LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES Set As Final Selection For 2009-2010 Northlight Season

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans announce the final selection for the 2009-2010 Northlight Season, the world premiere of Low Down Dirty Blues, by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, the creators of It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues and Fire on the Mountain. The production will feature two-time Jeff Award winner Mississippi Charles Bevel.

The remainder of the 2009-2010 season, previously announced, includes Roger Bean's pop musical, The Marvelous Wonderettes; Stephen Temperley's comedic musical tribute, Souvenir; Clifford Odets' Depression-era classic Awake and Sing directed by Amy Morton and featuring Rondi Reed and Mike Nussbaum; and Hugh Leonard's Irish drama, A Life directed by BJ Jones, starring John Mahoney.

"Northlight is delighted to welcome back director Randy Myler, Dan Wheetman and two-time Jeff Award winner Mississippi Charles Bevel with a world premiere musical, in celebration of our 35th Anniversary," says BJ Jones. "Low Down Dirty Blues continues Northlight's dedication to exploring American Blues music and its roots, in a joyous and roof-raising evening sure to lift our audiences' spirits."

Low Down Dirty Blues

by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman

Directed by Randal Myler

Music Direction by Dan Wheetman

May 27 - July 3, 2010

Press opening: Saturday, June 5, 2010
From the very birth of the Blues, great musicians have captivated audiences with their Dirty Blues-music filled with passion, soul and a love of life, as well as innuendo, insinuation and sly wit. Featuring the very best of the style made (in)famous by the likes of Mae West, Muddy Waters, Ma Rainey, Sophie Tucker, Howlin' Wolf, Pearl Bailey and many others, Low Down Dirty Blues is a look at life and sex in all it's fascinating and painful expressions, and a rousing, raucous musical event!

Creators' notes/ About Low Down Dirty Blues:
The Blues has always had an "earthy" quality. It has been the voice of a people caught in economic and social situations that have kept one entire social sector of the country under the thumb of another sector through the "Jim Crow" laws and through narrow fields available for economic gain.

Out of this environment their voices found expression in the celebration of Life in all its facets. From the first blues songs (known as "jump ups," "work songs" and "hollers") to the music that was born in the Black Vaudeville shows, where singers like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith crafted a bawdy style of innuendo, the Blues has dealt with subjects other musical styles have either avoided because of social stigma, or overlooked due to lack of understanding or experience.

In the early 1920s women like Sippy Wallace, Ma Rainey, Victoria Spivy, Memphis Minnie and Alberta Hunter sang songs with a "ragtime" feel and a lyric explicit and real as the world they lived in. Men like Charlie Patton, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Bo Carter and the Chatmans sang heartbreaking songs of a life bound in invisible chains of prejudice and poverty while also singing joyous songs of sexual freedom and their freedom of movement. Both topics, Low Down Dirty Blues.
Subscriptions to the 2009-10 Northlight Season are available through the box office, 9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, by phone at (847) 673-6300 or online at www.northlight.org. Subscriptions range in price from $99-$230. A limited number of season subscriptions for the Opening Night performances (also includes a reception with the cast) are available for $275, subject to availability.

Subscriptions are now on sale. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains of one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Northlight enters its 35th season in 2009-10 as one of the largest non-profit theatres in Chicago. Dedicated to enhancing the cultural life of the North Shore and Chicago, Northlight presents theatrical works which reflect and challenge the values and beliefs of the community it serves while continuing to grow its reputation for launching world premieres, new musicals, classic plays and compelling dramas.

Northlight has mounted more than 165 productions, including 33 world premieres, and garnered 140 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 27 Awards. As one of the area's premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality. For more information, visit www.northlight.org.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from The Allyn Foundation; the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Sanborn Family Foundation ; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Tthe Shubert Foundation; the Skokie Fine Arts Commission; the Sullivan Family Foundation; and The Chicago Community Trust.