Chicago, IL

The first Tuesday of every month, Century Centre Cinema at Clark and Diversey hosts the Midwest Independent Film Festival, which showcases the “finest independent cinema in the Midwest.” The films are introduced each week by the directors and actors who created the film and there is a question and answer session after the film is shown.

The next screening will be this upcoming Tuesday, June 5th, and will feature the controversial film Death of a President, which chronicles the investigation of the fictional assassination of President Bush. The movie was the recipient of the Critic’s Prize at the Toronto Film Festival. Below is a trailer for the film, courtesy of YouTube.

For general information about the festival, including screening times and admission, check out this link.

Additionally, if you are filmmaker yourself, you can also submit your own work to be considered for placement in the festival.

Chicago, midwest independent film festival, independent film, death of a president, youtube

This year’s season of Theater on the Lake opens June 13th with a run of “Apparently Heaven Can’t Wait … The Best of Jim Zulevic at The Second City”

This show is the world premier of a collection of sketches from the notable career of the late Jim Zulevic.

The show runs: Jun. 13 - Jun. 17

Sundays : 6:30 p.m.
Wednesdays : 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays : 7:30 p.m.
Fridays : 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays : 7:30 p.m.

Price: $17.50. Tickets go on sale at 2 p.m. on June 5
Box office: 312-742-7994
Produced by: The Second City and Theater on the Lake

Theater on the Lake
2400 N. Lake Shore Drive

Think out of the Loop
Catch revivals of nine critically acclaimed productions from off-Loop companies this summer. It’s not actually outdoors (and no, no one walks on water), but the lakefront building boasts a grassy setting ripe for an aftershow picnic.

Second City, Jim Zeluvic, Theater On The Lake, Chicago, Theater

Starting next Wednesday June 6 through September 3, Navy Pier will be hosting Cirque Shanghai, a talented troupe of Chinese acrobats. The company was here last summer as well, but this year will be showcasing their new production Cirque Shanghai: Bai Xi. The phrase “Bai Xi” means “100 amazing acts.” The performances combine dance, acrobatics, and feats of physical strength.

Here is a video from YouTube, taken by someone who saw the performance last summer.

The shows take place at the Pepsi Skyline Stage at Navy Pier Wednesday through Sunday and feature both day and evening performances. For more information and for tickets, visit the Navy Pier website.

Chicago, Navy Pier, Cirque Shanghai, acrobats, chinese acrobats, bai xi

Do you have an hour to kill today? Then, you should take a tour of the Chicago Theater. According to the website, “The tour encompasses historical and architectural highlights of the building, including the grand lobby areas, majestic auditorium and backstage space (when possible).”

At first, that sounds a little bit on the dull side, until you check out photos of the building…

Wow. You have to admit that is pretty amazing.

Tour Schedule

April 1 - September 30: Weekly tours take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 12pm
October 1 - March 31: Weekly tours take place every Tuesday at 12pm

Cost: $5 per person - which includes a souvenir VIP badge.

There are also sometimes special Saturday tours that include possible demonstrations on the Wurlitzer organ.

Does that make me a nerd, if that sounds REALLY REALLY cool to me?

If you want to learn some history of the building, visit this website: ZING!

The Chicago Theater
175 North State Street
Chicago, IL

The Chicago Theater, Tours, Sight-seeing, Wurlitzer organ

I’m not originally FROM Chicago, so the phenomenon of BYOB theater venues is amazing to me. If you have a hankering for some hedonistic fun, get a ticket to Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play. I’ve heard that it often sells out, so buy a few bottled of Yellow Tail and get tickets early.

Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play

Friday & Saturday nights at 11:30pm
21 and over only!

In his third show this year, Byron Hatfield joins with Gorilla Tango theatre to produce a show that truly knows the heart of Chicago. Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play is a series of outrageous sketches, all centered around Chicago’s favorite past time: Drinking. But to really get into the swing of things, the show is filled with interactive drinking games for the audience, pitting males versus females, actors versus audience, etc. It’s sure to be either one of this winter’s favorite attractions or worst follies, so catch it while you can. B.Y.O.B. - Beer/Wine only, 21 and over. www.byebyeliver.com

Produced by Byron Hatfield and Gorilla Tango.
Show Rating - R

Gorilla Tango Theater
1919 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL
773-598-4549

Gorilla Tango Theater, Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play, Theater, Comedy, Chicago

I recently saw what I believe to be a magical theatrical experience…

Arm Soup: The Story of How Five People Went West And Ate Each Other

Directed by my personal hero, Mr. Pat O’Brien, Arm Soup presupposes that the events that happened in 1846 to the Donner Party could happen in Modern America. A mismatched band of five modern residents of Loami set out on the road to California in a covered wagon. The actors (and writers) masterfully balanced the absurdity of the plot on the edge of pandemonium. They were the perfect example of controlled chaos.

Did I mention that this is a musical?
Riiiiight.
Basically, I was in heaven.

The cast was made up of a lot of actors that I normally associate with Improv Comedy: Beau Golwitzer (The Reckoning, Shotgun, Testify), Emily Wilson (Johnny Roast Beef, The Ragdolls), George McAuliffe (Revolver, 21st Century Men). And they all sang their little hearts out to songs written by the amazingly talented Tony Mendoza and Sam Locke.

