Teatro ZinZanni, Chicago's wildly entertaining cabaret and cirque show, will open up their vintage circus tent, the Spiegeltent, to present The LiV Warfield Xperience on Monday, November 18th. For one night only, LiV Warfield, who stars in the current ZinZanni production, will bring down the house for an electrifying live performance. This is LiV's first public show with her band after her mind-blowing performances on this summer's America's Got Talent series where Simon Cowell gave LiV the coveted Golden Buzzer.

LiV and her stellar band, featuring Ryan Waters on guitar, Jay (Justin McKinney) on bass, Theodis Rodgers, Jr. on keys, Marlon Patton on drums, Redd (Charles Middleton) as a backup singer, Saeeda Wright as a background singer, and Allen Cato on guitar, will blow the roof off the place.

Also joining the lineup is DJ Duane Powell, named by the Chicago Reader as Chicago's best House Music Dj in 2019.

The show will also feature LiV's astonishing ZinZanni castmate contortionist Elayne Kramer.

Doors to ZinZanni's Instagrammable high-end lounge will open at 7:00 p.m., and LiV will take the stage at 8 p.m.. Tickets are one sale now and start at $60. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

Teatro ZinZanni also recently announced their current production has been extended through December 31 due to overwhelming demand. Guests of all ages will be captivated by a whirlwind of comedy, cabaret, and awe-inspiring cirque acts, all complemented by a multicourse feast. LiV headlines this extended run with her powerhouse vocals and magnetic stage presence. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 4 p.m.Sundays, and noon on select Thursday and Saturdays.. Discounted group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. Tickets available at tzchicago-tickets.zinzanni.com.

Lifeline Theatre presents the 28th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival, a vibrant celebration of Chicago's premiere storytelling and live lit scene. The festival spans from November 8- November 17, 2024 at Lifeline Theatre (6912 N. Glenwood Ave.) and Rhapsody Theater (1328 W Morse Ave.) in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Featuring a diverse array of performers, including a dozen storytelling collectives and numerous solo artists, the festival offers two weeks of powerful personal stories. Spanning comedy, drama, and more – the festival makes up a rich tapestry of Chicago's storytellers.

Fillet of Solo performances take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at both venues. See the full festival schedule at www.lifelinetheatre.com. Tickets are $12 for single entry and $60 for a Festival Pass, granting access to any performance

Festival performance returning favorites include 80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories with Nestor Gomez, featuring stories of Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; Sweat Girls, Chicago's mighty monologue mavens' performance of Don't Rush Me; and Goodman's GenNarrations. Other noteworthy performances this year include Hand, Foot, Hand by Deborah Kent, the first blind student who had ever been enrolled at her 8th grade school, who tells a story about searching for footholds in a world that is not always welcoming and discovering handholds in the most unexpected places; Between Two Poles by Klaudia Siczek discusses a daughter being pulled between her two ideologically opposite families from Poland Patrick Curtin's Who Do You Think You Are? starts off with Patrick as a young boy who wants to be a priest, experiences rejection and then works to find community and purpose. Full schedule can be viewed HERE.

A FREE Kick-Off Event will also take place on November 6, 2024 at Rhapsody Theater at 7:00pm where. The event will provide insights into the festival's history, storytelling forms, and Chicago's dynamic storytelling nights. Festival Passes are available at a discounted rate of $45 during the Kick-Off event (regularly $60).

For more information, contact the Lifeline Theatre Box Office at 773.761.4477 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

ABOUT LIFELINE THEATRE
Lifeline Theatre is located at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Lifeline is easily accessible by CTA (Red Line Morse stop/buses) and free parking is available at Sullivan High School (6631 N Bosworth Ave, lot located on the corner of Albion and Bosworth) with free shuttle service before and after the show. Street parking is also available. Lifeline is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.

