August/September Newsletter 2025
- Leslie Nesbit
- Sep 6
- 5 min read
A Look Back at the World of Stewpendous Trivia in August:
Goodbye August!
August started with a bang! We delivered quizzical good times to over 300 ladies in a hotel ballroom. We celebrated the bad-assery of Women in Pop Culture and STEM. Huge shoutout to Katie for being an awesome co-pilot!
This month also took me to rural farm country, where I worked my very first wedding at a farm. It was a wild time with a beautiful scenic landscape. From an Emu that got loose, baby ducklings given as a wedding gift, and a band that was also the caterer, I felt I was living an episode of The Gilmore Girls!
We also collaborated with Twihard: The Twilight Musical Parody at Sidetrack this month! The show is running at the Apollo Theatre through September. The cast showed up in full costume and brought a huge amount of fun and energy to the night! And get this, it was the first show we have ever done where a prize to win was a Twilight Tattoo!!
We ended the summer season spectacularly, closing out a fabulous run of 8 summer shows on the rooftop of Loewe’s hotel with Streeterville Socials We Drink Pink Wednesdays. A HUGE thanks to Cam and Jenny for going Pink and delivering the dazzle all summer long! The last day of the eighth month of the year provided us with an amazing opportunity to host a Golden Girls brunch with our partner, Beard and Belly, and it was filled with mimosas, cheesecake, and a lot of love.
FUN FACT OF THE MONTH!
September 14, 1741 - Composer George Frederick Handel finished Messiah after working on it nonstop for 23 days.
Upcoming Stewpendous Chicago Trivia in September!
September is giving early autumn back-to-school vibes, and that is exactly what we are delivering with our upcoming show at Replay Andersonville, featuring a Back to School celebration of our favorite TV shows and movies centered around school, with a sprinkle of scholastic vibes. Join us on Wednesday, September 10th, to find out!
On September 18th, we are launching an exciting new partnership with Demo Brewery in Ravenswood for a very special night of 90s Blockbuster Trivia. We'll be celebrating all our favorite movies that we just kept renting back in the day. We would love for you to join us at our new trivia spot at 7 pm for a delicious small-batch brew and quizzical good times!
At the end of the month, we are back with another trivia brunch at Beard and Belly! We'll be continuing those back-to-school vibes with a Mean Girls and Clueless Brunch. Be sure to check the website for updates as they become available. Y'all, this is just a sample of what is to come this month.
September is also bringing exciting changes and additions to our show calendar!!
Our first big change to the schedule is that our usual Sunday Punch Bowl Music Bingo show is moving to Saturdays starting September 13th! Our partners at Punch Bowl want to make sure you have the opportunity to play your favorite Music Bingo game on Saturday and still cheer on Da Bears on Sundays. The best of both worlds for Chicago residents. We are so excited to kick off the weekend with you instead of ending the weekend with you. Get ready and we will see you on Saturdays from 1 pm to 3 pm!
Our second exciting September announcement is that we are adding more fun to your Tuesdays at Lizzie McNeill's. Starting next week, Sept 9th, we will be hosting our Stewpendous Bingo Bonanza Nights! This will be a mix of classic Bingo Hall games and our Music Bingo games. So, for those of you planning your Tuesdays, the first and third of the month will have our usual Stewpendous Trivia Show, and the second and fourth of the month will be Bingo Bonanza. Hope to see you there!
All the details and more of what is to come can be found here:
Sparkle Squad Spotlights!
Our Sparkle Squad is YET AGAIN getting themselves out there on stages all over Chicago. We're such fans of them. All shows are linked to more information. Check out what they're doing for the next couple of months!
Cameron Cylkowski (He stepped in as a sub-host for Sam at Whiskey Girl, AND he's your new Lizzie McNeill's trivia host!)
“Every show is different, every laugh is fresh, and every bite-sized bit hits just right.”
Rhythm and Riffs feels like a concert, sounds like a mixtape, and plays out like your favorite night out.
Improvised Romantasy:
At Second City, Fridays at 9 pm in October/ November
Michael Dwiggins (Our fabulous Trivia Host at Fat Shallot! And you've probably seen him as a sub at our Roscoe Village Pub trivia shows)
A captivating musical about a young man's search for meaning and fulfillment in life. Running till the 28th!
Sam Stroming (Our Monday night Trivia Queen of the Whiskey Girlies at Whiskey Girl!)
Buzz Aldrin Goes to Mars with Exploration Theatre Company. Performs on October 18 at the Northbrook Public Library.
Trivia Time!
On September 4th, 2002, Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first American Idol Winner. What was the single she released as the winner of the show?
Want to know the answer? Keep Scrolling down!
Our Stewpendous Recipe!
Stewpendous Productions firmly believes that trivia is always better when snacks are involved. We want to take the opportunity to celebrate our love of Pop Culture with wacky concepts on snacks and cocktails. Nostalgia is a key pillar of our quizzical philosophy! Every month, we’ll give you a fun, nostalgic recipe that will awaken your memories!
The Best Little Cowboy Caviar Dip!
It’s officially football season! We know not everyone is a fan of the gridiron, but everyone loves a musical right? ......Right? Take a night off and celebrate a rare moment when football and musicals collide in the musical Best Little Whorehouse in Texas! And hello, it has Dolly Parton!!
To enhance your movie experience, whip up some Cowboy Caviar Dip with your favorite chips! (recipe found here!)
Ingredients For Dressing:
1/3 cup avocado oil or other vegetable oil
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper, or to taste
Ingredients for Caviar:
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1 ½ cups diced fresh bell peppers
1/3 cup diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/3 cup diced pickled jalapeño peppers, or other pickled peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
scoop-style tortilla chips for serving
Directions:
Whisk avocado oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, garlic powder, salt, sugar, cumin, paprika, and chipotle together in a large bowl and set aside until needed.
Rinse diced onion well under cold water; drain well.
Add bell peppers, roasted red peppers, jalapeños, black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, and tomato to the bowl of dressing. Add red onion, stir well, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours, tossing occasionally.
Before serving, stir in cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Serve with tortilla chips.
Don't you think we forgot the musical! Here is a link to the movie to rent on Amazon for less than 4 bucks!
Want to earn 5 pts for your next night of Stewpendous Trivia?
In celebration of our beloved icon, Kelly Clarkson, who has been providing us with 23 years of music and joy, we dedicate this 5pts phrase to her.
This month, tell your host the following--
"The critics got it wrong, and I think From Justin to Kelly is an underrated cinematic treasure that deserves our respect."
Stewpendous Productions is here for all your event needs! Check the website for more information and share this newsletter with a friend!
Trivia Answer: A Moment Like This
Peace, Love, & Bear Hugs, Stew
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