Feb 11, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
“We aren’t likely to see a recording career like this again.” – The New York Times
“….his voice is still a technical marvel, and no one else on Earth can make a lyric written eight decades ago sound as natural as a conversation at a coffee shop.”
– New York Magazine
February 11, 2019 (Joliet, IL) – Rialto Square Theatre and NiteLite Promotions proudly present TONY BENNETT, the 19 time Grammy® Award-winning musician whose music spans over six decades on Friday, May 10 at 8 PM at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, IL. Tickets range from $55 to $175, and can be purchased in person the Rialto Square Theatre box office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.RialtoSquare.com. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10 AM.
At the age of 92, Tony Bennett is not slowing down and his latest recording, with long-time friend and musical colleague, Diana Krall, LOVE IS HERE TO STAY topped the jazz charts upon its debut and was just nominated for a Grammy Award. The album celebrates the music of the Gershwins and includes the jazz standard, “Fascinating Rhythm,” which Bennett and Krall perform as a duet. The inclusion of the song on the new album, was the impetus for a Guinness World Record title for Tony Bennett, who in 1949, under his stage name of Joe Bari at the time, made his very first recording of the Gershwin standard.
In 2017, the Library Of Congress presented Bennett with The Gershwin Prize marking the first time that an interpretive singer has been honored. The event was broadcast on PBS Nationally and featured tribute performances by Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Gloria Estefan and many others. His signature song, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco, was inducted this year in the National Recordings Registry. Bennett’s sixth book, TONY BENNETT: ON STAGE AND IN THE STUDIO, was recently published and provides an insightful look into Tony’s illustrious recording career highlighted by an extensive array of photographs, memorabilia, and artwork.
With worldwide record sales in the millions, and dozens of platinum and gold albums to his credit, TONY BENNETT is a musician who touches the hearts and souls of audiences with his legendary vocals and charming stage presence. His long list of achievements, spanning over 60 years, includes nineteen Grammy Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making this artist a true international treasure. His signature tunes, such as “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” and “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” form part of the fabric of American music culture. Often billed as the world’s most boyish octogenarian, TONY BENNETT is a vital musical artist at the peak of his powers.
Tony Bennett’s daughter, Antonia Bennett has been touring with her father and will open the performance with a collection of jazz/pop standards. Antonia Bennett is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
Having celebrated his 90th birthday in August of 2016, the milestone was marked by the presentation of TONY BENNETT CELEBRATES 90: The Best is Yet To Come a two-hour prime time special that aired in December. A companion CD of the same name was released simultaneously and won a Grammy Award in 2017. That same year, Bennett became the first “interpretive singer” to receive The Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress. Bennett’s 85th birthday in 2011 marked the release of “Duets II” and made music history by making Tony the oldest artist to ever have a #1 CD on the Billboard album charts. “Duets II,” followed up “Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic” CD, released in 2006. 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the singer’s signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” as well as the release of a new documentary film, THE ZEN OF BENNETT, created and conceived by Tony’s son and manager Danny Bennett. In 2014, Tony Bennett released a collaborative album with Lady Gaga, CHEEK TO CHEEK featuring these two legendary artists performing jazz standards. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album charts making Bennett the oldest musical artist, at the age of 88, to have an album top the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Album category. Tony Bennett is a Kennedy Center Honoree, an NEA Jazz Master and a recipient of the United Nation’s Humanitarian and Citizen of the World honors. TONY BENNETT is also a talented painter. He has exhibited his work in galleries around the world, and three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.
Throughout his career, TONY BENNETT has put his heart and time into supporting humanitarian concerns and joined with Dr. Martin Luther King in the historic Selma march in 1965. His many charitable works include raising millions towards Diabetes, and lending his artwork to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. In 2007, he was honored by the United Nations. Together with his wife, Susan, TONY BENNETT established the charitable organization, Exploring The Arts (ETA) to support arts education in public high schools. Tony founded Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, a NYC public high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens and ETA now supports 38 public high schools throughout New York City and Los Angeles and celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year,
For More Information On Tony Bennett Please Visit:
www.tonybennett.com
www.exploringthearts.org
Tickets are available at the Rialto box office, online at rialtosquare.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. The Rialto Square Theatre is located at 102 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. More info at: www.RialtoSquare.com
Join the S.T.A.R. program and support the Rialto Square Theatre 501c3 Foundation! With your tax-deductible donation, STAR members enjoy exclusive benefits, including pre-sale access, priority bar service, their own VIP entrance to the venue, and much more. Anyone interested in becoming a STAR member, please visit www.rialtosquare.com/support/star-treatment or email Marilyn McSteen at mmcsteen@rialtosquare.com.