Founded in 1982, Lifeline Theatre is known for staging innovative adaptations of great works of fiction as well as commissioning original work. In 1987, Lifeline Theatre added KidSeries plays for children and families, and has been producing full seasons of programming for both adults and children ever since.  Over the course of forty seasons and over two hundred productions, Lifeline Theatre has made not only an indelible mark on the Chicago theatre scene, but an invaluable contribution to the theatre world at large. Lifeline's dedicated artistic ensemble has developed one hundred and forty-six world premiere literary adaptations and original plays, nearly forty of which have had a life beyond their Lifeline premieres, with over three hundred subsequent productions spread across over forty U.S. states, six Canadian provinces, plus productions in England, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and Guatemala. Additionally, four scripts developed at Lifeline Theatre have gone on to U.S. national tours, and over a dozen have been published. Lifeline Theatre has garnered a total of fifty-three Jeff Awards (Equity and Non-Equity), including sixteen for New Adaptation, New Musical, or New Work.

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of the amazing puppet artistry of one of next January’s most hotly anticipated festival performers, presented in highly intimate, exclusive living room settings around the city.

The Chicago Puppet Festival’s annual Fall Living Room Tour returns for three consecutive evenings, Thursday, November 14 through Saturday, November 16, this year showcasing an international work by Gildwen Peronno, co-director, RoiZIZO théâtre, from France.

What a rare and unique opportunity to witness the work of a master actor, puppeteer and manipulator, a jack-of-all-trades who thrives on the edge of art and craft that is object theater, in the comfort of someone’s living room. Peronno will perform sneak peeks of his pitch-perfect solo show I Killed the Monster, before returning to Chicago as a featured performer at the 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, January 15-26, 2025.

Always a wonderful time, supporters of contemporary puppetry gather in a private setting for unique food and drink, followed by a live, up close performance. Tickets to each performance are $150, $250 and $500. Purchase tickets at chicagopuppetfest.org. Proceeds benefit the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and its annual Free Neighborhood Tour. Reserve early as space is limited. Location addresses are confirmed upon purchase.

Here’s the Chicago Puppet Festival’s 2024 Fall Living Room Tour schedule:

West Loop
Thursday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Caroline Randazzo and David Frohardt-Lane
The home of Caroline Randazzo and David Frohardt-Lane
Thoughtfully designed penthouse home overlooking Mary Bartelme Park

Streeterville

Friday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Ginger Farley 

Arts Club of Chicago

Known for its celebrated Mies van der Rohe staircase and designs with a membership founded in 1916, the Arts Club is a beacon of contemporary artistic exploration, community and investment.

Evanston

Saturday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Leesa and Jes Sherborne

The home of Leesa and Jes Sherborne

A gracious 1870s lakefront residence, renovated in the 1930s to the Italianate Victorian style.

Watch the trailer for Gildwen Peronno’s I Killed the Monster

Mark your calendar: 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns
January 15-26, 2025

Mark your calendar for the 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, January 15-26, 2025. This year’s festival spans 12 days and dozens of Chicago venues, attracting an international pageant of puppet artists who will share more than 100 puppetry activities including all-ages spectacle shows, intimate works on small stages, free shows, a symposia, and an adults-only, late night puppet cabaret.

Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets, information and to sign up for the festival’s e-news. Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest. 

About the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Originally founded in 2015 as a project of Blair Thomas & Co., the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival has highlighted artists from nations including Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Poland and South Africa as well as from Chicago and across the U.S. with the goal of promoting peace, equality, and justice on a global scale. 

Already, the Chicago Puppet Festival is the largest of its kind in North America. Last year’s 2024 festival attracted a record 19,868 audience members to dozens of Chicago venues large and small to enjoy an entertaining and eclectic array of puppet styles from around the world. 

In 2022, the Festival moved from a biennial to an annual event, and tripled its footprint in Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building. It opened an expanded office suite, debuted the Chicago Puppet Studio, which designs and fabricates puppets for theaters and events around the U.S., and launched the Chicago Puppet Lab, an education space and developmental residency designed to incubate more works of boundary-breaking puppetry in Chicago, expand equity in the field of puppetry, and encourage interdisciplinary experimentation in puppet theater.

