,  Heather Latakas, Case Prime, Molly Smith, Bailey Caves, Anabel Watson and Chris Matthews.




ABOUT KURT SCHWEITZ

Kurt Schweitz has become one of Chicago’s most sought after bassists, “whose handsome tone anchors a billowing technique,” as stated in a recent review by Neil Tesser, author of “The Playboy Guide to Jazz.” While best known as a jazz bassist, Schweitz is a multi-genre multi-instrumentalist and composer having been playing various musical instruments since age 4. After moving to Chicago to pursue a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Chicago, Schweitz quickly become an active member of Chicago’s burgeoning music scene and has also performed internationally on stages in London, Paris, NY, at the Aberdeen Jazz Festival in Scotland, and Beijing, China. Back home, his schedule has included over 2,500 performances at venues such as the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millenium Park, the South Shore Jazz and Heritage Festival, Meet the Composer, Chicago Humanities Festival, Asian-American Jazz Festival, and Milwaukee Jazz in the Park Festival. Locally, he can regularly be found at Chicago’s many jazz clubs and on dozens of local jazz and rock recordings. Schweitz regularly performs with jazz, rock, and classical groups, and his music uses these influences to contemporaneously unfold the deep roots of these musical genres into a cohesive whole. He has received an Individual Artist grant from the Illinois Arts Council and a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to write, perform, and record original music.

ABOUT TAYLOR MALLORY

Level Next Music recording artist Taylor Mallory is creating an unprecedented R&B experience where he creates the music live on stage using a series of loops. This performance style is called looping. Comprised of smooth vocal loops, synths, and progressive drum programming, his  style is a fresh approach on Alternative R&B. Mallory has received recognition in media outlets such as JET, Wall Street Journal, So Far Sounds and singersroom.com. He has also been featured as an actor in various commercials was an on-air VJ for Akoo.  He has collaborated with or opened for artist like Mary Mary, David Banner, India Arie and performed at venues like Schuba’s, Manifest, The Double Door, Subterranean, African Festival of the Arts, and Milwaukee Brewer’s Tailgate.

ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE

Founded in 2002, Chicago Tap Theatre is a growing and vibrant dance company dedicated to preserving the quintessentially American dance form of tap while taking it to the next level of creativity, innovation and quality. CTT performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago’s finest musicians playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie and many artists in between. Under the dynamic direction of master teacher and performer Mark Yonally, CTT has gained a loyal and sizable following in Chicago and continues to tour both nationally and internationally. Having pioneered the “tap opera” format, which tells stories with compelling characters and intriguing plots, CTT has used the language of tap dance, live music and narration to move Chicago audiences for over 10 years.

Artistic Director Mark Yonally and Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) presents Sweet Tap Chicago Sunday, March 10 at 3 and 7 p.m. at The City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St.  Sweet Tap Chicago is a celebration of Chicago musicians and music, with all new arrangements by Kurt Schweitz, a live jazz quintet <<<<>>>>  and tap dancing.  Musicians and bands to be covered include Chicago, Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield and more. Doors open one hour prior to start time and the running time of the performance is one hour and twenty minutes including one short break. Tickets are $40 for reserved admission seating and may be purchased at ChicagoTapTheatre.com, by calling 800-440-8539 or at the door, pending availability. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.

Hot Deals For Chi, IL Moms!

Still Stumped By What To Get Your Mama, Mother Figure or Moms You Adore For Mother's Day?Check out these ChiIL Ideas.

Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Mother’s Day Gift Market
Wednesday, May 10; 4:00-8:00 p.m.
FREE

A special Mother’s Day Gift Market kicks-off the return of the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s Ravenswood Farmers Market. The Mother’s Day Gift Market will be held On Wednesday, May 10 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at 4900 N. Damen Avenue (Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church parking lot). Local artists and vendors include Marina Veiler Art; handmade jewelry by Allison Mooney Design, jl marie jewelry, MAKA designs Lifestyle, organicabylaura, Sweethearts and Crafts, Twisted Rose Metal and Tytin Jewelry; natural beauty products from Noktivo Natural Salon; a children's card-making station; neighborhood favorite Bang Bang Pie Shop; a variety of fresh flower arrangements from Illinois’ Patyk Farms and more. The regular market will operate every Wednesday, June 7-October 18 from 4:00-8:00 p.m., rain or shine. 



