The Brown Paper Box Co.
presents

PROUD AT MARY'S: A June Cabaret
an evening of Pride-based stories and songs

Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14, 2014
Mary's Attic in Andersonville

Following our successful run of William Finn's A New Brain, we're thrilled to announce our next cabaret series: PROUD AT MARY'S: A June Cabaret. Ticketing information for this evening of Pride-based stories and songs can be found at www.brownpaperbox.org. Tickets on sale now!

It's Pride month 2014 and The Brown Paper Box Co. is ready to celebrate! PROUD AT MARY'S emphasizes taking pride in our identities and sharing our personal stories during such a monumental month in Illinois—June 1st being the first day every county in the state will recognize same-sex marriages. PROUD AT MARY’S is a mix of pop songs, show tunes, personal monologues, and stories about being gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning, and straight.

"After the successes of our first two cabarets in Wicker Park, we wanted to bring a brand new show to Andersonville," says Brown Paper Box Co. executive director and show coordinator M. William Panek. "Musical Director Justin Harner and I are working with amazingly gracious past Brown Paper Box Co. participants to form a touching and fun evening of personal insight and killer musical numbers."

The set list is comprised of surprise song selections from Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lippa, Carole King, Stephen Schwartz, and more ... as well as original numbers! Tickets for the 7:30 P.M.  performances on 6/13 and 6/14 are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Additional information is posted at www.BrownPaperBox.org.

The cast includes Jeanne T. Arrigo (Godspell, The Brown Paper Box Co.; Eastland, Lookingglass Theatre), Johnny Kyle Cook (A New Brain, The Brown Paper Box Co.; Folk Bound, Duplicity Ensemble), Pamela Mae Davis (Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, The Brown Paper Box Co.; Miss Marx, Strawdog Theatre Company), Megan Ensley (Godspell and 2012's Reefer Madness!, The Brown Paper Box Co.), Justin Harner* (A New Brain and Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, The Brown Paper Box Co.; The Voodoo Chalk Circle, The State Theatre), David Lipschutz* (The Birds [currently u/s], Hell in a Handbag; The Glorious Ones, Illinois Theatre Center), M. William Panek* (A New Brain, Godspell, To Tree, The Brown Paper Box Co.), Stephanie Rohr* (Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls and Godspell, The Brown Paper Box Co; La Boheme, OperaUpClose), Anna Schutz* (A New Brain, Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, and Reefer Madness!, The Brown Paper Box Co.; Circle Mirror Transformation, Oil Lamp Theatre), Nick Shoda* ( A New Brain and Godspell, The Brown Paper Box Co.; Pacific Overtures, Porchlight), and Daniel Spagnuolo* (Godspell and A New Brain, The Brown Paper Box Co.; How to Succeed..., Porchlight).

Justin Harner is the evening's pianist and musical director. M. William Panek serves as the evening's host. Original poster design by Charlie Sheets*

*Denotes Brown Paper Box Co. company member.

Reefer Madness! The Musical was not only our first full-length musical back in 2010, but it also formed the creation of our 4/20 remounts at Studio BE and Stage 773 the following 2 years.

These amazing cast members have become trusted collaborators, life-long friends, and even company members.

Happy anniversary, all!

In the nearly 4 years since our first production of Reefer Madness!, The Brown Paper Box Co. has had a plethora of immensely talented cast members participate in our shows. And by the look of things, they're sure keeping busy! Here's a sampling of shows currently running (and some soon-to open) featuring BPBCo. friends.

Congrats, all!

Who: Pamela Mae Davis (Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls)
What: Miss Marx
Where: Strawdog Theatre Company
When: through April 5, 2014

Who: Luke Grimes (Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls)
What: Burning Rubber
Where: Vivarium Theatre Company
When: through March 23, 2014

Who: Derek Herman (Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls)
What: Good Boys and True
Where: Raven Theatre
When: through May 5, 2014

Who: Andrew Lund (Godspell)
What: Anarchy: Improvised Rock Opera and Lysistrata (in rehearsals)
Where: Studio BE and (re)discover theatre
When: Thursdays in March and April 10 - April 27, 2014

Who: Jake Mahler (Godspell)
What: Road Show
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
When: through May 4, 2014

Who: Pavi Proczko (Godspell)
What: Dessa Rose
Where: Bailiwick Chicago
When: through April 5, 2014

Who: Sarah Sapperstein (BPBCo. board vice president, Reefer Madness!)
What: Into the Woods
Where: EDGE Theatre
When: March 27 - April 13, 2014

Who: Nick Shoda (Reefer Madness!, Godspell, A New Brain)
What: Carnival
Where: Lost Note Theatre Company
When: through March 29, 2014

Who: Zev Steinberg (BPBCo. co-founder, Reefer Madness!)
What: Fight and Flight Directing Peter Pan (in rehearsals)
Where: Michigan State University
When: April 11 - April 20, 2014

Who: Danny Spagnuolo (Reefer Madness!, Godspell, A New Brain)
What: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (in rehearsals)
Where: Porchlight Music Theatre
When:April 26 - June 1, 2014

Full name? Nicholas Robert Shoda

Where you were born/where you were raised? Urbana, IL

Your position/role within the A NEW BRAIN family? I play The Minister

How would you describe your character? Caring and empathic, in spite of his chaotic surroundings. 

In 5 words, how do you describe A NEW BRAIN? Sweet, Smart, Moving, Complex and Beautiful

How would you describe Bill's writing? Quirky and heartfelt

Fill in the blanks: ___Passion___ + ___melody___ = a song.

What was your must-see TV show as a kid? Full House!!