It’s fitting that the Fine Arts Building is home again to one of the most influential puppetry organizations in the world. In 1912, after Ellen Van Volkenburg famously founded the Little Theater of Chicago in the Fine Arts Building, she needed a name for the actors she had trained to manipulate marionettes while performing Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So she credited them in the show program with a new word, “puppeteer.” Many agree this marked the initial intersection of traditional puppetry with contemporary theater still practiced today, and now flourishing around the world.

Expanded operations are overseen by Artistic Director and Festival Founder Blair Thomas, Executive Director Sandy Smith Gerding, with Cameron Heinz, Business Manager; Taylor Bibat, Festival Coordinator; Lucy Wirtz, Events and Engagement Coordinator; Zachary Sun, Studio Coordinator; Tom Lee, Co-Director, Chicago Puppet Lab and Studio; Grace Needlman, Coordinator, Chicago Puppet Lab; and Caitlin McLeod, Chicago Puppet Studio Project Manager.

For more information, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.

The 2024 Fall Living Room Tour Committee

Liz Aviles, Kim Ohms and Jackie Zydeck and co-chairs of the 2024 Living Room Tour Committee. The committee includes Chicago Puppet Festival board members Alicia Bird, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Jin Ivacic, Julie Moller, Kristy Moran, Jes Sherborne, Jordan Shields, John Supera, Pat Yuzawa-Rubin and Rosemary “Ro” Zalewski, plus Elizabeth Basile, Tanya Bermudez, Leah Bohannon, Irena Cajkova, Patti Gilford, Kerry James Marshall, Maureen Mizwicki, Klára Moldová, Elizabeth Monkus, Brandon Moran, Salena Potter, Margaret Radnick, Leesa Sherborne, Eva Silverman, Emily Stoltzfus, Dee and Ron Tevonian, and Steven Widerman.

Brace yourself for the scare of a lifetime, as the world of Insidious jumps off the screen and directly into your theater seat with "INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR" – a live immersive horror experience that will bring your darkest fears to life right before your eyes, based on the box office hit horror film franchise from Blumhouse, director James Wan, and writer Leigh Whannell. GEA Live, Blumhouse, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and RoadCo Entertainment have joined forces to unveil a spine-tingling, live immersive show that will haunt 80+ seated theaters across North America in 2025 including Broadway In Chicago's CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe) on February 14 & 15, 2025 with performances at 7:30PM each.

Individual tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, October 25, 2024 at 10 AM, and will be available for purchase at BroadwayInChicago.com. Ticket prices range from $40.00 - $105.00, with a select number of premium seats available for all performances. Groups of 10+ can be purchased now by calling (312) 977-1710 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Subscribers can add tickets to their package by logging onto their account. For more details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

"INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR" is a heart-pounding live theatrical experience where the lines between reality and fiction blur, constantly challenging what's real and what's imagined, what's safe and what's dangerous. This groundbreaking immersive experience is meticulously crafted to always keep the audience on edge, with no fourth wall to separate them -or protect them- from the unfolding terror. Each attendee will go face-to-face with the protagonists, making the audience an integral character in the chilling story as it unravels.

"We have brought some of the most respected names in the horror and entertainment industries together to make this groundbreaking show possible and ensure a hauntingly unforgettable experience for audiences everywhere," says Floris Douwes from GEA Live. "We're excited to bring the eerie and otherworldly thrills of 'Insidious' to cities around the country," says Co-Director Toby Park. Park, who is also composing the original music for the show, and Co-Director Aitor Basauri are artistic directors for Spymonkey, and serve as creative directors for "INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR."

