OPENING: Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Highly anticipated return of

Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL

in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31

Tickets on sale now

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 new space, The Yard. This show has multigenerational appeal and may well be one of the funniest holiday shows out there. Don't miss this!

Back by popular demand, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the highly anticipated return of the cheeky holiday classic Q Brothers Christmas Carol, from hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers Collective and developed with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton. After three wildly successful runs in 2013, 2014 and 2015 to sold-out houses, the raucous and irreverent musical event now takes the stage of the Theater’s innovative third venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31, 2017.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol is on sale now; online at www.chicagoshakes.com or via the Box Office at 312.595.5600.

Written and performed by the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, and Pos) and directed by GQ and JQ, Q Brothers Christmas Carol features an irresistible score and a lot of heart. This feisty reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens is underscored with beats spun live at the turntables, mashing up styles from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads. The production garnered Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Ensemble. A Chicago Shakespeare production, Q Brothers Christmas Carol is presented by CST and Richard Jordan Productions.

Highlighting the versatility of the dynamic new venue, Q Brothers Christmas Carol will transform The Yard into a festive nightclub with the opportunity for audiences to sit at cabaret tables surrounding the stage, or to watch the performance from traditional theater seating. The party atmosphere of the Q Brothers’ work will be enhanced this year by activating the space surrounding the stage and audience viewing areas with additional bars and seating—perfect for continuing the fun after the show to toast the holiday season.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol joins the previously announced productions in Chicago Shakespeare’s 2017/18 Season: an all-woman The Taming of the Shrew (September 16–November 12, 2017; Courtyard Theater) staged by Artistic Director Barbara Gaines; James Thierrée’s The Toad Knew (September 19–23, 2017; The Yard); Teatro Línea de Sombra’s Amarillo (October 17–29, 2017; The Yard) from México as part of the inaugural Chicago International Latino Theater Festival; Red Velvet (December 1, 2017–January 21, 2018; Courtyard Theater) directed by Gary Griffin; Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream for families and students (February 3–March 10, 2018; The Yard); Schiller’s Mary Stuart (February 21–April 15, 2018; Courtyard Theater); a supernatural new Macbeth (April 25–June 24, 2018; The Yard) staged by Aaron Posner and Teller; and Druid Theatre’s Waiting for Godot (May 23–June 3, 2018; Courtyard Theater) from Ireland.

More information at www.chicagoshakes.com/QChristmas.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31, 2017. Tickets ranging from $30 to $52 are on sale now. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. 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.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
A global theatrical force, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, musicality of language, and empathy for the human condition. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be, putting forward a company that delights in the unexpected and defies theatrical category. A Regional Tony Award-winning theater, CST produces acclaimed plays at its home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago’s schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. In 2017, the Theater unveils a radical new stage, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, The Yard positions CST as the city’s largest and most versatile performing arts venue.

Chicago Shakespeare’s year-round season features as many as twenty productions and 650 performances—including plays, musicals, world premieres, and visiting international tours—to engage a broad, multigenerational audience of 225,000 community members. Recognized in 2014 in a White House ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama, CST’s education programs support literacy and creativity for 40,000 students each year. Each summer, 30,000 family audiences welcome the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour into their neighborhoods across the far north, west and south sides of the city. The Theater is the leading producer of international work in Chicago, and has toured its own plays across North America and abroad to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East, garnering multiple accolades, including the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, among others. Emblematic of its role as a global theater, during 2016 CST spearheaded the Shakespeare 400 Chicago international arts and culture festival, which engaged an estimated 1.1 million people through 863 events at 231 locations across the city—all in celebration of Shakespeare’s rich, 400-year legacy.

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.

SAVE THE DATES: Three Oaks Theater Festival announces its 2015 season

Many of our friends and Chicago families we know have weekend places in and around Three Oaks, Michigan. It's incredible to get away from the hustle and hassle of big city living and enjoy the lake from the flip side. Yet, small town life can be devoid of the plethora of plays we adore in Chicago. Thankfully, with the Three Oaks Theater Festival, you can have your plays and getaways too! Some of our favorite Chi town troupes will be playing all summer long. Check out this stellar lineup and book your tickets in advance.  If you don't have a weekend place in Three Oaks, there are loads of rentals in the region, and these shows make a great excuse to book a weekend getaway.

