Second Show Announced: An Evening With Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be at Rialto Square Theatre

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be taking the stage at Rialto Square Theatre on Wednesday, March 15  at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10 AM.

Jason Isbell has established himself as one of the most respected and celebrated songwriters of his generation. Isbell broke through in 2013 with the release of Southeastern. His next two albums, Something More Than Free (2015) and The Nashville Sound (2017), won Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album & Best American Roots Song. Isbell’s song “Maybe It’s Time” was featured in the 2019 reboot of A Star Is Born. His most recent full-length album, Reunions (2020), is a critically-acclaimed collection of ten new songs. that showcases an artist at the height of his powers and a band fully charged with creativity and confidence. In April of 2021, it was announced that Isbell would appear in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

In October 2021, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit released a special new covers album, Georgia Blue. Created to celebrate Georgia’s role in the 2020 election, the record consists of new versions of thirteen songs with ties to the state, including tracks originally recorded by Georgia natives R.E.M., Drivn’ N’ Cryin’, James Brown, Cat Power, Precious Bryant, Otis Redding, The Black Crowes, Indigo Girls, Now It’s Overhead, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Allman Brothers Band and Vic Chesnutt. All proceeds will benefit three non-profit organizations: Black Voters Matter, Fair Fight and Georgia STAND-UP.

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Adventurer Josh Gates will take the Rialto Square Theatre Stage

Adventurer Josh Gates will take the Rialto Square Theatre Stage

Josh Gates will be at Rialto Square Theatre on Saturday, October 21 at 7 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10 AM.

Adventurer, television personality, and author Josh Gates is the host and executive producer of the smash-hit Discovery Channel series, Expedition Unknown. The show follows Gates as he sets out on a global journey to explore archaeological discoveries, historic mysteries, and scientific breakthroughs. Josh immerses himself in each story, conducting his own investigations, showcasing the work of dedicated explorers while also highlighting vibrant cultures and fascinating destinations. Armed with a degree in archaeology, a quick wit, and a hunger for adventure, Gates travels to some of the most remote corners of the planet in immersive, hilarious, and thrilling journeys.

Josh is also the host of Discovery’s new, hit show Josh Gates Tonight, which Collider recently declared “the best talk show going for film nerds and genre fans.” Each week, Josh is joined by high-profile guests from around the world in a series that’s part Raiders of the Lost Ark and part celebrity chat-show. Josh pours exotic cocktails with guests like Matthew McConaughey, Tim Robbins, Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon, Stephen Soderbergh, John Cleese and more.

An avid scuba diver and photographer, Josh has participated in sub-sea archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, and his wanderlust has taken him from sweltering African deserts to the icy shores of Antarctica. To date, he has set foot in more than one hundred countries, has scaled “the roof of Africa” on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas.

For five years, Josh also helmed and co-executive produced the hit Syfy Channel series, Destination Truth. Each week, Gates and his intrepid team set out to investigate age-old legends. The show features remote and often never-before-filmed locations, from the distant mountains of Bhutan to the uncharted jungles of Papua New Guinea.

As the face of adventure for Discovery, Josh is also known for taking some of the biggest stars in Hollywood on thrilling expeditions into the unknown. He recently starred in a 4-part series alongside Doc Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd, in Expedition: Back to the Future. In the Shark Week special Shark Trek, Josh also traveled where no host has gone before with William Shatner, taking the veteran Stark Trek icon to dive with man-eating Tiger Sharks in the Bahamas.

Josh holds degrees from Tufts University in Archaeology and Drama, serves as a trustee on the governing board of the Archaeological Institute of America, and is a fellow of The Explorers Club — a prestigious organization dedicated to the advancement of exploration and field research. He has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, and a variety of other national television and radio programs. Even more of Josh’s travels are chronicled in his bestselling book, “Memoirs of a Monster Hunter.”

Josh currently resides in Los Angeles and on airport floors around the world.

