The Yellow Brick Road

Two Lovely Options for Valentine’s Day with the Whole Family

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:05:12 +0000

Want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with all of your loved ones? This coming weekend, we’ve got two great events going on at Emerald City shows…

Happily Ever After with Snow White

Feb 11 10:30am, 1pm; Feb 12 1pm

At The Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park

Join Prof. TJ Barker and his troupe of merry theatricals as they tell the classic fairy tale of Snow White. (See costume renderings from this production here.) Celebrate Fairy Tale Endings with a love-ly pre-show activity, and kids receive a special Happily Ever After gift after the show! Kids can take their grown-ups to this special weekend of shows by using ticket promo code SNOW–free adult ticket with purchase of a child ticket! Get tickets and more information here.

Pink is Love with Pinkalicious: The Musical

February 11th 10am and February 12th 10am

At The Broadway Playhouse on the Magnificent Mile

Pinkalicious, the whole Pinkerton Family, and their friends are looking forward to an especially pinkeriffic Valentine’s Day! Celebrate Pink Is Love downtown at the Broadway Playhouse by walking the Pink Carpet, enjoying a special Valentine’s treat before the show, and catching the pinkitastic Pinkalicious: The Musical! Plus, use ticket discount WINTER for 6 tickets for $99–bring the whole gang downtown! Get tickets and more information here.

Snow White Costume Renderings

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:00:09 +0000

Layers, layers, layers!

In Emerald City’s Snow White as Performed by TJ Barker’s Troupe of Theatricals, each actor plays an actor, who in turn plays a character in the classic fairy tale of Snow White. These costumes, designed by Nathan Rhorer (see his work on stage at If You Give a Cat a Cupcake and Pinkalicious: The Musical or elsewhere on this blog) show each character’s transformation from off stage to on stage (all, really, while being on stage.) What do you think the actors wear when they’re OFF off stage?

Snow White as Performed by TJ Barker’s Troupe of Theatricals opens January 21 and runs until May 20.

Written and Directed by Emerald City Producing Artistic Director, Ernie Nolan

Click to view slideshow.

Pinkalicious: The Musical Extends through Spring 2012

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:40:37 +0000

That’s right! The Pinkertons and their friends will be staying at the Broadway Playhouse through May 27!

This means that Pinkalicious: The Musical will be having its 100th performance in its downtown location, and that you can have Just One More (play about) pink cupcake(s). So if you had the pink blues because you have an acute case of Pinkititis, and you thought we were going to buzz off worry not–we’ve got your fix of green food right here!

Tickets to the EXTENDED RUN of Pinkalicious: The Musical are ON SALE now!

You Speak, I Speak, We Speak: Junie B. Jones

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:00:24 +0000

Junie B. Jones, First Grader

Learn to speak like Junie B. with dramaturg Catherine Smyka:

I’ve discovered my six-year-old Doppelganger: Junie Beatrice Jones. Junie B. and I shared similar adventures in our respective youths, liked and disliked similar foods, and even carried the same taste in fashion (truth: I’m a little bit jealous of her dinosaur sweater). But more than that, we shared a similar vocabulary.

Junie B. and I both love language. We love the feel of new words and the sound of alliteration. Plus, we share a love-hate relationship with adverbs.

To speak just like Junie B. is simple. Follow these five easy steps:

1) Use excessive exclamation points.

A quiet greeting can be made joyful with just a half dozen extra pieces of punctuation. For example: you could say, “Hello. How are you? That sounds good.”

Or you could say, “Hello!! How are you! That sounds good!!!”

Much better.

2) Turn a very long explanation into a short phrase.

Who has the time to explain the back-story of everything? Why not just insert a brief saying? For example, you might say, “I had a really, really awesome trip to the mall where I bought lots of things and maxed out my credit cards twice and then shoved all the bags into the trunk of the car and now my arms hurt.”

Or you might say, “Errands is the grown-up word for going to too many stores to buy stuff for too much money.”

3) Make up words.

Junie B. spends a lot of time with her beloved dictionary, which is a great educational tool. But sometimes, she just wants to say what she means. Who cares if it isn’t actually a word? It should be a word, I tell you!

