Auditorium on the Cover of BizBash's First Chicago Issue

The League of Chicago Theatre's March 31 benefit was the subject of the cover story of the first Chicago issue of BizBash, an event industry publication. Click here to read about the event.

If you're interested in holding your special event at the Auditorium, call us at 312.922.2110!

Friday Afternoon Wiffle Ball

In January, 1891, the Newsboys and Bootblacks Association played the first indoor softball game in Louis Sullivan and Adler Dankmark's greatest achievement, the Auditorium Theatre. The stage was extended through platforming out over the orchestra seats (the same configuration was also used for charity balls) and spectators sat in the boxes and balcony.

This past Friday, there was no stage extention, there were no spectators - but there was wiffle ball! Dankmark's Dudes defeated Louis's Lushes 11-8.

These pics were taken with a cell phone, so the quality isn't the best, but enjoy!

Work study student Susan Urasky is up at bat, while Operations Manager Steve Sell plays catcher.


A view of the "infield"

Executive Assistant Kathy Bliss takes off running after a hit.




Margaret Garner project manager Gail Kalver cheers on the players.

Marketing Manager Megan Flanagan proudly cheers on the team (quote from C.J. Dillon, House Manager: "A knocked-up cheerleader? This is just like high school!), while Patron Services Coordinator Annie Slaughter hides behind her pompoms.

Looptopia Events at the Auditorium

Looptopia is this Friday, and - for all you serious night owls - the Auditorium will be open from midnight until 5am. Most of our events made the Tribune's guide to the best Looptopia happenings (pdf).

Here's the schedule:
12:30-1:20am The Weird Sisters
1:40-2:30am The Cupid Players
2:50-3:40am The Game Show Show and Stuff
4:00-4:45am The Cool Table

Photo: The Cupid Players

Cabaret Series Announcement

Today was the official announcement of our Summer Cabaret Series.

The "On Stage with..." series is unusual because the audience actually gets to be on stage with the performers, sitting at cabaret tables! In today's Tribune, Howard Reich says, "Though the idea might seem odd, the results are visually spectacular: The audience looks out into the house, the performer framed by the glittering house lights of the Auditorium."

This summer's series:

• On Stage with Shelley MacArthur: How Sweet It Is - June 13


• On Stage with Susan Werner: Susan Werner Sings the Susan Werner Songbook - July 23


• On Stage with Orbert Davis & Friends: The Center of the Song (An Evening of Romantic Jazz) - August 16


• On Stage with Alvin Waddles: Fats Waller Revue

Call 312.922.2110 ext 300 for reservations.

Season Announcements

In addition to all the excitement around last week's Ailey shows, we also announced next year's subscription season last week! You can click here to read about it on our website.

Sid Smith of the Tribune calls it "a tantalizing dance series", and Hedy Weiss of the Sun-Times says, "The adventurous lineup ...suggests [the Auditorium] is feeling confident enough in its audience now to go the extra mile and present two of the most galvanic (if less instantly recognizable) companies now at work on the global scene."

The schedule includes:

• The Kirov Ballet & Orchestra - Giselle: October 2-5
  
• Margaret Garner: November 1-9
  
• Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah: December 12 & 14
  
• Batsheva Dance Company: February 7 & 8
  
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: April 1-5
  
• Eifman Ballet - Eugene Onegin: May 14-17
  
• Nederlands Dans Theater I: June 17-21

Photo: Diana Vishneva as Giselle.

Congrats to our raffle winners!

During the AAADT performances last weekend, we held a raffle to benefit our education programs. Congratulations to the following winners, and thank you to everyone who gave to support our summer camps, in-school outreach programs and other educational initiatives.

* United Tickets to Europe: Sabrina Beoingham
* 2 Subscriptions to the International Dance Series: Diana Cho
* 4 tickets to Margaret Garner: Gregory Armstrong
* Table for 6 to Orbert Davis: Doug Cranmer
* $100 gift certificate to Rhapsody: Sandra DeSico
* $100 gift certificate for Custom House: Frontina Spitz

Tribune review of last night's Ailey show

The first review has hit the web - read Sid Smith's Chicago Tribune review here!

There are 5 more AAADT shows to enjoy! Call 312.902.1500, buy online or visit the Auditorium box office at 50 E. Congress Parkway for tickets.

Click here for more information on the engagement.

Picture: Revelations. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Alvin Ailey Opens Tonight!

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater engagement opens tonight, with 6 performances through Sunday (plus a sold-out student matinee on Friday!)

Two of the dancers, Constance Stamatiou and Chicago's own Vernard Gilmore, appeared on the WGN morning news this morning - click here to see the video. (Look under WGN Morning News in the video section.)

And, if that's not enough, here's some video from Firebird, which will be performed tonight and tomorrow:

This week's dance preview on 848

Another Ailey mention, this time from Lucia Mauro on WBEZ's 848.

Photo: AAADT in Revelations. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Preview articles about Ailey

Read about this week's Ailey performances, from Friday's Tribune and Sun-Times.

Ailey Video and News

We're getting ready for next week's engagement by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! We'll be posting a lot about AAADT for the next few weeks.



Here's a section of The Road of the Phoebe Snow, which will be performed Thursday and Friday of next week.

You can also see last week's "Dancing With the Stars" appearance here.

Also, Hallmark has a new line of greeting cards featuring Ailey photography.

Box office hours this weekend

If you want to head down to the box office this weekend to purchase your Ailey tickets (or Celtic Woman or Joffrey Ballet, etc.), it will be open both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the box office will be open from 2pm-7pm and on Sunday from 11am-2pm. (The box office will be open until showtime each day for Celtic Woman ticket transactions.)

Ailey Making Guest Appearance on Dancing With the Stars Tonight!

Tune in to Dancing With the Stars tonight (April 1) to see the Ailey dancers perform an excerpt from Revelations accompanied by a gospel choir.

Over the next 18 months, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration, Ailey's legacy will come to life through special events and commercial partnerships: the artist David Michalek has created video installation screens depicting slowed-down versions of larger-than-life Ailey dancers along the ground-floor windows of the Ailey studios on Ninth Avenue; Hallmark has produced a series of six Ailey greeting cards; the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., opens an Ailey archive exhibit this May; Ailey will host a series of free performances and dance classes in all five boroughs of NYC in August; an Ailey Barbie doll is due out this fall, and in June, the Ailey company returns to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the first time in 38 years.

Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.