Care to dance?

My, my, it's a busy season for dance in Chicago. It seems it happens this way every fall and every spring, all the dance events are piled around the same time. What's a dance fan to do? Why, get out and enjoy it!

We just had a couple of modern dance festivals wrap up. Weekend before last we saw the final run of The OTHER Dance Festival, a three-week showcase of some of Chicago's most adventurous modern dance companies and independent artists. We also saw the inaugural Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival, a three-night showcase with a different line-up of artists and companies each night. This is a brand new fest, so look for the roster to get steadily stronger as the producers get a few more years under their belts.

This past weekend was the fall engagement of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and what a show! Resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo presented two new works, Blanco and Deep Down Dos, both of which were beautiful and beautifully danced. Always a "cinematic" kind of choreographer, Cerrudo displays a masterful control of the stage image and is never short on inventive, original theatrical devices. We also saw Victor Quijada's new work, the hip-hop-infused PHYSIKAL LINGUISTIKS, which was a fun piece that allowed the dancers to explore some new movement vocabularies. And then came the delicious dessert that was Nacho Duato's Archangelo, the last section of which was worth the ticket price alone. It was truly stunning.

Coming up, one can't overlook two of my favorites (and--full disclosure--our clients), The Joffrey Ballet and Luna Negra Dance Theater. Joffrey is presenting a selection of ballet heavyweights in All Stars (maybe the title "Top Choreographer Masters" was taken), which runs October 13-24 at the Auditorium Theatre. The program includes George Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Tarantella, Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain, and Jerome Robbins' The Concert (Or the Perils of Everybody). I don't know which piece I'm more excited for-- Stravinsky is devilishly difficult, with super fast tempos and hard-to-count rhythms. It will be a task for the dancers, but they're up to it. The Concert is also hilarious, with some zany, over-the-top characters. It's a beautiful example of exactly what Robbins was best at, combining physical comedy with stellar dance technique. Don't miss your chance to see the beauty and fun, get tickets here.

Luna Negra is presenting the first season under new Artistic Director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano in one performance only on Saturday, October 16 at the Harris Theater, which is followed by the annual Noche de Luna gala. The program for the performance will showcase a brand new duet by Gustavo called Toda una Vida ("All My Life") inspired by his mother and father and their endearing (and enduring) love, the kind of love that keeps people together through thick and thin. They will also present a North American Premiere by Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo called Bate (pronounced "batche," which means "heartbeat" in Portuguese), a work for five men that balances a touch of humor with some powerhouse movement, including one section where the men, laying prone on their stomachs, literally pop off the ground like popcorn (I'm still not sure how they do it). And rounding out the program will be Luna Negra founder Eduardo Vilaro's Deshar Alhat ("Leave Sunday"), which was inspired by the Sephardic Jews in Latin America and their struggles and trials. It's a beautiful, non-linear piece for the whole company--who are looking especially strong these days--and the music, by Stefani Valadez, is poignant, bittersweet, and haunting. Get your tickets here.

A few others I'm looking forward to this season (this is by far not an exhaustive list): the all-female, Afro-Cuban-infused group Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba stops by the Auditorium Theatre, Oct. 28-29; Ballet Hispanico visits Chicago with Eduardo Vilaro now at the artistic head, at the Harris Theater, Nov. 5; SPDW Dance Theatre and Hedwig Dances co-presented Walking...Drifting, which runs at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, Nov. 4-5 and 11-12; and the Chicago Human Rhythm Project presents Global Rhythms IV, an extravaganza of jazz, tap, hip-hop and other rhythm-based dance companies, at the Harris Theater, Nov. 26-28. Fall is the perfect season to "fall" in love with dance, so get out there and take advantage of all the beautiful work!

Photos by Herbert Migdoll, Cheryl Mann and Jonathan Mackoff.

My Personal Fall Preview at The Silverman Group!

There’s a first for everything and I’m so excited to be writing my first blog entry as TSG’s Fall 2010 intern! I’d like to introduce myself briefly, explain why I love Public Relations, and share what I’ve been up to so far this Fall.

