BOOBS AND GOOMBAS: A SUPER MARIO BURLESQUE

(NOTE: All photos here are by K Leo, www.mirthandbeauty.com)

Chicago, IL (October 8 – 30, 2010): Oh-a-no! Super Mario Bros. was originally released in Japan on September 13, 1985. And today, the 25th anniversary of that release, Gorilla Tango Theatre is proud to add to its legacy by announcing a hilarious romp through video games past and present: BOOBS AND GOOMBAS: A SUPER MARIO BURLESQUE, performing Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm, October 8 – 30, 2010 at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60647. Tickets are only $15; to purchase tickets call 773-598-4549 or visit www.gorillatango.com. Ages 18 and over.

Mario and Luigi have become so perpetually frustrated by their endless pursuit of the Princess that everything they see has started to look like a beautiful, sexy woman-- even their most dangerous enemies! This sexy burlesque romp is a send-up of the famous Mario Bros. video games. Join us to discover whether the world's most adventurous plumbers will finally rescue the Princess and consummate years of amorous toil, or be seduced along the way by their alluring enemies. Don't forget to bring a few "coins" (or dollars) for tips... If the cast collects enough coins along the way, the audience will unlock the alternate ending!!!

Featuring Chicago favorite Coo d'Twat as Mario, and Lily e'Claire (a recent import from the Champaign burlesque scene) as Luigi, this mix of classic burlesque "gimmicks" and beloved Mario "bad guys" will also introduce six new performers to Chicago burlesque fans as Penelope Paddedbustle, Coco Rufus, Diva LaVida, Hazel Hellbender, Lacey Lay, and Sweet Ginger Rose make their debut on the Gorilla Tango stage.

Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan on September 13 1985 and went onto sell over 40 million copies. The plumber has gone on to star in numerous critically acclaimed platformers and his Super Mario Bros. series is still the most popular of all time with 240 million units sold globally. The Mario character has appeared in more than 200 video games, and now, one burlesque show.

BOOBS AND GOOMBAS: A SUPER MARIO BURLESQUE was written and directed by MsPixy. Local Chicago ecdysiast and burlesque hostess MsPixy is best know for her saucy stripteases, sardonic send-ups, and whiplash wit when behind the mic. A founding member of The Belmont Burlesque Revue (now in its 7th year of a delightful open run), MsPixy is known affectionately to her fellow Belmont Bombshells as "The Funny One." In addition to her monthly performances with Belmont Burlesque, MsPixy has performed with Vaudezilla Productions, Girlie-Q, Ties and Tassels, Varietease Cabaret, and acted as the Director of Education for the Windy City Burlesque Fest, at which she also hosted and performed. In her secret "real" life, MsPixy holds a degree in Directing, a minor in Dance, and is an improvisor and sketchwriter with training from Second City and ComdeySports.

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Gorilla Tango Theatre (GTT) is a year-round theatrical venue where audiences of all ages can consistently go to see a wide variety of talented artists. GTT exists to provide artists with an opportunity to produce their work in professional environment. GTT was created by Second City- and IO-Chicago-trained Dan Abbate and boasts an 80-seat performance space. GTT Chicago is conveniently located at the intersection of Western and Milwaukee in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Easily accessible by public transportation, GTT is steps away from the Western Blue Line stop and the #49 Western, #73 Armitage and #56 Milwaukee buses. Street parking is readily available. With shows for all ages, all GTT performances are on a rating system, similar to the one used in movie theatres. GTT offers a variety of affordable beer and wine for purchase. Consult the website for rating information, tickets, and details.

1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 – 773.598.4549

August 2010 Shows at Gorilla Tango

It looks like there are a lot of fun and downright quirky shows in Gorilla Tango Theatre's pipeline for next month!

If anybody would like to review any of these, let me know. I've bolded the ones that I will try to try to review, with emphasis on try.

August 2010 Calendar Listing
The Sweet Stuff (CONTINUING)

A world premiere, two act drama by Jayme McGhan! Blue-collar Jerry Ward finds himself and his daughter caught in a high stakes game of cat and mouse after the sudden death of his wife. Jerry's singularly rare blood type is the only thing keeping the son of the powerful, white-collar Walter Joyce alive. The tension swells as Jerry's daughter becomes a pawn in this suspense story that confronts the issues of medical ethics, the real commodities that rule our lives, and begs the question: what are the acceptable moral boundaries a parent can overlook to save their only child?

Produced by Chased by an Elephant Theatre Company.

Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 6pm, July 22 – 31, 2010, and Sunday July 25 (2pm) and August 1 (5pm). Tickets are $20; Rated R.


Christophe The Insultor (CONTINUING)
Christophe The Insultor insults your friends for money!

Christophe The Insultor has been traveling the country insulting people for money for nearly twenty years, mostly at renaissance festivals (you may have seen him at the Bristol Faire), but also at taverns, comedy clubs and casinos. He has written perhaps the largest and funniest collection of original insult comedy in the world, and is bringing his well-honed mercenary mental machinery to bear in an hour-long show right here in Chicago.

Admission price gets you in the door, and $10, $20 or more will get the victim of your choice beautifully shredded by Christophe.

And if your friend is really an a**hole, the crowd just might pick him/her to be the Grand Finale victim, receiving a merciless drubbing financed by all in the crowd who wish to kick in.

This is smart, wicked, pee-laugh funny.

Not for children or nervous persons.

Produced by Shaw Entertainment Group.

Fridays at 11pm, July 23 – September 3, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.


Best Laid Plans: One-Acts by Sheppard and Inge

Brevity Theater - a new company of University of Chicago students and alumni - debuts with two rarely performed one-acts by two of America's most celebrated playwrights. Amanda Fink (BA '12) is directing William Inge's "Margaret's Bed," a brutally honest dialogue concerning a woman's pathological fear of sleeping alone and the misconceptions that surround her situation. In Sam Sheppard's "Icarus' Mother," directed by Will Bishop (BA '12), a group of five friends gather for an Independence Day picnic, but things start to go wrong as the friends begin to vie for power. As the fireworks begin, the group starts to fall apart, asking us what it means to be part of a community in America.

Produced by Brevity Theater.

Sunday, August 1 & 8, 2010 at 8pm, Monday August 2 & Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 9:30pm. Tickets are $10.


Armageddon Dance Party

Apparently the world is ending. Not to be defeated, New York couple John and Michelle face destruction boldly with a dance party--better to actually live while you're dying, right? With more and more of their friends seeking refuge from the coming doom in a full house teetering on the edge of the abyss, the characters of The Armageddon Dance Party find they must confront their lives, their relationships and their fears. Not all of them will make it through the night. But the rest discover that the best way to deal with living on the edge of a volcano is to just dance.

Produced by Jack Dugan Carpenter.

Mondays at 7:30pm, August 2 – 23, 2010. Tickets are $15.


Subdivision

By Rubin Carbajal

A single mother and her two young sons invent fantasies and fabricate lies to cope with the absence of their hardworking, hard-drinking father. When he unexpectedly returns, dreams, deceptions, truth and reality violently collide.

Produced by Kara Karstedt.

Wednesdays at 7:30pm, August 4 – 25, 2010. Tickets are $12.


Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts: Magic, Comedy, Mayhem

Edd Fairman, the Wizard of Sorts, is hitting the Gorilla Tango Stage for five nights of magic, comedy and mayhem! A nationally touring magician and an illusionist since the ripe old age of 6, Edd has brought his act home to Chicago and has planned an hour of interactive trickery, mindblowing mischief and new spins on classic illusions that could only come from the man the Chicago Wizard's Club named "Magician of the Year." You might not believe that a show this big can fit into Edd's single, trademark briefcase, but you will. You might even get a chance to peek inside it yourself! And be warned; this show is for audiences 13 and up due to moderate amounts of highly professional immaturity. To find out more about Edd and his magic, visit www.WizardofSorts.com.

Produced by Edd Fairman.

Thursdays at 8pm, August 5 – September 2, 2010. Tickets are $10.


Death and Sex

Death and Sex is a dark, experimental sketch revue that features stand-up comics, musicians, and local celebrities.

Produced by David Elliot.

Thursdays at 9:30pm, August 5 – 26, 2010. Tickets are $12.



W.A.R. (Wake-up. Attack. Repeat.)

Since humans...and puppets began roaming the earth, the world has been sort of, well, disastrous. From yummy land domination to hilarious religious persecution to jovial jabs at discrimination, life truly is a vicious cycle we’ll just never get right. Enjoy! WARNING: Puppets are in the show. Just saying, in case you are prejudice.

Produced by Judd Wachstein.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, August 6 – 21, 2010. Tickets are $10.


