Chicago Tap Allstars, a collective of Tap dance artists and organizations brought together by M.A.D.D. Rhythms and Chicago Tap Theatre, is proud to announce the return of “Winter Wonderland,” Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The total running time is currently two hours, including a 15-minute intermission. General admission tickets are $30 with VIP tickets are $75 including a pre-show reception beginning at 12 p.m. featuring coffee from Sip & Savor and sweets from Bittersweet and a special private guided tour of American National Treasure Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin's Tap Dance archival museum. All tickets are available at Our.Show/cta2024 with more information at ChicagoTapTheatre.org or MADDRhythms.com.

Chicago Tap Allstars’ “Winter Wonderland” includes M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Chicago Tap Theatre and some of Chicago’s finest independent Tap dancers, as well as young performers following in their footsteps including students from Footprints Tap Company, M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Academy, Rhythm of the Street Dance Studio, Sammy Dyer School of the Theater and The Senior Hoofers. The artists gather with some of the finest jazz musicians at the Harold Washington Cultural Center to share Tap pieces that celebrate the winter and holiday seasons in Chicago.

“Since the show premiered last December, people have been asking if “Winter Wonderland” was returning,” said M.A.D.D. Artistic Director Bril Barrett “I am happy to say “YES!” This year’s production has some of the favorite numbers from 2023 and new additions, too. We look forward to bringing old and new audiences back to our home in Bronzeville for this special dance celebration.”

“”Winter Wonderland” offers a rare opportunity to see young, new and professional Tap dancers on the same stage,” added Chicago Tap Theatre Artistic Director Mark Yonally. “With the addition of seasonal themes and live music, this performance should be on everyone’s list of must-see holiday productions.”

ABOUT M.A.D.D. RHYTHMS

M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms, now in its 23rd year, is a phenomenal tap dance collective whose “SOLE” purpose is to spread the love and joy of tap worldwide. What started as Bril Barrett and Martin Dumas III’s formula for giving back, is a full-fledged 501 (c) 3 performing arts company, quickly gaining a reputation for representing the true essence of tap: RHYTHM! The company is composed of young, versatile tap dancers from all over Chicago ranging in ages from 17 to 48 years old, and their backgrounds are equally diverse. The one thing the company all have in common is a love for “the dance.”

M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ mission is to preserve, promote and contribute to this art form called tap. They teach its history, represent its culture and advocate for its future. M.A.D.D. Rhythms use this beautiful dance/music form to make a difference in the under-served communities of this world by connecting and caring for the youth of this world. Believing that having access and options gives a child a greater chance at a positive life, M.A.D.D. Rhythms spread the joy, love, discipline and expression of tap to as many children as they humanly can.

ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE

Founded in 2002, Chicago Tap Theatre is a growing and vibrant dance company dedicated to preserving the quintessentially American dance form of tap while taking it to the next level of creativity, innovation and quality. CTT performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago’s finest musicians playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie and many artists in between. Under the dynamic direction of master teacher and performer Mark Yonally, CTT has gained a loyal and sizable following in Chicago and continues to tour both nationally and internationally. Having pioneered the “tap opera” format, which tells stories with compelling characters and intriguing plots, CTT has used the language of tap dance, live music and narration to move audiences for more than 20 years.

Chicago Tap Allstars, a collective of Tap dance artists and organizations brought together by M.A.D.D. Rhythms and Chicago Tap Theatre, is proud to announce the return of “Winter Wonderland,” Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The total running time is currently two hours, including a 15-minute intermission. General admission tickets are $30 with VIP tickets are $75 including a pre-show reception beginning at 12 p.m. featuring coffee from Sip & Savor and sweets from Bittersweet and a special private guided tour of American National Treasure Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin's Tap Dance archival museum. All tickets are available at Our.Show/cta2024 with more information at ChicagoTapTheatre.org or MADDRhythms.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 49th season with the world premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's Leroy and Lucy, a bluesy and seductive play with music, directed by Awoye Timpo, playing October 24 – December 15, 2024 in Steppenwolf's in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 6 pm.

Tony Award-nominated ensemble member Jon Michael Hill (Elementary, Pass Over, Superior Donuts) returns following his critically acclaimed performance in Steppenwolf's world premiere of Purpose, joined by Obie Award-winning stage actor Brittany Bradford, also known for her TV roles in Julia, The Watcher and Dead Ringers.

