Gustafer Yellowgold

Like Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie's 70's star man, Gustafer Yellowgold, the lemon headed little guy from the sun, performs rock shows here on Earth.

 He's done pretty well for a space man, opening for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree and earning rave reviews in The New York Times.

 We saw him at Schuba's on Sunday in all his yellow, cartoon glory, with his creator Morgan Taylor, Illustrator/Songwriter, who both call New York, home.

Even without a back up band, Morgan and Gustafer had their audience singing along and entranced by the projections and silly lyrics.   For creativity and sheer goofiness, Gustafer Yellowgold wins points in our book.  Who wouldn't laugh at a dude whose best friend and roommate is, Forrest Applecrumbie,  a flightless Pterodactyl. Gustafer and Forrest built a small cottage-style home on the edge of an uncharted wooded area in Minnesota.

 He has a pet Eel named Slim (short for Slimothy) and a pet Dragon named Asparagus who lives in his fireplace and loves corn on the cob. Gustafer's pals, the Mustard Slugs practice their math under the shrubbery.

  Schubas, and a growing number of small clubs, are discovering a huge, untapped market of people who are more than happy to drop cash for multiple Bloody Marys at an 11AM Sunday rock concert.   These people are called parents of  young children. 

In their b.c. (before children) years, these people thought nothing of staying out till 2 or even 4AM.   But now all nighters mean a teething toddler or child with the stomach flu.   Hitting a bar at 11AM, to rock out with your progeny, is better than never getting out at all. And it's lots more fun than dropping your whole pay check on a sitter and staying out till the wee hours, only to have two crazed monkeys jump on your hung over head at the crack of dawn, begging for breakfast!

 Schuba's can even help you out with breakfast.  Swing by next door, for tasty pre-show treats like these yummy, New Orlean's French-style beignets.


This particular show was big with the preschool set, but that may have as much to do with the demographics of Schuba's Family Series, as Gustafer's appeal.   The kids' ages in the audience seemed to peak around Kindergarten and top out around 4th grade.  However, my 3rd grader found himself head bopping and singing along during the show, despite my fears that he might find the songs too babyish.  Honestly, most of the adults in the audience were laughing and singing along at least as much as the little ones.  

As we left Schuba's to the strains of the 1967 hit, Mellow Yellow, by Donovan, both kids clamored for a Gustafer disc.   The girl is thrilled with her purple tee, featuring Slimothy the eel, making a lovely S, for Sagezilla.   And they both were excited about all the free temp tattoos of Yellowgold and his odd assortment of cohorts.

My kids had a good time exploring Gustafer Yellowgold's web site, once we got home.  The games are geared toward older children.   They played the "Remembery" matching games and had a dessert smashing good time, increasing their reflexes in a game called "Cake Smasher", based on Gustafer's hobby.   They also loved Eel Duck Bounce and "Shrimpin, Prawn Dangerland Game".

Check out Gustafer's site for silly games, songs, upcoming shows, merch, and news.

 

Look For ChiIL Mama This Weekend: Interacting With a Menagerie of Creatures and Jeff Corwin from Animal Planet, Cheering Windy City Rollers on to victory over Rose City Rollers from Portland, and Howling with Laughter, too, with Lifeline's Dooby, Dooby, Moo.

First, we have great news about Chicago Children's Theatre's Production of "The Hundred Dresses".   Due to incredible ticket demand, CCT is extending the run through Nov. 22 instead of the original end date of Nov. 1. 

Single tickets for Nov. 10-22 performances are scheduled to go on sale this Friday, Oct. 16.  

Group sales tickets are available for these new shows immediately. Groups of 10 or more can call GroupTix: 877-4-GRP-TIX (877.447.7849).

Ticket prices will remain the same ($28 – $38) as will the weekday performance schedule (Tue-Fri at 10:30am) and the Sunday performance schedule (12 noon and 3 pm).  Call the Royal George box office at 312.988.9000 for ticket availability and more information.

