OPENING: How We Got On Kicks Off Haven's Season As First Show In The Den’s New Bookspan Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

HAVEN THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE 

HOW WE GOT ON

WRITTEN BY IDRIS GOODWIN AND DIRECTED BY JESS MCLEOD, AT THE DEN THEATRE, SEPTEMBER 29 – NOVEMBER 12

The Chicago Premiere is the Inaugural Production within the Den Theatre’s New 99-Seat Bookspan Theatre Where Haven Theatre Company Serves as the Head Resident Company 

Attached image by Joe Mazza/Brava Lux inc

ChiIL Mama will be there for the press opening this Sunday, so check back soon for our full review. We're excited to see The Den Theatre's new space and check out Haven Theatre Company's latest production. Idris Goodwin's How We Got On will begin their fourth season, directed by Jess McLeod, at the company’s new home within the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre, 1335 Milwaukee Ave., September 29 – November 12. 

Previews are Thursday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct.1 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular run tickets are $32, senior tickets are $20 and college/industry tickets are $15 (preview tickets are $12). You may purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.

NOTE: In partnership with Young Chicago Authors, Haven Theatre is pledging six free tickets to high school students for each performance. At showtime, the offer will extend: all unsold seats will go to high school students, free of charge. Students must present a High School Student ID or an alternative proof of enrollment to the box office to redeem. Haven is committed to offering a sanctuary for budding artists and the Chicago community, providing greater access to art for young audiences.  With the support of YCA, How We Got On will be a step in that effort.

In this remixed coming-of-age story, an all-knowing DJ loops the audience through the tracks of three Midwestern teen rappers stranded in suburbia. Determined to find their artistic voices; Hank, Julian and Luann are forced to combat the discord of crude technology, family dysfunction and ruthless rivalries as this B-side of 1980’s hip-hop history is spun. Plug in an open mind for the Chicago premiere of a throwback mix tape that goes to prove: we’re all just a work-in-progress.

It is with great pride Haven Theatre Company gets to produce this work, as well as future productions, in the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre as the resident company. Haven Theatre Company’s Founder and Executive Director Carol Cohen said, “We have always wanted a space to call our own, but the cost, not to mention the responsibilities and logistics that entails, was just too much.” She continued, “When The Den Theatre’s Artistic Director Ryan Martin suggested that Haven come on as a resident company, it was a dream come true. And then, we were offered the opportunity to name this new space, we could not have been happier.”

The Bookspan Theatre is named after Janet Bookspan, a respected arts educator, performance coach, director, performer. Haven Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Josh Sobel stated “"When Carol asked me about suggestions for a name of Haven Theatre’s new home at the Den, the thought process took, without exaggeration, about three seconds,” commented Sobel. “Janet was an influential force in the performing arts, with a life and career embodied by thinking outside the box and nurturing others to reach their full potential. Bestowing the new space with her name is also a significant moment for me personally, as Janet was my aunt as well as one of my biggest artistic influences. As Haven launches this season with a commitment to nurturing the theatrical voices of the future, how fitting it feels to have Janet’s name endowing this new venue and with it her spirit, her memory and her legacy.”

Cast for How We Got On includes: Tevion Lanier (Hank), Johnathan Nieves (Julian), Ireon Roach (Luann) and Angela Alise (Selector).

The production team for How We Got On includes: Jess McLeod (director), JC Windom (stage manager), Krista Mickelson (production manager and managing director) Arnel Sancianco (set designer), Stephanie Cluggish (costume designer), Lee Fiskness (lighting designer), Stephen Ptacek (sound designer) and Archer Curry (props designer and set dresser).

