CHICAGO (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM) — Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s star-studded ensemble will join 600 members of Chicago’s corporate, civic and cultural communities for

Steppenwolf’s premier fundraising event offers guests the unique opportunity to connect with Steppenwolf artists while enjoying theatrical entertainment, cocktails, a gourmet dinner, music and dancing with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, the opportunity to bid on once-in-lifetime auction items—and much more!

Single tickets and tables for GALA 2011 are currently available by contacting Steppenwolf’s Special Events Department at (312) 654-5632 or specialevents@steppenwolf.org.  Last year’s Gala raised over $1 million for Steppenwolf’s artistic and community programming.

GALA 2011 kicks off at Steppenwolf Theatre Company with a showcase of scenes from Steppenwolf’s production of The Hot L Baltimore directed by ensemble member Tina Landau, featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Kate Arrington, Jon Michael Hill, James Vincent Meredith, Yasen Peyankovand Molly Regan and the entire Hot L cast.

Following the performance, the party moves two blocks south to Blackhawk on Halsted, a 15,000 square-foot space featuring theatrically-inspired décor by Event Creative and a breathtaking view of Chicago’s skyline.

There, guests will enjoy a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner prepared by Food for Thought Catering and the annual live auction (led by auctioneer Michael Davis of Hart Davis Hart Wine Co.) featuring once-in-a-lifetime adventures with Steppenwolf ensemble members and artists.  The evening wraps up with dancing and live music by Steppenwolf co-founder Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band and a late night DJ set.

Some of this year’s live auction prizes include:

• A private on-set visit for four to CBS’s hit TV series The Good Wife, including lunch with actor Josh Charles and Steppenwolf co-founder Terry Kinney at New York’s famed Bryant Park Grill.  Includes hotel stay and round-trip airfare.
• A private on-set visit for four to FOX’s hit comedy series Raising Hope, including lunch with Steppenwolf ensemble member Martha Plimpton and Steppenwolf actors Lucas Neff and Garret Dillahunt.  Includes hotel stay and round-trip airfare.
• Luxury seats for ten to a Chicago Cubs home game with Steppenwolf co-founder Gary Sinise, who will sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7^th inning stretch. A private jam session for eight with celebrity musicians Pat Sansone and John Stirrat of Wilco along with Steppenwolf ensemble members Alana Arenas and Jon Michael Hill at the Chicago Music Exchange.  Includes a gourmet dinner prepared by award-winning celebrity chef Rick Bayless.
• A unique evening for eight with the cast of Steppenwolf’s production of Penelope, including Steppenwolf ensemble members John Mahoney and Amy Morton.  Includes tickets to the performance, overnight stay in an Elysian Hotel suite and dinner at the hotel’s Ria Private Dining Room.

The GALA 2011 Co-Chairs include: Carole L. Brown, Kenneth J. Porrello, Michael R. Salem andStephanie B. Smith.

Event:              GALA 2011

Performance:   An exclusive showcase of scenes from The Hot L Baltimore, dancing and live music with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band plus a late-night DJ set.

Details: Featuring a cocktail reception, dinner and live auction.

Date: Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 6:30 pm

Location: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Blackhawk on Halsted, 1460 N. Halsted St.

Tickets: To purchase tickets, contact Steppenwolf’s Special Events Department at (312) 654-5632 or specialevents@steppenwolf.org.

Deloitte is the GALA 2011 Lead Sponsor, David Herro and Jay Franke are the Raise the Paddle for Steppenwolf for Young Adults Sponsors, Liz and Eric Lefkofsky are the Live Auction Sponsors, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. is the Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band Sponsor, Structured Development is the Event Venue Sponsor, the Elysian Hotel is the Official Hotel Partner, Ogilvy is the Official Marketing Partner and United Airlines is the Official Airline Partner.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL (Martha Lavey, Artistic Director; David Hawkanson, Executive Director) is one of the nation’s leading ensemble theatres, producing up to 16 productions each year in its three Chicago theater spaces – including programming dedicated to the development of new plays and theatre for young adults.

Steppenwolf’s productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin.  Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors.

For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org, www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre andwww.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Connect with Gary Sinese and other artists at Steppenwolf’s GALA 2011 fundraising event | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Each student will choose a monologue from Wilson’s Century Cycle, a series of 10 plays that portray African Americans during successive decades of the 20th century. The plays feature lyrical monologues by varied ensemble cast members.

Derrick Sanders, UIC adjunct lecturer in performing arts and a Wilson protégé, said the competition is designed to encourage educators to teach Wilson’s plays in high-school literature and social studies classes. Sanders initiated Chicago’s participation in the competition last year.

Sanders, who has directed Wilson’s plays around the country, will direct Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” at the UIC Theatre Feb. 11-20. The student competitors will preview the play and attend special post-show events.

“Last year was an incredibly successful launch of the Chicago wing of this competition,” Sanders said. “The three young Chicago women who competed at the finals in New York last May, two of whom now study at UIC, were excellent representatives of the caliber of artists that Chicago creates and nurtures. I’m so pleased that we can expand this important project this year.”

A panel of Chicago theater professionals will judge the competitors on preparedness, understanding of the text, emotional connection to the material, and commitment to the performance. Ten semi-finalists from the UIC round will receive coaching on their monologues before completing the Chicago preliminaries at the Goodman Theatre on April 11.

Three finalists from the Goodman round will receive scholarships and trips to New York City, where they will compete for additional scholarships in the national finals at the August Wilson Theatre. Last year, 12 students from around the country performed in the finals.

