REVIEW of the new musical "Trevor," running at Writers Theatre in Glencoe through September 17th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: 

Writers Theatre presents the World Premiere of

TREVOR

THE MUSICAL

Book and Lyrics by Dan Collins

Music by Julianne Wick Davis



All production photos by Michael Brosilow

Based on the Academy Award-winning film Trevor

Orchestrations by Greg Pliska

Music Direction by Matt Deitchman

Choreography by Josh Prince

Directed by Marc Bruni

August 9 – September 17, 2017

REVIEW

By Catherine Hellmann. 

**As I'm recovering from major knee surgery, Cath Hellmann will be guest reviewing for me throughout August. Cath is a lifelong theatre lover, on stage, directing, and in the audience. She's an English teacher, mom of three, and elated to be living in Chicago again, after a 10 year stint in the wilds of rural Michigan near Kalamazoo. **

      Trevor is ahead of his time. The year is 1981, and 13-year-old Trevor is experiencing all the usual angst of adolescence, trying to fit in, be accepted at school, and appear to be a typical teen to his peers while he suspects he is quite different from other kids. He frequently channels a fantasy life inspired by his idol, Diana Ross, as he struggles with his sexuality and his identity in a world not prepared yet for gay teens. 




      "Trevor" is a brand-new musical premiering at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. The inspiration came from a short film by the same name which won an Academy Award for  Best Live Action Short in 1994. The movie also inspired The Trevor Project which is "the only accredited crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization focused on saving young LGBTQ lives. www.TheTrevorProject.org," citing the  press release. "Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24; the rate of suicide attempts is 4 times greater for LGB youth and 2 times greater for questioning youth than that of straight youth," according to The Trevor Project. After being humiliated at school, the title character does begin to believe the world may be a better place without him in it. 

       Such a serious topic could mislead potential audience members into being wary of the show being a downer. But "Trevor" is so far removed from that: Uplifting, life-affirming, inspiring, charming, and downright laugh-out-loud funny. The script and lyrics by Dan Collins with music by Julianne Wick Davis are delightful and witty. One of the songs is called "Weird," where Trevor cheerfully acknowledges, "In another ten years, I'll be even weirder!" 



       The choreography by Josh Prince is creative, whether it involves the students with their desks in the classroom or Trevor throwing his heart into rehearsing with the football team for a number in the school talent show. Trevor admits that he is "more of a performer than an athlete." The ensemble cast is notable throughout but especially here in Trevor's fantasy scene where he imagines how incredible his choreography could be for the athletes; some of the best and most hilarious numbers in the show feature Trevor's wildly active imagination. Donyale Werle's clever set design also assists in a few fun surprises and humor. 



       Eli Tokash is already a Broadway and touring veteran at age 14. In the title role, he is astounding in his singing and acting as Trevor. He is riveting to watch and displays a maturity in his performance beyond his years. My theater companion had an older gentleman sitting next to her who proudly told us at intermission that the boy playing Trevor is his grandson. During the scene when Trevor is attempting to end his life (sorry for the spoiler, but I already told you the mission of the Trevor Project!), we heard this sweet grandfather crying. My friend said she debated the awkwardness of patting his hand or putting her arm around him...

       Other notable performances are the stunning Salisha Thomas as Diana Ross and Jarrod Zimmerman as Father Joe in a cringe-worthy but hysterical scene when he explains the birds and the bees to Trevor at the Tastee Freez. Equally hideous but true-to-life are Mara Blumenfeld's costumes of lots of striped knit shirts and sweaters. (Ugh. What were we thinking?) Matthew Uzarrraga plays Trevor's best friend who likes to examine his own sperm under a microscope. His questioning of Trevor's interest in girls, or lack thereof, provides the first indication that Trevor is a little different from others. 