About the Production:

Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. They laugh, they flirt, they make sweet music. Together, they conjure a familiar sound from long ago, one of wondrous deals and dangerous aspirations. In this sultry world premiere inspired by the myth of musician Robert Johnson, the Delta Blues fills the air, and every strum has the chance to change your life. 

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Yvonne L. Miranda (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Connor Wang (Sound Design), Jeremy Jones (Music Director & Composer), Adesola Osakalumi (Choreographer & Cultural Consultant), Arminda Thomas (Dramaturg), Maya Vinice Prentiss (Dialect & Intimacy Consultant), Marie Ramirez Downing (Voice Coach), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Leroy and Lucy – World Premiere!
Playwright: Ngozi Anyanwu
Director: Awoye Timpo
Cast: Brittany Bradford (Lucy) and Jon Michael Hill (Leroy)

Location: Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 24 – Saturday, November 2, 2024
Regular run: Tuesday, November 5 – Sunday, December 15, 2024
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, October 29, Wednesday, November 6, Tuesday, November 12, Wednesday, November 13, Thursday, November 14, Tuesday, November 19, Wednesday, November 20, Thursday, November 21, Thursday, November 28 and Tuesday, December 10; there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, November 27.

Tickets: Single tickets for Leroy and Lucy ($20 - $92) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Noises Off, Leroy and Lucy, Fool for Love and The Book of Grace, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-described and touch tour: Sunday, November 24 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour)
Open-captioned: Saturday, November 23 at 3 pm & Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 pm
ASL-interpreted public performance: Friday, December 6 at 7:30 pm

Artist Biographies:

Brittany Bradford (Lucy) Broadway: Bernhardt/Hamlet. Off-Broadway: The Comeuppance (Obie Award, Signature Theater), Wedding Band (Obie Award, TFANA), Fefu and Her Friends (TFANA), Mac Beth (Hunter Theatre Project), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout/Fiasco Theater), TV: Julia (HBO Max), The Watcher (Netflix), The Gilded Age (HBO Max), Dead Ringers (Amazon), Fire Country (CBS), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), New Amsterdam (NBC). Film: The Same Storm (dir. Peter Hedges). Classix member and HomeBase Theater Collective co-founder. Training: Juilliard.

Jon Michael Hill (Leroy) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Purpose, True West, Pass Over, Constellations, Head of Passes, The Hot L Baltimore, The Tempest, Kafka on the Shore, The Unmentionables. Broadway: Superior Donuts, Pass Over. Off-Broadway: The Refuge Plays (New York Theatre Workshop), Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Film: Pass Over, Widows, In the Radiant City, No Pay, Nudity. Television: A Man in Full (Netflix), Elementary (CBS), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC), Eastbound & Down (HBO), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) and Person of Interest (CBS).

Ngozi Anyanwu (Playwright) is a playwright, storyteller and most recently a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award winner. Her newest play, Last of the Love Letters, premiered at the Atlantic theater fall 2021. Previous productions include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre in NYC / Center Theatre Group in LA) and The Homecoming Queen (sold-out world premiere run at the Atlantic Theatre). Good Grief was on the Kilroys List 2016 and a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and won the Humanitas Award. The Homecoming Queen was on the Kilroys List 2017 and was a Leah Ryan Finalist. Her play Nike... (Kilroys List 2017) was workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. Ngozi also has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, The Atlantic Theatre and Steppenwolf. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego.

Awoye Timpo (Director) is a Brooklyn-based director and producer. Her recent New York credits include Elyria by Deepa Purohit (Atlantic Theater), Wedding Band by Alice Childress (Theatre for a New Audience), In Old Age by Mfoniso Udofia (New York Theatre Workshop), The Loophole by Jay Adana and Zeniba Britt (Public Theater), Carnaval by Nikkole Salter (National Black Theatre), Good Grief by Ngozi Anyanwu (Vineyard Theatre and Audible) and The Homecoming Queen by Ngozi Anyanwu (Atlantic Theater Company). Regionally she has directed The Bluest Eye (Huntington), Pipeline (Studio Theatre), Paradise Blue (Long Wharf), Everybody Black (Actors Theatre of Louisville), School Girls (Berkeley Rep), Jazz (Marin Theatre Company). Other projects include concert performances for independent artists as well as for the NBA, Ndebele Funeral (59E59, Edinburgh, South African Tour), "Black Picture Show" (Artists Space/Metrograph) and Bluebird Memories (Audible). Awoye is a Creative Arts Consultant for the African American Policy Forum and the Founding Producer of Classix, theclassix.org.