Funding for the August Wilson Monologue Competition is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, AT&T, Turner Broadcasting, AirTran Airways, Publix Supermarket Charities, and the Massey Charitable Trust.

UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu

UIC Hosts Chicago Round of National Acting Competition | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago’s Griffin Theatre presents a special Veterans Day performance of Letters Home.In 2007, Chicago’s Griffin Theatre Company premiered Letters Home, dramatic readings of actual letters from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, the production has been seen by over 50,000 people in 35 cities across the U.S.

The company is back in Chicago for a special Veterans’ Day performance at Stage 773.

Eight Forty-Eight featured letters from three soldiers: Leonard Cowherd, Sharon Allen and Lance Corporal Matthew Webster.

After a recent performance in Pittsburgh, Cowherd’s parents presented The Griffin Theater Company with his uniform. Lieutenant Cowherd was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Allen gained notoriety for her blog 100 Things I Learned in Iraq, and her participation in the book Operation Homecoming.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Words from the Vets: Griffin Theatre Stages ‘Letters Home’ | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Tickets on Sale Thursday, September 30

CHICAGO, Sept. 21 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — On Oct. 14, the Chicago Tribune will premiere an exciting weekly event called “Chicago Live!”

In partnership with The Second City, Chicago Live! will tell Chicago’s stories in innovative ways. 

“For 163 years, the Chicago Tribune has portrayed the drama, conflict and joy of life in the Chicago region through our stories,” said Tribune Editor Gerould Kern. “This show will tell these stories in new ways, capturing the experience of life in Chicago today. Just about anything on the Tribune’s pages could make it to the stage in Chicago Live!”

“I’m delighted by the partnership with The Second City,” Kern said. “The show is going to be lively, surprising and fun.” 

In the intimate Downstairs Theatre of The Chicago Theatre in the city’s Loop, the public will be able to see and hear local and national celebrities and newsmakers in hard-hitting, provocative and surprising segments featuring some of Tribune’s top personalities. There will be on-stage interviews, performances by the best of the arts and entertainment communities and topical sketch comedy by The Second City.

“We are very excited by this opportunity to be part of a bold and important new adventure,” said Kelly Leonard, executive vice president of The Second City. “It is a collaboration of two great Chicago institutions, and we’re approaching this as a thoroughly original and compelling way to tell the stories of our city.” 

Hosted by veteran Chicago reporter, author and radio/TV personality Rick Kogan, each 60-minute show will be followed by a reception where guests, performers and the audience members can mingle. The series of six Thursday evening events will also have a prominent presence in print, online, radio and television.   

Each show will be recorded for broadcast on WGN-AM during the weekend.

“We’re always looking for fascinating Chicago-focused stories to share with our listeners,” said WGN Radio program director Kevin Metheny.  “Broadcasting ‘Chicago Live!’ on WGN Radio will be a great opportunity for captivating and engaging programming.”

Tickets for the Thursday evening events will be $25, available starting Sept. 30 through TheChicagoTheatre.com, Ticketmaster, & The Chicago Theatre box office.  The Chicago Theatre Downstairs is located at 175 N. State Street.

Updates about show development and guests, as well as opportunities for audience engagement, will be available soon through chicagotribune.com, Facebook and Twitter.

“Chicago Live!” is one part of a new initiative of community outreach, which also includes “Chicago Forward: Conversations About the Future,” a series of live gatherings of policymakers exploring issues of great importance to the Chicago region; programs by columnists and personalities; literary events; and a series of classes and seminars titled “TribU: Lessons for Life.”

About the Chicago Tribune

For 163 years, the Chicago Tribune has been a market-leading newspaper publication of Tribune Co. Reaching 3 million readers each week in the greater Chicago area, the publication is known for award-winning journalism. The Tribune’s news focus is centered on watchdog coverage, the Chicago experience, community issues and government, the local economy and business as well as entertainment, culture and sports.

About The Second City

The Second City is the nation’s premier developer of improv-based comedy and home to generations of the comedy world’s most influential artists. Additionally, The Second City is a diverse entertainment company that operates the largest school of improvisation in the country, a corporate communications division that brings improv training and content development to a wide array of businesses and a new media division that leverages the legendary company’s expertise in topical, short form content across a variety of platforms.

SOURCE Chicago Tribune

http://chicagotribune.com

Chicago Tribune Partners With The Second City to Create Stage and Radio Show | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Detroit features an all-ensemble cast including Kevin Anderson, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler and Laurie Metcalf.

Detroit plays Sept. 9 – Nov. 7, 2010 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Picture-perfect couple Ben and Mary fire up the grill to welcome the new neighbors who’ve moved into the long-empty house next door.

Three barbeques later, the fledgling friendship veers out of control, shattering Ben and Mary’s carefully maintained semblance of success—with comic, unexpected consequences.

Detroit is a fresh, off-beat look at what happens when we dare to open ourselves up to something new.

Lisa D’Amour is a playwright and interdisciplinary artist whose works have been presented in New York and other major U.S. cities.  D’Amour has been commissioned to write two new plays for Steppenwolf over the next two years through support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

An actor, director and playwright, ensemble member Austin Pendleton began his artistic relationship with Steppenwolf directing the 1979 production of Say Goodnight, Gracie. His award-winning plays include Booth, Uncle Bob and Orson’s Shadow, which received its world premiere in the Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Garage.

Steppenwolf’s 2010-2011 season explores the theme of public/private self—how the public and private aspects of our lives unfold in an increasingly complex world.

