BCS Spotlight

Buzz Center Stage

Buzz Center Stage

Do you hear it? The haunting hum of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's The Listeners will transfix audiences at Lyric Opera of Chicago from March 30 to April 11, 2025. Conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola and presented in the world-premiere production of Lileana Blain-Cruz revived by Mikhaela Mahony, The Listeners is a theatrical experience that blends traditional opera with innovative videography and unconventional projection elements. This genre-defying opera's unsettling narrative forewarns how isolation drives the search for human connection under the guise of an improbable sound.

The Listeners
, a brand new work co-commissioned and co-produced by Lyric, Opera Philadelphia, and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, had its world premiere in Oslo in 2022 to thunderous critical praise. Now, in its longest run of stateside performances yet, The Listeners takes over Chicago's largest stage. Let the sound consume you — if you dare.

The seduction of sound. Claire, a school teacher, whose idyllic suburban life is shattered by the arrival of a persistent hum — an unplaceable droning sound that only certain people can hear. A group of other "listeners" quickly forms around stopping the plague of sound: the community begins to take on a cultish nature when the prophet-like Howard attempts to make this group his disciples of the noise for all the wrong reasons. The Listeners is a modern American exploration of relying on community when faced with unrelenting fear. At its core, this opera asks: how much are you willing to sacrifice everything you've known, just to feel like you belong?

An impressive cult following.
 Longtime composer and librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek have garnered widespread praise for their work on The Listeners, which made a brief American premiere at Opera Philadelphia earlier this season. The production has been hailed as "the unmissable opera of the season" by The New York Times and was listed on their "6 Performances Our Classical Critics Can't Stop Thinking About." The Listeners was derived from a treatment by Jordan Tannahill, who eventually published a novel of the same title, a work that was later adapted into a critically lauded television series, released on the BBC in 2024. But the hum's menace is most unsettling in its original operatic form.

This isn't the first time the talents of Mazzoli and Vavrek have created magic together. Previously, they received resounding acclaim for their 2016 collaboration Breaking the Waves, which won the inaugural "Best New Opera" award from the Music Critics Association of North America and was shortlisted for "Best World Premiere" at the International Opera Awards. The powerhouse duo will reunite once again for their upcoming adaptation of the beloved George Saunders novel Lincoln in the Bardo, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.

Fall under their masterful command. Lyric's Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads the Lyric Opera Orchestra in interpreting Mazzoli's thrilling and melodic score. Mazzola's extensive experience conducting contemporary works was seen by Lyric audiences in the 2023/24 Season with Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer's Champion, and he previously demonstrated his agility with Mazzoli's composition These Worlds in Us with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021, providing a solid foundation for his work on The Listeners. Earlier this season at Lyric, he conducted Verdi's Rigoletto and Beethoven's Fidelio and he will also conduct performances of Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert: The Puccini Heroines and Lyric in Concert: A Wondrous Sound. The work of Lileana Blain-Cruz, who directed the opera's world premiere in Oslo, will be showcased on the Lyric stage for the first time. Currently the resident director at Lincoln Center Theater in New York, she was a Tony nominee for her direction of The Skin of Our Teeth. This spring, she will direct the new play Bust at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. Her production of The Listeners is revived at Lyric by Mikhaela Mahony.

Devout followers that lead the way.
 The radiant soprano Nicole Heaston makes her Lyric debut as Claire, a role that was specifically written for her singular dramatic and vocal talents, which she portrayed in this production's Oslo and Philadelphia performances. Alongside her recent performances in The Listeners, she most recently appeared in the title role of Samuel Barber's Vanessa presented by the National Symphony Orchestra. Veteran bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen returns to Lyric for the first time since his 2021/22 Season appearance as Doctor Dulcamara in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, as the group leader Howard. He made his Lyric debut in the 2004/05 Season, when he appeared as Masetto in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Rising-star soprano Jasmine Habersham makes her Lyric debut in the role of Claire's daughter, Ashley. Her most recent engagement was as Juliet in Minnesota Opera's production of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet.

A hypnotic supporting cast. Howard's cult confidant, Angela, is sung by mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack in her return to Lyric following her debut as the Kitchen Boy in Dvořák's Rusalka in the 2013/14 Season. She has recently dazzled audiences as Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's El último sueño de Frida y Diego, co-produced by San Diego Opera and San Francisco Opera. Tenor Jonas Hacker appears as Kyle, a high-school student who becomes tormented by the sound; Hacker starred as Timothy Laughlin in Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's Fellow Travelers in Lyric's 2017/18 Season. Paul, Claire's husband who is overshadowed by her fixation on the hum, is sung by baritone Zachary Nelson. He previously appeared as Marcello in Lyric's 2018/19 Season production of Puccini's La Bohème. Nelson recently made an anticipated role debut as Alberich in Atlanta Opera's new production of Wagner's Das Rheingold, a role he returns to later this season in the composer's Siegfried. Baritone John Moore is Dillon in his Lyric debut; he recently appeared in performances across the United States as Steve Jobs in Mason Bates and Mark Campbell's The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.

