Trey McIntyre Project to Perform Last Work as a Full-Time Dance Company at Harris Theater, 4/3

In one of its final performances as a full-time dance company, the Boise-based Trey McIntyre Project (TMP) will present the Harris Theater-commissioned Chicago premiere of The Vinegar Works: Four Dances of Moral Instruction. The performance on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30PM will include live musical accompaniment from the young stars of the Music Institute of Chicago. This exciting work, organized and led by the Harris Theater, pairs one of the city's finest cultural institutions with one of the country's foremost contemporary dance ensembles. The commission centers on the Theater's mission to collaborate with, and present, Chicago's midsize and emerging arts organizations in innovative ways.

Mark George, President and CEO of the Music Institute of Chicago said: "This is truly a historic collaboration. Our partnership with the Harris Theater continues to provide our students with opportunities to perform with great artists in a fantastic venue. This collaboration will be especially memorable, as it includes the last new work created by the Trey McIntyre Project, a piece that the Music Institute will forever be associated with."

The Vinegar Works is inspired by the work of illustrator and writer Edward Gorey, who was known for his intense fondness for ballet. Set to Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Trio in E Minor, the piece features live performances from the Music Institute's prestigious Academy musicians. TMP will tour The Vinegar Works with a recording by these musicians, and the piece also includes puppets from renowned designer Michael Curry. Curry's work has been featured by The Walt Disney Company, The Lion King on Broadway, Cirque du Soleil, and Shrek the Musical, among many others.

In addition to the The Vinegar Works, TMP also performs McIntyre's exuberant and wildly popular Mercury Half-Life, danced to the music of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen.

"It's been incredibly important for me, ever since founding the company nearly ten years ago, to consistently create new work," said TMP founder and artistic director Trey McIntyre. "Thanks to the Harris, we're able to present our last premiere before entering the next phase of our creative life. It's gratifying to know that the company's last tour will have an added degree of relevance."

This past January, the Trey McIntyre Project announced a new creative direction that will mark the end of the full-time dance company this summer. The Vinegar Works will be presented around the country during the company's last tour with stops concluding with final performances at the famed Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Massachusetts, June 25-June 29. The world premiere performance of The Vinegar Works happens March 21 at the Zellerbach Hall at University of California, Berkeley.

Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater added: "Through partnerships like this, we continue to foster new ideas, new works, and exciting performances, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. The Vinegar Works is a particularly significant commission because of its collaboration with the Music Institute and the artistic leaders of tomorrow, a true reflection of the Harris Theater mission at work. We're not just commissioning premieres; we're cultivating the next generation of great performers."

The Harris Theater presentation of the Trey McIntyre Project will include three performances over three days, encompassing all facets of Harris Theater programming: Harris Theater Presents, Eat to the Beat, and the Harris Theater Family Series.

Eat (and Drink) to the Beat
Returning by popular demand, TMP and the Harris Theater will present the second Eat (and Drink) to the Beat of the 2013-2014 performance season on Friday, April 4 at 5:30PM. This unique post-work social hour will include signature cocktails and local food trucks, sure to set the mood for the popular Mercury Half-Life, a high-energy piece of choreography danced to perennial Queen anthems like We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. The Harris Theater celebrated its inaugural Eat (and Drink) to the Beat performance this past January with local ensemble DanceWorks Chicago.

Harris Theater Family Series: "Applause for the Cause"
The Trey McIntyre Project reprises Mercury Half-Life for its Family Series performance on Saturday, April 5 at 2PM. This marks the final Family Series performance of the 2013-2014 season. The Theater invites families to join in the theme "Applause for the Cause," supporting opportunities for families and kids to enjoy world-class art at affordable prices through our Access Tickets Program by:

· Donating at giving stations located throughout the Theater. Following the performance, TMP dancers will man these giving stations and meet with patrons.

· Eating at Giordano's Pizza in Prudential Plaza/Millennium Park on April 5 between 11AM and midnight. Giordano's is partnering with Harris Theater and will donate 15% of all proceeds on that day to the Theater's Access Tickets Program.

Tickets to the Thursday, April 3 Harris Theater Presents performance are $25-$55; tickets for Eat (and Drink) to the Beat on Friday, April 4 are $5; and tickets for the Saturday, April 5 Family Series performance are $10-$15, available at HarrisTheaterChicago.org or by calling the Box Office at 312.334.7777.

