BRUNO'S 60TH; BEAR TIE BALL KICK-OFF PARTY; BRANDON HOSTS 1ST LIMELIGHT; BLACK & TAN THEATER'S SUPPER CLUB; PLAYCHIC 2014; EXPO CHICAGO'S OPENING NIGHT; MAC & MIA; BOKA'S MOMOTARO; A MODEL YOU SHOULD KNOW; BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR JAN AND MICHAELA; MONTE CARLO DREAMS AND SO MUCH MORE!
This Halloween, Redmoon’s wildly popular costume party Boneshaker returned for its fifth annual spectacular event. Redmoon transformed its massive Pilsen headquarters (2120 S. Jefferson Street) into an otherworldly playground for 1,000 revelers with interactive experiences, inventive machines, creative food and cocktails, and 
dancing to beats from DJs on three different dance floors. Boneshaker was coordinated and produced by the 18-member Young Engineers of Spectacle (Y.E.S.) Committee, Redmoon’s young professionals’ board. This
year, the event was directed by Kasey Foster, with Will Bishop and Alex Balestrieri under the conceptual direction of Redmoon Producing Artistic Director Frank Maugeri.
Redmoon’s Boneshaker 2014 offered a multitude of multisensory delights including: An outdoor Fire Garden featuring Fire
Buoys, a sculptural arrangement of flaming devices that debuted in the Great Chicago Fire Festival on the Chicago River; The Fire Candelabras, two massive, 18-foot-tall candelabras with 10 wood-burning fire pots; and, The Sonic Boom DJ device with 
skyward-shooting flames; Redmoon’s Celestial Swing, an eerie mausoleum on the outside with a peaceful, ethereal swing inside and The UFO Carousel where guests climbed inside one of three gigantic flying saucers and spun off into space alongside a DJ and snacks provided by Spin Spun. A team of three
wild DJs atop Redmoon’s signature DJ devices kept the event moving all night long. There were two specially featured, interactive experiences that included “The Devil’s Confessional,” an intimate, surreal writing room where guests could pour out their deepest secrets to a fiendish confessor, who then gave them a diabolic penance task to perform
with the room at large. Guests also enjoyed Redmoon’s “Cartoon Adventure,” a mini movie theater where guests donned headphones and viewed five original short animated films by Laura Heit, 
Joseph Hodgson, Franck Aubrey, Hannes Vartianien, Pekka Veikkolainen, Selina Wagner and PES. Graceful acrobats of Aerial Dance Chicago performed overhead, descending on silks to deliver sweet treats (that included fabulous 
Eli's Cheesecakes!) to the earth-bound revelers. Redmoon premiered its newest food service device, too, this night– The Pastry Wheel, which whimsically paired the iconic image of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair Ferris Wheel with urban pedal power, serving cupcakes, brownies and other enticing sweets. Performers roamed the venue serving
delightful treats and beverages, including signature Redmoon mechanical marvels such as The Floating Trays, The Libation Machine, The Monkey Butlers and The Fish Bubble Man. Guests entered Redmoon’s haunted sideshow-like series of rooms known as “The Devil’s in the Details,” which held eerie, 
humorous and sensual experiences including: “The Chocolate Bar,” a delectable room of dip-able treats “The Bedroom Swat-a-Fly,” a larger-than-life human fly swatting game and“The Cinematic Cemetery” film studio, where guests could star in their own scary movie. “Satan’s
Cackle Shack,” where Matt Demon, voted “Hell’s Most Humorous Devil” 1998, entertained the audience with his killer stand-up routine. By spinning a wheel to determine a nominal additional fee, which could range from $5 to $10 to a silly physical act, guests gained access to four other experiences: A chance to play “Fired Up,” Redmoon’s newest carnival game where guests shot a target and were rewarded with a 
cool surprise; “Heck’s Kitchen,” a cooking class with the Devil where guests participated in making Deviled Eggs; A specialty Cigar and Mezcal-Tasting Salon, where an expert cigar-roller created unique take-aways to sample along with Métl Reserva Especial Mezcal in the outdoor Fire Garden. Visitors brave enough to enter
“The Nest” ascended into a frightening attic maze, an adventure into a vampire nest inspired by Bram Stoker’s gothic tale of Dracula, “The Nest” created an eerie, mystical and enigmatic world that’s chilling without resorting to horror or gore, instead playing on the sounds, shadows and experience of encountering the supernatural in everyday life. To say this place was 
Disneyworld on steroids is an understatement! Partygoers didn't know which way to look or go first! Additional food and beverages throughout the evening were provided by Lagunitas Brewing Company, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Spin-Spun All Natural Cotton Candy, Home Run Inn Pizza, Skinny Pop and Eli’s Cheesecake. I love everything Redmoon Theatre company does and am so happy to 
have them here in Chicago creating endless worlds of magic, especially the free experiences they provide in underserved communities! Keep up the GREAT work Redmoon! (Additional photos by AL ZAYED) (For more info and to stay on top of their upcoming events, click here!)
