Redmoon Presents THE CHANDELIER PROJECT, 12/12-21

At Winter Pageant, Redmoon will officially launch The Chandelier Project, 12/12-21. The chandelier is a design/build project for Redmoon's home in Pilsen. The elevated structure displayed in the lobby was built by After School Matters students this past fall and will be adorned over time with glassware donated by our community. Redmoon intends for this to be the first of many collaborative installations that creates an opportunity for the community's participation in the making of a place that is uniquely Redmoon. Visitors are invited to help create this spectacular installation by donating drinking glassware. There will be drop-off locations at all Winter Pageant performances and ongoing at Redmoon's front desk during normal business hours.

Chicago's acclaimed Spectacle company Redmoon announces its annual family-friendly Winter Pageant for two weekends in December. In its 16th year, the holiday tradition explores the idea of grand love and honors the four seasons of the human heart. Set atop a massive glacier, the love stories are brought to life by a cast of more than 40 performers - 10 professional spectacle performers alongside 30 community collaborators. These include internationally acclaimed urban dancers, aerialists ages 8 to 35, a teen choir and beautiful, handmade Redmoon puppets and costumes, with a live original score performed by a one-man/10-instrument band. Redmoon's Winter Pageant 2014 takes place December 12-21 at Redmoon, 2120 S. Jefferson Street. Performances are Fridays at 7 pm, and Saturdays & Sundays at 1 pm & 5 pm. Press night is opening night, Friday, December 12. Tickets, $25 for adults and $15 for kids 3+, are available at redmoon.org or 312-850-8440 x123.

The 16th annual Winter Pageant is presented December 12-21: Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm & 5 pm

Single tickets are priced at $25 for adults, $15 for kids 3-18 years old, and free for kids under 3. Tickets are on sale now by calling the Redmoon Box Office at 312-850-8440 x123 or online at www.redmoon.org. Discount group rates for 10 and more are available through the Box Office.

In Winter Pageant 2014, a pair of explorers travels to a massive glacier - built entirely of paper - in search of a precious mineral that will bring them great worldly wealth, but a disagreement forces them to part ways. On their separate journeys across the massive icescape, the explorers encounter a series of imaginative mythological and archetypal creatures, both real and imagined - from shadow puppet dinosaurs and deer backpacks to two larger-than-life Yeti in their hydraulic-powered ice cave home - who tell their unique stories about different kinds of love.

The poetic new production features: a live original score composed and performed by one-man band The Lonesome Organist simultaneously playing accordion, banjo, fiddle, piano, drums and more; fantastic child aerialists from Aerial Dance Chicago accompanied by an adult professional aerialist; award-winning urban dancers who have performed their uniquely Chicago style of dance across the world; a shadow puppet show designed with intricate silhouettes by Andrea Everman; wild, shaggy Yeti costumes designed by Shoshanna Utchenik; an original song about the power of love written by acclaimed playwright Seth Bockley; Chicago West Community Music Center, a community-based youth choir of skilled teens from the West Side including a 10-year-old harpist; and artwork created by After School Matters teens.

Winter Pageant's poetic love stories were inspired by real-life stories collected by Redmoon's Katrina Flores and youth mentor/performing artist Jarius King. Flores and King interviewed Chicagoans across diverse neighborhoods, backgrounds and ages, who were encouraged to share a personal story about "the grand love that changed their life."

As they enter Redmoon's gargantuan Spectacle Hall, Winter Pageant guests will be transported high above the cloud line to the tip of a glacier, which has transformed Redmoon's massive space into a world of ice, snow and northern lights. Spectators are invited to watch the spectacle from the bleachers or find a seat on the snowy white "lawn." Guests who arrive early can enjoy treats and participate in an art activity and, most importantly, gather 30 minutes before the show to learn a song or dance and perform an original moment in the show. Kids of all ages - yes, this includes excited adults - are invited to join the 40 performers in the show to create an original fable for and by the people of Chicago.

And after the show, families are invited up onto the glacier to enjoy desserts and snacks with the cast and crew, see the massive, intricate set in more detail, and learn more about the puppets and objects used in the production - a Redmoon performance tradition beloved by all.

Winter Pageant 2014 was co-created by Will Bishop, Jillian Gryzlak and Frank Maugeri, directed by Will Bishop with Katrina Flores and art directed by Jillian Gryzlak with live original music by The Lonesome Organist.

ABOUT REDMOON

Redmoon's mission is to transform the experience of our city through free large-scale theatrical events that promote community, creativity and an empowered democracy. Over the past 24 years, Redmoon has become a valued Chicago institution with its high profile collaborations, vibrant outdoor performances and dynamic community and educational programming. Redmoon's site-specific performances have opened in Millennium Park, animated the façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art, commemorated the groundbreaking of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute and brought tens of thousands of spectators to the banks of the Chicago River. Redmoon has also brought its work to the parks and streets of Chicago's most underserved neighborhoods, using spectacle to bridge differences and transform the ways that people see and understand public spaces. Since 1990, Redmoon has performed for more than 380,000 people in 49 different neighborhoods, and around the globe in Holland, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, China, Japan and France. In its 57,000 square foot facility in Pilsen, Redmoon conducts large-scale indoor spectacles and private events, and offers structured, skills-based internships and mentoring opportunities to emerging young artists.

Generous funding for Redmoon's 2014/15 programming has been provided by: 1111 Foundation; Alphawood Foundation; Amgis Foundation; The Cookie Jar Fund; The Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund; The John R. Halligan Charitable Foundation; The Marshall Frankel Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The Irving Harris Foundation; Lagunitas Brewing Company; Mardi Gras Fund; The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; Sahara Enterprises, Inc.; The Thanksgiving Fund; and individual supporters.

For more information on Redmoon and its programs, visit www.redmoon.org.