Items filtered by date: November 2007

With the seating area set like the inside of a large ship, wonderment immediately ensues as audience members walk into the theatre. Wooden pews take the place of traditional theatre chairs and a large canopy encompassing the entire room hangs overhead. Excitement takes places throughout the crowd before the show even begins.

Written by Artistic Director Andrew White, “Eastland” is the story of the Eastland Disaster that took place in the summer of 1915. A ship that was first built to hold 1500 passengers was later cleared to carry 2000. However, on July 25^th 2,500 passengers were allowed to board. Despite an abnormal amount of swaying and rocking from side to side – while still docked – passengers, some already worried at the ship’s stability, were not told to exit the vessel. Finally, tragedy struck on the Chicago River near the intersection of Clark and LaSalle as the large boat capsized killing 844 passengers by drowning and being crushed.

The play is the telling of this Chicago catastrophe as it happens, along with flashbacks leading up to the event filled with highly anticipated excitement, curiosity and concern. “Eastland” is a musical that is done right. Its music, while explanatory, is memorable and in many cases aided with just the perfect amount of subtle choreography. Cast members double as the band members that provide all the show’s music complete with violin, banjo, piano and guitar.

Along with tremendous acting, Claire Wellin (“Bobbie”) gets to display her velvety vocals that have the makings of a pop superstar. The talent pool is vast in this production with great singing and acting performances from Michael Barrow Smith (“Pedersen”), Doug Hara (“Reggie”), Christine Mary Dunford (“Marianne”) and Lawrence E. Distasi (“Otto”, “Olaf”) to name a few.

“Eastland” is about last regrets, missed chances and unsaid goodbyes.

Imaginative and breathtaking, this is a show for everyone to enjoy – Chicago history buff or not. A truly entertaining story, “Eastland” is Chicago theatre at its best.

For more information and tickets visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org or call (312) 337-0665. Lookingglass Theatre is located at 821 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago. “Eastland” is running through July 29^th.           

As part of TBS’ “Just for Laughs Festival”, An Evening with Kevin Smith was certainly one of the highlights. Performing at the Chicago Theater, Kevin Smith fielded questions from audience members for just over two hours, responding with his quick wit and “open book” approach.

Probably known best as the brilliant creator behind Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma and Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith has found a new niche over the past decade in holding Q&A sessions where his engaging story telling ability is front and center to its audience. Courageous enough to answer any question thrown his way, no subject matter was taboo for Smith as he touched on anything from smoking pot to the most awkward and embarrassing situations in which he has found himself. Smith answers often drew laughs from the crowd, but many of his responses, especially when it comes to the film industry were honest and educational. Donned in a New Jersey Devils jersey, Smith preached how film school is overrated and that in this day in age anyone can become a successful film maker. However, he emphasized that a love for the art MUST be present and that he has no advice when it comes to doing film solely for money.

Smith’s answers often segue into more stories sometimes providing a twenty minute explanation that went in many different directions before returning to point. However, in many cases, the longer his response the better. Smith churned out one hilarious story after another, including one where his wife got stoned silly on “two baby hits” of medicinal marijuana and freaked out to the point that paramedics had to be called despite the fact that she was never in any danger. Another story had Smith trying to rewrite his lines for Law and Order – something that just isn’t done on the big time cop and lawyer drama. Each story was better than the next.

Most notable was Smith’s rapport with audience members and specifically those asking the questions. His ability to get the laughs when needed while truly relating to answer-seeking individuals the entire time was a true testament to his reputation as all-around cool guy. In many instances a small conversation between Smith and a participant at the microphone would develop, which was very entertaining to watch on the sidelines.

Kevin Smith was beyond doubt a true bright spot and great addition to the TBS “Just for Laughs Festival”. I look forward to his return to Chicago.

The Up Comedy Club is where the scene was at last Wednesday night, the second day of TBS’ Just for Laughs Festival. Geek humor alert – anything from Star Wars to Weezer was fair game for these nerdy comedians.

