Summer Fun Abounds With The Netflix Family Summer Truck Tour

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

Netflix Activity Truck at Navy Pier

Photo Recap by Guest Reviewer

Kimberly Robb Baker and Family

If your kids are anything like mine, they BLOW UP your Netflix account! So it was an extra pleasure to bring my kids to the Netflix Activity Truck at Navy Pier this weekend.

All event photos by Kimberly Robb Baker

They got to take pictures with Blippi and Po (of Kungfu Panda fame). Netflix didn’t even mind when I got in on the greenscreen action, put in-scene of The Sea Beast, their new girl-hero water adventure! Did I mention there were generous swag bags for the kids?!

The truck tour began in California and brought a taste of Hollywood to the Windy City. You can get your own kid-friendly experience with Netflix as they appear in Minneapolis at the Mall of America’s Toddler Tuesday 10-3 on July 19th, at the New England Aquarium in Boston on July 23 and 24 9-5, and finally in Atlanta at The Battery from 9:30-4:30.

To keep the fun going at home, download the activity guide here and check out the “Summer Break” collection at www.netflix.com/netflixfamilysummer for even more summertime viewing suggestions. 

The Netflix Family Summer Truck Tour features a kids and family friendly film & series-themed truck which is making its way across the U.S. during July and August with stops at MLB games, aquariums, malls, piers and a host of other locations. Family fun includes giveaways, character meet-and-greets and an immersive photo experience highlighting the best “what to watch” films and series for families this summer.

To get the latest on Netflix Family Summer, follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest @NetflixFamily #NetflixFamilySummer 

FEST ALERT: Physical Fest Is Back July 16th-24th at Nichols Park in Hyde Park and The Den Theatre.

 

PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO CELEBRATES ITS RETURN TO THE STAGE WITH PERFORMERS AND GROUPS FROM CHICAGO, THE UK, AND ARGENTINA

After holding a virtual festival in 2020 in response to the lockdown and producing their first outdoor event last year, the ninth edition of the Festival will present an expanded program of indoor and outdoor performances and in-person workshops, July 16th-24th, at Nichols Park in Hyde Park and The Den Theatre.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is bringing back indoor performances for its ninth edition after going virtual in 2020 and presenting a downsized outdoors edition last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. Public response to the outdoor event was, in fact, so positive that Festival co-founders Marc Frost and Alice da Cunha are starting the Festival Saturday, July 16th with a full day of family-friendly outdoor shows in partnership with the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series. The free event will take place at Nichols Park, 1355 East 53rd St., in the Hyde Park neighborhood from 2-8 pm. The Festival will continue with a week of international, national and local performances, workshops and conversations at The Den Theater, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., from July 18th-24th. There will also be virtual offerings available on their website, www.physicalfestival.com.

Artists scheduled to perform during the eight-day event include: Chicago’s Theatre Lumina, physical actor, juggler and performer Alex M. Knapp, clown and puppeteer Sharaina “Shay” Turnage, and contemporary circus company To X For; from the UK, Kuumba Nia Arts and Unlock the Chains Collective, two groups dedicated to bringing to life the stories and histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the United Kingdom; and from Argentina, Payasos Cenizas.\

Tickets for individual shows at The Den Theatre are: General, $21; Industry/Students/Seniors/Veterans, $16. Festival passes for all 5 shows are General, $86; Industry/Students/Seniors/Veterans, $61. Tickets and passes can be purchased at www.physicalfestival.com. For The Den Theatre’s covid policy visit their website.

“Being able to present our Festival last year, in person and outdoors, was a much needed balm for an artform that depends precisely on that human, physical contact. To see the joy, the smiles, in our audiences' faces, especially among the children was incredibly rewarding for both Alice and myself. So you can imagine how we feel about our return to the stage to introduce theatergoers to the amazing new creations from these dynamic  artists.” said Frost.

“Our Festival was conceived from Day One as an international festival so to not be able to bring these artists from around the world to the city of Chicago due to the pandemic, while necessary, truly saddened us.” added da Cunha. “In the theater world, two years feels like an eternity so we feel incredibly happy and blessed to be able to bring these local and international artists back to the space we all call home, the stage, and celebrate their resilience in these difficult times.”

The 9th Physical Theater Festival Chicago is made possible through the generosity of major supporters like the Richard HJ. Driehaus Foundation, the MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts, Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks and The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance; our producer's board and the generous contributions of individuals like you. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 9TH PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO 

CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT’S NIGHT OUT IN THE PARKS

Saturday, July 16, 2-8 p.m.

Physical Theater Festival Chicago Family Event

Nichols Park, 1355 East 53rd St., Chicago

Performances by Alex M. Knapp (Chicago), Sharaina Turnage (Chicago) and Kuumba Nia Arts (UK)

Physical actor, juggler, magician and circus performer Alex M. Knapp attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for Music (Vocal and Cello performance), as well as Columbia College Chicago for theater. He has studied Mime with The Mime Company in Evanston, Clown with 500 Clown, Paola Colletto, and The School for Theater Creators. He has received intensive circus training at New York Trapeze School in New York, Eche Arial Arts in Boston, and from Norbol Meirmanov at Meirmanov Sports Acro (MSA) in Chicago. Alex has performed with companies such as Redmoon Theater, Adventure Stage, the Inconvenience Theater and with 360 Entertainments national tour production of Peter Pan. On TV he has performed with Green Screen Adventures on WCIU. At clubs, bars, parties and festivals he performs with his band the Amen Brothers on Vocals, Ukulele and Cello.