       Writers Theatre is to be commended for taking on this ambitious labor of love with U Rock Theatricals. Director Marc Bruni, who directed "Beautiful:The Carole King Musical," has assembled a top- notch creative team of artists, crew, and performers. Writers Theatre's new home in Glencoe is gorgeous. If you haven't been there because you think it's too far from the city, it is certainly worth the trip. "Trevor" is a powerful, riveting, funny show on a serious topic. You can brag you saw the premiere in the Chicago production. 





       Although things are better for gay teens, it is still a struggle, as noted by The Trevor Project. When I was in high school, same era as this show, it was highly unusual for a young person to admit to being homosexual. Oh, we had our suspicions, and assumed they were just "wimpy" or "artistic" like Trevor. Now I am astounded how many of my teenagers' classmates say they are gay or bisexual, and I am like,"Oh, another one?" What's really cool is how accepting my children are of differences. It does not phase them; they explain the new terminology to me. The coming out of teens has become so accepted. It is progress at a time when distrust of The Other is having a new surge. As Marc Bruni explains,"I hope there will be a time where the story of 'Trevor' will feel like yesterday's news."

For show times, further information and ticket purchasing links click here.

Cirque du Soleil LUZIA'S Lasting Gift To Chicago

Cirque du Soleil announces artistic gift to Chicago

for the Year of Public Art!

  

Partnership with Columbia College Chicago and Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) commissions local artist Gloria “Gloe” Talamantes to create a new mural inspired by LUZIA

Public unveiling Thursday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m. with Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) Commissioner Mark Kelly, Columbia College Chicago, WAC, and LUZIA artists

Cirque du Soleil announces a partnership with Columbia College Chicago and the Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) that will add a new public mural downtown in honor of the city’s Year of Public Art. Local artist Gloria “Gloe” Talamantes is creating the mural, commissioned by Cirque du Soleil and inspired by its highly acclaimed production LUZIA, currently playing a limited engagement in Chicago through Sept. 3.



The Cirque du Soleil-commissioned mural is an addition to WAC’s 40+ murals in the South Loop neighborhood. It will also kick off this year’s public art exhibition Street Level, which will unveil eight new murals that will be presented at street level and highlight a diverse range of artists at the local, national, and international level.

In a free public event Thursday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Congress Parkway and Holden Court, the final mural will be unveiled on the western façade of Columbia’s 33 E. Congress Parkway. The event will include LUZIA artists and remarks from Talamantes, DCASE Commissioner Mark Kelly, Columbia College Chicago and WAC.

“We are happy to give this artistic gift to Chicago for its Year of Public Art,” said Claudine Rivard, Company Manager of Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA. “This is a way for Cirque du Soleil to thank the city and its residents for all of their support, not just for LUZIA, but for embracing our artists and crews for over 17 productions across 28 years.”

Having started as a troupe of street performance artists 33 years ago, Cirque du Soleil is always looking for ways to give back to the local communities it visits, either through its social action programs or through art. The LUZIA mural project in partnership with WAC and Talamantes will permanently add the signature joy and color of Cirque du Soleil to Chicago’s greatest concentration of street art. 

“Chicago is one of the top destinations in the world for public art,” said DCASE Commissioner Mark Kelly. “It is fitting that acclaimed international arts organization Cirque du Soleil has commissioned one of Chicago’s own artists for the Year of Public Art. This new mural brings additional vibrancy to the growing Wabash Arts Corridor.”

“Chicago’s dedication to public art is deeply rooted in the city’s history,” said Neysa Page-Lieberman, WAC’s Chief Curator and the Executive Director of Columbia’s Department of Exhibitions and Performance Spaces. “Columbia and WAC continue the tradition each year in producing, supporting, and engaging Chicagoans and visitors with vital arts and programming. The scope of Chicago’s public art will flourish from the recognition and support by the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil.”



About the mural
Artist Gloria “Gloe” Talamantes’ style of work suits the project perfectly, and in creating the mural, she combines inspiration from LUZIA with her Mexican heritage.