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Jan 17, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
Joliet, IL (January 17, 2018) – Rialto Square Theatre and NiteLite Entertainment announced a cappella sensations, Straight No Chaser will play the Rialto Square Theatre on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 7:30 PM as part of their One Shot Tour 2019. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 25th @ 10am.
Straight No Chaser has had an amazing decade. Ten years after turning a collegiate hobby into a recording career that has taken them around the world on tour, the a cappella group tells its story through music on ONE SHOT.
Their seventh LP features 16 genre-spanning songs, and 10 entertaining conversational interludes, as the members of Straight No Chaser trace their unlikely rise from an undergraduate singing group at Indiana University to a beloved Atlantic Records act with a devoted international fanbase. Along the way, Straight No Chaser has sold more than 1.6 million albums in the U.S. and amassed more than 100 million YouTube views thanks to tightly arranged songs, impeccable vocal harmonies, and a healthy sense of humor. Yet Straight No Chaser’s success was never a given—these singers have worked hard to make the most of an unexpected opportunity when they signed with Atlantic and released their first album, HOLIDAY SPIRITS, in 2008.
Recorded mostly in Bloomington, Indiana, with producer Steve Lunt, the track list for ONE SHOT reflects that sense of now or never, starting with opener and first single “Motownphilly/This Is How We Do It,” an energetic mash-up of Boyz II Men and Montell Jordan. Straight No Chaser made Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” a staple of its repertoire in collage. Adding “Motownphilly,” with its lyrics about chasing improbable success, captured the way the singers felt as undergrads. “The lyrics from the Boyz II Men song fit our experience: We dreamed about this and now we are doing it, performing all over the world,” says Randy Stine, an original member.
It took a few years. After the founding members of Straight No Chaser graduated in 1999, they got jobs, found love, and made lives for themselves as new undergrads replaced them in the group on campus. In 2006, Stine posted a clip on YouTube of Straight No Chaser singing “The 12 Days of Christmas” at a 1998 performance, and it went viral. Atlantic Records Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman saw it and contacted the guys to see if they would be interested in reuniting to make an album. It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision. “It was scary to jump into because we were giving up life as we knew it,” Stine says. “I envisioned it as a boat leaving the pier,” he says. “Either you’re going to jump on and make the boat or you’re not. And I thought, ‘Even if the boat sinks and I have to swim back to shore, so be it.’”
Far from sinking, the group has only picked up speed on the way to making ONE SHOT. “Every year it gets better and better,” says Tyler Trepp. “We keep surprising ourselves in a good way, and it just keeps growing.” Along with Stine and Trepp, the current lineup features Walter Chase, Jerome Collins, Seggie Isho, Michael Luginbill, Charlie Mechling, Steve Morgan, and David Roberts. They all have a hand in choosing songs, which mirror the singers’ widespread musical tastes, ranging from R&B and old-school funk to folk and classic rock. In addition to “Motownphilly/This Is How We Do It,” the group tackles Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” a soulful ode to the singers’ significant others.
There’s also a take on Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend,” Johnny Cash’s version of “I’ve Been Everywhere,” and a yearning for the comforts of family life on a richly harmonized version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.” “We all rallied around that song because it really spoke to life on tour,” Stine says. “We are loving what we’re doing, but there’s always a bit of you that’s missing home. Especially with all of us being parents now, it’s that much tougher when you leave.”
So much of what Straight No Chaser has done over the past 10 years is the stuff of dreams: They’ve collaborated with Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Dolly Parton, to name a few. They’ve performed on national TV early in the morning, on Today; and long after dark, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. They’ve toured North America, Europe, and Australia, and consistently rank among Pollstar’s top 100 touring acts in North America. “We literally have to pinch ourselves every day that this actually happened,” Collins says. “Now we’re 10 years still in the game, and we’re still a successful act. We started this just for fun and now we’re doing it as a career.”
They have no intention of stopping—it’s just too much fun. “We’re going to ride this train,” Trepp says. “Each tour is something new, and we’re always surprised at the things we get to do.”