My name is Allison, I’m a senior at Columbia College Chicago and I will graduate in December (yes, two and a half months from now, ah!) with a degree in Marketing Communications and a focus in PR. I came to Columbia after transferring from the University of Iowa, and I am so happy I made the switch to such a wonderful city school. During my first semester at Columbia I focused on Advertising, but after one Intro. to PR class I was hooked.

PR encompasses so many things I love: writing, event planning, working with people, and getting exposed to different cultural events. Practicing PR is like an ethnographic study of your city as you interact with so many different people and discover what is important to them. At The Silverman Group, I can relate to many clients thanks to my personal love (read: lack of talent) for music, theatre and the arts. It’s safe to say I’ve had the entire scores and lyrics of Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat memorized since age five.

In other internships I have been one of 15 interns, so being the only one here makes a huge difference! I am so happy to have already been allowed the opportunity to write several press releases and a media advisory, attend the Black Ensemble Theater’s groundbreaking ceremony, and tag along with Laura to an interview at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum. Outside of the office, Beth was so kind as to include me in an outing to the Bank of America Theater for a performance of Rock of Ages, a stage musical featuring tunes from 80’s rockers Poison, Styx, Journey and Foreigner. Loved the show, thanks Beth!


This month I am looking forward to working on the Loop Art Crawl, which will launch Chicago’s inaugural Art Loop Open, WBEZ’s Climb the Tower at Lake Point Tower, planning for the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade, and much more! I am thrilled to be at The Silverman Group during my last months of college and experience great hands-on work in PR for the arts!

Say HELLO to ALO!

It has been a while since our last post, so I thought I would take the time to announce an exciting new project that we have been working on over at the TSG offices. Chicago Loop Alliance - who is always thinking of innovative new ways to engage Chicagoans in our city's rich culture - has joined forces with the Chicago Artists' Coalition to present ART LOOP OPEN.

This name might seem kind of confusing as we spent the entire summer promoting ART LOOP 2010 and Tony Tasset's much talked about EYE. However, since this is another CLA public art initiative it seems sensible to keep the names similar for branding purposes. Art Loop Open (or ALO as we have taken to calling it) is a Chicago-wide art competition. This may seem simple and straightforward...but it is not. There are so many facets surrounding this project that I am still trying to wrap my mind around it. Don't get me wrong - in order for this project to be successful it must have many working components, but in order to explain myself better I'll break it down in 3 parts: VISIT, VIEW, VOTE.

VISIT - as with everything CLA does, the point is to bring visitors into the Loop area and ALO is no different. This initiative is reaching out to tourists and Chicagoans alike. If you are a Loop employee and you need a quick coffee break, you have the opportunity to step out of your drab office and into a world of culture by visiting one of the many participating venues (Macy's, theWit, Palmer House...to name a few) and check out the many installations created by artists within the Chicagoland area. OR if you are a tourist and you are picking up your annual supply of Frango Mints at Macy's you might also realize you in the middle of an art gallery featuring sculptures, paintings and video projects. I mean...how often does that happen at the Woodfield Mall?

VIEW - this part is pretty self-explanatory. CLA and the Chicago Artists' Coalition are essentially turning some of the biggest venues in the Loop into public art galleries. The participating venues will be opening their doors for the sole purpose of showcasing some of the most incredible art to the public. Each venue will contain a range of pieces and let me tell you...no two pieces are alike.

VOTE - this is the exciting part. WE, the people of Chicago, determine the winners of ALO. That means you don't have to have an art history degree, be a student at SAIC, or have curated a rave-reviewed exhibition at the MCA in order to place your vote. All you have to do is go into one of the venues (or a few or ALL!) in between Oct. 15 - 21, check out some pieces and vote for some of your favorites. Then on Oct. 22 the Top Ten pieces will be announced and you get to vote for your absolute favorite. The winners will be announced on Oct. 29.

There are many ways that you can place your vote. First you can text in your vote, or use a special Smart Phone application, OR you can visit HUB 37. No, this is not the restaurant on Dearborn and Hubbard. This is a special area in Block 37 that will be the hub of communication during ALO. HUB 37 provides many different and innovative ways for ALO participants to engage and immerse themselves into the project, but I do not want to give too much away beforehand...so go check it out!

That is all for now. There will be more updates to come...but until then GET EXCITED.

The Time Has Come to Break New Ground!

