Chicago quiz preview: This Monday, March 4

Those pesky rumors are true: The next Chicago BQT is not the first Thursday, as per our usual schedule at Edgewater's Uncommon Ground, but this Monday! Quizmistress Katie is otherwise indisposed on Thursday, and we wouldn't want to deprive you of your monthly dose of high-quality trivia, would we?

This month, Chicago gets the world debut of my newest crop of multimedia games: The video puzzle is called "So, What's Missing?," testing your ability to visually work the process of elimination. The audio round is "Music: In 3-D"…and I think I'll keep that one secret for now. Suffice it to say, cheesy glasses are not required. We're also observing the forthcoming St. Patrick's Day (yeah, 'cause that's a holiday you "observe") with "Drunken Irish Drinking Songs" (which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like; sing-alongs encouraged) and a new edition of one of my all-time favorite visual mini games, "Got No Human Grace, Eyes Without a Face." Plus the world's greatest trivia questions, the Text Message Challenge, the Lightning Round, the Three Way Finale, Smart-Ass Points, etc., etc. And etc.

 The eyes have it—do you?

And prizes! As per usual, $200 for first place (our last Chicago winners had to split it only two ways!), plus goodies from our old friends at…

Chicagoland's premier comic store, GCCB has nine locations, including one right in Edgewater near Uncommon Ground (this New Yorker is guessing; how big is Edgewater again?). Everything to satisfy all your (and frankly, my) nerdiest desires. Learn more (or shop online) at GrahamCrackers.com (nice that they scored that URL—suck it, Honey Maid!).

And we're excited to welcome back an outstanding sponsor from our very first Chicago event: the Adler Planetarium!

 

This month, the Adler is turning its night-searching spotlight on a very special monthly event: Adler After Dark.

Thursday, March 21, the Adler throws its doors open from 6 to 10pm to anyone over the age of 21, to explore the planetarium's exhibits in the proper milieu (i.e., at night and with cocktail in hand), and have a rare chance to gaze through the Doane Observatory, the largest telescope open to the public in the Midwest (those fancy astronomers keep the real big ones to themselves, I figure). Tickets normally run $17, but we're giving away a pair this Monday! Learn more at AdlerPlanetarium.com, or buy those tickets right here.

And—showbiz!

Courtesy some Friends of the Quiz at the fine, fine Writers' Theatre, we've got two passes to see their latest musical spectacular, Sweet Charity, running through the end of March. The story of Charity Hope Valentine, "the girl who wanted to be loved" even though she's working as a dancer for hire in a Times Square dance hall, SC was one of 1960s Broadway's iconic tuners, written by the classic team of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields (with a book by some theatrical nobody named Neil Simon). You probably know its signature tunes, "Big Spender" (a highlight of the BQT's "A History of Musical Theatre Via Bad Karaoke" audio puzzle) and "If My Friends Could See Me Now," but the whole thing is damn sexy, and the Broadway premiere is famous for its Tony-winning choreography (created by the legendary Bob Fosse, and performed by his wife/music, the fierce redhead Gwen Verdon). Shirley McLaine took the role in the great '69 film (with Fosse directing), but more interesting is that—get this—the whole shebang was based on a Fellini film (in which Charity was a full-fledged prostitute, of course). Yes, I can be gay for musicals sometimes (although part of the reason I like this particular show is because I'm not gay, if you know what I mean).

Anyway, the Writers' Theatre is staging a production worthy of this American classic; see the trailer above. You can buy tix right here, or scoot on in gratis if you score this Monday night if you spend a little time with the BQT.

And, as always, our excellently kitchened venue, Uncommon Ground, is kicking in a gift card. There's a very strong argument to be made that you can't afford not to miss this show. Monday night, 8pm, party party.