For more information, including a list of all vendors, please visit http://ravenswoodchicago.org/farmersmarket.





Cavalia

Odysseo
Select shows Thursday, May 11-Sunday, May 14
$19.50-$259.50

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Odysseo and bring your mom for free! Buy 3 tickets and get 1 free ticket on select Odysseo shows in Chicago. Promotional Code: MOTHER. Learn more at https://cavalia.com/promo/mothersday.

City Winery

Story Sessions Brunch
Sunday, May 14; 11:00 a.m.
$12

On Mother’s Day, City Winery returns with its popular Story Sessions brunch to celebrate the mom, the myth, the legend. Audience members are invited to raise a glass of champagne, and a plate of French toast to the woman who made it all possible. Seven mother-lovers will share true stories on the theme, "YOUR MOM."

Produced by Jill Howe
Hosted by moms

10:30 am: Doors open
11:00 am: Music

12:00 pm: Stories


Lyric Opera

My Fair Lady
Sunday, May 14; 1:30 p.m.
$52-$199

A performance of My Fair Lady is a great gift for mom and wonderful for the whole family! An all-star cast, plus the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus, bring to life the charming story of Eliza Doolittle (Lisa O’Hare), a young flower seller with a strong Cockney accent, and Professor Henry Higgins (Richard E. Grant), the phonetics professor who believes he can teach her to speak like a proper lady.

Use promo code PHOTO2017 when you call 312.827.5600 or visit lyricopera.org  and save 20% for any Mother’s Day weekend performance AND receive a free photo signed by My Fair Lady stars Richard E. Grant and Lisa O’Hare. Purchase today, and pick up your signed photograph at the Lyric merchandise kiosk in the Main Lobby when you attend your performance.

Enjoy Folk and Bluegrass For Brunch at City Winery May 3rd With Chicago's Own Charming Axe and Sunnyside Up

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago folk trio Charming Axe and local bluegrass group Sunnyside Up will be playing a brunch show at City Winery on Sunday, May 3.

http://www.charmingaxe.com/

http://sunnysideupmusic.com/

CITY WINERY CHICAGO CINEMA & CARAFE HOUSE PRESENTS THE BEATLES’ DOC GOOD OL’ FREDA $5 All Ages

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPECIALS INCLUDE HALF-PRICE CARAFES OF WINE, THEMED DRINK SPECIALS AND $10 FLATBREADS

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, follows up the success of its past
Cinema & Carafe House showings, Mistaken for Strangers and End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones with another acclaimed music documentary.

Beatles-related Good Ol’ Freda showcases the life of The Beatles longtime secretary Freda Kelly and her amazing stories about John, Paul, George and Ringo and the madness that surrounded them during the 1960s.

Good Ol’ Freda shows Wednesday, Oct. 1, 8 p.m. in City Winery’s performance venue projected onto dual 90-inch screens and heard on City Winery’s state-of-the-art Meyer Sound® system.

Good Ol’ Freda: Wednesday, Oct. 1 ($5 general admission)

Freda Kelly was just a shy Liverpudlian teenager when she was asked to work for a local band hoping to make it big. Though she had no concept of how far they would go, Freda had faith in The Beatles from the beginning, and The Beatles had faith in her. History notes that The Beatles were together for 10 years, but Freda worked for them for 11. Many people came in and out of the band's circle as they grew to international stardom, but Freda remained a staple because of her unfaltering loyalty and dedication. As The Beatles' devoted secretary and friend, Freda was there as history unfolded; she was witness to the evolution – advances and setbacks, breakthroughs and challenges – of the greatest band in history. Themed drink specials may include green Apple-tinis in tribute to The Beatles’ record label.
(Ryan White, 2013, DVD, 86 min)

All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8pm, unless noted.