For example, someone might be wearing a red sweater. But it’s not actually red. It’s just kinda red. Therefore, it is redish. Boom.

4) Be vocal about how emotions affect you and your friends.

Kindergarten is hard! So is life! Junie B. doesn’t have time to figure out exactly how to say “something is beyond frustration for her classmate.” Instead she might say, “Jose has frustration in him.” Well, he does!

5) Express emergencies!

If you are trying to find the bathroom because you really have to go, and then you finally do but the door is locked, what do you do? Do what your mother taught you and call for help! For Junie B., she usually relies on shouting the phrase, “Call 911!” That seems to work most of the time.

Now take these simple tips and apply them to your own life and look! You’ll be talking like Junie B. Jones in no time.

Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells plays at the Apollo Theater through January 8th. To learn more, visit our website.

Emerald City: The Land of 100 Performances

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:00:11 +0000

Hi there! The names Emily B. I’m an education intern at Emerald City Theatre. Would you believe that this time of year, we have over 100 performances going on throughout the city? That number includes professional shows at the Apollo Theatre and Broadway in Chicago (If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells Batman Smells, and Pinkalicious), our theatre school final showcases , our touring shows, and all of our after school presentations! All that acting sure keeps us intern elves busy, working behind the scenes and in the classroom to prepare young thespians to take the stage! I work with both theatre school and after school students, helping them create an ensemble, develop characters, and rehearse scenes along with musical numbers. Many of these student performances are open to the public! (Get tickets here!) I have learned a lot from watching these kids work so hard to create a show. Mainly, I’ve learned that you should never underestimate the power of a child’s imagination!

Sometimes it can be hard to tap into that same imagination as an adult, but the professional actors of Junie B. Jones Jingle Bells Batman Smells are pros at this! I recently got a sneak peak of our newest show, which opened November 19^th. I got to see the show before it officially opened, when they were running a technical rehearsal, which is the professional word for putting all the pieces together (lights, sound, and set), and seeing if they all work together. In spite of problems with props and scenery changes, the actors and director were able to find solutions that worked for everybody. When I saw a full run, I was impressed by the stamina of the actors – they are able to keep up with the high energy of the show while moving lots of set pieces and being very physically energetic throughout. To top it off, they were also really funny!

At Lycee Francais de Chicago, one of our after school partners, I work with students who are creating a Junie B. play of their very own! The students at Lycee still have ten weeks before they take the stage with their play, so they have been working on characters, creating gestures for their characters, and writing a 20 line scene between Junie B. and Mean Ol’ Jim. Recently, they got to perform two of the monologues from the professional play. The students are writing the scenes they will perform, which will be different from what you see on our professional stage. It is based on the books, the children’s own experiences, and their ideas.

Emerald City Theatre School’s Mamma Mia class recently made props, like dolphins, palm trees, and a disco ball for our final showcase presentation which is only a few weeks away! Everyone was very excited, and we had a lot of props to make but we still managed to rehearse three songs (Dancing Queen, Thank You For the Music, and Take a Chance on Me) and create the dance for one, too! Our Mamma Mia script is different from the original, and our students get to perform a lot of physical comedy and goofy bits (just like the professionals!) I’ve had a lot of fun with all my students, helping them rehearse and grow!

We’re all working really hard to create some wonderful performances that I hope you’ll join us to see! And with over 100 performances in 38 days, there’s bound to be something out there for you!

Emerald City Theatre School Final Shows @ Stage 773 (Tickets)

Junie B. Jones in: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells @ The Apollo Theater (Tickets)

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake @ The Apollo Theater (Tickets)

Pinkalicious: The Musical @ The Broadway Playhouse (Tickets)

From the trenches: An interview with Junie B Jones’ Stage Manager

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:31:58 +0000

The Junie B. Jones crew is all out at Governors State University this weekend, bringing burps and good cheer to University Park, IL. The Yellow Brick Road news team decided to chat for a few minutes with production stage manager, Navi Afshar.