"Bringing audiences deeper into The Further with this live experience has been an exciting challenge, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they respond," said Jason Blum, Founder/CEO, Blumhouse. "Insidious is one of our most popular franchises, with a sixth installment premiering next year, and this is a fresh and frightening new way for fans to experience it."

"INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR" is an exciting new story conceived within the Insidious universe. Hosted as a live event by the "real" Specs and Tucker, the actual paranormal investigators who inspired the first movie, the "Spectral Sightings Road Show" soon takes a turn for the terrifying. As the infamous duo desperately try to prove they are legitimate ghost-hunters, things start to become very Insidious when a paranormal demonstration goes wrong and dark forces are inadvertently unleashed. Trapped in a genuinely haunted theatre, with something truly sinister lurking back-stage, the audience will find themselves under attack from such iconic characters as the Bride in Black, the Wheezing Man and, of course, the terrifying Lipstick Faced Demon. But what's real? What's the show? And who are you really sitting next to?

The house is full. The stage is set. And the Red Door is about to open.

The iconic "Insidious" franchise, consistently gaining momentum over the years, is a box office sensation generating more than $742 million in revenue across five highly successful films. The growing legion of fans includes an active community of five million social media followers. However, while the show is a must for Insidious fans, it's also created for those who don't know the films, particularly those who love a fun, thrill-filled night out at the theatre.

For tickets, tour dates, and more information, visit www.insidious-live.com and follow Insidious on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

About GEA Live

Since its inception in 2003, GEA Live has delivered innovative live entertainment projects in more than 40 countries, becoming a global leader in the location-based entertainment sector. GEA Live has closely cooperated with the legend Maestro Ennio Morricone (representing him exclusively for all live touring) as well as with icons of music film industry such as James Newton Howard, Giorgio Moroder and George Fenton. In addition to producing live cinematic experiences such as the Johnny Cash Official Concert Experience or Elvis Live On Screen, GEA Live has produced live screenings with orchestra and choir of major motion pictures such as Spider-Man, Dirty Dancing, The Godfather, Titanic, La La Land, Twilight, The Hunger Games, Paddington and Amadeus. This journey has led to fruitful collaborations with renowned studios and IP giants such as Lionsgate, Viacom, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, and other global leaders in the branded entertainment landscape, earning GEA Live its well-deserved position as the most reliable and trusted partner for location-based entertainment projects worldwide.

About RoadCo

RoadCo Entertainment is a producing and distribution agency specializing in live entertainment experiences. Formed in 2020, RoadCo is a collaboration between Sony Music Entertainment and independent touring entrepreneurs Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota, co-founders of The Road Company, a leading independent theatrical booking agency. RoadCo represents a broad roster of live events based on popular brands and pre-existing intellectual properties, as well as all-new immersive, interactive attractions for viewers of all ages.

About Spymonkey

Spymonkey is the UK's leading physical comedy ensemble led by co-artistic directors Aitor Basauri and Toby Park. The have been making 'Theatre of the Funny' since 1998. With their dark, edgy physical comedy rooted 'somewhere between Monty Python, the Marx Brothers and Samuel Beckett' (The Houston Chronicle), Spymonkey have proved to be a truly international phenomenon, enjoyed by and accessible to, a wide range of international audiences from Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas to Sydney Opera House, from London's West End to Just For Laughs Montreal. Recent years have seen the company growing in new directions as their creative focus has shifted from performing to creating and producing Spymonkey shows, as well as an extensive international training programme. In 2023 they directed Orpheus in the Underworld, a first full-scale opera at the Volksoper in Vienna, and their first show for children, Hairy in London. Spymonkey also have an extensive programme of workshops and training opportunities in the UK and abroad, particularly through a thriving network in the USA.

Spymonkey's associate, theatre and screenwriter, and a self-confirmed horror film obsessive Carl Grose will be co-writing Insidious: The Further You Fear.

