Q Brothers Christmas Carol is Back at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Through December 23, 2021

ChiIL Mama’s Chi, IL Picks List 

Q BROTHERS & Chi Shakes bring all the joys to The Yard!

Chicago Shakespeare Artists and Audiences come together for the holiday season

Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL

Hip hop holiday hit returns in limited engagement. 

December 7-23, 2021

This is one of our all time top favorites in the Christmas genre. Chicago's own world renowned Q Brothers are truly a treat to see in action. We highly recommend Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL and we adore The Yard, Chi Shakes' newest space. This show has multigenerational appeal and may well be one of the funniest holiday shows out there. We've caught every year this show has been performed since they workshopped the first version of this show back around 2012 or 13 and it's become a beloved family tradition of ours. Don't miss this!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is once again the ultimate destination for the holiday season. The 80-minute hip hop holiday hit Q Brothers Christmas Carol, created by Chicago sensations the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, and Pos) and developed with Creative Producer Rick Boynton, is back in a limited engagement in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, December 7-23, 2021. The Theater will again host the popular virtual Holiday Artisan Market, December 2-5, 2021, in support of local theatermakers and community artists. Nearly 20 Chicago-area artisans will showcase more than 250 handcrafted wares in an online pop-up shop—perfect for holiday gift-giving. One hundred percent of proceeds will directly benefit the artisans.

The wildly entertaining Q Brothers Christmas Carol remixes the Charles Dickens classic, mashing up musical styles ranging from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads. Fully decked out in the holiday spirit with stage-side cocktail tables and theater seating, the Theater is strewn with more than two miles of twinkling lights as the Ghosts of hip hop Past, Present, and Future lead Scrooge on a journey of rhythm, rhyme, and redemption.

The internationally acclaimed Q Brothers Collective fuses hip hop and theater—adapting classic stories with a wholly original style of performance that has amassed a cult following of fans in Chicago and beyond. The Q Brothers Collective pioneered the concept of "ad-rap-tation" with their Off-Broadway hit The Bomb-itty of Errors. Their award-winning collaborations with Chicago Shakespeare Theater Creative Producer Rick Boynton include Othello: The Remix—which premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe and toured to sold-out houses in London, Australia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Off Broadway—and Funk It Up About Nothin’, which garnered the Jeff Award for Outstanding Ensemble and the Dress Circle Award for Best Musical Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol features the members of the Q Brothers Collective portraying all of the roles in the timeless story: GQ (Scrooge), JQ (Marley / Belle / Present / Lil’ Tim), Jax (Fred / Dick Wilkins / Mama Cratchit), and Pos (Bob Cratchit / Past / Martha Cratchit)—joined by DJ Clayton Stamper spinning live beats live onstage. The creative team features Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Stephen Ptacek, Associate Sound Designer Ralph Loza, and original Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal, with Choreography by Anacron. Q Brothers Christmas Carol is written by the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, and Pos) with music by JQ. A Chicago Shakespeare production, Q Brothers Christmas Carol is presented by CST and Richard Jordan Productions.

In its ongoing commitment to accessibility, Chicago Shakespeare offers accessible performances for Q Brothers Christmas Carol:

Audio-described performance – Sunday, December 12, 2021, at 3:00 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of the play’s key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

Open-captioned performance – Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

Run time is 80 minutes (no intermission). Single tickets ($38–$56) are on sale now with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, visit chicagoshakes.com/qchristmas or engage on social at #QChristmas.

HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET

Virtual pop-up shop with 100% of proceeds benefiting local artists, December 2-5, 2021

Back by popular demand, Chicago Shakespeare’s Holiday Artisan Market will feature more than 250 one-of-a-kind goods from nearly twenty local artists. All of the participating artisans are members of the creative sector—including onstage performers, backstage technicians, designers, and community partners from the Theater’s annual Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program. From jewelry and ceramics to knitwork and more, the virtual Holiday Artisan Market is not only a one-stop-shop for bespoke and beautifully made gifts, but also celebration of the talent and resilience of our city’s creative community.

Featured artisans include:

Taí Ramírez, a youth musician with Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center who appeared in Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks DREAM in 2021, with her whimsical jewelry creations.

Actor Nick Harazin who has appeared in in six Chicago Shakespeare productions, sharing his woodworking skills with unique wooden jewelry and furniture pieces.

