Category: Fundraising
Review: In The Jungle (Howard Brown Health Center)
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In the Jungle Written by Bertolt Brecht |
30-Hour Improv Marathon to benefit Child Literacy program
The Playground Improv Marathon:
30 Hours of Comedy Benefiting Child Literacy
“9 Actors. 30 Hours. No Script. No Sleep. No Sanity.”
When: 6 p.m. Friday, September 10 – Midnight Saturday, September 11
Where: The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
Cost: $5-$10 per hour-long show, $25 for a full 30-hour pass
Contact: Dave Maher (daphima@gmail.com, 773-706-5890)
On September 10-11 at The Playground Theater, local improv troupe K.C. Redheart will perform 30 straight hours of comedy as part of the inaugural Playground Improv Marathon, a charity event benefiting the Illinois Coalition of Reach Out and Read and the Playground Theater.
The nine members of K.C. Redheart will test their wits, endurance, and sanity as the core group of “Marathoners,” going without sleep while performing for the Marathon’s entire 30 hours. Additionally, each hour will mark the start of a new show, as the Marathoners welcome guests from around the city to improvise with them, including performers from Second City, ComedySportz, the Annoyance Theatre, iO, and K.C. Redheart’s home, the Playground Theater.
With the help of so many different performers, the Playground Improv Marathon will showcase the diversity and vitality of Chicago’s improv scene. There will be short-form games a la “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” experimental and narrative long-form shows, family-friendly shows during the day, and anything-goes sets during the late-night hours. As an added bonus, the audience will witness the Marathoners’ transformation from well-adjusted adults to sleep-deprived comedy nutjobs by the end of it all. And most importantly, all of the proceeds go to a great cause.
The Playground Improv Marathon begins Friday evening, September 10, at 6 p.m. and ends Saturday night, September 11, at midnight. Tickets are available at the door, and prices are as follows: $5 for matinee shows, $10 for prime-time shows, and $25 for passes to the entire Marathon. Tickets to the Marathon include entry in a raffle to win prizes donated by local businesses, with drawings held every hour. Extra raffle tickets will be available for purchase.
Chicago Opera Theater 2nd-annual Opera Cruise
2nd Annual Opera Cruise
High C’s on the High Seas
Thursday, August 12th
Don’t miss out! This Thursday, August 12th, the Chicago Opera Theater (COT) will set sail on Lake Michigan to celebrate a memorable evening of opera on its second annual Opera Cruise. The cruise will feature a short performance by soprano Nancy Gustafson and baritone Paul La Rosa.
I am thrilled to set sail again on beautiful Lake Michigan for a second straight year with our COT friends and family," said General Director Brian Dickie. "Last year was a remarkable success, and we hope to raise even more money for COT this year.
The voyage will begin at 6pm (boarding begins at 5:30pm) with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar including wine, beer, and COT’s Signature Cocktail, the "Operatini". In addition, there will be a raffle featuring prizes of a studio suite at Hotel Sax, a three month membership to Equinox, a wine tasting party for ten people at Tasting deVine Cellars, plus much more!
Nancy Gustafson
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Paul La Rosa
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The highlight of the evening will be a short concert by international opera star Nancy Gustafson, singing with Paul La Rosa, member of Lyric Opera’s esteemed Ryan Opera Center. Ms. Gustafson’s engagements in America have included the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In Europe she has performed in Vienna and Munich, at La Scala, Milan, and London’s Covent Garden, and appeared in Hamburg, Geneva, Rome, Turin, and Berlin, and at the Bastille Opera in Paris. She received rave reviews in Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Erwartung in 2007. Mr. La Rosa made his debut in 2009 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Kuligin in Kát’a Kabanová and also sang Cascada in The Merry Widow. (our review ★★★½)
The Opera Cruise will continue with dancing under the stars and over Lake Michigan until the boat docks at 8pm.
What: "High Cs on the High Seas" – 2nd Annual Opera Cruise on Lake Michigan
When: Thursday August 12, 2010, 5:30-8:00pm
Where: Boat leaves at 6:00pm from Navy Pier on Kanan Cruises (boarding begins at 5:30pm) Click here for directions.
Cost:
- $85 per person includes concert, dancing, hors-d’oeuvres and open bar
- $100 per person includes all of the above plus 3 raffle tickets. (Raffle tickets will also be sold on boat: 3 for $20)
- $60 per person is the discounted Opera Underground ticket for young persons aged 21-45 (ID required).
