PHOTO RECAP: ChiIL Mama's Adventures at Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest 2017

Six Flags Great America Fright Fest 
and a New Last Call Fall Craft Beer Festival Weekends Through November 19th

We made our annual October trek to Fright Fest and had a blast as usual. Check out our photo recap and review. Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest is always a highlight of our fall family fun. It's kid friendly by day and scary big kid, teen and adult fun from 6pm on. 

Disclosure: Thanks to Six Flags Great America for providing my family with press comps, so we could come out and shoot and review. We were not compensated in any other way. As always all opinions, photos and adventures are our own.

My daughter decided to buy a season pass with her own money this year and we were pleasantly surprised how quick and easy it was for her to get her permanent pass/fingerprint ID right at the entrance gate on the way in.

My daughter decided to buy a season pass with her own money this year and we were pleasantly surprised how quick and easy it was for her to get her permanent pass/fingerprint ID right at the entrance gate on the way in.

While my daring 14 year old daughter and her friend hit all the big coasters, my favorite area to explore this year by day was the Six Saints Cemetery, a graveyard of dismantled rides from yesteryear and a great trip down memory lane!

Check out ChiIL Mama's Full Set Of 2017 Photos in the Slideshow HERE: 




Spend Halloween Night with NOX!
Final Fright Fest 2017.
Last call Festival Runs Weekends Through November 19th

What: Fright Fest presented by SNICKERS®

When: Weekends and select days beginning September 16 through October 31, including Halloween

  
Where: Six Flags Great America ● 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee, IL
Who: Nox, the demon overlord of Fright Fest, will raise his minions to wreak terror on all guests when all hell breaks loose at 6pm each night!

ChiIL Mama & the family will be ChiILin' at Fright Fest again this year, so check back soon for our photo filled 2017 feature.

Click HERE to check out ChiIL Mama's original Fright Fest photo features from 2016 and HERE for 2015.

Six Flags Great America is wrapping up the year with two incredible celebrations – Fright Fest and Last Call Fall Festival. The demon overlord, Nox, summons the dead for the longest Fright Fest in the history of this Halloween event. With seven sinful weekends, featuring six haunted houses and ten hair-raising shows, Fright Fest will show no mercy as hundreds of monsters descend on this scream park each night.

Last Call Fall Festival 
Beer, Food, Rides! Come enjoy the fall weather with a craft beer, unique food offerings and of course, coasters!
When: Saturdays and Sundays November 4 - 19
Where: Six Flags Great America ● 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee, IL



While Fright Fest runs until Halloween we will have additional operating days following Fright Fest. To culminate the longest season in Six Flags Great America history we will be hosting Last Call Fall Festival. This event will include craft beer, unique food items, and coasters.



“We all know fall means Fright Fest, but now we have even more to offer!” says Six Flags Great America park president, Hank Salemi. “Our guests and season pass holders want more time at the park, so we are delivering by adding an extra weekend of Fright Fest and three weekends of our all-new Last Call Fall Festival.”



4 Things to Do Before the Sun Goes Down
The entire family can enjoy a beautiful fall day at the park before the monsters come out to play. Join us for not-so-scary daytime fun starting at 11 a.​m. each day. Let the kids (under age 12) dress in their costumes and embark on a trick-or-treat adventure, collecting candy around the park. 


Take a photo with our friendly monsters who happen to look a lot like your favorite Looney Tunes characters dressed in their seasonal outfits, next to a fall backdrop of tombstones, scarecrows, and pumpkins. We also have fun Halloween sing-a-longs and ghoulish dance parties. Visit before the sun sets and you'll also get to ride all your favorite coasters and family attractions – it's a whole different experience after dark!









Fright by Night
Fright Fest at SFGA has long been a family favorite of ours. It's mild fun during the day, so younger kids can come out to play, and full on fright by night, from 6pm on. 

