An Audio Tour of Our Landmark Theatre

Proscenium Mural

Recently, Columbia College Chicago radio student Mark Munger took a tour of our theatre and interviewed patron services tour guide Joe Bennington, a person Munger described as, "one of the best perform[ers] to make use of the theatre".

Below is the interview feature put together by Munger that discusses some of the many interesting facts about our theatre.

Auditorium Theater_Feature by Mark Munger

Tours of our theatre are available most Mondays at 10:30am and noon and on Thursdays at 10:30am for $10 per person. Tickets are available 30 minutes prior to the start of each tour at our box office or in advance at Ticketmaster.com. Group tours are also available. For more information, call 312.431.2389 ext 0.

Wanted: Awesome Interns for Summer and Fall (Seven Positions Available)

This summer marks the one year anniversary of the Auditorium Theatre’s Internship Program, and the exciting program has offered each intern the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional environment. The prestigious program allows students to work side by side with Auditorium staff throughout the organization. Interns have worked on projects ranging from researching programming ideas to learning the ins and outs of concession sales during a high profile concert.

“Our Interns have worked in every facet of our business, expanding their knowledge and experience in a way that will certainly benefit them throughout their careers,” says C.J. Dillon one of the internship program coordinators and Director of Operations.

The Auditorium’s Internship program started in three disciplines (Operations, Arts Administration and Creative Engagement) in the summer of 2010 and has now grown to include other areas including Production, Marketing, Sales, Hospitality and most recently Sustainability. When asked about her favorite part of the program, Nicole Losurdo, another internship program coordinator and Director of Creative Engagement responded, “It is seeing these young professionals make connections between the theory they study in class and the real life practical application of those theories.”

Here's what some of our recent interns have said:

• Eve's top 5 things you can do as an intern here that you can't do anywhere else
• Casey Crail on his fall internship experience

Anyone interested in an internship for the summer should read or download the information packet below. Applications are being accepted for the Summer session (deadline is March 1, 2011) and it’s never too late to start thinking about the Fall as positions fill up quickly.

2011 Internship Opportunities

Community United: A Summary of our Too Hot to Handel Education Outreach

The choral risers, music stands, and instruments have been cleared from the stage – the musicians, soloists, and crew on to different gigs. Yet still, even after Too Hot to Handel’s curtain came down on the evening of January 15 and 16, there is a lasting buzz and lingering glow in the hearts and minds of everyone who experienced and participated in our rousing tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Inside ATRU: Eve's top 5 things you can do as an intern here that you can't do anywhere else

Ewa Czerniawska is studying Events Management and PR at the London Metropolitan University, spending this semester on an exchange program at Roosevelt University in Chicago. She is also a production intern at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

5 things you are allowed to do as an intern at the Auditorium Theatre, that you wouldn't be able to do anywhere else.

1. Jump in the middle of Michigan Avenue at noon and stop the traffic!

Well, it wasn't always at noon, but I did do it a couple of times. Our alley goes straight into Michigan Avenue so every time we have a load in or out, we have trucks coming in and out of the alley. There's no way to make it happen but to stop traffic for a couple of minutes.

2. Put the house curtains on fire!

Once in a while we have to do fireproofing tests on our curtains. So we cut little pieces of them (from the inside, so you can't see it) and we "try to put them on fire," by that I mean that someone holds a match underneath the curtain for 12 seconds and then fire has to extinguish in the next 2 seconds. If it does, it means the curtains are flame-resistant.

3. Telling executives what to do!

Not really… but sometimes they want to give a speech before the show, so by telling them what to do, I mean giving them stage cues.

4. Witness a miracle.

A wardrobe lady didn't make it to the show one day; so we set up a quick changing room at the back of the stage with 500 costumes! It was truly unbelievable.

5. Hang out in the “locked” parts of the building.

You get to climb up above the arches to see how and where they change all the light bulbs. You also get to go to the basement where the air-conditioning system is located. There is a small room where it is really windy and you get the feeling like you are in the movies and something is about to suck you in. But once you learn how it all works you realize that it's perfectly safe.

As interesting as it may sound these things are not nearly as important as the things you learn. As an intern you get to see and be a part of all the day-by-day operations of the theatre. The internship allows you to understand how all the departments work together to deliver a show.  And with all the help for the staff, by the end of the internship, I guarantee you will be ready for your first job in the theatre.

--

Our internship program offers students the opportunity for hands-on learning alongside professionals working in the performing arts industry.

Children explore Too Hot to Handel through school outreach programs

Picture this: a desk piled high with children’s books on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a teaching guide on Too Hot to Handel scribbled with updates and edits for this year, poetry contest fliers and the first entries, residency workshop information and school schedules, master class outlines and one very big smile – yes, it’s that time of the year—Too Hot to Handel is only a few short months away, and I couldn’t be more excited. As the Auditorium’s Senior Director of Education and self proclaimed “Too Hot groupie,” it’s finally time to kick some of our most thrilling educational program initiatives into high gear.

Too Hot is a wonderfully rich piece that truly embodies Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community. It’s the kind of show that has the power to reach a broad range of listeners and invite them to actively experience its message, to stand up, to clap, to get involved and respond. Its message of peace and love helps us create a dialogue together and share in the building of community. And who better to engage in this dialogue than Chicago Public School students? Our second annual Poetry Contest invites CPS students in grades 3-12 to write a poem celebrating Dr. King’s dream of the Beloved Community. We are curious to find out what MLK’s message and vision of community means to modern youth. The deadline for submissions is December 3, 2010!

