Doors open at 5:30. Show at 6:15.
Come experience Sideshow Villains and their deviant accomplices performing a compendium of tunes interspersed with a mix of circus and cabaret acts designed to disturb and delight. The music tells tales of criminality, revenge, and murder set to an eclectic mix of Americana musical styles that evoke 70’s film soundtracks, Hollywood westerns, and vaudevillian burlesque acts, Pick your pleasure in the lush setting of the Alhambra main hall.
Come Revel with Your Fellow Deviants!
Dinner is available at the show on the first floor during the performance*. Arrive in your most exquisite Halloween finery or disguise. Masks are encouraged.
* Dinner and/or drinks NOT included in the ticket price. Dinner can only be ordered on the main floor and mezzanine seats. No meal service in the balcony.
Musicians, Performers, and Crew:
Dante Ingram - vocals and silks - Sideshow Villains is her latest project - She has performed in New York, Amsterdam, and Chicago. TV appearances: David Letterman, Discovery Channel's More than Human, Wild Chicago and Ben Around Town. Her aerial choreography includes props and puppetry on silks: fans, wings, a 5' skeleton, and her latest addition - the Queen of Blades marionette. https://sideshowvillains.com
Mark Faje - MC and comedy - AKA Mark the Knife/The World's Most Dangerous Comic, is a stand-up comedian who has performed with: Lazer Vaudeville, The Jim Rose Circus, Pearl Jam, Korn, Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, Marilyn Manson, Lucky Boys Confusion, Nelly, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mýa, Kid Rock, Brian Setzer, The Ataris, Sugar Ray, and John Mayer. TV appearances include the Late Night with David Letterman, Comedy Central, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Discovery Channel, NBC’s America's Got Talent, and Germany’s Got Talent. Cabaret performer The Box and The Act (NYC). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_EPsKSazJHWk9ngXr9NEQ
Benjy Radinsky - pulls and crew - is an aerialist, juggler, and general circus thing who draws on his experiences across the US exploring the dark corners of his imagination to create fantasy narratives and make outlandish, queer art. http://Benjyradinskycircus.com
Camille Swift - sling - AKA Femme Fénix is a Chicago-based circus artist, specializing in static trapeze, dance trapeze, and aerial sling, with extensive training in traditional arts (ballet, piano, oil painting) and a few less conventional ones (breakdancing, Japanese swordsmanship). Her passion is creating acts that are highly skilled yet imaginative, expressive and visually striking. She speaks fluent French and has traveled to Paris and Montreal to train and develop her acts. Camille is also a visual artist, focusing in figurative oil painting, book arts, and collage. She has performed in AirOtic Soirée with Les Farfadais, CREACTIVE by Cirque du Soleil at Club Med Opio-en-Provence as well as performed multiple times at the Seattle Moisture Festival and various shows and cabarets across the Midwest. When not performing or creating, she works as a professional aerial coach, training her students in dynamic movement, efficient technique, building strength, flexibility and aerial awareness. https://cryptidproductions.com/- https://cryptidproductions.wordpress.com/
Chris Rooney - straps - an aerial artist, has performed at Aloft Circus Arts and The Den Theatre in conjunction with the Chicago Circus and Performing Arts festival, and is a founding member of the BIPOC Circus Alliance Midwest (BCAM). https://vimeo.com/807809833?share=copy, https://youtu.be/GwDfPxYBmII
Chantal Bustemante - duo acro with Liam - Chantal Bustamante began her circus training at Wise Fool New Mexico in 2011, where she learned of social circus and gained a heavy thirst for circus arts. Soon after her discovery, she pursued her passion all the way to Chicago where she completed Aloft’s Full Time Training Program in 2013. Since then, Chantal has performed partner acrobatics, aerial acts and acrobatic stilting as well as directed a local circus company and taught internationally. As an artist, she is passionate about duo work and creating engaging emotional pieces. https://www.instagram.com/chantal.bustamante/
Chris Siebold - guitar - Chris is a native of Chicago, where he has lived and worked as a professional guitarist since 1996. He is a guitarist, composer/songwriter, arranger, singer, free-lance journeyman. Some of the bands/artists he plays with include Kick the Cat, Howard Levy's Acoustic Express, MAGGIE SPEAKS, Anne Harris Band, The Renegades, Andrew Ripp, Sandip Burman, e, Cathy Richardson Band, Tributosaurus, Sellout, Aaron McEvers' M5, M13, The People's Band and Congress of Musicians, Jenna Mammina, Bonnie Koloc, Ladies of the Canyon, Maxwell St. Klezmer Band, Psycles, Blue Band, Patricia Barber, Colby Beserra, Ryan Shultz Quartet, TMS Trio, Kimotion, Rob Parton's Jazztech Big Band, and HardArt Groop. He also plays frequently at Willow Creek Community Church. He is truly blessed to play with so many inspired souls. He received a BA in Music and Guitar Performance from Elmhurst College in 1998. Upon graduating, he accepted an adjunct teaching position at the college and taught private lessons and led performing ensembles for 9 years. Notably, Chris was a featured guitarist on NPR’s “Prarie Home Companion”, and Chris established the Elmhurst College Gretsch Guitar Ensemble in 2000 and it is still going strong today!