Tickets: 312.704.8414 or ChicagoOperaTheater.org
If what you really wanna do is produce… Here’s a chance to pick the brains of the industry’s elite
So you wanna be a producer? Mark the weekend of March 19 – 21 and plan on attending the Chicago Producing Intensive Conference at the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn. A $350 ticket ($275 for members of the League of Chicago Theatres) includes access to presentations and networking opportunities with a who’s who of heavy-hitter producers and general managers from blockbuster shows in Chicago and on Broadway as well as national tours.
Presenters scheduled for the conference include Tom Viertel, partner with Scorpio Entertainment (A Little Night Music); Allied Live Managing Partner Laura Matalon (Broadway’s Hair, Billy Elliot, Mama Mia and Legally Blonde, among others); Broadway in Chicago Vice President Eileen LaCario; Jujamcyn Theatres Creative Director Jack Viertel; Steppenwolf Theatre Executive Director David Hawkanson; David Richards of Richards/Climan (general managers for Broadway’s Blithe Spirit and All My Sons, among others) and Goodman Theatre Executive Director Roche Schulfer.
Presenters are slated to address audience development, script and story development and promotional strategies and marketing techniques, among others topics.
The conference is open to anyone interested in producing, co-producing or investing in the theater, be it in Chicago, New York or for national tours. Aspiring general managers and investors are also invited. Program planners say the weekend will be of special interest to anyone exploring relationships between the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors in the development of a theater project.
The Commercial Theater Institute, now in its 29th year, is a project of Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and The Broadway League, Inc. Dedicated to training the next generation of commercial theatre producers, CTI strives to provide resources and guidance to people interested in creating commercial productions for the stage.
REVIEW: Almost, Maine (The Gift Theatre)
Gift Theatre creates a real charm offensive
The Gift Theatre presents:
Almost, Maine
[a special dinner/theatre event]
by John Cariani
directed by Barlag, Belcuore, Blandford, Branham, Dibo, Gawlik, and Jones
featuring: Dan Aho, Burfete, DiNicola, Emmons, Jim Farruggio, Ed Flynn, Aemilia Scott, Justine Serino, and Kyle Zornes
through February 21st (more info)
review by Paige Listerud
Much about John Cariani’s play, Almost, Maine, mirrors Jules Feiffer’s 1977 play Hold Me! Both are collections of light, comical sketches regarding the uncertainties of the human heart. The essential difference between them is that the poignant neuroticism of Feiffer’s work grounds itself in the daily struggles of urban—okay, New York City—existence, while John Cariani situates his characters in the benignly rural and utterly imaginary location of Almost, Maine.
So, Fieffer’s characters fret, not only over their past or latest or lack of personal relationships, but also the political and social uneasiness of their times. By contrast, Cariani’s small town residents exist far, far, far away; not just from anything resembling everyday concerns—quite a thing to think about in a play emerging from 2004—but also reality itself. All the struggles of falling in and out of love dominate the minds of Almost’s inhabitants as if there were nothing else going on in the world. Moreover, the play steps further from reality in the literal use of sight gags based on our clichéd idioms about love.
All of which would be a treacly mess in less proficient hands. But Gift Theatre Company’s numerous directors and actors demonstrate a delicate, persistent care for the material, eliciting every critical ounce of human sympathy from the moment. The pain of abandonment or loss receives the wry and gentle touch called for by the text. Humor is almost born, not from the lines, but in the space between the lines as characters contend with what direction to go in the pursuit of romance. In the process, Capriani’s deeper wit about the precariousness of creating or preserving love shines through. It’s a magical place, Almost, Maine—but magical places can be as dangerous as the real ones. Almost is fraught with the possibility of losing one’s big chance at love, even when it is staring you in the face.
Since the play has such a short run—and only for benefit purposes–GTC hadn’t planned to have it reviewed. Too bad, they’re getting a good review anyway. At the very least, Almost, Maine is a real charm offensive, a solid showcase for cast and crew. Plus, if it’s perfectly timed to be “date theater” for the masses this Valentine’s Day, at least it’s a work about love that both is and is not about the happy ending.
