You Got Older - 2018 - Chicago Articles Page 11

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director; Quinn Metal Corbin, Advancement Director) is proud to announce the return of Will Arbery's PLANO, directed by Taylor Reynolds. First seen last year in the 23rd SUMMERWORKS season, PLANO returns beginning April 8 for a limited engagement through May 11. Opening night is set for April 13 at the Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street). Tickets are now on sale at: https://www.artful.ly/clubbedthumb/store/events.

Funny lady Julia Sweeney brings her latest one-woman show JULIA SWEENEY: OLDER & WIDER to the Geffen's Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater stage for a limited comedy engagement February 5 through February 10, 2019. I had the pleasure of delving into the comedic genius of this Saturday Night Live/The Groundlings alumnus, getting some very insightful responses.

Soccer Mommy - twenty-one year old Nashville native Sophie Allison – released her debut album Clean last year to mass critical acclaim, earning year-end nods from 100+ publications, including The New York Times' #1 Album of 2018. Today, before she embarks on another headline tour and support tour with Kacey Musgraves, she shares the demo for Clean-highlight “Blossom” for the first time. Additionally, “Be Seeing You” - which was previously only available physically as the b-side to the “Last Girl” 7-inch and on Bandcamp - is now available on DSPs. 

Kinetic Element, a band based in Richmond, Virgina (USA) that finally made a mark in the prog world in its tenth year in 2016 by performing at ROSfest and Terra Incognita, and in 2017 at Progtoberfest, has been through some changes in the last couple of years. Sporting a new guitarist and vocalist, and venturing into vinyl for the first time, they composed and recorded their third studio album, “The Face of Life,” during 2017 and 2018. The band, founded and led by veteran multi-keyboardist Mike Visaggio, after breaking into the genre with their first album “Powered by Light” in 2009, garnered acclaim from around the progressive rock universe with their 2015 release of their second band album, “Travelog.” They began becoming known for their epic pieces,containing spiritually uplifting lyrics and symphonic style arrangements following in the footsteps of the founders of the style like Yes and Genesis, as have other great bands like Transatlantic, Knight Area, Frost, Also Eden, and others like them. Reviewers have said that while they can clearly hear the influences, Kinetic Element has molded them into something uniquely their own.

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Act(s) of God, by Ensemble Member Kareem Bandealy, directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman. Act(s) of God runs February 13 April 7, 2019 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The press performances are February 22 and February 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The Oscar®-qualifying New York Int'l Children's Film Festival announced the complete slate of feature films for its 2019 edition. Now in its 22nd year, the Festival is a leading authority on intelligent, insightful, and creative options for viewers of all ages, and will present four weekends of short and feature films, panels with visiting filmmakers, interactive VR experiences, and more—spanning a diverse array of styles, themes, and subject matter—carefully curated for a new generation of discerning filmgoers. The 2019 feature film slate includes one World Theatrical premiere, three North American premieres, four US premieres, and six East Coast premieres.

Late last year, Australian pscyhe-pop band Methyl Ethel announced their forthcoming album, Triage out next month on 4AD. Today, they share the single and accompanying video for 'Trip The Mains.' 'It's got a sharp, '80s new wave-ish backdrop, but main member Jake Webb brings it into the now with a catchy vocal performance that fans of MGMT and Phoenix might dig,' said Brooklyn Vegan. Webb says of the track, 'behind every eye-twitch, a depleted mainframe barely pulses. 'Trip The Mains' is my moment of short circuiting.' The video features Webb suspended in time, defying the laws of gravity, and crashing into beds in this abstract fantasy directed by Matt Sav.

A powerful, emotionally-riveting, dynamically-staged original stage musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a truly incredible, phenomenal show that I happily admit-in just a few years of its existence-has quickly become one of my favorite Broadway musicals of all time. Not only does it feature gorgeous, memorable songs from Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it also has a simple but notably layered and impactful book by Steven Levenson that encourages deeper, meaningful discourse long after the end of the show. Even more remarkable is that the show presents a troubled but empathetic title character that demands so much from the extraordinary Ben Levi Ross-the actor tasked to bring him to life-that you are left in awe at his performance's sheer tenacity and brilliance. Thankfully, it has finally arrived at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where the Tony Award-winning musical's first national tour continues its much-too-brief two-week engagement through January 13, 2019 in Costa Mesa.

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that Beth Malone, Broadway star of Angels in America and Tony Award nominee for 2016's smash hit Fun Home, will make her Broadway @ NOCCA series debut on January 31 at 7:30 PM for one show only.

Just over a month ago, Come From Away welcomed a new 'Nick' to the Rock, as Broadway veteran Jim Walton took over for original company member Lee MacDougal.

