Pivot Multi-Arts Festival Opens This Weekend In Uptown & Edgewater

Mucca Pazza (28 piece, punk marching band) – Photo by 8 Eyes Photography

NEW PIVOT MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL REIGNITES SPIRIT OF VAUDEVILLE ERA IN CHICAGO’S UPTOWN AND EDGEWATER NEIGHBORHOODS, JUNE 6 – 22, 2013

Pivot Arts launches a new celebration of innovative theater, music and dance in unique and often historic spaces from June 6-22, 2013 throughout Chicago’s Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods. The inaugural PIVOT MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL answers the City’s call for a reinvigorated Uptown Entertainment District by uniting artists, businesses and local organizations around multidisciplinary “pop-up” performances occurring in a former Vaudeville Theater, an at-one-time Charlie Chaplin film studio and other historic spaces throughout these communities.

Tickets are now on sale, with a range of free events and no more than $15 per event. To purchase tickets, and for complete festival information, visit www.pivotarts.org/festival or call 773-609-0782.

[UU Note: There are many events taking place in Edgewater, but we are only listing those taking place in Uptown. See the website for all festival listings.]

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

• Chicago Architectural Foundation presents UPTOWN TOUR.  10:30am. Special tour for Festival starting at FLATStheatre, historic vaudeville theater, 1050 W. Wilson Ave.  See a treasure trove of terra cotta ornament, learn about the adaptive re-use of buildings and hear about past and present uses of the entertainment palaces such as the Riviera Theatre, Green Mill, Aragon Ballroom and Uptown Theatre. The two-hour tour is $15 or free for CAF members. For tickets/information call 312-922-TOUR.
• ART IN THE PARK(ING) LOT:
  A WEEKEND CELEBRATION AT FLATStheatre, FORMER VAUDEVILLE THEATER/ BANK, 1050 W. Wilson Ave.  Performances throughout the day on Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9 for all ages include: live bands, storytelling and activities for kids, Flamenco Dancing, a fashion show and more!  Enjoy beer and food from Goose Island Catering & Events, Heritage General Store and Dimo's Pizza.
  
  IN THE PARKING LOT SATURDAY, JUNE 8: $5 • Free for children under 12

- 12 pm    African Drum Circle
- 1 pm   Crooked Door Storytelling
- 1:30 pm   People’s Music School
- 2:00 pm   Mehran Flamenco Quartet
- 3 pm   Storytown Improv
- 3:30 pm   Fashion Show hosted by Universal Creativity
- 4:30 pm   RE Dance Kids
- 6:30 pm – 8 pm   The Hoyle Brothers

IN THE BANK BUILDING: $15 (for over-21 years only).  At night, historic theater doors open for music entertainment. Sponsored by Goose Island Catering & Events.

- 8 pm Bank Building Opens with opener, AMI SARAIYA, and food/Goose Island beer for 21 years and up.
- 10 pm HEADLINER, MUCCA PAZZA, the 28-piece, punk marching band that thinks it’s a rock ‘n’ roll band and is known to incite mass dance outbreaks.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

• ART IN THE PARK(ING) LOT:

IN THE PARKING LOT SUNDAY, JUNE 9: $5 • Free for children under 12

- 12 pm Music, food and drink
- 1 pm Chi-Caribena Dance and West Indian/Caribbean Dance and Zumba Demo from Old Town School of Folk Music
- 2 pm Alternatives Urban Arts Ensemble
- 3 pm Live Music with Tricia Sebastian, songs for kids fused with Latin influences
- 4:30 pm Nicholas Barron, folk and blues guitarist

For complete music line-up see pivotarts.org/festival

IN THE BANK BUILDING: $5/show or $7/both

- 6 pm Live music by SAD BRAD SMITH
- 7 pm THE NEO-FUTURISTS presents THE CARTER FAMILY FAMILY SHOW. Written and Directed by Chloe Johnston. The Neo-Futurists present three solo pieces inspired by the lives of these musical pioneers, the original Carter family of country music.
- 8:30 pm Shakespeare in the Parking Lot.  BACKROOM SHAKESPEARE PROJECT presents TAMING OF THE SHREW.  Some of Chicago's brightest, young Shakespeare stars perform with no director and only one rehearsal making for an adventurous, spontaneous and irreverent take on the Bard. 

And that's just the first weekend -- and just the Uptown portion.  There are many more events happening in Edgewater and later in the week, including at Essanay Studios, in Buena Park, and at the Preston Bradley Center.  We'll focus on those in the next day or so, but strongly encourage you to buy tickets now and check out other events at the Pivot website:  http://pivotarts.org/