Actor, puppeteer and clown Sharaina “Shay” Turnage is an actor/writer/voiceover/puppeteer/clown from the Southside of Chicago. Shay has toured with Manual Cinema and Theater Unspeakable. Shay also has performed with Free Street for the past few years. Shay studied “Du” Theater in Suriname, South America and was one of the first and currently only North Americans to perform the art form in Suriname and in the US. 

Kuumba Nia Arts is a Black led Oxford-based touring theater company that produces and develops work based on traditional African theatrical forms and aesthetics.  In Swahili, Kuumba means ‘creativity’ whilst Nia can be translated as ‘intention’ or ‘purpose’.  

THE DEN THEATRE

1333 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Monday, July 18

7 p.m. – Scratch Night

Scratch Night is a curated, quarterly theater showcase of works-in-progress featuring innovative local theater makers. Scratch Night features 6-7 previews of original contemporary, visual, and physical theater by different Chicago artists to foster their development. Co-produced by Brittany Price Anderson and Scott Ray Merchant, Scratch Night aims to provide a social space for community, conversation, and collaboration.

 

Tuesday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 20

7 p.m. – Song of Home by Theatre Lumina (USA/Chicago)

Theatre Lumina presents its newest devised work, Song of Home, a series of movement etudes confronting America’s complicated relationship with global displacement. Experienced by three displaced women coming to the United States, Song of Home is a theatrical meditation on the rich dynamic between a country’s identity and its accountability to the displaced. This project was first presented in a workshop phase in New Orleans in spring 2019 and then toured to Chisinau, Moldova and Lodz, Poland in February 2020.

Theatre Lumina is a group of artists devoted to cross-cultural collaboration and international exchange, founded by Monica Payne in 2014. Through the selection of diverse artists, subject matter, scripts, and influences, they seek to deepen audiences’ perspective and care for the world in which they live.  

Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21

9 p.m. – Surface Tension by To X For (USA/Chicago)

Surface Tension takes a beautiful and daring look at a queer friendship. At points ecstatic, dark, searching, and joyful, this intimate circus show celebrates vulnerable connection through sincere juggling. Utilizing acrobatics, weight-sharing, object manipulation, and dance, Surface Tension addresses the fear of loss, the power of trust, and the joy of vulnerability. 

To X For is a grassroots contemporary circus company based in Chicago, formed by artists Liam Bradley and David Chervony. Their aim is to make intimate performance that conveys a deeper sense of our humanity.

Thursday, July 21-Saturday, July 23

7 p.m. (Thursday and Friday), 9 p.m. (Saturday) – Sold by Kuumba Nia Arts (U.K.) and Unlock the Chains Collective (U.K.)

When one woman tells of her extraordinary journey to overcome the brutality of slavery, she becomes a beacon for the British anti-slavery movement. Born into slavery in the British colony of Bermuda, Mary Prince went on to become an autobiographer and champion of freedom. Published in 1831, Sold had an electrifying effect on the abolitionist movement helping to free many Africans in bondage. Through theater, song, music, drumming & dance, this masterpiece of Black British theater is inspired by the storytelling traditions of the West African Griot.

Kuumba Nia Arts was founded in 2009 to bring African and Caribbean peoples’ histories and contemporary stories to life through theater & film. Their storytelling theater form is a fusion of drama, song, dance and ritual linked to Caribbean and African roots. 

Unlock the Chains Collective was founded in 1986 by Euton Daley to explore performance poetry as a theatrical form and to develop a dialogue with various social struggles at the time. Dormant for over 20 years, they reformed in 2013 to continue the journey and give Black artists a performance platform and to present black experiences and cultural forms. 

Friday, July 22-Sunday, July 25

9 p.m. (Friday), 7 p.m. (Saturday) and 3 p.m. (Sunday) – Ruedos by Payasos Cenizas (Argentina). Co-presenting with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance

Silence, laughter and poetry come together in an extremely delicate and fun show that starts from minimal gestures and reaches the great questions of each and every one of us, by the hand of an artist. A clown show full of silences, angels and demons, where the body is in charge of writing words in a universal language. The arenas are corners in the life of this clown, who bares his soul while building crazy stories through a constant game with everyday elements.

Agustín Catriel Soler (Payasos Cenizas) is a founding member of the Los Tarantela theater company and has toured Europe doing presentations at the Cirque Starlight in Switzerland and at the Martin Handson’s Winter Circus in Holland. In 2013 he premiered his one-man show Ruedos in Buenos Aires, touring several festivals around the world. Performances of this show continue up to the present. He directed the plays Povorot (2018) Mortajas (2019) and Ciertas Petunias (2022).

WORKSHOPS (also at the Den Theatre)

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is pleased to offer workshops with visiting and local artists during the festival. Attendees will be able to hone their skills, add to their artistic toolbox, and meet physical theater practitioners in an engaging setting. All workshops will cost $51 and for those wanting to attend all four workshops there will be a workshop pass for $181.

