The Rock and Roll Playhouse Announces Inaugural Shows in Chicago at Thalia Hall

"well-rounded learning experience for parents and kids" - WHERE IN New York

"The kids are having so much fun they don't realize how much they are learning." - Brooklyn Family Magazine

"...one jam packed hour of fun." - Mommy Nearest

 

 

(Chicago, IL): The Rock and Roll Playhouse has announced its first ever "Rock & Roll for Kids" family concerts in Chicago at Thalia Hall on Sunday, March 11, marking its latest expansion and the fourth city to welcome the Playhouse. After rapidly selling out the initial concert, the Playhouse has now added a second show later in the afternoon on March 11. In addition to its Chicago debut, the Playhouse will host its inaugural run of shows in Boston this Spring, and recently launched its inaugural series in Philadelphia this winter. The Playhouse's debut Chicago concerts will feature the music of the Grateful Dead for kids, and performances by special guests Mark Hague and Paul Bolger from Mr. Blotto.

The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a weekly children's music workshop-series that creates "a space within which they can discover new comfort zones with and around music" (WHERE IN New York). Created by entrepreneur and owner of The Capitol Theatre and Brooklyn Bowl, Peter Shapiro, and Amy Striem, a certified early childhood and elementary teacher, The Rock and Roll Playhouse uses music to educate children and explore their creativity. Since its founding in 2013, the Rock and Roll Playhouse has hosted ten seasons and over 400 concerts exploring the music of different decades and genres, from David Bowie to Bob Marley to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Elton John.  

The idea for The Playhouse came to Shapiro, a parent of two young children, after he discovered first-hand a lack of regular programming in New York City that combined his passion for live music and his family. He collaborated with Striem, then an administrator at his daughter's nursery school, to help fill this void that they felt many other parents also shared. Using the songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse, hosted in New York by Brooklyn Bowl, the Capitol Theatre and Industry City, offers its core audience of three to eight-year-olds games, movement, stories, and an opportunity to rock out. The Rock and Roll Playhouse is an early and often first introduction to a child's lifelong journey with live music and rock 'n' roll. 

Past special guests Questlove, Phil Lesh, Joe Russo, Ross James, DJ Cochon De Lait, Alyssa Cowitt, The Terrapin Family Band, Stella Blues Band, and StevenSteven (Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips and Steve Burns, original host of Blues Clues) have all joined the party to perform for, educate, and inspire young music fans.

 

The New York Observer raves that the family-friendly series is, "...quite literally fun for all ages." 

 

The Rock and Roll Playhouse at Thalia Hall:

Sunday, March 11

Morning show

Doors: 11:00AM / Show begins: 11:30AM

The Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids featuring Mark Hague and Paul Bolger from Mr. Blotto

Tickets

 

Afternoon show

Doors: 2:30PM / Show begins: 3:00PM

The Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids featuring Mark Hague and Paul Bolger from Mr. Blotto

Tickets

 

Admission is $15 per person and shows are free for children under one.

 

Rock and Roll Playhouse on the web:

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About Thalia Hall:

Thalia Hall is a historic landmark located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. It was founded by John Dusek at the turn of the century as a neighborhood establishment. Dusek was a family man, a tavern owner, and a facilitator of the arts. He was a visionary, and the founding father of Thalia Hall.  His hope for the corner of 18th & Allport was to build a public hall for the community.  In 1892 his dream became reality: a multi-purpose property that would offer commercial storefronts, residential housing, and a hall for the community.

In September 2013, owners Bruce Finkelman [Beauty Bar, Bite, Empty Bottle, EBP, Longman & Eagle] and Craig Golden [Longman & Eagle, Space, Union] launched three new concepts within this storied property: a re-established beer inspired restaurant, a Punch focused cocktail bar, and a public hall fit for all types of events.

John Dusek built Thalia Hall with the hopes of bringing arts and entertainment from Bohemia to play for his bohemian neighbors. Architects Faber & Pagel, who modeled the hall after the Prague opera house, completed the public hall in 1892.  For over 7 decades the Hall was a beacon of the neighborhood community.  Thalia existed as one of the most ornate theaters of its times.  This opulence, which differentiated it from more traditional interior theaters, was granted landmark status in 1985.  The hall was used not only to house a multitude of entertainment over the years, but was also used as a central meeting spot for the neighborhood.  In 1915, the hall was used to draft a bill paving the way for bohemian statehood and the birth of Czechoslovakia in 1918.  Closed to the Public in the 1960's, Thalia Hall has remained virtually untouched until the end of 2013, when we first began working on it.  Our goal is to restore Thalia to its original charm and character, to breath life into this community treasure, and to bring a wide array of music, community, and artistic events to the neighborhood it serves.