"I created wispy butterfly wings that carry flowers adorned with motifs inspired by my roots and culture,” said Talamantes. “The design inspiration comes from my family heirlooms, carpetas tejidas, the delicate and intricate original crocheted designs of my grandmother and great grandmother. After watching some of LUZIA, I reflected on the massive red papel picado that was used in one of the scenes; it immediately made me think of the many designs that make up my grandma’s doilies.”

The dripping effect at the bottom of the mural is a direct reflection of the water scenes in LUZIA, the first Cirque du Soleil show to incorporate water into artistic and acrobatic scenes.

“I wanted to create a subtle resemblance to the water while keeping it connected to my graffiti roots,” said Talamantes. “Drips are common and often the most enjoyable parts of ink tags and natural spray paint abstracts when doing stylized letters. It is important for me to stay true to my Mexican and Graffiti culture, for the two have been an integral part of my life and visual art.”

About LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil
LUZIA takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. In a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA invites audiences to escape on a surrealistic journey through a sumptuous and vibrant world suspended somewhere between dreams and reality. Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. Rich in awe-inspiring moments, LUZIA enchants by incorporating rain into acrobatic and artistic scenes – a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.

LUZIA is Cirque du Soleil’s 38th original production since 1984, and its 17th show presented under the Big Top. The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in more than 400 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

LUZIA is now playing in Chicago through Sept. 3, 2017, under the Big Top in the United Center parking lot. For show and ticket information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/luzia.

Follow #LUZIA and #cirquedusoleil on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

About Columbia College Chicago and the Wabash Arts Corridor
The Wabash Arts Corridor was launched by Columbia College Chicago in 2013 to transform the college’s campus and community into a destination neighborhood to live, work, study and visit. Since its inception, WAC has installed more than 40 large-scale murals by local and internationally-renowned street artists, creating one of the most significant collections of public art in the city. For more information about Columbia College Chicago and Wabash Arts Corridor, visit www.colum.edu or www.wabashartscorridor.org.

About the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

For more information on the Year of Public Art, visit www.cityofchicago.org/yopa and join the conversation on Facebook (Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events), Twitter and Instagram, @ChicagoDCASE #2017isYOPA #ChiPublicArt.

GOODMAN THEATRE’S COLLABORATION WITH CHICAGO’S OFF-LOOP THEATERS

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

SUMMER PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEATRO VISTA, DEFINITION THEATRE COMPANY AND COLLABORACTION  CONTINUE GOODMAN THEATRE’S LONG COLLABORATION WITH CHICAGO’S OFF-LOOP THEATERS

***WORKS INCLUDE AN OCTOROON BY BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS, DIRECTED BY CHUCK SMITH;

LA HAVANA MADRID BY SANDRA DELGADO, DIRECTED BY CHERYL LYNN BRUCE;

AND PEACEBOOK, COLLABORACTION’S FREE CITY-WIDE ARTS FEST***

Goodman Theatre is proud to support Chicago’s off-Loop theater companies Teatro Vista, Definition Theatre Company and Collaboraction as a producing partner on several high-profile productions this summer—two of which open this week. The Chicago premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ An Octoroon, which recently opened at Victory Gardens, is directed by Goodman Resident Director Chuck Smith. 



Teatro Vista’s La Havana Madrid by Sandra Delgado opened at the Goodman in the Owen Theatre, following two sold-out previous engagements (at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Miracle Center in Logan Square). Directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce, La Havana Madrid was developed in 2015 during Delgado’s time as a member of the Goodman’s Playwrights Unit—a year-long program for Chicago-based writers, and a significant component of the Goodman’s new play development efforts. 

Collaboraction’s PEACEBOOK —24 social-issue driven short performance pieces rendered by more than 200 artists in a city-wide festival of theater, dance, music, visual art and spoken word—launches at the Goodman on August 26 in the Owen Theatre, followed by tours to south, west and north side neighborhoods in Chicago Park District’s Nights Out in the Parks program.

“Among the many ways that theater in Chicago is unique, one of the best is the collaboration among its companies— each of which contributes to our nationally-recognized cultural landscape,” said Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who is also a founding member of the League of Chicago Theaters. “As an artistic and community organization equally dedicated to furthering the art on stage and providing service to Chicago, the Goodman is proud to contribute to this excellence with resources to help these projects flourish.”

