Lookingglass Theatre Presents RICK BAYLESS IN CASCABEL

Lookingglass Theatre, Frontera Grill and Silverguy Entertainment present Rick Bayless in Cascabel. The extremely limited engagement is created by Rick Bayless, Artistic Associate and founder of Silverguy Entertainment Tony Hernandez (Hephaestus, Lookingglass Alice), and Lookingglass Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman (Hephaestus, The Brothers Karamazov, Hard Times).

The culinary and theatrical experience of the year runs for four weeks only, March 23 - April 22, 2012.

Tickets are available for 2011-2012 Lookingglass subscribers beginning Tuesday, September 27, 2011. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale to the public on Tuesday, October 18, 2011.
Delicious, sumptuous, magical cuisine is served nightly at La Cascabel, a boarding house at the end of a dusty road in 1940s Mexico. But the house chef is in love with a woman with no appetite. Will he find a way to her heart despite a bumbling maitre d', an acrobatic gardener and a tightrope-walking sous-chef? Rick Bayless in Cascabel is sensory dining unlike anything you've ever experienced. A feast of vibrant flavors from Rick Bayless' famous Frontera Grill collide with heart-stopping circus acts and a charming love story, all inside Lookingglass' intimate theatre inside the historic Water Tower Pumping Station in the heart of the Magnificent Mile.

"From our very first conversations together, it became instantly clear that Rick and Lookingglass are interested in exploring the same thing: the live, communal experience, how we humans share food together and share stories together. So putting all these elements in the same room - the unmatched culinary genius of Rick Bayless and Frontera, the circus wizardry of Tony Hernandez and Silverguy, and the storytelling chops of Heidi Stillman and Lookingglass - is going to make for an incredibly exciting fusion of flavor, flying, and fantasy, says Artistic Director Andrew White. "Bringing these great Chicago artists to our home on Michigan Avenue also makes for the perfect complement to our Chicago-centric season."

"When I saw Lookingglass' Hephaestus, which was created by Tony Hernandez and Heidi Stillman and featured Tony, I was in awe of the talent, theatricality and storytelling. After I tweeted about the show, Tony responded and a friendship was formed," says Rick Bayless. "Through Cascabel, we will be combining the art of cooking and the theatricality of the kitchen with the beautiful and inventive work by Silverguy and Lookingglass for an unprecedented, theatrical and daring feast."

Season subscriptions and tickets to Rick Bayless in Cascabel are available online, www.lookingglasstheatre.org; by phone, (312) 337-0665; or at the Lookingglass Theatre box office, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. Lookingglass subscribers will have early access for purchasing tickets for Rick Bayless in Cascabel before they go on sale to the general public on October 18, 2010. For more information and box office hours, visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.

Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays. The lobby opens at 7:00pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, and at 5:00pm on Sundays. Subscribers will be able to purchase tickets at the following prices: Preview tickets, March 20-24, are $130 - $155. Tickets during the regular run are $180 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) and $205 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Each ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, a three course dinner, and non-alcoholic beverages. Prices will go up, based on demand, when they are released to the public for sale.

Information on wine pairings, food allergies and dietary restrictions is available at lookingglasstheatre.org/cascabel.

The Production Sponsor is Richard A. Ditton, Incredible Technologies, Inc.

Three-play Subscriptions

Subscriptions are on sale for the 2011-2012 Season and include The Great Fire, Mr. Ricky Calls a Meeting, and Eastland. Rick Bayless in Cascabel is a separate ticket and subscribers have the first chance to purchase. Performances will be held at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.

Lookingglass Theatre Company is located in the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. Subscriptions to the Lookingglass 2011-2012 season are on sale now. Current subscribers who renew early may do so at the 2010-11 prices, $84-$158. Subscriptions for the 2011-2012 season are $92-$174.

Subscription benefits include access to the best seats in the house, pre-sale opportunities and savings before single tickets go on sale to the general public, special perks at more than a dozen exclusive of restaurant partners, unlimited ticket exchanges, discounted parking at the nearby John Hancock Center and Olympia Centre Garage (161 E. Chicago Ave.), reduced tuition for Lookingglass' renowned classes and summer camps, and courtesy performance date reminders. For season subscription and ticket information, call the Lookingglass Theatre box office at (312) 337-0665 or visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. 2011-2012 marks the company's 24th anniversary season. Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. Lookingglass has staged 56 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 52 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations.

Work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman Richard Ditton of Incredible Technologies and President Joe Brady of Jones Lang LaSalle. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.