We'll be thinking outside of the TV box this weekend.  Why watch wildlife from the couch when you can experience a menagerie of animals and Emmy award winning Animal Planet host, Jeff Corwin, in person.  This fun, informative presentation has been hailed as “the world’s greatest animal show.”

The show will be this Saturday, October 17th, at 2pm, at UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. — The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University.  The Center is located at 1 University Parkway (Governors Highway and University Parkway), 45 minutes south of the Loop, off I-57 at Sauk Trail. Parking is free.

Buy one, get one free tickets are available at the box office two hours prior to curtain for one hour only, based upon availability, and advanced tickets begin at just $19 for children up to age 16.

Join host Jeff Corwin for “Tales from the Field,” a family-friendly and educational experience.   Corwin is America’s leading environmental conservationist.   The show kicks off with video highlights from Corwin’s adventures around the world, followed by personal stories and visits from special animal guests.  In this highly interactive show, Corwin will invite audience members on stage to interact with the animals while he discusses the unique challenges each species faces in the wild.

Throughout Corwin’s show, the stage will be filled with a menagerie of live animal guests such as an American Alligator, Marine Toad, Gabon Viper, Albino Burmese Python and an Alligator Snapping Turtle weighing nearly 100 pounds.  Corwin concludes the show with an interactive audience Q&A that is sure to inspire the Chicago Southland to become more aware of the threats to wildlife and to the environment. 

Jeff Corwin is the Emmy Award-winning host of a variety of popular television shows, including Animal Planet's “The Jeff Corwin Experience” and “Corwin's Quest,” Disney's “Going Wild with Jeff Corwin,” NBC's “Jeff Corwin Unleashed,” and the Travel Channel's “Into Alaska” and “Into the American West.” He also co-created and co-hosted CNN's “Planet in Peril” with Anderson Cooper in 2007. In Nov. 2008, Animal Planet premiered “The Vanishing Frog,” a powerful documentary that highlights his yearlong exploration into the mass extinction of our planet’s important amphibian species.

Single tickets range in price from $32 - $39 for adults and $19 - $26 for children age 16 and under. For subscription and single ticket information call The Center ‘s friendly Box Office staff at (708) 235-2222 or Visit www.centertickets.net.  For group ticket (parties of 20 or more) information, call (800) 386-6321.

Saturday night, we'll be at UIC Pavillion for some fast skatin' Roller Derby action.   Come cheer on the best of the Windy City Rollers All Stars Vs. Rose City Rollers from Portland.   Bout is 7-9pm.   See their web site for ticket options.

Sunday, we're looking forward to reviewing Lifeline Theatre's new production of "Dooby, Dooby, Moo."    The kids loved "Click, Clack, Moo" as a production, and we've been fans of the silly, Doreen Cronin books, both shows were based on, for years.

The County Fair is coming, and the grand prize in the talent competition is a trampoline! Duck wants that prize, but with Farmer Brown watching around every corner, how will he hold singing and dancing rehearsals for Cow, Pig and Ewe? Hop aboard Farmer Brown’s truck and travel to the fair with this new musical about sharing your talents and reaching for your dreams, by the same team that brought you Click, Clack Moo.

Recommended for kids 5 and up. Children under 2 are not permitted.

Based on the popular bestseller by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Adapted by James E. Grote
Music by George Howe
Directed by Shole Milos

OPENING DAY BOOK SIGNING: Join author Doreen Cronin and illustrator Betsy Lewin on Sunday, October 18th at noon for a FREE meet-and-greet and book signing in the Lifeline lobby!

I ♥ Faces--Excitement

Click on photo to enlarge.

 This week, at I ♥ Faces, the contest theme is excitement.   It was a tough call, because I had some excited kid faces,that were seasonal, at the North Park Nature Center Scarecrow building contest.   But ultimately, nothing says excitement, like one last fling on The Pirate Galleon Swinging Ship before Kiddieland closed for ever.

They Might Be Giants--But They Looked Pretty Short From The Balcony!