Hosted by tremendously humorous Pete Holmes, “The Nerd Show” is a super funny collection of geek stand-ups including Brent Weinbach, Dan Telfer, Hari Kondabolu, Mike Lawrence, Brian Posehn and even drop in T.J. Miller, who downed an entire Italian beef in one minute flat. 

Each comedian brought their A game to the stage. Weinbach wondered why heterosexual guys are cool going to strip clubs together so that they could sit next to each other having boners. And, would they still be comfortable have boners next to each other if just sitting in a car? Kondabolu, who once worshipped Weezer, asked why the band still writes their lyrics geared to 14-year-olds now that they are in their 40s and took it further stating how he feels like the old creepy dude – at 27 – when attending a Weezer concert. “I feel like all the teenage girls are looking at me waiting for me to ask ‘Hey, do you want to grind to Weezer?’”

Brian Posehn went into deep geekiness on his Star Wars obsession and also explored the world of Weird Al Yankovic, wondering if he should only present his versions of the songs to his kid rather then the real artists’. That way when his son hears “Beat It” for the first time, he would be like, “Holy shit! That sounds just like “Eat It”.

“The Nerd Show” had comedians talking about Apple, Marvel comics, Mortal Combat, World of Warcraft and pretty much anything else geek related, including computers from the ‘90s that took a full weekend to download a 4MB file.

By the way, if you have yet visited Up Comedy Club at 233 W. North Avenue in Chicago, it’s a great place to see live stand up. Drinks and food are served throughout the show and the ambience screams late night fun. 

Pine Box Theater Company really hits the funny bone hard with their latest production, “The Jammer”, currently playing at the Athenaeum Theatre (2936 N Southport).  In this hilarious play by Rolin Jones, the audience is blasted with funny from the beginning and the laughs never let up. Relying partly on the inspired direction of Vincent Tentinty, the show also comes with a strong script, but really makes it mark with its very talented cast.

The story revolves around “Jack Lovington”, who leaves his home in New York to join a traveling roller derby team. At home “Jack” has a close relationship with “Father Kosciusko” whom he seeks advice and counsel, while the love of his life, “Aurora” has just left him. Once “Jack” hits the road with his new teammates, it’s nothing but uproarious adventure and uncomfortable situations, as his dream turns out to be not so much what he had expected.

In “The Jammer” we are treated to imaginative set use that brings alive a roller coaster ride with all its twists and turns and takes the audience to several bloodthirsty, knock ‘em sock ‘em roller derby matches. Acting performances by Josh Oder (“Jack Lovington”) and Sara Gorsky as the foul-mouthed “Lindy Batello” are extremely fun to watch while Bill Bannon (“Father Kosciusko”, Jerry “Three Nuts” Kiger) is wonderful in each of his two roles. I really have to mention the entire cast as Kersten Haile, Miguel Nunez, Eliza Shin, Greg Rothman, Amy Johnson, Levenix Riddle and Michael Kevin Martin are just about as fantastic as it gets and do great jobs as multiple characters.

If you want fast action, blood, sex accompanied with side-splitting laughs, then the “The Jammer” is your show. Playing at the Athenaeum Theater through July 1^st, shows are performed on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:15pm, Saturdays at 5pm and 8:15pm and Sundays at 7pm. Tickets are $28 and are available at www.pineboxtheatre.org and by calling the box office at (773) 935-6875.

This derby is on! 

After a series of wonderful shows, Raven closes its 2011-2012 season on a high note with their production of “Bang the Drum Slowly”, directed by Michael Menendian. Playing through June 30^th, “Bang the Drum Slowly” is classic, smart, inspiring and a must for any theatre fan who also happens to like baseball.