To purchase concert tickets or to become a City Winery VinoFile™ member, call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago/

End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones and Good Ol’ Freda join a diverse mix of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music, cinema and live lit performing at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts  (Sept. 28-29); Steve Nieve Plays Elvis Costello with Tall Ulyss (Sept. 30); The Fauntleroys (Oct. 2); Justin Nozuka and David Ryan Harris (Oct. 3); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Oct. 5, noon); Lost Bayou Ramblers (Oct. 5, 8pm); Casey Abrams Trio and Jamie Lono & Noble Heart (Oct. 6); David Bromberg Quintet and Al Rose with Steve Doyle (Oct. 9); Mason Jennings with Lucette (Oct. 10); Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Oct. 12); Joan Osborne with Ruston Kelly (Oct. 13); Kat Edmonson (Oct. 14); Glenn Tilbrook (Oct. 15); The Talisman Project with Sammy Figueroa and Glaucia Nasser (Oct. 16); Carbon Leaf with Marie Miller (Oct. 17); Pat McGee with Keaton Simons (Oct. 18, 7:30pm); Live New’d Girls burlesque show (Oct. 18, 11pm); Sinéad O’Connor (Oct. 19, 20, 22); Willie Watson and Mikaela Davis (Oct. 21); Amel Larrieux (Oct. 23); Paula Cole with Anne Heaton (Oct. 26); Las Guitarras de España (Oct. 28); Hot Buttered Rum and Zach Deputy (Oct. 29); Duncan Sheik (Oct. 30); Mary Black – “The Last Call” (Oct. 31); Eric Roberson (Nov. 1-2); Donna the Buffalo (Nov. 5); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Nov. 9, noon); Dave Davies (Nov. 12-13); Ryan Bingham (Nov. 14); David Grisman & Del McCoury (Nov. 15-16); Mike Doughty (Nov. 20); Joshua Redman Trio (Nov. 21, 7:30 & 10pm); Larry Graham and Graham Central Station (Nov. 22, 7:30 & 10pm); Hot Rize featuring Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers (Nov. 23); Ronnie Baker Brooks (Nov. 28); DakhaBrakha (Nov. 30); Lisa Loeb (Dec. 3); Suzy Bogguss - A Swingin' Little Christmas (Dec. 4); Chicago Philharmonic Sunday Series (Dec. 7, noon); Griffin House (Dec. 7, 8pm); The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show (Dec. 11); The Bad Plus (Dec. 14); and Los Lobos (Dec. 17-19).

City Winery Chicago, a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space, is located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable “listening room” experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system.  Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glass ware, showing City Winery’s commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Crowne Plaza is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

Bring The Kids--Cinema Night at City Winery Dave Grohl's Sound City THIS Tuesday at 8pm All Ages

CINEMA NIGHT AT CITY WINERY CHICAGO

SPECIAL ALL-AGES SHOWING OF DAVE GROHL’S SOUND CITY

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPECIALS INCLUDE HALF-PRICE CARAFES OF WINE AND $10 FLATBREADS

  TUESDAY, MAY 20, 8PM

Show your punk kin, grunge lovers, and snarky teens how cool their parents still are! Bring the family out to City Wine for Cinema Night.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, Dave Grohl's long been one of our favorites. We're HUGE Nirvana fans and those songs are still in heavy rotation on our ipods.  Grohl is versitile and crazy prolific, playing with a host of greats. Come check out Sound City, the documentary he produced and directed.  It's playing THIS Tuesday at Chicago's hot venue for cool live shows and now films--City Winery!!  ALL AGES.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, follows up the success of its April movie screening, 20 Feet From Stardom, with a special showing of Sound City, the acclaimed documentary directed and produced by Dave Grohl. The story of LA’s unsung analog recording studio in the Valley and the artists who made rock history there features appearances by Neil Young, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Rick Rubin, Mick Fleetwood, Lars Ulrich, John Fogerty, Rick Springfield, Josh Homme, Frank Black, Pat Smear, Barry Manilow, Lindsey Buckingham, Lee Ving, Krist Novoselic and Paul McCartney. Sound City shows Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. in City Winery’s performance venue projected onto dual 90-inch screens and heard on City Winery’s state-of-the-art Meyer Sound® system.