At the end of every 'backstage' interview, BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge asks his guest, 'What is the best bit of advice that you've been given, either personally or professionally, that you still live by?'

When one thinks of Ethiopian imports, coffee and extraordinary runners might grace the top of the list but circus artists aren't usually associated with the sovereign African nation. However, with Circus Abyssinia - an all-Ethiopian contemporary circus company, the brainchild and heart project of a pair of brothers, Mehari 'Bibi' Tesfamariam and Binyam 'Bichu' Tesfamariam, who are both talented jugglers and global arts entrepreneurs - the world might start to see Ethiopia in a different light. The siblings' journey to fulfill their dreams reads more like a fairytale or Cinderella story, where the heroes persevere and make magic happen with their unshakable willpower and determination, though not despite many struggles and frustrations on their way to fulfilling their dreams.

I have been a huge fan of both Wil Love and Carl Schurr for many years. They are currently both performing in Everyman Theatre's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST which ends its run Dec. 30, 2018. They have become two patriarchs of the Baltimore theatre scene. Since their meeting at Center Stage in 1971, they have performed, produced, and adapted hundreds of performances both regionally and nationally. Now in their 10th year as Resident Company Members at Everyman Theatre, Wil and Carl have plenty of war stories and advice to share. I connected with these two venerable performances to learn more about their story.

JoJo fans rejoice! Yesterday may have been the star's birthday but she surprised fans by announcing a re-release of her first two albums and singles. Due to contractual obligations with former record label Blackground Records, her first two albums The High Road and JoJo were taken down from music platforms but she finally got the rights back after a tricky legal battle.

The New Group is currently presenting Clueless, the Musical by Amy Heckerling in a world premiere production with choreography by Kelly Devine, directed by Kristin Hanggi. The show opens tonight! Let's see what the critics had to say!

Consummate singer Robyn Spangler has been resurrecting her singing career for the last ten years with great success. She appears in cabaret from coast to coast and has just released her newest CD Christmas Is. She took time from a busy schedule to talk about the album and her concert appearance at Rockwell Table and Stage on Sunday December 16.

In honor of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 60th Anniversary Celebration, happening now through December 30th at New York City Center, the corresponding dance school, The Ailey Extension, is offering a variety of deals for those wanting to move into 2019 with grace.

The Dramatists Guild of America is the originator of the Dramatists Guild Fellows program, with a mission is to enhance the sense of community among developing American dramatists by offering a year-long workshop designed to augment their training with practical experience and career information resources.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the extension of the critically-acclaimed hit Rightlynd, written by Ike Holter and directed by Lisa Portes with original music by Charlie Coffeen. With six additional performances, the production now runs through December 30, 2018, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Given Stage West Theatre Restaurant's penchant for tributes and bio-musicals (ala Million Dollar Quartet, Rock of Ages, Red Rock Diner, and their continuously running Tribute Concert Series), Jersey Boys was a perfect fit for their 2018/2019 Season.

As a kid, I remember watching White Christmas (1954) every year with my family. When I got a little older I came across Holiday Inn, the 1941 precursor that also starred Bing Crosby, but paired with Fred Astaire, and introducing the song 'White Christmas'. There was a widely held opinion among some of my friends that it was the superior movie, an attitude that remained as long as we were only watching the edited version on commercial television. Because you see, they always cut the Blackface number. Once you see it, all innocence about this movie is lost. It forever tarnishes a film that contains two of Fred Astaire's most innovative numbers: the firecracker dance, and the drunken New Year's Eve tango that is a masterpiece of comic movement. Even for the time this number, egregiously inserted for the Lincoln's Birthday sequence (yes, it was once a holiday), seems shocking and offensive.

Fiddler on the Roof returns to the London stage this Winter. Trevor Nunn's already sold out production is currently in rehearsals, before it opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Playing Yente, Louise Gold shares her journey across stage and screen, how the show resonates with her, and how she thinks it will resonate with London today.

I caught up with rising star bass-baritone Christian Van Horn the other day, to find out what the devil was going on with his starring role in the Met's first performance of Arrigo Boito's MEFISTOFELE in almost 20 years. Were you nervous as hell (pun intended) on the first night, I asked Van Horn, winner of this year's prestigious Richard Tucker Award, in your role as the Devil?

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2018-19 season with Mansfield Park, written by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen, and directed by Stuart Carden. Mansfield Park runs November 8 - December 16, 2018 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is scheduled for Today, November 16, 2018 at 8pm.

The following are excerpts from a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with Liberty Media Chairman John Malone and CNBC's David Faber on CNBC's 'Squawk on the Street' (M-F 9AM - 11AM) today, Wednesday, November 14th from Liberty Media Day in NYC. The following is a link to video of the full interview on CNBC.com here!