Camp Midnight Presents MOMMIE DEAREST on Mother's Day

For a different kind of Mother's Day, Camp Midnight hosts a special afternoon presentation of the camp classic Mommie Dearest, the ultimate mother-daughter movie. Faye Dunaway chews the scenery and inks her eyebrows in this larger-than-life depiction of Joan Crawford, the Oscar-winning, wire hanger-loathing star of MildrEd Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and The Women. Music Box Theatre presents Mother's Day with Mommie Dearest Sunday, May 12, 2pm at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue. www.musicboxtheatre.com/events/mommie-dearest-2013-05-12-200-pm

The Joan-a-Palooza starts at 2:00pm with a pre-show featuring Dick O'Day and the Hell in a Handbag Players. Audience members are invited to join the fun for a mother/daughter matching outfit contest. During the feature presentation, attendees will receive an interactive audience guide, and members of Camp Midnight will provide hilarious running commentary throughout the film.

There is an additional opportunity to purchase an optional pre-performance brunch package down the street at Mystic Celt, 3443 N Southport Ave, 11:30am-1:30pm. $30 includes extensive brunch buffet, unlimited coffee, soda, mimosas, tax and gratuity.

The lavish, over-the-top Mommie Dearest is the 1981 screen adaptation of Christina Crawford's best-selling memoir about growing up as the adopted daughter of iconic Hollywood icon Joan Crawford. The infamous book details Crawford's allegations of years of physical and mental abuse by her movie star mother. Faye Dunaway's performance in the film brought equal parts hosannas and derision by critics. Though the movie flopped with the mainstream public, it was instantly enshrined as a camp classic and is revered by fans. Unforgettable lines such as "No wire hangers!" "Don't f*** with me, fellas!" and "Tina, hand me the axe" have entered the camp lexicon and popular culture.

Mother's Day with Mommie Dearest is being hosted by the camptacular emcee Dick O'Day (Emmy Award-winning Wild Chicago correspondent, who has driven by both Faye Dunaway's and Joan Crawford's homes in California). David Cerda, founder and lead singer with The Joans, is playwright and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions (the company that the Chicago Reader says, "Represents the gold standard in camp in Chicago"). The Chicago Tribune has dubbed Cerda the "Charles Ludlam of the Midwest."

Mother's Day with Mommie Dearest
Mommie Dearest (Frank Perry, 1981, 129m)
Sunday, May 12
1:30pm Festivities, fun and photos in the lobby with "Joan" and "Christina" in person
2:00pm Pre-show entertainment, trivia and costume contest
2:15pm Faye Dunaway and Diana Scarwid do battle in the Razzie Award-winning Mommie Dearest
Admission - $12 at the Music Box Theatre box office or in advance at www.musicboxtheatre.com/events/mommie-dearest-2013-05-12-200-pm . The first 100 attendees in their seats will receive their own commemorative wire hanger.