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Jan 15, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
January 15, 2018 (Joliet, IL) – Billy Idol and Steve Stevens, one of rock’s most iconic and enduring duos, will hit the road this March for their first ever tour performing as a duo: Turned On, Tuned In and Unplugged. The Billy Idol/Steve Stevens tour hits Joliet, Illinois’ Rialto Square Theatre on Thursday, March 21st at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 18 at 10 AM.
Now their fans across North America will have an opportunity to enjoy their hits, deeper album cuts and songs that influenced them both in a new and intimate setting. Plus, hear spoken word interludes from Billy Idol adding color to the stories behind the songs and career of one of rock’s most compelling survivors.
Idol and Stevens’ undeniable chemistry and seemingly limitless energy, founded on a mutual love of punk, rockabilly and dance music, has produced decades of successful tours and iconic hits including Rebel Yell, White Wedding, Dancing With Myself, Eyes Without A Face, Flesh For Fantasy, Cradle Of Love and more.
Billy Idol, together with Steve Stevens at his side, was an early architect of the sound, style, and fury of punk rock. His lip- curling sneer and fist-pumping persona vaulted him into the mainstream as one of MTV’s first megastars, making him one of the most recognizable faces in pop music, while selling out arenas everywhere he played. He has sold 40 million albums while scoring numerous platinum albums worldwide, nine top forty singles in the U.S. and 10 in the U.K. including “Dancing With Myself, “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell,” “Mony Mony,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and “Flesh For Fantasy.”
Billy is responsible for some of punk rock’s most memorable, literate, and evocative moments and created a pioneering new sound by bringing the spirit of ’77 to the dance floor, going on to fashion an immediately identifiable musical blueprint that integrates club-land throb, rockabilly desperation, and rock’n’roll decadence.
Steve Stevens is one of the most versatile guitarists & songwriters to emerge from the 80s rock scene, with influences spanning from classic rock to flamenco. In addition to his legendary career with Billy Idol, Stevens has worked with some of the biggest names in music, from Michael Jackson to Robert Palmer, Joni Mitchell to Pink. Stevens won a Grammy Award for his work on “Top Gun Anthem” and his songs can be heard on countless soundtracks including “Once Upon A Time in Mexico” and “The Matrix” Trilogy.
Billy Idol, together with Steve Stevens, returned to the spotlight in the fall of 2014 with two high profile releases that marked the latest chapter in the long and remarkable story of a musician, an inventor, a survivor, a father, a son, a man who returned from the brink, and a rebel whose yells made the mainstream sit up and pay attention.
Idol’s New York Times bestselling autobiography Dancing With Myself is an electric, intelligent, brutally honest and entirely self-written account of Billy Idol’s journey to fame, from his early days as front man of the pioneering UK punk band Generation X to a long and often decadent life lived loving sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, and motorcycles.
Idol’s most recent record releases, which all include work with Steve Stevens, are latest Billy Idol studio album Kings & Queens Of The Underground featuring production from 2017 and 2018 Grammy Award winning producer Greg Kurstin, a 2016 vinyl-only live album entitled BFI Live and the 2018 remix collection Vital Idol: Revitalized which debuted in the top ten of the Billboard Dance Chart.
Tickets are available at the Rialto box office, online at rialtosquare.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. The Rialto Square Theatre is located at 102 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. More info at: www.RialtoSquare.com
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Jan 10, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
Joliet, IL (January 9, 2019) – Rialto Square Theatre is excited to announce the lineup for the Local Music Mondays Music Series, in partnership with Chicago Street Pub. This music series celebrates the unique musical talents of Joliet area musicians in the beautiful Rialto Square Theatre. “We loved partnering with Mike Trizna and Chicago Street Pub to bring local talent to the Rialto Square Theatre stage,” Executive Director Val Devine said.
The series includes three evenings featuring performances from seven locally grown musical acts. The performance dates are Monday, February 25; Monday, March 25; and Monday, April 22. Local Music Mondays are generously sponsored by Hawk Auto Joliet, The Irish American Society of County Will, The Joliet Downtown City Center Partnership, Ozmon Law and Chicago Street Pub.
Tickets are $20 each, or you can purchase all three performances for $45. Individual tickets can be purchased online at www.rialtosquare.com, in person at the Rialto Square Theatre Box Office, or at Chicago Street Pub. To purchase the 3-show package, please visit the Rialto Square Theatre Box Office during normal business hours (M-F, 12-4:30 PM).