We just saw a rockin' awesome TMBG show Saturday afternoon, where they packed the 1,000 seat Vic Theatre.   There were multiple drum kits,

lots of confetti blasts,



snarky sock puppets,



and a range of eclectic instruments, including a penny whistle, accordian, bass sax, and clarinet.

 
From the opening notes of "Never Go To Work", to the close of the second encore, our all time favorite,"Istanbul, Not Constantinople", the Vic was vibrating to the ornate ceiling with dancing parents and kids of all ages.   Boy have they grown.   But they're still not too big to be good sharers, and let others play with their toys.

Back in the year 2001, our son was born and we embarked on what we jokingly called "2001:   A Baby Odyssey".   They  Might Be Giants were on a similar path, with the 2001 recording of their first children's album, "No!".

In the intervening 8 years, they've popped out a family of 4 alternative, kidcentric discs, to educate and entertain, a fun, bedtime compilation, and podcasts that rock our world.
  

When we heard, in 2002, that TMBG had put out a kids album that wasn't all lullabies and 10 verses of wheels on the bus, we were all over it.   As young adults, in the 80s, we had danced to They Might Be Giants' alternative rock, and were alternately amazed an annoyed by their unusual compositions.   Most of the annoyed part came from those catchy tunes we couldn't get out of our brains.   I like to call it my brain's "screen saver".   Those crazy tunes like "Anna Ang", "Don't Let's Start" and "Dr. Worm" still have a way of popping up on auto play, whenever I'm not actively thinking of something else.

Then in 2003, we gave birth to future rock star, Sagie Contagious, and TMBG released the fantastic 4 story/4 song, hardback book and disc combo, "Bed, Bed, Bed".    

In 2005, "Here Come The ABCs" came out, and we saw them in concert at The Old Town School of Folk Music around then, with our two and four year olds in tow.   The small auditorium wasn't crowded, and just a hand full of kids were dancing down in front.   We laughed about the "kiddie mosh pit", and they gave us a big, orange foam, They Might Be Giants hand, like you see at sporting events, for free.  We cracked up at the antics of the "Deeply Felt Puppets", and bought our toddler a size 8-10 "No!" shirt, being thrifty, so he could wear it for a few years.   It still fits our 3rd grader...but just barely!

Then,  "Here Come The 123s", took off like a bottle of soda shaken up by a toddler, and blasted all the way to the top, winning a 2009 Grammy for Best Children's Album.   How do you top that?   It's elementary, my dear.   You use the scientific method.   Saturday's XRT concert took us on a nostalgic trip back through all of TMBGs phenomenal kids discs, including a number from their impressive newbie, "Here Comes Science".   Their intelligent humor and rocking riffs will have parents and kids laughing and learning, without even trying.

When we were children of the 70s, the only giants resided at the top of bean stalks and ground trespassers' bones to make their bread.   When we were small, discs weren't invented yet, and the booming genre of intelligent, funky, fun kids music was unheard of.   Our kids have grown up with They Might Be Giants as an integral part of the sound track of their childhoods.   And we're mighty glad they have.


Check out their excellent web site for the hot off the presses "Here Comes Science", featuring 19 new songs and videos that feature a fun, creative way to look at science.  The TMBG site also has detailed info about the band's past history, future plans and even podcasts......for headphone sporting anteaters.   They have merch and tunes there, so silly they'll make your face hurt.   

(Here's Du-Jay's new tee from the show, since he has to kick his "No!" shirt to Sagezilla.   It's a small adult size, so I hope he'll get 4 years of wear out of this one, too.)

Yeast Nation: And a Tale of a Jeff, 2 Tonys, a Greg, a Mark, and a cast full of Jan's

Barbara Robertson

Photo by Michael Brosilow

ChiIL Mama had a hilarious, kid-free afternoon, exploring the primordial ooze, at American Theatre Company.   And I'm happy to report that Jeff recommended Yeast Nation has been extended through November 8th, due to record sales weeks and great reviews.