Congrats to beloved restaurateur Bruno Abate, who celebrated his 60th birthday with a blow-out bash at
his fabulous Wicker Park restaurant TOCCO (1266 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Many remember his cutting edge Italian Restaurant, Follia, in the Fulton Market area. He was the first to showcase young up-and-coming designers' creations in his
restaurant. Everyone has followed him to his new restaurant location in Wicker Park and will, quite frankly, follow him anywhere! With a kind, giving heart he serves up the best Italian around and he is also one of the most
dapper men I know. The food and wine flowed as well as the bonhomie. He asked that, in lieu of gifts, guests make a donation to Recipe for Change and the John Howard Association of Illinois, who works to achieve a fair, humane and cost-effective criminal justice system by
promoting adult and juvenile prison reform. Bruno's work with prisoners is well known. As a matter of fact, on this night, with a $100 donation, attendees could purchase a panettone, a type of sweet bread, from the Due Palazzi Prison in Padua, Italy. Love you Bruno and all of your good
work, too! (For more info about Tocco (a must-visit), click here!)
A festive Latin-themed party kicked off the Bear Tie Ball’s upcoming gala, Latin Nights, which will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2105. Hosted by
Gayle Anthony, at her Paris Ceramics showroom located in LuxeHome at the Merchandise Mart, approximately 125 people turned out to support the kick-off. Latin music played in the background while guests sipped cocktails and sampled the soft tacos, shredded pork with pineapple
and other dishes donated by Big Star. Volunteers opened the raffle tickets sales for the Cha-Cha Ching raffle (titled by co-chair Paul Iacono) which will run through February 28. Only 500 tickets will be sold and one lucky winner, who will be announced at the Ball, will receive a cash prize of $10,000! Midway through the evening
Kathleen Casey, Founder and CEO of the Foundation introduced the gala co-chairs, Nina Mariano and Paul Iacono, both passionate supporters of the cause. Kavi Pandya, the Bear Hug Ambassador attended with his family. Retired Chicago Bear Anthony Adams who co-hosts the show, “Inside the Bears,” will be the
emcee for the gala. The annual Bear Tie Ball gala is in its 22nd year and is the signature fundraiser for the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation. (Photos by MILA SAMOKHINA) For more info and to purchase tickets, please click here!
The Midwest Regional Office of the U.S.
Fund for UNICEF hosted its 4th annual Chicago Humanitarian Awards Luncheon to honor two individuals for their outstanding work on behalf of children. This year’s award recipients were Francie
Comer, widow of Lands’ End founder Gary Comer and co-Founder of the Comer Family Foundation, and Sue Duncan, Founder and Chairman of
the Sue Duncan Children’s Center. Comer and Duncan join an impressive group of past Chicago Humanitarian Awards Luncheon honorees including last year’s recipients Ann Lurie, President of Lurie
Holdings and of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation and Dolores Kohl, President and CEO of the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation and the Founder of
The Kohl Children’s Museum. The luncheon, which was held at The Ritz-Carlton, featured a new video on The Eliminate Project, UNICEF’s global campaign in partnership with Kiwanis
International which aims to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus, a deadly disease that steals the lives of nearly 60,000 newborns and a significant number of women each year in 24 countries. This year’s co-chairs were Susan Schmitt and
Susan Sholl. Committee members included Renu Advani, Kapila Anand, Amy Brown, Nika Feeney, Mary Lou Giustini, Jonni Hegenderfer, Sara McKiltrick, Laura Myntti, David Otte, Ashley Prasad, Hilary Scott, Wendy Serrino and Jennifer Zaugh. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and
sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. For more info, click here.
Over 525 of Chicago’s most fashionable and philanthropic joined together for the inaugural Limelight event which took place at new West Loop hotspot, Morgan
Manufacturing. Hosted by the Brandon Marshall Foundation and Thresholds, the largest provider of mental health services in Illinois, the night aimed to end the stigma associated with mental illness while raising
funds for two incredible causes. As guests mixed and mingled in their finest lime green attire (the official color of mental health awareness) they enjoyed small bites from Food for
Thought, cocktails, sweet treats from Glazed and Infused and dancing. Emceed by Windy City Live host Val Warner, the evening also featured a moving video on mental health and remarks from Brandon Marshall and his wife Michi, as well as Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug. The evening raised over $400,000 for Thresholds and The Brandon Marshall Foundation. Love this! Congrats to all!