The 2019 Local Music Monday music series at the Rialto Square Theatre will include the following local talents:
Local Music Monday #1
Featuring Ava Suppelsa, The Brothers Footman, & The Stone City Stragglers
Monday, February 25 | 6:30 pm
$20
Ava Suppelsa
At just 20 years old, Ava Suppelsa has had a career that rivals songwriters twice her age. Hailing from Evanston, Illinois, her writing captures a diverse sound between country and pop. Ava’s influences draw from more than just the current country genre, fusing it with folk, pop and event hints of jazz. “I grew up in a house that put Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra in the same playlist,” she says, which she attributes to her unique sound.
Despite her young age, Ava has made a name for herself in music scenes across the country and most recently, in Nashville. First penning songs at age 12, her knack for songwriting was recognized early on. At 16 years old, she was accepted into the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy boarding school to study in their Singer/Songwriter major. Already laser focused on a music career as a junior in high school, she moved away from home to study in their intensive program.
Her songwriting has been recognized on the national and international level, starting by being selected as a National Endowment for the Arts YoungArts Winner at just 17 years old. Out of 11,000 applicants, Ava was one of 6 selected songwriters and studied under the likes of Chris Young, Josh Groban, Livingston Taylor and more. Since then, she’s received recognition from the International Songwriting Competition, Music City SongStar Competition and more, and was chosen to study in the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project under legendary writers Lari White, Stephen Bray and Craig Carnelia.
Ava was accepted into the #1 commercial music college in the world, Berklee College of Music, and studied as a Songwriting and Music Business double major for two years before making the move to Nashville to pursue music full time.
Without even a year in Music City under her belt and still under the legal drinking age, she has graced the stages of legendary songwriter venues, like the Bluebird Cafe, the Listening Room Cafe and more. She has had songs cut by Austin Burke, Christina Taylor and Jesse Labelle and can be found writing daily and playing writers rounds around Nashville.
Ava just had a song, which she cowrote, hit 1 million listens on Spotify.
The Brothers Footman
Music lovers who are eager to treat their ears to something fresh and unique would do well to check out a local band by the name of The Brothers Footman. The group’s sound is inspired by a variety of genres including country, Motown, gospel and R&B. Listeners will enjoy their smooth vocals as the brothers harmonize over energetic rifts of acoustic guitar.
Brothers Dikembe, Gerald (G), Micah (Sauce) and Joshua (Bubby) Footman make up the core of the band, while guitar player Zach Craft and drummer Don (Tank) complete the sound. Though the group is a new endeavor, the brothers have been surrounded by music all of their lives, as both of their parents sing and play multiple instruments.
“We grew up around music and kind of just picked it up ourselves. Our father’s side of the family can play and sing, and our mother is very musically talented and trained many vocal groups. One Christmas, we got instruments instead of presents, and since then we have been like, yeah, this is what we do,” said Bubby.
“Back then none of us could play anything,” added Dikembe. “We were just banging, so we sounded like a really bad heavy metal rock group. It was all in rhythm, so it still sounded kind of cool.”
The group’s musical talents have grown since childhood, and they have honed their skills in separate projects. Gerald started to play the piano and the drums, and Micah has done many productions for a wide range of varying artist. Today, the brothers are determined to break down musical barriers with a distinctive sound they like to call “Summa Music.”
“We don’t believe in drawing lines in music. Music is; it’s just that simple. We let the songs do what they do. The idea might start with one of us and then someone puts some keys down. It takes on its own form, and we let it rock that way. So it’s summa music. Some of this, some of that,” said Bubby.
Though the brothers have recorded multiple songs, they have only released one to the public as of yet. Their debut single “Country Sky” has already been played on radio stations both locally and internationally.
“Yesterday we heard it was playing in the UK, and the radio DJ actually shouted out our individual names. It was pretty cool,” said Gerald.
The brothers say their success is due to the fact that they are unapologetically themselves. They hope a sense of authenticity reflects in their music.
“You got to bring it for a reason. Many people try to copy what they hear on the radio. We just try to bring out what’s inside our head, be ourselves, and never stop,” said Bubby.