Low Toner Presents: Managing Vision and Purpose

Description: 50% Office Meeting, 50% Sketch Comedy, 50% Slideshow, 100% Staggeringly Funny. Every few months the folks at the Low Toner assemble "meetings" where they lampoon Six Sigma Business, mock Lominger, hate on the Corporate Office and turn what could be the most boring office meeting into 60 minutes of hysterical workplace and not-so-workplace sketch comedy.

Produced by Low Toner.

Fridays at 9:30pm, August 6 – 27, 2010. Tickets are $10.


The Dionysia

Come and witness the talent of the Dionysus Theatre Society in the seasonal showcase known as The Dionysia. We have selected a series of shows from up and coming playwrights to showcase the range of talent that our members have. Regale in tales of pure love, fear, discovery and desire. Featuring works by Anthony Green, Terry McFadden, Brett Hursey, and Shannon Murdoch. This is one production you shouldn't miss!

Produced by Anthony Green.

Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 6pm, August 7 – 15, 2010. Tickets are $10.


The Brand New Shoes

The Brand New Shoes' New Show has begun! If you think we can't make you laugh... Think again. You don't even have to be in the audience. Our hilarity ripples through the earth like a mega earthquake sent from God. But if you want to be hit hard with comedy till your ass falls off get front row seats quick. Be There or your Mama will.

Produced by Shane Murphy.

Saturdays at 6pm, August 7 – 21, 2010. Tickets are $10.



$500 GTT Stand-Up Thing

Do you love voting for things but have no idea what to do with yourself since American Idol is over for the season? Well, you are certainly in luck because Gorilla Tango promises to satisfy your addiction. Stop by Gorilla Tango Theatre every Saturday in August at 9:30 PM to watch stand-up comedians show what they’re made of in 3 exciting rounds of competition. Your votes determine who moves on to the next round! In the Final round you will determine the grand prize winner who gets $500 in cash, three 7Lb 16" long hot dogs from BigHotDog.com and a headlining show at GTT in the fall!

Produced by Katie Johnston-Smith.

Saturdays at 9:30pm, August 7 – 28, 2010. Tickets are $10


America’s Next Top Actor

Love reality show competitions? Then turn off the T.V. and get to Gorilla Tango, where five live contestants will compete for the ultimate title of America's Next Top Actor, and the audience votes the contestants out of the show! New celebrity judges each night and YOU get to decide various elements of the competition!

Produced and Directed by Danielle Holtz.

Produced and Directed by Danielle Holtz.

Saturdays at 11:30pm, August 7 – 28, 2010. Tickets are $12.


Betty Sue’s Hula Hoop Dance Number

The inhabitants of a poor village try to solicit foreign aid by marketing their most valuable natural resource: hot women. This darkly comic satire incorporates puppetry, musical elements, Commedia dell Arte, Theatre of the Oppressed, and a pinata.

Produced by Blunt Objects Theatre.

Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 4:30pm. Tickets are $10.


Sharks On Wheels

Sharks On Wheels! The most bone snapping, neck shattering, blood filled event ever to horrify an audience will be at the Gorilla Tango Theatre beginning August 9th 2010. Murder, Intrigue, Zombies, mischievously cheap costumes and the dark and Satanic powers of VooDoo all await you in this twisted mockery of all that is Holy. Are you ready to have your brain scared out of your head? Are you ready to cry like a little school baby? Are you ready to face what you've most feared since that clown incident in the early 80's?? Then man-up and buy tickets to join our hero Ralph Mutton (pronounced Mut-tahn) face the spine cracking force of the Sharks On Wheels and save the world... well, maybe, maybe save the world. No guarantees.

Written/Directed/Produced by Jason Martin Jablonski

Mondays at 9:30pm, August 9 – 23, 2010. Tickets are $10.


High Five and The Feel Goods

“High Five and the Feel Goods” is a long form improv group. They used to just meet and talk, ya know tell each other stories...for hours. Then they decided they should perform improv together. Words can't describe the chemistry these people have, it's like trying to bottle up the ocean...or tame a pack of wild mustangs in an afternoon - impossible. You'll just have to watch the show.

Produced by High Five and the Feel Goods.

Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 4:30pm. Tickets are $10.


Republic County

by Joe Musso

Directed by: Lauren Hallie Muellner

The unemployment rate for Republic County is at an all-time high, and the poets are to blame. The only solution is to kill them. With a wink and a nod to Plato's Republic, this dark comedy—set in a government employment office—features Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David Thoreau in their quest to obtain free government cheese.

Produced by Lauren Muellner.

Friday, August 27, 2010 at 7:30pm and Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 5:30pm. Tickets are $12.