Over the past two decades, the Goodman has served as a production partner (providing financial support and/or physical space) for dozens of projects, including an unprecedented three-year residency with Teatro Vista that resulted in producing the new works El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, Cándido Tirado’s Fish Men and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ The Happiest Song Plays Last. Other previous partner organizations include Aguijon Theatre Company, Albany Park Theater Project, Black Ensemble Theater, Collaboraction, Congo Square, Court Theatre, eta Creative Arts Foundation, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, MPAACT, Pegasus Theatre Company, Rivendell Theatre Company, The Second City, Silk Road Theatre Project, Teatro Luna, The Hypocrites, The Neo-Futurists and the Theatre School at DePaul University.

About the Plays
In La Havana Madrid, Chicago’s eponymous 1960s nightclub comes bursting back to life in “an immersive, wholly enjoyable experience” (Chicago Reader) complete with live music and “enough dancing and bonhomie to tempt you away from your little table down front” (Chicago Tribune). Inspired by true stories of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Colombian immigrants who found refuge in the nightclub, Delgado leads the eight-member cast as a mystical woman who conjures stories and vibrant songs performed live onstage each night by Colombian-American musician Roberto "Carpacho" Marin and his band of 30 years, Carpacho y Su Super Combo. La Havana Madrid appears through August 20 in the Owen Theatre (Opening Night is Wednesday, July 26 at 7pm). Tickets ($30-$50; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/LaHavanaMadrid or (312) 443-3800. La Havana Madrid is recommended for ages 12 and up.

A modern riff on Dion Boucicault’s 1859 classic melodrama, The Octoroon,  Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Obie Award-winning historical satire An Octoroon directed by Chuck Smith follows a plantation in financial ruin, the tumultuous love story of its heir apparent, the evil overseer plotting to take it all for himself and the slaves trying to keep it all together. Hilarious, pointed and provocative, An Octoroon offers up a subversive take on race in America–both then and now. An Octoroon appears through August 20 in the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens Theater (2433 N. Lincoln) as part of Definition’s tenure in the Victory Gardens Resident Theater Program. For tickets, call 773.328.2136 or visit VictoryGardens.org/AnOctoroon.

More than 200 artists unite for Collaboraction’s PEACEBOOK—a free, collaborative city-wide festival of short theater, dance, music, visual art and spoken word pieces in support of Chicago’s peace movement. The 24 “chapters” of PEACEBOOK are each seven minutes or less in length, and range from solo works to large collaborations. Arts/activists involved include David Dastmalchian (Twin Peaks), Sandra Delgado (La Havana Madrid), GQ (Q Brothers), Kevin Coval (Louder Than a Bomb), director Mignon McPherson Stewart, Sir Taylor (Example Setters) and Bril Barrett (Making a Difference Dance). PEACEBOOK launches on Saturday, August 26 in the Owen Theatre. Show times are 3pm (PEACEBOOK Englewood), 5:30pm (PEACEBOOK Hermosa) and 8pm (PEACEBOOK Austin). To reserve tickets and for more information, visit www.collaboraction.org/peacebook2017, email boxoffice@collaboraction.org  or call 312.226.9633.

Following its launch at the Goodman, PEACEBOOK tours to the following Chicago neighborhoods:

PEACEBOOK Englewood |Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd
October 5 and 6 at 7pm
October 7 performance includes a Dome of Dance competition (3pm); meal and peace panel (4pm); show (5pm)

PEACEBOOK Hermosa |Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood
October 19 and 20 at 7pm
October 21 performance includes a Dome of Dance competition (3pm); meal and peace panel (4pm); show (5pm)

PEACEBOOK Austin |La Follette Park, 1333 N. Laramie
November 2 and 3 at 7pm
November 4 performance includes a Dome of Dance competition (3pm); meal and peace panel (4pm); show (5pm)