The Stone City Stragglers
The Stone City Stragglers were a six-piece band from Joliet, IL., also known as Stone City because of the limestone that was used to build the infamous prison walls and other historic buildings. Being native stragglers of Joliet, the name was fitting.
Although the band broke up several years ago, they are all prominent members of the area music community. This show will mark their second “One Time Only” reunion.
For many years, SCS carved a name for itself in the Americana/Alt. Country scene. Their 2004 release, The Last Resort, gained the attention of reviewers and fans across the U.S. and abroad. With their passionate live show, the band has recently opened for such acts as Drive-By Truckers, Jon Dee Graham, Reckless Kelly, Deana Carter, Caitlin Cary, Thad Cockrell, and followed up Julie Roberts and Clint Black’s performances at the 27th Annual Chicago Country Music Festival during the Taste of Chicago in 2005.
The Stragglers are now in many different bands and Solo careers including but not limited to: The Righteous Hillbillies, Big Lagniappe, Colonel Chloroform, Jeff Givens and The Mugshot Saints, Mama Jen and The J Tones, Allison Flood and The Real Gone.
Local Music Monday #2
Featuring Nikki Giblin, Growler, & The Steepwater Band
Monday, March 25 | 6:30 pm
$20
Nikki Giblin
Nikki is a long time local musician, playing most of the local festivals. She is a favorite in many of the music venues in the area, and was recently the first place $10,000 winner in Bourbon Street’s “The One”. A very prestigious Chicago Area Vocalist competition. Nikki has many irons in the fire. You can catch her at Elder Brewing, Chicago Street Pub and many other amazing area places.
Growler
Formed in early 2015 with a lineup of both esteemed veteran pickers and hotshot newcomers, Growler is bringing a welcome vitality to the growing Chicago bluegrass scene. The band comprises current and former members of regional mainstays like Jim Peterik & Storm Chaser, The Leadfoot Band, DOG 1, and Sunnyside Up and its members bring to the table over a decade of collective experience playing and recording mountain music the old-fashioned way. As precise and high lonesome as these boys are, however, traditional bluegrass is not a final destination for a group like Growler. With influences that span from pulsing Chicago blues to gritty southern rock, from elegant gypsy jazz to old school gospel and soul, and more, the band uses their bluegrass prowess as a jumping-off point for finding a sound that is theirs alone.
In addition, Growler has wasted no time getting this sound in front of an audience. Having cultivated a sizable repertoire of lovingly re-imagined standards and exploratory originals, the group is already packing houses and wowing crowds at clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest. They have shared the stage with national touring acts such as Elephant Revival, Head For The Hills, Hot Buttered Rum, Front Country, Jon Stickley Trio, The Wooks, Cornmeal, Trout Steak Revival, The Lil’ Smokies and in 2018 are only continuing to pick up speed on the regional scene. You wanted bluegrass in the City of Big Shoulders? Look no further–Growler is Chicago’s answer to a young generation of talented pickers seeking a new identity, and with thick four-part harmony, lush instrumental arrangements, and a deep, impeccable groove, how can you deny them?
The Steepwater Band
Formed in Chicago back in 1998, The Steepwater Band’s signature sound is a nod to early British blues, combined with a modern, raw and gutsy musical approach. Founding members Massey, Bowers and Winters have a synergy that comes from years of playing together. Then in early 2012, Saylors, from Indianapolis, IN, who brought an added depth to the TSB LIVE sound, joined the long-time trio. Although the band got their start as devotees of delta blues, they have since been expanding on their influences, absorbing everything from Psychedelia to Americana, from Jazz to 50’s Rock n’ Roll Music.
The Steepwater Band has maintained a grueling schedule throughout the last 18 years, averaging about 140 shows per year. They have toured and shared the stage with acts such as Gov’t Mule, Buddy Guy, Wilco, Taj Mahal, Marc Ford, ZZ Top, T-Model Ford, North Mississippi All Stars, Leon Russell, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Cheap Trick, Bad Company and Heart. In 2005, the band made its European debut, performing at the Azkena Rock Festival in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. In the following years, the band has returned to the United Kingdom and Europe for multiple club and festival tours, increasing their loyal overseas fan-base.
Local Music Monday #3
Featuring The Tim Placher All-Stars
Monday, April 22 | 6:30 pm
$20
Over the last several years, Tim Placher, longtime Joliet musician and teacher, has assembled a cast of talented Joliet-area singers, songwriters and players—all artistically successful in their own right— and built a local musician “All Star” group that periodically stages popular “One Night Only” music theme shows. What began with Tim and singing partner Robyn Castle has grown to include 20 musicians representing some of the area’s most prominent bands and performers.