Nearly 200 partygoers headed to Chicago’s Soho
House to toast the hottest new children’s clothing service, Mac & Mia. Created by Marie Tillman and her husband Joe Shenton (parents of five!), the service offers a stylish solution for busy moms and dads craving convenience and
fashionable choices when shopping for their kids. The Mac & Mia experience literally delivers stylish and consciously-crafted pieces, handpicked by style experts, to customers’ doorsteps. All items are personally selected to match a child’s (ages newborn through six) particular style profile, helping to create some of the most
coveted kiddie closets around. And, it’s easy. Parents sign up online, create a profile for their little one based on what type of items they desire, and then they get a box full of handpicked (and socially responsible) clothing. At the event, boutique-worthy threads were elegantly displayed on mini-me mannequins
throughout the room. From classic coats to chic baby accessories, fashion-forward parents were in kiddie clothes heaven. The business savvy duo behind this booming business, founders Tillman and Shenton, are offering a solution for other parents and families like them. Tillman (widely known for her work with The Pat Tillman Foundation) and Shenton greeted friends and fellow parents, thanking everyone for their support 
to help launch the brand. The fete also brought out some well-known Chicago faces including Theo Epstein (Cubs’GM), Heiji Choy Black (Chicago Magazine), Patrick Murphy (MSNBC anchor of “Taking the Hill”), Sharon Schneider (founder of Moxie Jean) among many others.
While kids play dress up, grown-ups playCHIC! The 3rd annual playCHIC Fashion
Show hosted by producer, actress and inventor of Balderdash, Laura Robinson, will be held on Thursday, November 20 at Chicago’s Alhambra Palace. The evening will feature a night of fashion and fun in conjunction with the 2014 Chicago Toy and Game Fair with festivities beginning with a cocktail reception at 7:00 p.m. that will continue with a playfully-chic runway show. PlayCHIC is an innovative, glamorous
event that pairs renowned haute couture designers with familiar toy and game brands to create play-inspired looks that set the catwalk ablaze with fun, fierce fashion. Expect looks from popular brands such as Rainbow Loom and Mayfair Games plus designs from Project Runway alum, beloved Peach Carr! (See the cool video below and for tickets and more info, click here!)
The third annual EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Modern and Contemporary Art, opened to more than 3,500 people during Vernissage, the opening night event benefiting the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago. Besides some of the city’s top business, civic and
cultural leaders in attendance, Navy Pier’s Festival Hall was filled with stars of film, sports and, of course, the art world, too. “It is incredible to see the overwhelming support of Chicago’s cultural, civic and business leaders along with our galleries, artists and institutions for the third
annual opening of EXPO CHICAGO and the MCA’s Vernissage,” said President and Director of the exposition, Tony Karman. The event featured a preview of 140 of the world's leading galleries from 17 countries and 43 cities! This event always brings out the most creative types and I love attending. The "art" walking the floor is almost as
exciting as the art on the walls and it always brings out star power, too! Seen on the scene: Director George Lucas, actor David Schwimmer, 15-time NBA All-Star and curator Shaquille O’Neal, musician Bryan Ferry, MCA Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn, MCA
Curators Michael Darling and Naomi Beckwith, Art Institute of Chicago Curator James Rondeau, noted collectors Alice Walton, Nancy and Bob Magoon, Rod Lubeznik and Susan Goodman, MK Pritzker, Commissioner Michelle Boone,
Helen and Sam Zell, Michael and Cari Sacks, Helyn Goldenberg and Michael Alpers, Neil Bluhm, Grazka Taylor, Paul Kasmin, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Leslie Hindman, Nancy Lerner and David Frej, artists Glenn Kaino, José Lerma, Michael Rakowitz, Jessica Stockholder, Corbin Walker, Carlos Rolon (DZINE), Rashid Johnson, Nick
Cave, and art advisors, Andy Augenblick, Amy Cappellazzo, Andrea Feldman Falcione, Candace Worth, Lowell Petit and Todd Levin. The celebratory evening, co-chaired by MCA Women’s Board members Janet Anixter, Marlene Breslow-Blitstein and Linda
Meyer, began with a special patron reception that featured food by some of Chicago’s top restaurants including Ada Street, Carnivale, Coco Pazzo, Eli’s Cheescake, Embeya, Gemini Bistro/Rustic House and Hannah’s Bretzel. (Photos by Dan Rest, Mitch Canoff and James Prinz). EXPO CHICAGO will return to Navy Pier Sept.17-20, 2015. For more information about EXPO CHICAGO and EXPO ART WEEK, visit www.expochicago.com.
