Black Button Eyes Productions Presents the Chicago Premiere of GHOST QUARTET

Black Button Eyes Productions launches its 2018-19 season with the Chicago premiere of GHOST QUARTET, an intriguing and entertaining song cycle by Dave Malloy, directed by Artistic Director Ed Rutherford, with music direction by Nick Sula and choreography by Derek Van Barham. GHOST QUARTET will play July 12 - August 17, 2019 at Stage 773 (The Box), 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.stage773.com, in person at the Stage 773 box office or by calling (773) 327-5252. The press opening is Friday, July 19, 2019 at 7:30 pm.

GHOST QUARTET features TJ Anderson, Alexander Ellsworth, Rachel Guth and Amanda Raquel Martinez.

From the mind of Broadway composer Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) comes a musical ghost story of four friends who love each other, kill each other, and drink whiskey across centuries and lifetimes. GHOST QUARTET delightfully mashes up Grimms' fairy tales, Edgar Allan Poe, Arabian Nights, Sondheim, Thelonious Monk and more.

The production team for GHOST QUARTET includes Jeremy Hollis (scenic design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), Liz Cooper (lighting design), Robert Hornbostel (sound design), G. Max Maxin IV (projections design), Adrian Hadlock (props design) and Alexa Berkowitz (stage manager).

About the Artists:

Ed Rutherford (Director) Directing credits for Black Button Eyes include Evil Dead the Musical (Jeff Nomination, Best Director), Nightmares & Nightcaps: The Stories of John Collier, Nevermore, Shockheaded Peter, Amour, Goblin Market, and Coraline. He is an artistic associate with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where he directed The Liar, his own adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the company's inaugural production, Christopher Durang's Beyond Therapy. Directing with Brown Paper Box Co: The Baltimore Waltz. As an actor, he's performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. A graduate of Northwestern's theater program, he recently completed his MBA at Kellogg.

Nick Sula (Music Director) Nick is a pianist, arranger and award-winning music director for theater and cabaret. He is proud to return to Black Button Eyes Productions, where he was music director for Coraline, Amour and Nevermore. Other music direction credits include productions with Porchlight Music Theatre, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Pride Films and Plays, Chicago Theatre Workshop, Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Nick performs with vocalists at theaters and cabaret venues such as Davenport's, Petterino's, Drew's on Halsted, Stage 773, Victory Gardens, and the Park West. He is an instructor, music director and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Derek Van Barham (Choreographer) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions, and a member of the Red Tape Theatre ensemble. He previously served as Associate Artistic Director of Pride Films & Plays. For PFP, he directed Perfect Arrangement, AngryFags (Steppenwolf Garage), Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination), and (co-directing) PRISCILLA, Queen of the Desert. Choreography credits include The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier and BITE (PFP), all Black Button Eyes productions, and Salonathon. Other directing credits include The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre), Three Days of Rain (Boho), and Miracle!by Dan Savage and Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag). He was named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing Chicago's LGBTQ+ community.

Photo: (front, l to r) Amanda Raquel Martinez, Alexander Ellsworth and Rachel Guth with (back) TJ Anderson in a publicity image for Black Button Eyes Productions' Chicago premiere musical GHOST QUARTET. Photo by Cole Simon.

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