I've worked on a HUGE variety of clients and events since joining The Silverman Group almost three years ago (exactly three years will be this coming Friday Sept 17)! Anyway, during my time at TSG some of the more unique clients I've had the opportunity to promote include the World's Toughest Rodeo at the United Center, the International Kennel Club of Chicago Cluster of Dog Shows, a President Obama themed Advent Calendar, Altar Boyz - a musical about a Christian Boy Band, in addition to more mainstream theatre, art, comedy, and non profit events. However, until this past week I had never worked on a ground breaking! I've helped open new buildings, but that was it... until now!

This past Friday, September 10 the Black Ensemble Theater held a ground breaking ceremony for their new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center. Originally I had a personal conflict and may have had to miss the event, but I'm so glad I didn't. It was tremendous! Albeit running a little long, the ceremony was incredibly smooth! Governor Quinn, Mayor Daley, Alderman Shiller and Schulter, Congresswoman Schakowsky, and Senator Raoul were all present at a ceremony emceed by Actor Harry Lennix. Joining them were members of the Black Ensemble Theater family including performers, donors, and members of the general public. Everyone who spoke praised Jackie Taylor and for good reason!

And from a PR standpoint, because really that's what this is about, it couldn't have gone better! Every single local TV station covered the event as did the Chicago Tribune, Sun Times, Time Out Chicago and more! What does that mean? Each outlet was represented by either a cameraman/photographer, a reporter, or both, basically equaling some great coverage!

Jackie Taylor and Harry Lennix being interviewed by WCIU-TV, respectively

For some insight into what the media thought, check out Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Tribune's post-coverage.

Getting back to where this post originated... it was my first ground breaking and it was a success! One of the reasons I still enjoy PR is because after three years I still have the chance to work on something new! Yes in the grand scheme how and what I do for each client is generally along the same lines, but the actual product is so different. A ground breaking can't be compared to a theater opening, which can't be compared to a dog show! Construction on the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center is estimated to take a year and having seen the very first moment when it stared makes it that much more exciting to see the final project! When we open the new Center in the Fall of 2011 I'll be able to say I was there when...

the ceremonial dirt pile to "break ground"

On that note of new buildings, openings, ground breakings... last week I also had the chance to re-open the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, which underwent a massive renovation this summer! More on that later...

It truly was a week of breaking new ground all around!

Season Finale

I can hardly believe it, but the 2010 season of Grant Park Music Festival is over. I feel as though there was a lot of build-up as I prepared for my first GPMF season. I am still relatively new at TSG, and I was very excited to have the opportunity to work with this particular client. I spent a couple months mentally preparing, drafting press releases, assembling artist headshots and bios, and pitching the season opening...and now it is all over.

Looking back on it - the season was exceptional. I have to say - it was not what I expected. Grant Park Music Festival has a way of keeping its traditional audience while still drawing in the ever-elusive younger crowd with contemporary and innovative guest artists. Being a twenty-something myself, I was particularly impressed with the range of talent GPMF was able to bring in this season.

The Independence Celebration concert had me smiling throughout the entire performance. This concert was able to juxtapose the contemporary BAM! dancers with the traditional Trinity Irish dancers in a way that I didn't expect. And Chorus Director Christopher Bell captured the audience with his skill and his phenomenal costume that consisted of American flag pants and platform shoes! Not a bad way to spend the holiday weekend!

Another personal highlight was the Planet Earth Live concert. I am a huge fan (and owner) of Planet Earth and have been known to watch hours of the documentary series on end. However, viewing this breathtaking series in the solace of my own home does not even hold a candle to the setting I was able to experience this summer. GPMF was able to have George Fenton, the original score composer, conduct the Grant Park Orchestra as parts of the series played on a hi-def screen behind the orchestra. I just remember taking a moment to look around me. The sky almost dark, the city is illuminated by the surrounding buildings, and a small breeze swept over the audience from nearby Lake Michigan...and here I am watching one of my favorite series among hundreds of people on a beautiful Chicago summer night...and this is part of my job. How lucky am I?!