Monstertainment (Free with park admission) 
The Ringmaster’s Cabaret
The Nightmare Rhythm Machine
Zombie Jamboree
 Love at First Fright
 Kids Club Monster Dance Party
 Susan Rosen hypnotist
 LightMosFEAR
 The Witching Hour
 The Uprising Parade
 The Cavalcade of the Odd



Haunted Attractions (Extra fee required)
 Big Top Terror
 Infestation!
 Gates of Hell
 Apocalypse
 Manslaughter Manor
 Massacre Medical
Center

Free Scares (Free with park admission) Underworld
Henchmen Alley
 Lost Souls
 Nightmare Hollow
 The Massacre Ball
 Forbidden Forest
 Slasher Circus
 Rotten Hill
 Dread Haven
 Aftermath
 Ride Cemetery

 
Special Events
 Coaster Challenge benefitting Special Olympics Illinois – Sunday, September 24

 Fright Fest on Columbus Day – Monday, October 9 from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

 Fright Fest on Halloween – Tuesday, October 31 from 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

 Last Call Fall Festival – Saturdays and Sundays November 4 – 19



Fright Fest runs weekends from September 16 through October 31 including Columbus Day and Halloween. The best way to visit Fright Fest and the all-new Last Call Fall Festival is to purchase a 2018 Season Pass which includes unlimited visits now through the 2018 season. 2018 Season Passes can be purchased online at sixflags.com and must be activated and processed by November 19, 2017.

About Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor
Two great parks, one destination! Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, Six Flags Great America offers endless adventures for the entire family with 15 heart-pounding roller coasters, a 20-acre water park, spectacular shows, four children’s themed areas with over 30 rides and a nighttime parade.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.3 billion in revenue and 20 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 56 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions. 



For more information, visit www.sixflags.com
#FrightFest #NoMercy
Follow us at twitter.com/SFGreat_America Like us at facebook.com/SFGreatAmerica


Disclosure: Once again, thanks to Six Flags Great America for providing my family with press comps, so we could come out and shoot and review. We were not compensated in any other way. As always all opinions, photos and adventures are our own.

PHOTO FEATURE: ChiIL Mama's Adventures at The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op Grand Opening Celebration

What's green and new and next to the blue? 

The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op's excellent expanded home! 

Yes, there's a newcomer next to the Logan Square Blue Line "L" stop that's bike friendly, neighborhoody, and full of loads of fresh local finds, organic goodies, bulk buys, and more. It's locally owned by your neighbors, but anyone can shop there, not just co-op members. Have you stopped in yet? You can see the cheerful, bright green roof from blocks away, and the inside is just as colorful and welcoming.

October was an exciting month for The Dill Pickle Co-Op. They've been around since 2009, in a much smaller space on Fullerton, but their new Milwaukee Avenue home will allow them to grow and really come into their own. Here's our photo recap of the first hours of their grand opening party in the new space earlier this month. 



They had a day long celebration packed with live music, dance, martial arts, bounce house fun and crafts for the littles, and loads of vendor samples/coupons/demos. We were lucky to catch a fantastic Capoeira demo.

Check out our full photo feature in the slideshow here and more favorites below:

Back in the day, when I heard the word food co-op, it conjured up dusty images of wholesome hippies stocking barrels of grains and aisles of bulk bins, with 20 types of granola. 





The Dill Pickle Co-Op is so much more. Sure, they have great bulk bin deals, but also a host of fabulous vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore finds, and eco-friendly non food items too. They have plenty of frozen items that are quick to fix. They also have loads of love for the locals, stocking a plethora of fresh produce, dairy and meat from farms in the region. And their homemade hummus is to die for.



This spot is sure to be an "L" commuter hit, on the way to or from work. They have a liquor license, a gorgeous salad bar, coffee bar, ready made sandwiches and lots of great grab n go items. They even have kombucha machines, in case keeping a kombucha scoby alive to DIY seems like a daunting task.







Family Friendly:
My kids are teens now, but it wasn't long ago that both were in tow, just about every time I went shopping. The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op loves littles, and has kid sized carts, goodies and a club, to make shopping with your offspring less stress.










The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op also has coupons and rockin' specials. They've joined with a collective of other co-ops for bulk purchasing power and better discounts. And they pass on the savings locally. The profits stay in our neighborhood, too.