About the Companies
Definition Theatre Company  is an ensemble-based Chicago theater founded by six graduates of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Featuring a multi-ethnic core companionship of actors, Definition strives to artistically reflect the myriad of modern America to inspire and engage the communities it represents through contemporary and classical theatrical works. Our mission is to tell language-driven, relationship-oriented, thought-provoking, socially relevant stories. Definition has been afforded the opportunity to create work that reflects its unique voice. It shared the words of Academy Award-Winner Tarell Alvin McCraney in The Brothers Size, it grooved with Amiri Baraka's whirlwind story of a chance meeting on a train in Dutchman, and staged its first world premiere production, Genesis, written by ensemble member Mercedes White and inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s iconic masterwork A Raisin in the Sun. Most recently, Definition partnered with The New Colony to produce the world premiere of Byhalia, Mississippi. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “wise, funny, thoughtful and true”, Byhalia, Mississippi explored a family in turmoil and a small southern town haunted by its racially-charged past. Ensemble members include Owais Ahmed, Carley Cornelius, Martasia Jones, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Julian Parker, Tyrone Phillips, Christopher Sheard and Mercedes White. Artistic Advisory Board members include director May Adrales, Steppenwolf Ensemble Member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, Victory Gardens Theater Managing Director Erica Daniels, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam, director Pam Mackinnon, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins and Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director and Neel McNeill is the Managing Director. For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and facebook.com/definitiontheatrecompany.

Teatro Vista’s 2017/2018 season opens with La Havana Madrid at Goodman Theatre. Teatro Vista produces, develops and commissions plays that explore the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. The company provides work and professional advancement opportunities for Latinx theater artists, with special emphasis on the company’s ensemble members, and seeks to enhance the curricular goals of Chicago students through theatre. Teatro Vista was recently celebrated as one of “Chicago’s Cultural Leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and received the League of Chicago Theatre’s Artistic Leadership Award. For the development of La Havana Madrid, Teatro Vista and Delgado received from The Chicago Community Trust, and the 2015 Joyce Award. Delgado also received a 3Arts 3AP Project Grant and developed the script as a member of the 2015/2016 Playwright’s Unit at Goodman Theatre. Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events of the City of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, Purple Group, Cumberland Irving and Vidal & Associates, Inc. and The Saints. For more information, visit TeatroVista.org, on Twitter (@TeatroVista), Facebook and Instagram.

Collaboraction (collaboraction.org ) collaborates with artists, community activists, and citizens from throughout the city to create original theatrical experiences that push artistic boundaries and explore critical social issues with a diverse community of Chicagoans. Collaboraction has worked with over 3,000 artists to bring more than 60 productions and events to upwards of 250,000 audience members. Production highlights include Collaboraction’s acclaimed series of Crime Scene productions responding to Chicago’s current crime epidemic, 15 years of the SKETCHBOOK Festival, Sarah Moeller’s Forgotten Future: The Education Project in 2014, 2010’s Chicago premiere of 1001 by Jason Grote, 2008’s world premiere of Jon by George Saunders and directed by Seth Bockley, and 2007’s The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: an instant message with excitable music by Rolin Jones. Collaboraction, based on the third floor of Wicker Park’s historic Flat Iron Arts Building with three theatre spaces, is led by Artistic Director Anthony Moseley and a dedicated staff and board of directors. Collaboraction is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation via the MacArthur Foundation, and the Wicker Park & Bucktown SSA #33 Chamber of Commerce. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. For tickets and information, visit collaboraction.org or call 312.226.9633. 


America’s “Best Regional Theatre” (Time magazine) and “Chicago’s flagship resident stage” (Chicago Tribune), Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit organization distinguished by the quality and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Founded in 1925, the Goodman is led by Robert Falls—“Chicago’s most essential director” (Chicago Tribune ), who marks 30 years as Artistic Director this season—and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who is celebrated for his vision and leadership over nearly four decades. Dedicated to new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musical theater works, Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned hundreds of awards for artistic excellence, including: two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, nearly 160 Jeff Awards and more. Over the past three decades, audiences have experienced more than 150 world or American premieres, 30 major musical productions, as well as nationally and internationally celebrated productions of classic works (including Falls’ productions of Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night, King Lear and The Iceman Cometh, many in collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy). In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” For nearly four decades, the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has created a new generation of theatergoers. 