Brittany Taylor, member of Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce’s Business Development Cohort, and her hand-poured Black Luxe candles.

Three-time Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks Green Show performer Noelle Klyce and cozy items from her crochet line Hook Me Up, Design Co.

Chicago Lighting Designer Travis Shupe and his hand-thrown pottery creations, which are both functional and beautiful.

Theatrical costume maker Maggie Hoffman (SIX, Macbeth, Nell Gwynn) delights with holiday-themed goods in her PaisleyAndGlue shop.

Participating artisans to date include: Maggie Hoffman – PaisleyAndGlue; Emma Lyons – Emma Lyons Art; Beth Uber – Betherella; Dail Kirkpatrick – Dail Kirkpatrick Art; Nikki Way; Brittany Taylor – Black Luxe Candle Co; Taí Ramírez – Atabey; Cass Westover – Homegrown Wrappings; Elizabeth Flauto – Elizabeth Millinery; Nicholas Harazin – Kindred Woodworks; Travis Shupe – Ceramics by Travis; Jen Smith – JenSmithGlass; Karen Avery; Robin Power; Catherine Daniels – CDaniels Design.

The pop-up shop will be live December 2-5, 2021 at chicagoshakes.com/market with one hundred percent of proceeds going directly to the artisans.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a year-round season—featuring plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside nationally recognized education programming, each year serving tens of thousands of students, teachers, and lifelong learners. Founded in 1986, the Theater’s onstage work has expanded to as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually. Dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers, one in four audience members is under the age of eighteen. As a nonprofit organization, Chicago Shakespeare works to embrace diversity, prioritize radical inclusion, provide equitable opportunities, and offer an accessible experience for all. On the Theater’s three stages at its home on Navy Pier, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted cultural hub—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire us. chicagoshakes.com

OPENING: The Q Brothers' OTHELLO: THE REMIX Is Back At Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 4/12-5/8

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the return of

The Q Brothers'

OTHELLO: THE REMIX

Highlight of Shakespeare 400 Chicago, April 12–May 8

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we're thrilled this production is back in sweet home Chicago. I caught it back in 2013, and can't wait for my 15 year old son to see it with me this time. Othello: The Remix is a modern, hip hop version of Othello that does Shakespeare proud. It's revitalized this production and made it accessible and fun for the masses. It was pure magic to see the multigenerational appeal of this show, that extends well beyond fans of the genre. It's so rewarding to see youth actually enjoying and understanding Shakespeare. The Q Brothers' knack for timing, rhythm and wordplay is their true genius. Highly recommended. We'll be there for the press opening tonight and we'll have a full review of the 2016 OTHELLO: THE REMIX redux up shortly. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents a highlight of Shakespeare 400 Chicago—The Q Brothers’ 90-minute hip-hop adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello: The Remix, spun out and lyrically rewritten over original beats. Developed by hip-hop sensations GQ and JQ with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton, this production has toured widely since its world premiere at Shakespeare’s Globe as part of the 2012 London Cultural Olympiad. It returns after playing to sold-out houses of multi-generational audiences in Edinburgh, London, Australia, Germany, South Korea and Poland. 

Othello: The Remix is presented in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, April 12–May 8, 2016.

Othello: The Remix returns in April, the month of Shakespeare’s birthday and the anniversary of his death, an exciting contribution to Shakespeare 400 Chicago. The yearlong festival is spearheaded by Chicago Shakespeare Theater, inviting the city’s world-class institutions and leading artists from around the globe to interpret and reimagine Shakespeare’s work in 850 events on stages and in museums, parks, schools, neighborhoods and even restaurants across the city throughout 2016.

The Q Brothers’ Othello: The Remix has captivated audiences globally and garnered acclaim and multiple honors—including Edinburgh’s Musical Theatre Matters Award for Best New Musical Theatre Show and the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble. Most recently, The Q Brothers’ production traveled to Australia’s Arts Centre Melbourne, to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with Art for All, and to New Zealand for the Auckland Arts Festival. It now returns to Chicago Shakespeare, where the production previously enjoyed a twice-extended twenty-week run in 2013.

