Auditorium Theatre

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The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Announces Programming for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 50th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago April 1 - 5
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Opening night features a special LIVE ONSTAGE performance by
Grammy Award-winning female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock

Program for exclusive Chicago engagement features an exciting mix of
classic and new works by Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Hope Boykin,
Mauro Bigonzetti, George Faison and Elisa Monte

CHICAGO — The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU), 50 E. Congress Parkway, proudly announces programming for the 50th Anniversary celebration of the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), performing as part of ATRU’s International Dance Series in a Chicago exclusive engagement April 1 – 5. Tickets are now on sale.

“I am incredibly proud that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2008 engagement at the Auditorium Theatre broke ticket revenue and attendance records for all prior Ailey engagements in Chicago, a testament to the company’s unrivaled talent and enduring popularity,” said Brett Batterson, executive director, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. “I am also delighted that AAADT returns to our stage in April to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a dynamic and eclectic repertoire, which includes two Chicago premieres. The Auditorium Theatre’s vibrant and diverse audience in Chicago will once again have the opportunity to experience AAADT’s incredible artistry and universal appeal.”

Recently recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital “American Cultural Ambassador to the World,” AAADT performs a repertoire featuring the talents of a wide array of both established and emerging choreographers. The Chicago premiere of “Go in Grace,” choreographed by company member Hope Boykin as her first solo choreographic endeavor for AAADT, is a highlight of opening night. Boykin collaborated with Grammy Award-winning female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock to create an original composition, including music and lyrics for the piece; the ensemble will perform LIVE ON STAGE as active participants for opening night. “Go in Grace” weaves a gentle, affecting tale of community, family and growth that illustrates the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” Boykin casts the dancers and singers as members of a society who unite to move a young girl forward in wisdom and grace.

For Thursday evening’s performance, AAADT showcases 50th Anniversary Highlights, a brand new program featuring excerpts from many of Alvin Ailey’s most popular and beloved ballets spanning each decade of his phenomenal career. The audience will have the opportunity to discover rarely-seen gems and revisit favorite works including “Blues Suite” (1958), “Streams” (1970), “Choral Dances” (1971), “Mary Lou’s Mass” (1971), “The Lark Ascending” (1972), “Hidden Rites” (1973), “Night Creature” (1975), “Cry” (1971), “Phases” (1980), “Landscape” (1981), “For Bird – With Love” (1984), “Caverna Magica” (1986), “Opus McShann” (1988) and Ailey’s 1960 masterpiece “Revelations” performed in its entirety.

Another highlight of the engagement is the Chicago premiere of “Festa Barocca” to be performed on Friday and Saturday evening, by acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti. Praised for his fresh and inventive sensibility, Bigonzetti brings his distinctly European flair to the Ailey repertory for the first time in a new ballet inspired by the aesthetic beauty of Baroque art. “Festa Barocca” tells the story of a festive party, and Bigonzetti was so inspired by the Ailey dancers’ emotional intensity and technical prowess that he cast the entire company in this ballet – a rare and special occurrence. Friday’s program also includes Elisa Monte’s sculptural, mesmerizing 1979 duet “Treading.”

The Saturday matinee performance features a new production of Alvin Ailey’s “Blues Suite,” the ballet that launched the sensational company in 1958. Blood memories of rural, Depression-era southern Texas come to life in this hugely popular ballet, in which Ailey imagined beloved but troubled characters as they gather for a bawdy night of partying and blues in an old barrelhouse.

Various programs also feature “Suite Otis” (1971) by Tony Award-winning choreographer George Faison, former AAADT company member, in which the timeless music of pioneering soul singer Otis Redding sets the stage for a playful battle of the sexes. The yearning sensuality of soul stirring Redding songs such as “Satisfaction,” “Try a Little Tenderness,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and other favorites burst through this wildly popular six-part suite of dances ripe with romance and humor.

Rounding out the program offerings on Sunday are Robert Battle’s sensuous, swirling 2005 duet “Unfold” and Alvin Ailey’s “Night Creature,” a definitive homage to Duke Ellington’s jazz created in 1975. “Night Creature” captivates with Ailey’s sensual nighttime rituals, propelling the movement into a fast-paced climatic catharsis using slow jazz walks, boogie woogie and ballet arabesques to create prowling patterns and communal configurations.

