OPENING: DJEMBE! THE SHOW at Apollo Theater Chicago, Thursday, April 11, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

With a drum on every seat,

U.S. Premiere of high energy theatrical experience

DJEMBE! THE SHOW

Officially opens at Apollo Theater Chicago, Thursday, April 11, 2019

ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?! I've been eagerly anticipating the official opening for months now, since the initial rumblings about this show. I'll be there with a friend by my side and my hands on a djembe drum, opening night. Check back soon for my full review. I recently had an informal chat with someone on crew for this show and he said they have a unique way of introducing the group drumming so it's not chaotic or intimidating. I can't wait to check it out. 

Following a smash-hit international tour, the high energy musical experience, DJEMBE! The Show, makes its U.S. debut at the Apollo Theater (2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago) Thursday, April 11, at 7:30pm. 

With a djembe (JEM-bay) drum on every seat, the entire audience is invited to play along with performers on stage, creating a transformative musical theatrical experience like no other.  Leading this lively musical journey from ancient drumming to rock, pop and rap is the trio of Broadway talent Ben Hope (Once) as Emcee; critically-acclaimed Chicago musical theater artist Rashada Dawan (Caroline, or Change) on lead vocals; and Guinean master drummer and folklorist Fodé Lavia Camara, backed by an ensemble of world-class musicians.

DJEMBE! was originally created by British artist and social entrepreneur Doug Manuel and is co-written by Manuel and Director West Hyler (Jersey Boys, Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour on Broadway, iLuminate, Big Apple Circus).  The accomplished creative team includes Tony Award™-winner Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Obie Award™-winner Montana Levi Blanco (Costumes), Zach Blane (Lighting), Ray Nardelli (Sound), Rasean Davonte Johnson (Projections), and musician and storyteller Seckou Keita (Lead African Artist).

DJEMBE! The Show is performed at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.   

Tickets range in price from $39.00 - $69.00 and are now on sale through May 12, 2019, at www.djembetheshow.com, the Apollo Theater box office, phone (773) 935-6100, and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

DJEMBE! The Show is recommended for audiences over the age of 10; children under six will not be admitted.  Single ticket discounts are available for students and seniors. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available through Group Theater Tix, (312) 423-6612, www.grouptheatertix.com.

For more information, visit www.djembetheshow.com.

OPENING: DRUM ALONG AT U.S. DEBUT OF DJEMBE! THE SHOW AT CHICAGO’S APOLLO THEATER BEGINNING MARCH 19, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

BANG A DRUM.  FEEL THE PASSION. ALL TOGETHER NOW!

FRESH, NEW INTERACTIVE THEATRICAL EVENT

DJEMBE! THE SHOW

MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT CHICAGO’S APOLLO THEATER

IN LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, BEGINNING MARCH 19, 2019

A drum on every seat invites audiences to play along on this ‘joyous musical journey’

led by Broadway and Chicago talent!

**DJEMBE! The Show is enjoyable for all ages with discounts for students and seniors**

This show looks like too much fun! Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we're all about powerful storytelling and inspiring music. And with Djembe! The Show, the audience gets to drum too. We can't wait to check it out. 

Following a smash-hit international tour, the new, interactive theatrical event, DJEMBE! The Show, makes its U.S. debut at the Apollo Theater (2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago), for a strictly limited engagement starting performances on March 19, 2019 (with an official premiere on Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m.). DJEMBE! (JEM-bay) will engage audiences in a high-energy program of powerful storytelling and inspiring music, including iconic pop hits. Leading this lively musical journey will be the trio of Broadway talent Ben Hope (Once) as Emcee; critically-acclaimed Chicago musical theater artist Rashada Dawan (Caroline, or Change) on lead vocals; and Guinean master drummer and folklorist Fodé Lavia Camara, backed by an ensemble of world-class musicians.

DJEMBE! was originally created by British artist and social entrepreneur Doug Manuel and is co-written by Manuel and Director West Hyler (Jersey Boys, Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour on Broadway, iLuminate, Big Apple Circus). 

The accomplished creative team includes Tony Award™-winner Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Obie Award™-winner Montana Levi Blanco (Costumes), Zach Blane (Lighting), Ray Nardelli (Sound), Resean Davonte Johnson (Projections), and musician and storyteller Seckou Keita (Lead African Artist).

This U.S. debut is proudly presented by Ashley DeSimone Productions in partnership with TSG Theatricals.

“Upon seeing this show, I was immediately reminded of how I felt at Blue Man Group when that show first launched: exhilarated, transported, alive. DJEMBE! is an uplifting journey that I think individuals, friends and families all want to experience right now.  Audiences can choose to interact musically with our storytellers, which is surprisingly fun and also unique,” said DeSimone.  “We are delighted to have our initial U.S. home be in Chicago.”

Added Manuel, “What’s particularly exciting is the transformative nature of the experience when there are more than four hundred people in the audience playing music together. Versions of DJEMBE! have already been used by companies including Google, McDonald’s, IBM, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble to illustrate the importance of collaboration and community.  World-class entertainment, but with an important message.  One of our biggest fans is Oprah Winfrey, who chose DJEMBE! to open one of her OWN SuperSoul sessions!”