Greg Nergaard - bass - Greg has performed with ensembles such as Surabhi, The Right Now, Soulio, Yves Francois and Rocambeau Jazz, JC Brooks Band, Anne Harris, LasGuitarras de España, and many others. www.surabhiensemble.org
Hayley Larsen - cyr wheel - Hayley is a multidisciplinary circus performer specializing in Cyr wheel and duo aerial. With a degree in dance from Oberlin College, she utilizes her background as a dancer to bring a crisp, complex style to her choreography that underscores her commanding stage presence. Currently residing in Chicago, Hayley performs across the city as a soloist in her many different disciplines, pursues duo aerial with partner Linnea Ridolfi, and tours as part of the ensemble for Brave Space by Aloft Circus Arts. https://www.hayleydynamo.com/
Jaime Ruiz - horn - Horn - Jaime Ruiz is a graduate of Elmhurst University where his time was spent studying under Grammy Award Winner Doug Beach and playing in the internationally acclaimed Elmhurst College Jazz Band. This experience gave him the opportunity to perform alongside notable jazz musicians such as Doc Severinsen, Sean Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Randy Brecker, Bill Holman, Gary Smulyan, Byron Stripling, among others. Jaime also had the opportunity to perform at jazz festivals and clubs across the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands. Jaime has a busy performing and writing career writing for different jazz, funk/rock, classical, and mariachi ensembles. Most recently, his arrangements have been performed in festivals across the United States by Mariachi Estrellas De Chicago where he played trumpet and was their arranger/copyist.
Jo Ann Daugherty - Accordian and Keyboard - Pianist Jo Ann Daugherty loves making all kinds of music. Some of her favorite recent appearances include: NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert with SIX, a role as featured onstage pianist with the Washington National Opera in Songbird at the Kennedy Center, touring with the AfroBop Alliance Big Band’s Pan American Nutcracker, and regularly sold out shows at Winter’s Jazz Club in Chicago. She has played venues around the world including Chicago Jazz Festival, Satchmo Fest New Orleans, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, and Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba, and her jazz album Bring Joy was listed by Downbeat magazine as one of the year’s best.. www.JoAnnDaugherty.com
Joe Dorenbos - percussion - Joe is Chicago native, versatile free-lance drummer, and composer of profoundly unserious songs about Bears, Meat, Spiders, Piranhas, Flags, Shopping Carts, Neighbors, and Men who play the Flute. He also enjoys the outdoors, the beach, his dogs, and gigs that are really close to his house.
Liam Bradley - duo acro with Chantal - Liam is a 24 year old non-binary circus artist from Chicago. They discovered juggling at 8, subsequently ricocheting around every circus space in the windy city, falling in love with partner acrobatics, tumbling, and movement. After graduating from Circadium School of Contemporary Circus in 2021, they cofounded Company To X For and Full Out Formula. They have been performing, teaching, and making shows since 2014. https://www.liambradley.us https://www.instagram.com/liiaaammmmm
Sarah Kroth - stage manager - herder of cats and aerialist - Sarah comes from a background in theatre and general jack of all trades. Many eons ago they were called from the light of the stage to travel in the shadows of the wings. They traversed there for many years, learning her craft at UW- La Crosse, then moving between the exotic realms of Madison, WI, Sarasota, FL, before settling in Chicago, IL. After working in theatres for some time, they found herself called to a wilder cousin of theatre: Circus, and have never left. While they still don't perform, and prefer to help out friends from the background, she does enjoy to tie themselves in knots in the silks or straps apparatus.
During the daylight hours Sarah does some typical office job that we won't talk about.
squid - rope - squid is a storyteller and multi-disciplinary artist who specializes in connecting with people. A self-described clowncrobat, squid believes in using the awe-inspiring “impossible” nature of circus physicality to explore deep emotions and complex situations. squid is interested in the grey areas between play and technique, juxtaposing the challenging physical and mental discipline of straps, rope, and hand balance with the visceral vulnerability of clown to create storytelling dance acrobatic acts. squid coaches and performs in Chicago, from cabarets and variety shows to cirque-themed nightlife. In 2023, they wrote and produced their first short solo show (“Perfect.”) and debuted it at Cannonball as part of Philly Fringe. squid is currently on tour with The CirqueUs “Stories”. They know that in life and in hand balance the straightest line is often the easiest... But the squiggly line is usually more fun.