The Art of Edward Gorey at Loyola University Chicago: The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) and the Loyola University Chicago Libraries present two comprehensive exhibitions displaying the work of writer and artist Edward Gorey from February 15 to June 15, 2014. This combined exhibition will be the first major exhibition of Gorey's work in his hometown of Chicago. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 11AM-6PM and on Tuesdays until 8PM.

Community Engagement and Access Tickets Program: The Music Institute of Chicago is a partner of the Harris Theater Teen Arts Project. In addition to performance opportunities like the TMP commission and Eat to the Beat, the Theater offers Music Institute students complimentary performance tickets and master classes throughout each season.

Over 300 complimentary tickets for this engagement will be distributed through the Access Tickets Program. Following the Family Series performance, dancers from the company will lead a movement activity for children and families from Starlight Children's Foundation Midwest; Starlight has been an Access Tickets Program partner of the Harris since 2010. Learn more about Harris Theater community engagement >

About Trey McIntyre Project: Trey McIntyre Project is a project based company dedicated to realizing the artistic vision of artistic director Trey McIntyre. The organization is currently focusing on McIntyre's explorations in dance, film, photography, and writing. A key component of this realization is letting audiences engage in the creative process-whether that's through making a ballet in front of their very eyes-or giving them behind-the-scenes access to a shoot.

About Trey McIntyre: Trey McIntyre trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy. In 1989, McIntyre was appointed Choreographic Apprentice to Houston Ballet, a position created especially for him, and in 1995 he became the company's Choreographic Associate. McIntyre has worked for twenty-four years as a freelance choreographer, producing close to 100 pieces during the span of his career so far.

In 2005, McIntyre founded his dance company Trey McIntyre Project, which first appeared at the Vail International Dance Festival. The company was initially a summer touring company, but its national and international success led McIntyre to establish the company year-round as of 2008, based in Boise, Idaho. TMP has been featured in The New York Times, Dance Magazine, and on PBS NewsHour, and has earned coast-to-coast acclaim from the likes of Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, People Magazine, and more. In 2013, Trey McIntyre Project expanded its artistic vision and announced a crowd-sourced documentary film entitled Ma Maison. The project was announced on Kickstarter on August 7, 2013, and in November 2013, McIntyre went to New Orleans to begin filming.

McIntyre is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Society of Arts and Letters, as well as two grants for choreography from the National Endowment for the Arts. His works have been performed by companies such as Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, The Washington Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre.

About Music Institute of Chicago: The Music Institute of Chicago believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, our mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music. Teaching thousands of students of all ages and levels of experience, presenting concerts and training the musicians of the future, the Music Institute has created a unique musical community where all are welcome. As one of the largest community music schools in the nation, the Music Institute of Chicago offers musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, including a profoundly meaningful creative arts therapy program.

Founded in 2006, the Music Institute of Chicago's Academy has established itself as one of the most respected pre-collegiate conservatory programs in the United States. The Academy's internationally recognized faculty, rigorous curriculum, and instructional model, as well as the program's highly gifted students, have solidified its preeminent reputation. The very selective program, the only part of the Music Institute where admission is by audition, focuses on providing a comprehensive music education and significant performance opportunities for the musicians of the future.

The Music Institute of Chicago is honored to collaborate with the Harris Theater and the Trey McIntyre Project. There is no greater gift for our students than to have the opportunity to make music and make art at the highest level. Special thanks go to Music Institute chamber music coach Sang Mee Lee and recording engineer Rob Waller of Windy Apple Studios.

Harris Theater for Music and Dance: The Harris Theater's mission is to partner with an array of Chicago's emerging and midsize performing arts organizations to help them build infrastructure and achieve artistic growth and long-term organizational sustainability. Now in the midst of its 10th season, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance was the first multi-use performing arts venue to be built in the Chicago downtown area since 1929. Today the Theater continues to host the most diverse offerings of any venue in Chicago, featuring the city's world-renowned music and dance institutions and the Harris Theater Presents series of acclaimed national and international artists and ensembles.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org. Call the Box Office at 312.334.7777 to request a brochure or additional information. The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago's state-of-the art 1,525-seat performance venue, can also be found on Facebook at facebook.com/harristheater and Twitter at twitter.com/harristheater.

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