Bedroom Farce – comp tickets to British farce

bedroom-farce-062813 (1)Six weeks of performances through the end of August of Bedroom Farce, with ticket prices starting at comp to $5.  The four couples in ’70s comedy Bedroom Farce offer a look at relationships at every stage — from the impetuous joy of new lovers Kate and Malcolm, to the unshakable lifelong partnership of Earnest and Delia. And then there are the couples who are deep in the middle of their relationship, like Jan and Nick, or Jan’s ex-boyfriend Trevor and his wife Susannah. On a night that should be celebratory — a wedding anniversary for Earnest and Delia and a housewarming party for Kate and Malcolm — a fight between Trevor and Susannah sends everything off the rails, and takes all four couples with it. This hilarious romp by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn deals with the very real topics of faithfulness, deceit and forgiveness in the most entertaining of ways.

Bristol Renaissance Faire – under $10

stacy-annelizabethChoose from dates over two weekends in July and August.  Tickets are $9.98 with a $3.50 service charge (full price is $20); children age 4 and under are free.  Take a journey to a land of imagination where jousting knights, regal ladies, saucy wenches and royal overseers all mix and mingle with you and your family. The Bristol Renaissance Faire begins its 26th season of entertainment just outside of Chicago. Hundreds of performers dressed in the costumes of Elizabethan times create a magical world of music, language and fun, with 16 stages of entertainment options ranging from knife throwers to improv troupes. More than 150 artisans will be exhibiting and selling their original hand-crafted items, including hand-blown glass creations, pottery, authentic clothing and weaponry. Don’t miss out on the food and drink either, as more than 100 types of delicious types of delectable food and drink are available. Eat, drink and be merry during this action-packed, fun-filled trip to the days of yore.

Seadog (speedboat) Chicago lakefront tours

seadogchicago-051712Need speed?  Climb aboard the high-powered Seadog for a thrilling boat ride along Chicago’s scenic lakefront, while your captain regales you with fun and fascinating facts about the city.  Choose from a variety of tours, all departing from Navy Pier, including the 30-minute Lakefront Tour, which jets to the city’s Museum Campus, and returns by way of the Magnificent Mile, racing past the Sears Tower, Buckingham Fountain and Grant Park. The 75-minute River and Lake Architectural Tour takes you through the historic locks and up the Chicago River, while a friendly and knowledgeable guide shares stories about some of the Windy City’s most famous buildings, including the famed Willis Tower. Then it’s back to Navy Pier to the thrilling sound of turbo-charged engines, seeing more lakefront landmarks and highlights. And then there’s the 60-minute Lakefront Fireworks Cruise, with an extended speedboat ride and narration, along with strategic positioning designed to give Seadog sailors the absolute best spot to see the Navy Pier sky spectacular. The Extreme Thrill Ride kicks it up a notch with high speeds and 180 to 360-degree turns, plus a pumping rock soundtrack. For more details on each cruise, please see the full event description.

Paul Mooney (Chapelle’s Show, In Living Color) tickets for half-price!

paul-mooney-920Tickets are only $30 (50% off!) – Grammy-nominated comedian, writer and actor Paul Mooney pulls no punches as he puts history, politics and everyday culture in his sharpened, sardonic sights. Drawn from a career with beginnings as a circus ringmaster and leading to years of acclaim as a comedy scribe, Mooney’s written for Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, the hit show In Living Color and more. He’s also known for his blistering work on Chappelle’s Show and for his stand-up act that mercilessly skewers tender subjects with plenty of take-no-prisoners profanity.

Boy, those were wonderful shows, weren’t they?  Always sharp and entertaining – no dumbing-down.

 

comp culture: The Three Musketeers – outdoors!

musk-070213 (1)Spend the afternoon outdoors on an amazing adventure with Theatre-Hikes’ adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling classic The Three Musketeers. The theater company’s innovative approach marries stage favorites and nature walks, with scenes held in various locations in parks and along hiking trails. Bring a blanket, water and comfortable shoes so you can enjoy the surrounding natural beauty during jaunts between scenes. Theatre-Hikes kicks off its 2013 season with this tale of “all for one and one for all” performed in and around the Pullman State Historic Site, at the center of the planned Pullman community, a living time capsule of the Industrial Revolution.