The 2016 opening of the Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement (“the Alice”) launched the next phase in the Goodman’s decades-long commitment as an arts and community organization dedicated to educating Chicago youth and promoting lifelong learning. Programs are offered year-round and free of charge. Eighty-five percent of the Goodman’s youth program participants come from underserved communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Joan Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women’s Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals. 

Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org —including OnStage+ for insider information—and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.

FEST ALERT: 8TH ANNUAL CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL BACK AUG 30-SEPT 10

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL 

CELEBRATES ITS 8TH YEAR IN JEFFERSON PARK, 

AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 10  

**TICKETS NOW ON SALE!**

The 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival and Kids Fringe, August 30 - September 10, announce the slate of performances and venues and all tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 12 p.m. The eighth annual Chicago Fringe Festival takes place in five venues in Jefferson Park. Entrance to the Chicago Fringe Festival, called Chicago’s “Best Performing Arts Festival” by the Chicago Reader, is a one-time button purchase of $5, after that all individual performances are $10. 

Kids Fringe features free workshops along with ticketed shows that are appropriate for all ages. Tickets for Kids Fringe are $10 for adults, plus the one-time $5 button, and $5 for children ages 12 years and younger, no button required. Passes with a discounted ticket price are available when attending multiple performances: a four-show pass is $36, a ten-show pass is $80 and an unlimited pass is $175. Each venue will have a box office for day-of purchase and the box office for the entire festival is located at Fringe Central, located at Weston’s, 4872 N Milwaukee Ave.  

Schedule of performances, special events and venues are available at ChicagoFringe.org.

The Chicago Fringe Festival 2017 returns to Jefferson Park after its seventh presenting year. The festival features 50 groups in about 200 performances selected by lottery. The shows include comedies, dramas, dance theater, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. This is an uncensored, unjuried, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In their first seven years, they have returned over $200,000 to artists.

The 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival includes performance groups from around Chicago, the United States and the world, including the return of Mark Toland, Rally Theatre Company, Spartan Theatre Company, Iris Sowlat, Shut Up!, Kelly Haramis, Transcendent Ensemble Theatre,  Science Comedian Brian Malow, Howard Petrick, Wishbone Theatre Collective, Rebel Playhouse and Thom J. Cauley. Other performers hail from: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as Canada, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Some of the performance groups in Chicago Fringe Festival have participated in other prominent Fringe Festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival, Indy Fringe and the FringeNYC.

8th Annual Chicago Fringe Festival
August 30 – September 10
Fringe Central: Weston’s, 4872 N Milwaukee Ave. 
Performance venues:
The Playhouse at Jefferson Park, 4766 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Windy City Performs - Studio A, 5340 W. Lawrence Ave.
The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Meeting Hall, 5320 W. Giddings St. and
Congregational Church of Jefferson Park Gym, 5320 W. Giddings St.
Performance schedule and performer’s information are available at ChicagoFringe.org starting August 1. 

Kids Fringe 
September 3 – 10 
The Chicago Fringe Festival Kids Fringe is for audience members 5 – 12 years old. It features five shows along with free crafts, workshops and more.
Artists scheduled to perform*:  Barrel of Monkeys, Tiffany Lawson Dance and Stephanie Chavara from Chicago and Hit the Lights! Theatre Co and Jackie Schiffer from New York City. 



ABOUT CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its eighth year, produces an annual performing arts festival devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers and patrons. The Chicago Fringe Festival is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. The Chicago Fringe Festival unites daring theatergoers with emerging and boundary-pushing local, national and international performing artists while seeking to engage nontraditional audiences through a commitment to low ticket prices and outreach into artistically underserved communities. 