Thursday, July 21

10 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Triptych: Storytelling in Three Panels

Taught by Monica Payne and members of Theatre Lumina

This workshop will explore physical expression and storytelling through the lens of the Triptych, a three-paneled composition drawn from the world of visual art. Through various exercises, primarily based in Viewpoints, the workshop will unlock the vocabulary necessary for making innovative, physical new work. Students will have the opportunity to create their own triptych and to discuss strategies for using it as either source material or character research. 

Friday, July 22

10 a.m.-1p.m.

Neoteric Juggling

Taught by Company To X For

An all-level crash course in contemporary juggling and a deep dive into Company To X For’s creative practices. In this three-hour workshop, participants will engage with the principles of object manipulation through composition, improvisation, and narrative storytelling. Participants will leave this workshop with a toolkit of exercises to explore the possibilities of juggling in performance. 

Saturday, July 23

10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Belonging

Taught by Kuumba Nia Arts & Unlock the Chains Collective

A practical exploration of the company's storytelling style as used in their award-winning production of Sold – the story of Mary Prince. Participants will work to create short pieces of theater that moves from improvisation to structure and explore how we shift from past to present to future and the utilization and fusion of prop, song, music, movement, symbol, character and chorus in creating stories.

Sunday, July 24

10 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Clown Body

Taught by Payasos Cenizas

This workshop will work on the construction of an available, sensitive, precise and present body, The Clown Body, through corporal, comic, and poetic writing.

The precision of the "movement" together with the "decision", both fundamental elements in a scene.The clown can be captured in a firm, present, and immense tree but it can also be the leaf that falls from the tree in absolute silence. 

ABOUT PHYSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL CHICAGO

Physical Theater Festival Chicago is an annual contemporary, visual, and physical theater festival that presents new forms of theater that are being performed around the world. In 2014, Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost launched the inaugural Physical Theater Festival through the Artistic Associate program at Links Hall. The inspiration for the Festival drew upon their combined experience in London as physical theater students at the London International School for the Performing Arts (LISPA). Moving from London to Chicago, they were inspired to start a new festival to promote a more progressive, fresh and physical approach to theater-making in Chicago. 

Originally from Brazil, Alice is an actress, producer and teacher who has lived and worked in Portugal, the US and the UK. While in London, Alice worked as an actress as well as producing a weekly short film festival, ShortCutz London, and as the Marketing Director for CASA, London’s Latin American Theatre Festival. Alice also serves as Artistic Consultant to Theater Unspeakable and has acted in various films, TV and theater shows including United Flight 232 (Jeff for Best Ensemble & Best Mid-Sized Prod.). Alice also does translation and interpreting for various companies including the Chicago Latino Film Festival.

Marc is an actor, deviser, educator and Chicago native who has performed and produced work in Brazil, Ireland, Spain, the USA and the UK. He created Theater Unspeakable as a platform for original works of devised, physical theater. Based in Chicago, the award-winning company has toured nationally, performing at venues including Lincoln Center Education (NY) and Kennedy Center (DC). He currently teaches physical theater at Northwestern University and Columbia College Chicago. Marc is also a proud graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute’s 14-Week Training Program for Commercial Theatre Producers in New York City. 

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT: This year, the 10th annual Night Out in the Parks edition will bring over 700 world-class events, including over 158 movies, 146 dance showcases, 128 musical performances, 120 theater, 71 nature experiences, 22 community festivals, 13 wellness immersions, and numerous holiday-themed events to every one of the city's 77 community areas and in all 50 wards. More than 120 Chicago-based artists will be involved as part of the family-friendly park event series, which will offer 2,000 hours of safe, high quality, cultural programming in 250 parks citywide. Nearly all events are offered with free admission. The Park District will also highlight more than 140 dance-themed outdoor performances that celebrate Chicago’s rich tapestry of cultures and storied dance industry as part of the “Year of Chicago Dance.” All events are available to view at www.nightoutintheparks.com and on the Night Out mobile application My Chi Parks™. Patrons who are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to stay home and join us for an event when symptoms subside. 

CHICAGO LATINO THEATER ALLIANCE (CLATA): The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) is committed to enticing, fostering and showcasing new thought provoking works of emerging Latino playwrights to inspire a cross-cultural audience. CLATA works to showcase existing and new thought-provoking U.S. Latino playwrights, actors and directors primarily in Chicago, along with national and international counterparts. CLATA strives to preserve cultural heritage and serve as a conduit to promote and identify new and exciting works. CLATA’s goals are to create a permanent home for Chicago’s Latino theater groups and companies and to create the country’s leading international Latino theater festival with an emphasis on showcasing local Latino theater artists and companies. CLATA also aims to provide technical and professional support for Chicago’s Latino theater groups and companies. CLATA is a sponsor of Physical Theater Festival Chicago.

THE MACARTHUR FUNDS FOR CULTURE, EQUITY, AND THE ARTS AT THE RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION: Richard H. Driehaus, a successful investment advisor, made his first public philanthropic gesture in 1983, when he established his eponymous foundation. For the next decade, the Foundation made grants totaling $6,000,000. In 1992 a family board was appointed, an executive director was hired, and giving became more formal and focused. Today the Foundation awards approximately $5,000,000 annually in grants, a portion of which is in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Driehaus Foundation benefits individuals and communities by supporting the preservation and enhancement of the built and natural environments through historic preservation in neighborhoods throughout Chicago, encouragement of quality architectural and landscape design, and conservation of open space. The Foundation also supports arts and culture, investigative reporting and government accountability, and organizations that provide opportunities for working poor people. The Driehaus Foundation has been a Lead Sponsor of Physical Theater Festival Chicago for the past five years.

