Displaying items by tag: Apollo Theater

Vape! The Grease Parody, a hilariously unhinged spoof of the beloved stage and film musical Grease, will make its Chicago debut at the Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave., Aug. 20 – Jan. 3, 2027. Travel Arts Journal called the production "a sharp, quick-witted comedy" and "a fast-and-furious production that can be summed up in one word: hilarious!" Tickets go on sale July 22 at 10 a.m. at vapethemusical.com. The press performances will be on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Written by Catie Hogan and Sketchworks Comedy, Vape! features lyrics and additional book by Billy Recce (A Musical About Star Wars, FIVE: The Musical Parody) and Danny Salles (TV's Joan and Melissa, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List). Produced by Sketchworks Comedy, with Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson serving as creative consultants, Vape! is directed by Jack Plotnick (Broadway's Disaster!), with choreography by Ashley Marinelli (Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical), and features music supervision and arrangements by Lena Gabrielle (Emojiland). Visceral Entertainment is the executive producer and general manager.

Vape! lovingly pokes fun at all of the wonderful moments, sexual innuendos, outrageous characters, rivalries and secret romances from the original musical. The hair products may have changed, but the drama and the thirst for hallway clout remain timeless. It's the musical you know and love, but dragged through a cloud of strawberry-scented vapor and a TikTok filter... It's the show that you want ("...Ooh! Ooh! Ooh, honey!").

Originally premiering in Atlanta in 2018, Vape! was scheduled to premiere in New York in August 2019. Ten days before the first performance, the rightsholders of Grease served Sketchworks Comedy a cease-and-desist letter, claiming Vape! violated their copyright. As a result, Sketchworks Comedy filed a lawsuit against Grease, believing that they were protected under fair use law. After a two-and-a-half-year legal battle, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Southern District of New York ruled that Vape! is, indeed, a parody. Vape! Went on to make its triumphant debut in a celebrity packed benefit concert at NYC's Town Hall in 2025, followed by an extended run Off-Broadway.

"I am so thrilled to be returning to this wonderfully silly, in the best way, parody of one of my absolute favorite movies," said Plotnick. "After a fantastic Off-Broadway run in New York, I'm especially excited to bring Vape! to a great comedy town like Chicago, in the wonderfully intimate Apollo Theater. The space will allow us to create a really fun and totally unique experience for audiences, welcoming them right into the campus of Rydell High."

In response to its New York debut, Vape! The Grease Parody has received praise for its witty humor, energetic performances and fresh take on the beloved musical classic. Medium raved "Vape! Brilliantly blends the classic spirit of Grease with today's pop culture, with modern humor, clever writing and a cast full of charisma." TheaterScene called the production "brash, fast and unapologetically smart. The rare spoof that works both as satire and theater. Affectionate parody rooted in cultural truth," and Hollywood Press Corps hailed the production as "a must-see! A fun, irreverent night out, it's Grease, lovingly dismantled and reconstructed for a new generation. I couldn't stop laughing." Even the original producer of the 1972 New York debut of Grease, Ken Waissman, who brought the production to Broadway after seeing its premiere in Chicago at the Kingston Mines, described the musical as "a witty, funny and fully engaging sendup of our forever popular Grease... the excellent cast embodies the spirit of their '50s counterparts with absolute perfection."

Scenic design is by David Goldstein; costume design is by Matthew Solomon; lighting design is by Zach Pizza; sound design is by Daniel Lundberg, and props are by Brendan McCann. Casting is by Cindi Rush, and will be announced at a future date.

The performance schedule from Aug. 20 – Sept. 20 is as follows: 

• Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays at 2:30 p.m.  

Beginning Sept. 22, the performance schedule will be:

• Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m. 
• Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays at 2:30 p.m.  

There will be Thursday matinees on the following dates: Oct. 8 and 22, Nov. 5 and 19 and Dec. 3 and 17.

Tickets go on sale July 22 at 10 a.m. and are priced from $45 - $65, with Pink Squad Premium Seating starting at $85, including all fees.  Tickets can be purchased at vapethemusical.com, by calling the Apollo Theater box office at 773-935-6100, or in person at the box office.  For group sales, contact Group Tix & Tours at 312-423-6612.