An ensemble of twisted believers. Baritone Joseph Lim, an alumnus of Lyric's renowned artist training program, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, returns to Lyric as Thom, reprising the role he played in the Opera Philadelphia production. The cast of The Listeners also features several current members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble: sopranos Adia Evans and Gemma Nha, mezzo-soprano Sophia Maekawa, and baritone Finn Sagal.

Unapologetic creativity at its boldest. The Listeners is an unparalleled visual feat that combines modern technology with its storytelling. Through visual commentary with modern social media and "live" newscasting sequences alongside immersive sets and projections, this production envelops viewers in its cinematic spectacle. Set designer Adam Rigg, who recently designed the sets of Illinoise at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, creates the opera's key visual environments. Working alongside him are costume designer Kaye Voyce, lighting designer Yi Zhao, and video designer Hannah Wasileski, all in their Lyric debuts. Chorus Director and Head of Music Michael Black leads the Lyric Opera Chorus, and the original choreography of Raja Feather Kelly is recreated at Lyric by revival choreographer Zoe Scofield, both in their Lyric debuts.

Ready for the hum? Featuring a score sung entirely in English (and punctuated with profanity throughout), this work delivers a darkly comedic and thought-provoking experience for contemporary audiences. The Listeners is an immersive opera that will leave Lyric patrons fearing the inescapable spell of the hum — will it consume you, too?

Important to know:

  • Five chances to experience The Listeners: March 30 matinee; April 2, 5, 8, and 11.
  • Content Advisory: The Listeners includes explicit language and sexual content, along with brief mentions of self-harm and suicide, that may be triggering or uncomfortable to some audience members. This production also includes the occasional use of strobing/flashing lights and theatrical gunfire. Recommended for mature audiences.
  • Performed in English with projected English titles above the stage.
  • A total running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
  • Ticketholders are invited to a free pre-opera talk by noted scholar Dr. Justin Vickers on the opera's composition history and social context; the talks begin one hour before each performance on the main floor of the theater.
  • Audio description and a guided touch tour of the set are available at the Sunday, March 30 matinee performance. American Sign Language interpretation and SoundShirts are available at the Wednesday, April 2 evening performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the main floor coat check at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.
  • Co-commissioned and co-produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago, Norwegian National Opera, and Opera Philadelphia.
  • For more information and tickets, visit lyricopera.org/listeners or call 312.827.5600.
 
 
 
 
 
 

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on InstagramTikTokYouTubeThreads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Joshua Harmon's celebrated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Jeremy Wechsler in a co-production with Theater Wit. Prayer for the French Republic runs April 10 – May 11, 2025, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is Thursday, April 17 at 7:30pm. 

In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately awaits news of their missing family. More than 70 years later, the couple's great-grandchildren find themselves facing the same question as their ancestors: "Are we safe?" Following five generations of a French-Jewish family, Prayer for the French Republic is a sweeping look at history, home, and the effects of an ancient hatred. Winner of the 2022 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New Off-Broadway Play, this celebrated work is from the author of Bad Jews and Significant Other.

Tickets for The Heart Sellers, Prayer for the French Republic, and Twisted Melodies are now on sale through the box office, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie; 847.673.6300; northlight.org.

The cast includes Janet Ulrich Brooks (Marcelee Salomon), Rom Barkhordar (Charles Benhamou), Rae Gray (Elodie Benhamou), Max Stewart (Daniel Benhamou), Lawrence Grimm (Patrick Salomon), Maya Hlava (Molly), Henson Keys (Pierre Salomon), Kathy Scambiatterra (Irma Salomon), Torrey Hanson (Adolphe Salomon), Alex Weisman (Lucien Salomon), and Nathan Becker (Young Pierre Salomon).

The creative team is Jeremy Wechsler (director), Joe Schermoly (set designer), Mara Blumenfeld (costume designer), JR Lederle (lighting designer), Joseph Cerqua (sound designer), Nicolas Bartleson (prop designer), Katie Klemme (stage manager), and Jyreika Guest (resident violence and intimacy coordinator).

About the Artists

Joshua Harmon (Playwright) is a Tony-nominated playwright and the winner of two Drama Desk Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards. He graduated from the School of Drama's Dramatic Writing program in 2010. His plays include Bad Jews, Significant Other, Admissions, Skintight, and Prayer for the French Republic. He and Sarah Silverman co-wrote the libretto for The Bedwetter based on her memoir. His plays have been produced on Broadway and the West End; Off-Broadway at Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and Atlantic Theater Company; across the country at Geffen Playhouse, Speakeasy, Studio Theatre, Theater Wit, About Face, Actor's Express, and The Magic, among others; and internationally in a dozen countries. He is a two-time MacDowell fellow, a 2024 Guggenheim fellow, and an Associate Artist at Roundabout.