The design team for Detroit includes: Kevin Depinet (sets), Rachel Healy (costumes), Kevin Rigdon (lights) and Josh Schmidt (sound), Tommy Rapley (choreography) and Matt Hawkins (fight choreography). Polly Carl is the Dramaturg,Michelle Medvin is the Stage Manager and Rose Marie Packer is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Title:  Detroit

Playwright: Lisa D’Amour

Director: ensemble member Austin Pendleton

Featuring: ensemble members Kevin Anderson (Kenny), Kate Arrington (Sharon), Ian Barford (Ben), Robert Breuler (Frank) and Laurie Metcalf (Mary).

Location: Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Dates: Previews: Sept. 9 – 18, 2010.

Press performances: Saturday, Sept. 18 at 3 pm and Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 pm.

Opening: Sunday, Sept. 19 at 6 pm.

Regular Run: Sept. 21 – Nov. 7, 2010.

Curtain Times: Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm.

(Sunday evening performances through October 17 only)

Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday matinees on Oct. 20, 27 and Nov. 3 at 2 pm.

Note: There is no 3 pm or 7:30 pm. performance on Sunday, September 19.

Ticket prices: Previews: $20-$48

Regular Run: $20-$70

Twenty $20 tickets are available at Audience Services beginning at 11:00 am. on the day of each performance (1 pm for Sunday performances).  Half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show.  Student discounts available.

Audience Services: 1650 N. Halsted St., 312-335-1650

Online ticketing available at steppenwolf.org

Accessible Performances:

Sign language interpreted performance: Sunday, October 17 at 7:30 pm

Audio described performance: Thursday, October 7 at 7:30 pm

Audio described performance with touch tour: Sunday, October 31 – 1:30 pm touch tour/3 pm curtain

Free post-show discussions, sponsored by AT&T, are offered after every performance.

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible.  Street and lot parking are available.  Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available for every performance.

Detroit was developed as part of Steppenwolf’s New Plays Initiative.  Steppenwolf is recognized as a national leader in the development and production of new work for the American canon. Through this initiative, the company maintains ongoing relationships with writers of international prominence and rigorously discovers and supports the work of early and mid-career playwrights.

Steppenwolf’s New Plays Initiative is generously sponsored by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Zell Family Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and members of the Directors Circle.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.

The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 43 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation.

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Steppenwolf kicks off its 2010-2011 season with “Detroit” Sept. 9 through Nov. 7 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Louisiana State University Press, which owns the rights, rarely permits more than staged readings of adaptations of John Kennedy Toole’s comic novel, published in 1980, about life in New Orleans in the early 1960s.

LSU Press won’t say why only a handful of productions have been permitted.

Two years ago, the Outfit’s artistic director, Tom Key, was offered a chance to adapt the book for a full production. Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, which also accepted the opportunity, staged its version last fall.

The novel focuses on Ignatius J. Reilly, a medievalist who holds a master’s degree but makes no effort to put it to use. At 30, he spends most of his time going to movies or in his room in his widowed mother’s home. He expects her to do his bidding, and the story develops as she starts a social life and considers placing him in a mental institution.

Despite restrictions that include when the play can be performed, Key says he’s delighted to produce it.

“It transcends just being a funny book and has become what I believe is a classic. I think Ignatius’ character is still going to engage us, like Falstaff’s, 400 years from now,” says Key, whose production will run through Sept. 5 at the 200-seat theater.

One previous production was done by Swine Palace Theatre in Baton Rouge, La., in 1995, then taken around the state. “We had a lot of success with it in Louisiana,” said director Barry Kyle.

“The rights situation was very, very tight,” said Kyle, who said his theater was helped by its close association with LSU Press. He said the green-lighting of an often-discussed film version could freeze all other dramatic rights.

There have been numerous attempts to film the story, with actors including John Belushi, John Candy and Will Ferrell considered for the lead role.

Book-It’s managing director, Charlotte Tiencken, said her company was contacted in 2008 by a literary agency that represents LSU Press, and was told the stage rights were being offered to arouse public interest for a forthcoming movie.

“We were happy to do it. We sure wish we could do it again. The show was a huge success, and we had a number of theaters call us about doing the script. We had to tell them we didn’t have permission,” Tiencken said.

Key and Tiencken said they’ve been told permission was granted recently for a New York production, but no announcement has been made.

The novel was written about 1962. Toole failed to get it published and killed himself in 1969 at 31. The book was finally published at the urging of prominent author Walker Percy, who had read the manuscript at the insistence of Toole’s mother.

“It’s the best book ever written about New Orleans,” said Kenneth Holditch, a retired University of New Orleans professor whose own adaptation is regularly performed as a staged reading at the city’s annual Tennessee Williams Festival.

Many scenes are humorous, but many readers find Ignatius hard to take because of his gluttony and related digestive problems, superior attitude, and blustering and confrontational style.

“I think that by putting Ignatius on stage, that gives us permission to encounter him as a human being and we give him a chance,” says Key, who has adapted two of Percy’s novels for stage.

“It becomes very touching and we wonder, ‘What if this were our child?’ We all know obnoxious people and wonder how they got that way.”

As for Ignatius’ mother, Irene, “Eventually, she realizes she cannot survive and continue to take care of him.”

Director Richard Garner, familiar with Falstaffian characters as artistic director of Georgia Shakespeare, has devised strategies to control the volatile Ignatius, played by Aaron Munoz, who appeared as the manager in the movie “Cadillac Records” (2008).

