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THEATER REVIEW The Total Bent
Authors: Stew and Heidi Rodewald At: The Den Theatre, 1616 N. Wells St. Tickets: HavenTheatreChicago.com; $35. Runs through: March 10 Haven Theatre and About Face Theatre's The Total Bent is what comes from combining a ...
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Nederlander Theatre lights marquee
Broadway In Chicago's newly named James M. Nederlander Theatre recently lit its marquee for the first time. The venue, at 24 W. Randolph, honors the late James M. Nederlander, the legendary Broadway theater owner and producer, ...
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THEATER REVIEW Fulfillment Center
Playwright: Abe Koogler At: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St. Tickets: $30-40; ARedOrchidTheatre.org. Runs through: March 24 These days, everyone's trying to make a statement. Theater companies have their reasons. These are trying ...
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THEATER REVIEW Pipeline
Playwright: Dominique Morisseau At: Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.. Tickets: $27-60; VictoryGardens.org . Runs through: March 3 Thinking about Pipeline, here's what comes to mind: two incredible supporting characters and a Gwendolyn Brooks poem. ...
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THEATER REVIEW A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Playwright: Book by Robert L. Freedman, music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak At: Porchlight Music Theater at the Ruth Page Auditorium. Tickets: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org; 773-777-9884; $39-$66. Runs through: March 16 Those ...
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Critics' Picks
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Porchlight Music Theatre at the Ruth Page Auditorium, through March 16. A score that hearkens to Gilded-Age whimsy, scenery like a Victorian greeting card designed by Monty Python and ...
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SPOTLIGHT on Underscore Theatre's Chicago Musical Theatre Festival
Is the next Hamilton lurking in Chicago? Stranger things have happened. Underscore Theatre's ambitious 5th Annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival includes nine concert readings of brand spanking new shows and two free workshop performances. Among the ...
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The Jeff Awards to present panel on Latinx Theater
February 12, 2019, Chicago, IL - The Jeff Awards meeting on Monday, February 18, 2019 at the Greenhouse Theater will include a panel discussion on Latinx Theatre. This is a rescheduled panel from Jan. 28. Latinx ...
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Pride Films and Plays offers Buyer & Cellar, comedy of life in Streisand's basement
Pride Films and Plays will mount Jonathan Tolin's one-man play BUYER & CELLAR in the Broadway Theater of the Pride Arts Center, according to the company's Executive Director David Zak. The production will be directed by ...
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Afterglow opening at Pride Arts Center March 27
Chicago, IL - Casting for the Chicago Premiere of AFTERGLOW, an off-Broadway hit from 2017 exploring the emotional, intellectual, and physical connections between three men and the broader implications within their relationships, has been announced by ...
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Chicago Theatre Week February 7 - 17
Chicago — Tickets for Chicago Theatre Week ( #CTW19 ), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, all priced at $30, $15, or ...
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'Evan Hansen' digital lottery announced
Broadway In Chicago and the people behind Dear Evan Hansen have announced there will be a digital lottery held for every performance of the production, offering fans the chance to purchase a limited number of $25 ...
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A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Playwright: Book by Robert L. Freedman, music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak. At: Porchlight Music Theater at the Ruth Page Auditorium. Tickets: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org 773-777-9884; $39-$66. Runs through: March 16 Those ...
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Chicago Theatre Week Feb. 7-17
Chicago Theatre Week—an annual celebration of theater in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets—will take place Feb. 7-17. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, ...
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Mayoral arts forum Feb. 10 at Broadway
Arts Alliance Illinois Executive Director Claire Rice, Broadway in Chicago President Lou Raizin and Vice President Eileen LaCario, and League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Deb Clapp have announced the 2019 Chicago Mayoral Arts Forum, taking ...
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THEATER REVIEW Nina Simone: Four Women
Playwright: Christina Ham At: Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: Northlight.org; 847-673-6300; $30-$88. Runs through: March 2 Nina Simone is nowadays more often referenced for ...