Accessibility:

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production (see dates above). Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

American Blues Theater announces its 23rd Annual Production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film and directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! will run November 29-December 22, 2024. The press opening is Sunday, December 1 at 2:00pm.

Tickets are on sale at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

George Bailey – the Everyman from small town Bedford Falls whose dreams of escape and adventure were stopped by family obligation and civic duty – has fallen onto desperate times. Only a miracle can save him from despair. Filled with original music and classic holiday carols, this warm "holiday favorite makes the bell ring every time." (Chicago Tribune)

For almost 25 years, American Blues has treated audiences to a live retelling of the Frank Capra classic in a 1940s radio broadcast tradition, making It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! the second longest-running holiday play in Chicago! 

Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside comments, "Nearly a year ago, American Blues Theater welcomed audiences to its first permanent home with this holiday favorite. Since then, the venue has been alive with Misery, The Last Wide Open, The Reclamation of Madison Hemings and countless special events and programming. We have seen decades-long loyal stalwarts of American Blues, along with our new neighbors who have joined us for the first time. We look forward to sharing this year's production in our new home, in a neighborhood that has been so supportive and welcoming to us."

The 2023 creative team and cast is returning to this year's production, including Audrey Billings* (Mary Bailey), Manny Buckley* (Joseph), Dara Cameron* (Violet), Ian Paul Custer* (Harry), Brandon Dahlquist (George Bailey), Joe Dempsey* (Clarence/Mr. Potter), Michael Mahler* (Announcer / Pianist), and J.G. Smith*. The understudies and Mackenzie Jones and Zack Shultz.

The creative team includes Gwendolyn Whiteside* (director), Michael Mahler* (music direction & jingle composer), Austin Cook* (original score), Grant Sabin* (scenic), Katy Peterson Viccellio (lights), Christopher J. Neville* (costumes), Elyse Dolan* (set dressing & props), and Michael Trudeau* (technical director & master electrician).

 *Denotes Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater

FRANK CAPRA (May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his leading films are It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During World War II, Capra served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and produced propaganda films. After World War II, Capra's career declined as his later films, such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), performed poorly when they were first released. In ensuing decades, however, It's a Wonderful Life and other Capra films were revisited favorably by critics. Capra was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three. His films collectively garnered 53 Academy Award nominations between 1933 and 1961. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America. Frank Capra married twice and had four children. One of his sons, Frank Capra Jr., and grandson Frank Capra III have both made their careers in the film industry.

GWENDOLYN WHITESIDE (Executive Artistic Director/Director) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater and has served as Executive Artistic Director since 2010. In her tenure, she created the nationally-recognized Blue Ink Playwriting Award and new work development program, implemented community service into the company's mission, and adapted the arts education programs. She led American Blues through its reorganization in 2009, building the operational budget from zero to $1 million. She secured the company's first-ever operating reserve, endowment, and permanent home. Whiteside served on numerous panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and Board of Directors for Network of Ensemble Theaters and League of Chicago Theatres. She's a graduate of Northwestern University (BS), The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA), and a Kellogg Executive Scholar in Nonprofit management (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University). As a producer, she's received 16 Joseph Jefferson nominations or awards. As an actress, she's received 5 Joseph Jefferson Awards, Citations, and nominations; 2 After Dark Awards; and 1 Broadway World Chicago Award.

AUDREY BILLINGS (Mary Bailey) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. Audrey was most recently seen as Emilie in the Jeff Award winning production of The Moors at A Red Orchid Theatre and Samantha in the American Blues' reading of 17 Minutes. Previous credits include: Christmas Eve in the long-running production of Avenue Q at the Mercury Theater, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Antonia in Man of la Mancha, and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She has worked at the Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Lookingglass Theatre Company and is a proud member of Actor's Equity. 

