Free Chicago

As many of you know, Chicago is one of the great hubs for comedic talent anywhere.  While it might seem like improv rules supreme, there is way more than that here.

Improv/Sketch:

• At iO (Improv Olympic), they have two theatres.  In the Cabaret Theatre, every Wednesday, you can see a FREE improv performance at 8:00pm.  All of the late night shows Sunday through Thursday are $5.  In the Del Close Theatre, all Sunday shows, Tuesday & Wednesday shows at 10:30pm, and Friday and Saturday midnight shows are $5.  Also, if you haven’t seen TJ and Dave on Wednesday night at 11pm, you really need to go immediately.  It’s two amazing performers (TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi) for only $5.  Also, ask the box office if they have any 2 for 1 coupons.
• Every night, except Fridays, after the scripted show is over, you can go to Second City and see the cast perform improv for free (space permitting).  Also, if you want to see up and coming performers, every Monday night at Second City’s Donny’s Skybox theatre, improv shows are only $5.  Also, look for half-price tickets for the at Goldstar (here and here) and HotTix.
• At the Annoyance Theatre, they have both scripted shows and improv.  Tuesday nights they have two improv shows for $8 BUT if you come for the first show, they will let you stay for the late show for free.  Also, Thursday nights is Messing with a Friend.  Susan Messing is one of the best performers in Chicago (and elsewhere) and the show is only $5.  Lastly, most of their shows are available for half-off at Goldstar and HotTix.
• At The Playground Theater, Sunday night shows are free, Monday & Tuesday shows are $5, and the late night Thursday show is $5.

Stand-up:

• Sign up for the newsletter for the Lakeshore Theater.  The Lakeshore is almost exclusively standup and the week of performances they often give away tickets for some or all of the performances if you receive their newsletter.
• Zanies’ in Old Town is a traditional stand-up venue.  Take the time to comb through their schedule because suprising people pop up from time to time.  Plus, when they have a Rising Star Showcase on Mondays, find out who is going up and often the performers have free tickets.  Plus, check Goldstar for half priced tickets.
• Chicago Underground Comedy at the Beat Kitchen has stand-ups every Tuesday including a regular stable of amazing performers and well-known comedians dropping in when they are in town.  $5 every Tuesday night.
• The Lincoln Lodge has some of the best line-ups in the city with many headliners being the best in alternative comedy.  Always a great show (and awesome food and huge beer mugs.)
• Any stand-up open mic in the city allows you to see up-and-coming comics and regional mainstays practice and hone their act, usually good specials, and they’re free.  And, if you have the nerve, you can go up as well.

September 29, 2009, 10:49am   Comments

This Monday at 8:30pm, CSO presents its Civic Orchestra of Chicago (with Cliff Colnot conducting) performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber.

I’m not even going to pretend I know what any of what that means, but I do know this:  I like listening to beautiful music and I like it when it’s cheap or free.  I have a feeling you do to.

The performance is FREE (yeah!) but you have to have a physical ticket so there is a $1 ticket charge (boo!).  But, $1 to see this kind of performance is still fantastic.  Plus, any chance to go to the Symphony Space is a good thing.

Head here to get your tickets.

September 25, 2009, 2:42pm   Comments

There are SO MANY ways to see free or really cheap movies all over Chicago including renting movies or streaming movies online. Here is everything that is available:

Free movies at the theatre:

• The Chicago Park District shows free movies throughout the summer all over the city.
• The Chicago Outdoor Film Festival happens every Tuesday in Grant Park after July 4th.
• University of Chicago Film Studies shows films as part of their lecture series and are almost always free.
• Eye & Ear Clinic is programmed by the grad students at the Art Institute with film and video from their archives and faculty/student works and screens for free.
• Facets shows amazing movies at their theatre. Normally, it’s $9 a movie but it’s FREE if you become a Facets Patron Club member.
• If you join Landmark Theatre’s Film Club, you will be informed when they have free screenings.
• If you’re a member of Facebook sign up for CHICAGO FREE MOVIE SCREENINGS from gofobo.com and 43kix.com and Chicago Movie Screenings. Both will alert you when free movie screenings are happening and tickets are available. Also, sign up for gofobo.com. They will inform you of other screenings above and beyond what is listed in the Facebook group.
• Sign-up to be a hollywoodchicago.com member. They’ll let you know when they have free screenings of wide release movies.
• Film Metro lists free screenings in Chicago. While not always updated, it’s always good to check.
• The geekiest mother of all movie gossip sites, Ain’t It Cool News has free screenings in Chicago on a regular basis and they are usually better movies. Click here for the Chicago screening information.
• Wild About Movies is a little difficult to navigate and filled with too many ads. BUT, if you click on the movie posters on the left hand side of upcoming movies, they will let you know when free screenings are happening of the movies they have listed.
• Other places to check:
  • Slickdeals and Fat Wallet continuously posts free screenings on their forums.
  • While clunky and not Chicago specific, Free Movie Codes lists free screenings in Chicago.