Jeremy Wechsler (director) is the Artistic Director of Theater Wit where he has directed the Chicago premieres of Inanimate, The Whistleblower, Hurricane Diane, The Realistic Joneses, Admissions, 10 Out of 12, Naperville, The Antelope Party, The New Sincerity, The (Curious Case of the ) Watson Intelligence (Best of 2015 – Chicago Sun Times), Bad Jews (Best of 2015 – New City), Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Time Out Peoples' Choice Award for Direction, Best of 2015), Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Sun Times Best of the Year 2014), Completeness, Tigers Be Still, This, The Four of Us, Feydeau-Si-Deau, Men of Steel, Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Jeff Award – Best Solo Performance), Two for the Show and annual favorite The Santaland Diaries. Under Jeremy's leadership, Theater Wit has emerged as the go-to destination for cutting edge contemporary work, gaining national recognition for excellence. He has directed over fifty shows at various Chicago theaters, including Tragedy A Tragedy, The Flu Season, A Taste of Honey ("US Best of 2008" in The Wall Street Journal), Now Then Again (Jeff Award - Best New Work), The Play About the Squirrel, The White Devil, This is Not a Play About Cancer, Peer Gynt, The Real Thing, Szinhaz, The Duchess of Malfi, Tragedy a Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, The Roaring Girl, Flight, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, This is the Rill Speaking, Hay Fever, A Month in the Country, Europe, Henry VI: Blood of a Nation, The Promise, Spin, Un Robot, Horror Academy, Kind Lady, Playing By the Rules, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Solitaire, The Coarse Acting Show, Life is a Dream, The Prisoner's Dilemma, Cabaret and The Three Penny Opera. His productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work. He has been featured multiple times in the New York Times and American Theatre Magazine.

FACT SHEET

Title: Prayer for the French Republic

Written by: Joshua Harmon

Directed by: Jeremy Wechsler

In co-production with Theater Wit

Cast: Janet Ulrich Brooks (Marcelee Salomon), Rom Barkhordar (Charles Benhamou), Rae Gray (Elodie Benhamou), Max Stewart (Daniel Benhamou), Lawrence Grimm (Patrick Salomon), Maya Hlava (Molly), Henson Keys (Pierre Salomon), Kathy Scambiatterra (Irma Salomon), Torrey Hanson (Adolphe Salomon), Alex Weisman (Lucien Salomon), and Nathan Becker (Young Pierre Salomon).

Creative team: Jeremy Wechsler (director), Joe Schermoly (set designer), Mara Blumenfeld (costume designer), JR Lederle (lighting designer), Joseph Cerqua (sound designer), Nicolas Bartleson (prop designer), Katie Klemme (stage manager), and Jyreika Guest (resident violence and intimacy coordinator).

Dates: April 10-May 11, 2025

Previews: begin April 10, 2025

Press Opening: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular run: April 18 – May 11, 2025

Schedule:   

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (April 15 only) 

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except April 12) and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:30pm (April 13 only)

Backstage with BJ – Northlight's popular discussion series with Artistic Director BJ Jones – will be held April 4 at 12pm.

An Open Captioned performance will be held on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm. An Open Captioned and Audio Described/Touch Tour performance will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 2:30pm.

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

Tickets:

Previews: $35-$74

Regular run: $49-$91

Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300; northlight.org

2024-2025 Season

The 2024-2025 season closes with the mesmerizing one-man show about Donny Hathaway, Twisted Melodies, written and performed by Kelvin Roston Jr, July 10-August 10, 2025.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 240 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 230 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area's premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions BMO Harris Bank; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; The Field Foundation of Illinois; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; Northwestern University; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Pritzker Foundation; The Schubert Foundation, Inc.; The Sullivan Family Foundation; The Weatherlow Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces today the cast and creative team of its highly anticipated North American Premiere musical event Sunny Afternoon. Based on the music of The Kinks and featuring a soundtrack of their own chart-topping songs, this Chicago Shakespeare production comes to the stage directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall, March 21–April 27, 2025 in The Yard. 

From working-class London lads to rock 'n' roll icons, The Kinks exploded onto the '60s music scene with a raw, energetic new sound that rocked a nation and changed the industry forever. The story of the band's atmospheric rise to fame is told through their own prolific catalog of hit songs, including "You Really Got Me," "Lola," and "All Day and All of the Night"—all performed live onstage by the actors in a concert experience of the irresistible music that inspired generations. With an original story, music, and lyrics by The Kinks' legendary Ray Davies and a script by Joe Penhall, this musical makes its North American Premiere after the UK debut production, also directed by Hall, took the West End by storm—winning four Olivier Awards, including Best Musical.

