So You Think THIS is Dance? [video]

By Lizzie Leopold

See below for a special pre-sale offer.

I’ve always wondered, with a hint of jealousy, why we struggle to fill a theater the way we fill sports stadiums. How do the arts get that kind of continued, dedicated fan base? FOX’s smash hit So You Think You Can Dance has certainly taken on that challenge whole heartedly and created the Super Bowl of dance shows.

When I heard that AXIS Dance Company would perform on tonight’s (Thursday June 30) show I was shocked, thrilled and nervous all at once! AXIS is an Oakland-based company known as one of the nation’s leading ensembles to feature dancers with and without disabilities. Wheelchairs and prosthetics become fully integrated body parts like any leg or shoulder. AXIS is award winning, inspiring and absolutely unexpected. AXIS company members Sonsheree Giles and Rodney Bell will perform the duet To Color Me Different, choreographed by Alex Ketley.

Whether you are a dedicated SYTYCD viewer or have never watched before, this is an important moment for dance and, in my opinion, a significant change in course for the show. The millions of viewers will have the opportunity to think more deeply about what dance is, what a dancer’s body is and where the possibilities lie. I will be holding my breath, hoping that the judges, the audience, the camera men and the producers recognize this as an expanding of horizons.

So, tune in tonight to So You Think You Can Dance, June 30^th at 8pm/7 central on FOX. But more importantly, come see AXIS Dance Company perform live at the Auditorium Theatre in November. Sit in the packed theater. Watch the plush, gold curtain rise and experience dance collectively with the people around you. It will be less shiny, no rock star lighting and no screaming fans. But maybe, you’ll be able to see the dance a little clearer. Be a little closer. Hear the breathing and feel the shared energy. And if an episode of So You Think You Can Dance brought you to the theater, then I owe a great debt to network television and split leaps everywhere.

Special Pre-Sale for One Week Only
Pre-sale tickets are available Thursday, June 30 at 9:00 am through Wednesday, July 6 at 10:00 pm.
Use code DANCE when purchasing pre-sale tickets (limit to 8 tickets).
Pre-sale tickets are available online ONLY at ticketmaster.com/auditorium.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 11.

Lizzie Leopold is a Chicago choreographer and dance scholar. She is the Artistic Director of the Leopold Group and holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BFA in Dance) and New York University (MA in Performance Studies). Lizzie is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University, writing about the intersection of dance and business.

Stay in Palmer House Style and Get My Drink On!

The All New Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers™ opens in just a week; be sure you take advantage of these cool opportunities!

Palmer House Hilton

“Shake a Tail Feather” in the Windy City with the ultimate Chicago destination package. From $229.00 you can enjoy The All New Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers at the Auditorium Theatre and hotel accommodations at the acclaimed Palmer House Hilton. Dig out your best pork pie hat and call 312.917.3423 to book your package today. For more information on the show, including dates and times, visit auditoriumtheatre.org.

For just $30 more, enjoy a prix fixe 3 course menu (tax and tip not included) at Lockwood Restaurant. Call Lockwood for more information at 312.917.3404.

Full pre-pay is required for all packages. There is a 7 day cancellation policy prior to guest arrival date. The Blues Brothers trademark is owned by Daniel Aykroyd and Judith Belushi Pisano.

MyDrinkOn.com

What do you get when you combine two crooks who are on a quest to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised with Illinois State Troopers, a neo-Nazi leader and a vindictive ex-girlfriend? A smash hit comedy that is sure to knock your socks off! Join Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues at the Auditorium Theater at Roosevelt University for a night chock-full of non-stop laughter, sheer pandemonium and rock-n-roll. Oh, and a couple of cocktails too. Everybody needs somebody, so grab your cronies for a guaranteed night of fun and head back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago.

July 7, 2011
Complimentary Bar 1 hour before the show. Costumes encouraged!
Just $35 for a $60 complimentary bar and show package!

July 14 and 21, 2011
2 Drink Tickets and Ticket to Blues Brothers.
Packages starting at $31

Contact info@mydrinkon.com with any questions.

Intern Intros - Meet Nick!

Hello there, my name is Nicolaus Weyrauch and two weeks ago I started as the Production Intern at the Auditorium Theatre. I have been living in Chicago for over a year now and love the city! I also go to college in the city too, at Columbia College Chicago. Having grown-up outside the Chicagoland area, moving to the city was a big change for me; Rockford, IL was my hometown growing up.