Tickets are $5, and guests receive 50% off carafes of City Winery house-made wines and $10 flatbreads.

Sound City (Dave Grohl,

2013, 108 mins.): Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. ($5 general admission)

Deep in the San Fernando Valley, amidst rows of dilapidated warehouses, was rock ’n' roll's best-kept secret: Sound City. America's greatest unsung recording studio housed a one-of-a-kind console, and as its legend grew, seminal bands and artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Metallica and Nirvana all came out to put magic to tape. Directed by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and featuring interviews and performances from the iconic musicians who recorded some of rock’s greatest albums at the studio, Sound City doesn’t just tell the story of this real-life rock ’n’ roll shrine; it celebrates the human element of music as Grohl gathers some of rock's biggest artists to collaborate on a new album. Using Sound City's legendary analog console, together these artists continue to create musical miracles in a digital world.

All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8pm, unless noted.

To purchase concert tickets or to become a City Winery VinoFile™ member, please call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago/.

Sound City joins a diverse lineup of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music and live lit performing at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts: Spektral Quartet with Julien Labro (May 14); Colin Blunstone with special guest Edward Rogers (May 15); Cathy Richardson Band and Andrew Salgado (May 16); Steep Canyon Rangers (May 18); Sound City (May 20); Story Sessions (May 21); The Westies (May 22); Jackopierce and Phil Jacobson (May 23-24); French Quarter Fest with New Orleans Suspects, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys and Sanctified Grumblers (May 26); Burton Cummings from The Guess Who (May 28-29); The Westies and Greg Trooper (May 30); Jukebox Groove (June 1, 2pm); Rising Appalachia and The Way Down Wanderers with Good Graeff (June 1); New Millennium Orchestra with Matt Ulery Trio (June 2); Josh Krajcik (June 3); Sizzling Latin Dance Night with Samuel Del Real and Juvenato (June 4); Bilal (June 5); Orbert Davis Sextet (June 8, 3pm); Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express – “Temple Beautiful with Strings” (June 8); Blitzen Trapper with Parkington Sisters (June 10); World Party with Gabriel Kelley (June 12-13); John Doe with Jesse Dayton (June 14); Carolina Chocolate Drops (June 16-17); Joe Purdy with Brian Wright (June 18-19); Ari Hest (June 20); Carrie Newcomer (June 22); Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion (June 23); Preservation Hall Jazz Band (June 24-25); Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis (June 28); Albert Cummings (June 29); Julian Lage and Nels Cline Duo (June 30); Berlin featuring Terri Nunn and Vapornet (July 1); The English Beat (July 2-3); Pedrito Martinez Group (July 4); Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses (July 6); Time For Three (July 7); Yarn with special guest Carolina Story (July 9); Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks (July 10); Dr. Ralph Stanley & his Clinch Mountain Boys with Town Mountain (July 11); Dengue Fever (July 12); Marc Cohn (July 17 - 18); Asleep at the Wheel (July 20); An Evening with David Crosby (July 21-22); and Dave Alvin + Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones (July 24); Matthew Sweet ( July 25); The Bangles (July 27-28); Bruce Cockburn with Jenny Scheinman (Aug. 10-11); Sharon Shannon (Aug. 12).

City Winery Chicago, a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space, is located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable “listening room” experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system.  Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glass ware, showing City Winery’s commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Crowne Plaza is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

Willem McGowan on Diablo #OriginalVideo

We've known Willem McGowan now for 4 years and he's become a friend, mentor and teacher to both of my kids.  He has now graduated and he's off studying at École de cirque de Québec, so we don't get to see him much any more.   We miss Will, but we're very excited and happy for his continuing love for circus arts and his growing skills!  While he was in high school we had the pleasure of seeing him perform for both CircEsteem and Actor's Gymnasium and shooting stills & video of his acts numerous times.

