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The stars of Broadway In Chicago

You might think that this title refers to people who are stars at their job. Well, that could be true – we have so many stars behind the scenes at Broadway In Chicago from D.J. McClaurin who is stars as a Director of Finance or Mary Brennan whose star shines bright as our Marketing War Room Manager – they are all brilliant! But I am talking “stars” in the Broadway sense – those who dazzle on and off the stage – whether as actors, dancers, singers, music directors, lighting designers – we have them all! Broadway In Chicago staff members by day and stars of Chicago stages by night!

This is just a brief look into what our staff is currently working on:

Aaron Holland

Five Mos named Guy! – Playground Theatre (3209 N. Halsted) – Through November 21

Steve Hund

Droppin’ $cience Improv – Every Thursday at 10:30 pm – StudioBe (3110 N. Sheffield)

Garrett Johannsen

Lyric Opera of Chicago 09/10 Season as a Supplemental Chorus Member including Gounod’s Faust & Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust:

vorak’s Rusalka – Opera for the Young (Madison) – January – May 2010 

Mozart’s Requiem – St. Gregory the Great Chamber Ensemble and Chorus – March 2010

Andrew Kraft

Improviser! A Musical Sketch Comedy Revue – Oct 29 – Dec 17

Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School – Oct 16-Nov21 – Gorilla Tango Theater

Trying Too Hard

Govind Kumar

Yeast Nation at American Theater Company  – Running through October 18 

Silk Road Cabaret (77 W. Washington) – October 21 – November 1

Jasmine McNeely

The Ripettes Burlesque – October 25 @ Mary’s Attic (5400 N. Clark) & October 15 & 29 @ National Pastime Theater (4139 N. Broadway)

Silent Theater Company’s 24 –Hour Play Festival - Prop Theater (3502 N. Elston) – October 17

Stephanie Sherline

The Hostage (Music Director)- Griffin Theatre Company at Theatre Building Chicago – Through Nov 1

Mercy Seat (Original Composition/Sound Design)– Profiles Theatre –  Through November 15

Calls to Blood (Original Compsition/Sound Design) – The New Colony at Royal George Studio Theatre – Through November 7

 

Broadway In Chicago loves them all and is so proud of their accomplishments. These are stars bucking the traditions that all actors are waiters/waitresses. They are supporting themselves while contributing their brilliance to a theatre company rather than diners at a local restaurant.

We wish for all of them billing above the title!

i’m from chicago

I often get asked where my heart lies. I am a born and bred Chicagoan and have been involved in theater since I was 17. I have worked in small theaters, large theaters, with big budgets, with small budgets and sometimes with no budgets at all.

Lately, the question “What is Broadway In Chicago committed to?” seems to be coming up more and more often, so I thought you might all like to know what we are really committed to and who works for Broadway In Chicago. I am so proud of what we do. I have had the joy of being one of the founding executives of Broadway In Chicago with Lou Raizin (President) and Suzanne Bizer (Vice President) as well as many of our team who are still with us almost 10 years later. And like me, most of our team are Chicagoans that have been involved in Chicago Theatre and many continue to work in the theatre community in addition to their jobs at Broadway In Chicago, volunteering their time, on boards, on stage and in many other capacities.

Obvious from our name, we have two major areas of focus: Broadway and Chicago. While Broadway might come first in the name, the most important part to us is Chicago and our Chicago audiences, satisfying their interest in seeing the best and the newest to and from Broadway. We want our audiences to be able to see Broadway shows in Chicago first before they go to New York, and we want shows to come direct from Broadway, rather than touring the country before eventually making their way to our city. We want shows to run as long as the audiences of Chicago demand, extending the Chicago runs of shows when we can as long as appropriate and creating Chicago as a destination market for theater.

We are a proud members of the Chicago Theatre Community, always promoting the theater community to every producer who will listen. We encourage them to see Chicago theater, not just Broadway In Chicago shows, and to understand that nowhere in the world are there better stories told on stage than right here. Plus, we are happiest when local Chicago talent is cast in shows like “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Jersey Boys,” not to mention all the Chicago musicians, stage hands, wardrobe, make-up, etc., who benefit from Chicago long-runs.  

We consult many theater companies on what it takes to move a show from Chicago to New York or from a small store front to a commercial production in a larger house in Chicago but always in a way that will work for them and will fulfill on their own goals. We have worked in partnership or simply as a cheerleader for many theatre companies including the Court Theatre, Chicago Shakes, Steppenwolf, The House Theatre of Chicago, Silk Road, Timeline, Chicago Dramatists as well as many others. Our staff members teach at DePaul and Northwestern University and serve on civic, theatre and tourism boards across Chicago. Broadway In Chicago sponsors the League of Chicago Theatres Emerging Theatre Award to provide a vehicle that can recognize those theaters that are growing and distinguishing themselves inside of their own peer community.

Last but not least we are committed to trumpeting to everyone who will listen how important theater is for our culture, entertainment, and education. As such we do everything we can to drive home to media outlets how important it is to cover theater. Where we can, we also lend our support through sponsorship to ensure theatre coverage across Chicago including 190 North with Janet Davies who has been such a support to live theatre for many years, CBS’s Chris Jones theatre segment on the Friday morning news and just recently Chicago Now’s Off Broadway In Chicago blog all to make sure theatre coverage continues to expand. 