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT IDRIS GOODWIN

Idris Goodwin is a playwright, rapper and essayist. His plays include How We Got On, Remix 38 (Actors Theater of Louisville), And In This Corner: Cassius Clay (StageOne Family Theater), This Is Modern Art (Steppenwolf), Blackademics (MPAACT, Crowded Fire), Bars and Measures (B Street Theatre, NNPN RWP) and The Raid (Jackalope Theatre). Goodwin is one of the six playwrights featured in Hands Up, an anthology commissioned by The New Black Fest. Hands Up has been presented across the country. His latest play The Realness is having its world premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. He is the recipient of Oregon Shakespeare’s American History Cycle Commission and InterAct Theater’s 20/20 Award. Goodwin has been a writer in residence at The Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Center, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor Program, The Lark Playwriting Center and New Harmony Project. An accomplished Hip Hop poet, his albums include Break Beat Poems and Rhyming While Black. Goodwin was featured on HBO, Sesame Street and Discovery Channel. He is the author of the pushcart nominated essay collection These Are The Breaks (Write Bloody, 2011). Goodwin is the co-host and contributor to Critical Karaoke, a radio show and podcast about music and culture. He also teaches performance writing and Hip Hop aesthetics at Colorado College.

ABOUT DIRECTOR JESS MCLEOD

Jess McLeod returns to Haven Theatre Company where she previously directed The Wedding Singer. Additional Chicago credits include Lauren Yee’s in a word (Strawdog Theatre Company), For Your Art: portrait of a young blu artist (Lyric Unlimited/Lyric Opera of Chicago), Shawn Pfautsch’s Season on the Line (The House Theatre of Chicago); Kevin Coval’s L-vis Live! (Victory Gardens Theater); Suzan-Lori Parks’s Venus (Steppenwolf Next Up!); Kin (Griffin Theatre); Emily Schwartz’s Funeral Wedding: The Alvin Play (Strange Tree Group); Babes In Arms (Porchlight Revisits) and The 48-Hour Musicals: Encore!, The Pajama Game and Fugitive Songs (The Music Theatre Company). New York credits include Joyce Carol Oates's The Corn Maiden, Harrison David Rivers’s Fell, Rachel Axler’s Kitchen Sink, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, Brad Ross & Joe Keenan’s The Times, and The Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds (NYMF).  Assistant/Associate Director: Moonshine! That Hee-Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center), A Parallelogram (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The New Moon (City Center Encores!), Willful (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and Gypsy and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). McLeod served as co-artistic director of The Music Theatre Company from 2014-15, director of programming of The New York Musical Theatre Festival from 2005-08, festival coordinator of Louder Than A Bomb 2016 and works currently as a teaching artist with Storycatchers Theatre. She received her M.F.A from, Northwestern University.

ABOUT HAVEN THEATRE COMPANY

Haven Theatre Company is one of Chicago's fastest rising companies. Last fall, Haven's sold-out run of Arlene Hutton's Last Train to Nibroc, received a coveted four-star review from Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune, who proclaimed the production "deserves to be the sleeper hit of the summer." Nibroc also received three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations (the company’s first Jeff-eligible production) and received the prize for Best Principal Actress in a Play. In 2015, Haven launched “The Director's Haven,” a unique initiative built to better support the career development and community visibility of directors at the very earliest stages of their professional journeys. Additionally, Haven has produced highly lauded productions of Deborah Bruce's The Distance (U.S. Premiere), Theresa Rebeck's Seminar (Chicago Premiere), Catherine Treischmann's Hot Georgia Sunday (Chicago Premiere), Stephen Belber's Don't Go Gentle (Chicago Premiere) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. 

Haven Theatre Company announces How We Got On to begin their fourth season, written by Idris Goodwin and directed by Jess McLeod, at the company’s new home within the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre, 1335 Milwaukee Ave., September 29 – November 12. Previews are Thursday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct.1 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular run tickets are $32, senior tickets are $20 and college/industry tickets are $15 (preview tickets are $12). You may purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.

REVIEW: Reprise Recreates Recollections With Enjoyable Everyman Immigrant Tale

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Reprise Returns From Scotland With New November Dates At Adventure Stage Theatre

Northwestern Settlement’s Adventure Stage Chicago Adds More Dates to Reprise; Postpones new work Jack’s House to a later season.

ChiIL Mama had the pleasure of catching Reprise in their short 3 day run before they took the Chicago-centric commissioned piece abroad for Theatre of Scotland’s Home Away Festival in Glasgow. They're slated to perform in Scotland on October 8th then they'll be back home with a fall run for the public and school groups. We immensely enjoyed this history wrapped in mystery. Reprise recreates recollections with an enjoyable everyman immigrant tale. Recommended.