“He doesn’t need to deliver all his lines in a histrionic way. He has his flare-ups. There are moments when he does get high and mighty and he’s chewing as much scenery as he can,” Garner says.

The stage version deals with Ignatius’ grossness. “Aaron does the burps, but it’s with small things, the way he adjusts his valve (which Ignatius imagines controls his digestive system), the way he grimaces while he’s doing it, the way he holds himself.”

At a rehearsal, Munoz was low-key in a scene in which Ignatius takes a job at a hot dog vending company but does more eating than selling.

“There are times that Ignatius gets so worked up that he can’t help being bigger than life,” Munoz said. “The way to keep him grounded is to keep thinking about the things he wants.

“Ignatius is maybe the smartest character I’ve ever played, and as an actor you have to rise to that. He’s a huge brain in a world of small brains.”

Theaters adapt, stage ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

NEW YORK – George Wendt returns to Broadway as Santa Claus in the holiday comedy “Elf.”

The six-time Emmy nominee, who played Norm on “Cheers,” is joined in the musical by Beth Leavel, who won a best actress Tony for “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures announced Wednesday.

The show is based on the 2003 Will Ferrell movie about Buddy, a man who is raised at the North Pole as an elf. “Elf” features a book by Tony Award-winner Tom Meehan and Bob Martin, who starred in and wrote the book for the “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (“The Wedding Singer”).

The role of Buddy has not yet been cast.

“Elf” opens Nov. 14 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre for a holiday run through Jan. 2.

George Wendt plays Santa on Broadway (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

LONDON, April 29 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Theatre fans have crowned Wicked the best musical of the last 10 years, in a poll by London theatre breaks website Show-and-Stay.co.uk

A prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and cleverly adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is the musical tale of Glinda the Good Witch of the North and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, and how they came to be the witches that we have come to know and love.

Wicked came top of the list with 32% of the votes, while Spring Awakening, based on a controversial German play of the same name, came second with 21%, despite only running for two months.

And it seems that the more populist the show, the lower it ranked. At the bottom of the list were crowd-pleasers Jersey Boys (5%) and the Elton John-scored adaptation of Billy Elliot (4%).

The full results of the poll are:

What was the best musical of the noughties?

1. Wicked (32%)
2. Spring Awakening (21%)
3. Avenue Q (14%)
4. La Cage Aux Folles (13%)
5. We Will Rock You (11%)
6. Jersey Boys (5%)
7. Billy Elliot (4%)

About Show and Stay:

Show and Stay are committed to delivering the best London breaks by offering inspirational ideas and advice, the best tickets for the most popular London shows, attractions, restaurants and hotels and prices that can’t be beaten. The intuitive booking process allows customers to book their city break in just four easy steps.

Show and Stay is part of the Holiday Extras Group and was established in 2004 to provide great value London theatre breaks to both UK customers and visitors from overseas.

SOURCE Show and Stay

http://www.show-and-stay.co.uk

Wicked Wins Best of Noughties | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

April 17, 21, 23, 25, 2010 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents the opening production of the 2010 Spring Festival Season – Rossini’s Moses in Egypt (Mosè in Egitto) on April 17, 21, 23 and 25 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park.

“Moses in Egypt was only performed in Chicago once – back in 1863 during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency,” said General Director Brian Dickie. “We like to think our fellow Illinoisan, who we know did enjoy the theatre, might have been at that performance. Of course, we’ll never know – but we look forward to introducing present-day Chicagoans to this very great opera.”

Moses in Egypt is one of Rossini’s many serious but underperformed operas.  Chicago Opera Theater will be presenting the U.S. premiere using the edition by Charles Brauner for Philip Gossett’s critical edition of Rossini’s complete works.

Mr. Gossett, the Robert W. Reneker Distinguished Service Professor at The University of Chicago and a professor “di chiara fama” at the Univeristy of Rome “La Sapienza,” is the  general editor of Works of Gioachino Rossini (a publication of Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel.)

The story concentrates on Moses freeing the Hebrews from Egypt.  The opera ends with the famous parting of the Red Sea, as well as the beautiful and famous “Prayer: From thy starry throne (Dal tuo stellato soglio.)”

In 2008, Chicago Opera Theater launched The People’s Opera, the first fundraising initiative of its kind, in which the public voted, dollar by dollar, to choose one of the operas in the 2010 season.  Moses in Egypt was named The People’s Opera, and raised over $40K for Chicago Opera Theater.

The production will be led by Leonardo Vordoni, known for his specialty in Italian repertory, who has conducted most recently at the Minnesota Opera (Les Pecheurs de Perles and Casanova’s Homecoming.)  He will be making his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut later this month in Le nozze di Figaro.

The director will be Andrew Eggert who made his directorial debut with Chicago Opera Theater in last season’s production of Bizet’s La Tragédie de Carmen after eight seasons as assistant director on thirteen COT productions.  His new production of Mourning Becomes Electra was selected as a winner of Opera America’s 2009 Director-Designer Showcase.

Designing both the set and costumes is Anka Lupes, making her Chicago Opera Theater debut.  She has worked numerous times with regular COT director Diane Paulus, including creating the costumes for the Glimmerglass production of Kiss Me Kate in 2008, and more recently in January, for Gotham Chamber Opera’s production of Il mondo della luna.

Returning to Chicago Opera Theater from 2009 is lighting designer Keith Parham.  He is a company member of TUTA Theatre, and has worked at The Public Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and the Writers’ Theatre, among many others.

