Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences Presents BARRIO GRRRL! A MUSICAL, Opening 3/27

The Theatre School at DePaul University will present BARRIO GRRRL! A MUSICAL (book and lyrics by Quiara Alegría Hudes, music by Bill Sherman, musical direction by Mark Elliott, and directed by Lisa Portes) as the final production of the 2011-2012 Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences Series.  BARRIO GRRRL! A MUSICAL opens Tuesday, March 27, and runs through Saturday, May 12, 2012, at DePaul's historic Merle Reskin Theatre. Performances are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM and Saturdays at 2 PM.  There will be no performance on March 31, April 3, April 5, April 7, April 28, May 1, May 3, or May 5.  

Join spunky heroine Ana Ortiz and her friends for exciting adventures in their barrio! In this urban pop musical, Ana uses her superpowers as Barrio Grrrl to preserve justice in her neighborhood by drawing from the strength of her culture, her song, and her family. Recommended for ages 7 and up.  

Tickets are $8.  Subscriptions and group rates (15 or more people) are available at (312) 922-0999.  DePaul employees, alumni, and college students receive a discount (with ID).  Tickets are available online at http://theatreschool.depaul.edu or by calling the Box Office at (312) 922-1999.

DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre is located at 60 E. Balbo Drive at Michigan Ave., in Chicago. For information about parking, please contact the Box Office.  The theatre is accessible via CTA busses (3-King Drive, 29-State Street, 146-Michigan/ Museums and others), and CTA El stops (Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple and Pink).

A wide range of events will be held in conjunction with this production including Community Partner Days, as well as an Ice Cream Social, Opening Day Autographs, Post Show Discussions, and much more!  For details or a free Teacher Guide highlighting curriculum connections visit http://theatreschool.depaul.edu or call (312) 922-1999. 

The cast features Sonaz Izadi (Barrio Grrrl), Dan Johnson (Oscar), Gregory Marlow (Abuelo/Professor/King Harald V), Matthew Sherrill (Sandip), Kelly Erin Sloan (The Amazing Voice), Lisandra Tena (Mom/Waiter/Shopper), and Kelsey Ann Wacker (Odette).  

The production staff includes Lisa Portes (Director), Mark Elliott (Musical Director), Rachel Watson (Scenic Design), Constance Lee (Costume Design), Jared Gooding (Lighting Design), Jeff Gary (Sound Design), Devon Mary Doherty (Dramaturgy), and Olivia Wallace (Stage Management).

Lisa Portes (Director) serves as the Head of Directing and the Artistic Director of Chicago Playworks for Young Audience for The Theatre School. Recent projects include the world premieres of GHOSTWRITTEN (Goodman Theatre) and AFTER A HUNDRED YEARS (Guthrie Theatre) both by Naomi Iizuka, SKI DUBAI by Laura Jacqmin and SPARE CHANGE by Mia McCullough (First Look Repertory of New Plays, Steppenwolf Theatre) ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE by Quiara Alegría Hudes (Teatro Vista and Rivendell Theatre at Steppenwolf), EL GRITO DEL BRONX by Migdalia Cruz (Latino Theatre Festival, Goodman Theatre) Permanent Collection by Thomas Gibbons (Northlight Theatre), FAR AWAY by Caryl Churchill and IN THE BLOOD by Suzan-Lori Parks (Next Theatre), OFFSPRING OF THE COLD WAR by Carlos Murillo (Walkabout Theatre) and WILDER: AN EROTIC CHAMBER MUSICAL by Erin Cressida Wilson, Jack Herrick and Mike Craver (Playwrights Horizons, NYC). Her work has been seen regionally at the Kennedy Center, South Coast Repertory Theatre's Hispanic Playwrights Project, McCarter Theatre Lab, A Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., the Cape Cod Theatre Project, the Sundance Theatre Lab, the Santa Barbara Theatre Lab, and the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference; in New York her work has been seen at Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theatre, the Flea Theatre and the Cherry Lane Alternative Theatre. Lisa mounted the international productions of the Tony Award-winning musical, THE WHO'S TOMMY, as its Associate Director and also served as Associate Director for the 1st National Tour of TITANIC. DePaul credits include HAMLET, CLOUD NINE by Caryl Churchill, THREE SISTERS by Anton Chekhov and POLARIOD STORIES by Naomi Iizuka for Showcase and for Chicago Playworks: CINDARELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS by Karen Zacarías and Debbie Wicks La Puma and THE HIGHEST HEAVEN by José Cruz González.  Lisa is a resident director for Teatro Vista and an artistic associate at Next Theatre and Chicago Childrens Theatre. Awards include the Drama League and NEA/TCG Directors' Fellowships as well as a Fulbright/Hays Fellowship. Lisa Lives in Bridgeport with her husband, playwright Carlos Murillo and their two children Eva Rose and Carlos Alejandro.

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