*Artists and programs subject to change. 


The Chicago Fringe Festival is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events sponsor the 2017 Chicago Fringe Festival. The 2017 partners include Weston’s, Filament Theatre, Windy City Music Theatre, and the Copernicus Center. 

SAVE THE DATES: New Production of LES MISÉRABLES To Play Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre 10/11-29

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

TICKETS GO ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AUGUST 4

RETURNS TO CHICAGO!

PLAYS BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE 

OCT. 11-OCT. 29, 2017

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that individual tickets for the return of LES MISÉRABLES go on sale to the general public Friday, August 4, 2017. LES MISÉRABLES plays Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) for a limited three-week engagement October 11-29, 2017.



Cameron Mackintosh presents the new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISÉRABLES, direct from an acclaimed two-and-a-half-year return to Broadway. With its glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, this breathtaking new production has left both audiences and critics awestruck, cheering “Les Miz is born again!” (NY1). 

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Featuring the thrilling score and beloved songs “I Dreamed A Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars," “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” and many more, this epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. Seen by more than 70 million people in 44 countries and in 22 languages around the globe, LES MISÉRABLES is still the world’s most popular musical, breaking box office records everywhere in its 32nd year. 


Follow LES MISÉRABLES
www.lesmiz.com 
Facebook: @LesMizUS
Twitter: @LesMizUS
Instagram: @LesMizUS

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Oct. 11 – 7:30PM
Thursday, Oct. 12 – 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Friday, Oct. 13 – 7:30PM
Saturday, Oct. 14 – 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sunday, Oct. 15 – 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Tuesday, Oct. 17 – 7:30PM
Wednesday, Oct. 18 – 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Thursday, Oct. 19 – 7:30PM
Friday, Oct. 20 – 7:30PM
Saturday, Oct. 21 – 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sunday, Oct. 22 – 2:00PM
Tuesday, Oct. 24 – 7:30PM
Wednesday, Oct. 25 – 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Thursday, Oct. 26 – 7:30PM
Friday, Oct. 27 – 7:30PM
Saturday, Oct. 28 – 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sunday, Oct. 29 – 2:00PM

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for LES MISÉRABLES at the Cadillac Palace Theatre range from $35-$140. A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more 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 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  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 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 The PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace 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

FREE Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks Performs Romeo and Juliet In 18 Parks Through August 27th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and Boeing partner to present the annual citywide summer tradition, Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. 




This free summer series is a family favorite of ours! We've gone every year. It was also my great pleasure to catch this Chicago Shakespeare production in particular with my teens and we highly recommend it. For fans of doomed love, teen angst, timeless classics and rockin' sword fights, this one's for you. Pack a picnic, bring your lawn chairs, friends, family, and neighbors, and come bask in the genius of the bard's words for free!

Made possible by production sponsor BMO Harris Bank, 25 performances of Shakespeare’s timeless classic Romeo and Juliet, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons, tour to 18 neighborhood parks across the Chicago, now through August 27, 2017. 

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List for fabulous, free, Family Friendly, Theatre Fun!

Join us for one of our city’s favorite summer traditions! Now in its sixth year, the FREE FOR ALL Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour heads out for another summer. This free 75-minute abridged production of Romeo and Juliet is coming to neighborhood parks across the north, west and south sides of the city. At each tour location, a specially equipped truck rolls into the park, a stage unfolds, and a company of professional actors shares Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers with families and neighbors of all ages.

The feud between the Capulets and Montagues divides a city. From these two proud families, Romeo and Juliet fall in love. Can these star-crossed lovers bring peace to Verona?

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tours Shakespeare’s timeless classic Romeo and Juliet, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons, FREE FOR ALL to 18 neighborhood parks across the city, July 26–August 27, 2017. Photo by Chuck Osgood.

The citywide tour is made possible by a renewed civic, cultural and corporate partnership between Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, Boeing and BMO Harris Bank. Since the inception of the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program six years ago, more than 100,000 Chicagoans have taken advantage of free performances in their communities.