In the title role is Andrea Concetti (bass) making his Chicago debut.  He has performed with La Scala, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Berlin State Opera, and the Minnesota Opera. Manuela Bisceglie (soprano) sings the role of Elcia in her North American debut.

In the past two seasons, Ms. Bisceglie has sung in a number of Italian opera houses including in Florence, Bologna, and Trieste.  Singing the role of Faraone is Tom Corbeil (bass), who recently sang at Santa Fe Opera and Florida Grand Opera, and who will sing later this season at Ft. Worth Opera.

Taylor Stayton (tenor), who will sing Osiride, made his debut earlier this year at Teatro dell’opera di Roma in Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Falstaff. Kathryn Leemhuis (mezzo, Amaltea), Samuel Levine (tenor, Mambre), Jorge Prego (tenor, Aronne), and Emily Grace Righter (mezzo, Amenofi) complete the cast.

The chorus is made up mostly of the 2010 class of Chicago Opera Theater’s Young Artists Program, a performance-based training program for young professional singers.  These participants have the opportunity to work with the innovative artistic teams which are the hallmark of Chicago Opera Theater under General Director Brian Dickie.

The intention is to provide an artistic benchmark for young artists as they commence their careers, recognizing performance experience of standard and new repertoire as an essential training element.

Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 Spring Festival Season runs April 17 through May 16 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 East Randolph Drive.

Season Subscriptions for the 2010 Spring Festival Season range from $90-$345 and include a ticket to Moses in Egypt, as well as Cavalli’s Jason (Giasone) and Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers.

Single tickets are also on sale, and range from $30-$120.  COT also offers a 50% discounted student rate in most sections.

Tickets may be purchased at Chicago Opera Theater: ChicagoOperaTheater.org or  312.704.8414.

Tickets may also be purchased at the Harris Theater:  HarrisTheaterChicago.org or 312.334.7777.

Moses in Egypt is generously supported by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and an Anonymous Donor.

Gioachino Rossini
MOSES IN EGYPT (Mosè in Egitto)
April 17, 21, 23 at 7:30pm; April 25 at 3pm

CAST (Alphabetical)

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Chicago Opera Theater Young Artists -2010

Blake Bard, Leila Bowie, Rabihah Davis Dunn, Catalina Cuervo, Darik Knutsen, Benjamin LeClair,
Samuel Levine, Rebecca Luttio, Jorge Prego, Emily Grace Righter, Nikolas Wenzel, Martin L. Woods

MEDIA CONTACT:

Colleen Flanigan, 312-704-8420, Ext. 225
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
cflanigan@chicagooperatheater.org

Chicago Opera Theater presents Gioachino Rossini’s “Moses in Egypt” | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Children don’t need words to understand Midwest Ballet’s portrayal of the boy who never grows up.

Costumes, vigorous dancing and some silent acting has been more than enough in past performances for even the littlest kids to engage in the performance of “Peter Pan,” which runs this weekend at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove.

“Obviously there’s no language exchanged, but obviously they get it,” said Mim Eichmann, Midwest Ballet’s artistic director. “That’s really our mission: to make it challenging for the dancer but present it in a way that’s going to intrigue the interest and patronage for our ballets.”

In watching old recordings of past performances, it’s apparent that they’re accomplishing that.

“The little kids watching will yell out, ‘Look out, Peter’ or when Tinkerbell goes to drink the poisoned milk, they’ll yell out, ‘No, don’t do it! Don’t do it! Put it down!’” Eichmann said.

This performance follows the original story of “Peter Pan,” as opposed to the Disney version, and it is set to a score from composers Bizet, Grieg and Auber. The Midwest Ballet first performed it more than two decades ago.

When you’re a Lost Boy, it’s hard to imagine that someday you might be Tinker Bell.

At least that’s how Naperville dancer Anna Ding, 14, felt years ago when she first danced the Midwest Ballet Theatre’s “Peter Pan.”

Ding will lead the cast of 18 this weekend in her role of Tinker Bell.

“Tinker Bell is such a fun character,” Ding said. “She’s just very out there and having fun on stage. She’s very care free. When I’m acting, I make people laugh, and it makes me feel good.”

Unlike many of Midwest Ballet’s other productions, “Peter Pan” involves a lot of acting.

“There’s a lot of acting and suspense in this show that normally isn’t in a lot of ballet shows,” Ding said.

Despite the production’s easiness to interpret, the dancing remains professional, Eichmann says.

“It’s very difficult work in terms of choreography,” Eichmann said. “It’s very fast dancing throughout, and a lot of jumping. Everyone has to be in peak condition.”

“Peter Pan” begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, at the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove.

Tickets are $13 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and children.

For information, call (630) 971-9751 or visit midwestballet.org.

If you go

What: Midwest Ballet Theatre’s “Peter Pan”

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7

Where: Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove

Cost: $13 adults, $12 seniors, students and children

Info: (630) 971-9751 or midwestballet.org

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

‘Peter Pan’ to dance across the Tivoli stage | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

It’s not Twitter, and it’s not Facebook. And that’s why audiences will love the upcoming performances of “As You Like It” at North Central College.

The production provides entertainment people can’t get from social networking sites or watching a movie on the couch, said Artistic Director Peter Meineck.

“It’s live entertainment and sitting in an audience and really enjoying the play,” he said. “People actually have a really good time and get swept up in the story.”

The William Shakespeare classic about exile, disguise and unexpected love will be performed by New York City-based Aquila Theatre Group at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27, as well as at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27 and 28.

The traveling company of seven actors and one crew member perform in about 60 cities each year.