Nearly 150 guests traveled back in time to the golden age of Chicago's Bohemian
society at About Face Theatre's 2nd annual Black and Tan Supper Club at the InterContinental Chicago on the Mag Mile. The magical soiree raised over $45,000 for About Face Theatre programming, including its ground-breaking and acclaimed Youth Theatre, which provides a safe space where youth can create community and use theatre as a means of activism and empowerment.
Greeted by “cigarette girls,” guests arrived at the hotel decked out in formal and 1930's attire, sipped classic cocktails and enjoyed fine dining. Virtual non-stop entertainment included a
striptease by Tila Von Twirl and a 1930's jazz set by Big Red and the Pansies (aka Meghan Murphy, AFT Artistic Associate John Francisco, Charlotte Rivard-Hoster and Matt Carroll). The evening wouldn’t have been complete without a police raid by
Chicago’s best tap-dancing men in blue. The Black and Tan Supper Club was co-chaired by Rob Abernathy and Becky Huinker. About Face Theatre creates exceptional, innovative, and adventurous plays to advance the national dialogue on gender and sexual identity, and to challenge and entertain
audiences in Chicago, across the country, and around the world. The Black and Tan Supper Club took its inspiration this year from the 1930's cultural phenomenon know as the “Pansy Craze,” when gay social clubs
flourished in neighborhoods like Towertown on the north side and Bronzeville and Woodlawn on the south side. During prohibition, gays, lesbians and other “non-conformists” flocked to these clubs known for their glamorous fashion, provocative performers, drag balls
and rousing music. (Photos by Timmy Samuel). (Major sponsors included InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Sidetrack, MDR Creative and Angel's Envy).
We finally got a chance to visit Momotaro, the Boka Restaurant Group's latest entry,
and it was FABULOUS, as expected! Besides great food, the ambience makes you feel like you're on vacation somewhere exotic. This Japanese eatery located at 820 W. Lake Street has it all! Owners Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz gave us a tour and the details were remarkable. On the walls leading to the restrooms, it took seven artists a week to laboriously ink in squiggly lines as a design element. It was beautiful.
Their Japanese-born sushi Chef Jeff Ramsey, boasts a Michelin star (four years in a row for his work at Tapas Molecular Bar in Tokyo). Their executive Chef Mark Hellyar is a St. Louis born culinary rock star with creativity to spare! And don't even get me started on their late night dining option! In short, this restaurant should definitely go on your hit list!
WCIU's "You & Me This Morning" celebrated its 5th anniversary last week! I love this show that's 
uplifting, positive and features the BEST of Chicago! Congrats to Executive Producer Rob Morhaim, co-hosts Jeanne Sparrow and Melissa Forman, producers Rudy Segovia (who just finished the NY Marathon for charity!) and Chris DeRose and cute floor manager Nika Clark! Tune into 
the U for their fabulous extended show from 6 to 9 am Monday thru Friday! 🙂
On the fashion front, keep your eyes peeled for hot, new Columbian model, David Granados! His new website is coming shortly and I think he's one to know! You can follow him on Twitter here! He's registered with Red Models NYC. Good luck David!
One of the most elegant places we've 
ever visited in our travels has been Monte Carlo. With its impeccably clean streets and no crime, this Riviera hotspot is one of our favorites. I follow @VisitMonaco on Twitter just for eye-candy from this
beautiful principality of Monaco. We stayed at the Hotel de Paris and had one of the most memorable dinners ever in the too-beautiful-for-words Le Louis XV Restaurant of Alain Ducasse. The late Prince Rainier
and Princess Grace of Monaco celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in its private wine cellar, one of the largest and oldest in the world. Celebs dot every corner with many in residence there due to their no income tax stance. Next year, Monaco will host the 2015 BLUE Ocean Film Fest and, if you get a chance, GO!
Hope you were successful with your candidates in the recent midterm elections. I also hope you didn't get pukey like I did watching Nik Wallenda break even more world records. Crazy, right? (If you were living in a cave and missed it, here's a video). Life in the Windy City is certainly never dull! 🙂
“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”–Abraham Lincolon
On this day of honoring our heroes and she-roes, I would like to thank and acknowledge Walmart, Starbucks and Amazon. These companies top the list for hiring our veterans. #HireOurHeroes
(Please disregard the ArtVan image sent out in the mailer this week. This event will appear in next week's issue. Sorry!)
Love, as always,
Candace
Candace@CandidCandace.com
P.S. Two beloved ladies recently celebrated their birthdays together at RL Restaurant with friends! Congrats to Michaela Parrillo and Jan Flanagan on their special day! And here's to 100 more! Love you both!
