Three Holiday shows at Pride Arts Center

Pride Films and Plays celebrates its first holiday season in the Pride Arts Center with three special LGBT-themed cabaret/musical variety events in December. All three events will be staged in The Broadway, at 4139 N. Broadway.

His and His - Thursday, December 1
PFP will kick off the holiday season on December 1, World AIDS Day, with His and His - the first of three cabaret concerts planned for coming months celebrating the portrayal of LGBT lives on the musical theater stage and the creative genius of those who have shaped the art form. The series will be curated and directed by Christopher Pazdernik. This first His and His will open with a review of historical LGBT material in its first act and continue in the second act with a celebration of the genius of composer/lyricist William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Little Miss Sunshine). The remaining two concerts in the His and His series will be held on February 14 and April 11, 2017. Additional details to be released soon.

Nick Sula is the musical director, and the cast includes four of Chicago's most talented up-and-coming musical theatre performers: Max DeTogne (Jesus Christ Superstar at Theo Ubique, High Fidelity at Refuge Theatre Project), Javier Ferreira (Wicked City at Chicago Theatre Workshop, Northanger Abbey at Lifeline , Sweeney Todd at Porchlight), Jaymes Osborne (Rent, Smokey Joe's Cafe at Theo Ubique) and Lewis Rawlinson (Tug of War at Chicago Shakespeare, bare at Refuge Theatre Project).

The concert will be held in The Broadway, in the Pride Arts Center at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago, on Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for His and His are $25 for Reserved Center Section Seats, or $20 for general admission. They can be reserved at 1 800 737 0984 or at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

SheFest - Monday, December 12
SheFest is a one-night variety show which celebrates queer, female-identified artists through music, movement, spoken word, storytelling, and stand-up comedy. It is co-produced by PFP company members Carolyn Reynolds and Kenzie Seibert and is directed by Tess Guilfoile. SheFest will feature exciting new talent as well as some past performers who have helped make this event a sold-out success four shows running! This year's SheFest is Monday, December 12 at 7:30, and tickets are $15 for reserved seats and $10 for general admission tickets which can be purchased by calling 1 800 737 0984 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

Unwrapped: A xxmas Cabaret - Saturday, December 17
The evening features everything from nice to naughty, with singers, strippers, comics and queens of all kinds as we enjoy the spirit of the holiday with the stars of Chicago's comedy, burlesque, and cabaret scenes.

Host for the evening is Honey West, who will star in PFP's upcoming production of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Performers for the evening are the Sinzation Dancers, Lola Madison (Miss Latina Continental 2016), Monica Munro (Miss Continental 1993), GayCo., Boylesque, and more! PFP Company Member Luke Meierdiercks is the producer.

Tickets for center section reserved seats are $25 and General Admission tickets are $20 and they can be purchased at 1 800 737 0984 or at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

LISTING INFORMATION - HOLIDAY EVENTS AT PRIDE ARTS CENTER

His and His
Curated and directed by Christopher Pazdernik
Co-directed by David Zak and Derek Van Barham
Music Direction by Nick Sula
Thursday, December 1, 2016 - 7:30 pm
Pride Arts Center - The Broadway
4139 N. Broadway
Tickets $25 for Reserved Center Section Seats, or $20 for general admission.
Tickets available at 1 800 737 0984 or at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

SheFest
Directed by Kenzie Seibert
Monday, December 12 - 7:30 pm
Pride Arts Center - The Broadway
4139 N. Broadway
Tickets $15 for Reserved Center Section Seats, or $10 for general admission.
Tickets available at 1 800 737 0984 or at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

Unwrapped: A xxmas Cabaret
Saturday, December 17, 2016 - 8:00 pm
Pride Arts Center - The Broadway
4139 N. Broadway
Tickets $25 for Reserved Center Section Seats, or $20 for general admission.
Tickets available at 1 800 737 0984 or at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS

Pride Films and Plays changes lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, film screenings, and special events. We foster long term relationships with artists to create programming that is as diverse, unique, and complex as the community we represent. In 2015, Huffington Post called PFP "A powerful and empowering entity." The company acquired its two performance spaces at 4139 and 4147 N, Broadway in July 2016, renaming the spaces the Pride Arts Center.

Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago's City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation and Alphawood Foundation.

PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Films and Plays is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and The League of Chicago Theatres.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 1.800.737.0984.