Goldstar has comp tickets available for the August 3rd and 4th 1 pm performances – you pay a service fee of $3 for adult tickets and $2.50 for children tickets (ages 3-12).  A learning/history lesson combined with theater – sounds like fun!

Goldstar freebie: Chicago Outfit women’s roller derby

shakederby-0702131Comp tickets are available for the July 20 event.  Catch intense roller derby action live at Windy City Fieldhouse as the women of the Chicago Outfit, known as “Chicago’s dirty little secret,” take on rivals in Women’s Flat Track Derby Association competition. Founded in 2007, The Chicago Outfit is a democratic league run by the skaters, for the skaters, with the goal of creating a positive female community. They bring class, sass and dignity to their matches, and are proud members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. Please see the full event description for information on upcoming events.

 

Shrek The Musical $9 tickets!

shrek-062713PITA and I saw Shrek The Musical on Broadway – I couldn’t believe how much fun it was!  Looking for a great show the entire family can enjoy, grab these preview-priced tickets now.  Listening to Pinocchio whine about his life sucking pine saaaaap is worth the price of the ticket by itself!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s annual summer family musical this year is Shrek The Musical.  Based on the Oscar-winning animated movie, Shrek The Musical brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. Shrek just wants to be left alone in his beautiful swamp, but exiled fairy tale characters keep showing up on his doorstep. Finally, he agrees to confront the diminutive yet ruthless Lord Farquaad and hopefully regain his privacy. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, Shrek embarks on a life-changing adventure as an unlikely hero who fights a fearsome dragon and rescues the cursed Princess Fiona. He not only saves the day, but also discovers the value of friendship and realizes that true love is more than skin deep. CST’s production stars two Jeff-Award winning actors, Michael Aaron Lindner as the lovable ogre Shrek and Summer Naomi Smart in her CST debut as the spunky Princess Fiona.

Goldstar across the nation – 22 cities (I got blisters on my fingers)

Pick a city, any city, and chances are very, very good that Goldstar has some deeply discounted productions there!  Lots more for each city – these are just a small sample.

ATLANTA
Menopause The Musical Pokes Fun at “The Change”

Village People: Disco/Dance Legends at Cobb Energy Centre

BALTIMORE
Comedians Jermaine Fowler and Kevin Barnett (Guy Code, Homo Thugs)

Hilarious Musical Nunsense Returns to Stage

In the Heights: Dinner and a Show at Toby’s Dinner Theatre

BOSTON
Bon Jovi’s Because We Can — The Tour at Gillette Stadium

See Boston Via Land and Water on Amphibious Duck Vehicles

Magician Ivan Amodei’s Intimate IllusionsComes to Boston

Absurd Person Singular: Alan Ayckbourn’s Dark Comedy

CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago 5-Show Subscription: Flashdance, Once, Evita & More

Cirque Shanghai Returns to Navy Pier With Dragon’s Thunder

Blue Man Group at Chicago’s Briar Street Theatre

Step Back in Time at the Bristol Renaissance Faire

DALLAS
Avenue Q: The Irreverent Adult Puppet Musical From Theatre Three

HOUSTON
Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show: Cult Classic Live

LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy & De La Soul:Kings of the Mic Tour

China’s Famed Golden Dragon Acrobats at The Grand

Beastie Boys Tribute Band Rhymin’ N Stealin’ at House of Blues

INLAND EMPIRE
1950s Doo-Wop Musical Forever Plaid, Plus Dinner

Lionel Richie Plays His Hits All Night Long at the Bowl

Brad Williams (Mind of Mencia) at the Improv

LAS VEGAS
Marc Savard Comedy Hypnosis at V Theater at Planet Hollywood

Eli Roth’s Goretorium: Interactive Haunted Hotel

LOS ANGELES
Exclusive: Reserved Section for Goldstar Members at Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival

Lionel Richie Plays His Hits All Night Long at the Bowl

Pirate’s Dinner Adventure: An Interactive Dinner Show

Sunset Boulevard: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony-Winning Musical

MIAMI
Cirque Du Soleil’s Quidam at BB&T Center

Facts of Life: The Lost Episode: All-Male Cast Recreates ’80s Sitcom

Celebrate the 4th on the Independence Day Family Fireworks Cruise

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Sweet Revenge! Vaudeville Melodrama Plus Song & Dance

As You Like It: Shakespeare’s Pastoral Comedy in the Park

Explore the Sights of Lake Minnetonka on a Paradise Charter Cruise

When a Man Loves a Diva — The Hit Pop Musical Revue by Manly Men

NEW YORK
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella Comes to Broadway

iLuminate Artist of Light (As Seen on America’s Got Talent)

Circle Line Downtown’s Shark Speedboat Thrill Ride of New York Harbor

Daughtry and 3 Doors Down Live at Jones Beach

OAKLAND/EAST BAY
David and Amy Sedaris’ Outrageous ComedyThe Book of Liz

Yoshi’s Oakland: The Best Live Jazz in the East Bay

SF Symphony’s Best of Tchaikovsky on the Waterfront

ORANGE COUNTY
Pirate’s Dinner Adventure: An Interactive Dinner Show

PHILADELPHIA
SPY: The Secret World of Espionage at The Franklin Institute

Nora & Delia Ephron’s Hit Play Love, Loss and What I Wore

Big Time Rush With Victoria Justice: Summer Break Tour

PHOENIX
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap: Most Popular Whodunit of All Time

The Rocky Horror Show Rolls Into Desert Stages Theatre

PORTLAND
Greater Tuna, the Off-Broadway Comedy Sensation

Rose City Voodoo’s Summer Island Jam I & II — Music From Haiti to Hawaii

Vagabond Opera Performs The Pocket Watch at the Alberta Rose

SAN DIEGO
Hornblower’s Two-Hour Harbor Cruise of San Diego Bay

San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego Party: Food, Drink & Music

Stephen Sondheim’s Company, the Award-Winning Musical Comedy

SAN FRANCISCO
David and Amy Sedaris’ Outrageous Comedy The Book of Liz

Yoshi’s Oakland: The Best Live Jazz in the East Bay

SF Symphony’s Best of Tchaikovsky on the Waterfront

SAN JOSE
SF Symphony’s Best of Tchaikovsky on the Waterfront

’60s-Set Romeo and Juliet Under the Stars in Saratoga

SEATTLE
The Pirates of Penzance at The 5th Avenue Theatre

The Tillicum Village Salmon Bake and Cruise Adventure

Illyria: Musical Adaptation of Shakespeare’sTwelfth Night

Enjoy the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s 2013 Summer Festival

WASHINGTON D.C.
One Night With Janis Joplin: A Rock Musical Event

International Spy Museum: Enter the World of Secret Agents

Rabbit Hole: The Pulitzer-Winning Drama of Loss & Healing

Rock Musical BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story at Wolf Trap

Australian Bee Gees in Chicago – multimedia tribute concerts

australian-bee-gees-920The 17-year-old Australian Bee Gees Show makes its Chicago debut! Having sold more than 220 million records worldwide, the Bee Gees are one of the five most successful recording artists of all time, along with the Beatles, McCartney, Elvis and Michael Jackson. Aussie musicians Michael Clift, Wayne Hosking and Dave Scott have performed their Australian Bee Gees Show — a tribute to the iconic Brothers Gibb — in front of more than one million people in more than 40 countries. The 75-minute multimedia concert delivers over four decades of your favorite Bee Gees hits and features stunning technical effects and large screens with video clips. Break out your disco shoes for timeless classics like “Stayin’ Alive” and “You Should Be Dancin’.”

Discounted tickets (almost half-price) are available for performances over three weeks in July through Goldstar.