Taking place in the late 1950s, we are told the story of a pitcher, Henry “Author” Wiggen, who befriends a third-string catcher, Bruce Pearson. Pearson is sick and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease and confides this tragic news in Henry. Not wanting him to be cut from the team, a protective Wiggen keeps this a secret, especially from the team’s coach, “Dutch” Schnell. Eventually the news gradually breaks throughout the team, but the reaction is different then the one Henry expected. Instead, the teams offers a touching amount of support to Pearson. Even “Goose” Williams the starting, but aging catcher who had it out for the third-stringer since the beginning of the new season comes around and becomes one of Pearson’s biggest allies.   

The total package is nicely wrapped with a resourceful set, a wonderful script and a cast that can pull it off. Tim Walsh (“Dutch”) is simply fantastic and is no doubt the glue that holds the cast together. Whether blowing his lid or just managing the day to day operations as the fiery manager, Walsh was a real pleasure to watch. While Kevin Duvall does an admirable job as “Bruce Pearson”, Joshua J. Volkers also makes a noteworthy performance as “Goose”. 

A true inspirational piece, “Bang the Drum Slowly” is truly for everyone – young or old.

Tickets are $30 and performances take place through June 30^th on Thursday-Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Raven Theatre is located at 6157 N Clark. For more information visit www.raventheatre.com or call 773-338-2177.

Mayer Hawthorne and the County brought neo-soul to Park West.  Promising not just a concert but a show, from beginning to end, the band provided almost 95 minutes of pure music.

Swaggering onto the stage in a black suit, bow tie and with Red McFly Back to the Future High tops, with red lit laces, the bespectacled crooner melted hearts and had everyone burning up the dance floor just as much as the crowd sang along to the lyrics of his songs.

Starting the show with the up-beat ‘You Called Me’ and a screaming response from fans for his most recent tongue in cheek ‘The Walk’ to the sultry smooth sounds of their take of ‘Rico Suave’ and falling into the falsetto of ‘Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out’ or remaking a poppy version of Daryll Hall & John Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True.” 

Hawthorne and the County kept up the beat of the tunes with sing-a-longs, calls and responses and easy to follow choreography, that even the self-proclaimed non-dancers were sliding and two-steppin’ to the beat.  Mayer Hawthorne is truly an inspired, talented and eclectic performer, rounding out old school beats and tune with new sounds. Definitely a live show worth watching and one to watch again!

David Cerda and Scott Lamberty, the creators of “Sexy Baby”,  have once again taken a  touchy subject, child beauty pageants, which are already riddled with parody and camp, and unleashed a veritable whirlwind of funny on Chicago audiences.

I fall in comedy love with pretty much every show David Cerda's Hell in a Handbag Productions puts out and “Sexy Baby” doesn't disappoint. I asked David after the show if he realizes what an incredible feminist he is, because the way he views the glamour of women and the unique predicaments in their life is always so dead on funny and supportive at the same time. “Sexy Baby” should be adapted for school age children because it hits on every single thing that little girls and boys are subjected to by their stage-momsters on the way to what they hope is pageant and Hollywood fame - without losing heart or one beat of funny.

Cerda's casting is always spot on as well and he never fails to attract some of the funniest and most talented singer/dancers in Chicago. The entire cast of “Sexy Baby” blew me away but stand-outs this time were Alex Grelle as “Beyansay Riddle” and Edlyn Griffin as “Epiphany Jones” who both absolutely had me screaming with laughter every time they came on stage. Grelle and Griffin's  faces reflected the exact wide eyed, sugary sweet and plastic stare and over extended posture of the five-year-old  girls you see on the TV show “Toddlers and Tiaras”. Billie Bryant as the wheelchair bound, white trash stage-momster “Cindy Jones” was also very, very funny, and Heather Currie has a wonderful singing voice.

Run, don't walk to see “Sexy Baby” at Mary's Attic in Andersonville, and don't forget your sash and tiara!!