Puck Heads

The local dive sports bar is threatened with closing its doors for good when a high-end restaurant opens down the street, and a feud is about to break out between the two owners. Add on top of that the sole employee of the bar is secretly in love with the restaurant proprietor's daughter! Seeking a solution to save themselves, the patrons of the bar turn to two unlikely advisers - Chino and Scapino, two freeloaders who although they aren't the brightest crayons in the box, always have a plan! Done in the style of the Commedia dell'Arte.

Produced by TJ Corbett

Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 4pm and Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 5pm. Tickets are $10.

Midlife Joyride
Don’t call it a Midlife Crisis. Crisis? What Crisis?! "Midlife Joyride" takes a skewed, hilarious look at the crap that arises when men and women move into the second half of life: bald spots, hot flashes, daydream stares, big guts, fast cars, sex drives on life support and “cougar” attacks. This part sketch show, part stand-up performance doesn’t take itself seriously. Instead it embraces the changes and puts a funny, whacked-out spin on what really should be called Adolescence the Sequel.
Produced by Eric Cowgill.
Saturdays at 7:30pm, August 28 – September 18, 2010. Tickets are $15
All performances take place at:

Gorilla Tango Theatre

1919 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, IL 60647

www.gorillatango.com

Visit www.gorillatango.com or call 773-598-4549 for tickets and more information.

Audience contact: 773-598-4549, info@gorillatango.com



Gorilla Tango Theatre Chicago is conveniently located at the intersection of Western and Milwaukee in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. Easily accessible by public transportation, GTT is steps away from the Western stop on the O’Hare Blue Line and the #49 Western, #73 Armitage and #56 Milwaukee buses. Street parking is readily available. GTT offers a variety of affordable ($3-$8) beer and wine for purchase.

Images from Sketch & Sniff

A fun time was had by all last night at the first of two Sketch & Sniff shows, playing this weekend at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milw.

Deftly written sketches, combined with comic performances by a large, talented ensemble cast, produced many standouts. Per its program, and Facebook page, S&S "started as a venture by students of the Second City's Sketch Writing Program. Having concluded that simply reading their assignments in class lacked fulfillment, they decided to perform them in front of a live paying audience."

A few sketches which stuck out in my mind post-show included a talk show hosted by our former governor, called "Bla-Bla-Blagojevich," an uber-cheerful social worker quizzing a man on his sexual activities before finally giving him his HIV results, and an automated self check out computerized voice which got a bit too snarky and human by its end.

The 14 sketch revue was produced by Derick Lengwenus, who played Rod Blagojevich among other characters. He is pictured along with the S&S cast in a few no-light, no-flash images that I was given permission by Kelly of Gorilla Tango to snap for the next Pipeline e-newsletter.

Sketch & Sniff also runs tonight (Sat.) at 8 PM. Tickets are $12; Rated 'R.'

March Shows at Gorilla Tango

All of the following performances take place at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milw. 

Visit www.gorillatango.com or call 773-598-4549 for tickets and more information.info@gorillatango.com

War In Pieces (CONTINUING FROM FEBRUARY)

3 people. 2 sides. 1 outcome. War in Pieces, a play by Angela Jo.

Produced by Angela Strohm.

Sundays at 7pm, February 21 – March 7, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Inner Demons: Three short plays by Nick Cardiff  (CONTINUING FROM FEBRUARY)

Inner Demons is Nothing Special Productions’ Chicago debut and features three new plays by Nick Cardiff which explore the haunting nature of loss, betrayal and love. In Fear and Shadows, directed by Mikey Laird, we see Cupid falling in love with a mortal and the grave consequences that follow. Existence, directed by Robert Quinlan, shows how far the mind may go to explain one’s own reality after life throws an unfortunate curve. Finally in The Room, also directed by Mikey Laird, we see the relationship of two men who have been trapped in a room for as long as they can remember and how they react to finding out where it is they really are. NSP is excited to make their Chicago debut at Gorilla Tango Theatre.

Produced by Nothing Special Productions.

Friday, February 26, 2010 at 11:30pm and Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 10pm. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Policeman’s Log

There are two sides of every story, but only one version of the truth. Pulling actual police reports from recent newspapers, the cast of Policeman's Log will show audiences how the incidents 'actually' happened. This fully improvised show will shine a new light on those who break the law, and those who uphold it.

Produced by W. Tyler Paterson.

Mondays at 9:30pm, March 1 – 22, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Sketch & Sniff

The second installment of the sold out show that features selected sketches from Second City’s sketch writing program. Don’t miss out on this bouquet of assorted comedy performed by some of Chicago’s best actors. Always new, always fresh!