This quirky rock musical explores the emotional and physical quagmire of a colony of yeast, at the beginning of time.   Though all the characters are single celled beings, they are multifaceted.   Humans will relate to the desperation over lack of resources, overpopulation, and hunger.

Humans of this century are not so different from the yeast, where the royal family keeps secret stashes of salt, while the masses starve.   Yeast use blackmail to ensure complicity and manipulate unwilling dates.   A certain subset of humans will also relate to the two yeast who bring the beautiful girl "a fatty from their secret stash" in order to impress her.   Even the age old battles of religious prohibitions and stasis versus progress and free thinking, manage to surface.   

I was eager to see Yeast Nation, as I've been a fan of Greg Kotis and his wife Ayun Halliday, since the early 90's when they were weekly staples in The Neofuturists production Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.   Back before they had their own building, we'd line up at The Live Bait Theater on Clark Street and the actors would pass out a deck of playing cards, because the deck equaled the number of seats available.   And when they sold out, which they inevitably did, they ordered out.   The pizza would arrive at the end of their 30 plays in 60 minutes, and would be shared by all.

Greg, Ayun, and Greg's co-author, Mark Hollmann defected to The Big Apple years ago.   Lucky for Chicago, we still have a soft spot in these New Yorker's hearts.  Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, who won 2 Tony awards for their irreverant musical,  Urinetown, came back to embrace their roots in the local theater scene, and make Chicago a funnier place this fall.

Thank you Greg and Mark, for attempting something that seems like an impossible dare.   I'm reminded of improv. class challenges, and can just hear you egging each other on over beers.   In my brain, the fictional dialogue goes something like this.

"Hey, Mark.  I bet you can't create an entire musical starring nothing but single celled organisms."

"Oh yeah?   Well, I accept that challenge, Greg, but on the condition that you write it containing 9 characters all named Jan."

This challenge was not only attempted, but fulfilled admirably.  

Jan the Unnamed Barbara Robertson
Jan the Elder Joseph Anthony Foronda
Jan the Second Andrew Keltz
Jan the Sweet Melanie Brezill
Jan the Wise Phil Ridarelli
Jan the Sly Sandie Rosa
Jan the Wretched/Jan the Youngest Bernard Balbot
Jan the Famished Wendi Weber

This production of Yeast Nation (The Triumph of Life), is technically being called the "Midwest Premier", since Yeast Nation was work shopped extensively, in different incarnations and locations, and performed as a full blown production in Alaska.   However, it still counts as a new musical, in my book, since it's never been seen with this full musical score before.

There was only one child in the audience, Saturday afternoon, but ACT recommends Yeast Nation as kid friendly for the 8 and up set.   Despite the catchy score and singing, dancing yeasts, younger children might find the content a bit over their heads or scary.   Nothing is particularly inappropriate for children, but characters are murdered and lofty themes are explored, reminiscent of classic Greek theatre.

Contact the American Theatre Company box office for detailed production information and tickets.

Chicago Children's Theatre's World Premier of The Hundred Dresses Impresses

Sunday, I took my two junior critics to see The Hundred Dresses, presented by Chicago Children's Theatre.  It passed both the gender and age tests, and got a resounding cheer and two little thumbs up, from my 8 year old boy and 6 year old girl.

This production is Chicago Children's Theatre's most ambitious undertaking to date, and they rose to the challenge admirably.   The acting, sets, and costumes are all fabulous.   And the musical itself is extremely entertaining, enlightening and well written.

Natalie Berg and Leslie Ann Sheppard, were especially impressive.

Even my actual third grader, Dugan, declared those two made the most convincing 8 year olds.  That's not an easy feat for adults to pull off.

 Chicago Children's Theatre has been a favorite of ours, since January of 2006, when we saw their excellent, inaugural production of A Year With Frog and Toad.   Now they've embarked on another first, with the world premier of The Hundred Dresses, a musical by Ralph Covert (of Ralph's World fame) and G. Riley Mills, based on the 1944 children's book by Eleanor Estes.