Lead cast bios:

Ben Hope (Emcee) made his Broadway debut in 2012 as the original replacement for the lead role in the Tony Award-winning musical Once. He has also traveled the world playing such notable musical greats as Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, and Johnny Cash, among other more traditional musical theatre roles. Hope is the leader of the NYC-based honky-tonk band Ben Hope & The Uptown Outfit and is honored to be among these incredibly talented musicians for his debut in Chicago area theater.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Rashada Dawan (Vocalist) toured for four years with Disney's The Lion King Las Vegas company and in the Gazelle National Tour as Shenzi (affectionately known as "the Whoppi Goldberg hyena"). Other credits include: Caroline, or Change (Firebrand Theatre), Elf (Paramount), A Red Line Runs Through It (Second City), The Nutcracker (Lincolnshire Marriott), Aida (MUNY), Big River (Boho Theatre), Once On This Island (Yellow Alligator Theatre), TV/Film: The Red Line (CBS), Proven Innocent (Fox), Empire (Fox), Easy (Netflix)  

Fodé Lavia Camara (Lead djembe drummer) is a master drummer, folklorist, percussionist and choreographer who exemplifies the new generation in the preservation of West African traditions and the influence of these traditions on the world. Among his performance credits, in 2000, after an international search, Camara was recruited to Senegal’s Ballets D’Afrique Noire for a 32-city tour of the United States as lead drummer in a production entitled Mandinka Epic. He teaches annually at Kumandi African Drum and Dance Camp and tours nationally and internationally as an instructor, choreographer, and guest artist.

DJEMBE! The Show will be performed at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, in a strictly limited engagement, March 19 - June 2, 2019: Tuesdays - Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets range in price from $39.00 - $69.00 and are now on sale at www.djembetheshow.com, the Apollo Theater box office, phone (773) 935-6100, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Enjoy special pricing in the first week of preview performances (March 19-24) when all tickets are priced at $39.00. DJEMBE! The Show is enjoyable for all ages; single ticket discounts are available for students and seniors. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available through Group Theater Tix, (312) 423-6612, www.grouptheatertix.com.

The Apollo Theater, located in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park, has been home to many of the city’s biggest hits including, most recently, Million Dollar Quartet, which became the longest-running Broadway musical in Chicago history. Recently renovated and fully accessible, the Apollo Theater’s intimate 435-seat mainstage continues to deliver world-class theater as one of the city’s premiere off-Loop houses.

Ashley DeSimone runs her namesake producing office, Ashley DeSimone Productions, where she brings new plays and musicals to the stage, and manages Fortune Theatrical Ventures, an investment portfolio focused on global live entertainment projects for clients and theater fans who want to own what they love. DeSimone has produced theater on Broadway, Off Broadway, in the West End, at U.S. regional theaters and in markets all over the world.  www.ashleydesimoneproductions.com

The Seelig Group (“TSG”) is a private media and entertainment investment, production and advisory firm which manages both TSG Theatricals and TSG Entertainment. TSG Theatricals is a production company that acquires, develops, produces, and presents a broad portfolio of live entertainment for international markets. Since 2012, TSG Entertainment has been the exclusive co-financing partner of 20th Century Fox, resulting in a library of 90+ films. TSG Theatricals is managed by Chip Seelig, Jovan Hannah, and Ophelia Chua.    

Foresight Theatrical is an industry leader in general management services for Broadway and touring productions. Foresight has managed some of the most famous shows of all time, including Les Misérables, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark and the longest-running production in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.  In addition, the current roster of productions includes the Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots in London and Australia, The Band's Visit, The Lifespan of a Fact, King Kong, The Prom, Girl From The North Country at The Public Theater and Moulin Rouge!

For more information on DJEMBE! The Show, click HERE.

WIN 4 FREE Tickets To TUTA Studio Theatre--US Premiere of The Silent Language (Ages 8+) #giveaway #sponsored

Gasho (Max Lotspeich) plays the guitar in TUTA Theatre Chicago’s The Silent Language

ACT OUT KIDS OPENING:  ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and this darkly comedic, Serbian, fairy tale musical!   (recommended for ages 8+).   Enter below for your chance to WIN 4 tickets to any 4pm weekend matinee through midnight 4/18.   (Disclosure:   Thanks to TUTA for kickin' us tickets for our giveaway and review purposes.   All opinions are our own.)

Some of the things we love and value most about raising urban kids are the multicultural and cultural opportunities.   TUTA Theatre has both!   Our own last name "Mara" is a slavic fairy tale character--a biting night witch or vampire type who comes to you while you sleep and induces "nightmares".   Cool huh.   So, our family's well primed to dig the macabre in The Silent Language.   ChiIL Mama will be there midway through the run and we'll have a full review up shortly thereafter.   