Produced by Derick Lengwenus.

Friday and Saturday at 8pm, March 5 & 6, 2010. Tickets are $12; Rated R.

 

Improvised Bible

Inspired by the most influential book of all time, Improvised Bible is a show that people of all religions and creeds can appreciate. Every week, a dynamic cast of ten uses one audience suggestion to improvise a full length piece based on the themes and styles of the Old Testament.

Sundays at 5pm, March 7 – 28, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

The Manny Diaries

Three kids. One daddy. Zero idea what he's doing. The Manny Diaries.

Written by and featuring former on-air correspondent at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Bob Wiltfong, an Emmy and Peabody award-winning television performer with on-air credits including 30 Rock, Chappelle’s Show, and such films as “Definitely, Maybe” and “The Hoax.” His current efforts with “The Manny Diaries” has already found a television home on WCIU (“The U”) in Chicago with his web cam videos airing every Monday morning on the channel’s “You & Me in the Morning” program.

Produced by Bob Wiltfong.

Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 4pm. Tickets are $12; Rated R.

 

Danny And The Deep Blue Sea

DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, a show directed by Ted Hoerl in collaboration with Act One Studios, shows what type of moving and important work can be produced when applying the Meisner Technique. The setting is a rundown bar in the Bronx, where two of society's rejects, Danny and Roberta, strike up a halting conversation over their beer. He is a brooding, self-loathing young man who resorts more to violence than reason; she is a divorced, guilt-ridden young woman whose troubled teenage son is now being cared for by her parents. They decide to spend the night together, and the possibility of a genuine and meaningful relationship begins to emerge.

Produced by Ben Nicholson.

Mondays at 7:30pm, Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 11:30pm, March 8 – 15, 2010. Tickets are $15; Rated R.

 

The Legend of Ginger Bred

“The Legend of Ginger Bred; A Story of Sex, Salvation & Baked Goods” is the story of rock n' roll ex-food fetish porn star junkie Ginger Bred, a women who resurrects her past on the night of a major electrical storm. Is it God speaking to her? Aliens trying to save her life? A modern day adaptation of the story of The Ginger Bread Man, Ginger and her band take you on a bizarre odyssey from East Texas to Hollywood in this off-beat camp musical roller-coaster ride.

Produced by Cock and Bull Theatre.

Thursdays at 9:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 10pm, March 11 – 20, 2010. Tickets are $15; Rated R.

 

This Above All...

Benny loves his home and his family, but he has never really been satisfied. He has no direction in life and grabs motivation from old adages and quotations he's heard over the years. As he happily shares memories and stories of his past, he begins to discover a few things about himself and what it really means to be happy.

Produced by Jack M. Bourgeois.

Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm, March 12 – 14, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated PG.

 

Popgasm

Popgasm [pop-GAZ- em] a pop culture-themed sketch show guaranteed to give you a Perez Hilton addiction.

Produced by Katie Johnston.

Tuesdays at 8pm, March 16 – 30, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Chug Chicago: A Drinking Party Musical

Ever read "Create Your Own Adventure Books" when you were a kid? Chug Chicago is a Create Your Own Drunken Party show for adults! Upon arriving to the theatre, audience members get to vote on which characters they would most enjoy seeing at a rambunctious, inebriated, Wrigleyville house party! Want to see Oprah and The Pope go shot for shot? Want to hold the Mormon's legs as he does a keg stand? Want your buddy Steve to appear in the show? Every show is individually tailored to that audience's idea of hilarity. This show is 21 and over only; must present ID at door.

Produced by Amy Whittenberger and Gorilla Tango Theatre.

Fridays at 11:30pm, March 19 – April 9, 2010. Tickets are $12; Rated R.

 

Just About Time

A light romp into our take on pop culture and celebrity, (real celebrity, not octo-mom celebrity) with roots in keeping it real with wit, class, and being super pretty. But we all know sometimes keeping it real goes wrong...

Produced by The Donkey Show Rejects.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, March 19 – 27, 2010. Tickets are $20; Rated R.

 

The Interrogation & Last Option

An hour of thought-provoking short plays by new Chicago playwright, Stephen Bastien.

In "The Interrogation", Professor Stepanovich wants to know why he is being interrogated. The cops, who desperately need a confession, want to know too.

In "Last Option", Jack simply wants to confess his sins to a priest before he dies, or does he?