So, what brings me to the Auditorium Theatre for a summer internship? Well, currently at school I am studying Theatre Design with a concentration in Lighting Design. Next summer (May 2012) I will graduate college with my Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Design, and I’m anxious to get out into the professional world.

But, my internship this summer has little to do with hands on design for shows. What I’m doing instead is working to help Steve (Director of Production) prepare the theatre for when shows come into the space. He and I work to make sure that a show has all that they need when they arrive for a load in through the run(s) and load out.

So why intern in an area that my degree does not specifically cater to? Ever since I was little, I loved being involved with live performance, whether it was running a light board, designing a set piece, or making things run smoothly. I’m no actor; so, I had to try something that I was more comfortable with and that’s why I turned to lighting (they get all the cool toys). But now, I realize that it would help to have a well-rounded background in the live performance industry. This is why I am here at the Auditorium Theatre, to test the waters and develop a good sense of how a theatre functions outside of the night of a show, and I’m excited to learn!

Now that I have been here two weeks, I’m starting to see what goes on here, but I can tell that Steve has only scratched the surface. I can’t wait to learn in a setting that I love and be with awesome people.

Blues Brothers Discount and Upcoming Appearances

As a big "thank you" to our followers and fans we are offering a special discount offer on tickets to The All New Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers™. Use code SOCIAL when buying for 20% off tickets!


Can't wait for Opening night?

Catch the cast of The All New Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers this month at events around the city! Put on your black suits and sunglasses and join in the fun!

Taste of Chicago - Broadway in Chicago Concert
Monday, June 27 at 6 pm at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park – FREE

The Broadway in Chicago Concert at the Taste features some of Broadway’s hottest shows during the city’s legendary Taste of Chicago festival.

Hosted by ABC7's Janet Davies, this year’s concert includes an extraordinary lineup of special performances by Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MARY POPPINS, LACAGE AUX FOLLES, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, The All New Original Tribute to the BLUES BROTHERS and MORE!

Cubs Game - First Pitch
Tuesday, June 28 at 7:05 pm
The cast will throw the first pitch at the game vs the Giants. Hope they have been practicing!

Trolley Tour of Blues Brothers Movie Locations
Thursday, June 30 at 11 am
Follow along on Twitter as the cast takes a tour of Blues Brothers movie locations! We will be doing live updates with lots of photos!

Dance Friday Appearance on NBC
Friday, July 1 at 6:45 am
Hey... it's Friday! Get out your dancing shoes and PARTY!!!

Thompson Center Performance
Friday, July 8 at 12 pm
Free lunchtime concert!

Daley Plaza Performance
Monday, June 18 at 12 pm
Free lunchtime concert!

Intern Intros - Meet Gary!

Hi! I’m Gary. I am currently the Operations Intern at the Auditorium Theatre for the summer. I have only been in Chicago for two weeks, and I love all the experiences I have had so far! I am a junior Sociology/Anthropology major at Denison University, located in Granville, OH. So you may ask: “What brings a Sociology/Anthropology major to Chicago for an internship at a theatre?”

There are a few reasons…

First, I love theatre. I enjoy watching people use their talents to entertain patrons for a few hours. When I see a show, I am transported to an artistic, imaginative, and creative world. I forget about all my worries and assignments that I have to complete and am immersed in what is happening on stage.

Second, I love the people who work here. Everyone is a little bit crazy, which makes everyday exciting and new. We joke around a lot and have fun while we work. I enjoy how my supervisor, the patron services coordinator, and I bicker about little things and tease each other. It makes the day go by much faster if you can laugh while you are working!

Third, I love pretty and shiny things. Who would want to work in a drafty, grey, and boring cubicle in an office building? I get to come to work every day and marvel at the beautiful golden arches as I enter the theatre. The theatre glistens and sparkles, welcoming me as I enter. A National Historic Landmark, the Auditorium Theatre is known internationally for its perfect acoustics, innovative architecture and stunning design. I am consistently amazed by its exquisiteness, and I always find another intricate detail I didn’t notice the day before.

Last and certainly most important, I love myself! I want to be considered significant and make an impact where I work. I did not want to be an intern who pushes paper, fetches coffee, and runs errands for their supervisors. As an intern at the Auditorium Theatre, I don’t have to do any of that. They took the time to understand my wants and desires. They wanted to know what I want to learn about and are designing my internship to fit my needs, not theirs.

I love the city of Chicago and my internship at the Auditorium Theatre. I hope everyone can eventually work in a place as beautiful and exciting as I am right now!