Come on by and check it out! All are welcome. We bought a $250 share as owners, at a very reasonable $10 a month. This gives my family extra coupons, discounts and the chance for even deeper discounts with a work/barter program of a couple hours a week as a HOO (Hands On Owner). Here's their website, so you can keep up with happenings, sales, and more. Also follow them on social media on Facebook and Twitter.






Welcome to the neighborhood, Dill Pickle Co-Op! We'll be in to shop like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often!

 Click image to check out current specials, join, or see more info 

More Photo Favorites:

Check Out The 34th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival Through Nov 5th, 2017

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

Award winning films from around the world, 

and creative and though-provoking 

workshops and symposia for 

Facets' 34th Chicago International Children's Film Festival

Attendance prices are very moderate, ranging from $20 to $50, with one free event - Facets Members receive a discount on all events.

The full Festival workshop schedule, film schedule, ticketing information, field trip bookings, and Festival Family passes are available now at www.facets.org/cicff.



The lineup for workshops and symposia for the 34th Festival is packed full of fun events that will activate the imaginations of kids, teens, and adults. The core of Facets and the Festival's missions are to foster a lifelong appreciation for film as art and expression. The workshops and symposia are an extension of our curated film programs and media education during our screenings, and are both educational and entertaining. 

Damián Perea, filmmaker and producer of the Animayo International Film Festival in the Canary Islands, will lead a bilingual (Spanish and English) stop-motion animation workshop at Instituto Cervantes called "¡Animate with Animayo!" on November 3. Last, but certainly not least, Mauro D'Addio, who directed Festival Film On Wheels, will instruct the "After the Table Read" workshop on November 25.

Festival Professional Jury member and award winning filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh will be leading both "Real Deal Documentary" workshops on November 3 & 5.

It is important to note that Friday, November 3 is a Chicago Public Schools in-service day and students will not have class.

Facets' 34th Chicago International Children's Film Festival runs from October 27 - November 5, 2017, with screenings at 8 Chicagoland locations. Festival workshops and symposia take place at Facets and Instituto Cervantes on October 28 & 29 and November 3 & 5. The full Festival workshop schedule, film schedule, ticketing information, and field trip bookings. 




Festival Family passes are available now at www.facets.org/cicff.

Facets' Chicago International Children's Film Festival presents the best, most innovative film and educational experiences for kids, teens, families, students, and industry professionals. The Festival is operated by Facets, a nonprofit that connects 30k+ people annually to independent ideas through transformative film experiences. 

Flash Giveaway: WIN 4 Tickets to Opening Night of MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE! at Allstate Arena Nov 2

MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE! ANNOUNCES NEW SHOW, 

AGE OF HEROES,

FEATURING GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AND MORE THAN 20 FAVORITE MARVEL SUPER HEROES AND VILLAINS

Tickets Now on Sale  for Nationwide Tour, including November 2017 Chicago-Area Shows

ENTER HERE through midnight Monday 10/30 for your chance to WIN!

             
Super hero action, thrills and drama will soar, smash and burst into arenas across the country with the debut of Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes. The iconic Marvel Super Heroes Spider-Man and The Avengers are joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, Rocket and Drax, in a legendary battle to defend the universe from evil. The epic Marvel Super Hero experience will hit the Chicago area, Nov. 2-5, 2017, with performances at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.



“Our tremendously talented creative team and a nearly super human cast, have created a show that brings the grandeur of Marvel to life,” said Juliette Feld, producer of Marvel Universe LIVE! “Age of Heroes creates an experience that immerses families in non-stop action, creating movie-style thrills and jaw-dropping stunts that showcase the powers of your favorite Super Heroes right before your eyes.” 



Called on by Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy join Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes on a momentous crusade against the scheming Nebula who teams up with the conniving and loathsome villains Loki and Green Goblin. The incredible superhuman forces of Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk and Black Widow will unite in clashes that pit student against mentor, sister against sister and brother against brother.

Immersive video projection and cutting-edge special effects will captivate and transport audiences across the universe from the fantastical Savage Land to New York City and beyond. Spider-Man and Wasp’s dynamic aerial stunts along with Captain America’s daring motorcycle skills will be on display in the ultimate race against time to save mankind.