The final concert was extraordinary. Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar brings such energy to his work that I find to be extremely impressive. I for one was shocked at his ability to truck through Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (which by the way, is a very, very long piece). Afterwards, Beth and I had a chance to attend the wrap-up party for staff and guests at the Goose Island beer garden where we listened to a few closing remarks and chatted with everyone who had helped make this season such a success. Not to mention this furthered our new obsession with everything Goose Island. For all of those who have not tried "Green Line" I suggest you get on it...it has been the topic of conversation at the TSG offices ever since our Cubs outing!

Anyways, I could go on forever about my favorite concerts but I'll try and keep this brief and sum it all up. There were so many things that I gained from the last couple months, but I am especially appreciative for two reasons.

1. GPMF season opened my eyes in many ways and allowed me to embrace a kind of music I had not truly appreciated before.

2. I had a chance to have some serious face-time with multiple members of the media. Usually our communication is limited to email or the phone, but this allowed me to build a repertoire with some of the major music critics in Chicago (which is crucial in this business!).

Ok - this post is getting a little long so that is all for now!

It's the weak end!

And no that isn't a typo. This final post for the week is going to be a weak one. It's a Friday in August, one of our final weeks of "summer hours" and the crickets have returned (as has the bird that just flew perilously close to my open window).

Time to take advantage of the quiet and quit complaining about it.

So I'm off to check out a new Blackberry.

Not surprisingly, I've become somewhat addicted to the practice of blogging (aka, talking about myself). Who knew?

And PS. the new business meeting this morning went VERY well. Am providing a proposal next week. I am 100% sure we can deliver what they're looking for - and we'd enjoy working on it! Just a matter of money, and what they can afford. Hints were made about tight budgets, the need for sponsors, etc. Will keep you posted... promise!

Unfinished business

So, yesterday's post touched on reasons why The Silverman Group (or any publicity firm) might take on a new client even if the fee is less than we usually accept (reasons such as: the cache, our passion for the product, the ability to maintain relations with niche media contacts, etc).


On the flip side, it is worth noting that there are also reasons why we might NOT take on a new client, even if the fees are acceptable. These are fewer and far between, and typically make for better stories.


Four actual reasons we have turned down business:


1. Potential client has unrealistic expectations. This usually becomes apparent in the first meeting, when we are asked about our contacts with Oprah! (For those unaware, just because she lives here does not make it a Chicago television show.) This has happened less over the years, as I believe the show's ratings have decreased and clients have recognized the national focus of the show (which is not to say local clients don't believe they have national appeal.) "Getting on Oprah" is an extreme example, but we frequently have potential local clients who desire (or should I say "require") us to deliver national coverage (such as a review in the New York Times or having The Today Show broadcast live from client's site) which realistically, based on our past experience, is a long shot. It's not impossible - depending on the client's national newsworthiness and the travel schedule & budget of desired medium - we just don't want to set ourselves up for failure! I tend to be more of a realist - better to under-promise and over-deliver as they say -so if national exposure is a must for the client, as a Chicago-centric firm, we might likely turn it down rather than under-deliver results.

2. Potential client would make our lives miserable. Have learned over the years, the hard way, that even a good paying client is not worth the fee if we dread their emails or calls. Clients become avoidances generally when they have false expectations (see above) and will not accept rational explanations for why we are not able to accomplish something they see as a "slam dunk." What we are able to accomplish (which usually is a great deal) is not good enough - or could have been achieved by anyone - and the expression "what else?" becomes a common retort. Life simply is too short to be spent defending one's good work.

3. Potential client in a field we're not passionate about nor familiar with. I'd like to think that The Silverman Group is successful because we take our jobs seriously and sincerely want to spread the word about our clients! We are each, in our own way, passionate about culture - be it a pop culture film festival or the more higher brow, fine arts. Being fond of, and familiar with, the clients we represent makes our jobs more enjoyable (and ultimately makes us more successful at what we do). I have in the past, accepted contracts for publicity projects outside of the entertainment or non-profit realms, with limited success. Spending your time immersed in an environment in which you are not comfortable (or excited about) will generally produce fewer results and become a frustration. We all want to produce for our clients, and when we can't, it's morale draining and generally time wasting.

4. Potential client wants to pay in cash... with $100 bills... pulled from back pocket. True story and something about that gesture read to me as unprofessional (and potentially illegal).

And so I await tomorrow's new business meeting!