SAVE THE DATES: Chicago Premiere of Heartbreak Hotel Prequel To Million Dollar Quartet Coming June 30th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

GET READY TO “SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL” FOR THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

THE PREQUEL TO THE TONY-AWARD WINNING, RECORD-SETTING, 

CHICAGO FAVORITE 

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

  

HEARTBREAK HOTEL

BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE

JUNE 30 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

Broadway In Chicago, the producers of HEARTBREAK HOTEL, and Authentic Brands Group (ABG), owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises today, announce a musical premiere that will ignite the stage of the Broadway Playhouse.  HEARTBREAK HOTEL, the live musical, will make its debut at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) for a limited engagement, running from June 30 through September 9, 2018.

From the creator of the Tony Award-winning smash-hit Million Dollar Quartet, HEARTBREAK HOTEL is a record-breaking musical, selling out at its world premiere at the historic Ogunquit Playhouse. This prequel to Million Dollar Quartet follows the tender story of Elvis Presley in the early years of his bourgeoning career as he and Sam Phillips create the music that will forever change their lives. As Elvis’ career skyrockets, both lifting and shattering the lives of those he loves, a secret love story is revealed, a betrayal is discovered, and “Colonel” Tom Parker changes the course of history, all in just 18 short months.

“We’re excited to debut HEARTBREAK HOTEL in Chicago, a city known for its dynamic arts and entertainment scene,” said Corey Salter, EVP of Celebrity and Entertainment at ABG. “This is the only Broadway musical that tells the remarkable story of Elvis’ rise to fame and we are thrilled with the momentum it has picked up.”

This brand new musical features hit songs from the King of Rock ‘n Roll as well as the legends who influenced his iconic music, with chart-toppers including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Tutti Frutti,” “That’s All Right Mamma,” “Shake Rattle and Roll,” and, of course, “Heartbreak Hotel.” This is where the story begins with a “walk down lonely street.” 

“For those who long for another trip down memory lane with Elvis, for those that want to recreate the excitement of Million Dollar Quartet, and  for those that want to dance in their seats – don’t miss this show!”  Eileen LaCario, Vice President of Broadway In Chicago said.

Casting will be announced in the coming months.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for HEARTBREAK HOTEL at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining over 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

ABOUT AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing and entertainment company, and the owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, LLC in partnership with the Presley family. Headquartered in New York City, ABG owns, manages, and builds the long-term value a global portfolio of lifestyle, celebrity and entertainment brands. Our brands span a global retail footprint of more than 2,300 doors across luxury, specialty, department stores, shop-in-shops, ecommerce, mid-tier, and mass channels. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business, and immersive brand experiences. We create and activate original marketing strategies to drive the success of our brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms, and emerging media. ABG’s global portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O’Neal®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Michael Jackson® (managed brand), Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Jones New York®, Herve Leger®, Judith Leiber®, Frederick’s of Hollywood®, Frye®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Taryn Rose®, Misook®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Spyder®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Above The Rim®, and Hind®. abg-nyc.com


ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
HEARTBREAK HOTEL is produced by Floyd Mutrux, Mitch and Bonnie Bloom (Temple Dog Productions), Bruce Bendell and Jamie Bendell (Big Block Media), Scott Prisand (Robbins Lane) and Jeff Berg through their entity Heartbreak King Productions, LLC.

ADULT NIGHT OUT: DISENCHANTED! AT THE BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE 5/15

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

DISENCHANTED! OPENS THIS SUNDAY NIGHT 

AT THE BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE 

AT WATER TOWER PLACE, CHICAGO (May 15, 2016)  

**The not-for-children musical revue DISENCHANTED! gives a saucy makeover to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and other fairy-tale princesses.” **

ChiIL Mama will be there... will you?! We'll be ChiILin' out in Chi, IL with the delightfully disenchanted anti-princesses, so check back soon for our full review. I love a good, snarky, pop culture parody, so I'm really looking forward to this. 

Broadway In Chicago and Starvox Entertainment are pleased to announce that DISENCHANTED!, the hilarious hit musical, opens Sunday, May 15, at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut). Directed by Christopher Bond, DISENCHANTED! will play through June 5, 2016. 

DISENCHANTED! features Merritt Crews (Snow White), Madison Hayes-Crook (Cinderella), Daniella Richards (Sleeping Beauty), Miriam Drysdale (The Little Mermaid, Belle, Rapunzel), Ann Paula Bautista (Hua Mulan, Pocahontas, Baldroulbadour) and Uche Ama (The Princess Who Kissed the Frog). 