MANNY BUCKLEY (Joseph) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. He is a Chicago based actor, director, and writer. Directing credits include Seven Guitars (City Lit Theater), Driving Miss Daisy, The Bad Seed (Jedlicka Performing Arts), Kingdom, an audio play (Broken Nose Theatre), Uhuru, Cane, Origin Story, Mother of Pearl and The Reapers On Woodbrook Avenue (Blue Ink Festival), multiple short plays in the Ripped: The Living Newspaper, #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence, and The One Minute Play Festival. Acting credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Next Theater, House Theatre, Shattered Globe Theater, Cincinnati Children's Theatre and Studio Theatre. Manny has numerous credits with American Blues Theater, including his critically-acclaimed, award-winning solo performance in Looking Over the President's Shoulder. Film credits: Proven Innocent, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The US Navy, Northwestern University, and The Onion. He has received nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Helen Hayes Award and the 3Arts Award; he is the recipient of both a Black Theater Alliance Award and Black Excellence Award. Mr. Buckley was recently seen in American Blues Theater's sold-out production of Fences, The Reclamation of Madison Hemings, and annually in American Blues' annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

DARA CAMERON (Violet) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. Favorite credits include The Last Wide Open, It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, The Spitfire Grill (Jeff nomination) and Little Shop of Horrors (American Blues Theater); Old Jews Telling Jokes (Royal George and Off-Broadway); The Secret of My Success (Paramount Theatre); Elf, Hero (Jeff nomination), South Pacific, October Sky, Sister Act, City of Angels, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof (Marriott Theatre); Addams Family (Mercury Theater); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Theatre at the Center), and Sunset Boulevard, Seussical, and Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Drury Lane Theatre). She is a graduate of Northwestern University and a member of Actors' Equity.

IAN PAUL CUSTER (Harry) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater and Chicago actor and musician. American Blues credits include: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award, Best Ensemble, Best Musical – Midsize), The Columnist, Little Shop of Horrors, and It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (Jeff Nominations for Best Play/Musical of the Year).  Chicago credits:  Bad Jews (Theatre Wit/Royal George), 33 Variations (Jeff Award– Best Production, Midsize), and To Master the Art (TimeLine Theatre), Annie Bosh is Missing (Steppenwolf Theatre), High Holidays (Goodman Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof (Lyric Opera).  Ian has also had the pleasure of working with Porchlight Music Theatre, Marriott Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, MPAACT, Paramount and Court Theatre.  Regional credits: Hero: The Musical (Asolo Rep Theatre), Cymbeline (Notre Dame Shakespeare), Romeo and Juliet (Cardinal Stage), Peter Pan (360 Entertainment - London, England).  Television credits: Somebody Somewhere, APB, Empire, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD. Ian received his BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

BRANDON DAHLQUIST (George Bailey) is happy to return to Bedford Falls for his 8th season. He was nominated for Joseph Jefferson Award for performance (short run) of George Bailey. Chicago theatre credits include: Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre), Secret of My Success (Paramount Theatre), Miracle the Musical (Royal George), A Little Night Music, Arcadia, Oh Coward (Writers Theatre), Cabaret, Meet Me in St. Louis (Drury Lane), Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins (Porchlight). Broadway and Regional credits include: Bronx Bombers (Circle in the Square), As You Like It (Guthrie Theatre), The Glass Menagerie (Milwaukee Repertory), A Little Night Music, 1776 (A.C.T.), Shakespeare in Love, Rhinoceros, 1776 (Asolo Repertory), Dogfight, City of Angels (S.F. Playhouse), 12 Angry Men (Maltz Jupiter Theater), Sunday...George, Murder on the Nile, Lombardi (Peninsula Players). TV credits include: A League of Their Own (Amazon), The Chi (Showtime), Difficult People (Hulu), Chicago PD (NBC). Dahlquist is also a busy photographer and full-time dad. 

JOE DEMPSEY (Clarence/Mr. Potter) is an Affiliate of American Blues Theater where he has appeared in Scapin and Pledge of Allegiance. He also has acted at Lookingglass, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Northlight, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, Drury Lane Oak Brook, and Paramount and many other Chicago theatres as well as regionally at Milwaukee Rep, St Louis Rep, Centerstage (Baltimore), and City Theatre (Pittsburgh). TV work includes Somebody Somewhere, Chicago Fire, ER, and Early Edition and film work includes several indies you've never seen.