We've long been fans of Adventure Stage's excellent works. Their book based original adaptations via Artistic Director, Tom Arvetis, have pleased kids and parents alike for years. Recent productions have focused on an original post apocalyptic series. Now they're taking things one step further and writing their own past history in the form of Reprise, a fictional "everyman" immigrant tale based on the spark of an actual event. 

Amid the current political hotbed of immigrant bashing and backlash, it's so refreshing to see a poignant tale of struggle and success. Reprise begins as the story of a violin loaned to a boy and evolves into so much more. This production follows a European immigrant and his instrument from boyhood to old age, and takes the audience along on the journey, through triumphs and tribulations. We experience family, community, layoffs, financial hardships, bullying, marriage, love and loss. And throughout it all, the love and joy of music is interwoven. This production reminds us that music can unite, and compassion is key. It's incredibly tough to begin again in a new land where the language and everything is strange. Truly we are all connected, and one never knows the ripples a kind act will send out into the universe or down through the decades.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of Northwestern Settlement (the Settlement), announces additional dates for its fall production of Reprise, due to popular demand. A new play with original music forming part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Home Away Festival (performing in Glasgow on October 8), Reprise will return to Chicago for public performances November 4-5. School matinees are scheduled for November 1-10. ASC also announces the postponement of Jack’s House. 

All performances take place at Northwestern Settlement’s Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St. Tickets are $10 for preview performances, and $17 for adults and $12 for youth aged 14 years and younger for the regular run. Tickets may be purchased at adventurestage.org or by calling 773.342.4141 

Reprise 
November 4 - 5, 2016
Friday 7pm; Saturday 4pm

An old man returns a violin to Northwestern Settlement. Ms. Harriet Vittum lent it to him 80 years earlier, with the promise that he bring it back when he was done. With original music and lyrics inspired by Chicago’s cultural traditions, Reprise follows an immigrant story as we discover what he did with the instrument all those years, how he knew he was finished, and what it meant to keep his promise. The only North American company commissioned to participate in the National Theatre of Scotland’s Home Away Festival, ASC will tell the story of this decades-long community connection during a limited return engagement. 

Reprise has been featured in American Theatre Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Time Out Chicago Kids, and Ada Grey “really liked how the show had a powerful sense of community.” 

This production is supported in part by: the National Theatre of Scotland; the British Association for American Studies, US Embassy, London; and the Old Town School of Folk Music. 

Reprise is directed by Sarah Rose Graber, produced by Casey Pilkenton, with compositions and musical direction by John Szymanski, and features Felipe Carrasco, Sindy I. Castro, Mara Dale, Jacob Kelly, La Shone Kelly, Jose Nateras, Kalman Strauss, and Justine C. Turner, with Brandon Wardell (lighting and scenic design); Jessica Kuehnau Wardell (costume and scenic design); and Jen Poulin (stage management). 

About the Home Away Festival:
Spanning five continents, Home Away: An International Festival of Participatory Arts sees the National Theatre of Scotland partner with theatre artists and community arts organizations from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Brisbane (Australia), Chicago (USA), New Delhi (India), and Kingston (Jamaica). 

These five organizations will come together with five companies from Scotland, including Artlink (Edinburgh), (Uist) a new Highlands Gaelic arts collective, and the Bangladeshi Association of Glasgow. As part of the program, ten original theatre pieces, commissioned by the National Theatre of Scotland, will be created by professional artists working with community participants. Each production will premiere within the community where it has been created and will be subsequently showcased at the Home Away festival in Glasgow. 

Jack’s House: 

ASC announces the postponement of Jack’s House, an original work conceptualized as a celebration of Northwestern Settlement’s 125-year history and the many vibrant individuals who make up our community. New works need time and space to develop, and we will continue to craft a play that best represents ASC’s values and the Settlement’s mission and commitment to service. ASC now directs its efforts to the return of Reprise, to our 2 presentations during the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival (Puzzle Theater’s Plastique, Jan 20-23; and Open Eye Figure Theatre’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Jan 24-27); and to our remount of Six Stories Tall, which will bookend our first- ever national tour. 

