Free Release Tuesday: Benefit for Producer Michael Cullen April 19

Royal George, 1641 N. Halsted, opens its doors at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 19, 2010 in honor of Michael Cullen, owner of the Mercury Theater and Cullen’s, and a 35-year veteran producer and pioneer in the development of Chicagoland theater as it is known today. Recently suffering from a stroke, Mr. Cullen requires extensive therapy treatments. The entertainment line-up is still to be announced for this event.

Michael Cullen began his artistic journey through part of his graduate program at the Goodman School of Drama where he founded the Travel Light Theater Company, one of the first off-Loop theater companies. Starting with ten actors Travel Light grew into one of the more prominent and well-known theaters. During the Travel Light years he independently produced over eighty productions. He was one of the co-founders and developers of the Theater Building located 1225 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago where Travel Light Theater found a permanent home. Here he produced such shows as Lone Star with Sigourney Weaver, Woody Guthrie featuring Tom Taylor, Gracie directed by Austin Pendelton and featuring the acclaimed Steppenwolf Company. It received four Joseph Jefferson Awards and a PBS airing. During this same time he helped found the League of Chicago Theaters.

Some of Mr. Cullen’s independent productions along with partner Arnie Saks, include the Midwest premiere of I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road starring Gretchen Cryer. It became the longest-running show at the Drury Lane Water Tower Theater, spanning 1 ½ years and winning six Joseph Jefferson Awards. His premiere of Tintypes played a record breaking run at the Apollo Theater Center and earned six Joseph Jefferson Awards. At the Goodman Theater he presented Lily Tomlin in Lily Tomlin; Appearing Nightly. He brought Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Barbara Cook, and Tommy tune to the Royal George for a series of concert appearances. He served as Associate Producer for the Broadway production of Speed of Darkness by Steve Tesiech directed by Robert Falls. It received four Tony nominations, winning a Best Supporting Actor Tony for Stephen Lang.

In 1984, Mr. Cullen along with his partner Sheila Henaghan, formed Cullen, Henaghan and Platt presenting Pump Boys and Dinettes which ran for 4 ½ years and on May 16, 1988, became the longest running musical in the history of Chicago Theater. In 1986, Mr. Cullen became involved with development of the Royal George Theater. In addition to those already mentioned, Cullen, Henaghan and Platt over a ten year period brought to Chicago productions of Shirley Valentine, Driving Miss Daisy, Steel Magnolias, I’m not Rappaport, A… My Name is Alice, Jeeves Taking Charge, The Nerd, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire du Lune, and Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends: A Final Evening with the Illuminati. In New York at the West Side Arts Theater they produced the off-Broadway production of 21A. In addition to those already mentioned, Mr. Cullen has worked with such stars as Charles Nelson Reilly, Loretta Swit, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Bates, John Astin, John Mahoney, Estelle Parsons, and George Peppard.


In 1994, Mr. Cullen along with his partner, Joe Carlucci, purchased the property at 3741-3747 North Southport, which they developed into three businesses. Mr. Cullen owns and operates the businesses known as Cullen’s Bar & Grill and The Mercury Theater.


The Mercury Theater has presented a wide range of theatrical productions from the musical, Pope Joan, to the three man comedy Triple Espresso and has hosted many popular one man shows such as His Way, The Male Intellect, An Oxymoron, Jown Astin’s Edgar Allan Poe show. The Tony Award winning comedy The Last Night of Ballyhoo enjoyed a long run as did, Frank McCourt’s The Irish and How They Got That Way. Also the Mercury Buckminister Fuller, the History and Mystery of the Universe, Barry Manilow’s musical review Could It Be Magic?, Over the Tavern, Over the River and Through the Woods, and most recently the award winning Belfast Blues, currently running off-Broadway.


Organizers are suggesting a $50 to $75 donation. For more information or to donate directly, please visit www.michaelcullenrecoveryfund.org.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a Web site, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

(Photo courtesy of Noreen Heron & Associates)

The New Colony's "Calls to Blood" Extends Performance Schedule through Nov. 28

The New Colony's "Calls to Blood" extended performance schedule to run through Nov. 28 after moving the production to the much larger cabaret space of the Royal George Theatre, which they moved to on Oct. 29 to accommodate the over whelming demand for tickets. The show premiered Oct. 12 and runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays - Saturdays.

"We always hoped for this situation, but the outpouring of interest and word of mouth for this show has taken us completely by surprise," comments Artistic Director Andrew Hobgood at Sunday's company meeting.

After only a short number of performances, The New Colony finds themselves in the delightful position of maxing out the capacity of their venue. Over the course of a week, the production team began transitioning the production to the new venue while still performing in the Gallery of the Royal George Theatre.

"Over a four-week run, less than 1,000 people would be able to see this show in the Royal George's Gallery," explains Hobgood. "Moving the production to the Cabaret space will make the show available to more people.

"Calls to Blood" tells the darkly comic tragedy of the perfect American couple and their seemingly impenetrable happiness - even as they struggle to conceive the child they want so desperately. But in trying to find a solution to this continual failure, they unearth the one truth that can destroy everything upon which their perfect lives have been built.

Here's what the press has been saying:

Chicago Tribune Recommended and Critic's Pick
"Four young performers in sync with one another, wholly able to replicate the casual jokes and hidden terror that fill the yuppie life in Chicago as it is lived, and, in the case of an arresting young actress named Sarah Gitenstein, wholly willing to dig deep and howl out her wounded innards with sufficient force to jolt you out of your uncomfortable seat."

"On the face of it, such dramas seem easy to do and, indeed, many small companies attempt them. But "Calls to Blood" and New Colony know how to heed that call much clearer than most. Andrew Hobgood's savvy production is quite the riveting show."
-- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"... the New Colony's fierce production transcends the scenario's slick contours. As Alison, Gitenstein brings a breathtaking passion to the stage; torn apart by what she learns, Gitenstein manages to lift the play from its true-story origins to true art."
-- John Beer, TimeOut Chicago

Reader Recommended
"The play shouldn't work, but Asmus pack his seemingly incompatible scenes with accurate, telling observations of human behavior, and director Andrew Hobgood's pitch-perfect cast articulate them with graceful precision. Against all odds, nearly everything in this New Colony premiere rings poignantly true."
-- Justin Hayford, Chicago Reader

"Gut-wrenching! While establishing a couple's perfect relation only to rip it apart isn't new ground, this flawless execution is beyond rare."
"...it will floor you."
-- John Biederman, Centerstage Chicago

"Calls to Blood" premiered 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 with an additional press opening Thursday, Oct. 15. "Calls to Blood" runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays - Saturdays at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre through Nov 28.

Show passes at $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $15 for students/industry. Visit www.thenewcolony.org/callstoblood to access the ePaybill for "Calls to Blood," Passes are on sale online through TickerMaster or by calling the Royal George Bow Office at (312) 988-9000. All passes to The New Colony productions allow the purchaser to see the show for which the pass was purchased for an unlimited number of times.