Free movies at home:

• Redbox is the way to go for free movies. Go to their site to find the closest one and then go Inside Redbox to find out the latest Redbox free movie codes. You can use the codes once per debit/credit card.
• Facets has a Netflix-style membership that allows you to rent movies through the mail. While that cost money, it allows you to rent FREE at their store and see FREE movies at their theatre. For info here.
• While it may seem obvious, Hulu, Joost, IMDB, and the Internet Archive all have free streaming movies.

Cheap movies at the theatre:

• The Alliance Française de Chicago shows French language films for $5.
• Bank of America Cinema shows classic movies with a short or cartoon at the beginning for $5 and free parking. (There is no official site for it, but you can get the current listing at Time Out Chicago.)
• Block Cinema at Northwestern programs excellent movies and is $6 a movie, or cheaper if you’re a student or buy a membership.
• Brew & View at the Vic Theatre is $5 for a double feature and they have beer specials.
• Chicago Filmmakers has screenings that are only $8, $7 Student and Seniors (with I.D.) $4 Members. Plus, if you become a member for $25, you get 4 free admissions.
• Music Box has a discount card for $33 for 5 movies.
• The Nightigale regularly screens independent and experimental films for $5.
• Siskel Film Center has cheap tickets if you are a student or become a member ($10 general admission, $7 students, $4 for students and faculty of the School of the Art Institute, and staff of the Art Institute, $5 Film Center members.)
• University of Chicago Doc Films shows films every day U of C is in session, $5 movie or cheaper if you get a membership.
• White Light Cinema regularly screens independent and experimental films around town with tickets starting at $7.

September 25, 2009, 11:13am   Comments

Chicago has an amazing theatre community with more theatres than any other city in the world. (Suck it, NYC.) Here are some ways to see some shows for free or cheap.

Free:

• If you usher at Steppenwolf, you get to see the shows for free.
• If you usher at Goodman, you get to see the shows for free.
• All productions of the Shakespeare Project of Chicago are free.
• The easiest (and shadiest) is befriend the actors and crew. Many are able to provide comp tickets. Seriously ask. They want you to bring people to the shows and they are willing to give a free ticket if they know you’re going to bring other paying customers.

For discounted tickets:

• Check the League of Chicago Theatres’ HotTix program. Typically half off of all tickets listed on the site. Go to the actual outlet to avoid TicketMaster’s fees.
• Speaking of Ticketmaster, if you go to their Deals page and use the code tmdeal, all the tickets listed there are typically half off.
• Check the listings on Goldstar. Most of the tickets are half off as well for listed performances.
• The Neo-Futurists’ (in)famous Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind is always $9 + the roll of a single six-sided die ($10 - $15). Also, in celebrating their 20th anniversary, the first Sunday of each month, it costs the roll of the die ($1 - $6.)
• The Chicago Dramatists have staged readings of plays-in-progress for $5 on Saturdays.
• The Actors Gymnasium typically has performances involving circus performers. Always amazing and $10.
• Theatre Oobleck’s current production, “An Apology for the Course & Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening” is listed as $12, more if you’ve got it, free if you’re broke.
• For $50 you can get the Rogers Park Flex Pass. It allows you to get one ticket at four Rogers Park Area theatres (Lifeline, Raven, the sideproject, and Theo Ubique) and receive discounts at Rogers Park restaurants.
• At University of Chicago’s University Theatre, all performances are either $4 or $6.

For discounted student tickets:
(Note: All of the discounts for students listed here are included because they are a substantial discount. Almost all of the theatres have some sort of discount for students with ID or are just affordable to begin with. Check individual theatres if they are not listed here.)

• At Steppenwolf, if you come an hour before curtain, all unsold tickets are $15 with a student ID.
• At Goodman, starting at 10am online or 12noon at the box office, any unsold mezzanine seats are $10 with a student ID.
• At the Lyric Opera of Chicago, if you register as a “NExT Student” on their website, the Lyric Opera will inform you by email when they have tickets available for upcoming shows. All tickets are $20 and sign-up is free.
• At the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, one hour before curtain on any production, student rush tickets are typically available. It depends on the production and you must have a student ID. Go to the website to find out how to sign up for their newsletter that will tell you what productions will have student rush tickets.
• Blue Man Group has half off ($32) tickets one hour before show start with a student ID.
• At the Chicago Children’s Theatre, all Saturday matinee shows are half off for students.
• At the Court Theatre at the University of Chicago, UC students are able to purchase $10 tickets to any performance. All other students, of any age, are able to purchase tickets at a 25% discount to any performance, except Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees.
• At the Lifeline Theatre, all tickets are half off ($15) for students with ID for all performances.
• At the Next Theatre Company, all tickets are half off for students with ID or anyone under 26 years old.
• At Northwestern University, all theatre performances are $10 for full-time students with ID.
• At Remy Bumppo Theatre, student rush tickets are available for $10 the day of the performance with ID. Contact the theatre to make sure tickets are still available.
• The Viaduct Theatre, depending on the performance, has different student prices typically all low.

September 24, 2009, 8:27pm   Comments