YBR: Hi Navi!

NA: I don’t have time for this.

YBR: Great, so let’s get right down to it. C an you tell the folks at home what a stage manager is and does?

NA: A stage manager is like a curator at a museum. We take the work that is created by the artist(s) and maintain the intent and integrity of the production. The biggest difference is that we are doing a live show everyday in front of an audience. A stage manager is responsible for many things, including making sure everyone is there on time and that all the lighting and sound happens when it is supposed to.

YBR: Wow. That sounds really important!

NA: It is.

YBR: Well, as master and commander of the Junie B. Jones universe, how did you guys get all the way to GSU from Chicago? Didn’t you have to pack up all of Classroom One, the props, the costumes, not to mention, the actors?

NA: Lucille’s Richie Nanna decided that her grand-daughter was not going to get into a van and drive all the way to GSU. So, with some coordination from Mr. Scary and myself, Lucille’s Nanna rented a private Jet to take us down. Of course that meant we had to listen to Lucille talk about her indoor swimming pool the whole way…

Ok, but really we rented a U-Haul and a van and hauled everyone out early in the morning. There were lots of sleepy people.

YBR: Ah yes, the joys of life on the road. Another openin, another show eh? Eh?

NA: Right.

YBR: So what’s different about the show at GSU, besides its coordinates?

NA: There are many different types of stages for theatre. At the Apollo we have what is called a thrust stage, where the audience is on three sides. At GSU we have what is called a proscenium stage where the audience is on one side. A proscenium stage can feel like you are looking at a story book and a thrust stage can feel like you the book is coming right out at you. That being said, the show isn’t that much different aside from the audience being only on one side of the stage, as opposed to the three sides at the Apollo. Our director, Jackie Stone, directed the show in such a way that we were able to easily adapt the show for the GSU stage without any major changes.

YBR: Wow, it sounds like this Jackie Stone is as amazing at directing as you are at stage managing. What a team! So what’s your favorite part of the play?

NA: My favorite part of the show? Sheldon’s line about the 35 cents he is owed by Jeff Hooks! Sheldon is one of my favorite characters, and in my opinion, an unsung hero of the play.

YBR: Sometimes Stage Managers are the unsung heroes of the theatre. But not this time! Because as a special thank you for spending your valuable time, we’ve written you a song:

NananananananananaNAVI

NananananananananaNAVI

(It’s to the tune of “Batman”, can you tell?)

Catch Junie B. Jones in: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells this weekend at Governors State University Center for the Performing Arts, Dec 3 and 4!

Tickets and Information

Or back at home at the Apollo Theatre, playing until January 8th!

Tickets and Information

Classroom One Goes on a Field Trip to Governors State University

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:51:02 +0000

Dear First Grade Blog,

This weekend I am going to be going on a Field Trip! All of Classroom One is going. And I mean all of Classroom One, I tell you. We are bringing the furniture, the walls, and even Mr. Scary! Where are we all going to, you may ask? Well, we will be doing our holiday play at Governors State University

in their Auditorium! It will be a hoot! Also, I hope Blabbermouth May will not be there, but Mr. Scary says that the show must go on so I think she will have to come.

From,

Junie B. Jones, First Grader

P.S. I hope I will see you there!

Emerald City’s

at Governors State University Center for the Performing Arts

Saturday, December 3 @ 11 a.m.

Sunday, December 4 @ 1p.m.

Click here for tickets and information!

Carli’s Day of Pink!

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:58:01 +0000

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Carli, who loved the color pink. She was as sweet as cupcakes and as lovely as a princess. Unfortunately, Carli was also beset by a big, bad disease called cancer–but she didn’t let that keep her from being sweet, lovely, and pink.

One day, a group of people called Bear Necessities arrived at Carli’s door–with a pink limousine ready to whisk Carli and her family away for a Day of Pink!

They got into the pink limo, and it brought them downtown to the Broadway Playhouse to see none other than Pinkalicious: The Musical! This was a very pink day, indeed, but it would get pinker!