Rating: ★★★
THE DINNER:
A four course Northeastern Seafood Dinner For Two @
The Gale Street Inn
Crabcake Appetizer - New England Chowder
- Lobster And Mussel Clam Bake For Two
- Cranberry Cheesecake
Production and dinner are only available as a coupled event:
“The Seafood Duet”
A Very Special Event Generously Sponsored by The Gale Street Inn
To Benefit The Gift Theatre Company
Dinner For Two at Gale Street Inn + Tickets for Two to The Gift = $75.
A Value of $60 for Your Meal + A Value of $50 for Your Tickets = Sweet!
Tax, Tip, Beverage Not Included.
A Non-Seafood Substitute Menu Will Be Available Upon Request.
Sorry, No Refunds. Exchanges Subject to Seating Availability.
Please give yourselves plenty of time to savor and enjoy your meal before the show! Patrons also enjoy the freedom to park their car in Gale Street’s lot!
For Evening Performances:
Please plan on being seated at Gale Street by 6:00pm and no later than 6:30pm.
For Matinee Performances:
Dinner served after the show starting around 4:30pm.
Before the show, please plan on being seated by 1:00pm.
As a courtesy to you, the audience, and the actors, there is no late seating at The Gift.
For tickets call (773) 283-7071, or
BUY ONLINE!
View Reservation Policies
Chicago Opera Theater Gala and fundraiser: March 13th
For more info, click HERE. General info on COT: www.chicagooperatheater.org
Olympia Dukakis reads for American Blues
By Leah A. Zeldes
Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis appears in Chicago Monday, Nov. 16, to read from an upcoming American Blues Theater production. The reading, a passage from ABT’s spring 2010 show, "RIPPED: The Living Newspaper Project" by Eduardo Machado and Rick Cleveland, takes place during a benefit for the newly-reconstituted troupe. Dennis Zacek, artistic director of Victory Gardens Theater, will also read.
Highlights of benefit, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Bridgeview Bank, 4753 N. Broadway, also include live blues by Chicago band The Skirts, an auction of such items as local theater tickets and a walk-on Broadway role, food and drinks. Tickets are $75, $125 for VIP admission, which includes an earlier reception with Dukakis.
Dukakis, whose film credits include Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland’s Opus and Moonstruck, for which she was named Best Supporting Actress, is a long-time friend of ABT ensemble member Carmen Roman. "I’ve watched this company continuously produce incredible, groundbreaking work," Dukakis said. "The 2009/10 season is no exception. I’m honored to be a part of their benefit celebration, and fully support this inspirational Chicago ensemble."
"Starting from scratch without staff and absolutely no money has certainly been a challenge," said ensemble member Gwendolyn Whiteside, part of the company’s executive/artistic/administrator triumvirate, along with Roman and Heather Meyers.
In March, 23 members of the ensemble left American Theater Company, leaving behind a $1 million annual budget and taking back the American Blues name under which that company formed in 1985. The group, which comprised most of ATC’s actors, departed over differences with its artistic director, P.J. Paparelli, who was hired two years ago from Perseverance Theatre in Alaska. Paparelli had reportedly expelled several members of the company and allowed members increasingly less influence on theatrical decision making.
American Blues Theater members include Cleveland, Dawn Bach, Ed Blatchford, Matthew Brumlow, Kate Buddeke, Casey Campbell, Dennis Cockrum, Lauri Dahl, Tom Geraty, Cheryl Graeff, Lindsay Jones, Kevin R. Kelly, Ed Kross, James Leaming, John Mohrlein, Jim Ortlieb, William Payne, Suzanne Petri, Tania Richard, Editha Rosario, John Sterchi and Stef Tovar.
"I believe the work of the ABT ensemble is vital and important to Chicago’s theater community and our city as a whole," Zacek said.
Nov 16: Porchlight Music Theatre will celebrate 15 years with benefit and revue
PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE CELEBRATES ITS
15TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A
HOMECOMING BENEFIT & REVUE
On November 16th at the Theatre Building Chicago
Porchlight Music Theatre celebrates the company’s 15th Anniversary with a Homecoming Benefit & Revue showcasing alumni performers reprising their favorite roles from shows through the company’s fifteen fabulous seasons. The benefit will take place at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont, on Monday, November 16.