This summer’s season includes The Hypocrites’ HMS Pinafore, new work from the Q Brothers, Northlight Theatre’s Chapatti starring John Mahoney, The Bicycle Men and others to be performed in beautiful Harbor Country, MI

Co-founders John Stoops and Tim Evans proudly announce the third season of the Three Oaks Theater Festival, an annual summer event that brings limited-engagement runs of highly- acclaimed, professional productions to audiences in Harbor Country, Michigan. This season will be performed at the Acorn Theater with a staged reading to take place at the Vickers Theatre.

The 2015 Three Oaks Theater Festival will present a staged reading of Northlight Theatre’s Chapatti with John Mahoney and Penny Slusher; the family-friendly Emerald City Theatre Company’s Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play!; Patsy Cline – She’s Got You from Broadway diva Jenny Lee Stern; The Hypocrites’ H.M.S. Pinafore; The Q Brothers’ Q Gents; and the musical comedy The Bicycle Men.

Information and tickets are available at www.threeoaksfestival.com or call 866-811-4111.

“The third season is proving to be a charm as we’ve assembled our best schedule yet! We’re thrilled to present a summer’s worth of top notch, family-friendly theater for residents and visitors to Harbor Country,” says co-founder John Stoops.

Co-founder Tim Evans comments, "Something new this year will be spreading our performances throughout the whole season on select weekends from late June to September thus making the festival truly a summer-long event."

The 2015 Three Oaks Theater Festival is:

A Staged Reading of Northlight Theatre’s

CHAPATTI

By Christian O’Reilly
Directed by BJ Jones
Starring John Mahoney and Penny Slusher
June 27, 2015 at 8:00pm ET
Performed at Vickers Theater, 6 N. Elm St. Three Oaks, MI Ticket price: $25

Romance is a distant memory for two lonely animal-lovers living in Dublin. When forlorn Dan and his dog Chapatti cross paths with amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people re-discovering the importance of human companionship.

Chapatti first premiered at Northlight Theatre in Spring 2014 in a co-production with Galway Arts Festival, where it played that summer. Written by acclaimed Irish playwright Christian O’Reilly, the staged reading at the Three Oaks Theater Festival will feature original cast members John Mahoney and Penny Slusher with direction by Northlight Artistic Director BJ Jones.

  

ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE’S WE ARE IN A PLAY!

Presented by Emerald City Theatre Company
Based on the Elephant & Piggie Books by Mo Willems
Script and lyrics by Mo Willems
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
Directed by Morgan Ashley Madison
July 18, 2015 at 10:00am ET and 1:00pm ET
Performed at Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI Ticket price: $20
Ages: Best suited for children of all ages

Elephant Gerald is careful. Piggie just wants to play! Our favorite characters from Mo Willems' beloved Elephant and Piggie series set the stage for this vaudevillian romp of a musical, where pachyderm and swine heroically explore the importance of friendship. With the help of nutty backup singers, The Squirelles, this is an animal party that families won't want to miss!

Books from Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series regularly appear on the New York Times bestseller list, and have garnered many accolades, including two Theodore Seuss Geisel Awards and four Theodore Seuss Geisel Honors. This musical romp through the friendship of worrisome Elephant Gerald and rambunctious Piggie was developed by Willems and composer Deborah Wicks La Puma at the Kennedy Center last year and had a wildly successful run at Chicago’s Emerald City Theatre Company in Spring 2015.

PATSY CLINE – SHE’S GOT YOU

Presented by Artists Lounge Live

August 1 at 5:00pm ET and 9:00pm ET
Performed at Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI Ticket price: $30-35

She was from the wrong side of the tracks. But her music knew no bounds, reaching across genres and generations. She struggled all her life, yet managed to express her heartache with sincere empathy and rare emotional depth. She stole our hearts and sang our secrets. Celebrate country music’s greatest star, the legendary Patsy Cline in a bewitching performance from Broadway powerhouse Jenny Lee Stern (Broadway: Rocky; Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway; National Tour & Broadway in Chicago: Jersey Boys). You’ll fall in love all over again as Jenny Lee rekindles Patsy’s greatest hits, including Walkin’ After Midnight, I Fall to Pieces, Crazy, and many more.