If you could be best friends with any cartoon character in the real world, who would it be? Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Dug from Up, and Daria

Who would play you in the Lifetime movie of your life? Anyone who sweats too much for their own good. Sweating is a HUGE part of my life story. 

Special hidden talent? Oscar Trivia

Something you're REALLY bad at? Playing video games. 

Favorite Chicago neighborhood? Andersonville

Current local show you have been recommending to friends? It's closed now, but I enjoyed Kokandy's Sweet Smell of Success

Most played song on your iPod? "Love On Top" by Beyonce. I listen to it at least once a day. 

Pop culture guilty pleasure? Braxton Family Values

Three things you can't live without? Friends, family, and my iPhone

"I'll never understand why… I am relentlessly hard on myself."

Come see Nick in William Finn and James Lapine's A NEW BRAIN February 21 - March 9, 2014 at Rivendell Theatre. Ticketing and performance information can be found at The Brown Paper Box Co.'s site.

You know what's great about filling your artistic team with great people? They're willing to take on new, fun, and additional tasks.

Artistic Associate Nick Shoda and BPBCo. Board President David Lipschutz graciously planned our upcoming trivia night fundraiser this coming Monday, July 29 at F. O'Mahony's in Lakeview. I may be speaking for Michelle and Anna (don't think they'll mind), but this thrills the executive team to no end.

The broadening of the BPBCo. family allows for more time (and more people) spread across different projects at once. Kind of sounds like a 'duh' statement when written out, but it's incredibly humbling to see The Brown Paper Box Co.'s artistic team grow into a family of wildly dedicated collaborators who want to assist us develop into a leader of supportive, thought-provoking, and accessible theatre in Chicago.

Hope you can join us this Monday night!
M. William Panek
Executive Director

It's been over a year since The Brown Paper Box Co. hosted a Trivia Night
... and we thought that had to be rectified.

Come to F. O'Mahony's on Monday, July 29th at 8 PM and show off those extensive general knowledge skills you've been honing this past year! It's just $5 to play on teams of up to 4 people. Compete to win boozy prizes, bragging rights, and the adulation of everyone at the bar!

One behalf of The Brown Paper Box Co. and the cast of Character Breakdown: A Miscast Cabaret - Andrew Lund, Anna Schutz, Daniel Spagnuolo, Katherine Glavin, Megan Ensley, Michelle Kritselis, Nick Shoda, Stephanie Rohr, T.J. Anderson, and M. William Panek - we'd love to thank everyone who made it out to Davenport's Piano Bar on March 23rd.

This casting is so wrong. (And yet...so right.)

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: A MISCAST CABARET will feature appearances from BPBCo. artistic associates and past cast members performing as characters they'd never play due to age, gender, voice type, race, you name it. Yes, this event is all kinds of mixed-up wrongness, and it's happening tomorrow night, Saturday, March 23, only.

As seating has been filling up, we urge you to reserve your tickets ahead of time on Davenport's website!

Now, bring on the cat:

So there I was, taking notes while Brown Paper Box Co. co-founder and artistic associate Michelle Kritselis worked on her CHARACTER BREAKDOWN number with musical director T.J. Anderson on the piano. Then bam, artistic associate Nick Shoda's cat, Oberon, hopped on my lap and plopped down on my notebook.

Meow.

I'm not sure what kind of acting notes Obie had for Michelle, but this much is clear: people and pets, friends and felines, strangers and strays alike will enjoy the miscast crooning we're serving up at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret tomorrow night, March 23. Hope you can make it!

The Brown Paper Box Co. presents CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: A Miscast Cabaret this Saturday, March 23 at 8pm. This one-night cabaret will feature appearances from The Brown Paper Box Co. artistic associates and former cast members performing as characters they would never play due to age, gender, voice type, race, etc.

We're keeping the playlist secret, but you can expect song selections from all the musicals pictured below!

As seating has been filling up, we urge you to reserve your tickets ahead of time on Davenport's website! Hope to see you there!!!

Bailiwick Chicago presents Rock Show(tunes), an evening of classic Broadway showtunes reimagined as modern rock songs. This event takes place one day before Bailiwick officially launches its 2012/13 season with the much-anticipated rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

Rock Show(tunes) features performances by Collective Members Lili-Anne Brown, Danny Bernardo, Harmony France, Kathleen Gibson, Michael Harnichar, Aaron Holland, Ryan Lanning and Rus Rainear with guest artists Bethany Thomas, Sharriese Hamilton and Jayson Brooks of JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. Collective Member Aaron Benham serves as Music Director and Arranger. The evening begins with performances from our current production of Godspell, as well as Assassins and NightBlue’s Avenue Q.

The inspiration for Rock Show(tunes) came when Collective Member Danny Bernardo was working on a song from The King & I with his vocal coach and mused, “What if Green Day wrote this song?” He shared the showtune/rock song mashup with Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown, who recalled a similar experience jamming a song from Guys & Dolls in the style of R&B artist Jill Scott. Sparked by this shared inspiration, the two collaborated on curating an evening that would give hardcore rock and musical theatre fans alike something new and innovative.

The Brown Paper Box Co. will be performing:

"Turn Back, O Man" as sung by Stephanie Rohr, Andrew Lund, and the ensemble, with Stephanie Rohr and Pavi Proczko on the piano.

"O Bless the Lord, My Soul" as sung by Michelle Limon and the ensemble, with Veronica Garza & Jeanne T. Arrigo on guitar and Jake Mahler on banjo.

It's going to rock.

When: Wednesday, October 3rd
Where: Underground Lounge, 952 West Newport Avenue
Cost: $10 advance tickets, $15 at the door