Q&A with Shelley MacArthur on Auditorium Website

We're kicking off the summer cabaret series on Saturday, June 13 with On Stage with Shelley MacArthur: How Sweet It Is. Here's a Q&A with Shelley, including info on what to expect during her show!

Tell us about when you began singing professionally in Chicago.

I’ve been singing all my life. I grew up singing and performing and I studied voice and theater in college. Professionally speaking, I started singing at the Gold Star Sardine Bar, a tiny little intimate club here in Chicago. Bill Allen was the impresario and owner of the Gold Star, and he gave me the opportunity to sing there and that’s where it started taking off. It was great fun and I had the chance to meet and perform with a lot of wonderful entertainers – whoever was in town (Bobby Short, Julie Wilson, Tony Bennett) came to the Gold Star for drinks so we got to meet them and occasionally perform with them. It was a valuable learning experience.

Bobby Short was part owner of the Gold Star, so he used to come in all the time. On several occasions, Bill Allen pulled me up onstage with him, which was pretty frightening. But it was the beginning of a long friendship with Bobby and many performances together.

Click here to read the rest of the interview

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