About Northwestern Settlement and Adventure Stage Chicago:
Northwestern Settlement opened its doors to its neighbors in 1891 in order to provide an opportunity for a better future. The Settlement’s success results from a commitment to treating every person who enters its doors with dignity and respect, while supporting them with transformational programming designed to interrupt the cycle of poverty. The Settlement has adapted its programming throughout the past century in response to changes in the community, economy and society. The Settlement has led the way in innovative programming by offering residential science and environmental education for inner-city youth, launching successful charter schools and adding a theater so children and teens have a forum for expressing their life experiences. 

The Settlement’s Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) is one of the only theaters in Chicago to develop and present works specifically for the pre-teen and teenage audience. Adventure Stage Chicago creates and tells heroic stories about young people in order to engage the community and inspire everyone to be a hero in their own lives. ASC also offers: Neighborhood Bridges, the in-classroom arts residency program; Trailblazers, a youth mentoring arts program; summer drama camps; and drama instruction in the Settlement’s Rowe Elementary School. 

Adventure Stage Chicago is a member of IPAY (International Performing Arts for Youth), League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and TYA/USA. www.northwesternsettlement.org www.adventurestage.org 

ADULT NIGHT OUT: Hamilton Lottery for $10 Day of Show Tickets

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

#HAM4HAM LOTTERY FOR

44 DAY-OF-SHOW TICKETS FOR $10 EACH

TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER 27

Producer Jeffrey Seller and Broadway In Chicago are pleased to announce the day-of-show digital lottery for HAMILTON, launching in Chicago on September 27, 2016 at The PrivateBank Theatre (18 W. Monroe). The Chicago production will conduct a day-of-show lottery for every performance beginning on Tuesday, September 27. Forty-four day-of-show tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each. Seat locations vary per performance; some seats will be located in the front row and the boxes.

HOW TO ENTER

Visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/HamiltonLottery for available lottery performances.

Click the “Enter Now” button for the performance you want to attend.

Fill out the entry form including the number of tickets you would like (1 or 2). Patrons will receive a confirmation email once they have validated their email (one time only) and successfully entered the lottery.

After the lottery closes, patrons will be notified via email within minutes as to whether they have won or not.

Winners have 60 minutes to pay for tickets online via major credit card.

After payment has been received and a confirmation payment email has been received, patrons can pick up tickets at The PrivateBank Theatre Box Office (18 W Monroe) no sooner than 30 minutes before show time with a valid photo ID.

ADDITIONAL RULES

Limit 1 entry per person, per performance. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Patrons must be 18 years old and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the names used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. All lottery prices include a $3.00 facility fee. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice. Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges. Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. For more details, please visit BroadwayInChicago.com/HamiltonLotteryFAQ.

ABOUT HAMILTON

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now. HAMILTON’s creative team previously collaborated on the 2008 Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA. The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater. The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide.  The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. 

For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com,www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical,www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 16 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including The PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. 

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Highly Recommended Haunts: DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK at Rosemont

Halloween Haunts On Our Radar:

“DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK” RETURNS TO TORMENT MB FINANCIAL PARK VISITORS THIS OCTOBER

Back in the day, I spent 3 years working a haunted house during the Halloween season as Carrie and a bloody bride, and it was great fun. I'll admit to making grownups pee themselves in terror, cry, and one women even ran screaming through the emergency exit. I'm retired from the gig now, but I'll always have a soft spot for those days, and I'm happy to send my readers to excellent haunts that may just have the same effect.

MB Financial Park’s acclaimed interactive horror experience “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” will return to the basement level of the MB Financial Park parking garage (5501 Park Place) Friday, Sept. 30. The sinister attraction, featuring 20,000 square feet of terror with more than 35 rooms, will remain open through Monday, Nov. 5. Tickets are now available.

Guests of “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” determine their own fate based on the choices they make while traversing the inescapable halls of the haunt. New experiences for 2016 include a multi-level underground sewer where dark and ominous waters await; and a petrifying swamp filled with unnerving creatures waiting to torment unsuspecting trespassers. The haunt’s newly remodeled exit is sure to haunt the dreams of its victims – as long as they are able to escape unscathed.

“Disturbia: Screams in the Park” is a product of Joseph and Mike Pantano. The attraction’s highly interactive nature and high quality settings help distinguish it from other haunts in the Chicago area. In its debut year, “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” was ranked third by the Chicago Tribune and Haunted Illinois in their lists of top Chicago-area haunted houses.