“I’m extremely excited to work on Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes and bring the talents and powers of these amazing characters with such dimensionality to life,” said Marvel’s chief creative officer, Joe Quesada. “Audiences will be on the edge of their seats as they witness the outrageous stunts and fight sequences in truly a unique experience that puts fans at the center of the action.”

The newest production from Feld Entertainment, the world’s leading producer of live touring family entertainment, Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes will travel throughout North America on a multiyear tour. After North America, the show will embark on an international tour in 2019. For a complete list of North American tour dates, locations and to purchase tickets, please visit the Marvel Universe LIVE! website. Stay current on the latest developments by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube — @MarvelOnTour.

Tickets for Chicago-area shows, starting at $20, are available at the Allstate Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations and on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. Parking is FREE with ticket purchase in all official Allstate Arena parking lots. Service charges, facility and handling fees may apply.


About Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that uplift the human spirit and bring people together. With 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 75 countries and on six continents to date and include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE! and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. More information about Feld Entertainment is available online at www.feldentertainment.com.

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit http://www.marvel.com/. © 2017 MARVEL

OPENING: Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Highly anticipated return of

Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL

in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31

Tickets on sale now

This is one of our all time top favorites in the Christmas genre. Chicago's own world renowned Q Brothers are truly a treat to see in action. We highly recommend Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL and we adore the new space, The Yard. This show has multigenerational appeal and may well be one of the funniest holiday shows out there. Don't miss this!

Back by popular demand, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the highly anticipated return of the cheeky holiday classic Q Brothers Christmas Carol, from hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers Collective and developed with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton. After three wildly successful runs in 2013, 2014 and 2015 to sold-out houses, the raucous and irreverent musical event now takes the stage of the Theater’s innovative third venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31, 2017.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol is on sale now; online at www.chicagoshakes.com or via the Box Office at 312.595.5600.

Written and performed by the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, and Pos) and directed by GQ and JQ, Q Brothers Christmas Carol features an irresistible score and a lot of heart. This feisty reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens is underscored with beats spun live at the turntables, mashing up styles from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads. The production garnered Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Ensemble. A Chicago Shakespeare production, Q Brothers Christmas Carol is presented by CST and Richard Jordan Productions.

Highlighting the versatility of the dynamic new venue, Q Brothers Christmas Carol will transform The Yard into a festive nightclub with the opportunity for audiences to sit at cabaret tables surrounding the stage, or to watch the performance from traditional theater seating. The party atmosphere of the Q Brothers’ work will be enhanced this year by activating the space surrounding the stage and audience viewing areas with additional bars and seating—perfect for continuing the fun after the show to toast the holiday season.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol joins the previously announced productions in Chicago Shakespeare’s 2017/18 Season: an all-woman The Taming of the Shrew (September 16–November 12, 2017; Courtyard Theater) staged by Artistic Director Barbara Gaines; James Thierrée’s The Toad Knew (September 19–23, 2017; The Yard); Teatro Línea de Sombra’s Amarillo (October 17–29, 2017; The Yard) from México as part of the inaugural Chicago International Latino Theater Festival; Red Velvet (December 1, 2017–January 21, 2018; Courtyard Theater) directed by Gary Griffin; Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream for families and students (February 3–March 10, 2018; The Yard); Schiller’s Mary Stuart (February 21–April 15, 2018; Courtyard Theater); a supernatural new Macbeth (April 25–June 24, 2018; The Yard) staged by Aaron Posner and Teller; and Druid Theatre’s Waiting for Godot (May 23–June 3, 2018; Courtyard Theater) from Ireland.

More information at www.chicagoshakes.com/QChristmas.

Q Brothers Christmas Carol will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21–December 31, 2017. Tickets ranging from $30 to $52 are on sale now. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
A global theatrical force, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, musicality of language, and empathy for the human condition. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be, putting forward a company that delights in the unexpected and defies theatrical category. A Regional Tony Award-winning theater, CST produces acclaimed plays at its home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago’s schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. In 2017, the Theater unveils a radical new stage, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, The Yard positions CST as the city’s largest and most versatile performing arts venue.