Othello: The Remix is written, directed and composed by The Q Brothers, GQ and JQ, siblings born and raised in Chicago. The production is one of three collaborative “ad-rap-tations” with Creative Producer Rick Boynton. The Daily Telegraph (UK) gave it five stars and called it “a triumph from beginning to end.” It comes highly recommended by the Chicago Sun-Times and was praised as “well-paced, sophisticated and very funny” by The Guardian. The cast of this critically acclaimed production includes Postell Pringle as Othello, with GQ, JQ and Jackson Doran filling multiple roles and DJ Clayton Stamper spinning from the turntable.

The award-winning design team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann—with original lighting designs by Jesse Klug—and CST’s resident Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal. Directed by GQ and JQ, Othello: The Remix is presented in association with Richard Jordan Productions. 

  

Othello: The Remix is presented in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, April 12–May 8, 2016. Tickets start at just $35 and as little as $20 for anyone under age 35 through Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or online at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT SHAKESPEARE 400 CHICAGO
Shakespeare 400 Chicago explores Shakespeare’s enduring legacy across languages and disciplines including theater, dance, literature, music, cuisine and spectacle. The yearlong international arts festival brings together the city’s resident world-class institutions, and welcomes leading artists from around the globe to celebrate, interpret and reimagine Shakespeare’s work. Upcoming highlights include: the Art Institute of Chicago’s Supernatural Shakespeare exhibit (April 11–October 10); Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performances of Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet (April 7–9) and Falstaff (April 21–26); Northwestern University Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities and Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art’s screening of the 1974 Othello adaptation Catch My Soul (April 22); Northwestern University Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities’ presentation of the interactive Shakespeare video game Play the Knave, created by University of California Davis Professor Gina Bloom and the ModLab (April 28); Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Art Institute of Chicago’s concert CSO at the AIC: A World of Characters (May 1); and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s debut of Tug of War: Foreign Fire, the first of a two-part, six-play Shakespeare history cycle directed by Artistic Director Barbara Gaines (May 12–June 12).

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a global theatrical force, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, language and empathy for the human condition. Throughout 2016, CST is spearheading the international arts and culture festival, Shakespeare 400 Chicago, a citywide celebration of the playwright's 400-year legacy. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to creating extraordinary production of classics, new works and family programming; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. CST serves as a partner in literacy to Chicago Public Schools, working alongside English teachers to help struggling readers connect with Shakespeare in the classroom, and bringing his text to life on stage for 40,000 students every year. And each summer, 30,000 families and audience members of all ages welcome the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour into their neighborhoods across the far north, west and south sides of the city. Reflecting the global city it calls home, CST is the leading producer of international work in Chicago, and has toured its plays abroad to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada/North America and the Middle East.

OPENING: From Carol King to Lion King! 5 Fabulous Shows We're Reviewing This Week.

We're back from Thanksgiving Break with family and it's going to be a WHIRLWIND WEEK of theatre openings in Chicago. Check back with ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often for original coverage, theatre & entertainment news and reviews, great nationwide giveaways and more! 

Here's what's on our plate this week:

Today we'll be taking an elf led press tour and meeting the big man himself, Santa Claus, at Swissotel Chicago.

Tuesday is Opening Night of The Christmas Schooner, one of our annual holiday favs at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL, US, 60613

Wednesday through Friday we have Broadway In Chicago press openings:

BEAUTIFUL – Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30 PM at the Oriental Theatre (24 W Randolph)

POTTED POTTER – Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 PM at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E Chestnut). heart emoticon this show! It's so creative and fun. 

Click here for show details and ChiIL Mama's past review from 2012.

The last time they played Chicago, a few years back, ChiIL Mama and the kids got in on the opening night action at Potted Potter and we all loved it!  I honestly can't remember the last time an audience full of adults and kids all laughed so hard. This low tech, old school show is brilliant sketch comedy, and supreme silliness coupled with over the top talent. Dan and Jeff are two funny guys. Don't miss this! Get your Potted Potter tixs and enjoy these brilliantly beguiling Brits before they leave Chi-town!

THE LION KING (this one's still a maybe pending availability) – Friday, December 4 at 7:30 PM at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph).

Saturday is one of our all time top holiday favorites, opening night of 

A Q Brothers Christmas Carol at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. 

JOY!! 

Click here for show details and ChiIL Mama's past reviews from 2013/14.