The finale of each program is “Revelations,” Alvin Ailey’s most significant cultural masterpiece. Ailey’s inspiration for creating “Revelations” came from a variety of sources: memories of attending Baptist services in Texas as a child, interest in Brueghal’s paintings, Oriental Theater and his acquaintances with African American writers James Baldwin and Langston Hughes. Since its premiere in 1960, more people around the world have seen this modern dance classic than any other work.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM INFORMATION

Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. “Go in Grace” (Boykin 2008) ** ‡ / “Suite Otis” (Faison 1971) * / “Revelations” (Ailey 1960)

Thursday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. 50th Anniversary Highlights: “Blues Suite” (1958) * / Excerpts of “Streams” (1970), “Choral Dances” (1971), “Mary Lou’s Mass” (1971), “The Lark Ascending” (1972), “Hidden Rites” (1973), “Night Creature” (1975), “Cry” (1971), “Phases” (1980), “Landscape” (1981), “For Bird – With Love” (1984), “Caverna Magica” (1986), “Opus McShann” (1988) / “Revelations”

Friday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. “Festa Barocca” (Bigonzetti 2008) ** / “Treading” (Monte 1979) , “Revelations”

Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m. “Blues Suite” (Ailey 1958) * / “Suite Otis” * / “Revelations”

Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. “Festa Barocca” ** / “Treading” , “Revelations”

Sunday, April 5 at 3 p.m. “Night Creature” (Ailey 1975) , “Unfold” (Battle 2005) / “Suite Otis” * / “Revelations”

** Chicago premiere
* New production
‡ features a special live ONSTAGE performance by Sweet Honey In The Rock
“ / ” indicates an intermission and “ , “ indicates a pause
Programming is subject to change

TICKET INFORMATION

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater tickets are now on sale. Single ticket prices are $30 / $45 / $59 / $69 / $82. For tickets, visit the Auditorium Theatre box office at 50 E. Congress Parkway; call Ticketmaster at (800) 982-ARTS or (312) 902-1500; or log on to ticketmaster.com. For general information, please visit auditoriumtheatre.org.

Discounted tickets are currently available for groups of 10 or more. For more information on group sales, call Beth Bullock at (312) 431-2357 or e-mail bbullock@auditoriumtheatre.org.

RUSSIAN POINTE RECEPTION

An elegant pre-show opening night reception will be held at Russian Pointe, 333 N. Michigan Ave., a theater-inspired boutique featuring burgundy velvet curtains and French crystal chandeliers. This special event includes hors d'oeuvres, wine and appearances by company artists, as well as trolley transportation to the theatre. The Russian Pointe Reception takes place Wednesday, April 1 from 5 – 7 p.m. Admission is $50, and reservations are required by calling
(312) 922-2110 x 300.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PHOTOS

To request specific AAADT repertory photos please contact Matt Miller of Carol Fox & Associates, Inc. at mattm@carolfoxassociates.com or (773) 327-3830 x 104 for assistance.

ABOUT ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

On March 30, 1958 in New York City, Alvin Ailey led a group of young African American modern dancers in a performance that forever changed the perception of American dance. Although he created some 79 ballets during his lifetime, Ailey was a pioneer in establishing a multi-racial repertory company that presented important American dance works from the past as well as new works by both dance pioneers and emerging choreographers.

Today, with Artistic Director Judith Jamison’s remarkable vision and the artistry of 30 extraordinary dancers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, America’s Cultural Ambassador to the World, continues to celebrate the African American cultural experience and to preserve and enrich the American modern dance tradition. Regarded as one of the world’s premier modern dance companies, The New York Times declares that “Ailey's phenomenal popularity is unmatched by any other company."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa, becoming not only the most-traveled dance company, but also an ambassador of American culture, inspiring and uniting people of all backgrounds around the globe. With a repertory of more than 200 works by more than 70 choreographers and a permanent home in New York City, the nation’s largest building dedicated to dance, the Ailey legacy flourishes, using the universal language of dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE OF ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway, is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural and community programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre.

For more information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theater tours, call (312) 922-2110 [to purchase tickets please do not call (312) 922-2110; instead, please call Ticketmaster at (800) 982-ARTS].

Visit auditoriumtheatre.org, now featuring Chicago’s Landmark Stage, a comprehensive online history of the Auditorium from 1889 through today, made possible by the generous support of the American Express Performing Arts Fund.

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