“Sexy Baby” has 7:30pm performances Thursdays-Saturdays and has just been extended to July 23^rd. Tickets are a super reasonable $15-$22 and VIP packages are also available. Mary’s Attic is located in the heart of Andersonville at 5400 W Clark Street. For more information on “Sexy Baby”, visit http://www.handbagproductions.org/. 

Sebastian was “Bach” in town Saturday May 12th at Cubby Bear North Lincolnshire where he played an up close and personal show. This was my fourth time seeing Sebastian Bach live (1989, 1991, 1992 and 2012) and, without question, the former Skid Row frontman is still on top of his game. At 44 you would think he would have lost a step but, not the case - he was just as powerful Saturday as he was in 1989. The only thing that may have changed is the size of the crowds from 20,000 to a few hundred, which allows for a much more intimate, in-your-face performance. The Cubby Bear was packed from wall to wall, filled with Sebastian Bach’s faithful. Sebastian could have easily filled a larger venue, but chose a club tour to keep it on the most personal level possible with his fans. The show went very smoothly, and he kept it that way by cracking jokes or telling stories between songs. Sebastian kicked off the night  strong with a wall-shaking version of  “Slave to the Grind”. After “Slave to the Grind” Sebastian gave two of his four band members a hard time for wearing GnR t-shirts and not wearing SB attire. He wanted to know if Axel was paying them for promoting GnR.

His current show is a good mix of nine Sebastian Bach songs and nine from Skid Row, giving fans the best of both worlds.

Kicking and Screaming is by far Sebastian’s best solo work and it showed. I would have expected the crowd to respond louder to the Skid Row songs but solo tracks “Kicking and Screaming” (title track) and “I'm Alive” had the crowd roaring more than “Youth Gone Wild” and “I Remember You”.

I have read many times that Sebastian just wants to play and make more music, which is very apparent when watching him perform live. Still, Kicking and Screaming will tough to beat.

Set list- Slave to the Grind, Kicking and Screaming, Dirty Power, Here I Am, Big Guns, Love is a Bitchslap, Stuck Inside, Piece of Me, 18 and Life, American Metalhead, Darkened Room, As Long As I got The Music, Monkey Business, My Own Worst Enemy, I'm Alive, I Remember You, Tunnelvision, Youth Gone Wild.

For more tour and album information, visit www.sebastianbach.com.

Opening the show for Sebastian Bach was a local band called Hessler. Hessler is a local Chicago band that formed in June of 2011. The band members are Lariyah Daniels (lead vocals), Igz Kincaid (lead/rhythm guitar and vocals), Frankie Sripada (lead/rhythm guitar and vocals), Marcus Lee Cox (drums), Erik Michael (bass). The opening act opened the show with "Come On" and ended it with "Windy City Wild Child", both off their seven song Bad Blood EP. By the time the band got halfway into "Come On", the crowd was warmed up and ready to rock.

Hessler's next show is May 23rd at the Double Door 1572 N. Milwaukee. On May 25th they will be playing at Rocklahoma featuring Slash, Rob Zombie, Megadeath, and Queensryche.

Metal pioneers KORN have just announced a string of June dates that will take them through the Northeast, Midwest, and even Canada. Openers on the tour include frontman JONATHAN DAVIS DJing as his alter ego J Devil, as well as dubstep talent Sluggo.  Ticket information and special VIP packages can found at korn.com.  

This comes on the heels of Korn’s brand new video for “WAY TOO FAR.”  The comically surreal video, directed by Joshua Allen and produced by Sebastien Paquet, debuted at Noisey.com this week.  Preceding the debut, several bizarre photos of the band surfaced on their Facebook page- one featuring bassist Fieldy getting a face tattoo and one showing front man Jonathan Davis holding a rifle, and then bloodied on the ground.  After watching the video, it’s apparent these were screenshots taken from specific scenes. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

KORN released their new album THE PATH OF TOTALITY this past December, where it debuted in the Top Ten on Billboard.  The album has also been a fixture onBillboard’s Dance Electronic Albums chart, and has sold over 500,000 digital singles from the album—a staggering amount for a rock band, featuring the brand new single, “WAY TOO FAR” as well as “GET UP!” and “NARCISSISSTIC CANNIBAL,” the later two of which were Top Ten hits at Active Rock Radio.