H.M.S. PINAFORE

Presented by The Hypocrites
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert
Adapted and Directed by Sean Graney
August 21 2015 at 8:00pm ET and August 22, 2015 at 4:00pm ET and 8:00pm ET Performed at Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI

Ticket price: $25

The Hypocrites playful re-imaging of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore, adapted and directed by Sean Graney, with new arrangements by Matt Kahler and Andra Velis Simon, features a 10 actor cast who also play instruments. The critically-acclaimed world premiere adaptation of the operetta was a hit in Chicago and recently played to sold-out houses at the Oberon in Boston.

Q GENTS

Presented by The Q Brothers
Adapted from The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare September 5-6, 2015, at 8:00pm ET
Performed at Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI
Ticket price: $25

This two-man, hip hop musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona is brought to you by the Q Brothers, creators of Othello: The Remix. The Q Brothers (JQ and GQ) have traveled the globe with their “ad-rap-tations” of Shakespeare’s work. Laced with 20 plus characters, all played by two actors who never leave stage, this non-stop hip hop musical comedy is a theatrical and physical feat that is sure to keep audiences of all ages on the edge of their seats.

THE BICYCLE MEN

Written by Dave Lewman, Joe Liss, John Rubano, and Mark Nutter Music and Lyrics by Mark Nutter
September 25-26, 2015 at 8:00pm ET
Performed at Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI Ticket price: $25

Ages: Best suited for audiences age 16 and up

The Bicycle Men is a sublimely silly and delightfully bawdy musical comedy about a hapless American tourist who encounters the twisted inhabitants of a quaint French village after crashing his bike. The show is highly-acclaimed, including the distinction of being awarded the prize for "Excellence in Overall Production” at The New York Fringe Festival.

About the Co-Founders
John Stoops performed, directed and produced countless shows in Chicago. Soon after, he joined the cast of Boom, a European-based comedy ensemble and toured internationally. John's business experience includes many years with Chicago advertising giant Leo Burnett where he led the development of world class brands for several Fortune 500 companies. John is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He received a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Tim Evans is the Executive Director of the award-winning Northlight Theatre in Skokie. Since his arrival in 2007, Evans has overseen the Theatre's new branding campaign, Leadership fundraising campaign, new board development, revamped arts education initiatives and a five year strategic plan. Prior to his arrival at Northlight, Tim spent a 20-plus year career at Steppenwolf Theatre where he served in management and producing positions. He created, curated and produced Steppenwolf's acclaimed TRAFFIC Series which included a partnership with Chicago Public Radio for subsequent broadcasts. Tim founded Steppenwolf Films, of which he is still a partner with Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry, to develop film and television projects. He produced the feature films Diminished Capacity with Matthew Broderick (premiered 2008 Sundance Film Festival) and The Last Rites of Joe May with Dennis Farina (premiered 2011 Tribeca Film Festival). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the League of Chicago Theatres, previously served on the board of the Independent Film Project (IFP) and was a charter member of the Governor's Task Force for Media Development.

The Bicycle Men will arrive just in time for the annual Apple Cider Century bicycle tour of the orchards, forests and wineries in and around Three Oaks, Michigan. Since 1974, the Apple Cider Century is the Midwest's largest one-day century event with over 6,000 cyclists participating. The Bicycle Men will kick- off the weekend at the Three Oaks Theater Festival with their bicycle-themed musical.

About Three Oaks, Michigan

Three Oaks, Michigan, located about 70 miles from Chicago, has approximately 1,600 residents. Despite its size, the quaint Village is remarkably well-developed in the arts with a live performance venue, art house movie theater and galleries featuring the work of established and emerging artists. Chamberlain Path, located steps from the main street, has been turned into a sculpture garden featuring monumental sculptures by local and national artists. The town also hosts two annual art festivals; the Art Attack weekend and Art in the Park. Meanwhile, Dewey Cannon Park is home to Music in the Park, a free concert series held every Saturday during the summer. Perhaps most indicative of the town’s quirky, artistic spirit, Three Oaks is one of the few villages in the country with the official position of Village Poet Laureate.

For more information about Three Oaks Theater Festival visit www.threeoaksfestival.com