My son who is 12 now picked up so many diablo tips and skills from Will last year.   Check out Will in action at City Winery last March.   This performance was a Circus Now event and book launch for The Ordinary Acrobat by Duncan Wall.   I shot for ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows and we gave away 5 of Wall's books.   

Both Duncan Wall and Matt Roben (pictured at the start of this video) are involved with The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, this week in Chicago, so we're including this fun clip of Willem along with our other circus coverage.

Confessions of a Circus Mercenary by Matt Roben #OriginalVideo #CircusArts

Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival kicks off with a press preview TONIGHT, so we're featuring some of the key players today.   Check out our video of Festival Co-Producer Matt Roben who proves you truly can have a career in the circus arts without spending your life on the road.

Chicago circus arts jack of all trades, Matt Roben, expounds on his career with excerpts from a piece entitled Confessions of a Circus Mercenary. Shot at a book release tour for The Ordinary Acrobat by Duncan Wall, at City Winery in Chicago for ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama.

More about Matt:

In true "worlds collide" fashion (or is that 6 degrees of separation), Matt (who happened to be wearing a Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival Tee at the time) recently ended up in a long conversation with my sound guy husband at an annual boys only beer bash known as The Freelancers Ball.  

Matt Roben, Co-Producer for the Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, a six day event featuring contemporary circus companies from around the world which will take place in Lakeview from January 7-12, 2014.   

Matt Roben is a circus performer with over 24 years of professional experience as a clown and actor (and the only guy I've ever met in person who can pull off a dual handlebar mustache!! (**click here for more of ChiIL Live Shows' photo features of Matt Roben's Midnight Circus work)

Originally from Saratoga, CA, Matt grew up performing in musical theater and after graduating high school was fortunate enough to attend the prestigious National Circus School of Montreal where his focus was acrobatic bicycle and clown. He has been performing for the public in venues as diverse as backyard birthday parties to the stage of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra with everything from a bicycle act on a cruise ship to the top of a 60' sway pole overlooking the skyline of Dubai. He has been seen in circuses, USO shows, musical and straight theater, television, commercials, movies and voice over. He has performed circus on the high seas and in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia with companies such as Royal Caribbean, MSC, The New Pickle Circus, Cirque Productions, Poet Productions, Aloft Circus Arts and Midnight Circus. In 1997 he competed in the Acrobatic Bicycle World Championships as the only American in nearly two decades to do so. In the early 2000's, while back in the San Francisco Bay Area, Matt performed in a number of theater shows and as a cast member on the television showStand UP It's Thursday Night and produced the Spring Comedy Competition in San Jose, CA. He was also a founding member of the short-lived Dusk Beat Circus.

Since moving to Chicago a decade ago Matt has worked with Lookingglass Theatre, iO Theater (formerly Improv Olympic), Actors Gymnasium, Aloft Circus Arts, Emerald City Theater Company, The Artistic Home, Midnight Circus and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He has taught circus for nearly every circus organization in town and performed as a clown doctor in all of the major Chicago-land Childrenʼs Hospitals. For the last six years he has been a cast member of Midnight Circus as a musical clown, acrobatic bicyclist and performing his comical chair balancing routine. He performs a "melancholic" mime piece with several of the nation's premier orchestras as the comical host and emcee of Cirque Musica. Matt is a monthly favorite in Alofts' El Circo Cheapo Cabaret with his acrobatic bicycle act or musical comedy duo act, The Amazing Gamberoni Brothers.

In addition to circus Matt has done commercials for Clabber Girl Baking Powder, morning-DJ Rover, and the Como Restaurant. Matt was also featured on billboards and in magazine ads nationwide for Hewlett Packard doing another one of his passions: flying his hang glider. You can see him on episodes of Jerry Springer as a juggling stilt-walker and as an entertainer in the movie Outing Reilly. He is an experienced trade-show presenter and emcee for companies such as Zirmed, Manitowoc, NTN, Visit Britain, Intel, Pogo Linux and many more, bringing his unique brand of comedy and circus skills to the rather "conventional" convention market. Finally, you can catch Matt every Monday at Chicagoʼs Shedd Aquarium where he is a scuba dive presenter in the Caribbean Reef Tank, hand-feeding stingrays and fish and educating the public about life underwater.