MICHAEL MAHLER (Music Director, Announcer/Pianist) is an Ensemble member of American Blues. Past Blues productions: The Last Wide Open, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award – Best Music Direction), Little Shop of Horrors, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, and Side Man. Other recent roles include The Baker in Into the Woods (Writers); Jim Hardy in Holiday Inn, and Jack Singer in Honeymoon in Vegas (Marriott Theatre). Michael co-wrote the songs for the Netflix movie My Little Pony: A New Generation and contributed additional lyrics to Cameron Mackintosh's most recent Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Other works as a composer/lyricist include The Secret of My Success, Miracle (Jeff Award – Best New Work), Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (Jeff Award – Best New Work), and Hero (Jeff Award – Best New Work). Michael is married to fellow Ensemble Member Dara Cameron and proud father to their son Ezra.

J.G. SMITH (Foley) is an Ensemble member of American Blues. She has performed with Blues in The Last Wide Open, It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, On Clover Road, Ripped, and virtual readings of The Thanksgiving Play, On the Greenbelt, and The Cratichits (in America). Theatre: I And You (Peninsula Players); Mother of the Maid (Northlight); Plantation! (Lookingglass); The Art of Sisters (Vision Productions); MARYSHELLEYSHOW (National Tour, Chicago Fringe, TheTankNYC); Peter and the Starcatcher (City Equity Theatre); Alice in Wonderland, As You Like It, King Lear, A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare); and Censored on Final Approach (The GYM at Judson). Film/TV credits include Jennifer Reeder's Knives and Skin, MTV's Short Comings, The Dancing Monkey, Dreaming Grand Avenue, Pry Me Open, and Dorm Therapy. Her original films and performance art have shown at New Orleans' Hell Yes Film Festival, Williamsburg Circus, Salonathon!, Undiscovered Countries: The Infinite Fest, and TransVisions' virtual SOFT PALETTE festival.

Fact Sheet It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Title:  It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Adapted From: Frank Capra's Film

Director: Gwendolyn Whiteside*

Music Director and jingle composer:   Michael Mahler*

Score composer:  Austin Cook*

Featuring: Audrey Billings* (Mary Bailey), Manny Buckley* (Joseph), Dara Cameron* (Violet), Ian Paul Custer* (Harry), Brandon Dahlquist (George Bailey), Joe Dempsey* (Clarence/Potter), Michael Mahler* (Announcer / Pianist), and J.G. Smith* (Foley).

Creative Team: Grant Sabin* (scenic), Katy Peterson Viccellio (lights), Christopher J. Neville* (costumes), Elyse Dolan* (set dressing & props), Michael Trudeau* (technical director & master electrician).

*Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater

Dates: November 29 – December 22, 2024

Schedule:                    

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

Fridays:         7:30pm

Saturdays:     4:30pm & 7:30pm

Sundays:       2:00pm

The runtime is 90 minutes. Arrive 15 minutes before curtain for a fun interactive pre-show.

Location: American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Ticket prices: $30-$75, plus a $4.50 ticket fee

Six VIP tickets are available per performance for an added $15 per ticker order. VIP seating includes complimentary parking, leather chairs in a dedicated area, and bar service to your seats.

Box office: Buy online at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

• In the long tradition of honoring heroes during the run of It's a Wonderful Life, American Blues will honor a teacher at each performance with a "Teacher Tribute." Nominations are accepted at www.americanbluestheater.com. Selected recipients will receive complimentary tickets to a performance of It's a Wonderful Life and a live tribute during the show.

• American Blues proudly partners with NAMI Chicago, USO, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Complimentary tickets are offered to CPS teachers, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (IL chapter).

• The cast will be performing at the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade.

• Santa is scheduled to visit American Blues Theater on December 22, 2024.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards). American Blues Theater is an Ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question: "What does it mean to be American?"

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2024, the theater and artists received 238 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 44 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. 

Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) has recently returned from a successful European Tour and  is pleased to announce its 2024-2025 season and that  Roxanne "Roxy" King is a new company member.  King began her tap career in the DC-Metro area and was one of the first and longest running members of the Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble where she traveled the country to study and perform amongst her peers. She has since expanded her tap dancing travels all over the world touring withcompanies such as Music from the Sole and Michela Lerman's Love Movement. King will perform with the full CTT ensemble in the company's 22nd season. For more information on the latest company updates and its 22nd season go to ChicagoTapTheatre.com

"Coming off a blockbuster 21st  season, we are incredibly excited for our upcoming year. Season 22 will feature many new choreographic premieres plus a commission from one of the leading voices in tap dance, Broadway veteran Lisa LaTouche. Add to that the addition of young phenom Roxy King and another full season of touring around the country spreading the word about Chicago tap dance and you can see why we are so jazzed for what this year will bring," shared Chicago Tap Theatre Founder and  Artistic Director Mark Yonally.

The 2024-2025 Chicago Tap Theatre season Includes, productions, in chronological order, and its 2024 - 2025 tour:

Chicago Tap Allstars

Winter Wonderland

Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m.

Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Tickets are $30-$75

Purchase tickets at our.show/cta2024

Chicago Tap Allstars' Winter Wonderland includes CTA Members Chicago Tap Theatre andM.A.D.D. Rhythms as well as some of Chicago's finest independent tap dancers,and  young performers following in their footsteps. The artists will gather at the Harold Washington Cultural Center for a Tap holiday performance commemorating the holidays with dances themed to Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the winter season.

Chicago Tap Theatre presents

Chicago Tap Theatre's Spring Repertory Show

Friday, Feb 28, 2025 at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 2 p.m.  (Saturday, March 1 is the Gala Performance. There will be no regular tickets for this performance, only gala)

The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Ticket price $25-$75

Gala tickets: $150

Tickets on sale at a later date visit Chicagotaptheatre.com for more information. 

Join Chicago Tap Theatre for their mid-season production featuring new works by Tap Dancer, Historian, and Filmmaker Lisa La Touche, as well as the company's own Mark Yonally, Sterling Harris, and Molly Smith. A lively mosaic of choreographic talent, CTT's Spring Repertory show is not one to miss!

NOTE: CTT's annual fundraising gala will immediately follow the Saturday,  March 1 performance.

Chicago Tap Theatre presents

Chicago Tap Theatre's Summer Tap Dance Artist Spotlight Show Directed by Sterling Harris

The Edge Theatre, 5451 N. Broadway Ave.

Thursday, June 5, Friday, June 6, Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Ticket price $35-$75

Tickets on sale at a later date visit Chicagotaptheatre.com for more information.

This summer, experience an all new tap dance production featuring direction by Sterling Harris, an undeniable standout amongst young artists in tap dance today, and choreography by CTT company members and guests.

Chicago Tap Theatre on Tour

Throughout 2024 - 2025, Chicago Tap Theatre continues to tour a variety of productions. For the most recent tour additions, go to ChicagoTapTheatre.com.

Current Tour Schedule includes:

Thursday, Oct. 17

Lakewood Cultural Center, Colorado Springs, CO

Tickets and more information

 Friday, Oct. 18

Louisa Performing Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO

Tickets and more information

 Sunday, Oct. 20

 Lander Valley High School, Lander, WY

 Tickets and more information

Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025

The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts at McKendree University, Lebanon IL

Tickets and more information

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Hamilton Performing Arts Center

Tickets and more information

 Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17, 2025

Des Moines Civic Center

Tickets and more information

Special appearances include:

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus Holiday Show

Friday, December 6, Sunday, Dec. 8 and Thursday, Dec. 12

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts inSkokie, Skokie, IL

ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE

Founded in 2002, Chicago Tap Theatre is a growing and vibrant dance company dedicated to preserving the quintessentially American dance form of tap while taking it to the next level of creativity, innovation and quality. CTT performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago's finest musicians playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie and many artists in between. Under the dynamic direction of master teacher and performer Mark Yonally, CTT has gained a loyal and sizable following in Chicago and continues to tour both nationally and internationally. Having pioneered the "tap opera" format, which tells stories with compelling characters and intriguing plots, CTT has used the language of tap dance, live music and narration to move audiences for more than 20 years.

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

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