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OPENING: A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL UPSTAIRS AT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER REMIXES HOLIDAY TRADITION WITH

A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL

Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, November 19–December 31, 2014

Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama we've been eagerly awaiting the return of this show since we saw an early version workshopped last season. It's truly hilarious! Some dates are sold out already so don't delay. Get your tickets now, before it's too late.

My son, Dugan, and I had the great pleasure of catching this production last year, when they were still workshopping it and we LOVED it! If you like your holiday musicals filled with scorpions and worms, multiple mysterious diseases, Jamaican Rasta Marley, kickin' tunes, and laugh out loud hilarity... this is SO the show for you!

I know Autumn Equinox has barely happened and Halloween is still a ghost of future coming. It's too early to think about holiday theatre, right? Wrong. This is one of our ultra favorite, top picks here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama. Get your tickets now before the word spreads. It's in the small theatre at Chicago Shakespeare after all. The Q Brothers are geniuses of the rhyming word who will entrance and amuse all ages.

Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of the Hip-Hop genre or if you love Hip-Hop and aren't so crazy about theatre... or holiday classics, or whatever, GO already! Before fall even hit, my 13 year old was eagerly asking if this show was returning and practically begging to go.

Do note, there is some language i.e.: "Merry Chris My Ass Mas" instead of Bah Humbug, so it may be inappropriate for young parrots, that might mortify you with quips like that at the family holiday dinner table. And like the more traditional versions of A Christmas Carol, some of it is a bit grim reaper scary. But we loved it and plan to take both our tween & teen this year.

Check out more of our earlier 2014 coverage here.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) brings audiences a fresh take on a beloved classic, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol, developed with hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers and CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton. After a special work-in-progress presentation last season, Chicago Shakespeare is proud to premiere this hip-hop reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens. A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol rocks the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespearefor a limited engagement, November 19–December 31, 2014.
Written and performed by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle, this new adaptation takes on the cherished holiday tale and wrestles it from its classic roots with irreverence, an array of music styles and a lot of heart. The story is underscored with beats spun live by DJ Super Nova at the turntables, mashing up everything from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads.

Audiences will encounter Dickens’ familiar characters in new and unexpected forms—from a miserly Ebenezer Scrooge with an erotic passion for cash to a Jamaican Jacob Marley and Lil’ Tim, the tiniest Cratchit with a slew of maladies. The time-traveling Ghosts take Scrooge on a voyage through the hip-hop ages—decade by decade from past to present to future—documenting the evolving musical art form. This holiday treat promises to be as cheeky, intelligent and street smart as audiences have come to expect from the Q Brothers.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol marks the third collaboration between Creative Producer Rick Boynton and the Q Brothers, following two Shakespearean “ad-rap-tations”—Funk It Up About Nothin’ and Othello: The Remix. Premiering at Shakespeare’s Globe for the London 2012 Globe to Globe Festival, Othello: The Remix has toured to festival venues around the world, playing to sold-out houses of multi-generational and culturally diverse audiences in Edinburgh, London, Australia, Germany, South Korea and—most recently—Gdansk, Poland. Its extended five-month Chicago engagement broke records for Chicago Shakespeare’s longstanding CST for $20 program for patrons under 35 years of age. Early next year, Othello: The Remix is set to travel to Australia’s Arts Centre Melbourne (February 18–22, 2015), Dubai and Abu Dahbi in the United Arab Emirates with Art for All (March 1–5, 2015) and to New Zealand for the Auckland Arts Festival (March 5–22, 2015).

The design team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug and Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal. Developed with Rick Boynton, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is written by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle with music by GQ and JQ. Directed by GQ and JQ, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is presented in association with Richard Jordan Productions. More at www.chicagoshakes.com/qchristmas.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Weekday Performances
Tuesdays:
November 25; December 2, 9, 16, 23 – 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays:
November 19, 26; December 3, 10, 17 – 7:30 p.m.
December 31 – 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Thursdays:
November 20; December 4, 11, 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Weekend Performances
Fridays:
November 21, 28; December 5, 12, 19, 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays:
November 22, 29; December 6, 13, 20, 27 – 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Sundays:
November 23, 30; December 14, 21, 28 – 3:00 p.m.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is presented in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, November 19–December 31, 2014. Tickets are $30–48 and may be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visiting www.chicagoshakes.com.