The small crew and demanding schedule have allowed cast members to perfect their portrayal and the humor that comes from this production.

“We’re very resourceful,” said actress Leandra Ashton, of London, who plays Rosalind. “The doubling-up of roles adds to the comedy and cunningly ties in with the play’s themes of disguise and identity.”

The company, which has been touring since last June, takes an old-school approach to theater.

“We call it the ‘green beret’ of the theater world,” Meineck said. “If you have exceptional artists, you don’t need an army of people. We don’t tour with five 18-wheelers. We do it with fabric, light, imagery.”

People take Shakespeare far too seriously, Meineck said.

This production makes Shakespeare accessible to everyone – experts and first-timers alike, he said.

“You don’t dumb it down, you make it work,” Meineck said. “You put it out there for everyone to enjoy. My ideal audience member is someone who has never seen Shakespeare and the Shakespeare expert. The expert sees new things and the new audience member wants to see more Shakespeare. Both can have a good time.”

Shows are in North Central College’s Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students and seniors. For information, call (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu.show.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

NYC troupe brings ‘As You Like It’ to NCC | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

(left to right) Ensemble members Tracy Letts and Francis Guinan.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 season, an exploration of the theme of belief, with American Buffalo by David Mamet, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton.

American Buffalo features ensemble members Francis Guinan and Tracy Letts with Patrick Andrews. American Buffalo plays Dec. 3, 2009 – Feb. 7, 2010 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

The press performance is Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3pm.

In a cluttered, run-down Chicago junk shop, three small-time crooks plot to steal a valuable buffalo nickel. As the heist unravels, the men’s frustration and paranoia intensify.

Ensemble member Amy Morton directs this groundbreaking American play that weaves humor and menace throughout an emotionally charged struggle for identity and dominance.

World-renowned playwright and Chicago-area native David Mamet has a successful writing and directing career in theatre, film and television.

Steppenwolf has produced Mamet’s productions of The Water Engine and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Glengarry Glen Ross (also directed by ensemble member Amy Morton).

Amy Morton received a 2008 Best Actress Tony^® nomination for Steppenwolf’s August: Osage County on Broadway.  Her Steppenwolf directing credits include Dublin Carol, The Weir, The Pillowman, Love-Lies-Bleeding (also Kennedy Center) and Glengarry Glen Ross (also Dublin and Toronto).

The design team for American Buffalo includes: Kevin Depinet (sets), Nan Cibula-Jenkins (costumes), Pat Collins (lights), Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound and original music) and Rick Sordelet (fight choreography).  Malcolm Ewen is the Stage Manager and Christine D. Freeburg is the Assistant Stage Manager.

• Title: American Buffalo
• Playwright: David Mamet
• Director: ensemble member Amy Morton
• Featuring: ensemble members Francis Guinan (Don) and Tracy Letts (Teach) with Patrick Andrews (Bob)
• Location: Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted Street
• Dates: Previews: Dec. 3 – 12, 2009
• Press performance: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3pm
• Opening: Sunday, Dec. 13 at 6pm
• Regular Run: Dec. 15, 2009 – Feb.7, 2010

Curtain Times:

• Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30pm
• (Sunday evening performances through Jan. 10 only)
• Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm
• Wednesday matinees on Jan. 13, 20, 27 and Feb. 3 at 2pm

Note: there are no 7:30pm performances on Sunday, Dec. 13, Tuesday, Dec. 8, Thursday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), Friday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day) and Friday, Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day); there is no 3pm performance on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Ticket prices: Previews: $20-$53

Regular Run: $20-$77

Twenty $20 tickets are available at Audience Services beginning at 11:00 a.m. on the day of each performance (1:00 p.m. for Sunday performances).  Half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show.  Student discounts available.

Audience Services: 1650 N. Halsted St., 312-335-1650

Online ticketing available at steppenwolf.org

The American Buffalo Wine Tasting Night: Enjoy wine and food pairings from Vinci Restaurant while our DJ spins tunes in our balcony lobby:  Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 6pm. Tasting and performance cost $60 per person.  For tickets and additional information, contact Audience Services.

The American Buffalo MaTEENée performance for high school students will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 3pm. Tickets cost $15 and include: a ticket to the performance, lunch and a post-show discussion with actors featured in the production – hosted by Steppenwolf’s Young Adults Council.

Free post-show discussions are offered after every performance.

United Airlines is the corporate production sponsor of American Buffalo. Additional support for American Buffalo provided by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible.  Street and lot parking are available.  Assistive listening devices are available for every performance.

American Buffalo is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

About the Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.

The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.

Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation.

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org.

Steppenwolf Continues Its 2009-2010 Season with “American Buffalo,” Directed by Ensemble Member Amy Morton | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Wright is the most recent addition to the A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble, which includes Lance Baker, Dado, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, and Tiffany Wilson.

“We at A Red Orchid are thrilled and honored to invite playwright and dear friend, Craig Wright to join our creative family in a more formal and ongoing capacity,” says Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald.

“With our firm belief that theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit, our past work with Craig could only lead to ongoing work. His plays are not only fantastic stories but penetrating explorations of human experience that relate to the personal, the public, the social and the political.

I have learned so much from my collaborations with Craig just as I learn from all of my co-Ensemble Members during every A Red Orchid production.”

“It is with a great sense of pride and homecoming that I accept A Red Orchid Theatre’s invitation to join their Ensemble. Even though I make a good portion of my living writing for television, my greatest loyalty will always be to the theater, since I am a firm believer in the immense value of the live, un-reproducible human moment.

