BATSU! Chicago to Celebrate 10th Anniversary With Special Performance

This June, BATSU! Chicago will celebrate a full decade of doing exactly that. The 10th anniversary performance takes place Saturday, June 20 at 7 p.m. upstairs at Kamehachi.

The milestone arrives shortly after BATSU! Chicago celebrated its 888th show - the number 8 is considered deeply lucky in Japanese culture - and is on pace to reach its 1,000th performance later this fall, cementing its place among Chicago's longest-running comedy shows.

What started on June 16, 2016 through a partnership between Face Off Unlimited and Kamehachi has grown over the years, performing five shows a week and regularly selling out in Chicago. In addition to the recurring show in New York, BATSU! has also toured the US and UK, with annual performances at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Five of the show's original cast members have remained with the BATSU! Chicago for the last decade:

Jonathan DeBona (affectionately known as the "Ballerinbro") brought an unlikely combination of dance and martial arts to the Warrior role. He holds a black belt, which, it turns out, has come in handy.

Tyler Garamella originally ran lights and sound, then somehow ended up onstage. A professional clown with critically acclaimed revues, including Steppenwolf Theatre. He also met his partner at BATSU! and the two are now happily married.

Steve Grande joined BATSU! at its very first New York performance in 2011 and was part of the Chicago cast from day one. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory, Grande has been a Warrior cornerstone of the show for the past decade.

Jin Kim joined as the host and has since become Associate Artistic Director. Kim is the only person in the history of the show to have performed every single role, a distinction that speaks to both his range and his devotion to the production. Over 600 of BATSU! Chicago's performances have taken place under his artistic direction.

Eric Robinson is the co-founder of Face Off Unlimited, co-creator of BATSU!, and has performed with the show since its inception. He's traveled with cast across the US and UK, including his hometown of Neenah, WI.