Murder on the Orient Express Via Drury Lane Theatre August 31– October 23, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Drury Lane Theatre announces casting for

Agatha Christie’s

Murder on the Orient Express

Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig

Directed by Jessica Fisch

Cast includes Larry Yando, Karmann Bajuyo,

Sean Blake, Sam Boeck, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Diana Coates,

Robin DaSilva, Ryan Imhoff, Keith Kupferer, Sarah Lo and Leah Morrow

Drury Lane Theatre continues its 2022/2023 season with Agatha Christie’s famous mystery Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, directed by Jessica Fisch. Murder on the Orient Express runs August 31– October 23, 2022, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or online at DruryLaneTheatre.com.

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The next morning, an American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on famed detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer before they strike again. 

The cast features: Larry Yando (Hercule Poirot), Karmann Bajuyo (Michel/Head Waiter, u/s Bouc), Sean Blake (Monsieur Bouc), Sam Boeck (Hector MacQueen), Janet Ulrich Brooks  (Princess Dragomiroff), Diana Coates (Countess Andrenyi), Robin DaSilva (Helen Hubbard), Ryan Imhoff (Colonel Arbuthnot), Keith Kupferer (Samuel Ratchett, u/s Poirot), Sarah Lo (Mary Debenham), Leah Morrow (Greta Ohlsson), with Caron Buinis (u/s Dragomiroff, Hubbard), Leah Casey (u/s Countess, Greta, Mary), Loren Jones (u/s Arbuthnot, Ratchett) and Grant Lewis (u/s Michel/Waiter, Macqueen)

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Designer), Jessica Pabst (Costume Designer), Paul Toben (Lighting Designer), 2022 Tony Award winner Mikhail Fiksel and Jeffrey Levin (Composer/Sound Designer), Anthony Churchill (Projection Designer), David Blixt (Violence Choreographer), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coach), Larry Baker (Production Stage Manager).

Schedule: 

Wednesdays and Thursdays: 1:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 8:00 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Location: Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

Tickets: Single Tickets: $69 – $84*

Wednesday and Thursday matinees: $69*

Fridays, Saturday evenings and matinees, Sunday matinees: $84*

Thursday and Sunday evenings: $79*

*Prices do not include taxes or fees

$5 discount available for Senior Citizens on Wednesday and Thursday matinees

Group discounts available to groups of 15 or more

Dining and show packages available

 

Box Office:  

100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace; (630) 530-0111

Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm

or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

Murder on the Orient Express is rated PG.

Season and Subscription Information 

The remainder of the Drury Lane 2022/2023 Mainstage season includes Elf the Musical (November 9, 2022 – January 8, 2023); and A Chorus Line (January 25 – March 19, 2023).

The performance schedule for all productions during the 2022/2023 season is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Subscriptions start at $170. This includes priority seating and great dining discounts at Lucille Restaurant and The Lounge, dedicated theatre entrances, discounts at partner hotels, exclusive presale opportunities and much more. For more information, visit DruryLane.com/Subscribe. Group tickets start as low as $40 and Senior Citizens start at $42 for matinee performances. Dining and show packages are also available. To book a group of 15 people or more, call Group Services at (630) 570-7272 or email Groups@DruryLane.com. For individual ticket on-sale dates and ticket reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre Box Office at (630) 530-0111 or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com. 

 

About Drury Lane Theatre  

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you.  

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 60 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports our artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form. 

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting. 

WELLNESS-ORIENTED PARQ FULTON AND EVO UNION PARK LUXURY APARTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR OCCUPANCY

TWO NEW UPSCALE HIGHRISE BUILDINGS 

CONSTRUCTED IN THE FULTON MARKET

WELLNESS-ORIENTED 

PARQ FULTON AND EVO UNION PARK 

LUXURY APARTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR OCCUPANCY

Marquette Management Opens their Newest Fulton Market Residences, Equipped with Premier Fitness Centers, Rooftop Lounges, Pools, and Designer Interiors

Marquette Management is thrilled to announce the grand openings of two new luxury apartment buildings in Fulton Market- Parq Fulton, located at 1400 W. Randolph Street, and Evo Union Park, located at 1454 W. Randolph Street. Both buildings are now available for occupancy and will be celebrated with an opening special event to be held on Friday, June 10 from 4-8 p.m. featuring guided tours, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and entertainment.

These buildings offer designer finishes and bright, open spaces in both individual units and shared resident amenities. Each apartment includes quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, wood plank flooring, and artistic backsplash. Both residences boast boutique amenity spaces: pools with private cabanas, rooftop courtyards with lounge seating and grills, complimentary co-working spaces with individual workstations and conference rooms, resident lounges with space for entertaining, and fitness centers with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. Pets have not been forgotten, as both new buildings have special amenities for your furry friends so they can be just as happy in their new home as well. These apartments were designed to elevate the day-to-day lives of those working from home who want to be sure their workspace is perfectly curated to foster maximum comfort, featuring vacation-like spaces where residents can live, work, play and rejuvenate.