In the theater, all the participants are there together, alive, betting the time of their lives on the potential for meaning within this moment, this play, this night — it’s an equal exchange, an equally shared risk,” says Craig Wright.

“A Red Orchid Theatre has demonstrated its commitment over the years to creating theater that is rich with risk, full of ideas, and infused from top to bottom with a faith in the magical mutuality of the live theatrical moment. I’m deeply honored to be invited to be a part of their ongoing journey.”

The World Premiere of Craig Wright’s Mistakes Were Made featuring A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Members Michael Shannon and Mierka Girten opened the company’s 2009-2010 Season and is currently extended through Oct. 31, 2009.

Wright’s The Unseen was produced last season at A Red Orchid Theatre, and Mistakes Were Made marks Craig Wright and Ensemble Member Michael Shannon’s third collaboration.

Wright was commissioned by Northlight Theater to pen Lady for Shannon and actor Paul Sparks in 2007. Shannon also appeared at Northlight in Wright’s award-winning play Grace in 2006.

Wright’s plays include Lady, Grace, The Pavilion, Melissa Arctic, Orange Flower Water, and Recent Tragic Events. He has received several awards for his writing, including the Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play (Melissa Arctic) and has been the recipient of fellowships from the McKnight Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For his work on Six Feet Under, he received an Emmy nomination, and a Writer’s Guild of America award for his work on Lost. He created Dirty Sexy Money for ABC.

He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary and is currently creating a show about a minister for Showtime called Revelation.

About A Red Orchid Theatre Company

Since 1993, A Red Orchid Theatre has been an artistic mainstay of the Chicago theatre community; known and praised for its powerful ensemble, creative design and its gripping, intimate productions.

The resident Ensemble maintains the conviction that passionately committed theatre will draw passionately committed audiences, and the 2009-2010 subscription season promises to bring Ensemble and audience even closer together.

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Dado, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, Tiffany Wilson and Craig Wright.

The A Red Orchid Youth Ensemble includes: Chaz Allen, Najwa Brown, Jackson Chalinor, Jaiden Falllo, Paola Lehman, Melanie Nielan, Adam Rebora, Kara Ryan, Elenna Sindler and Aria Szalai-Raymond.

The 2009-2010 Season is dedicated in loving memory of, and with many thanks to, Donald Shannon, who has provided invaluable guidance and energy as an Advisory Board member since the beginning.

Emmy-Nominated Writer Craig Wright Joins Storied Ensemble of Chicago’s “A Red Orchid Theatre” | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Sandy Marshall, of Schadenfreude, directs.

“Melancomedy” is a series of 15 character vignettes, performed by Ross, in which he finds humor in the tiny tragedies of everyday life.

From the soccer mom thrilled by her new gluten allergy to Hill County’s Sexiest Husband sagging under the weight of his crown, Ross strives to craft rich pictures to show that “Joy and woe are woven fine.”

Ross has previously staged MELANCOMEDY to sell-out crowds at the Peoples Improv Theater in New York City, including a four-week run in June, 2009.

Of the New York production, one critic wrote:

“It is not just a compilation of funny monologues; it is a parade of realistic and complex personalities-people we could know-whose vices and failures pull viewers into an uncomfortably familiar world.”
Abbi Crutchfield, TheApiary.com

“Melancomedy” will show one night only on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9:30pm.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on theannoyance.com or by calling the box office: 773-561-HONK (4665).

The Annoyance is located at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tyler Wolff-Ormes, 773-561-4664
Managing Director, Annoyance Theatre
tyler@annoyanceproductions.com

Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre Presents “Melancomedy” For One-Night-Only Performance Oct. 25 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Dark and satirical, “Your Friends and Enemies” proposes that the people you like and the people you hate are actually one and the same.

Scoffing at the idea of an autobiographical one-man show, Hartman chooses instead to explore the creepy, the marginalized, and the perverse.

About John Hartman

John Hartman has performed at iO, The Playground, at The Second City Detroit, and is a member of Baby Wants Candy.

He also co-wrote and starred in the short film, “Little Joy” (Official Selection, LA Shorts Fest 2008).

“Your Friends and Enemies” previously played at The Annoyance in June, when Jason Heidemann of Time Out wrote, “. . .finely edited. . . solid pacing. . . whizbang timing. . . highly entertaining to watch.”

“Your Friends and Enemies” is directed by Billy Bungeroth, director for Second City Touring Company, GreenCo, Assistant to the Director for Second City’s America: All Better! and Deface The Nation and ensemble member of Chicagoland at The Annoyance.

“Your Friends and Enemies” will show at 8pm on Thursdays, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at theannoyance.com, or by calling the box office: 773-561-HONK (4665).

The Annoyance is located at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois 60640.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tyler Wolff-Ormes, 773-561-4664
Managing Director, Annoyance Theatre
tyler@annoyanceproductions.com

John Hartman’s Solo Sketch Show “Your Friends and Enemies” Returns to the Annoyance Theatre Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Tickets are currently on sale.

Joe Frank takes the Steppenwolf’s stage for an evening of spoken word and music in one of his most provocative pieces yet.

The depth of his work – essentially a philosophical inquiry – is what gives it its real significance.  Beneath every surreal flourish is a search for something to believe in: a yearning for love, a quest for self-acceptance.

While one critic has called Frank “the most brilliant comic in America,” another has described Frank’s stories as “inspired weirdness that feeds on pathos and irony.” Others have used the words “hypnotic,” “psychotic,” “disturbing” and “terrifying.”  All agree that Frank unfailingly manages to confound his audience’s expectations.