About Blumhouse

Blumhouse is the driving force in horror, producing over 200 movies and television series with theatrical grosses of almost $6 billion in global box office. Blumhouse is home to the highest number of ongoing franchises of any studio, including Halloween, The Purge, The Black Phone, Paranormal Activity, The Exorcist, Insidious, M3GAN, and Five Nights at Freddy's, along with iconic films from cinematic visionaries including Jordan Peele's Get Out, Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. In January 2024, Blumhouse merged with James Wan's Atomic Monster, which has produced its own successful film franchises including The Conjuring, Aquaman , Annabelle, The Nun and Saw.

In addition to film, Blumhouse produces provocative scripted and unscripted television series and documentaries, including the upcoming original series The Sticky, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis for Amazon; The Bondsman, starring Kevin Bacon and from creator Grainger David and showrunner Erik Oleson, also for Amazon; Worst Roommate Ever for Netflix; and The Jinx for HBO. The company also recently launched a games division.

Blumhouse was honored by Fast Company as one of its Most Innovative Companies in 2024 and one of its Brands That Matter in 2023. The company is investing in its brand development and connection with audiences through its consistent presence at Universal Studios' annual Halloween Horror Nights, its first Halfway to Halloween Film Festival with AMC and its upcoming transformation of an exhibit space at the iconic Stanley Hotel from The Shining.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE's Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. 

About Broadway In Chicago

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

Follow @BroadwayInChicago

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#broadwayinchicago

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment), Carolyn Rossi Copeland Productions, Inc. and Crossroads Live North America today announced casting for the limited engagement of iconic Tony Award-winning musical ANNIE at The Chicago Theatre which runs from November 12 through December 1, 2024.

In the title role of "Annie" is Hazel Vogel, a 12-year-old from Towson, MD, who most recently appeared in the North American tour of Les Misérables. Returning principal cast includes Stefanie Londino as "Miss Hannigan," Christopher Swan as "Oliver Warbucks," Julia Nicole Hunter as "Grace," and Mark Woodard as "FDR." Also starring in the production are Rhett Guter as "Rooster" and Isabella De Souza Moore as "Lily St. Regis." Kevin, a 7-year-old labradoodle, stars as "Sandy."

The Orphans are Aria Valentina Aldea, Eva Lizette Carreon, Anna Dillon, Kylie Noelle Patterson, Olive Ross-Kline and Nora West, and the featured ensemble includes Stephen Cerf, Anthony DaSilva, Savannah Fisher, Alloria Frayser, Brooke Olivia Gatto, Caroline Glazier, Ryan Mulvaney, Joel Newsome, Melinda Parrett, Lawrence E. Street, Drew Tanabe and Stephanie Wahl.

"This show, with its iconic title character, continues to delight generations of theatre-lovers old and new by joyfully singing directly into the face of great adversity with perseverance, guts and guile," said director Jenn Thompson. "For decades, ANNIE has continued to shine brightly, not only as an appeal to our better angels, but also as an example of the thrill of hope, hard-won: promising a better 'Tomorrow' not only for Annie herself, but for all who need her message now more than ever."

ANNIE is a heartwarming musical that for generations has reminded audiences that "the sun will come out tomorrow." And now the best-loved musical of all time is set to return in a new production that celebrates family, optimism and the American spirit as the ultimate cure for the hard knocks that life throws your way. The original production of ANNIE opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977, and went on to win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin).

ANNIE is directed by Jenn Thompson, who at the age of ten stepped into the role of "Pepper" in the Original Broadway production. ANNIE is choreographed by Patricia Wilcox (Motown, A Night with Janis Joplin), with orchestrations by Dan DeLange. The tour music supervisor is Matthew Smedal. Talitha Fehr is the Music Coordinator and Andrew David Sotomayor is the Music Director. The design team includes scenic design by Wilson Chin (Pass Over), costume design by Alejo Vietti (Jersey Boys), based on lighting design by Philip Rosenberg, sound design by Ken Travis (Disney's Aladdin), hair & wig design by Ashley Rae Callahan and casting by Paul Hardt Casting, LLC. ANNIE was revived on Broadway in both 1997 and 2014 and has been made into a major motion picture three times – in 1982, 1999 and 2014.