Parq Fulton is a 25-story high-rise designed with an emphasis on wellness and relaxation. Catered to those who thrive in a tranquil home environment, Parq Fulton not only offers residents access to an Olympic-grade fitness center with Technogym equipment, but also a Spin and Pilates Studio, a Free Weight and Strength Studio, and a Meditation and Yoga Studio complete with a private terrace. Details like premium soft close cabinetry and custom built-in island extensions have been implemented to make the home a unique, restorative space. On the property there is an expansive dog park with a pergola to protect pets from the elements and a 24-hour concierge to make sure residents are attended to at all times. A heated outdoor lounge allows residents to enjoy downtown views all year round. Parq Fulton also has a rooftop pool with private poolside cabanas. Select apartment homes have premium Kohler bathroom fixtures, electronic shower controls, double vanities, Kohler touchless kitchen faucets, and a 28-bottle wine refrigerator.

Evo Union Park was designed so that residents could plan less and live more. Evo uses smart technology that features secure, keyless building entry and apartment access as well as innovative in-home amenities. The pool deck is unparalleled with private cabanas, Union Park views, and one of the most uniquely shaped pools in Chicago. A gaming room, private co-working spaces, and a rooftop lounge with grill stations and fire features ensure that residents feel like they are enjoying a luxury vacation. Healthy habits are made easy at the expansive Technogym fitness center with sliding doors opening to enjoy temperate breezes from outside. Evo has multiple functional and spacious layouts to choose from, including studio, convertible, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floorplans, all with vibrant finishes. Each apartment was carefully curated to have a modern yet timeless feel, and select units have a built-in tech desk, a custom wood top Parsons table, glass walk-in showers with premium tile, and a Bluetooth shower head.

Living in Fulton Market means being located steps away from some of Chicago’s hottest restaurants, breweries, and cocktail bars. It also means easy access to an abundance of chic boutique shopping and being only a quick walk away from public transportation. The close proximity to Union Park gives Parq Fulton and Evo Union Park residents easy access to live music, local sports teams, community events, or to simply enjoy a picnic, right in their own backyard.

HELP OUT: GLOBAL ARTISTS FOR PEACE Benefit Concert at Marriott Theatre July 15

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Musical theater artists from Poland, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to tell their stories through song in GLOBAL ARTISTS FOR PEACE benefit concert at Marriott Theatre July 15

Broadway Across Borders, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating and connecting emerging artists across borders and empowering their artistic and social entrepreneurship, will present its first Chicago-area benefit concert on Friday July 15 at 8 pm at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Broadway Across Borders co-founder Aaron Thielen, who is also Marriott Theatre’s former Artistic Director, announced the event today. The 75-minute multi-media concert featuring musical theatre artists from Poland, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, will tell the stories of the life experiences of these central and eastern European artists through a program of musical theater numbers as well as original songs written and composed by the artists. The musical performances will be enhanced by video projections and the singers will be accompanied by a five-piece band. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the charitable organization Global Citizens and their program “Stand Up for Ukraine,” to provide grants to help Ukrainian artists tell their stories.

Marriott Theatre’s Aaron Thielen and Ryan Nelson are co-founders of sponsoring organization 

Broadway Across Borders

The featured performers are Adrian Kieroński of Warsaw, Poland; Nikolina Vujić and Sanjin Arnautović of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Lucia Miorin of Augsburg, Germany. Repertoire will include songs from the musical HAIR (which Broadway Across Borders will present in concert in three cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2022), from SPRING AWAKENING (produced by BAB online during the COVID lockdown in October 2020), the musical film THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, and original songs written by the artists. While these performers have previously collaborated with each other in virtual productions, the July 15th concert will be the first time the four will have performed together in person.

Arnautović is a musical theater actor and singer and a teacher at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Vujić is one of the leading musical theater performers in Sarajevo and has performed on television, in theatre at the Sarajevo War Theatre, and in films. She has studied at the Sarajevo Music Academy. Miorin has trained professionally in schools in Augsburg and Berlin, Germany. Kieroński is a graduate of the Fredryk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland, where he studied voice and acting. He has performed in musical theater productions in Warsaw, Lublin, and Lodz, Poland.

Tickets are $55 (plus tax and service fee) and are on sale now at http://broadwayacrossborders.org/, MarriottTheatre.com, or the Marriott Theatre Box Office (847-634-0200). VIP tickets, which include after-performance reception with champagne and desserts, and intimate conversations with the artists, are also available for $150 (plus tax and service fee).

Broadway Across Borders Presents

GLOBAL ARTISTS FOR PEACE

Friday, July 15, 2022, 8 pm

Marriott Theatre, Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL

Tickets: $55 (plus tax and service fee), VIP Tickets: $150 (plus tax and service fee)

VIP tickets include after-performance reception with champagne and desserts, and intimate conversations with the artists.

Tickets and further info available at http://broadwayacrossborders.org/, or at Marriott Theatre Box Office 847-634-0200 or MarriottTheatre.com.

Four Broadway Across Borders alumni artists from Poland, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina come together for one night to share their stories, talents, and their passion for connecting with artists from around the world. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will be donated to the charitable organization Global Citizens and their program Stand Up for Ukraine to help refugees from Ukraine and around the world.