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Raven Theatre Announces 2019-20 Season
CHICAGO ( February 1, 2019 ) — Raven Theatre is pleased to announce its 2019-20 Season, kicking off this fall with the Chicago premiere of Rachel Bonds' drama SUNDOWN, YELLOW MOON, directed by Artistic Director Cody ...
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THEATER REVIEW How to Catch Creation
By: Christina Anderson At: The Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets: Goodmantheatre.org; $20-$70. Runs through: Feb. 24 The Goodman Theatre production How to Catch Creation, penned by Christina Anderson, is a groundbreaking portrayal of ...
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Mike Pence Sex Dream on stage Feb. 16 through March 16
CHICAGO ( January 30, 2019 ) — First Floor Theater is pleased to continue its seventh season with the world premiere of Dan Giles' twisted and timely MIKE PENCE SEX DREAM, directed by Artistic Director Hutch ...
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Hamilton, The Exhibition tickets on sale
CHICAGO ( Jan. 29, 2019 ) — Tickets to Hamilton: The Exhibition will go on sale to the general public at 10AM on Friday, Feb. 15. Hamilton: The Exhibition will premiere in Chicago on April 6, ...
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All That He Was benefit concert March 11 at Pride Arts Center
All That He Was, the 25th Anniversary Benefit Concert on March 11, 2019 at Pride Arts Center will support Pride Films and Plays and Chicago-area AIDS services charities including AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ) ...
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THEATER REVIEW Red Rex
Playwright: Ike Holter At: Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn Ave. Tickets: 773-649-3186; Steeptheater.com $10-$38. Runs through: March 16 Artists as the shock troops of gentrification isn't a new trope. But Ike Holter's Red Rex captures ...
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WINTER THEATER SPECIAL Intriguing shows to see this winter
Chicago is an experimental theater city, from its regional houses all the way down to its storefront scene. More often than not, the material produced on our stages does not fit neatly into the category of ...
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WINTER THEATER SPECIAL Ten dramas to see this winter
Between February and April, here are the best dramas coming your way in Chicago. Bundle up and get out there to experience the finest in live theater, from classic Shakespeare to new works by acclaimed and ...
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OUTspoken! LGBTQ storyteller series at Sidetrack Feb. 5
The February edition of OUTspoken! LGBTQ storyteller series takes place Tuesday, February 5, at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St. Doors open at 6 pm, stories begin at 7. —Denise Bowker was born and raised in a ...
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'The Total Bent' Feb. 7-March 10
Haven Theatre, in association with About Face Theatre, will present the Midwest premiere of The Total Bent—" a dynamic new rock show about fathers, sons, social upheaval and the choice between salvation and selling out," according ...
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THEATER REVIEW Fuente Ovejuna
Playwright: Lope de Vega. Adapted and Directed: Terry McCabe City Lit Theater: 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Tickets: CityLit.org; $12-$32. Run through: Feb. 17 Fuente Ovejuna is an original play written by Lope de Vega, ...
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THEATER REVIEW Photograph 51
Playwright: Anna Ziegler At: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Tickets: $50-74; CourtTheatre.org . Runs through: Feb. 17 On its surface, Photograph 51 is the story of Rosalind Franklin. Haven't heard of her? You're not ...
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Critics' Picks
St. Nicholas, What We're Up Against, Compass Theatre at Raven Arts Center, through Feb. 7. It may be 1992 at Theresa Rebeck's architectural firm, but the shark-tank tactics Echacka Agba's ambitious professional woman must employ to ...
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THEATER SPOTLIGHT
Garrett Allain ( aka Gayerbear ) promises a "fruit basket full" of personalities in this tale of a performer attempting to launch a solo career. Billed as a "live visual album" and starring Allain ( backed ...