Chicago Shakespeare’s year-round season features as many as twenty productions and 650 performances—including plays, musicals, world premieres, and visiting international tours—to engage a broad, multigenerational audience of 225,000 community members. Recognized in 2014 in a White House ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama, CST’s education programs support literacy and creativity for 40,000 students each year. Each summer, 30,000 family audiences welcome the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour into their neighborhoods across the far north, west and south sides of the city. The Theater is the leading producer of international work in Chicago, and has toured its own plays across North America and abroad to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East, garnering multiple accolades, including the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, among others. Emblematic of its role as a global theater, during 2016 CST spearheaded the Shakespeare 400 Chicago international arts and culture festival, which engaged an estimated 1.1 million people through 863 events at 231 locations across the city—all in celebration of Shakespeare’s rich, 400-year legacy.

KUDOS TO CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE ON RECOGNITION FROM THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING

Chicago Children’s Theatre wins prized

National Theatre Company Grant

honor from Founder of the Tony Awards

Chicago Children’s Theatre is pleased to announce that the American Theatre Wing, best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards, is awarding the company with one of the 2017 National Theatre Company grants.

Created by American Theatre Wing to recognize and support the most promising emerging theatre companies, the 2017 grants for Initial Support are being presented to nine companies from around the country. Companies chosen to receive the grants have articulated a distinctive mission, cultivated an audience, and nurtured a community of artists in ways that strengthen and demonstrate the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theatre.

“This recognition from the American Theatre Wing is a tremendous honor,” said Jacqueline Russell, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s Theatre. “We are the only theater among this year’s recipients dedicated to serving children and families, so we are particularly proud to be sharing this national spotlight with such wonderful institutions across the U.S., including our friends at Chicago’s Congo Square Theatre.”

In January of this year, following 11 years of itinerancy, Chicago Children’s Theatre opened its new, permanent home, The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago's West Loop. What once was the 12th District Chicago Police Station, is now a vibrant, mixed-use, centrally located performing arts, education and community engagement hub that welcomes all Chicago families. The company’s all-new, critically acclaimed hit musical A Year with Frog and Toad is playing now through October 29 in the Pritzker Family Studio Theatre. For tickets and information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

More information about the National Theatre Company grants can be found at http://americantheatrewing.org/program/national-theatre-co-grants/.


About Chicago Children’s Theatre

Since its launch in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre has cemented its reputation as the city’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families. The company evolved out of Chicago’s need for high-quality, professional year-round children’s programming to match the quality and significance of theatrical powerhouses such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre. Likewise, CCT has always believed children should be treated as the sophisticated audiences that they are, showcasing high profile and award-winning talent, inventive production values and compelling stories that challenge, educate and entertain.

Audiences have embraced Chicago Children’s Theatre since its inaugural production, A Year with Frog and Toad, at the Goodman Theatre in 2006. Since then, CCT’s productions have featured everything from black-light scenery to live music to interactive four-dimensional sets to life-size puppets, with performances showcasing the heart of Motown to Vaudeville to contemporary, current and modern styles.

CCT has also built a national reputation due to its focus on new work, producing 16 world premieres in the last 11 years including The Selfish Giant, The Hundred Dresses, Jackie and Me, Dot and Ziggy, The Houdini Box, The Elephant and The Whale (in association with Redmoon), Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money, Leo Lionni’s Frederick, Wonderland, Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter, Jabari Dreams of Freedom, Another Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter, Manual Cinema’s The Magic City and The Year I Didn’t Go To School: A Homemade Circus. These enjoyed successful inaugural runs in Chicago, many followed by productions at theaters across the U.S.

CCT has always honored a strong commitment to low-income families and children with special needs. In partnership with Chicago Public Schools, the company offers free tickets to more than 5,000 Chicago-area low-income students each season.

After 11 years of itinerancy, Chicago Children’s Theatre opened in January 2017 its first-ever permanent home, The Station, in the fully repurposed, former 12th District Chicago Police Station. Today, The Station is a beautiful, mixed-use, centrally located performing arts, education and community engagement hub that welcomes all Chicago families.