ABOUT BROADWAY ACROSS BORDERS

Broadway Across Borders is a non-profit arts organization that builds international and cross-cultural collaborations through musical theatre performance that create a shared understanding of humanity by cultivating and connecting emerging artists across borders and empowering their artistic and social entrepreneurship. Broadway Across Borders was co-founded by former Marriott Theatre Artistic Director Aaron Thielen and Ryan T. Nelson (Marriott Theatre Resident Music Director).

REVIEW: Hand to God Via Paramount’s New BOLD Series at The Copley Theatre Through JULY 10, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

HAND TO GOD

MAY 25-JULY 10, 2022 

AT DOWNTOWN AURORA’S NEW COPLEY THEATRE

 August Forman (left, they/them/theirs) as Jason, Jason’s potentially satanic puppet, Tyrone, and Monica West in the driver’s seat as Margery. Credit for all production photos: Liz Lauren

Everybody loves puppets! Even puppets that may or may not be possessed by Satan. Right?

**Hand to God is suggested for ages 18 and up due to strong adult language, sexual harassment, simulated sex and simulated sexual violence.**

(from left) Adam Wesley Brown plays Pastor Greg, Monica West is Margery, August Forman is Jason/Tyrone, and Felicia Oduh plays Jessica. 

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Nuclear Family Meltdown

August Forman (they/them/theirs) is Jason, seen here puppeteering Tyrone

Paramount's Hand to God is epic storytelling by true masters of the craft. The cast killed it at the press opening last night and I can't think of a truer tale for our times. Hand to God is a perfect microcosm of our society, where we wake up to daily mass shootings, eroding human rights, safety nets that strangle, and a failure of religion as a support system for the vulnerable. Chicago has endured 971 shootings, just 5 months into this year, and the south is rapidly going full on Gilead, ala Handmaid's Tale.

Jessica (Felicia Oduh, left) and Jason (August Forman) are members of a church puppetry club 

In intense times like these, theatre can be a great escape, with big song and dance numbers and colorful costumes, but it can also be a powerful tool for empathy, understanding, and revolutionary change. It's easy to get numb to the news, but theatre is uniquely poised to cut through the static. If you pay for a seat in a show, you're primed to listen for a chunk of time, without interjecting. Playwrights and actors are the canaries in the coal mine and can use their platform for deep truths on politics, religion, and the human condition where other mediums fail. Here at ChiIL Mama, we're so impressed that Paramount is launching edgy, controversial, thought provoking offerings, in addition to the Broadway style crowd pleasers that usually dominate in the suburbs. This psychological deep dive into loss, lust, and losing it is an absolute must see. Highly recommended. Four out of four stars. ★★★★

Adam Wesley Brown (left) plays Pastor Greg and August Forman plays Jason/Tyrone

August Forman (they/them/theirs) is Jason, seen here in a small town church basement sparring with the potentially possessed puppet, Tyrone

Props to the props and set design team, sound design and lighting, for designing a devilishly delightful playground for this drama to unfold on. It's truly spectacular. I'm also jazzed this show has a diverse cast and a non-binary director and lead in Trent Stork, Associate Artistic Producer and Casting Director at Paramount, and August Forman as Jason/Tyrone. 

Paramount’s entire cast for Hand to God deserves all the acclaim and awards. We've seen August Forman in numerous productions over the years, and what they deliver as Jason/Tyrone is nothing short of career defining. Adam Wesley Brown as Pastor Greg, Jordan Moore as Timmy, Felicia Oduh as Jessica, and Monica West as Margery are all stunningly good at bringing this dark comedy to life.  

August Forman (left, they/them/theirs) is Jason, seen here with the potentially satanic puppet, Tyrone, and Felicia Oduh plays Jessica

(from left) Jordan Moore plays Timmy, August Forman is Jason/Tyrone, and Felicia Oduh plays Jessica

Paramount's profanity riddled production isn't for the prudish, but it's perfect for those offended by the myriad ways our society lets down veterans, widows, women, children, the poor, the grieving, the sexually abused, gay and non-binary youth, and the mentally ill. This is the train wreck we can't look away from. It's the child of desperation with no reprieve. It's the nuclear family meltdown. It's misplaced guilt, blame, and loathing, turned to self harm and questionable life choices. It's the desperate cry for help that finally gets results, when being good just isn't cutting it anymore. And did I mention it's fucking hilarious. Playwright Robert Askins has gifted us some of the most raw, real characters out there, and Paramount's cast nailed it. Don't miss this.

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

A small church ministry therapy group in Texas is the unlikely setting for Hand to God, a darkly humorous horror shocker guaranteed to leave your sides sore from laughter and your face soaked in tears. Brilliantly written by Richard Askins, Hand to God creates a funny, striking and poignant exploration of the deeply human journey of loss and the demons (both mythical and subliminal) that accompany the voyage. If God works in mysterious ways, wait until you see what Satan has up his, or at the end of your, sleeve. 

Avenue Q meets Little Shop of Horrors  in Hand to God, the Tony-nominated, darkly humorous horror shocker, puppets included, running May 25-July 10, 2022, at the new Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., right across the street from Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora.