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Rialto Square Theatre Announces Reels at the Rialto 2023

Rialto Square Theatre Announces Reels at the Rialto 2023

Rialto Square Theatre is excited to announce our year-round movie series called “Reels at the Rialto.” This movie series is a nod to our Vaudeville movie palace past. “It’s important for us to offer a wide variety of entertainment options for the residents of Joliet and surrounding areas,” says Wade Welsh, Rialto Square Theatre Executive Director. “We are thrilled to partner with incredible sponsors so that we can make these movies affordable for everyone.” The sponsors of the Reels at the Rialto movie series are Old National Bank, D’Arcy Buick GMC, Window World, Edward Jones, and Castle Law.

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 2023 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:

Casablanca | PG
Thursday, February 23, 2023 | 7 PM
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country.

Wizard of Oz | G
Thursday, March 23, 2023 | 7 PM
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help.

Napoleon Dynamite | PG
Thursday, April 26, 2023 | 7 PM
In small-town Preston, Idaho, awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) has trouble fitting in. After his grandmother is injured in an accident, his life is made even worse when his strangely nostalgic uncle, Rico (Jon Gries), shows up to keep an eye on him. With no safe haven at home or at school, Napoleon befriends the new kid, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), a morose Hispanic boy who speaks little English. Together the two launch a campaign to run for class president.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | PG-13
Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 7 PM
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.

The Sandlot | PG
Thursday, June 22, 2023 | 7 PM
When Scottie Smalls (Thomas Guiry) moves to a new neighborhood, he manages to make friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures. The boys run into trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad that gets hit over a fence.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail | PG
Thursday, July 20, 2023 | 7 PM
A comedic send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen.

The Blues Brothers | R
Thursday, August 17, 2023 | 7 PM
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.

Young Frankenstein | PG
Thursday, September 14, 2023 | 7 PM
Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) learns that he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania. Arriving at the castle, Dr. Frankenstein soon begins to recreate his grandfather’s experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr) and the fearsome Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman). After he creates his own monster (Peter Boyle), new complications ensue with the arrival of the doctor’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn).

Hocus Pocus | PG
Thursday, October 26, 2023
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.

Miracle on 34th Street | Not Rated
Thursday, November 12, 2023 | 7 PM
In this Christmas classic, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain’s main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.

Movies for December will be announced as part of Home for the Holidays 2023. 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.

Movie Dates are subject to change. Please check the website for the most up-to-date listings.

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The Australian Pink Floyd Show is coming to Rialto Square Theatre

The Australian Pink Floyd Show is coming to Rialto Square Theatre

The Australian Pink Floyd Show is bringing their Darkside 50 Tour to Rialto Square Theatre on September, 12. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 3 at 10 AM.

Selling over 4 million tickets worldwide and described by The Times as “The Gold Standard” and The Daily Mirror as “The Kings of the Genre”, The Australian Pink Floyd Show gave its first ever concert in Adelaide, Australia in 1988. Since then, they have performed in over 35 countries worldwide; played at David Gilmour’s 50th birthday celebration and were even joined on stage by Rick Wright. TAPFS is the leading and biggest show of its kind in the world.

Performing the music of Pink Floyd with note for note perfection, this critically acclaimed show has been astonishing audiences worldwide for more than three decades. Always striving to reproduce the complete Pink Floyd experience and bring the music to new audiences, the show continues to include a stunning light and laser show, video animations, state of the art, high resolution LED screen technology and other special effects. In addition and in true Pink Floyd fashion, there are several huge inflatables including a giant pig and their own unique Pink Kangaroo.

They have worked with Pink Floyd touring musicians like Guy Pratt, Durga McBroom and her sister Lorelei McBroom, as well as sound engineer Colin Norfield who worked with Pink Floyd during their ‘Division Bell’ tour and on David Gilmour’s solo tours.