ACT OUT: Circus acts, book, wine and talk at City Winery!

ChiIL Live Shows will be there... will you?   We're presently working out the details, but we hope to review and run a book giveaway for our readers as well!  Of course, if you follow us much, you know we cover the local and international circus community thoroughly here at ChiIL Live Shows and our family friendly site, ChiIL Mama.   

We've done multiple features on CircEsteem, Aloft, 500 Clown and major touring acts like Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloise, Cirque Shanghai, Ringling Brothers, and many more as well.   In fact, my own kids who will soon be 10 & 12, have been studying circus arts for close to 3 years now and perform with CircEsteem.  Both kids have studied aerial arts including silks & trapeze.   And my daughter's also studied lyra, Chinese Pole, and Spanish Web.   They're also learning clowning, acro, unicycle, trampoline & other skills!   

We plan to shoot stills on Monday and will have a photo filled recap up shortly.  As always, nothing compares to being there.   So what are you waiting for.   Get your tickets today.

Think you know the circus? Think again. Whether it's your first time in a long time, you're a fan, or a successful circus professional, come out to celebrate the diversity & artistry of today's circus. Join us on March 11 at City Winery for Circus Now: anevening celebrating contemporary American circus and the recently released book The Ordinary Acrobat, hosted by Duncan Wall with presentations and performances from the Chicago circus community.      Join CircEsteem's Executive Director Maribeth Joy as she presents on how CircEsteem uses circus as a tool for social change.  Also performing will be CircEsteem juggling instructor, Brian Dailey and CircEsteem graduate Will McGowan. Featuring presenations by:   Maribeth Joy, Executive Director, CircEsteem      Shayna Swanson, Artistic Director, Aloft Loft Adrian Danzig, Artistic Director, 500 Clown       Joe Yonek, Director, Divine Flight Chicago AcroYoga  Matt Roben, Professional circus performer    7pm Start Time!   Tickets: $10 tickets sold online, at box office, and at the door by City Winery.

Final ChiTAG Ticket Winner Announced #winningwednesday #giveaway

Happy Winning Wednesday!    Did you win?   Congrats to our SIXTH and final family ticket winner for ChiTAG--Lori M.   Check your e-mail for your free passes for this weekend.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

We had a rockin' response with 220 entries!! Thanks to ChiTAG for once again providing us with 6 sets of 4 tickets for our give aways.

All our readers are winners. 

**Click here for a $2 off coupon per 

ticket and more ChiTAG info.**

ChiIL Mama will be rockin' playCHIC tonight and we'll have a fun, photo filled recap for you soon.   This weekend we'll be covering both days of the 10th Anniversary of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair!   See you out there!