The ANNIE tour stage management team is led by production stage manager Nykol DeDreu, stage manager Brigham Johnson and is supported by assistant stage manager Tara Tolar-Payne. The company management team is led by company manager Royce Matthews with assistant company manager Angela Strohbeck. 

Tickets for ANNIE at The Chicago Theatre start at $39 when purchased in person at the Ticketmaster Box Office at The Chicago Theatre and at $54.50 when purchased online at chicagotheatre.com/ANNIE. For groups of nine or more, please contact the Group Sales Department at 212-465-6080 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Accessible and companion seats are available via the Accessibility Services Department at 888-609-7599 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This production of ANNIE was licensed by Music Theatre International and is produced by Carolyn Rossi Copeland Productions Inc. and Crossroads Live North America. For additional information on this production of ANNIE, please visit AnnieTour.com.

The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) welcomes back Mandy Patinkin. This time he will be joined by his wife for "A Conversation with Kathryn Grody & Mandy Patinkin" moderated by their son, Gideon Grody-Patinkin at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. Inspired by their viral social media stardom during the pandemic, this up-close-and-personal event with the Grody/Patinkin family is a live conversation featuring family stories, professional anecdotes, and glimpses into their 40+ years of mostly marital bliss.

Actor and singer Patinkin is famous for his work in musical theater, television and film. Renowned for his iconic role as Inigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride" and his award-winning performances on Broadway in "Evita" and "Sunday in the Park with George," Patinkin's talent has been recognized by many. He continued his entertainment career and began focusing heavily on humanitarian work and political activism after meeting and eventually marrying his wife, Kathryn Grody.

Grody is an American actress and writer. A recipient of two Obie Awards for her off Broadway work, she wrote and starred in autobiographical play, "A Mom's Life," and has appeared in numerous films including "My Bodyguard," and "The Lemon Sisters," alongside Diane Keaton and Carol Kane. In addition to showcasing her incredible talent in the entertainment industry, she has become known for her activism and advocacy work where she is committed to being outspoken on many social issues including women's rights, healthcare, and more.

During the heart of the pandemic, Grody-Patinkin began filming and photographing his parents' daily lives on social media. Their social media fame sparked after one funny Gideon-captured moment where Grody spoke on the fact that she and Patinkin "fought" during their recent anniversary celebration. Next came posts of pop-culture quizzes, entertaining responses and comical interactions from the witty couple as well as hundreds of thousands of views on their innocent-yet-hilarious videos. They currently have a following of 2.1 million followers on TikTok.

Tickets

The McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, presents "A Conversation with Kathryn Grody &  Mandy Patinkin" moderated by their son, Gideon Grody-Patinkin at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. Tickets are $75 - $100. For tickets visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. The McAninch Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday, noon – 6 p.m. and two hours prior to performance.

About the MAC

McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.

Hell in a Handbag Productions is thrilled to announce its 2024/25 Season, featuring a fan favorite and two world premieres. Now in its 23^rd year, Handbag continues to serve Chicago audiences with the best camp and parody – thus ensuring the preservation and celebration of this unequivocally queer art form. Season tickets are now on sale HERE.

Handbag's season kicks off this winter with the 25^th anniversary edition of Artistic Director David Cerda's* holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), directed by Anthony Whitaker. This beloved and twisted musical parody of the animated 1967 children's television special features all your favorite misfits and Rudolph – the cross-dressing reindeer with a penchant for red hose and heels. In trademark Handbag style, Rudolph combines parody with heartfelt moments and a splash of scathing social commentary.

The 2024/25 Season continues next spring with the world premiere of Artistic Director David Cerda's* Scary Town, the tale of a bunny in search of himself. 