FOODIE FUN: SafeHouse Chicago Offers Spy Style Specials For National Family month

August is National Family month and SafeHouse Chicago, the Windy City’s top refuge for hungry spies, is celebrating with a delicious family-friendly offer. 

Happy National Family Month! Control is celebrating by feeding your family of spies for $50 every Tuesday in August!*

EVERY TUESDAY | 11A - 8P

Choice of Appetizer: Fried C4 Cheese Curds, Stasi Twists or Nachos Camp Stanley
Choice of Entreé for each spy: Any Burger, Day Smart Turned Chicken, SR-71 Blackbird (CHI only), Any Kids Meal
Choice of Non-Alcoholic Beverage

*Does not include tax + gratuity, valid on 8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22, 8/29 from 11am - 8pm*



SafeHouse understands that the best agents also need to be book smart in addition to street smart, so they are offering a free kids meal, with purchase of an adult meal, for any children (no age limit) who bring in a straight A’s report card (good 7 days a week) now through Labor Day! There is no age limit for either special.

*Digital report card is OK/print out is even better. The report card deal is good every day! The other deal is only on Tuesdays.

SafeHouse Chicago maintains the original Milwaukee establishment's treasured 50 year legacy while adding upgraded experiences to the new location, including new technology and a modern design by Chicago’s own award-winning firms, The Gettys Group and Epstein Global. SafeHouse Chicago is open Sunday-Friday 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. For more information on The SafeHouse, visit www.SafeHouseChicago.com or call (312) 3131-007.

SAVE THE DATES: GOBSMACKED! FIVE DAYS ONLY 12/5-10

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

a cappella meets beatbox

WILL PLAY CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

FIVE DAYS ONLY! DEC. 5 – DEC. 10, 2017

Broadway In Chicago and Nic Doodson, producer and creator of GOBSMACKED!, are delighted to announce that the sensational, next-generation a cappella show, GOBSMACKED!, will play Broadway In Chicago's Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) for a limited five-day engagement December 5 through 10, 2017. 

Direct from sell-out seasons in London, Hong Kong and Edinburgh comes a mind-blowing vocal show that redefines the human voice. Featuring the reigning world-champion beatboxer, Ball-Zee, and an international cast of world-class vocalists, GOBSMACKED! weaves stories through all forms of a cappella from traditional street corner harmonies to cutting-edge, multi-track live looping. 

Critics in the UK call GOBSMACKED! "entertainment, not to be missed," (Broadway Baby) and “better than Glee…mesmerizing,” (EdFest Magazine).  Audiences will experience heart-stopping singing and jaw-dropping beatboxing in this latest break-out show that everyone is talking about –it’s funny, joyful and uplifts the spirits of all ages!

Though one of the oldest forms of music, a cappella singing has only recently broken through to mainstream popularity. Movies such as Pitch Perfect, TV shows such as Glee and groups like Pentatonix, Straight No Chaser and Naturally 7 have catapulted a cappella from street corners to stadiums. The producers of GOBSMACKED! have created a show for the whole family that takes the audience on a journey through music. GOBSMACKED! not only showcases modern a cappella at its best but also tells an urban tale of love, loss and redemption.

Executive Producer and Creator Nic Doodson, Director Alexandra Spencer-Jones and Musical Director and Co-Creator Jack Blume bring this unique musical experience to life after representing some of the most exciting a cappella and theatrical talent of the last few years. They have worked with artists such as Daft Punk, Britney Spears, Jose Carreras, Buena Vista Social Club and Soweto Gospel Choir and have produced and directed shows in venues such as the O2 Arena in London and The Sydney Opera House.

Casting will be announced at a later date.

www.gobsmackedtheshow.com
Facebook: @godbsmackedtheshow
Twitter: @godbsmackedshow
Instagram: @gobsmackedtheshow


TICKET INFORMATION
Single tickets will go on sale at a later date with premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more 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 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  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 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 The PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace 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