Uptown Underground Announces Cabaret Summer Lineup

Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway, adds new variety into its already packed weekly lineup of top-shelf retrotainment. Special guests at Uptown Underground this summer include Hello Suckers Cabaret (June 3), Pivot Arts Festival (June 9-11) Acrobatica Infiniti (June 17, July 15 and August 19 at 8 p.m.) and Raks Geek (July 22 at 8 p.m. and a special family-friendly 3 p.m. performance on July 23). Uptown Underground's weekly schedule includes The Kiss Kiss Cabaret (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) and Chicago Magic Lounge (Thursday, Saturday). Show tickets range from $10 to $40 and include a full evening of entertainment and stocked bar. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the first performance every night. Check the website for specific show times. Uptown Underground is a 21 and over venue, minors are permitted only with parental accompaniment. For advanced tickets or information visit www.UptownUnderground.net.

JUNE

June 3 at 8 p.m.

Hello Suckers Cabaret

Tickets $15

Pianist Rebecca King and vocalist Miles Simmons, creators of Hello Suckers Cabaret, celebrate their Pride Month Extravaganza at Uptown Underground. This musical cabaret features just enough humor and seriously well sung music to make you want more and features some of Broadway's best songs and music from today's contemporary charts with a special homage to the most celebrated month in the LBGTQ year.

June 7 at 8 p.m.

Porchlight Music Theatre "New Faces Sing Broadway"

Tickets $22

Porchlight Music Theatre announces a new Chicago revue series, "New Faces Sing Broadway", a tribute to the 1934 - 1968 musical review series "New Faces." "New Faces Sing Broadway" salutes the year 1949, hosted by James Earl Jones II, created and directed by Chris Carter and Michael Weber and music directed by Nick Sula. "New Faces" features song highlights from: "Kiss Me Kate", "Where's Charley?", "South Pacific", "Miss Liberty", "Lost in the Stars", "Regina", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "Lend an Ear", "Love Life" and others.

June 9 - 11 at 7:30 p.m.

The Ruffians present "Ivywild"

Tickets through Pivot Arts Festival

The Ruffians present "Ivywild" as part of the Pivot Arts Festival which takes place June 2-12 throughout Uptown and Edgewater. On June 9 through 11 the Uptown Underground is a festival hub. "Ivywild" by Jay Torrence is a wild clowning show based on the life of Chicago's most eccentric city councilman, Bathhouse John, trying to do good with dirty hands. A colorfully, tragic tale of a politician building his own amusement park in the mountains of Colorado using stolen rides and zoo animals.

June 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Lady & The Baritones

Tickets $20

An eclectic mix of pop, rock, jazz and bluegrass that blend together to form an inspirational cabaret of music, and laughter featuring original songs by Skip Sams and new stylings of beloved classics. Hosted by vocalists Beth McDermott and Skip Sams, the show features the amazing talents of baritones Philip Kendal, Matthew Blancett (piano), Taylor Ross (bass/guitar), and Mitch Young (trumpet/percussion) with Ernesto Lopez on French Horn, and award winning cellist, Wick Simmons.

June 14 at 7 p.m.

Laury Shelley CD Release Party

Tickets $10

Jazz vocalist Laury Shelley celebrates the release of her new single "The Windmills of Your Mind", with her first Chicago concert in over two years. Shelley has performed at the world's most prestigious concert venues including Carnegie Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Miami's Stars Under The Stars Concert Series at Marine Stadium and New York's The Westbury Theatre, as well as concert halls in Montreal, San Francisco and Los Angeles.Shelley has also performed at New York City's Metropolitan Room, Chicago's Jazz Showcase, Hollywood's The Cinegrill and a featured artist at The Chicago Jazz Festival. Shelley shared stages with many musical icons including Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich and Cleo Laine among others.

June 17 at 8 p.m.

July 15 at 8 p.m.

August 19 at 8 p.m.

Acrobatica Infiniti

Tickets $25 - $40

Acrobatica Infiniti, the phenomenal Chicago based Nerd Circus, presents "After Dark", a must-see variety show at Uptown Underground. Bringing your favorite fictional cosplayed characters to life through modern circus acts such as unbelievable aerial stunts, fire eating, acrobatics, contortion, juggling, comedy, and much more. These extraordinary acts are everything from silly to sexy, funny to heartwarming, and most of all, absolutely entertaining.

Hailed by New City as "funny, thrilling and surprisingly touching." ... Your Friday night just got a lot more interesting!

June 25 at 4 p.m.

Dream

Free Admission

"Dream" is about Love & Mischief in a woman's life told through the music by Gershwin, Porter, Mercer, Kander & Ebb, Sondheim, and Bricusse/Newley. Musical Direction by Mark Elliott.

June 26

Muffy Fishbasket & Her Good Time Galz Celebrate PRIDE!