Although Eleanor Estes died in 1988, her daughter, Helena Estes, was able to come to the press opening last Sunday, to see the contemporary offspring her Mother's award winning book gave birth to.    Although 65 years have passed since Estes published her Polish immigrant tale, bullies have changed little, and The Hundred Dresses is still timely.   With a compelling sound track, colorful characters, timeless themes, and a necessary message, The Hundred Dresses musical is sure to become a classic.

One of our favorite aspects of this premier production, was the interesting choice to bridge the decades between the present and the original book, with an inclusive array of visual and musical choices.   The little red school house hearkened back to simpler times.   Sketches for the 100 dresses looked like 1940's Vogue patterns.    Then the rich girls' dresses, bobby socks and saddle shoes were vintage 1950's.

The retro lunch boxes were straight out of the mid 70's.   In fact, I got a nostalgic kick out of the fact that I had the same lunch box as the Peggy character, in my childhood.   Miss Mason, the teacher's holiday costumes were this millennium, as were the recent musical choices of the opening band, like "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" by The Flaming Lips.

This is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, October 4-10th.   So, what better time for Chicago Children's Theatre to launch their run.   It's estimated that 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day, as a result of being bullied.   So, Estes original message of bullying and it's concequences is still timely, and as necessary as ever.   There are still many children who are cruel to new immigrants, those with less money, or those a little different.   And it's eye opening to many children to realize that teasing and taunting, or even standing by and allowing a bully to continue unchallenged, can be just as harmful as bullying in a physical way.

The show skillfully touches on common ways boys bully, with the humorous song, "Willie Bounce", which recounts physical bullying, threatening, and lunch theft.   The two male characters also provide levity to a serious subject, and make sure The Hundred Dresses won't only be relevant to the princess set.  Willie's bumbling antics and amusing costumes, which included cowboy, robot, Superman and Tiny Tim, add comic relief and amused parents and children alike.

The girls' bullying runs throughout the production, and takes the more subtle, and often more destructive, bent of psychological games.   Childhood is a time of playfulness and wonder, well captured by the giant swing set and playground games, in this production.   Childhood is also a time of great cruelty, lessons in negotiating friendships, peer pressure, fitting in, and ultimately, great compassion.    If even some of the children who come to see The Hundred Dresses leave with the strength to recognize and reign in cruel behavior and words in themselves, and challenge those actions in others, then Chicago Children's Theatre has performed a great service.

 In the lobby, before the show, children can color dresses or boats that may be used in future productions.

Children can also enter to win a "Chrissa" Doll (2009 Girl of the Year, who experienced bullying) courtesy of American Girl Theater, or purchase The Hundred Dresses book and related toys.  

The interactive atmosphere continues inside during seating, as an opening band plays upbeat favorites from the 1950's to the present.  Characters roam the audience, encouraging goofy 50's and 60's style dance moves, and chat one on one with kids.

In the lobby, directly after the show, cast members are available to meet the audience and sign the all important autographs.

 My kids treasure all their signed programs, and when they dress up and put on productions at home, the plays always end with autographs.   Despite the traffic jam it caused, the kids were thrilled that the actors continued that noble tradition.

As we posted last week on ChiIL Mama, children are encouraged to share their stories about bullying on line by emailing them to shareyourstory@chicagochildrenstheatre.org where they will select some for posting each week. Also available on the website is an extensive down loadable study guide, as well as interviews with director Sean Graney and members of the cast of The Hundred Dresses.

Today, we got the excellent news that their run has just been extended till November 8th, due to popular demand.   Shows are at The Royal George Theatre Mainstage and run Tuesday, Wednesday (10/21, 10/28 and 11/4) and every Thursday and Friday at 10:30a.m.   Weekends, shows run Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 3p.m.  

School group discounts and discounts for birthday parties of 10 or more, are available through GroupTixs, with details on line.