Korn made waves this weekend when founding member Brian “Head” Welch joined his former bandmates onstage for the first time in 9 years on Saturday night in front of 30,000 amazed fans at this year’s Carolina Rebellion Festival.  Check out Revolver.com’s exclusive coverage HERE.

Speaking of Revolver, last month KORN took home the REVOLVER Golden God Award for “Album of the Year,” presented by Marshall Amplification, for THE PATH OF TOTALITY (Roadrunner). 

Current KORN TOUR DATES w/ SLUGGO, J DEVIL:

MAY 2012

TUE      8             Huntington, NY                The Paramount

THU     10           Sayreville, NJ                    Starland Ballroom

JUST ANNOUNCED:

JUNE 2012

FRI        15           Quebec, CANADA                         Montebello Festival *

SAT       16           Hampton Beach, NH                  Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

SUN      17            Wallingford, CT                            The Dome at Oakdale Theatre                             

TUE      19           Pittsburgh, PA                               Stage AE

WED    20          Fort Wayne, IN                              Piere’s

SUN      24           Minneapolis, MN                         Myth

MON    25           Fargo, ND                                         Concert Hall @ The Venue                     

WED    27           Missoula, MT                                  Big Sky Brewery

FRI        29           Dawson Creek, BC                        EnCana Events Center

SAT       30          Gibbons, AB                                    Boonstock Festival *

*Festival Date

Steppenwolf's season of “Dispatches from the Homefront” has travelled from Greek legend to contemporary Iraq. Now, it splits the difference and hones in on a time in America when the battlefield and homefront collided. Countless historians have told the tale of the War between the States; from analysis of military strategy to reporting of death tolls, our collective fascination with American-American bloodshed has never been satiated. But what these numerical overviews devalue is the story of the mundane individual: the nobody father weeping over his dead son, the forgotten lover sending notes to her husband-to-be, and, of course, the horny detractors who took self-serving advantage of a young nation being pre-occupied with survival.

The latter characters, Arly (the impecccable Ian Barford) and Will (the shapeshifting Stephen Louis Grush) are the comedic relief and driving force in Frank Galati's adaptation of D.H.Lawrence's “The March.” A piece of historical fiction which weaves invented characters into the preserved war record, “The March” follows a handful of personal narratives forged in a time when life and death were separated by thin lines, like stripes on a flag. Arly and Will, the dynamic duo whose bravado is only surpassed by their libido, fight on both sides of the conflict and push us forward through the plot of the war. Neither man actually existed, but by blurring fact and fiction, Lawrence offers up a sort of “People's History of America.” Fictional nobodies coexist with historical behemoths, most notably the general Ulysses S. Grant, boomibly embodied by Harry Groener.

Grant's writings are staged as soliloquies directed to the brooding mass of the audience. The tensions he faces of ordering a group of men to their death is similar to the task Frank Galati has undertaken, as he “orders” a large cast to translate an enormous war into a finite stage. The soldiers rise to their general's challenge, and “The March” is able to represent the Civil War not only in content, but form: like the war that spanned across five Aprils, the two-act epic spans almost three hours; like the bloodshed that affected millions of Americans, the play enlists an ensemble of over thirty. The piece is a strong representation of the war, but that doesn't save it from – like war – occasionally being boring. While the mundane can be imbued with profound significance, it can still come off as siply mundane. On the whole, “The March” will not keep you on the edge of your seat; it's a story that has been well-worn, but that doesn't keep it from being exceptionally well-told.

The March is stomping at the Steppenwolf through June 10, 2012. Tickets at www.steppenwolf.org.