There is so much more….but this should give you an idea – to us nothing is more important than Chicago and the Chicago theater community.

-Eileen

Love to hear the redeye goin’ tweet tweet tweet

If you are downtown tomorrow, make sure to stop by the RedEye’s TweetUp (click for the who/what/why/when/where).

In the Heights, Young Frankenstein and The Ten Tenors will be giving away tickets as trivia prizes. Plus Broadway In Chicago has a booth and we are doing giveaways from there for show merchandise, and you never know what we’ll ask you to do to get it – sing a song, answer trivia, do a dance. The possibilities are endless.

See you then!

From Harpo Studios!

Don’t forget to watch Oprah on Monday, September 21!

autumn in chicago

WOW – did you read the fall previews in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times and the Daily Herald – this is going to be some great fall season! Hope you have plans to go to a lot of theater!

Also, did you see the new blog in town? It is a new theater blog that is featured on ChicagoNow. Off Broadway In Chicago is a new bulletin board for theatres all over Chicago – Broadway In Chicago is the sponsor but it will include information for over 150 theaters and will allow theaters across the city to post their press releases giving you the information that they want you to know about. PLUS all the theaters can post special offers for their incredible shows.

Be sure to check it out and register to get regular updates from the greatest theater town in the world!

-Eileen

‘fall’-ing for theater

This summer has been full of fun and exciting activities – Taste of Chicago Concert, escorting cast members to sing anthems and many more events around Chicago. However, while enjoying all of these experiences, we have been busy behind the scenes preparing for Broadway In Chicago’s outstanding fall line-up of shows. It’s the middle of September and I am sure all of you have been seeing the Fall Arts Previews – make sure to check the papers on Sunday as well!

Here are a couple of shows and events on tap for this Fall…the second anniversary of Jersey Boys, the Chicago debut of Young Frankenstein and the world premiere of The Addams Family.

Jersey Boys will kick off their anniversary celebration in October so make sure to keep your ear to the ground for the latest details about celebrations and appearances taking place to commemorate the anniversary.

Young Frankenstein is in the planning stages for in town interviews, advance features and performances by cast members, including original Broadway stars Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley. Maybe you will even see creator Mel Brooks pop up in a couple of interviews. Be sure to practice your “Puttin’ on the Ritz” moves in preparation for the show.

We are awaiting the arrival of The Addams Family creative team and cast members in mid-October. Right now everyone is in New York City rehearsing for the world premiere that will take place right here in downtown Chicago. There goes the Theatre District…we can’t wait!

Be sure to also check out the limited one week engagement of the world-renowned shows – Cats and The Ten Tenors.

-Anne and Michelle, press reps

Announcing the 2010 Season

Broadway In Chicago is proud to announce the complete 2010 Broadway In Chicago Season Series. The shows included in the 2010 Season Series are Billy Elliot the Musical, Shrek The Musical, August: Osage County, NETworks presentation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and The 39 Steps; the selection of shows continue to emphasize Broadway In Chicago’s long-standing commitment to bringing the best of Broadway to Chicago. Season subscriptions go on sale Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 10 a.m. 

Broadway In Chicago Season Series ticket holders will receive a multitude of special benefits, including savings up to 30 percent, priority seating at each venue, ticket exchange privileges, pre-paid and discounted parking, access to gift cards to give tickets as gifts, as well as the first opportunity to purchase additional tickets to future Broadway In Chicago productions, including those not currently listed in the Season Series. Season ticket packages will go on sale Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 10 a.m. and will be available for purchase at BroadwayInChicago.com or by calling the Season Ticket Hotline at (312) 977- 1717. Tickets are currently available for groups of 15 or more by calling (312) 977-1710. Single tickets to each individual production will go on-sale at future dates to be announced. Broadway In Chicago gift certificates, which can be redeemed for any production or for season ticket packages, may be purchased at Broadway In Chicago box offices, www.BroadwayInChicago.com or by calling the Broadway In Chicago ticket line at (800) 775-2000.

it’s beginning to look a lot like autumn

Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons – fall fashions, change in the weather (although this year we are not tired of the heat!), and my birthday which comes around every October! But mostly because all of the theaters roll out their fall plans – and the fourth quarter of the year is the most popular time of year for theatre-going.

For Broadway In Chicago this is a very exciting fall – we have JERSEY BOYS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, CATS and THE TEN TENORS, all before Thanksgiving!

We are preparing for all the fall previews that are running this weekend, both submitting our ads to the papers and getting the writers what they need for their stories. We hope some of these stories will include our shows but mostly want them to be big and lavish – really great fall preview sections that show the depth of what everyone has to offer for Theater In Chicago – because there is no better theater town than Chicago.

This Thursday, we have two events for BILLY ELLIOT. The staff here is spending some time today and tomorrow following up with our guests and reminding them about this exciting event. It’s going to be pretty great – not only are the producers coming in from London but we are introducing the young boys who will star in the Chicago production.

BONUS ALERT: As a special treat, we are going to give four lucky readers an invitation to come to this private event! Leave a comment on this post with either the number of times you have seen Billy and why you love it so much, or if you haven’t seen it, why you want to see it when it comes to Chicago. We will select four random winners to come with a guest to the 3:30 pm event on Thursday, September 10 (make sure you can come at that time!). We will pick the winners at 5 pm on Wednesday, September 9. We will email the winners all the specifics on the event. You do not want to miss this!

-Eileen

he could be a star…