“Some people have called me a local ‘David Foster’ for being able to assemble and coordinate so many musicians who all have their own creative endeavors going,” said Placher. “But I think the main thing is that I’m pretty good at picking the right songs for the right performers, and giving these talented musicians an opportunity to step out of their regular music routines for a night of fun and camaraderie trying their hand at something new and different.”
That fun and camaraderie is infectious to local music fans who have packed Chicago Street Pub to see the shows. Now, Tim and crew will bring the shows’ musical highlights to the Rialto for a memorable one-night stand. Singers and musicians include John Condron, Allison Flood, Brian Motyll, Nikki Giblin, JRoss Green, Robyn Castle, Josh Nestor, Stacy Sienko, Gavin Coyle, Chloe Briese, Kevin McCammon, Alex Hoffer, Tom Maslowski, Ellis Wright, Patrick Wright, Will Cooper, David Francis, Ted Slowik, Dr. Mark Christensen, and a few special surprises! Plan to join the party on April 22 as this “supergroup” of local musicians and singers performs many favorite songs from some truly iconic artists!
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Jan 4, 2019 | Just Added, Rialto News
Joliet, IL (January 4, 2019) – Rialto Square Theatre is excited to announce a brand new year-round movie series at the Rialto Square Theatre. This new movies series comes about following the overwhelming success of our summer movies series #TBTuesday Movie Series. “It’s important for us to offer a wide variety of entertainment options for the residents of Joliet and surrounding areas,” says Rialto Square Theatre Executive Director. “We are thrilled to partner with incredible sponsors so that we can make these movies affordable for everyone.”
Tickets are $5 each, and will be available day-of or in advance at the Rialto Square Theatre Box Office. Tickets are not available online. Doors will open at 6 PM; a free organ concert will start around 6:30 PM, all showings start at 7 PM. All seating will be general admission—first come, first serve. Bar and concessions (including freshly popped popcorn) will be available for purchase.
The 2019 Reels at the Rialto Movies Series at the Rialto Square Theatre will include the following mix of popular movies, old favorites, and some family-friendly titles:
The Blues Brothers
Thursday, January 17, 2019 | 7pm
R | 2 hours and 28 minutes
After his release from prison, Jake (John Belushi) reunites with his brother, Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) — collectively known as the “Blues Brothers.” Jake’s first task is to save the orphanage the brothers grew up in from closing, by raising $5,000 to pay back taxes. The two are convinced they can earn the money by getting their old band back together. However, after playing several gigs and making a few enemies, including the police, the brothers face daunting odds to deliver the money on time.
Sleepless in Seattle
Thursday, February 21, 2019 | 7pm
PG | 1 hour and 45 minutes
After the death of his wife, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son, Jonah (Ross Mallinger). When Jonah calls in to a talk-radio program to find a new wife for his father, Sam grudgingly gets on the line to discuss his feelings. Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), a reporter in Baltimore, hears Sam speak and falls for him, even though she is engaged. Unsure where it will lead, she writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Thursday, March 14, 2019 | 7pm
PG-13 | 2 hours and 14 minutes
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Rudy
Thursday, April 25, 2019 | 7pm
PG | 1 hour and 56 minutes
Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) wants to play football at the University of Notre Dame, but has neither the money for tuition nor the grades to qualify for a scholarship. Rudy redoubles his efforts to get out of the steel mill where his father works when his best friend (Christopher Reed) dies in an accident there. Overcoming his dyslexia thanks to his friend and tutor, D-Bob (Jon Favreau), Rudy gains admission to Notre Dame and begins to fight his way onto the school’s fabled football team.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Thursday, May 30, 2019 | 7pm
PG-13 | 2 hours and 15 minutes
Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn (John Boyega) crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.
Ferris Buellers Day Off
Thursday, June 20, 2019 | 7pm
PG-13 | 1 hour and 43 minutes
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, “borrows” a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris’ trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act.
Field of Dreams
Thursday, July 18, 2019 | 7pm
PG | 1 hour and 47 minutes
An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the 1919 Chicago White Sox come.