Tickets and More Information

“Disturbia: Screams in the Park” is an indoor environment that operates rain or shine. General admission tickets are $25 per person Sundays through Thursdays and $30 per person Fridays and Saturdays. VIP tickets, which allow ticketholders quicker access and less wait time for the haunt, are also available for $40 per person. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more at www.grouptix.net. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at www.disturbiascreams.com. Tickets can also be purchased on-site.

A minimum age of 13 is recommended for the haunt and parental discretion is advised. The haunt is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays and from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Below are the days of operation:

• September 30 - October 2

• October 7 - 9

• October 14 - 16

• October 20- 23

• October 26 - 31

• November 4 - 5 (pitch black experience; all lights in the haunt will be turned off)

Parking is free with validation from the haunted house ticket booth. After parking in the MB Financial Park parking garage, guests can follow signage directing them to the main elevators located in the middle of the parking garage and take the elevators to “LL” to descend into the underground world of “Disturbia: Screams in the Park.”

About The Village of Rosemont, Illinois: Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Rosemont is home to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and a host of entertainment and retail venues. Rosemont continues to grow and evolve based on the new vision of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. For more information, visit www.Rosemont.com.

About The MB Financial Park at Rosemont: MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex whose 13 venues offer upscale international cuisine, live music and comedy, state-of-the-art film, bowling and more. Conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is easily accessible from Chicago as well as the suburbs. The address is 5501 Park Place, a looping street situated west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral Avenues.  A 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is walking distance from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, the CTA Blue Line Rosemont station, Fashion Outlets of Chicago and the Rosemont Theatre. Convenient parking is available and is free with validation from any of the park’s venues. For more information, visit www.mbparkatrosemont.com.

Kids' Genuine Birthstone Earrings In 14K Setting 30% Off

Got a daughter with pierced ears? We have a great special to share, for 14k Gold .50ct TW Genuine Birthstone Earrings. We have been compensated with a sample pair for review purposes.

Since ancient times the wearing of birthstones has been thought to bring good luck and good health. Every month has its own special stone, each with own fabled qualities and benefits. I'll be ordering an Emerald pair for my May daughter, born on actual Mother's Day.

Now KidsGold -14k for Kids is offering your favorite girl her very own pair of 14k Gold .50ct TW Genuine Birthstone Earrings in a beautiful basket setting at 30% off! All months with their corresponding gemstones are included!

Each pair of 14k Gold Genuine Birthstone Earrings at $48.99 (regular price $69.99) comes Gift Boxed with a Matching Tote + Free Shipping! ORDER HERE.

Beginning in 1979, the creators of KidsGold -14k for Kids have been merchandising 14k gold children's jewelry programs for major retailers throughout the country. 

KidsGold -14k for Kids is 14k Gold Children's Jewelry at Great Prices + Free Shipping! Genuine Birthstones, Earrings, Necklaces, Religious, Rings, Bracelets. Every item comes gift boxed with a matching tote. Visit www.kidsgold.com for their complete selection.

Disclosure: We have been compensated with a sample pair for review purposes, as part of US Family Bloggers. All opinions are my own.

FLASH GIVEAWAY: WIN 2 Tickets to Play Minecraft on the Big Screen in Movie Theatres And Discount Code For All

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've partnered up with Super League Gaming in the past, to bring some rockin' giveaways and discounts to our readers. We're pleased to spread the word again for this fall's Minecraft events and competitive leagues nationwide.

Enter Promo Code CHIILMAMA AND SAVE 

9/16-10/31! 

Disclosure: Thanks to Super League Gaming for providing our readers with a discount, and giveaway tickets. We have been compensated for sharing this information. As always, all opinions are my own.

Flash giveaway: enter through midnight Monday

 ENTER HERE for your chance to WIN 2 FREE kids' tickets to your choice of 1 of the following 4 Bolingbrook, IL Minecraft events ($40 value)/non playing parents free:

Fall 2016 Minecraft One-Off Events

Event 1: Tuesday, 9/20,  4:30pm – 6:00pm
BUY $20 SINGLE SESSION

Event 2: Saturday, 9/24, 10:30am – 12:00pm BUY $20 SINGLE SESSION

Event 3: Tuesday, 9/27, 4:30pm – 6:00pm 

BUY $20 SINGLE SESSION

Event 4: Saturday, 10/1, 10:30am – 12:00pm

BUY $20 SINGLE SESSION

ALL AGES WELCOME: Most participating children are around 6-16 years old. However, gamers of all ages are welcome (as long as they know how to play Minecraft and have it installed on their laptop). Non playing parents/guardians are FREE!