The second play in Paramount’s new BOLD Series, Hand to God promises to deliver again on Paramount’s pledge to bring fearless, thought-provoking and unexpected new forms of live theater to downtown Aurora. 

Paramount Theatre BOLD Series

Hand to God character portraits

August Forman (they/them/theirs) plays Jason/Tyrone 

Photo credit for all: Amy Nelson

Felicia Oduh plays Jessica

Monica West plays Margery 

Adam Wesley Brown plays Pastor Greg 

Jordan Moore plays Timmy 

The Copley Theatre, a sleek, state-of-the-art, 165-seat theater with a modern new lobby bar, reopened in March as downtown Aurora’s newest live theater space following a two-year, $2 million, top-to-bottom renovation. Since then, the Copley has been welcoming new audiences with a critically acclaimed staging of Lynn Nottage’s working class drama, Sweat, Paramount’s inaugural BOLD Series opener.

 

Photos of new Copley Theatre by Thomas J. King.

Sock it to me: Behind-the scenes of Paramount’s BOLD Series production, Hand to God

Paramount’s BOLD Series production of Hand to God features (from left) August Forman as Jason/Tyrone, with Adam Wesley Brown as Pastor Greg, Jordan Moore as Timmy, Felicia Oduh as Jessica, and Monica West as Margery. 

Paramount’s cast for Hand to God features August Forman as Jason/Tyrone, with Adam Wesley Brown as Pastor Greg, Jordan Moore as Timmy, Felicia Oduh as Jessica, and Monica West as Margery. All are making their Paramount debut except Brown, who performed a memorable turn as Carl Perkins in Paramount’s 2017 Broadway production of Million Dollar Quartet.

Trent Stork, Associate Artistic Producer and Casting Director at Paramount, directs. Stork made their Paramount directing debut in 2018 at the helm of Legally Blonde (Broadwayworld.com Award – Best Direction of a Musical), followed by Paramount’s 2021-22, smash hit season opener, Kinky Boots. They have worked on the directing team for 19 productions at Paramount, 13 of those alongside Artistic Director Jim Corti. Outside of Paramount, Stork has worked at the Kaufman Center in New York City, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Angels Theatre Company and The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, among others. They also started their own casting company, Trent Stork Casting, and was the Chicago casting director for the new West Side Story adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Hand to God production team includes Jonathan Berg-Einhorn, scenic designer; Yvonne L. Miranda, costume designer; Cat Wilson, lighting designer; Jeffrey Levin, sound designer; Paul Deziel, projection design; Aimee Plant, properties designer; Jon Beal, fight choreographer; Jyreika Guest, intimacy director; Catherine Miller, dramaturg; Susan Gosdick, dialect coach; Spencer Lott, puppetry coach; Sara Gammage, stage manager; and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage manager.

Robert Askins (playwright) was born in Cypress, Texas in 1980. He moved to New York in 2005. His play Hand to God was first produced off Broadway in 2011 and 2014, then on Broadway in 2015, the latter receiving five Tony Awards nominations, including for Best New Play. The New York Times wrote “Askins’ darkly delightful play really inspires goose bumps as he unleashes a reign of terror…But he’s also flat-out hilarious, spewing forth acid comedy that will turn those goose bumps into guffaws.” Askins’s other plays include The Squirrels, Permission, Princes of Waco, Matthew and the Pastor’s Wife and The Love Song of the Albanian Sous Chef. Askins is an alumnus of I-73, Youngblood, and a member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre. He has received two E.S.T./Sloan grants, an Arch and Bruce Davis Award and the Helen Merrill Award for emerging playwrights. 

Hand to God performance schedule and ticket information

Previews start Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Press openings are Wednesday, June 1, at 7 p.m. and Thursday, June 2, at 7 p.m. Hand to God runs through July 10. Show times are Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $67 to $74.

The Copley Theatre is located at 8 E. Galena Blvd., in the North Island Center, directly across the street from Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Note:  

Pay What You Can performances

In order to break down barriers to experiencing live theater, Copley Theatre will offer two Pay What You Can performances of Hand to God:  Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m.

Both days, starting at 10 a.m., visit the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in-person to request tickets. Customers will be asked how much they’d like to pay and will simply pay what they can. Limit four tickets per person. Offer not valid toward previous purchases. Online or phone purchases are not permitted. The Pay What You Can initiative is part of Paramount’s new program, REACH (Resources Expanding the Arts and Connecting Humanity).

Access Services

Paramount will offer an open and closed captioning performance on Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m.

If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.

Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a listening device.

Paramount Theatre’s Covid-19 commitment to and safety and protocol

Paramount Theatre has followed, and will continue to follow, the requirements of the State of Illinois and the Kane County Health Department. Therefore, Paramount is following the guidance of the State of Illinois and recommends, but no longer requires, masks, proof of vaccination or negative COVID test for patrons. Mask wearing is strongly encouraged, but will be optional. For complete details, please read Paramount’s full Covid Policy. 

About Paramount Theatre's new Bold Series

Paramount Theatre’s inaugural BOLD Season opener, Sweat by Lynn Nottage, directed by Andrea J Dymond, features (front, from left) Shariba Rivers, Linda Gillum, Emmanuel K. Jackson and Gage Wallace, with (back) Jordan Anthony Arredondo and Randy Steinmeyer. Photo by Liz Lauren. Sweat press kit here.