OPENING: A Q BROTHERS' CHRISTMAS CAROL AT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE

A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol

a hip-hop adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol 

written by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle 

developed with Rick Boynton 

Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare 

November 19 – December 28, 2014 

My son, Dugan, and I had the great pleasure of catching this production last year, when they were still workshopping it and we LOVED it! If you like your holiday musicals filled with scorpions and worms, multiple mysterious diseases, Jamaican Rasta Marley, kickin' tunes, and laugh out loud hilarity... this is SO the show for you!

I know Autumn Equinox has barely happened and Halloween is still a ghost of future coming. It's too early to think about holiday theatre, right? Wrong. This is one of our ultra favorite, top picks here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama. Get your tickets now before the word spreads. It's in the small theatre at Chicago Shakespeare after all. The Q Brothers are geniuses of the rhyming word who will entrance and amuse all ages.

Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of the Hip-Hop genre or if you love Hip-Hop and aren't so crazy about theatre... or holiday classics, or whatever, GO already! Before fall even hit, my 13 year old was eagerly asking if this show was returning and practically begging to go.

Do note, there is some language i.e.: "Merry Chris My Ass Mas" instead of Bah Humbug, so it may be inappropriate for young parrots, that might mortify you with quips like that at the family holiday dinner table. And like the more traditional versions of A Christmas Carol, some of it is a bit grim reaper scary. But we loved it and plan to take both our tween & teen this year.

A hip-hop holiday treat set to a bangin’ beat! CST and Chicago hip-hop sensation the Q Brothers—creators of Othello: The Remix and Funk It Up About Nothin’—have toured around the world, playing to sold-out houses in Edinburgh, Germany, South Korea, Australia and London. Now the team turns up the volume on Charles Dickens’ classic tale, mixing everything from reggae, dancehall and dubstep to epic rock ballads. The Ghosts of Hip-hop Past, Present and Future lead Scrooge on a journey filled with rhythm, rhyme and redemption. 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE  

Weekday Performances
Tuesdays
November 25; December 2, 9, 16, 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays
November 19, 26; December 3, 10, 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays
November 20; December 4, 11, 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Weekend Performances
Fridays
November 21, 28; December 5, 12, 19, 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays
November 22, 29; December 13, 20, 27 at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Sundays
November 30; December 14, 21, 28 at  3:00 p.m.
December 7 at 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets $30–$48
www.chicagoshakes.com

ACT OUT HOLIDAY: A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 22, 2013 (ages 12+)

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER INVITES AUDIENCES 

TO A SNEAK PREVIEW OF A NEW WORK-IN-PROGRESS

A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL

NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 22, 2013

Othello: The Remix Featured at Sydney Festival January 2014

ChiIL out with Jeff Award winning Chi-town favorites, The Q Brothers!  They've infused Shakespeare and other classics with fresh new breath and engaged a younger audience with edgier productions, hip-hop and comedic genius.   We can't wait to see their take on A Christmas Carol!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) and hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers are back at it again turning up the volume with a fresh take on a beloved classic. The Q Brothers and CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton have come together to develop A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol—a hip-hop reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens. Now, alongside Chicago theaters’ familiar renditions of this heartwarming tale, audiences will participate in the creation of an energized, reinvented tradition. Work-in-progress performances of A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol will run in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, November 30–December 22, 2013.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is being created between stops of the Q Brothers’ international whirlwind tour of the award-winning Othello: The Remix, which will travel to Australia in January to be featured in the line-up of the highly regarded Sydney Festival 2014. Premiering at Shakespeare’s Globe for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad’s ‘Globe to Globe’ festival, Othello: The Remix has toured to festival venues around the world, playing to sold-out houses of multi-generational and culturally diverse audiences in Edinburgh, Germany, South Korea and London. Its extended five-month Chicago engagement broke records for Chicago Shakespeare’s longstanding CST for $20 program for patrons under 35 years of age. 