TOY & GAME-INSPIRED HAUTE COUTURE FASHION SHOW TO KICK-OFF CHICAGO TOY & GAME WEEK WHAT: The runway will become the ‘fun-way’ as models don haute couture styles created by some of Chicago’s most innovative fashion designers, inspired by hot toy and game brands, many of which will be featured at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair - the nation’s largest public toy and game event. Dubbed playCHIC, the concept fashion show will showcase the creativity and style of the Chicago fashion industry, paired with the playfulness of toy and game designers, and will be the first in a week’s worth of events that will culminate with the 10th anniversary Chicago Toy & Game Fair. Toy & Game Sponsors: playCHIC fashion concepts will be created based on these brands: Settlers of Catan®, one of the fastest-selling board games in the US with a die-hard cult following of fans including Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) and Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) Moshi Monsters®, virtual pet monsters that have already been adopted online by over 65 million kids worldwide! Word Winder®, The Game of Winding Words” is a new brand of board games, mobile apps, puzzle books and more created by the world’s most syndicated puzzle creator. Annie®, the beloved musical based on the Tribune comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, is back on Broadway with an all-new, star-studded production premiering at the famous Palace Theatre in Times Square on November 8 Brenda Starr, Reporter™,  one of the most popular comic strip characters-turned-dolls of all time, and a woman noted for being a pioneering fashionista Pony Royale®, the award-winning fashion doll line featuring 12 beautiful princess ponies, that delivers open-ended creative play with interchangeable manes, tails, and mix-and-match fashions.      Chicago Fashion Designers:  Nade Baer Mariam Cecilia  Edla De La Rosa Gibeon Tolbert playCHIC is presented by The Tribune Media Services WHY: “The Chicago Toy & Game Week, lead by industry luminary Mary Couzin continues to push innovation boundaries and inspire the public with yet another historic event,” said Anna Van Slee, The playCHIC Fashion Show Director. “Ours is the first haute couture runway to feature a variety of new and iconic kids’ brands interpreted by different designers. Perhaps more than any other industry, the fashion business-at its core-is closely related to play, to playing ’dress up.’” “When you consider that kids have been dressing up toys and dolls for pretty much all of human civilization, you realize that there are a lot of inherent synergies between fashion and play,” said Mary Couzin, founder and CEO of the Chicago Toy & Game Group. “The fashion designers are really excited to play with some new looks based on popular toys and games, and the toy and game companies are anxious to see how their brands inspire other creative people.” WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, November 14 6-8PM City Winery 1200 W. Randolph Chicago, IL 60607 ABOUT THE CHICAGO TOY & GAME FAIR Founded in 2003, the Chicago Toy & Game Fair is the only non-hobby consumer toy and game fair in the U.S. Held annually on the weekend before Thanksgiving at Chicago’s historic Navy Pier, ChiTAG brings together consumers, toy and game inventors, toy industry trade and members of the media to celebrate the creation of toys and games and their inventors. Its mission is to build community through play by providing opportunities for people of all ages to connect with one another and experience the joy and educational value of traditional play. ABOUT THE CHICAGO TOY & GAME GROUP  The Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc. is a family of toy industry initiatives designed to encourage and promote the power of play and invention in social, educational, and professional environments.  The Chicago Toy & Game Group consists of the Chicago Toy & Game Fair; the International Toy & Game Inventor and Industry Conference; the Social Media @Play Conference; the International Summit for Professional Inventors; the Toy & Game Inventor Awards; Games for Educators; and Discover Games.  For more information visitwww.ChiTag.com, become a fan at  Facebook.com/ChicagoToyandGameFair or follow the fun on Twitter @ChicagoToyNGame.

All Ages Lightening Fast Gypsy Brass--Fanfare Ciocarlia at Chicago Winery 9/25

The Lightning-Fast Gypsy Brass of Romania’s Legendary Fanfare Ciocarlia Comes Back to U.S. and Canada for September Tour  ChiIL Live Shows will be there.   Will YOU?!   We'll be shooting still and bringing our readers a photo filled recap, but nothing beats being there. Everyone who has heard Fanfare Ciocarlia agrees on one thing: No brass band plays as fast. Their breakneck speed, technical chops, ripping rhythms and sweet’n'sour horns are different from any other brass band on earth. Already mentioned in the New York Times, Fanfare Ciocalia returns to the U.S. and Canada for the first time in nine years! They're hitting the City Winery in Chicago on September 25th.

Fanfare Ciocarlia, 2012 North American Tour:  09/25/2012, Tue  Chicago, IL  City Winery  1200 W Randolph St.  Tix: $25-$18, Doors Open: 6:00 pm, Show: 8:00 pm  Ph: 312.733.WINE All ages shows (21+ to sit at the bar or drink) Fanfare Ciocarlia, 2012 North American Tour: Tour Schedule 09/19/2012, Wed Quebec City, QC  Canada Le Cercle, 228 St-Joseph Est Tix: $23,  Ph: 418.948.8648 09/20/2012, Thu Montreal, QC  Canada Rialto Theatre (PopMontreal) 09/21/2012, Fri Toronto, ON  Canada The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst St Ph: 416.456.7321 09/22/2012, Sat New York, NY  Schimmel Center for the Arts (PACE University), 3 Spruce Street Tix: $35, Show: 7:30 pm Ph: 212.346.1715 09/23/2012, Sun Durham, NC  Duke Performances in Duke Gardens (Duke University), 114 South Buchanan Street Tix: $18/$10 students, Show: 6:00 pm Ph: 919.684.4444 09/24/2012, Mon Pittsburgh, PA  Brillo Box, 4104 Penn Avenue Ph: 412.621.4900 09/25/2012, Tue Chicago, IL  City Winery, 1200 W Randolph St. Tix: $25-$18, Doors Open: 6:00 pm, Show: 8:00 pm Ph: 312.733.WINE 09/26/2012, Wed Minneapolis, MN  Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave S Ph: 612.338.2674

