OPENING: Barrel of Monkeys Presents THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA Rings in the Holidays

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Barrel of Monkeys Presents

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA 

Rings in the Holidays

Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd

December 10 – 22, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater

An Original Sketch Show that is Written by Kids,

Performed by Grownups, and Enjoyed by Humans

ChiIL Mama will be out for the press opening, Monday, December 17th, so check back shortly after for our full review. BOM and THAT’S WEIRD,
GRANDMA are long time favorites of ours. Check it out!

Barrel of Monkeys celebrates the season with THAT’S WEIRD,
GRANDMA Rings in the Holidays, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing Mondays at 8pm (plus special weekend performances) from December 10 – December 22, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org
or by calling (773) 506-7140. 



Barrel of Monkeys’ beloved holiday special returns with a mix of classic stories from the That’s Weird, Grandma repertoire alongside brand new sketches and songs. Make That’s Weird, Grandma your family’s newest holiday tradition!

The cast includes Noah Appelbaum, Ashley Bland, Maeli Goren, Barry Irving, Meredith Milliron, Deanna Myers, Oly Oxinfry, Mary Tilden, Raquel Torre and Rawson Vint.





Now in its eighteenth year, THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA features adaptations of stories written during Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. BOM’s ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors’ stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. These stories – from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change – resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. Every week brings a new line-up of stories, and BOM invites audiences to vote on their favorites at each performance.



Location: 
Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago

Performance Schedule:
Monday, December 10 at 8 pm (preview)
Monday, December 17 at 8 pm (press performance)
Thursday, December 20 at 8 pm
Friday, December 21 at 8 pm
Saturday, December 22 at 8 pm

Tickets: 
Preview: $10 for adults, $5 children 12 and under, $8 groups of 10 or more. Regular run: $20 for adults in advance; $5 for children 12 and under; $12 for seniors, students, veterans/military and groups of 10 or more. Teen Arts Pass (TAP) members: $5 with ID. Tickets are currently available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.



About the Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining BOM, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within BOM, Brandon has served as an
actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as directing shows for schools and public performances of That's Weird, Grandma. Before becoming the company’s Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. Outside of Barrel of Monkeys, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theater Company, Filament Theatre, InGen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University.

About Barrel of Monkeys
Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs,
which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.

Barrel of Monkeys is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., Ernst and Young and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations.

Chicago Holiday Theatre Roundup: League of Chicago Theatres’ Annual Holiday Guide Highlights Seasonal Productions

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

CHICAGO THEATRES GET FESTIVE FOR 

THE HOLIDAY SEASON

WITH TRADITIONAL FARE, CLASSICS WITH A TWIST,

COMEDY, DANCE, MUSICALS AND MORE

League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Holiday Guide highlights seasonal productions

The Chicago theatre community will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance and comedy offerings this Holiday season.  In support, the League of Chicago Theatres will create its annual comprehensive Holiday Theatre Guide that will be available beginning in mid-November at hotels, theaters, events, and destinations across the Chicago area. An updated list of holiday shows with additional details about each production will be available throughout the season at ChicagoPlays.com. Additionally, many holiday shows will be available at Hot Tix, Chicago’s local, half-price ticketing service.

The following is a selection of Holiday-themed work playing in Chicago this season:

Turn up the volume on Charles Dickens’ classic tale with Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Runs November 20 - December 30.

The heartwarming story of Ebenezer Scrooge comes to life in the Goodman Theatre’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL. A Chicago holiday tradition enjoyed by 1.5 million theatergoers over 4 decades. Runs through December 30.

American Blues Theater’s beloved live 1940s radio broadcast production of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: LIVE IN CHICAGO! returns to Stage 773. Runs through January 5, 2019.

Journey to Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair with The Joffrey Ballet’s reimagined THE NUTCRACKER at The Auditorium Theatre. Runs December 1 - 30.

A wholly-original, ballet-free version of THE NUTCRACKER by The House Theatre of Chicago plays at the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park. This heartwarming, darkly moving story of magic and hope is a fun outing for the whole family. Runs through December 30.

Emerald City Theatre and Broadway In Chicago’s holiday favorite ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS performs at the Broadway Playhouse. Runs through December 30.

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE comes to The Chicago Theatre on State Street featuring over 300 imaginative costumes and 20 astonishing acts with original music and seasonal favorites. Runs December 12 - 16.

Silk Road Rising premieres CHRISTMAS MUBARAK, a first-of-its-kind musical/theatre interplay of the Quranic and New Testament stories that celebrate the miraculous birth of Jesus as told by Muslims and Christians. Runs November 30 - December 9.

Get on board with Waltzing Mechanics’ EL STORIES: HOLIDAY TRAIN at the Greenhouse Theater Center featuring true CTA experiences from Chicagoans. Runs November 29 - December 22.

Barrel of Monkeys’ holiday special THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA RINGS IN THE HOLIDAYS returns to The Neo-Futuriarium with a mix of new and classic sketches written by Chicago Public School students. Runs December 10 - 22.

Midsommer Flight’s smash hit holiday production of TWELFTH NIGHT returns to the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory for another year. Performances are FREE. Runs November 29 - December 16.

Mary Zimmerman’s THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER premieres at Lookingglass Theatre on Michigan Avenue. Telling the unlikely story of a tin soldier with dazzling image and movement. Runs through January 13, 2019.

Strawdog Theatre presents a new stage adaptation with live music of the classic children’s holiday book HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS. Runs December 1 - January 5, 2019.

Irving Berlin’s musical HOLIDAY INN opens at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, telling the story of Jim, who leaves the bright lights of show business to settle down at a farmhouse in Connecticut...but life isn't the same without a bit of song and dance. Runs through January 6, 2019.

About Chicago theatre 
Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Last year alone Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.   

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement 
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city. 
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website,  ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State).