Written and performed by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol takes on the cherished holiday tale and wrestles it from its sacred roots with irreverence, an array of music styles, and a lot of heart. Just as hip-hop borrows from many genres, the story will be underscored with beats spun live by DJ Super Nova at the turntables, mashing up everything from reggae and dancehall music, to futuristic dubstep and epic rock ballads. Audiences will recognize familiar characters like Ebenezer Scrooge with his erotic passion for money, a Jamaican Jacob Marley, and the most pitiful Cratchit, Lil’ Tim. The time-traveling Ghosts take Scrooge on a voyage through the hip-hop ages–decade by decade from past to present to future–documenting the still-evolving musical art form. This new holiday treat will prove to be as cheeky, intelligent and street smart as audiences have come to expect from the Q Brothers.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol design team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug and Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal. Properties Master Amy Peter and Choreographer Anacron complete the creative team. Written by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle and developed with Rick Boynton, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is presented in association with Richard Jordan Productions Ltd.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS PRESENTATIONS
November 30–December 22, 2013
Tuesdays–Fridays @ 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays @ 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
   (on 11/30, 8:30 p.m. only)
Sundays @ 3:00 p.m.

Ticket Prices
Tickets on sale now for $20-$35
CST for $20 tickets for patrons under 35 years old.
All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages.

Recommended for audiences age 12 & up.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Box Office: 312.595.5600
www.chicagoshakes.com

Programming in the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare
is made possible through generous support from Hyatt Hotels Corporation

WIN 4 Tickets to Shrek the Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Any Date Opening 7/13 (ages 5+) #giveaway

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and everybody's favorite ogre, this summer at Navy Pier.   Chicago Shakespeare Theatre presents Shrek the Musical and we have 4 FREE tickets for one of our lucky readers!   The great green ogre and his wife are the stars of a series of fairy tales that finally don't feature a skinny, blonde, narcoleptic princess awaiting rescue.   Princess Fiona kicks booty, and is a fabulous role model.    

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to WIN.
Entries open through midnight July 9th.   We'll announce our winners on Winning Wednesday, July 10th.   Tickets are for your choice of any date throughout the run, pending availability.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

We had the awesome opportunity to see Shrek the Musical on stage in Rosemont, back in November of 2011, when the national touring production came through town and we can NOT wait to see it again.

Here at ChiIL Mama, we adore Shrek.   We've seen every Dreamworks Shrek movie and we're particular fans of the original children's book the story was based on.  If you've never checked out the 1990 Shrek book by William Steig, we highly recommend it.    It's snarky, irreverent, raw and hilarious.   

The book is even quirkier and cooler than the movies, and we can't wait to see the musical adaptation once more!   Steig is an excellent children's author and illustrator and this is the perfect candidate for playing the "same/different game".    As a family we love to check out the original books when we go see book based movies and theatre and then compare and contrast the different versions of the tale with the "same/different game".   The kids love it.

**MULTICULTURAL FUN FACT:   Know how Shrek got his name?   It's based on the German word Schreck which means "fear" or "fright."**

This is one of summer's must see family musicals for all ages 5 and up.   Even my tweens are stoked.  Chicago Shakespeare Theatre always does an impressive job with top notch actors, and thoroughly impressive costumes and set design, that rival Broadway productions.   Book your tickets early before they sell out!