Produced by Stephen Bastien.

Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 6pm. Tickets are $15; Rated R.

 

Born to Be

The world premiere of a one act, interactive comedy by new Chicago playwright, Stephen Bastien.

New age guru and author Stephen Bastien guides six unsuspecting audience members to discover their inner passion and what they were born to do with their lives. The results lead to interesting choices in a humorous, sometimes absurd hour of soul searching and discovery.

Produced by Stephen Bastien.

Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 6pm. Tickets are $15; Rated R.

 

Hijinks & Showdowns

Recounting his misguided adolescent adventures, comedian Prescott Tolk presents a hilarious one-man show about how bad ideas lead to horrible outcomes.

Produced by Prescott Tolk.

Thursdays at 8pm, March 25 – April 29, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Urban Indigenous presents: Code of Ethnics

Urban Indigenous is Chicago ’s premiere multi-ethnic comedy troupe representing various cultures. In their first full length review, “Code of Ethnics”, they explore a variety of comedic styles, while also playing with “code of ethics” from classes, cultures, linguistics, and other hysterical situations to guide a viewer on who decides what ethnic really is.

Produced by Urban Indigenous.

Saturdays at 10pm, March 27 – May 15, 2010. Tickets are $10; Rated R.

 

Gorilla Tango Theatre Chicago is conveniently located at the intersection of Western and Milwaukee in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. Easily accessible by public transportation, GTT is steps away from the Western stop on the O’Hare Blue Line and the #49 Western, #73 Armitage and #56 Milwaukee buses. Street parking is readily available. GTT offers a variety of affordable ($3-$8) beer and wine for purchase.

The Day in Pictures, and Some Plush Poo

Normally I don't do much "pre-stalking" of new businesses outside of mentioning in The Pipeline that they are to open, but in the case of OhNo!Doom at 1800 N. Milw. I walk by its storefront quite often. Initially I noticed that the shady sign sales company which never had anyone who appeared to be working inside of it was gone, replaced by a depressing and all-too-common Vacant Space. Shortly after that I became intrigued by a window decal announcing that OhNo!Doom would be coming soon.

I liked the fact that OhNo!Doom a) Uses an exclamation point in its name! and b) Was moving into a newly revitalized stretch of Milw. which in just the past four years has welcomed a tea cafe (Tea Essense), a theatre (gorillatango), a video store (odd obsession), a music place for kids (bucktown music), a butcher (sterling goss), a wine shop, (red & white), an art studio (easel), and a yoga place (echo).

Yesterday I received a warm and exclamation-mark heavy email from doom communications crew leader, Lana Crooks, and I welcomed the chance to pop by and meet her as well as the five other folks (Andrew Thompson, Joseph Call, Oscar Alatorre, Jordan Owen, and Max Bare) behind OhNo!Doom. All of the said doomers are talented in different yet complementing disciplines like animation and plush stuff and visual art and painting.

Prior to visiting OhNo!Doom I was at the sneak preview for the Flat Iron's "Now You See It, Now You Don't" exhibit, and before that I popped by a book signing at p.45 on Damen.

The "Body Mates" photo is from that walk.... The smiling woman is novelist Delphine Pontvieux, author of ETA, Estimated Time of Arrest... The canary cage art on the walls is just one of many interconnected panels which will debut tonight over at the Flat Iron and be white-washed over by 10 PM, perhaps proving that art really is about the process and not necessarily the destination or permanency... The other images were snapped inside of OhNo!Doom.

(And, if I may offer a two-cents/two-word take on the budget-friendly $5 plush poo by Lana Crooks:

"Oh, yes!")

WHACK: The Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan Story

More on this in Tuesday's Pipeline, maybe like a review or as close as I can come to writing one, but for now I'll just say that it's difficult to resist a musical with trash talking lyrics set to Disney style music, so check out WHACK at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milw. if you can. 

I saw WHACK last night, and it was exactly what I needed: a good laugh, and a reminder that women can be bitches to each other, to their legally blind (Nancy) and gin-drinking-insult- slurring (Tonya) mothers, to their ex-husbands-now-boyfriend as was the case with "skanky Tonya Hard-on" (Nancy's take on Tonya) and to just about everyone else when they're on a ruthless quest for Olympic gold as Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were in the 1994 Olympics. 

Pictured (photo courtesy of Kelly Williams of Gorilla Tango and the show's writer) are the legs of Leslie Nesbit as Nancy, left, and Cassie Cushman and her fist as Tonya. 

Click on image to see the full pic.