oh, those summer nights…

Yes…you probably heard.  This weekend was tough – we lost a performance due to technical difficulties at MARY POPPINS.  It was sad but we are doing everything we can to get those that missed the performance into another performance before MARY POPPINS closes on July 12.   There is the joy and heartbreak of live theatre and Saturday Night June 27 at 8:00 p.m. was heartbreaking.

 

However, today is a great day – there are so many things to do!

 

You can buy ½ price tickets through Hot Tix and attend either MARY POPPINS or JERSEY BOYS or both through the 4^th of July Weekend – don’t wait the 1776 tickets were made available today through Hot Tix on-line and they are going fast.

 

And/Or, you can attend the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the park for FREE.   See Roger Bart from YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the entire cast of JERSEY BOYS, the stars of MARY POPPINS, selections from 101 DALMATIONS with an introduction by Dennis DeYoung from STYX and more.

 

It is a perfect day to visit the TASTE and enjoy this great concert.

 

This is the one day of the year that I get to go out enjoy summer and the Taste and it is part of my job!  – The one performance of the year that is not in a dark room!

 

Don’t waste the day …. come and join us.  If you do all three things above you will be building quite the theatrical summer!

Eileen

these are a few of my favorite things…

This is what the marketing office looks like today:

 

  

You may be asking yourself if a bomb went off, or perhaps you think we are building a box fort… the answer is far more exciting than that. (at least for all of you!)

 

The reason for this mayhem is that we have an action-packed weekend planned! As you have probably heard, Monday is the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the Park, but we will also be participating in the annual Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday. Needless to say, we have been as busy as can be trying to make this an absolutely spectacular, albeit slightly hectic, pair of events.

 

On Sunday morning at the obscenely early hour of 9am, Andrew, Basia and myself will meet here at the Broadway In Chicago office to transport all of our materials to the parade route. I will have to work on my Tetris skills for the next couple days, because we somehow have to fit over 15,000 pieces of promo merchandise and three people into a Honda Accord. Seriously.

 

The parade itself will kick off around noon—keep an eye out for float #102 if you are at the parade because we will have tons of fun goodies to give away. There will be 14 BIC staffers and perhaps a cast member or two out supporting the GLBT community…and having a great time in the process! If you haven’t been to the Parade before, you should definitely try to join us—it is truly an unforgettable experience.

 

Then it’s time to run home for a good night’s sleep before the Concert in the Park! This is probably my favorite event of the year. What could be better than sitting outside listening to some amazing performers sing songs from my favorite shows? This year’s concert will include performances from Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, Young Frankenstein, In the Heights, 101 Dalmatians and Boys v. Girls. Not only that, but Roger Bart, Dennis DeYoung, Ashley Brown, Gavin Lee and the whole cast of Jersey Boys will be there along with an Olympic athlete!

 

 I have been attending these concerts for far longer than I have worked at Broadway In Chicago, so it is a lot of fun to be in on the planning process this time around. Sure, there is a lot of work involved—have you ever tried to transport dollies laden with fun merchandise through the packed streets of the Taste of Chicago – but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces as they leave the concert.

 

I truly hope that everyone joins us for at least one of these wonderful events this weekend. We put a lot of effort into making these experiences fantastic for all who attend, and love to share our passion for theatre with everyone that we can. See you this weekend!

 
-Mary Brennan (Marketing Coordinator)

what does the future hold

Hello from NY – what a weekend!

Sunday afternoon, I met Heather Schmucker, who we work with on a project that Broadway In Chicago is doing with American Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern. Together we saw GOD OF CARNAGE – produced by Stuart Thompson, who is also working on SHREK. All those stars on stage – Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden – and a hilarious play! But the stars weren’t only on stage. Right next to me in the seat was Meg Ryan. Now that is a real bonus.

There are so many great shows that we are all hoping will tour and come to Chicago first or longest. Just a few:

• BILLY ELLIOT
• ROCK OF AGES
• GOD OF CARNAGE
• WEST SIDE STORY
• NEXT TO NORMAL
• HAIR

What are you hoping for? At this point, all we can do is wait and see what develops.

-Eileen

school’s out for summer

Northwestern University has an incredible program called the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) in which they bring together the nation’s leading artists in the professional theatre to work in collaboration with Northwestern faculty and students to create new musicals. During the winter quarter, a group of Northwestern students, in collaboration with The House Theatre of Chicago, developed an original musical titled GIRLS VS. BOYS, the developmental production will premiere during Northwestern’s Summer Music Theatre Festival this July.

For the first time ever, the project went one step further by pairing another group of eight students with Broadway In Chicago professionals to develop an original marketing plan for this exciting new production. The course, led by Broadway In Chicago Vice President Eileen LaCario and Marketing Director Andrew Damer, covered all facets of presenting and marketing commercial theatre from creating a performance schedule and price structure to developing advertising, promotional and social networking plans. The students designed original artwork, descriptive copy, a website and will continue to work throughout the summer implementing their marketing plan.

First of all, these are some smart and talented students – both in creating a new musical and marketing it. Second, AMTP is one incredible organization. And third, go see GIRLS VS. BOYS. It is sure to be a highlight of the summer theatre season.

July 10 – August 2 at the Wallis Theatre, Evanston

Girls vs. Boys plunges you into an all-out war of the sexes. Brother and sister find themselves thrust into a perilous, modern day Lord of the Flies, playing a game with rules they don’t fully understand. But you can’t win this game. You gotta play not to lose. The acclaimed creative team of The Sparrow, along with Northwestern students, has created a story of high stakes relationships with even greater consequences, challenging the storybook ideal of love in an amped up, exhilarating new musical.

Developed in partnership between the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University and The House Theatre of Chicago, the world premiere of Girls vs. Boys is directed by Nathan Allen with book and lyrics by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen, music by Kevin O’Donnell and choreography by Tommy Rapley.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK: Girls vs. Boys contains strong language, violent themes, partial nudity and really, REALLY loud music.

a’marketing we go

Where did Monday go? We have MARY POPPINS in rehearsal and the theatre is abuzz with the load in of the set into the Cadillac Palace. And Broadway In Chicago was out at Northwestern University yesterday. We are working on an exciting new project with the students. We have created a class that will mirror Broadway In Chicago’s integrated marketing team and will become the marketing team that will promote the American Musical Theatre Project this summer. We will be working on the new musical that the House Theatre of Chicago is creating, also with the students. We completed interviews for this new marketing team and what an unbelievable group of talent. The buzz word of the day is that they are all Type A personalities – good match for all the Broadway In Chicago staff that will be mentoring them. It is going to be great fun to work on a world premiere and premiere this new dynamic marketing team all at the same time. We anticipate our team learning as much as we teach them.

FYI: for those that are interested in producing or knowing what producing is all about, you should check out the Commercial Theatre Institute. It is doing a program right here in Chicago you can find out more about it on www.chicagoplays.com