Shrek The Musical A 75-minute CST Family Production In CST’s Courtyard Theater July 13–September 1, 2013 Educational Activities Offered in Conjunction with the Production BARD BADGE: **In support of Mayor Emanuel’s Summer of Learning Program, special activities will be offered in conjunction with Shrek The Musical for students to earn a “Bard Badge;” and CST continues its collaboration with the Chicago Children's Museum with a series of programs. Shrek The Musical is a CST Family production best enjoyed by children ages 5 and up. Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) continues the Theater’s annual summer family musical tradition with Shrek The Musical, directed and choreographed by Rachel Rockwell with music direction by Michael Mahler, July 13–September 1, 2013 in CST’s Courtyard Theater.  Based on the Academy Award®-winning DreamWorks film and the book by William Steig, CST’s 75-minute production of Shrek The Musical will take audiences on an unconventional fairy-tale adventure with everyone’s favorite ogre. The production features two Jeff Award-winning actors: Michael Aaron Lindner as the lovable ogre Shrek and Summer Naomi Smart in her CST debut as the spunky Princess Fiona.  Shrek The Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing quest to reclaim his home. Accompanied by a wisecracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon and rescues the cursed Princess Fiona. On this untraditional fairytale journey, Shrek discovers the value of friendship and realizes that true love is more than skin deep. The 75-minute, family-friendly version of the Tony Award®-nominated production has music by Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change), with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Wonder of the World, Good People). Named the 2012 Chicagoan of the Year in Theater by the Chicago Tribune, Jeff Award-winning director Rachel Rockwell returns to Chicago Shakespeare to direct and choreograph Shrek The Musical, after staging last summer’s critically-acclaimed Beauty and the Beast, hailed as “far and away the best family production of the year” by the Chicago Tribune. Rockwell’s additional credits with CST include the world-premiere family musicals The Adventures of Pinocchio and The Emperor’s New Clothes. Rockwell’s Chicago-area directing and choreography credits include productions at Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre and Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook, where she garnered a 2010 Best Director Jeff Award for Ragtime. Michael Aaron Lindner returns to Chicago Shakespeare as Shrek, having last been seen at CST as Louis/Billy Webster in the critically-acclaimed Sunday in the Park with George. Other Chicago credits include: Edna in Hairspray (Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook); Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre) and the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Jeff Award, Porchlight Music Theatre).  Jeff Award-winning actress Summer Naomi Smart makes her CST debut as Princess Fiona. Chicago credits include: Sweet Charity at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook (Jeff Award Best Actress), The Light in the Piazza at Marriott Theatre and the Chicago production of Wicked.  James Earl Jones II makes his CST debut as the wisecracking sidekick Donkey. Credits include: Dreamgirls (Marriott Theatre), The Wiz (Theater at the Center) and Porgy and Bess (Court Theatre).  Travis Taylor returns to Chicago Shakespeare as Lord Farquaad, after previously portraying the Beast in last summer’s CST family musical Beauty and the Beast. Other Chicago credits include: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook); Pirates of Penzance (Marriott Theatre); and Brigadoon (Light Opera Works). Actors making their Chicago Shakespeare debut include: Cameron Conforti as Young Shrek/Baby Bear, Adam Fane as Pinocchio/Ensemble, Caroline Heffernan as Young Fiona/Ugly Duckling, Emily Leahy as Young Fiona/Ugly Duckling, Sarah Page as Witch/Ensemble, Alexis J. Rogers as Mama Bear/Dragon, Joey Stone as Papa Bear/Papa Ogre and Matthew Uzarraga as Young Shrek/Baby Bear. Actors returning to Chicago Shakespeare include: Norm Boucher as Wolf/Thelonius/Dwarf, Tommy Lucas as Pig/Knight/Ensemble, Rebecca Pink as Gingy/Teen Fiona, Liam Quealy as Pig/Knight/Ensemble and Will Skrip as Pig/Knight/Ensemble. The creative team for Shrek The Musical includes Music Director Michael Mahler, Orchestrator Ryan Nelson, Scenic Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Costume Designer Theresa Ham, Projection Designer Mike Tutaj, Sound Designer Garth Helm, Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal and Properties Master Chelsea Meyers. Chicago Shakespeare Theater continues its successful collaboration with the Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) presenting the following series of programs featuring Shrek The Musical Shrek The Musical cast members visit CCM’s Great Hall for a short program followed by an opportunity for visiting children and families to interact with cast members on Wednesday, July 31 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, August 1 at 6 p.m. CCM Staff and Volunteers offer free hands-on art activities in the Theater’s lobbies between noon and 2 p.m. on Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3. Shrek The Musical will offer activities as part of Mayor Emanuel’s Summer of Learning program. The initiative represents an innovative public-private coordination to incorporate learning into summer youth programming, launching what could be the largest citywide summer learning campaign in the nation. The city's partnerships with youth-serving organizations, colleges and universities, museums and cultural institutions, and businesses will make the whole summer count in a new and different way. Shrek The Musical will offer young audience members an opportunity to learn about the art of storytelling in the context of a professional theatrical production. After seeing the play, students will be prompted to reflect on their experience and respond to their favorite elements of the production through take-home questions and activities printed in the program. Completion of the activities will earn each young person a “Bard Badge.”  Shrek The Musical is recommended for ages 5 and up and runs July 13–September 1, 2013. Tickets are $18–$25 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com/shrek. About the CST Family Series Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s CST Family Series presents a wide range of affordable programming especially for families. As part of CST’s commitment to making theater and live performance accessible to all ages, offerings year-round include Short Shakespeare! adaptations of Shakespeare classics, summer musicals of imaginative children’s tales, classical music concerts in collaboration with The Chicago Chamber Musicians and the recently expanded Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, which provides FREE Shakespeare performances in neighborhood parks throughout Chicago. These programs reach more than 45,000 patrons each season—making Chicago Shakespeare one of the largest providers of family programming in Chicago. CST has also championed the creation of new family productions, commissioning and producing three world-premiere summer musicals to great acclaim: How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?, about a group of students who bring a modern twist to Aesop’s fables, The Emperor’s New Clothes, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale; and The Adventures of Pinocchio, based on Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of a wooden puppet who yearns to be a real boy. About Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a leading international theater company, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language and depth of feeling for the human condition. Recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, Chicago Shakespeare’s work has been recognized internationally with three of London’s prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, and by the Chicago theater community with 70 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Artistic Excellence. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to producing extraordinary classic productions, new works and family fare, unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students, and serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series.