Free Admission

Look for us in the parade on Sunday for free ticket giveaways! Immediately following the parade (approx 4pm) stop by to visit Uptown Underground's drag favorites - Muffy Fishbasket & Her Good Time Galz - as they perform some of this year's best drag numbers. Grab a Muffy Mai Tai from the bar and sing along! Drink specials all day long.

JULY

Closed July 1-3 for Uptown Ribfest 2016

July 22 at 8 p.m.

Raks Geek

Tickets $25

July 23 at 3 p.m. (Family Friendly show)

Tickets $25, or $17 (under 13 years-old)

Raks Geek is based in Chicago, but they've made waves nationally and internationally on MSN, The Daily Mail, UK Channel 4 TV, and Cheezburger.com through their commitment to blend a high degree of artistic and technical mastery with fun, creativity, and themes from nerd culture. The dancers and firespinners of Raks Geek have performed everywhere from Spain to Canada to Argentina and dance for hundreds of people every week, but they're also lifelong geeks who bring a love and expertise in science fiction, video games, technology, comics, and research science.

AUGUST

August 28 at 8 p.m.

Songs from my Closet

Tickets $15-$25

"Songs from my Closet" is a heartwarming and hilariously gay cabaret, featuring the wittywords of award-winning lyricist Larry Todd (Johnson) Cousineau. Also featured are five great Chicago-area theatre performers: Cousineau, Christin Boulette, Ashlee Hardgrave, George Keating, and Nathan Mittleman, and the musical direction of multiple Jeff-Award nominee Jimmy Morehead. "Songs from My Closet" started in 2013 as a way to feature award-winning out lyricist Cousineau. Versions of the show (including the popular Holiday version) have been seen at several Chicago venues including Uptown Underground. Cousineau's work includes most notably 40 is the New 15 (Best New Musical award from Stagescene LA in and a GLAAD Media Award Nominee for Outstanding Los Angeles Theatre) and All That He Was (Kennedy Center National Playwright's Award, ACTF Musical Theater Award, published by Samuel French.)

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Uptown Underground continues with its powerhouse lineup of performances with The Kiss Kiss Cabaret (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) and Chicago Magic Lounge (Thursday, Saturday).

Wednesday: The flagship show The Kiss Kiss Cabaret offers a more casual approach to burlesque with 6 amazing performances spread throughout the evening. Dazzling dancers, amazing variety performers, and more for a special $10 cover. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and performances start after 8 p.m. Happy Hour drink specials between 8-10pm on local beer, bottled wine and specialty cocktails.

Thursday: The Chicago Magic Lounge presents old-school illusions from table-hopping magicians to main stage acts who elicit a whole lot of WOW. After the mainstage show, magicians perform the "Magic Bar" - an historical take on the magic clubs of yesteryear where everyone is a magician, even the bartenders. The Chicago Magic Lounge mainstage show begins at 8 p.m.

Friday: The Kiss Kiss Cabaret joins forces with Muffy Fishbasket & Her Good Time Galzfor a full evening of performances beginning at 10 p.m. The Kiss Kiss Cabaret is a wild mix of hilarious hosts, quirky musicians, incredible variety performers and, of course, some of the most beautiful burlesque stars in Chicago. Muffy Fishbasket and Her Good Time Galzbring their own vocal stylings in themes that change every week.

Saturdays: Chicago Magic Lounge and The Kiss Kiss Cabaret team up for a non-stop evening of entertainment. Step back in time to Chicago's long lost magic-bar era, and become immersed in a night full of close-up magic, bar magic, table hopping magicians, and main stage acts with The Chicago Magic Lounge at 8 p.m. After the mainstage show, join an exclusive, 20 seat only experience, called the Close Up Gallery. Inspired by the legendary Magic Castle in LA, and Magic Circle in London, we invite you to sit alongside a magician in the Starlight Lounge at 10 p.m. for an intimate look at close-up magic. On the mainstage at 10 p.m., The Kiss Kiss Cabaret continues with a wild mix of hilarious hosts, quirky musicians, incredible variety performers and, of course, some of the most beautiful burlesque stars in Chicago.

Uptown Underground is a 7,000 square foot speakeasy-style venue featuring the Moonlight Mainstage, 150-seat performance hall and the Starlight Lounge, 50-seat private party room with small stage and cozy atmosphere, an antique bar stocked with hand-crafted and local spirits, VIP seating and a full range of retrotainment; burlesque, magic, variety, circus arts, drag and more.Individually bagged snacks are available for purchase. Uptown Underground is also available for bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries, photography packages and other special events. Package deals may include show tickets and drink specials or simply rooms for rent. Wednesdays will feature happy hour specials on bottled local brews, ½ priced bottles of wine and specialty cocktails.

Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway, is open Wednesday through Saturday and tickets range from $10 to $40, VIP and Premium Reserved Seating options available. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the first scheduled performance of the evening. Please check the individual show listings for details. Uptown Underground is a 21 and over venue; minors admitted only with parental accompaniment. Advance reservations recommended;www.UptownUnderground.net.

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