Arm Soup is in an open run Friday and Saturday Nights at 10:30 at the Annoyance Theater on Broadway and Lawrence. It’s a couple of doors down from the Green Mill.

You can get tickets online: HERE
General Admission: $15

Arm Soup, Pat O’Brien, Annoyance Theater, Musicals, Improv Comedy, Chicago

This weekend marks the 10th Anniversary of the Playground Theater, one of Chicago’s very best places to see Improvisational Comedy. To celebrate, they have Big Yellow Bus headlining back-to-back improv shows on Sunday, featuring some pretty sweet players.
For $12 at 5pm on Sunday, you can see Big Yellow Bus performing with the cast of the Mainstage Second City show.

Then, at 6:30, improvisers from Annoyance Theater will be teaming up with…you guessed it…Big Yellow Bus for another show! This show is also $12.
Last, but certainly not least, is the 8pm show ($12) featuring Big Yellow Bus with the iO All-Stars. WOOT! If you don’t know anything about iO, you haven’t been reading my blog. There are some truly great performers in this bunch. Seriously. I can’t get enough of Noah Gregoropolous. He cracks me up. I saw him do a scene once where he was the guy holding the microphone on a movie set. All he did was just stand there, and it was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
So, do yourself a favor, and get out to The Playground this Sunday to see many of the area’s best improvisers - all under one roof. WOH. That’s crazy. I’m not sure, but the world may actually end on Sunday.
For tickets to the apocalypse, visit this website: CRACKO!

The Playground Theater
3209 Halsted
Chicago, IL
773-871-3793

Improv, Comedy, Chicago, iO, Annoyance, The Playground, Second City, Noah Gregoropolous, Big Yellow Bus

The much loved children’s book Go Dog. Go! is currently being perfomed theatrically by the Chicago Children’s Theatre. Performances take place under the Big Top tent at Grant Park, now through May 20.

According to the official website:

Go, Dog. Go! is a chaotic carnival of music and physical comedy that celebrates the brilliant simplicity of life. Dogs of all colors, shapes, and sizes, dance, sing, work, play, skate, and climb through a magical world where dogs are king, all under a 50-foot-tall circus tent.

Shows are held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with multiple showings on Saturday and Sunday. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit the official page.

children’s books, go dog go, children’s theater, theater, chicago theater, chicago

Summer is approaching, and one of the things that happens in Chicago in the summertime - which most people don’t realize - is that Second City sends a huge load of their best improvisers on cruise ships around the world. Now, this is great for the improv-comedy-loving world at large, but for Chicagoans, we miss out on seeing some of our favorites for a few months.
I, personally, am completely obsessed with the fabulous and talented Jet Eveleth. And she, sadly, is getting on a cruise ship very, very soon. I suggest that you get out and see her in The Reckoning tonight at 8pm at iO in Wrigleyville. The Reckoning is one of my favorite improv teams. A couple of weeks ago, they did a piece about a woman who marries a polar bear. Classic. I guess that sounds kind of lame when I write it here, but you’ll just have to believe me that on stage, it was magical. I don’t know how many of you realize that Chicago is the only city on earth that you can see true Long Form Improvisation every single night of the week. Go team!
Tickets are $12. iO is located on Clark and Addison - just south of Wrigley Field.

iO, Wrigleyville, Improv, The Reckoning, Jet Eveleth

TGIF! Do you know what my favorite thing about Friday is? Going to see the Improvised Shakespeare Company at iO in Wrigleyville. Seriously.
If you haven’t seen them, you owe it to yourself. Just about every reviewer in Chicago agrees that they are THE show to see. Based on an audience suggestion, they improvise a full hour and a half of iambic pentameter and silliness.
I have been sort of an improvised shakespeare junkie for the last few months, and I can’t wait to get my next hit. You can stalk them on their myspace page HERE.
The cool thing about iO is that after the show you can hang around in the bar with all the performers. It has a very low-key family sort of feel to it, and even though many of the comedians that perform there are world-class, they are all surprisingly down-to-earth.

Shakespeare, Improv, Chicago, iO

The Tony Award winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has returned to Chicago for a continuing engagement at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. Although originally slated to close last month, performances have resumed and are scheduled through September 2nd.

Spelling Bee chronicles a day at a local spelling bee and all the stress that comes along with it. Although the characters are all children (played by adult actors), this show is definitely geared toward teens and adults. Some of the songs and jokes are not appropriate for children, but have the grown-ups roaring with laughter. Each of the main six “children” in the show have some sort of quirk that make them lovable. One of the most humorous parts of the show is when audience members are chosen to “participate” in the spelling bee. The words they are given increase in difficulty to the point of ridiculousness, making it all the more funny.

If you are looking for a funny, non-traditional theater experience, this show would be perfect. For tickets, contact the Drury Lane Theater Box Office.

Below, courtesy of You Tube is the original cast performance at the 59th Tony Awards, featuring a special appearance by Al Sharpton.