About the creators of Vape! 

JACK PLOTNICK (Director) co-wrote and directed the Broadway musical Disaster (NYT Critics Pick.), and the Sony Pictures feature film Space Station 76. He executive produced/starred in the feature film (and cult hit!) Girls Will Be Girls, which was featured on Netflix. As an actor, he's had regular and recurring roles on Grace and Frankie, Z Nation, The Mentalist, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Reno 911 and Drawn Together, plus appearances in the films Meet the Fockers, Down With Love, Rubber and Gods and Monsters.

ASHLEY MARINELLI (Choreographer). Credits include Stranger Sings! (Winner of Broadway World's "Best Off-Broadway Choreography" Award), Welcome to the Big Dipper (Off Broadway), The Perfect Game (Off Broadway), A Musical About Star Wars (Off Broadway), Once Uponzi Time (McCarter Theater), American Psycho (Winner of Broadway World's "Best Regional Choreography" Award), The True and Unquestionable Account of Dr. Joseph Snodgrass (World Premiere), Mystic Pizza (Engeman Theater) and Techies (Winner of Kennedy Center CTF's "Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Choreography" Award). 

SKETCHWORKS COMEDY includes CATIE HOGAN, LEANNA ADAMS, JOHN BABCOCK, CASEY HOLLOWAY, JULIE SHAER and BRIAN TROXELL (Original Writers/Producers). Sketchworks has been entertaining Atlanta audiences with award-winning sketch comedy since 2001. Their ensemble features some of Atlanta's top working professional writers and actors who have been featured all over the film, TV, and commercial landscape. Vape! The Grease Parody is their first foray into musical parody. More at sketchworkscomedy.com. 

BILLY RECCE (Lyrics & Additional Book) is a composer/lyricist and playwright, whose musicals include Little Black Book, directed by Tony Award® Nominee Kristin Hanggi, and most recently was staged in concert at the Bowery Ballroom starring Tony Award® Nominee Orfeh. OffBroadway/NYC: Fowl Play (music and lyrics, directed by Olivier Award-Winner Tye Blue), FIVE: The Parody Musical (music and lyrics), A Musical About Star Wars (music and lyrics), Singfeld (music and orchestrations), Balloon Boy: The Musical (book, music and lyrics; NYMF's youngest ever writer). Licensed titles include Concord/Broadway Licensing's The Big Twist: A Musical OzVenture (music), and 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: The Musical (music and lyrics), based on one of the most produced plays in America of the same name. He has developed musicals with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Barrington Stage and the Edinburgh Fringe. He is a Two-Time MAC Award winner, an Orchard Project Greenhouse member, a Bushwick Star Grant Awardee, a Relentless Award semi-finalist, a Eugene O'Neill Finalist, a NAMT finalist, a two-time Wallowitch Award finalist and a Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist. billyrecce.com 

DANNY SALLES (Lyrics & Additional Book) is a writer/director/producer for television and theater. He directed the holiday movie The Christmas Thief for ION TV and four seasons of the ABC comedy The Middle. He was showrunner and director on various comedic TV reality series: Joan Rivers' Joan and Melissa (WeTV), Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo, Emmy nomination) and Todrick (MTV) and codirected the Emmy-winning Recipe for Change (YouTube). For the stage, Danny recently directed the musical The Perfect Game is addition to writing book and lyrics and directing the musical comedy satire The First Annual Trump Family Special in LA and Off-Broadway starring Gina Gershon. Salles is Director of Creative Development at Visceral Entertainment.

Rhythm is an essential part of life. We wouldn’t exist without it. It all starts with your heart beat. That is the origin of rhythm really. And Djembe! The Show at Apollo Theater is all about the rhythm – and it’s informative. I really enjoyed learning how the djembe was used throughout musical history.

Djembe! was almost like a workshop at times. Drums are located at each audience member’s seat. The show was emceed by Ben Hope. Hope, along with the rest of the ensemble, taught the audience about the rich history djembe drumming. I didn’t realize this was actually a touring road show until yesterday. I can just imagine packing all those drums away after every show! Hopefully, Djembe! sticks around for a while because it is truly worthy of a long run.