Poisoned apples. Glass slippers. Who needs 'em?! Not Snow White and her posse of disenchanted princesses in the hilarious hit musical that’s anything but Grimm. Forget the princesses you think you know – the original storybook heroines have come back to life to set the record straight. After multiple sold-out runs nationwide, these royal renegades tossed off their tiaras to bring their hilariously subversive, not-for-the-kiddies musical to you – and what you thought about princesses will never be the same! 

The idea for DISENCHANTED! was conceived by Giacino, a former history teacher. When teaching his class about the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, he couldn’t help but wonder: What would the ‘real’ Pocahontas – a circa 1616, rough-and-tumble 10-year-old Powhatan girl – think of the fringed deer-pelt miniskirt and long, flowing hair donned by her 20-year-old counterpart in her 1995 movie comeback? A musician at heart, Giacino penned a musical number skewering the ‘princess pop culture’ that transformed Pocahontas from a revered Native American heroine into a pin-up vixen of the silver screen. Soon, Giacino found himself discovering a number of other princesses who had a bone to pick with the way they have been portrayed, and DISENCHANTED! was born! 

The ‘storybook’ journey for DISENCHANTED! began with a sold-out, award-winning run at Orlando’s International Fringe Festival in 2011 (‘Best of Fest’ – Orlando Sentinel), and subsequent licensing of over a dozen productions nationwide, from New Jersey to California, all of which have been met with widespread critical acclaim. In addition to the sold-out New York engagement, this fairy tale is going international. A production in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has made its mark, as The National stated, ‘The Country will never be the same!’ The Dominican Republic production is now looking to continue its run throughout Latin America, while China’s leading commercial theatrical producer, Musical Theater China is planning a production in Beijing in the winter of 2015/16. 

During the New York engagement, the production defied the trend for Off-Broadway shows with its sold out performances and critical acclaim. NBC New York called the show “funny, irreverent, and great fun! The seriously talented cast of six strong, hysterical women give fairytales a new meaning!” while Time Out New York stated, “If you love fairy tales with a sassy modern twist, relief is here! 

The not-for-children musical revue DISENCHANTED! gives a saucy makeover to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and other fairy-tale princesses.” The Huffington Post calls it, “funny and a touch wicked. DISENCHANTED!’s pop score delivers to great comic effect.” The New York Times describes DISENCHANTED! as “a girls’-night-out rebellion” and FOX 5 says "It's a hot ticket that delivers a new kind of fairy tale. You will laugh and then laugh some more at the sassy, irreverent humor." Broadway Box raves, “Think ‘Bridesmaids’ for Disney Princesses! This sidesplitting adult parody of the Disney princess posse and its mega-talented cast will make you blush and feel nostalgia all at once. Who could ask for anything more?” 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 

Tuesdays at 7:30 PM
Wednesdays at 2 PM and 7:30 PM (no matinee on June 1)
Thursdays at 7:30 PM
Fridays at 7:30 PM
Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM
Sundays at 2 PM and 6:00 PM (no evening performance on May 22 and May 29) 

TICKET INFORMATION 

Individual tickets for DISENCHANTED! at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place are $35.75-$78.75. A select number of premium seats are available for most performances. Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO 

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 16 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including its newly named The PrivateBank Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. 

ChiIL Mama's Adventures At The Mag Mile Lights Festival Parade #PhotoRecap

THE BMO HARRIS BANK MAGNIFICENT MILE LIGHTS FESTIVAL® PRESENTS A 

SHOW-STOPPING START 

TO THE 2014 

HOLIDAY SEASON

Somewhat like the infamous Ferris Bueller, we found ourselves accidentally at a Chicago parade last Saturday. We'd gone to see Lookingglass Theatre's Alice and got out just in time to hit the road closures and crowds for the lights festival. We just caught about an hour of the festivities, as we had to shoot a show that night at Concord Music Hall, but my kids and their friend, Mateo, were stoked for the parade, so we stayed. Here's our mini-photo recap. 

We began with some silly face fun at M Burger in Watertower Place then staked out a spot outside of American Girl Place to watch the parade fun. It was fun to see so many current productions that we're reviewing represented like DEE SNIDER’S ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS TALE at Broadway Playhouse and Porgy and Bess at The Lyric Opera.