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THEATER REVIEW In the Blood
Playwright: Suzan-Lori Parks At: The Ready, 4546 N. Western Ave. Tickets: RedTapeTheatre.org . Runs through: Feb. 23 There were a few times during Red Tape Theatre's opening night of Suzan-Lori Parks' In the Blood when ...
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WINTER THEATER SPECIAL Up close and personal: Intimacy design in February productions
The myth of actors losing sight of the boundaries between their own personalities and those of their characters is exactly that—a fiction born of sensational fancy. Reflexive behavior forged over centuries of evolution is not always ...
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WINTER THEATER SPECIAL Genre-defying works dot theater landscape
There's a lot to be excited about on Chicago's upcoming theater slate. Winter promises dozens of shows premiering with weird, powerful and hilarious stories, and featuring fantastic casts. Get ready to put on your snow boots, ...
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Chicagoland Theatres raise over $300,000 to support Season of Concern
CHICAGO, IL - Season of Concern, the Chicagoland theatre community's fundraising effort that provides compassionate care to those in the theatre community who are experiencing the effects of illness or injury and also provides support annually ...
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THEATER REVIEW Big Science
By: Jiana Estes & Audrey Polinski and the Hot Kitchen Collective. At: The Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets: Steppenwolf.org/tickets; $15-$20. Runs through: Feb. 7 By the time the performers reach the second dance ...
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SPOTLIGHT
It's difficult to see where the puppets end and the people begin in Plexis Polaire's Chambre noire. The trippy mesh of puppetry, music and live action is part of Chicago's International Puppet Festival, which includes dozens ...
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Critics' Picks
St. Nicholas, Goodman Theatre, through Jan. 27. This London import, starring Brendan Coyle flaunting his memorization chops, takes its time to ensure that we understand every last nuance of Conor McPherson's gloomy booze-soaked parable of midlife ...
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THEATER REVIEW Dada Woof Papa Hot
Playwright: Peter Parnell At: About Face Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets: AboutFaceTheatre.com; 773-975-8150; $20-$38. Runs through: Feb. 16 This play should be required viewing for anybody contemplating, however briefly, starting a family. ...
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THEATER REVIEW What We're Up Against
Playwright: Theresa Rebeck At: Compass Theatre at the Raven Arts Complex, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: CompassTheatre.org; $35. Runs through: Feb. 9 It doesn't take us long to separate the bad 'uns from the good 'uns ...
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THEATER REVIEW I Know My Own Heart
Playwright: Emma Donoghue At: Pride Films & Plays, 4147 N. Broadway. Tickets: 866-811-4111; pridefilmsandplays.com; $25-$30. Runs through: Feb. 10 The life of wealthy English property owner, industrialist, inveterate traveler, mountain climber and lesbian Anne Lister ( ...
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THEATER REVIEW Evil Dead The Musical
Authors: George Reinblatt/book & lyrics; Reinblatt, Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond & Melissa Morris/music At: Black Button Eyes Productions at Pride Films & Plays, 4139 N. Broadway. Tickets: BlackButtonEyes.com or evildeadchicago.brownpapertickets.com ; $30. Runs through: Feb. 16 ...
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THEATER REVIEW Between Riverside and Crazy
At Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr. Tickets: 773-728-7529 or Redtwist.org; $35-40. Runs through: Feb. 10 Between Riverside and Crazy, directed by Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary and produced by Redtwist Theatre, delivers a unique experience to the audience. ...
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THEATER REVIEW Cardboard Piano
Playwright: Hansol Jung At: TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave. Tickets: $40-54; TimelineTheatre.com . Runs through: March 17 A childhood parable inspires the title of Hansol Jung's Cardboard Piano. What's broken can be fixed, the tale ...
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Firebrand Theatre Announces Casting for Chicago Premiere of QUEEN OF THE MIST
CHICAGO ( January 18, 2019 ) — Firebrand Theatre is pleased to announce full casting for its Chicago premiere of QUEEN OF THE MIST featuring book, music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa ( The Wild ...