Newly opened in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s Pritzker Family Studio is an all-new production of A Year with Frog and Toad, hailed by Chicago Parent as “exceptionally enjoyable…a timeless tale” and recommended by the Chicago Tribune as “a lovely hour to add to your life…very well sung, and played…3 stars.” A Year with Frog and Toad runs through October 29. For tickets and information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (872) 222-9555.

Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, is also home to four classrooms hosting a year-round roster of performing arts classes and camps for children ages 0 to 14. Registration is open for the upcoming Winter session, January 22-March 17, 2018. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/winterclasses to sign children up for Improv with The Second City!, Old Town School of Folk Music’s Wiggleworms classes, aerial arts with Actor’s Gymnasium, Hip Hop 4 Totz, Bubble Jams, Taking the Stage and more. Early bird discounts for the Winter Session are offered through November 12.

Chicago Children’s Theatre is led by Co-Founders, Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, Community Programs Artistic Director Frank Maugeri, and Board President Eric Neveux. The company is supported by a dedicated staff and dynamic Board of Directors comprised of leaders from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business. Chicago Children's Theatre is sponsored in part by ComEd, Goldman Sachs Gives and JP Morgan Chase.

About the American Theatre Wing

One hundred years ago, on the eve of America’s entry into World War I, seven suffragettes—all women of the theatre—came together to form The Stage Women’s War Relief. A century later, the spirit and vision behind the founding of American Theatre Wing remains a touchstone for all we do. The Wing continues to champion bravery, with a focus on developing the next generation of brave artists. The Wing advances the future of American Theatre by celebrating excellence and nurturing the next generation: on stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. We envision an American Theatre that is as vital, multi-faceted, and diverse as the American people.

The Wing’s programs span the nation to invest in the growth and evolution of American Theatre. We provide theatre education opportunities for underserved students through the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative, develop the next generation of theatre professionals through the SpringboardNYC and Theatre Intern Network programs, incubate innovative theatre across the country through the National Theatre Company Grants, foster the song of American Theatre through the Jonathan Larson® Grants, honor the best in New York theatrical design with the Henry Hewes Design Award, and illuminate the creative process through the Emmy-nominated “Working in the Theatre” documentary series. In addition to founding the Tony Awards® which are co-presented with The Broadway League, the American Theatre Wing co-presents the Obie Awards®, Off Broadway’s Highest Honor, with The Village Voice.

Visitors to AmericanTheatreWing.org can gain inspiration and insight into the artistic process through the Wing’s extensive media collection, and learn more about its programming for students, aspiring and working professionals, and audiences.

Follow the Wing on Twitter and Instagram @TheWing, and on Facebook.com/TheAmericanTheatreWing.

WIN 4 Tickets ($160 Value) To The House Theatre Nutcracker!

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

BALLET FREE HOUSE NUTCRACKER

NOVEMBER 3 – DECEMBER 30 

AT THE CHOPIN THEATRE

ENTER HERE through midnight 11/1/17 

ONE OF OUR LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A FAMILY 4 PACK OF TICKETS ($160 value) TO THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO'S ANNUAL FAMILY-FRIENDLY THEATRICAL ADAPTATION OF THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC. 

Good for winner's choice of any show during the first three weeks of the production (Thursdays - Sundays, November 3 - 19)

This Year’s Clara will be Performed by Haley Seda, Daughter of Jon Seda, Chicago Actor Currently Starring on Chicago PD

The ballet free House Nutcracker has been an annual family favorite of ours here at ChiIL Mama for years. We highly recommend this music filled, contemporary, family friendly feast of holiday theatre fun. It has a dark, edgy side, with scary, giant rat puppets, a soldier's grieving family, and a brave young girl ready to face her fears and save her family from themselves. And it has plenty of what the holidays should center on, like beloved toys, Christmas trees, fresh baked cookies, friends and family and epic adventure. Whether it's your first time to see The House Nutcracker or already a beloved holiday tradition, don't miss this! 