Here's the scoop on the parade/festivities from the official press release we got:

The Magnificent Mile® invites visitors to kick-off the holiday season like never before and experience this annual holiday tradition with a weekend full of family fun! 

Look to The Magnificent Mile® in Chicago to celebrate the holiday season at the 23^rd annual BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Saturday, November 22, 2014! Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida will lead a magical evening lighting parade down The Magnificent Mile, illuminating more than one million lights on 200 trees along North Michigan Avenue.

"Lights Festival is a special time for us to help create magical moments for families and friends who come together to celebrate the holiday season," said Justine Fedak, SVP, Marketing, BMO Harris Bank. "Because this event is filled with so many fun holiday surprises along The Magnificent Mile, we want festival goers to know that we're here to help! Our BMO employee volunteers will help make the Lights Festival experience even better for festival goers as they enjoy our many new and exciting activities throughout the day."

The beloved holiday tradition promises a weekend of festivities that family and friends can enjoy throughout The Magnificent Mile district, including an interactive wonderland of holiday-themed activities at Lights Festival Lane starting at 11:00 am on November 22 (Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue). Don’t forget to stop by one of three BMO Harris Helper Tents for inside tips and your hand warmers.

Festival goers will also have the chance to visit with Santa, brought to you by Walgreens, as well as participate in a family-fun holiday photo session, engage with interactive activities and sample some delicious treats. The 2013 completed BMO Harris Bank Community Art Project mural will be on display along The Magnificent Mile during the holiday season.

Top musical performers scheduled to take the BMO Harris Bank Stage during the afternoon’s live concert line-up include Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Jacquie Lee, presented by Radio Disney, and Kendall Schmidt. As the Official Airline of The Magnificent Mile, Southwest Airlines® presents Nico and Vinz, Norwegian singer-songwriter duo from Oslo. Fans can also look forward to meet-and-greets with their favorite stars throughout the day, including Jacquie Lee, presented by Radio Disney, and Nico and Vinz, presented by Southwest Airlines.

The day’s activities at Lights Festival Lane lead up to the much-anticipated tree lighting parade, the country’s largest evening holiday celebration. The parade begins at 5:30 pm as Grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead more than 40 magnificent floats, helium-filled balloons, classic characters from the Walt Disney World® Resort, seven marching bands from across the country and appearances from celebrities including Sabrina Carpenter, from Disney Channel series Girl Meets World; Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Brendan James from “America’s Got Talent”; and Anna & Elsa from Disney on Ice Frozen.

Top Man Indeed... Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, standing tall. He'll be parading about again on Thanksgiving as Parade Grand Marshal!

Audiences can expect crowd favorites to return such as Santa soaring above the crowds on the Illinois Office of Tourism float, the larger-than-life Hubert the Lion balloon from BMO Harris Bank and the world-famous scent of Garrett Popcorn Shop’s popcorn infused down the procession route from the shop’s float. Other visual masterpieces include a float made of life-size candy from Candyality and a Blackhawks trolley decorated with Chicago pride.

                                                          

The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival draws to a grand conclusion with a spectacular fireworks display over the Chicago River with more than 10,000 handmade fireworks shells from Lumina.

The nationally-televised event will be hosted by ABC 7 Eyewitness News Anchors Cheryl Burton and Alan Krashesky on Saturday, November 22 from 6 pm – 7 pm CST on ABC7 Chicago, with Janet Davies spotlighting some of the best acts from Broadway in Chicago and Tanja Babich capturing the magic from the street.

The Lights Festival will air in more than 85% of markets around the country throughout the holiday season. Viewers can find their local broadcast times at TheMagnificentMile.com or check their local listings to relive the magic. 

The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is also the perfect time to get a start on holiday shopping and explore the city like never before! Seasonal promotions and holiday happenings from area shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions continue throughout the season. 

For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com and follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and foursquare.

About Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort is a contiguous, nearly 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation center featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon); 35 resort hotels (25 owned and operated by Walt Disney World, includes seven Disney Vacation Club resort properties); 81 holes of golf on five courses; two full-service spas; Disney’s Wedding Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; and Downtown Disney, an entertainment-shopping-dining complex.  Walt Disney World Resort is also included in vacation packages of Disney Cruise Line. Located at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971. Open daily, year-round.

