Free Movie: The Ramones at Chicago’s Empty Bottle – Mar 7

What better way to spend the end of your weekend than hanging out and watching some free rock and roll cinema at the Empty Bottle in Chicago? A free rock movie at 7pm on March 7, 2010 and cheap drinks sounds like a pretty swell way to spend a Sunday evening, so come on down for End of the Century: The Ramones. Dubbed “a punk ‘Last Waltz“, this free documentary traces the seminal punk band’s trajectory from obscurity to fame to induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Including interviews with DEBBIE HARRY, JOE STRUMMER and more, it’s an insider look at the band that’ll make your head spin.

The Empty Bottle is located at the corner of Western and Cortez in Chicago, 1035 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL, three blocks south of Division and just north of Augusta. The Empty Bottle is most easily accessible from Interstate 90/94 (The Kennedy Expressway).
Hours:  Monday through Wednesday
5:00pm to 2:00am

“Back to the Future” Film Benefit With Original Actors on Feb 28

Did you know it is the the 25th anniversary of the hit science-fiction adventure “Back to the Future”, and there will be a Chicago reunion on Feb 28 of four of the original  cast members — Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Brown), Lea Thompson (Mom), Claudia Wells (Jennifer) and James Tolkan (the principal) will be available before each showing of the movie at the Hollywood Boulevard in Woodridge. Read more

Provision Theater’s World Premiere of Holocaust Play “The Hiding Place”

Are you looking to see some Chicago theater but do not want to break the bank?  Do you love to go to dinner and professional theater in Chicago but hate to drop an additional $20 on parking? Well, after 4 years of excellent productions and 6 Jeff nominations, Provision Theater Company is now comfortably in its new Read more

Chicago: Free Theater on Martin Luther King Day – Jan 18

Looking for things to do in Chicago to celebrate MLK Day on January 18? Writers’ Theatre hosts a free performance of Chicago writer Yolanda Androzzo’s one-woman play “The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights” as part of the Chicagoland Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at Am Shalom Synagogue, 840 Vernon Ave., in Glencoe. The performance is part of a Day of Service and Celebration which begins at 9 a.m. Following Monday’s performance, the production of “The MLK Project” will tour Chicago area schools. See writerstheater.org/mlkproject for more information.

Weaving together poetry, hip-hop and history, The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is a touring one-woman show that follows a young girl’s search for truth and self-discovery through the American Civil Rights Movement.

This cross-cultural, multi-media performance interweaves personal interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights Activists, and includes both the celebrated and unsung heroes of the Movement. In a tour-de-force performance, the solo performer gives voice to  Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Puerto Rican poet and activist David Hernandez–among others!

The MLK Project includes:

• A performance of the 45-minute play
• A post-show discussion where students are encouraged to explore the cultural and contemporary relevance of the Civil Rights Movement in their community
• A comprehensive Teacher Guide full of activities, historical information, lesson plans, homework assignments, and discussion questions–all of which adhere to the Illinois State Learning Standards

Free Movie Screening – “Garbage Dreams ” – Jan 16

Come enjoy a free screening of the sensational “Garbage Dreams” in Chicago on January 16th at 2 pm at the Chicago Cultural Center.  This movie welcomes you to the world’s largest garbage village located on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The Zaballeen (Arabic for garbage people) recycle 80 percent of the trash they collect—far more than other recycling initiatives. But now a multi-national corporation threatens their livelihood. Follow three teenage boys born into the business who are forced to make choices that will impact the survival of their community.

ITVS Community Cinema presents free screenings in communities from coast to coast. From September to May, Community Cinema screenings offer special sneak previews of films scheduled for upcoming broadcast on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Community Cinema screenings feature panel discussions with leading community-based organizations, special guest speakers, information and resources, and other programming designed to help people learn about and get involved in some of today’s key social issues.

Claudia Cassidy Theater
Chicago Cultural Center
78 East Washington Street – Chicago, IL
Dates:Jan 16, 2010

Hours: 2 pm

Admission: FREE

“Garbage Dreams” Free Film Screening presented by ITVS Community Cinema

Contact:
312-744-6630

Free Shakespeare in Chicago – Jan 16

Looking for free theater in Chicago? Look no further as New Leaf Theatre Company invites you back into its home on January 16th at 1:00 pm for their fifth free Treehouse Reading – this time they have moved into classical free theater waters by creating a stream-lined version of Shakespeare’s mystical romance – William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”. Read more

DePaul Presents Low-Cost Shakespeare for Kids and Families in Chicago

Take your family to Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.  While not free, the low-cost ($8 tickets) event let you introduce your kids to the Bard.   The Theatre School at DePaul University presents Shakespeare’s classic, adapted as the next installment of the 2009-2010 Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences Series. Read more

Come to the Free Movie Screening of Jane Austen’s New “Emma” – Jan 12

You are cordially invited to attend the free Chicago premiere screening of the first hour of the new PBS Masterpiece Classic film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma”, considered by many to have the most perfect of Austen’s blissfully romantic plots at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago.  The screening will be followed by a Read more

Free Movie: The Big Lebowski at Lincoln Hall – Wed Jan 6

We love when great movies are played for free.  Even better when they are played at a classic film house.  Well, on Wed Jan 6 you can see The Great Lebowski for free in the building that used to house the old Three Penny Cinema, now Lincoln Hall at 2424 N Lincoln at 7pm.  $3 White Russians! $3 Bud Draughts! $3 Cactus or Steak Tacos! Read more