Often described as being much more than a tribute band, The Australian Pink Floyd Show is the first Pink Floyd tribute show that took the concept into the worldwide arena circuit. The band has played to sell out audiences throughout Europe, UK, America, Canada, South America and Russia.

With over 30 years of history, the world’s biggest, best and greatest Pink Floyd tribute show continues to delight its global fan base.

After nearly 40 years performing, it is time to shine on again as The Australian Pink Floyd Show returns with a new tour for 2023.

“The Dark Side of the Moon” Tour will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album, and bring to the stage the songs that mean so much to Pink Floyd fans all over the world. State of the art lighting and video, pinpoint lasers, gargantuan inflatables and flawless live sound that was the benchmark of Pink Floyd shows, TAPFS guarantees to deliver a memorable live experience.

Originally released in March 1973, The Dark Side of the Moon is among the most critically acclaimed records in history, has been certified 14 times Platinum in the UK, and spent 962 weeks in the Billboard Top 100. It is Pink Floyd’s most successful, and one of the bestselling albums of all time.

TAPFS will feature The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety in the first half of the performance, followed by a selection of Pink Floyd’s iconic tracks in the second half. Replicating music from every phase of Pink Floyd’s journey, this tour reinforces TAPFS’s dedication to the heritage of Barrett, Waters, Gilmour, Wright & Mason with a show that pays sincere and genuine tribute to those legendary Pink Floyd productions.

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A Shamrockin’ Good Time with Tim Placher and Friends returns to Rialto Square Theatre

A Shamrockin’ Good Time with Tim Placher and Friends returns to Rialto Square Theatre

The Rialto Theatre and the Rialto Square Theatre Foundation welcome back performers “Tim Placher &Friends” on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 PM to kick of St. Patrick’s Day weekend with “A Shamrockin’ Good Time ’23” sponsored by D’Arcy Buick GMC. The celebration of all things Irish returns this year for its second edition benefiting the Rialto Square Theatre Foundation, which provides critical support for the Rialto and its outreach activities.

“We’re honored to be asked back to be part of this wonderful event,” Placher said.” Last year’s show was great fun for the audience and performers alike, but equally importantly, the event provided substantial assistance for our ‘Jewel of Joliet.’ We’re looking forward to another entertaining show in this new tradition!”

This year’s “Shamrockin’” event includes two dozen of our area’s most talented artists performing both traditional and contemporary Irish music, along with Irish dancers, bagpipers, a youth choir, and traditional Irish session. Featured performers include former “All-Ireland Singing Champion” Gavin Coyle, former “Lord Of The Dance” fiddler Anne Hatfield-Martin, and local Irish-music favorites, John Condron and Allison Flood.

As part of the event, the Rialto Theatre Foundation will offer raffles, a whiskey tasting and Irish entertainment in the rotunda. Doors to the rotunda for the event open at 6 PM, interior theater doors open at 6:30 PM and the show begins at 7:30 PM. Exclusive whiskey tasting upgrade of an additional $40 includes seven samples and charcuterie board.

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Killer Queen – A Tribute To Queen will be at Rialto Square Theatre

Killer Queen – A Tribute To Queen will be at Rialto Square Theatre

Killer Queen – A Tribute To Queen featuring Patrick Myers as Freddie Mercury will be taking the stage at Rialto Square Theatre on July 12, 2023 at 7:30 PM.

Killer Queen’s first public shows were at London University, following in the footsteps of the real Queen who had played their first shows there decades earlier. Lead singer Patrick Myers said “It’s been an amazing journey. That first show changed my life. We thought our band would last maybe a summer at the most but it’s a very addictive thing performing these songs. The concerts grew and grew and we’ve ended up playing and selling out the same arenas that Queen played at their peak. It’s been quite a surreal ride. Becoming regular performers at Red Rocks in America is another highlight. The Beatles, U2, Springsteen, Dylan all played on that stage. It’s really got it’s own kind of magic going on there.”

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