The band in this show was fantastic. Fode Lavia Camara was the Djembe Fola, or “master”. He led the drumming for the most part although all were involved. The band was rounded out with bass guitar, keys and drums. All were musicians are very talented players.

Rashada Dawan handled most of the lead vocals. She wore a variety of costumes to illustrate the influence of djembe rhythms through musical history. Her voice was amazing. She also helped emcee the show.

When it all is said and done, we learn that a lot of the rhythm we take for granted in music is African in origin. It is interesting to see the influence of these rhythms on everything from Pop to Classical Music. This was all about the Djembe, but it translates to other instruments and even voices, and a show like this is great mind food for musicians. Us musicians need to constantly feed our minds with information. But it is the entertainment value in Djembe! that makes it fun!

This is a show one could see again and again. In fact, I am tempted to take a friend there who I know would really like it. You would too. Nothing makes you feel better than beating a drum. Bring a friend. Make a friend. It’s a celebration of life. This would be a great show to take your kids along. It’s a lot of fun.

Djembe! The Show is currently being performed at Apollo Theater.

For more information on this unique experience, visit www.djembetheshow.com.

After a successful summer preview run, "Thrones: The Musical Parody" has returned to Apollo Theater for Fall performances. Though the production might not have the staying power as did "Million Dollar Quartet", a show originally scheduled for a two-week run that was renewed for several years, "Thrones" is a solid production that, despite its niche market, should get comfy in its Apollo home for a decent stay.

Parodying Game of Thrones, one of the biggest television series over the past decade "Thrones" hold little back, cleverly mocking its main characters delivering a crude, but witty, humor GoT fans are sure to enjoy. From the show's opening number "Thrones!", a song that punches the audience with spoilers and refers to "The Wire" as a show one doesn't realize they like until after two and a half seasons, we get a good taste of the campy ride we are about to take. The show's very funny cast includes Caitlyn Cerza, Nick Druzbanski, Madeline Lauzon, Beau Nolan, Victoria Olivier and Christopher Ratliff. 

The story revolves around a group of friends who excitedly await the GoT season premiere. However, after some lackluster enthusiasm is displayed, it's soon revealed that Brad (Druzbanski) has never seen the show. Of course, this is just mind blowing for the rest of the gang who quickly agree to act out the show to catch Brad up to speed. And this is where it starts to get crazy. In fact, the show takes a hilarious turn the moment Tom (Ratliff) throws on the John Snow wig and makeshift cape just before diving into his ode to The Wall watchers "For the Watch". And how can you have a wall number without taking a poke a Donald Trump, which they certainly do. Taking shots at practically every character on the show from Tyrian to Sansa to King Joffrey to Xerxes (there's actually a song on who we need to know), the group goes from one scenario to the next. Naturally, Brad's interest in the show grows as the friends get deeper and deeper into the characters. 

Act One ends on a high note with possibly the funniest number in the show, "Stabbin'", a gruesomely humorous massacre free-for-all that really needs to be seen to be appreciated in full. But worry not, after a big ending into intermission, we are not let down, as Act Two holds a strong pace by providing solid laughs throughout, steering us to a strong finish. Each actor richly contributes in this talented cast holding the ability to get big laughs at any given moment as well as providing respectable vocal ability. The cast brilliantly overplays their characters expressions and are able to successfully spoof their many characteristics such as Tyrian's poor accent, John Snow's seemingly empty thoughts or _________  not so subtle crush on Denarys. 

Written by the team of Chris Grace, Zach Reino, Al Samuels and Dan Wessels, the show gets a nice boost from director Hannah Todd, who is able to work the funny within the funny and finely translate it for stage. While GoT fans will certainly enjoy this show, easily picking up on its jokes - both subtle and bold, it remains to see how theater goers not familiar with the show will react. The GoT fan base in Chicago might be enough in itself to support this show for a long run, possibly even creating new GoT fans along the way. 

"Thrones: The Musical Parody", performed at Apollo Theater through November 15th, has plenty to make it a thoroughly entertaining event - laughs, sex, an engaging storyline,catchy songs and excellent acting performances. 

Take your Game of Thrones experience to the next level with "Thrones: The Musical Parody".