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Aaron Alexander on being part of the 'Hamilton' ensemble
Two years and three months into its Chicago run, Hamilton remains one of the costliest and most coveted tickets in town. While the show has gone through multiple leadls—half a dozen Burrs, Elizas, Angelicas and Jefferson/Lafayettes ...
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THEATER REVIEW I Call My Brothers
Author: Jonas Hassen Khemiri At: Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge Ave. Tickets: 312-219-4140 or InterrobangTheatre.org; $16-$32. Runs through: Feb. 2 The Chicago premiere of Jonas Hassen Khemiri's ( and translator Rachel Willson-Broyles' ) I Call My ...
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Critics' Picks
The Full Monty, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, through Jan 26. Though still adjusting to their new quarters, Theo Ubique's trademark close-up-and-intimate approach to its musical genre generates the effusive charm that makes this Rogers Park company ...
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Theater Spotlight on Saltine
Cody Sullivan delivers the kind of history lessons you'll never hear at the Art Institute or any other reputable institution. Actually, scratch that: It's Sullivan's drag persona Saltine who holds forth on the genesis of iconic ...
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THEATER REVIEW St. Nicholas
By: Conor McPherson At: The Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets: GoodmanTheatre.org/StNicholas; $31-$85. Runs through: Jan. 27 Artists are suspicious of critics. How can a person who does not create pick apart another's creation, ...
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NUNN ON ONE Kristina Valada-Viars: Out actress discusses lengthy career
Out actress Kristina Valada-Viars continues to expand her life in theater. A big part of this is thanks to the Steppenwolf and the Princess Grace Foundation. The foundation was started 36 years ago by Prince Rainier ...
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'Nina Simone' through March 2
Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2018-19 season with Nina Simone: Four Women, written by Christina Ham and directed by Kenneth L. Roberson. Nina ...
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18th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival line-up named
SketchFest Executive Producer Jill Valentine announced the official line-up for the 18th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, taking place through Jan. 20 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. The eclectic 2019 line-up will feature 120 ...
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OUT on Stage' Jan. 17 on Dekkoo
OUT on Stage: The Series will debut Thursday, Jan. 17, on LGBT subscription-based streaming network Dekkoo. Zach Noe Towers hosts the show, which features a line-up of renowned LGBTQ stand-up comedians. "I don't think comedy is ...
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Johnson/Nash book release party Jan. 31
A joint book release celebrating E. Patrick Johnson's Black. Queer. Southern. Women: An Oral History and Jennifer Nash's Black Feminism Reimagined: After Intersectionality will take place Thursday, Jan. 31, at Women & Children First, 5233 N. ...
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Groundbreaking 'I AM... Fest' April 27-29
Black Lives, Black Words International Project will launch the I AM… Fest, in partnership with Goodman Theatre. This first-of-its-kind international festival will take place April 27-29, and will shine a spotlight on the female voices from ...
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'Hedwig' tour in Chicago in 2019
John Cameron Mitchell—the Tony-winning, Golden Globe-nominated co-creator of Hedwig & the Angry Inch—will bring his rock spectacle to the United States for the first time, a press release noted. For four exclusive engagements, Mitchell and his ...
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Fillet of Solo Storytelling Fest, Archy Jamjun, A Boy & A Diva Jan. 18, 25
Two-time The Moth GrandSLAM winner Archy Jamjun premieres his debut one man show, A Boy & A Diva, Jan. 18 and 25, as part of Chicago's premiere storytelling festival Fillet of Solo presented by Lifeline Theatre. ...
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New authors take on hard-hitting subjects at Playwrights Festival
With this year's crop of student one-acts, Pegasus Theatre Chicago is tackling homophobia, gentrification and other urban ordinariness that carries a political charge for a trio of female authors. The 32nd Young Playwrights Festival features pieces ...
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LGBTQ performance of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" one night Feb. 9
Chicago Theatre Workshop ( CTW ) with permission from authors, Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts will present a one-night only LGBTQ performance of their long running off-Broadway hit musical, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" ...