**For families with older kids we also highly recommend checking out Othello: The Remix, a fantastic hip-hop adaptation by the Q Brothers, also at Chicago Shakespere in the upstairs theatre.  The production is now extended through July 27th.   Check out ChiIL Mama's review and full show details here. (aimed at adults but fine for mature tweens and up)** 

ACT OUT EXTENDED: Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Othello: The Remix Now Playing Through July 27, 2013

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Othello: The Remix

Extended a Second Time

Now Playing Through July 27, 2013

ChiIL Live Shows caught Othello: The Remix, on their opening night in Chicago and LOVED it.   This production is so relevant and accessible, it may just turn on a whole new generation to the genius of Shakespeare.  Stick this show on the top of your must see list.  We're also stoked to see The Q Brothers again at Kidzapalooza, where they're annual regulars.  

We heard from some insiders at Chi Shakes that this show was originally written for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad’s ‘Globe to Globe’ festival at Shakespeare’s Globe where countries were given Shakespeare's plays to produce in a number of languages.   Originally, the US wasn't going to enter as England had English covered.   But the fest made a special exception and designated Hip Hop as it's own unique language... and a hit was conceived! 

Othello: The Remix rocks!    Recommended for mature tweens and up.   Click here to check out ChiIL Live Shows & ChiIL Mama's past coverage.

Jackson Dora, GQ, Postell Pringle and JQ star in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of "Othello: The Remix." | Photos by Michael Brosilow

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s (CST) Othello: The Remix, the 90-minute hip-hop adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, spun out and lyrically rewritten over original beats, has been extended a second time through July 27, 2013. Written, directed and with music by the Q Brothers, Othello: The Remix is receiving rave reviews from audiences across Chicago, playing to sold-out houses and nightly standing ovations. The high energy, cross-genre production is stimulating theater attendance from under-represented audiences in Chicago with noticeable increases in multi-generational and culturally diverse audiences. 

The production continues to break records for Chicago Shakespeare’s longstanding CST for $20 program, which offers $20 tickets for CST productions to students and young professionals under the age of 35. 

Following the extended run of the American premiere in Chicago, Othello: The Remix will return to London (where the production first performed last fall as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad’s ‘Globe to Globe’ festival at Shakespeare’s Globe). The three-week engagement at London’s Unicorn Theatre will take place September 11–28, 2013. 

Chicago Shakespeare’s full 2013 summer programming schedule also includes: Piccolo Teatro di Milano’s Inner Voices from June 25–29; Shrek The Musical from July 13–September 1; Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks performing The Comedy of Errors from July 26–August 25.

The Q Brothers, GQ and JQ, are siblings born and raised in Chicago, who started their professional careers in the off Broadway hit, The Bomb-itty of Errors. Commissioned by CST and written, directed and with music by the Q Brothers, Othello: The Remix is the first Shakespeare tragedy and second collaboration with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton. Boynton was also involved in the creation of the Q Brothers’ award-winning CST commission, Funk It Up About Nothin’, which received critical acclaim in its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare and subsequent international tour to New York, Australia and the UK. In addition to the Q Brothers, the cast of Othello: The Remix includes Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle and DJ Clayton Stamper. Othello: The Remix is produced by Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd.

Othello: The Remix has been extended through July 27, 2013, in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare. Tickets are on sale now for $20–$35, with CST for $20 tickets offered for patrons under 35. Performances now through June 15 are Wednesday–Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m. Performances beginning  Thursday, June 20 are Thursday–Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m. Except Saturdays, July 20 and 27 where performances are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the CST Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com/othello