The celebration evening will begin at 6pm. as guests mingle over libations and a buffet with alumni performers sharing favorite Porchlight production stories. The anniversary performance begins at 7:30 p.m. as alumni actors will take to the stage reprising their favorite role. Suzanne Getz, who most recently starred in Elegies during the Finn Festival of the tenth anniversary season, will sing a number from William Finn’s A New Brain. Porchlight presented the Chicago premiere of this show in 2002 and revived it in the Finn Fest of 2005. Getz received an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance for her role in the 2002 production. Heather Townsend who starred in this season’s Macabaret will reprise her show-stopping “My Husband Makes Movies” from Nine: The Musical. Presented in 2008, Nine earned five Jeff Award nominations including best production and best ensemble. Charissa Armon will sing “Back to Before” from Porchlight’s celebrated and multiple award-winning production of Ragtime. Armon received an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance and a Jeff Award Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a principal musical role. A host of other Porchlight alums will also take to the stage for this special revue.
The benefit will feature an open bar—beer, wine, and soft drinks—along with a buffet catered by Bespoke Cuisine. Guests and alumni will be able to bid on a variety of restaurant, spa, and cultural gift certificates at the benefit’s silent auction.
Ticket Information
Porchlight Music Theatre will present a Homecoming Benefit & Revue at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont (at Racine), on Monday, November 16. Advance tickets at $40 and $25 (actors’ rate) are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 773.325.9884 or emailing info@porchlighttheatre.com (leave call back information). Advanced reservations must be made by 5:00 pm, November 14. At door tickets are $50.
Porchlight Theatre Mission
Porchlight is Chicago’s Music Theatre.
By uniting the arts of music, drama, dance, and design we transform stories into thrilling, passionate and relevant events, which affect the lives of artists and audiences alike.
As professionals and leaders in this field, we nurture and develop new artists and works, expanding and redefining the music theatre genre while matching artistic vision with fiscal responsibility.
Beers and Baritones? Only with Chicago Opera Theater
When: November 18, 6pm–8pm
Enjoy a night of mingling and music with unlimited wine, handcrafted beer, and light appetizers at Rock Bottom Brewery for only $25! Opera Underground is COT’s club of young professionals ages 21 to 45.
- The evening will include a short performance from soprano Leila Bowie and baritone Martin Woods, both members of COT’s Young Artists Program.
- Rock Bottom Brewery – 1 West Grand (Grand and State), Chicago, IL – right off the CTA Red Line. Directions
- Win a pair of Opera Underground Subscriptions to Chicago Opera Theater and other great prizes in the FREE business card raffle at the event!
BUY NOW AND SAVE! Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door.
Buy tickets online
or CALL: 312.704.8414
Spider-Man the Musical – a sticky web of financial woes
A web of financial woes
He can shoot webs, swing between buildings, and punch through brick walls, but Spider-Man’s fundraising powers are another story. Six years, tens of millions of dollars, and music by U2 have yet to bring the superhero to Broadway, where a planned musical is still short as much as $24 million of its projected $52 million budget. According to the Los Angeles Times, the production would easily be the most expensive in history and would feature pyrotechnics, giant sets, and a Spider-Man who swings directly over the audience. "The visuals and the music are amazing, and that’s what will matter," Bono told the Times.
See “A Steady Rain” on Broadway with Chicago Dramatists
More than 100 generous donors and friends will be joining Chicago Dramatists on Broadway for Resident Playwright Keith Huff’s A STEADY RAIN, starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman – and you can be one of them.
Although tickets for the show are virtually sold out (except for premium tickets at $375 per ticket) you’ll be able to attend the play AND a pre-show party for just $250.
The production exports a playwright (Keith Huff), whom Chicago Dramatists has nurtured for many years, to Broadway and shines a spotlight on Chicago and the other talented playwrights and plays developed here. This upcoming benefit will go towards helping other upcoming playwrights being honed through the Dramatists’ programs.
Here’s the info:
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45th Street
8:00 pm Curtain
Pre show Cocktail Party, PS 450, 5:15 – 7:15 pm
Limited Tickets Available at $250. A very limited number of prime seats are available at $500 each
For more information, contact Cynthia Frahm at cfrahm@chicagodramatists.org or 312.633.0630 ext: 3#
Development Director Cynthia Frahm with A Steady Rain star Daniel Craig
Read the rave reviews of A STEADY RAIN in Time Magazine, Variety, and USA Today
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1927540,00.html
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941264.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/reviews/2009-09-29-steady-rain-jackman-craig_N.htm
