TUTA Theatre Opens 10th Anniversary Season With FULTON STREET SESSIONS, 2/23/12

TUTA Theatre Chicago celebrates its tenth anniversary season with Fulton Street Sessions, a world premiere cabaret-style production, developed and written by TUTA, directed by Artistic Director Zeljko Djukic and featuring original music by Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine).  Fulton Street Sessions runs Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m from February 23 – March 25, 2012, at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. Preview performances are Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. Opening/press nights are Thursday, Feb. 23 and Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for previews and $30 for the regular performances. There is a $25 senior citizen and student ticket available for all performances at the door one hour before show time or online at www.tutato.com, based on availability.  Industry tickets are $12 and are available every Thursday and Sunday performance at the door.  Group discounts are also available. A special gala performance and reception is being held Thursday, Feb. 23; all tickets for this event are $40. To purchase tickets to Fulton Street Sessions call 847.217.0691 or www.tutato.com 

TUTA's production of Fulton Street Sessions is a cabaret-style production in the form of a collection of sketches, musical numbers and interludes reflecting current national and local news and social, cultural and political gossip.  The production reunites the talents of company members Kirk Anderson, Jaimelyn Gray, Stacie Beth Green, Trey Maclin,and Jacqueline Stone (co-founder), under the direction of Zeljko Djukic (co-founder).  Design and technical collaborators include:  original music by Josh Schmidt, set design by Brandon Wardell; costume design by Natasha Djukic (co-founder); lighting design by Keith Parham; sound design by Josh Schmidt and Chris Kritz; prop design byJoel Lambie and stage management by Shannon Reilly. 

Artistic Director and Co-Founder Zeljko Djukic directs Fulton Street Sessions, which makes this the 22^ndproduction he has directed for the company over the last ten years. He was born in Yugoslavia and taught acting at Belgrade's Drama Art School prior to his move to the United States. Among his productions in the former Yugoslavia arePhiloctetes, Woyzeck, Endgame,Don Juan Comes Back from the War and The Taming of the Shrew. In Chicago he went on to direct The Hour, Alice, Rule For Good Manners, Tracks, Romeo & Juliet, Uncle Vanya, The Wedding, Baal, and many more. Last year, he directEd Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul at The National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia. 

TUTA is extremely pleased to collaborate with composer Josh Schmidt for Fulton Street Sessions. A Milwaukee native,Schmidt is best known for composing the music for Adding Machine, which premiered at Evanston’s Next Theater (2007) and became an Off-Broadway hit (2008) earning four Lortel Awards (six nominations including Best Musical), two Outer Critics Circle Awards (four nominations including Best Musical Off-Broadway and score), four Obies, nine Drama Desk Nominations (including Best Musical, Score, Book and Lyrics), and a Drama League Nomination for Best Musical. This is Schmidt’s second production with TUTA, his first being Baal.  He has also composed music for numerous Chicago theatre companies (Steppenwolf, Northlight, Writer’s Theatre) and more than 100 productions in various venues nationwide. 

TUTA presents the work in progress as Fulton Street: Peel Sessions, Monday, Dec.12, 7- 10 p.m., at TUTA, 2032 W. Fulton Ave.  Only 50 seats will be available for $50 each to this preview. The evening will consist of light appetizers, wine and a signature TUTA cocktail.  The work in progress will be shown, followed by a Q & A with the artists. Tickets for the event may be purchased at http://www.tutato.com/product/fulton-street-peel-sessions. 

 A preview of Fulton Street Sessions is also performed in Millennium Park, at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, as part of the In The Works theatre lab series, presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture.  It will feature a portion of the material from the show and a Q & A with the artists.  The Millennium Park performance runs January 12 – 14, 2012, at 7:30pm, tickets are $15 and may be purchased by calling (312) 742-TIXS. 

Fulton Street Sessions at the Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave, February 23 – March 25, 2012. Preview performances are Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. Opening/press nights are Thursday, Feb. 23 and Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for previews and $30 for the regular performances. There is a $25 senior citizens and students ticket available for all performances at the door one hour before show time or online atwww.tutato.com, based on availability.  Industry tickets are $12 and are available every Thursday and Sunday performance at the door.  Group discounts are also available. A special gala performance and reception is being held Thursday, Feb. 23; all tickets for this event are $40. To purchase tickets to Fulton Street Sessions call 847.217.0691 orwww.tutato.com. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.