Free Tickets to Goodman’s Christmas Carol Jan 1 for Servicemen/Women

To celebrate the brave men and women in the armed forces, Goodman Theatre will provide over 500 free tickets to its closing day performance of A Christmas Carol on New Years Day Jan 1 (2pm). The local servicemen and their families invited to attend include companies deploying to Afghanistan in January. The audience will be rocking to the holiday spirit with the music of Chicago band, Fair Herald, in the Goodman’s lobby prior to the performance. Community Day is coordinated by Goodman Theatre Director of Education and Community Engagement and U.S. Navy veteran Willa J. Taylor.

“There’s not a single person on the Goodman’s staff or stage who does not recognize the tremendous sacrifices military families make each day,” said Willa J. Taylor, Director of Education and Community Engagement. “It is especially difficult during the holidays; as a U.S. Navy vet, I understand it firsthand. This performance, this celebration is just one small thing Goodman could do to say ‘thank you’ to all the men and women serving their country both here and abroad, and to support the families who love them.”

Christmas Sing-Along with “Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas” to Dec 24

Come out with your loved ones and see two favorite classic Christmas Movies and sing some carols too —“It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas”— at the 26TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SING-ALONG AND DOUBLE FEATURE MOVIES –now playing at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport Ave, (773)871-6604 from December 18th through December 24th. While not free, (tickets are $16 for the double feature, or $11 for the single), this is an excellent holiday tradition.

One of the most popular and beloved Christmas traditions in Chicago is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year. Who would have predicted on that snowy Christmas Eve in 1983, when the operator of a vintage movie theater in Chicago decided to show two old holiday movies and sing a few Christmas carols during the intermission, that 26 years later the Music Box Christmas Show would become a five-day extravaganza that grows more popular with each passing year? People from all around Chicagoland have made this terrific, old-fashioned event part of their family’s holiday tradition.

Each year, holiday revelers are greeted by none other than Santa Claus, live and in person. Santa welcomes the audience and, accompanied by the theater organist, leads them in the singing of the most cherished Christmas carols of all time. The lyrics are projected onto the theater’s screen so no one misses a chance to sing their hearts out.  Then the audience sits back and enjoys a Christmas movie classic. Some folks like to keep the music going and opt to see WHITE CHRISTMAS so they can sing the timeless lyrics of Irving Berlin along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kay and Rosemary Clooney. Others prefer to cheer for Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and hiss Mr. Potter during a showing of the heart-warming IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra,1946).

And those truly filled with holiday spirit see BOTH films!
Ticket Information
Single Feature: $11
Double Feature: $16
Tickets through Ticketmaster (1-800-745-3000, or see link below) starting on November 25 at 9:00am
Tickets will be sold at the theater box office starting on Friday, November 27.

Seating Chart

Purchase advance tickets online.

Films Include:

White Christmas – The touching story of two war veterans turned entertainers (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) who help save a winter resort features 15 musical numbers by Irving Berlin.

December 18, 9:45pm;

December 19, 12:30pm;

December 19, 6:40pm;

December 20, 3:35pm;

December 20, 9:45pm;

December 23, 12:30pm;

December 23, 6:40pm;

December 24, 12:30pm

Act Fast – Free Movie Screening for Sherlock Holmes – Dec 21

Do you want to see a free advance screening of Sherlock Holmes on Dec 21 in Chicago? Then click here to see if there are any free passes left. Use code GEN16VR. Watch the trailer of Sherlock Holmes to be released in theaters on December 25, 2009  here. Read more

Free Tickets to a Christmas Musical at the Auditorium Theatre on Sunday

Are you looking for something to do this weekend to celebrate the holidays in Chicago?  Well check out this free theater offer.  Willow Creek Chicago is offering Chicagoans and visitors free tickets to a new holiday musical destined to become a Chicago tradition.  “A Chicago Christmas” will debut this Sunday, December 6th, at the beautiful Auditorium Theater.  It features holiday stories woven around Christmas music. and is the perfect way to kick -off the Christmas season. This is how Chicago does it — City stories wrapped in your favorite seasonal music done “City style”: classical, reggae, hip-hop, gospel, and more. A delight for music lovers of any age.

Performances will be at 2 and 5pm.  E-tickets are available here for sunday.

www.willowchicago.org

Free Do-It-Yourself Messiah Tickets – Dec 21-22

Come out and sing!  The Harris Theater for Music and Dance will host the 2009 Bank of America free Do-It-Yourself Messiah, the 34th annual holiday event where the audience serves as the chorus in George Frederic Handel’s masterpiece on December 21 and 22 at 7:00 pm.   Bank of America will offer 1,500 free tickets for each performance at no charge on a first come, first served basis. The music of Handel comes to life in Chicago every Christmas with his magnificent Messiah performed by an audience of thousands, featuring world-class soloists and a full orchestra of local amateur musicians. Read more

Free Screening of “Food Inc.” on November 5

Come check out the free screening of “Food, Inc.” at 7pm on Thursday November 5th at Loyola University Chicago at the Life Sciences Building auditorium (Kenmore & Sheridan).  In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

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