CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Since the pandemic hit, most of the city’s stages have been dark. The performing arts world was hit first by the pandemic shutdown and is now last to reemerge. But now it’s time to welcome live performance back to Chicago!
Navy Pier announced that it will host "Chicago LIVE Again!", a first-of-its-kind, free, two-day outdoor festival this weekend to celebrate Chicago's arts and entertainment industry as it makes its triumphant return to live stages across the city.
"Chicago Live Again! has long been a dream of ours to bring together all of the arts and culture organizations that make our city so vibrant," said Marilyn Gardiner, CEO, Navy Pier. "We were challenged by the Pritzker Foundation to come up with a way to acknowledge and recognized the recovery of our great city."
The first-of-its-kind event will be held on Friday and Saturday and will include live performances from from some of our city's most esteemed cultural institutions and artists.
The list of participants is as high as the Centennial Wheel, and include, Broadway in Chicago casts from Frozen, Moulin Rouge, Six, Paradise Square, Teatro ZinZanni and the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Best Actor singing from Rent; Joffrey Ballet; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Second City; artists from the Lyric Opera’s Ryan Opera Center; Old Town School of Folk Music; Blue Man Group; and many, many more! A full list of participants can be found online on the Navy Pier website.
"We will see not only the artists on stage, but the artists backstage. I think about the number of individuals that are being brought back to work this weekend alone. It's so far reaching. The community is thirsting for access to performing arts. The darkness-is time to come to an end," she said.
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Performances are slated to run continuously from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at two Navy Pier stages: the Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park and the East End Stage. While the festival is standing room only, guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and order food from sit-down and carry-out restaurants throughout Navy Pier.
“Navy Pier is incredibly proud to become the stage for the return of live performances to Chicago. There could be no better place than the People’s Pier to reunite audiences and artists as an industry that was hit so hard by the pandemic finally returns to work,” said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner, in a statement. “Many nonprofit cultural organizations, Navy Pier among them, faced existential crises over the past 16 months. Though we have not completely vanquished the virus, it has not vanquished us. Our community is resilient, and our will is strong—as evidenced by the level of work and spirit of cooperation it takes to make an event of this scale happen. Never before have so many of Chicago’s greatest institutions shared the stage.”
To top off the momentous weekend, Navy Pier will also host a special fireworks display on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9:45 p.m., courtesy of an anonymous donor, as a tribute to the return of theater in Chicago.
Additionally, two of Chicago’s most legendary companies, Steppenwolf Theatre and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, will lead master classes with students from the Chicago High School for the Arts as part of Chicago LIVE Again!
According to Navy Pier, in these master classes, professionals share their expertise and insights, informing and critiquing the work of the students in real time before a live audience.
The Steppenwolf master class is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park, and the Hubbard Street class will be at 11 a.m. to noon on the East End Stage.
A year ago, Gardiner said she wasn't so sure the Pier would survive the pandemic.
"It was excruciating. Navy Pier like many other non-profits faced an existential crisis. There was question whether we'd ever be able to reopen our doors, but many corporations, many donors, individuals stepped up to help and save Navy Pier. We saw a wonderful comeback this summer after we were forced to close. We didn't think we'd survive but now we're thriving," she smiled.
Now, the Pier is celebrating the comeback with this weekend's celebration.
To receive a wristband to Chicago LIVE Again!, guests are required to: show proof of full vaccination, or provide a negative result of COVID test administered within the past 48 hours, or submit to a free rapid COVID test onsite with negative result. To help guests prepare for the fall arts season, vaccinations also will be available during the two-day event.
"There's no better place to bring artists and the audiences back together than the People's Pier," Gardiner said.
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