ILLINOIS

	Theatre	Address
	iPic Bolingbrook	619 E Boughton Rd, Bolingbrook, IL

Fall 2016 Minecraft Competitive League

Event 1: Tuesday, 10/18, 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Event 2: Tuesday, 10/25, 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Event 3: Tuesday, 11/1, 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Event 4: Tuesday, 11/8, 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Super League Gaming is having Minecraft events this fall/winter in Bolingbrook.  Their events are kid-centric, creating an atmosphere where kids can come play Minecraft in a fun, social environment.... a movie theater! They pride themselves on taking Minecraft, one of the most popular video games out there for kids, and turning it into a social experience on the big screen.  Kids will play together in a fun environment, meet other kids with similar interests and get to show off their Minecraft skills. Adults attend FREE. 

Enter Promo Code CHIILMAMA AND SAVE $5-$20

9/16-10/31! 

ABOUT SUPER LEAGUE

Super League Gaming is the world’s first and biggest video game league that takes place in movie theatres worldwide. Bringing gamers of all ages together for a social, face-to-face gameplay experience on the big screen, Super League Gaming lets your kids and teens take their love of video games beyond the living room walls.

FALL ONE-DAY EVENTS START SEPTEMBER 20

From September 20 to October 1, you’ll be able to experience one of Super League's custom built, one-of- a-kind Minecraft worlds. Explore the outer reaches of space, save the world as a superhero or journey to the depths of the deep sea. Build, battle, and enjoy a variety of games you can’t get anywhere else, with all the action broadcast on the movie theatre’s big screen. Come for one or come for them all.

NEW MINECRAFT SEASON STARTS OCTOBER 18

Coming soon to a movie theatre near you is Super League's Metropolis Madness! This four-week league runs once per week from October 18 to November 9. A cross-country adventure unlike any other, you’ll travel through the biggest cities, sights, and landmarks in America, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco, and the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.  

Disclosure: Thanks to Super League Gaming for providing our readers with a discount, and giveaway tickets. We have been compensated for sharing this information. As always, all opinions are my own.

Cottonelle is hosting the Namast’ay Clean Sweepstakes In honor of National Yoga Month

It's National Yoga Month throughout September, but your last chance to enter to WIN amazing prizes from Cottonelle is here. Don't miss this!

Here at ChiIL Mama we're pleased to partner up with Cottonelle once again, on a sponsored post. We have been compensated for sharing this fabulous sweepstakes with our readers. As always all opinions are my own.

Enter Cottonelle's Namast’ay Clean Sweepstakes for a chance to win a VIP-access trip to Wanderlust Miami. Prizes include two VIP tickets, $1,000 in spending and access to VIP bathrooms (stocked with Cottonelle, of course!). Enter through Sept. 15! 

Research from the larger Cottonelle Go Commando commercial program suggests that nearly two in five people (38%) have gone commando for fitness. Whether you choose to or not, Cottonelle wants yogis to know that only CleanRipple Texture is designed to clean better so that you can go commando in confidence.

Thanks to Cottonelle for sending us a fun box of Fitness Must-Haves based on Giuliana Rancic's Fitness Styling Tips 

My husband, a location sound engineer, worked with Giuliana Rancic and her husband on the Giuliana And Bill Show, back in the day, and said they were a pleasure to work with. He came home with some amazing cell phone shots from inside their home including a stunning collection of celebrity photos lining their walls. 

My gymnast daughter and I are enjoying her post workout tips for going from sweaty to chic. I've got the mascara, lip gloss, dry shampoo, and Cottonelle flushable cleansing cloths in my gym bag. 

My 13 year old has happily claimed the black baseball cap, travel Cottonelle wipes pack, and hair ties. 

She was thrilled to find out that the Emi Jay hair ties were created by Julianne Goldmark & Emily Matson, teen entrepreneurs who donate 20% of their profits to charity!