The Sting
Thursday, August 15, 2019 | 7pm
PG | 2 hours and 9 minutes
Following the murder of a mutual friend, aspiring con man Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) teams up with old pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take revenge on the ruthless crime boss responsible, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Hooker and Gondorff set about implementing an elaborate scheme, one so crafty that Lonnegan won’t even know he’s been swindled. As their big con unfolds, however, things don’t go according to plan, requiring some last-minute improvisation by the undaunted duo.
Walk The Line
Thursday, September 19, 2019 | 7pm
PG-13 | 2 hours and 33 minutes
The rise of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) begins with his days as a boy growing up on the family farm, where he struggles under the scorn of his father (Robert Patrick). As the years pass, Cash ends up in Memphis, Tenn., with his wife, Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin), and breaks into the music scene after finding his trademark sound. While on tour, Cash meets the love of his life, singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), but Cash’s volatile lifestyle threatens to keep them apart.
Hocus Pocus
Thursday, October 17, 2019 | 7pm
PG | 1 hour and 36 minutes
After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.
Movies for the months for November and December will be announced as part of Home for the Holidays 2019.
All seats are $5 and seating is general admission. For more Information about the entire series, please visit www.RialtoSquare.com/movies, or call the Rialto Square Theatre Box Office at 815.726.6600. The box office is located at 102 N. Chicago Street in downtown Joliet.
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Dec 19, 2018 | Just Added, Rialto News
MEN IN THE PARISH BASEMENT? WHAT’S A CHURCH LADY TO DO?
“Rise Up, O Men” gives the gents a chance to shine in the latest installment of the Church Basement Ladies musical comedy series
Joliet, IL (December 14, 2018) – Rialto Square Theatre brings the latest installment in the hilarious musical comedy series Church Basement Ladies: Rise Up, O Men, to Joliet on Tuesday, April 9th for a special matinee performance at 2 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 21st at 12 PM. More info at rialtosquare.com.
Let’s hear it for the boys! Fans of the musical comedy series Church Basement Ladies will finally get to know more about the men of East Cornucopia Lutheran Church, in the new production Rise Up, O Men at the Rialto Square Theatre on Tuesday, April 9th at 2 PM.
This sidesplitting, uplifting peek into the lives of the rural Norwegian Lutherans who audiences first fell in love with in 2005 is the sixth chapter of the story begun in the original Church Basement Ladies. Rise Up, O Men features familiar faces: Mrs. Mavis Gilmerson, Mrs. Vivian Snustad, and Mrs. Karin Engleson who would never leave the basement kitchen unattended, of course (who would make bars for the youth group meeting?). But as they busy themselves with preparations for their church’s participation in the town’s 1964 Centennial Celebration, we get to see their coming and goings from the eyes of the menfolk, who have their own problems to solve. Karin’s husband Elroy, farmer Carl and Great War vet Arlo are joined in brotherhood by series staple Pastor E.L. Gunderson. Their camaraderie unites them as they deal with furnace salesmen, looming retirement, rival Protestant denominations, the Pastor’s bad jokes, and Arlene’s even-worse cooking.
“We’re ready to introduce some new faces to the many fans who’ve become part of the Church Basement Ladies family over the years,” said Troupe America’s Curt Wollan, who has produced all six of the shows. “We’ve also got a lineup of original musical numbers that we’ve caught our preview audiences humming on the way out of the theatre—between the belly laughs and the songs, Rise Up O Men is an exciting addition to the Church Basement Ladies canon.”
The series of Church Basement Ladies productions are inspired by the bestselling book Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson. This latest chapter in the lives of these rural Minnesota Norwegians was developed by Greta Grosch, who wrote the scripts for the second, third, fourth, and fifth musicals in the series. Longtime Minneapolis StarTribune theatre critic Graydon Royce contributed additional material. Composer and songwriter Dennis Curley wrote the music, with lyrics by Dennis Curley and Greta Grosch.
Originally produced by Troupe America Inc, the original musical comedy, “The Church Basement Ladies”, opened at the Plymouth Playhouse in Minneapolis September 2005 to a response so enthusiastic that its initial run lasted two-and-a half years. Five sequels have expanded the universe of these familiar and beloved “Steel Magnolias of the Prairie,” making The Church Basement Ladies the most successful show in Troupe America’s 30-year history. Millions of Americans discovered a heartfelt connection to its deeply funny church matriarchs through regional and national touring productions.
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