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Carol Channing dies at 97
Broadway legend Carol Channing—who was known for her signature lead role in the Jerry Herman musical Hello, Dolly! and who continued performing into her 90s—died of natural causes at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, at ...
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Auditorium offering free tickets to furloughed workers
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy./50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., wants to reach local furloughed government employees to take advantage of a free ticket offer to its upcoming events Too Hot to Handel: The ...
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Broadway's Corey Cott, Mikaela Bennett to lead Lyric Opera's West Side Story
CHICAGO ( January 9, 2019 )—Acclaimed Broadway performer Corey Cott and rising star Mikaela Bennett will headline Lyric Opera of Chicago's premiere of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's groundbreaking American musical West Side Story, presented fromMay ...
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Victory Gardens Theater to premiere If I Forget
Chicago, IL— Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels announce an addition to the 2018-2019 Victory Gardens season—the Chicago Premiere of If I Forget, written by Steven Levenson and directed by Devon de Mayo. ...
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Novelist's fascination with history comes alive on stage
Novelist Emma Donoghue has had a long and rewarding relationship with Regency historical figure Anne Lister. Lister created a series of coded diaries that documented her love affairs with women while operating as part of the ...
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Hell in a Handbag presents Golden Girls, The Lost episodes, Valentine edition
CHICAGO ( January 8, 2019 ) — Chicago's favorite drag seniors start 2019 with LOVE in Hell in a Handbag Productions' beloved parody THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes — The Valentine Edition, written by Artistic ...
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Haven Theatre, About Face Theatre to present The Total Bent
CHICAGO ( January 8, 2019 ) — Haven Theatre, in association with About Face Theatre, is pleased to present the Midwest premiere of THE TOTAL BENT, a dynamic new rock show about fathers, sons, social upheaval ...
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'OUT on Stage' Jan. 17 on Dekkoo
OUT on Stage: The Series will debut Thursday, Jan. 17, on LGBT subscription-based streaming network Dekkoo. Zach Noe Towers hosts the show, which features a line-up of renowned LGBTQ stand-up comedians. "I don't think comedy is ...
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Critics' Picks
Familiar, Steppenwolf Theatre, through Jan. 13. The wedding party includes three generations, two races ( one, South African immigrants ), it's snowing and everything still ends happily—what better way to welcome the new year? MSB Women ...
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About Face heats January with 'Dada Woof Papa Hot'
Hot from the hands of writer Peter Parnell and director Keira Fromm comes a new About Face Theatre ( AFT ) take on modern families called Dada Woof Papa Hot. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 10, at Theatre ...
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OUTspoken! monthly LGBTQ storytelling series Jan. 8
The January edition of OUTspoken! LGBTQ monthly storytelleing series takes place Tuesday, January 8, at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St. Doors open at 6 pm, stories begin at 7. Every month new storytellers, stories from the ...
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'Dada Woof' cast announced
About Face Theatre has announced casting for its Chicago premiere of Dada Woof Papa Hot, by Peter Parnell ( The Cider House Rules ) and directed by Artistic Associate Keira Fromm. This comedy about gay parenting ...
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Digital lottery, rush tickets for 'Fiddler'
Broadway In Chicago announced that there will be a digital lottery and rush tickets for the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, which will run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., through ...
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Gary Sinise book event Feb. 18
Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced a special event as part of co-founder Gary Sinise's book tour promoting his new book Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service. Sinise will reflect on his book in a ...
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Sketch Comedy Festival sets line-up
SSketchFest Executive Producer Jill Valentine announced the official line-up for the 18th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, taking place Jan. 10-20, 2019, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. The eclectic 2019 line-up will feature 120 ...
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The best of Chicago theater (part two)
More Windy City Times theater critics weigh in on what they felt was the best theater Chicago had to offer in 2018. 1. Karen Topham's choices: It was yet another year of tremendous variety in ...
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