After two years of waiting, Paramount Theatre launched its inaugural BOLD Series in February with Sweat, Lynn Nottage’s acclaimed modern-day drama about life in an American Rust Belt town. The Daily Herald awarded Sweat four stars, adding “if director Andrea J Dymond's scorching revival that inaugurated Paramount Theatre's BOLD Series at the newly remodeled Copley Theatre is any indication of productions to come, audiences are in for a treat.” The Chicago Reader agreed, calling Sweat a “stellar revival…launching a new direction for Aurora’s Paramount Theatre.” Performances are still running through April 24, 2022. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, or call the Paramount box office, (630) 896-6666. 

Fun Home

Book by Lisa Kron

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel

Directed by Jim Corti and Landree Fleming

August 3-September 18, 2022

Press openings: Wednesday, August 10, and Thursday, August 11, 2022 at

7 p.m.

Welcome to a funeral home unlike any other you’ve seen. Memories linger in the air like snowflakes, and the truth is always opaque. Where finding yourself means looking to the past and seeing yourself reflected in your father, who is exactly the same and still so different than you. It’s a place filled with humor, secrets, anger, unexpected joy, self-revelation and the most confounding thing of all: family. Welcome to Fun Home — a musical like no other. Suggested rating 13+

BULL: a love story

World Premiere

Written by Nancy García Loza

Directed by Laura Alcalá Baker

October 5-November 20, 2022

Press opening: Wednesday, October 12, and Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Bull dealt drugs, got caught, and served his time. For a decade, he’s thought about one thing: coming home. On the day Bull is released from prison, he returns to his old Chicago neighborhood, Lakeview, now unrecognizable. Hopeful and eager, he is ready to resume life with his family, only to discover how much has moved on without him. His dream now within grasp, what will it take to get home? Find out in BULL: a love story, a world premiere drama, originally presented as a virtual staged reading via Paramount’s new play development program, The Inception Project, in January, 2021. Suggested rating 13+

Four-show BOLD Series subscriptions are still on sale, ranging from just $134-$148. That’s a “buy two shows, get two shows free” offer. Single tickets to individual performances are $67-$74. To purchase subscriptions, single tickets or for more information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call

(630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All four BOLD Series performances are staged in Copley Theatre, located in the North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. 



About Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts and education in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.

After launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount Theatre grew to be the second largest subscription house in the U.S. Before Covid, more than 41,000 subscribers from all over Chicagoland and the Midwest were enjoying Paramount’s critically acclaimed, 2019-20 Broadway-caliber productions. In addition, Paramount also presents an array of internationally known comedians, musicians, dance troupes and family shows annually.

Paramount Theatre is one of four live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority. ACCA also oversees downtown Aurora’s newly renovated 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s new BOLD Series, along with the Paramount School of the Arts, RiverEdge Park, the city’s 6,000-seat outdoor summer concert venue, and Stolp Island Theatre, an immersive space opening in summer 2023. 

Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.

For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

August Forman (they/them/theirs) is Jason, seen here puppeteering Tyrone, in Paramount Theatre’s BOLD Series production of Hand to God, the Tony-nominated, darkly humorous horror shocker, puppets included. Performances are May 25-July 10, 2022, at the new Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. Tickets: paramountaurora.com or (630) 896-6666. Credit: Liz Lauren

Blue Man Group Chicago Mochi Donut & 20% Show Discount Available Throughout June at 2D Restaurant

Blue Man Group Chicago will kick off its 25th anniversary festivities by partnering with 2D Restaurant to launch a specialty “Blue Man Group” mochi donut. The donut will be available at 2D Restaurant (3155 N. Halsted) throughout the month of June.  

Celebrating the iconic theatrical phenomenon performing steps away from the restaurant, 2D’s Blue Man Group donut will feature fresh blueberry puree sprinkled with colored cocoa powder and topped with a marshmallow. Guests who purchase the “Blue Man Group” donut will receive a special ticket code for 20 percent off tickets to upcoming performances of Blue Man Group Chicago at the Briar Street Theatre.  

Blue Man Group originally debuted at the Briar Street Theatre in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in 1997. A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy and technology, Blue Man Group encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner (and outer) child in order to see the world through a new perspective. Three bald and blue men explore today’s cultural norms with wonder, poking fun at the audience’s collective quirks and reminding them how much they all have in common. The show is continually refreshed with new music, stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.  

  

About Blue Man Group 

Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning

theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication. Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies in Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas, an international residency in Berlin, and multiple North American and World tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. For more information, please visit www.blueman.com.  

  

About 2D Restaurant 

2D Restaurant is Chicago’s first two-dimensional mochi donut and Asian fusion chicken sandwich restaurant, transporting its guests into their own comic universe using monochrome illusions. 2D is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Vanessa Thanh Vu and Kevin Yu. In partnership with Chicago artist Mia Larson, the couple spent about two years attending to every detail of the 1,600 square-foot space, ultimately crafting an immaculate 22-seat Parisian fantasy world complete with a balcony view of the Eiffel Tower, a 1920s-style en-suite hotel bathroom complete with a bubble-filled clawfoot tub, and a cozy library stocked with tall bookshelves around a lit fireplace.