Pavement Group’s 2nd Annual Karaoke Showdown is just weeks away! Ten contestants from Chicago’s best storefront theatres compete for the 2012 title and bragging rights in a musical fight to the death. Featuring contestants from New Colony, Dog & Pony, and Caffeine Theater just to name a few, company reps will overact, throw insults, and pour their hearts out in song in this cutthroat singing extravaganza. Once again, the competition will be voted on by a trio of celebrity judges led by Joe Zarrow, 2011 Karaoke Showdown Champion (representing Collaboraction).

Watch it all go down Saturday, February 18th at Elegant Mr Gallery - 1355 N Milwaukee Ave. $20 at the door covers open bar, Showdown, & open karaoke before and after the competition. Doors open at 8pm. Raffle prizes include theatre tickets to the city’s hottest theatre companies, spa packages, a WBEZ membership and more!

Some plays take years to write.

Some plays are never finished.

Some plays are made in 72 Hours.

Amuse Bouche makes 6 plays over night.

Literally.

Amuse Bouche 2011 is Pavement Group’s second installment of our quick and dirty new plays festival. Presented and created over one hazy week, it’s a performance pop up presenting some of the most exciting new voices in the American Theatre.

Six playwrights are given 10 ingredients to interpret into text, and 24 hours to shape into a scrappy new short play. A director and a team of actors have another 24 hours to rehearse this play.

Then we perform it – for you.

This year Pavement Group has given the curatorial voice to our audience – who have, via facebook, elected this year’s ingredients.

Just to highlight a few:

There is an imposter Someone tries to smoke a cigarette and fails A mythical figure must be utilized Some of the action takes place out of the view of the audience

In the spirit of immediate performance, Amuse Bouche gives birth to 6 small bites of 6 new plays. This year we are proud to have on board:

Please join us for our second annual Black and Blue Ball! All proceeds benefit Pavement Group's upcoming season of dynamic new work. Your ticket includes champagne (oh, yes, the champagne fountain is back!), beer, wine and glamour food.

Entertainment Provided By: Shapers DJ Set

Cocktail Attire and dancing shoes are strongly encouraged.

Chicago's hottest emerging theatre companies compete in a Karaoke Showdown for the crown. Hosted by Shane Shane and judged by three celebrity judges, this musical fight for fame is sure to be one for the history books! After the competition open karaoke commences.

In the next installment of our reading series Mise en Place we're creating four plays in 72 hours!

Four playwrights will each be given a list of "ingredients" they have to use in their short play and they have 24 hours to write. Our four directors will take over, each of them given an assortment of actors and one of the fresh-from-the-oven scripts.