The Return of the Kings: 

Fanfare Ciocarlia, the brass orchestra from the village of Zece Prajini in northeastern Romania, is one of the world's foremost live Gypsy bands. And finally, they’re back.

They were first introduced to North American audiences in 2001 and 2003 as part of the hugely successful Gypsy Caravan Tour. Now, after nine years away, the ensemble returns for an eight-city tour in the U.S. and Canada, including stops in New York, Toronto, Quebec City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis in September 2012.

“Fanfare Ciocarlia's wicked fast trumpets, tenor and baritone horns, tubas, clarinets, saxophones, bass drum and percussion from the Carpathian mountains are a sight and sound to behold,” explains tour producer and New York Gypsy Festival founder Mehmet Dede. “This tour is way overdue for the beloved Gypsy brass band tradition.” Everyone who has heard Fanfare Ciocarlia agrees on one thing: No brass band plays as fast. Their breakneck speed, technical chops, ripping rhythms and sweet ‘n’ sour horns set the group apart, winning them fans from Borat (they covered “Born To Be Wild” for the 2006 film) to serious music scholars. They have helped unite the best voices in Romany music on stage in two wildly popular musical theater pieces: The Gypsy Queens & Kings and the Balkan Brass Battle (which saw them battle it out on stage with Boban Markovic Orkestar). Their sound has been sampled, covered, championed, and emulated by countless DJs, bands, and Gypsy orchestras. Their radical reinterpretations of popular Western standards like the James Bond Theme and Duke Ellington’s "Caravan" show how this Romanian orchestra can effortlessly put a Gypsy spin on any music they get their horns on.

This flexibility and skill at integrating diverse sounds into their own solid traditions has a long history. The Roma ancestors of Fanfare Ciocarlia's musicians were enslaved in Romania by the likes of notorious Prince Vlad Dracul, staunch opponent of the Ottomans. In their new land, they continued to create their own intricate version of the brass music once played by the janissaries.

Granted their freedom in the mid-19^th century, the liberated Roma spread across Europe and beyond, or settled in small villages like Zece Prajini. They kept their distinct musical traditions, inspiring the musicians, poets and artists around them while remaining mistrusted, mistreated, and misunderstood.

“Sometimes when I tell people I come from Zece Prajini, they think I come from the end of the earth,” says trumpeter Costic “Cimai” Trifan. “But here, at the end of the earth, is the right place to make music.”

And there’s lots of music making going on. Despite DJs, CDs, and electronic keyboards, live traditional music still occupies an important place in everyday life in communities like Zece Prajini. A wedding or other celebration without musicians would be simply unthinkable.

Fanfare Ciocarlia’s thumping bass, driving percussion and spinning horn solos plunge listeners straight into the uproarious world of Romanian Gypsy parties, which can last for thirty hours at a stretch. Their repertoire is a musical fireworks display of traditional dances from Romania and rhythms from Turkey, Bulgaria, and Macedonia, yet with ever changing innovation inspired by everything from Bollywood to Eurovision.

Fanfare Ciocarlia has won the prestigious BBC-3 Planet Award in the European category. Many of their eight albums have topped the European World Music charts, and they have played a marathon number of shows, with more than 1,200 concerts in fifteen years.

Simply put: nobody does it better, harder, faster, funkier than Fanfare Ciocarlia!

Tour produced by NY Gypsy Festival. Generous support for this tour provided by the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.