The Auditorium is also thrilled to continue and deepen the Too Hot Residency Program for CPS students in grades 3-8. Working under the guidance of Too Hot Teaching Artist Christina Bourné, students will explore one of Dr. King’s speeches and create an original musical composition as a response. This top-notch program built a reputation for excellence last year and quickly booked again this year. CPS high school music students will also benefit from our educational initiatives with our Master Class Series with the artists of Too Hot to Handel.

Too Hot to Handel will surely not disappoint, leaving all audiences with the sense that they are part of something very, very important. You’ll also see me, the “Too Hot groupie”, singing and swaying in the alto section as part of the 150-person Too Hot Community Choir. The Auditorium is going to be jazzing up the Messiah, and we want you to be there!

For more information on our education programs, please contact education@auditoriumtheatre.org.

Nicole Losurdo is the Senior Director of Education.

Too Hot to Handel education programs are made possible through the generous support of JP Morgan Chase.

Inside ATRU: Casey Crail on his fall internship experience

As the fall 2010 operations intern, it has been quite an experience working at the Auditorium Theatre. Getting the chance to work at such an important and historic theatre has been a dream come true. I have always loved theatre and been interested in architecture—especially Chicago architecture. The Auditorium has offered me the chance to combine my two passions into a semester long program that will help me greatly as I move forward pursuing a career in performing arts management.

The first time I stepped out onto the Auditorium’s stage I looked out at the nearly 4,000 seats, from the orchestra level all the way up to the gallery six stories above the stage. I knew that I was finally where I wanted to be. Many people spend years studying something and then, when getting out into the real world, realize they have no desire to practice what they’ve studied. I’ve been studying performing arts management at Columbia College for the past three and a half years. It was an incredibly validating feeling to finally be able to put the skills I’ve learned in the classroom to use in a practical setting here at the Auditorium (and realize that I really do love working at a theatre).

Being the operations intern, I’m usually over in my little cubby (at least I don’t have to sit in the hole*) over at the theatre off  aisle 1—which is across the street and a few blocks away from the administrative offices where most of the staff is located. I was worried at first that I wouldn’t get to interact much with the rest of the theatre staff. Luckily, I have worked on many projects here that have allowed me to collaborate with different departments and gain a better understanding of how all the areas work together. I have learned so much from working with all of the incredibly talented individuals who make up the Auditorium Theatre.

From being teased mercilessly as the “newbie” by the patron services coordinator to attending a Rotary Club luncheon with the executive director, my time at the Auditorium has been incredibly fun, fulfilling, and above all eye opening. It has been a great experience and environment that I will be sad to leave at the end of the semester.

* The hole is the back section of the Patron Services Office. It was affectionately named “the hole” by the Auditorium staff for its low-ceiling, dark, claustrophobic feel. Pretty awesome of the Auditorium staff to not make the interns sit back there.

Casey Crail is a senior at Columbia College where he is studying Performing Arts Management and is the fall Operations Intern.

--

Our internship program offers students the opportunity for hands-on learning alongside professionals working in the performing arts industry.

Discover our hidden world: take the behind-the-scenes tour on November 20

On Saturday, November 20, 2010, the theatre will be offering a special Behind the Scenes Historic Tour.

Join us for an in-depth guided tour of the Auditorium, including our lobby spaces, theatre and the backstage areas  -- spaces that have never been seen by the general public. Learn about the building's storied past and see the dressing rooms, green room and a preserved piece of 1889 engineering.

 
Don't miss this special opportunity -- Behind the Scenes Historic Tours are available on Saturday, November 20 at 10am and 12 noon only. Tour tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased beginning 30 minutes prior to the tour at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office and in advance at Ticketmaster.com.

Inside ATRU: Say hello to our new interns

Auditorium Theatre Interns. From left to right: Ewa, Brandon and Casey.

It's a new season and we have a great group of interns helping us out this Fall. Look for some blog posts written by them in the future and if you see them around the theatre, please say hello!

--

Our internship program offers students the opportunity for hands-on learning alongside professionals working in the performing arts industry.

Teachers - It's Not Too Early To Think About Next Year's Student Matinees!

The Auditorium has four student matinees planned for the 2009-2010 season. These one-hour shows are a great opportunity to introduce children to great performance at a low ticket price! Each teacher will receive a study guide to help students prepare for the event! Available for groups of 10+; call 312.431.2357 for reservations.

The student matinees are:

Miami City Ballet
Friday, October 2 at 11am
A lecture demonstration narrated by Artistic Director Edward Villella. Selections from the following: Black Swan pas de deux, Tarantella, Western Symphony, Stars & Stripes pas de deux and Company B Highlights.
Available for groups elementary through college. $10 per person.

Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah
Friday, January 15 at 11am
Students are invited to observe a portion of the dress rehearsal., including the "Hallelujah Chorus."
Available for groups elementary through high school. $10 per person.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Thursday, March 25 at 11am
Friday, March 26 at 11am
Ailey student matinees have sold out the last few years, so we have added a second student peformance! Includes Revelations and an excerpt of another piece.
Available for groups elementary through high school. $12 per person.

(A one-time $10 handling fee is applied to each group.)

Gaga Master Class

22 local high school students participated in a "Gaga" master class this weekend at Gallery 37. The class was led by a dancer from Batsheva Dance Company.