The masters of musical political satire, the Capitol Steps, return to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in  Skokie Jan. 21 -24. This coincides with President Obama’s one year anniversary in office so the timing could not be more perfect!

The Capitol Steps have been a long standing Centre East audience favorite and their take on last  year’s Blogo- gate shenanigans was a major spotlight in their January 2009 North Shore  engagement. Back then, the Steps were just beginning to get a  sense of  the President Elect  and one of their biggest challenges in doing so was that he was almost too perfect. But its a year later  and with all the issues  from health care to the recent  Holiday airline security snafu to the  escalation in Afghanistan in the news, I can’t wait to see what they’ll feature in their North Shore performances this time ( I’m personally hoping they’ll treat us to a line or two of “O Rahm O Rahm Emanuel”).  If you’ve never enjoyed a Capitol Steps show before you can get a taste of their humor by visiting their website and snagging a listen from their  recent New Year’s Eve Radio Special …but, better yet, catch one of their shows!  The Saturday and Sunday shows are almost sold out but the Thursday and Friday shows still have seats AND some seats are as low as $25. For more info, visit www.northshorecenter.org.

Centre East, at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, is giving budget conscious holiday shoppers a special treat with its first ever Black Friday Sale. Beginning 10 a.m. on the busiest shopping day of the year, Fri., Nov. 27, anyone who uses code FRIDAY when purchasing single tickets will receive a 20% discount off regular ticket price for the 17 events remaining in the 2009-2010 season. Read the rest of this entry »

Final weekend of VisionFest 2009!

GetOutChicago readers get $5 OFF with special discount code ‘getout’

Chicago Critic  says “Six Plays=One enjoyable night of theatre”

“LiveWire Chicago Theatre has generated an engaging and fun evening of theatre, including free beer. It would be perfect for a date, or someone looking for an original night of theatre.”

Gaper’s Block says “LiveWire’s VisionFest 2009 takes this universal setting and presents six scenes, each with its own tone, energy and playwright.”

“The street corner is a perfect setting for six short performances because the audience is already relating to it. Anything can and does happen on a street corner.”

LiveWire says “Kick it to the curb with us!”

ONLY TWO SHOWS LEFT – Friday Aug. 14 & Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Chemically Imbalanced Theater, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd.
 
Tickets are $15 and available at www.brownpapertickets.com, www.livewirechicago.com or by calling the Livewire box office at 312.533.4666.

This just in: tickets go on sale for Centre East’s 2009-2010 season this Saturday, August 15 at 10 a.m. but GetOutChicago readers get special presale access to buy them TODAY. Check out Centre East’s website for the season line up, choose the shows you like and use code GETOUT at checkout to get your tix before the general public!

Of note: if you can wait for it, go to the box office at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts this Saturday and get a FREE gift bag if you’re one of the first 100 ticket buyers!

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North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077 Map | More Info…

LiveWire Chicago Theatre's "VisionFest 2009" runs Aug. 6 - 15

LiveWire Chicago Theatre’s 2nd annual VisionFest 2009: Six Worlds on One Street Corner opens this Thursday. The short play festival features six never-before-seen short plays all to take place on the same street corner.

GetOutChicago readers get $5 OFF with special discount code ‘getout’

There will be comedy, drama, witches, first dates, street riots, Lord Mayors, Oprah…or will there be?  The theatre is BYOB, so bring friends and enjoy 75 minutes of pure entertainment from new and established playwrights!
 
VisionFest 2009 runs Aug. 6 – 15; Thurs., Fri. and Sat.  All shows begin at 8 p.m. and take place inside the Chemically Imbalanced Theater, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd.
 
Tickets are $15 and available at www.brownpapertickets.com, www.livewirechicago.com or by calling the Livewire box office at 312.533.4666.
 
   Line-up for VisionFest 2009
 
“Fat Petey Gets it All Wrong”
Written by Ron Frankel (New Lebanon, N.Y.)
Directed by Glenn Proud
 
Larry has cheated on his wife. To spare her pain in discovering this, he decides to have her killed. Unfortunately, the hit man he chooses may not be the right person for the job.

“The Corner of Glamis and Cawdor”
Written by Michael W. Moon (Aurora, Ill.)
Directed by Amber Hilgenkamp
 
In this retelling of the story of Macbeth, a street corner becomes Scotland and a witch, a shrouded figure, and an overacting Lady Macbeth help a young man learn the meaning of “something wicked this way comes.”
 
“BE”
Written and Directed by Erin Barlow (Tulsa, Okla.)
 
A portrait of two young adults, Sarah and Dave, concluding their first date, both desperate to make a connection with another human being; however, their individual tactics are fundamentally divergent.

“Canceling Christmas”
Written by James Armstrong (New York, N.Y.)
Directed by Glenn Proud
 
Imagining what might have happened when citizens first heard the news that a puritanical British parliament had banned the celebration of Christmas. Based on the true story of the Canterbury Christmas riots of 1647.
 
“Recognition”
Written by Elizabeth Nell Dubus (Prairieville, La.)
Directed by Joshua Aaron Weinstein
 
A man—a woman—an urban park at twilight. A romantic engagement? Chance encounter? Adulterous lovers meeting for the first time? The last time? Or two ships passing in the night—or—nothing at all.

“Waiting for Oprah”
Performance piece created by Madeline Long (Arlington, Va.),
Strangers on a street corner somewhere outside Harpo Studios search for a reason why they wait for the-one-and-only… and why she’s going to make everything okay.

LiveWire Chicago Theatre

Check out Blue Man Group’s new video on Funny or Die. The Blue Men weren’t always just Blue Men, they had other jobs. Check out our gre

Check out the new hilarious video