Merry Town is the happiest town where all the animals live in harmony and wear cute outfits. Devin Bunny and his friends have always believed this because that's what they were told. Just don't ask any questions. A combination of your favorite illustrated story books featuring anthropomorphic animals, Our Town and Peyton Place, Scary Town is about growing up in a lie and living happily ever after.

Handbag's 23^rd Season concludes next summer with ANNIE COKELEY, a rootin'-tootin', brand-spankin' new dark comedy by Ensemble Member Tyler Anthony Smith*, the undomesticated homosexual responsible for POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical and FRANKENSTREISAND.

Directed by Stephanie Shaw, this one-act play (you're welcome) stars Smith as famous American sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who is spending her summer of 1903 on sabbatical from show business, sunbathing her days away in the Wild Wild West. That is until newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst publishes a rumor that Annie is in prison for robbing a bank to support her cocaine addiction. Here's the thing: Annie sleepshoots instead of sleepwalks, refuses to cater to her husband Frank's foot fetish and has a tendency to drink badger urine – but she doesn't do nose candy! Or does she? Unwilling to back down, pandemonium ensues as Annie, Frank, their one-eyed maid Ethel, Annie's stillborn brother Aardvark, and Belladonna, an Italian psychic, lose their minds in an attempt to clear the Oakley name.

Handbag will also continue to present readings and entertainment scattered throughout the 2024/25 season including its newly established Pride readings in June of 2025.

Comments Hell in a Handbag Artistic Director David Cerda, "We're grateful to be able to present our 23^rd season with a celebration of our past and excitement about our future. Handbag has always prided itself on the presentation of home grown new work and this season reflects all of that."

*Denotes Handbag ensemble member

Hell in a Handbag's 23^rd Season:

December 5 – 29, 2024

Rudolph The Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) – 25^th Anniversary Edition!

By Artistic Director David Cerda*

Directed by Anthony Whitaker

Featuring ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*. Additional casting to be announced.

at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Spring 2025

Scary Town – World Premiere!

by Artistic Director David Cerda

Featuring: ensemble members Ed Jones*, David Lipschutz* and Danne W. Taylor*. Additional casting and location to be announced.

Summer 2025
ANNIE COKELEY – World Premiere!

by Ensemble Member Tyler Anthony Smith*

Directed by Stephanie Shaw

Featuring: ensemble members Sydney Genco*, Ed Jones*, Elizabeth Lesinski* and Tyler Anthony Smith*. Additional casting and location to be announced.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

Toughest Man Productions, Executive Producer Lecy Goranson and producing consultant Beth Kligerman announce a return engagement for the world premiere of Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Playing to sold out houses in its original Fall 2024 run, the production returns for a limited time, November 14-December 22, 2024.

Tickets are available online only in advance at royko.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are available in-person one hour prior to available performances. Cash or Zelle QR code only are accepted as in-person payment. For inquiries and more information, call 847-920-7714.

Writer/performer Mitchell Bisschop comments, "Earlier this fall, Chicago embraced this production during its initial run. Mike Royko is a part of the history and fabric of Chicago, and his story strikes a chord with so many. We heard from audience members throughout the run—whether they were longtime Royko fans or were introduced to his writing during this production—that they experienced a piece of Chicago through the story of a writer who had opinions, shared stories and loved the city and its citizens. We are so proud to be able to remount the production, complete with a few script changes and additional columns, and to give more people the opportunity to revisit—or discover—the writings and humanity of Mike Royko." 

Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago tells the story of cantankerous Chicago columnist Mike Royko, a 34-year newspaper veteran who wrote 7,500 columns in his career. Love him or hate him, he was a fixture amongst Chicago newspapers. Royko wrote about the city the way people like to think of themselves: cynical, humorous, and with compassion for the little guy.

In this multimedia solo show, writer/performer Mitchell Bisschop takes us back in time on a nostalgic journey told through the eyes of Royko as he is pitted against "The Daley Machine," corruption, and the changing face of the newspaper business.