Here at ChiIL Mama we're pleased to partner up with Cottonelle once again, on a sponsored post. We have been compensated for sharing this fabulous sweepstakes with our readers. As always all opinions are my own.

ChiIL Mama's Adventures at Radio Flyer's Taking Flight Red Carpet Premiere

When Radio Flyer asked us to partner up on a sponsored post and come out to their headquarters to cover the world premiere showing of their awesome animated short, Taking Flight, we jumped at the chance. My family history with Radio Flyer dates back to 1939 when my mom was a toddler, rockin' her sunglasses on a Sunshine Flyer! I have fond memories of my own little red wagon and Radio Flyer sled from my childhood. And now I'm a mom of two teens who grew up loving their multiple Radio Flyer toys. 

1939—Judy, 14 months (My MOM!), and Bonnie Rigney, 18 months in Flyer wagon

We adored Taking Flight and have the short available right here for you to see below, along with loads of playful shots from the world premiere. It's a charming celebration of creative and multigenerational bonding and a crowd pleaser for all ages. If you've got a fun history with Radio Flyer, they're also collecting stories and photos and picking weekly winners for some sweet prizes! Full details are below.



Love the shirt "That's How I Roll". Too cute.



Long time blog friends of mine, Johana (AKA: Momma Cuisine) & Natasha of Houseful of Nicholes.




ChiIL Mama ChiILin' with Natasha (Houseful of Nicholes) and Grandpa Nono and the Taking Flight family.

Disclosure: Here at ChiIL Mama we're elated to join Radio Flyer for this sponsored post and Saturday's event. We have been compensated for sharing with our readers. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Chicago-based Radio Flyer and critically-acclaimed Moonbot Studios have teamed up to produce the award-winning animated short film Taking Flight. The film is inspired by the life and heritage of Antonio Pasin, inventor of the beloved Little Red Wagon. In the fictional tribute, what begins as a small boy’s boring day with Grandpa turns into a larger-than-life journey of imaginative play. To-date, the film has received more than 14 awards and accolades from international and local film festivals.   Check Out ChiIL Mama's Full Set Of Event Photos Here:  More favorites are embedded below. We enjoyed ChiILin' with Radio Flyer’s Chief Wagon Officer, Robert Pasin (grandson of the founder of Radio Flyer!)  and award-winning director Brandon Oldenburg, CCO and partner of Moonbot Studios at this exclusive viewing party and Q&A in Radio Flyer’s hometown of Chicago (Chi, IL).

All the kids even got to take home a snuggly friend and a little Radio Flyer wagon!

Got A Tale To Tell?

Little Red Stories is a platform where Radio Flyer users can share personal stories about how a Radio Flyer product has brought fun and joy to themselves or loved ones, in the past or now. A winner is chosen once a week throughout the months of September and October. The winner will be featured on the Radio Flyer website and receive a prize. Click HERE to enter into Radio Flyer’s Little Red Stories contest. 

3 generations of my family have loved Radio Flyer Sleds! Here's my mom, "Grammy" pulling my kids!

2007—Grammy pulling Dugan (6) and Sage (4) on my old Radio Flyer sled from childhood

1950 –Judy, ll (my future mom), pulling her little sister, Jan, 8, on a Radio Flyer sled

1950—Judy, 11,  on the same Radio Flyer sled

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List:

Check out Taking Flight for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below:

ChiIL Mama had a blast out at the Chi, IL headquarters on 9/10. Check out their official recaps on Radio Flyer's Facebook Page and on their website HERE.

About Radio Flyer:

Radio Flyer is the world’s leading producer of wagons, tricycles, pre-school scooters and other ride-ons, becoming the most loved brand for kid’s wheels in the world. The Chicago-based company has more than 100 award-winning products available in 25 countries. Since 1917, the family-owned company has created icons of childhood, building a legacy of high quality, timeless and innovative toys that spark imagination and inspire outdoor, active play.

POST DISCLAIMER 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Radio Flyer. The opinions and text are all mine.

READER COMMENT DISCLAIMER 

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.


More of ChiIL Mama's Photos Favorites from Radio Flyer's Taking Flight Red Carpet Premiere:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Radio Flyer. The opinions and text are all mine.