TUTA THEATRE CHICAGO CONTINUES THEIR 11^th SEASON WITH THE U.S. PREMIERE OF THE SILENT LANGUAGE BY MIODRAG STANISAVLJEVIC AND DIRECTED BY TUTA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JACQUELINE STONE

The wedding couple (Max Lotspeich and Carolyn Molloy) 

The Silent Language, a U.S. premiere, by Serbian playwright Miodrag Stanisavljevic, translated by Zoran Paunovic, is a highly musical and darkly comedic fairy tale. Written in the 1981, The Silent Language is an adaptation of an old Serbian folk tale originally called Nemusti Jezik.  It follows the journey of a young village servant named Poor Gasho as he gains the ability to understand the “the silent language.”   As defined in this story, it is the language that only animals can speak and understand.  On a larger scale, the script also speaks to the things we see and hear in everyday life, but fail to recognize due to our inabilities to listen and focus on details. 

Stanisavljevic’s structure is exciting and risky, marking a departure from the typical “alls-well-that-ends well” fairy tale structure.  It’s very open and at times, exposes the harsh realities of both good and evil.  A large forest provides a backdrop for countless discoveries, facing your fears, and finding secrets in unexpected places.

The Silent Language will mark two big milestones at TUTA.  It will be the U.S. premiere of a rarely produced Serbian play and it will mark the directorial debut at TUTA of their newly appointed Artistic Director, Jacqueline Stone.  Stone, a co-founder and longtime company member, brings a wealth of experience and a unique understanding of TUTA’s mission and desire to bring innovative international works to American audiences.  The Silent Language is an ensemble piece, and will draw upon the long tradition and commitment TUTA has to working with its company members.  It’s musical in both form and content, and there will be a continued exploration of TUTA’s commitment to original and rearranged forms of music. 

Performance Runs Friday April 19 – Sunday May 19 at TUTA Studio Theatre

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your shot at winning 4 tickets:

(Tickets to any 4pm weekend matinee of your choice.   Enter through midnight 4/18.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TUTA Theatre Chicago continues its eleventh season with The Silent Language, a U.S. premiere, written by Serbian playwright Miodrag Stanisavljevic, translated by Zoran Paunovic, and directed by Artistic Director Jacqueline Stone.  The Silent Language will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., in addition to Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4 p.m., from April 19 – May 19 at TUTA Studio Theatre, 2010 W. Fulton Street.  There is no 8 p.m. show on Saturday, May 4.  

Pay what you can previews & industry night:

Preview performances are April 11 – 18, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., in addition to Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. and are “pay-what-you-can”.  

There is a “pay-what-you-can” industry performance on Monday, April 29 at 8 p.m.  There is a suggested donation of $25 at the door for adults and $15 for industry/students/children under 18 at all performances.  Seating is extremely limited.  Reservations are highly recommended.  To reserve spots call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 (24 Hours) or on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.  *All reservations must be claimed no later than 15 minutes before a performance or they will be released.  This show is recommended for children ages eight and up.

The production features the talents of company member Jaimelyn Gray, and guest artists Sean Ewert, Laurie Larson, Carolyn Malloy,Max Lotspeich, Aaron Lawson, and Angela Bullard, under the direction of Jacqueline Stone (co-founder).  Design and technical collaborators include:  Original Music and Musical Direction by Wain Parham; set design by Michelle Lilly; costume design by Branimira Ivanova; lighting design by Keith Parham; sound design by Joe Court; prop design by Oliver Todd; and stage management by Allison Raynes.

Artistic Director and Co-Founder Jacqueline Stone directs The Silent Language, which makes this the 13^th production she has been artistically a part of for the company over the last eleven years.  As an actress, she has appeared in numerous TUTA productions includingThe Wedding (1996, 2010, 2011), The Hour, Alice, Little Prince, Still Life in Color, Uncle Vanya (2008, 2009), Baal, and Fulton Street Sessions.  Other Chicago theatre she has worked with include Chicago Dramatists, The Second City, Prop Thtr, 20% Theatre Company, WNEP Theatre, New Leaf Theatre, Backstage, Brown Couch, and io (formerly Improv Olympic).  Stone recently directed the world premiere of Chelsea Marcantal’s Devour at 20% Theatre Company, in addition to Jenny Siedelman’s August 8, 1974.  She directed the world premiere of Dee Bolos’ acclaimed one woman show Southside (Prop Thtr, NYC Fringe, Seattle Fringe).  In addition she directed the world premiere ofDon’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Apollo,Touring company, and Millennium Park) and the Midwest première of Junie B. Jones at Emerald City Theatre Company. 

The Silent Language at TUTA Studio Theatre, 2010 W. Fulton Avenue, April 19 – May 19 (no show Sat, May 4).  Preview performances are Thursday, April 11 – Thursday, April 18. Opening press nights are Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at 8 p.m.  Spots are “Pay-what-you-can” for previews and a suggested donation of $25 for adults and $15 for industry/students/children under 18 for the regular performances.  Spots are extremely limited, and reservations are highly recommended.  To reserve spots to The Silent Language call 1-800-838-3006 (24 Hours) or go on-line to www.brownpapertickets.com.  For more information on TUTA go to www.tutato.com.

                            (L to R) Gander (Sean Ewert) and Goose (Angela Bullard)     

Photos by Anthony Robert La Penna