About BMO Harris Bank

BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.  BMO Harris Bank’s commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S.  For more information about BMO Harris Bank, go to the company fact sheet.  Banking products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. and are subject to bank or credit approval. BMO Harris Bank^® is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with approximately 1,600 branches, and $549 billion in assets (as of July 31, 2013).

About Southwest Airlines

In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually.  Southwest and wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways operate nearly 3,600 flights a day, serving 93 destinations across the United States and five additional countries.  Service to San Jose, Costa Rica, begins in March 2015, subject to government approvals. Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

About The Magnificent Mile®

The Magnificent Mile® is Chicago’s premier destination, offering more than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels, unique museums and entertaining attractions to more than 20 million visitors each year. As one of the Great Avenues of the World, The Magnificent Mile district features extraordinary shopping, critically-acclaimed dining, world-class hotel accommodations, seasonal event campaigns and exceptional urban landscaping with more than 52 separate parkway gardens that reflect the changing seasons and complement the unique architectural beauty of Chicago. For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com or follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and foursquare.

Big Behemoth BlogHer Recap From WC Soiree On #BlogHer13 #WCSoiree

Look out Chi-town!   It was an invasion of the blogger brigades last week.   Thousands of bloggers from across the nation descended on McCormick Place last weekend for the largest annual blog conference in existence.  The keynotes,  workshops, VIP networking parties, swag bags, and fun will be talked about in cyberspace for months to come.

I've been blogging professionally at ChiILMama.com since 2009, but BlogHer has always conflicted with Lollapalooza/Kidzapalooza which I always have press credentials for and cover heavily.   So, I was a BlogHer newbie.   I was crazy busy through the weekend, and this weekend will be our all consuming Lollapalooza & Kidzapalooza coverage.  But after that, check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often!  The photo & video filled recaps are coming.   For now, check out our FB and Twitter feed. I was happily hash tagging away in real time at BlogHer so you can get a little taste of things to come.

MC MJ and Beth Rosen of Chicagonista fame

ChiIL Out With ChiIL Mama Vicariously:

Tuesday things got off to a rockin' start with Chicagonista's fabulous Soiree in Water Tower Place and a CBS Moms party at The Ritz.   I've been pleased to be part of the Chicagonista and Chicago Moms Blog Network for years.  Our full photo and video feature on the #WCSoiree is coming.   For now, suffice it to say, the food, drinks and networking opportunities were stellar, the scavenger hunt was fun and all too short, and we got a hilarious Mom sitcom sneak peek.



Anupy looked lovely, though she secretly confided that she really dug the black leather look below more.   Me too!   I'd just run into Anupy the night before, at the press opening for Victory Gardens latest, the intense and excellent Mojada, a remake of the Medea myth based in Pilsen with a family of illegal immigrants from Mexico. 

Here's just a little sneak peek at some of the opening fashion show, featuring press personalities and bloggers from Chicago and beyond.   See any familiar faces?   A number of ChiIL Mama's friends and colleagues were tapped for the show including Anupy Singla (Vegan Indian Cookbooks), Meredith Sinclair, Andrea Metcalf (fitness celeb), 

and MCs Nancy Loo (WGN), MJ Tam and Beth Rosen.





The Australian Bee Gees even serenaded us with a mini excerpt from their current Broadway in Chicago Show, now running at The Broadway Playhouse.

We made loads of sweet connections, so we can bring you even more awesome giveaways, product reviews, entertainment and parenting news and more. 

Here's a little sampling of where ChiIL Mama was ChiILin':

Wednesday:   
*Staples Back to School Luncheon

*Flatout Flatbread Trolley/Improv Tour

*Press dinner at Pinstripes Restaurant through US Family Bloggers



Thursday: 

*Eli's Cheesecake Blogger Breakfast

*The Big Toy Book Sweet Suite Event 2013 (with MANY of our favorite brands like Skylanders, HexBugs, D3 and more!)

*Bump Club/PsychoBaby Party

*Petco/CBN/Reviver Pets Party

*Party on the Mag Mile with Womensforum & Escalate Network

*(E)  BlogHer Expo Opens


Friday: 

*(E) BlogHer (Expo/Workshops/Afterparties)

*Yo-Getter Brunch

*Walgreens Trolley/Beach Party

*Lifetime TV Party

*Hasbro Cocktail Party

*American Girl Party

Saturday:

*(E) BlogHer (Expo/Workshops/Afterparties)