A hit earlier this fall, the Chicago Reader said, "It's a nuanced and thoughtful look at quintessential Chicago history." Chicago Tribune explained, "...filled to the brim with his own words, a celebration of the man's journalistic brilliance" and New City wrote, "This play reminds us of what we once had, and what we still miss." The Sun-Times raved, "Royko star gets the look, the voice, the heart of the great Chicago columnist."

The creative team includes Eric Luchen (Set Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer), Smooch Medina (Projection Designer), Will Hughes (Technical Director), Duncan Hon (Master Electrician) and Faith Locke (Stage Manager).

Mitchell Bisschop (writer, performer) is a theatre artist living in Los Angeles. His past solo work has garnered him two Encore Awards and two Fringe Award nominations for best solo show, as well as successful runs in Los Angeles theaters. He is a seasoned theatre artist and playwright with over 20 years of experience with a background in sketch and improv (Second City, Annoyance, UCB, and The PIT). He is known for his previous solo works "I Can Hear You Now" and "Pit of Goblins." His career spans stages in Chicago (Over the Tavern, Mercury Theater Chicago), New York and Los Angeles.

Steve Scott (director) was the producer for more than 30 years at Goodman Theatre, where he oversaw more than 200 productions; he is now a member of Goodman's Artistic Collective. His Goodman directing credits include Ah, Wilderness!; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Horton Foote's Blind Date; Rabbit Hole; Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock and No One Will Be Immune for the David Mamet Festival; Dinner With Friends; Wit; the world premiere of Tom Mula's Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol; A Midsummer Night's Dream (co-directed with Michael Maggio) and the 2011 and 2012 editions of A Christmas Carol. Other directing credits include productions at Northlight Theatre, Silk Road Rising, American Blues Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Redtwist Theatre (where he is a company member), Shattered Globe Theatre, Eclipse Theatre Company (where he is an ensemble member) and many others. He is a member of the Jeff Committee's Artist and Technical Team, a board member of Season of Concern and an advisory board member at Congo Square Theatre; he also teaches on the faculty of the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University. His recent projects include a stages reading of August Wilson's Radio Golf at Alley Theatre, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night at Skokie Theatre and The Outgoing Tide at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble.

Beth Kligerman (producing comsultant) has more than 26 years of experience as a producer and casting director at Chicago's famed The Second City comedy. She is a consulting producer for multi-award winning HMS Media, a Casting Director for Norwegian Cruise Line, and a producing consultant for Just for Laughs in Montreal. Since January 2024 Beth has been the Road Producer for Tim Meadows, Matt Walsh, Joe Canale and Brad Morris performing improv shows as Meadows, Walsh & Friends. Beth has been part of countless national and international artistic partnerships, including the U.S.O., Vienna's English Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

Lecy Goranson (executive producer) is a Chicago-area native best known for her role of Becky on Roseanne and The Conners. She has guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unity, Sex and the City, Damages and Fringe.

FACTS:

Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago

Written by and featuring: Mitchell Bisschop

Directed by: Steve Scott

Produced by Toughest Man Productions, Executive Producer Lecy Goranson and producing consultant Beth Kligerman

Dates: November 14 - December 22, 2024

Press Openings: November 14-17, 2024

Performance Schedule

Thursdays:       7:30pm (no show on Thanksgiving)

Fridays:           7:30pm

Saturdays        2:30pm (Saturday November 30 ONLY)

Saturdays:       7:30pm

Sundays          3:30pm

Location:

Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division St in Chicago

Tickets: $60 

Advance: Tickets are available online only in advance at royko.brownpapertickets.com.

In-person: Tickets are available in-person one hour prior to available performances. Cash or Zelle QR code only are accepted as in-person payment.

For inquiries and more information, call 847-920-7714.

Synopsis: A bittersweet multimedia portrait of a newspaperman who stood up for the little guy against the City's most oppressive powers.