Cited as a source of inspiration by artists as diverse as Ira Glass, Charlie Kaufman and Beck, Frank’s shows are invariably laced with surreal comedy.

About Joe Frank

Joe Frank began his radio career in 1977 at WBAI, in New York City, and later served as co-anchor of National Public Radio’s All Things Considered in 1978.

Over the course of the next three decades he produced over 200 radio programs for KCRW and National Public Radio.

A Guggenheim Fellow, Frank has been honored with many major industry awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, two Major Armstrong Awards and two Corporation for Public Broadcasting Awards for radio drama.

Over the years, Frank’s distinctive approach to making radio has inspired producers around the world to experiment with and stretch the medium beyond traditional boundaries.

Joe Frank’s regular weekly one-hour radio show airs in Chicago on WBEZ Sunday nights at 11pm.

For additional information, visit joefrank.com.

• Title: Joe Frank in Is There Something Wrong?: An Evening of Spoken Word and Music
• Location: Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre
• Dates:  Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
• Curtain Times: 8pm
• Ticket prices: $29 ($15 student tickets available via phone and box office only)
• Audience Services: 1650 N. Halsted, 312-335-1650
• Online ticketing available at steppenwolf.org.

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.

The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.

Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation.

For more information, visit steppenwolf.org.

EDITORS NOTE: For high-res artwork, please e-mail drosenberg@steppenwolf.org or jsanders@steppenwolf.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

David Rosenberg, 312-654-5656
Communications Director
Steppenwolf Theatre Co.
drosenberg@steppenwolf.org

Steppenwolf Presents NPR’s Joe Frank in “Is There Something Wrong?: An Evening of Spoken Word and Music” Nov. 14 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Sparks has been with TBC since 1984 when his first show Babes in Barns was produced. Founding the New Tuners, now TBC’s Musical Theatre Writers Workshop in 1987, he became the Artistic Director of the organization in 2000.

“I’m very proud of what we have accomplished here at TBC and I hope it continues to prosper. We gave students creating musical theatre the opportunity to fail in safety, and this created many successes.”

Sparks proudly alludes to an impressive list of award winning alumni including: Mark Hollmann -Tony Award & Drama Desk Award, Urinetown.

Paul Libman and Dave Hudson – Richard Rodgers Award, Dust And Dreams: Celebrating Sandburg, Main Traveled Roads. Susan DiLallo – Richard Rodgers Award & Ed Kleban Award, Once Upon A Time In New Jersey, Jonathan Larson Award, Iron Curtain.

John’s departure comes in the wake of personnel changes at TBC.

“My decision to leave was not an easy one. I hope TBC and the workshop continues to prosper. I wasn’t happy with our board’s direction,” Sparks said. “I was very happy with the team we had.

TBC and the workshop had gotten to a good point, we all wanted to achieve similar goals. We differed on how and who would get us there.” Sparks states, “The challenge of an organization that has achieved a plateau like TBC is what does this mean for the artists? What is Next?”

What’s next for John Sparks is a very busy August.

He is preparing for this year’s STAGES festival. On the Brink with book and Lyrics by John, Music by Thomas Adams, (Adapted from the play On Borrowed Time by Paul Osborn and Lawrence Watkins) will have a studio presentation at the festival. It is directed by long time friend and colleague, Allan Chambers.

Chambers will take over as Artistic Director upon Spark’s departure at the end of August. This passing of the torch is one they have been working towards for some time. “This is a terrific opportunity for Allan, in many ways he has more experience, and I wish him well.”

Sparks will be directing Song Poems- The Musical at the festival.

John is no stranger to a busy schedule and travel. Having split his time and teaching between Los Angeles and Chicago.

“I’ve been bi-urban for a while, I’m looking forward to being in one city and working on other projects. I plan on maintaining close ties with friends and collaborators here and there may be opportunity for a continued relationship with TBC.”

John hopes to devote more time to his online endeavor writingmusicaltheatre.com and working on adaptations of An Ideal Husband, The Country Wife and Miss Julie as musicals for the stage.

John Sparks is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild, a member of BMI, serves on the Board of Directors for Mercury Musicals Development in London. He studied with Lehman Engel in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles for 11 years, earned his MFA in Playwriting from UCLA, studying with Ted Apstein and Michael Gordon, and he studied music privately with Dick Grove in Los Angeles.

His first work with Theatre Building Chicago was as composer and lyricist for the musical Babes in Barns, which ran for six months.

Other TBC assignments include the lyrics for the award winning holiday musical, Hans Brinker , and the book for The Arresting Dilemma of Mister K . Most recently, he was the co-book writer for The Smartest Man in the World, a musical about Albert Einstein, which was produced by the West Coast Jewish Theater in Los Angeles.

On the Brink and Song Poems-The Musical are a part of 6 new musicals and 2 panel discussions at TBC’s STAGES annual festival of new musicals in progress August 21-23.

TBC plans to announce who will take over the Musical Theatre Writers Workshop within the next few weeks.

Theatre Building Chicago is an incubator for developing theatre companies, new musicals and emerging theatre artists. TBC’s Musical Development Program offers an array of works in multiple stages of development and nurtures new works through its Musical Theatre Writers Workshop and through collaboration with theatre companies and artists across the country.

TBC series include; New Musicals for Kids and Monday Night Musicals – once a month concert readings.

Artistic Director of Theatre Building Chicago John Sparks To Make His Exit August 23 at the Conclusion of TBC’s STAGES Festival | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.