When Carli and her family got out of the pink limousine, they were greeted by a glamorous pink carpet that had been rolled out just for them! They got to do the Pinkalicious pre-show craft activity, Carli got photographed by ClubPhotoBooth pink paparazzi, and she got a bag full of Pink gifts and crafts from Emerald City!

After the show (which everyone would agree was pinkitastic!) Carli and herfamily hung out with the Pinkertons and their friends on stage. Carli blended right in–but thankfully the birds and the bees weren’t around to mistake her for a pink peony!

Then, back into the pink limousine pink Carli and her pink family (even apinkified brother) went–and off to Heavenly Cupcakes they were whisked, for a sweet end to a very pink day.

For more about Carli’s day of pink, check out WGN’s coverage.

Character Day at the Theatre School

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:45:39 +0000

Hello, Hello! My name is Katie, and I’m an Education intern here at Emerald City Theatre School. Like all the interns, I help out with classes, office work and any other odd jobs that need to be done to keep the school running like clockwork.

A few weeks ago, our Theatre School classes got to participate in Character Day! This is where a character from our current show, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake came in and talked to our students about the play, who their characters are, and what being a professional actor is like.

The first character day that I experienced had the actress who plays Girl in If You Give a Cat a Cupcake come to visit our class. Some of the students had seen her in the play and were really excited to get to talk to her. Leah read the Laura Numeroff book on which the play is based to our class and taught everyone the gesture dance that she teaches the audience at the end of the show. It was a really great work out! Leah also talked to our students about different jobs in a theater that make putting a play on stage possible including how a costume designer created her beautiful costume and how the prop master made all of the “things” in the show for the actors to use.

The actor who plays “Sensei Chuck” came into another class I assist with. The actor hid in the back while Miss Katie, our lead teacher, read the first part of the book. When we got to the part about Cat taking a karate class, Kyle, in full Sensei Chuck regalia, came out and surprised the class! Miss Katie then conducted an interview with the character about creating his own kind of karate, hobbies, and having a best friend. Then, Miss Katie revealed to our class that Sensei Chuck wasn’t a real karate instructor - it was really Kyle the actor! Removing his wig, Kyle talked to our class about what he really likes about doing the show, his favorite hobbies, and even his favorite foods. Then he brought out another surprise guest: Louis the Crab. Louis is actually a fuzzy puppet, and Kyle showed us how whenever they are on stage together, Louis the Crab gets all the attention.

Some of our older students got to hold Louis the Crab and try out some puppetry. (I did, too, and it was so much fun!) They really enjoyed asking Kyle about how he creates his characters; he has the special challenge of playing five different characters on stage! He discussed how each one of them moves, speaks, and looks differently than the others. “You can’t be embarrassed when trying out new things,” he told our class. “When something works, it’s great, and when it doesn’t, that’s ok, too.” When he left, he gave our students some great advice: “Never stop playing. Keep using your imagination, because that is the greatest actor tool you can have.”

If You Give a Cat a Comic…

emeraldcitytheatrecompany — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:57:22 +0000

…You might win a contest!

Emerald City’s Education Department is running the “Draw Your Own Discoveries” comic-drawing contest in conjunction with If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, now playing at the Apollo Theater.

Download your comic worksheet here!

Here are the rules:

All children 3-5 and 6-12 are invited to submit their best If/Then discovery comics by 11:59 pm on Nov 5. Only one entry per child.

To enter, take a picture of your entry or save your scan as a jpeg and either:

Upload your image and tag it on our Facebook page

Email your image to lsiciliano@emeraldcitytheatre.com

All entries emailed to the company will be uploaded to our Facebook page. Please make sure your image is a jpeg.

One winner will receive a Cat plush and two free tickets to If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. Another winner will receive a Louis the Crab plush and two free tickets to see the show before it ends on Jan 7th. There will be one winner from each age group.

Fill out the following information to accompany your submission. Email info to lsiciliano@emeraldcitytheatre.com whether you choose to upload the comic to our Facebook page or email a version in:

Parent Name
Child Name
Child Age Group (3-5 or 6-12)
Best Phone Number to reach you at
Email