The House Theatre of Chicago once again brings holiday cheer for the whole family with its eighth annual engagement of the all-original, ballet-free The Nutcracker playing at The Chopin Theatre upstairs theatre, 1543 W. Division, November 3 – December 30. Company Members Jake Minton, Phillip Klapperich, Kevin O’Donnell and Tommy Rapley created the adaptation. New to the 2017 holiday production, based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, is director and Company Member Chris Mathews with original direction and choreography by Tommy Rapley. Previews take place November 3 – 9 following the regular schedule, excluding matinees.

Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. with 3 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays. Preview tickets are $15 with regular run tickets $25 – $50. Student and industry same-day discounted tickets are available for $15 for all dates, based on availability. 

Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.769.3832 or by visiting www.thehousetheatre.com. 

The House Theatre of Chicago brings the wholly original, ballet-free version of The Nutcracker back because it truly has something for everyone. The show is fast-paced, beautifully choreographed, family-friendly, and moving for even those of us that might be on the Grinch’s side from time to time. This fantastical, “smart [and] layered” (Chicago Reader, 2016) expansion of the holiday classic that “simultaneously evokes smiles, tears, mirth and cringes“ (PerformInk, 2016) centers on young Clara’s journey to save Christmas in the face of grief. With the help of a magical nutcracker, the brave girl risks the darkness, fights the Rat King and saves her family. “The play’s willingness to embrace that darker side of life makes the triumph of the light side all the brighter” (NewCity, 2016).  A modern holiday tradition weaving together riveting dialogue, astonishing puppetry, original song and spellbinding spectacle to tell a heartwarming, darkly moving story of magic and hope -- a fun outing fit for the whole family. The run time for The Nutcracker is approximately 2 hours, including one 15 minute intermission.

The production premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007 under the Visiting Company Initiative and has enjoyed highly acclaimed new productions at The House since 2010, as well as simultaneous productions in Chicago and Miami in 2012. In 2016, The House revamped the show during a workshop at the Chicago Performance Lab. Repeat fans of the show have enjoyed new musical additions and new audience members continued to delight in the production’s creativity and heart.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Nutcracker is adapted from “The Nutcracker and the Mouse,” a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann by Jake Minton, Phillip Klapperich, Kevin O’Donnell, and Tommy Rapley.

The cast for The Nutcracker includes newcomers Haley Seda (Clara) and Company Member Ben Hertel (Hugo) and welcomes back 2016 cast members Rachel Shapiro (Phoebe), Desmond Gray (Fritz), Torrey Hanson (Drosselmeyer), Amanda de la Guardia (Martha), Nicholas Bailey (David) and Ian Maryfield (Monkey).

The creative and production team for The Nutcracker includes Company Members Chris Mathews (Director), Tommy Rapley (Original Director and Choreographer), Jake Minton (Writer), Phillip Klapperich (Writer), Kevin O’Donnell (Composer), Collette Pollard (Scenic Designer), Lee Keenan (Lighting Designer), Debbi Baer (Costume Designer) and Michael Griggs (Sound Designer). Guest artists include Mieka van der Ploeg (Associate Costume Designer/Costume Manager), Tracee Bear (Assistant Costume Designer), Grover Hollway (Associate Sound Designer), Matthew Muniz (Music Director/Orchestrations) and Hillary Aarons (Choreographer).

ABOUT THE HOUSE THEATRE OF CHICAGO 

The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular artform.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 60 Joseph Jefferson Awards (23 wins), became the first recipient of Broadway in Chicago’s Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 16th season of original work will begin September 2017 and The House will continue its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.  

The House Theatre of Chicago once again brings holiday cheer for the whole family with its eighth annual engagement of the all-original, ballet-free The Nutcracker playing at The Chopin Theatre upstairs theatre, 1543 W. Division, November 3 – December 30. Company Members Jake Minton, Phillip Klapperich, Kevin O’Donnell and Tommy Rapley created the adaptation. New to the 2017 holiday production, based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, is director and Company Member Chris Mathews with original direction and choreography by Tommy Rapley. Previews take place November 3 – 9 following the regular schedule, excluding matinees. The press opening is Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. with 3 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays. Preview tickets are $15 with regular run tickets $25 – $50. Student and industry same-day discounted tickets are available for $15 for all dates, based on availability. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.769.3832 or by visiting www.thehousetheatre.com.