Sunny Afternoon features an ensemble cast that includes Emma Grace Bailey, Joy Campbell, John Carlin, Sean Fortunato, Marya Grandy, Jared D.M. Grant, Oliver Hoare, Danny Horn, Will Leonard, Michael Lepore, Ana Margaret Marcu, Ben Mayne, Kieran McCabe, Joseph Papke, and Kayla Shipman. 

"Anyone who knows The Kinks knows we're a series of catastrophes turning into glorious triumph," says Ray Davies. "This is not an interpretation...it's coming from my perspective and very personal to me. Most of the stories come from the family in the front room where everyone played an instrument, and everyone collaborated. Yet what's come through is that it's a kind of timeless story. Yes, there's a setting, but hopefully the songs transcend time. It's about characters and situations and people trying to get through their lives."

"It's a joy to be bringing this show to America for the first time, and to celebrate the incredible music of The Kinks," says Edward Hall. "Chicago is a city rich in musical history so there is no better place to begin this rock 'n' roll journey, which takes us from a small family home in North London to the stage of Madison Square Garden."

Playing brothers and founding members of The Kinks are Danny Horn as Ray Davies and Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies, both reprising their roles from the Olivier Award-winning West End run. Danny Horn has been seen in The Bah Humbug Club at Lichfield Garrick, We'll Dance On The Ash Of The Apocalypse at The Park Theatre, and Reclaim The Night at Arcola Theatre, along with television credits Riot WomenDoctors, and Doctor Who (BBC), and more. He has released two albums as a musician, Quitting Smoking and Sirens & Sea Monsters, and published his first collection of poems, Lucy and the Others, in 2023. Oliver Hoare's credits include Anthony & Cleopatra at Chichester Festival Theatre and The Beggar's Opera at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, as well as film and television credits. As a singer-songwriter, he performs with his band Oliver Hoare and the Late Great, and he is the co-founder of Neon Candle Theatre.

Portraying the other original members of The Kinks are Michael Lepore as bassist Peter Quaife and Kieran McCabe as drummer Mick Avory. Michael Lepore was a member of the Original Broadway Cast of Sing Street, with additional credits including Spring Awakening at Irondale Center, Rent at Theatre Aspen, and Origin Story at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Kieran McCabe was nominated for a Jeff Award for his performance in the title role of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Marriott Theatre. He returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing in As You Like It, and his other credits include Rock of Ages at Paramount Theatre, Verböten at the House Theatre of Chicago, Next to Normal at Writers Theatre, and Million Dollar Quartet at the Marriott Theatre.

The ensemble cast also features Emma Grace Bailey as Peggy (Music Man and Beehive: The '60s Musical at the Marriott Theatre); Joy Campbell as Joyce (Baked! The Musical at Theo); John Carlin as Fred Davies and Allen Klein (Run Bambi Run at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Turn Me Loose at Westside Theatre); Sean Fortunato as Larry Page (Henry V, Richard III, and many more at CST, Damn Yankees at Marriott Theatre, Young Frankenstein at Mercury Theater), Marya Grandy as Annie Davies and Marsha (EmmaThe Wizard of Oz, and Follies at CST, Into the Woods US tour, The Devil Wears Prada, Broadway in Chicago); Jared D.M. Grant as Gregory Piven (The Full Monty, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and more at Paramount Theatre, Tootsie North American tour); Will Leonard as Grenville Collins (Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Theatre); Ana Margaret Marcu as Rasa (Once at Syracuse Stage, Jersey Boys at Theater Aspen); Ben Mayne as Robert Wace (Girl From The North Country on Broadway, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Marriott Theatre, The Full Monty at Paramount); Joseph Papke as Eddie Kassner (Children's Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater); Kayla Shipman as Rosie (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil at Goodman Theatre, Jersey BoysYoung Frankenstein, and Rock of Ages at Mercury Theatre). Understudies include Grant Alexander Brown, Joey CheliusMatthew Benenson CruzLaura Nelson, and Ashton Norris.

CST Artistic Director Edward Hall directs Sunny Afternoon after helming its original production at the UK's Hampstead Theatre and the West End. An acclaimed international director, Hall joined CST in October 2023, and has since directed Richard III, Henry V, and Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night's Dream. Prior to his tenure as Artistic Director, he directed Rose Rage at CST and in New York in 2003. He was the founding artistic director of the multi-award-winning Propeller Shakespeare, touring globally for over 20 years. He led the UK's Hampstead Theatre for nearly a decade, transforming it into one of the nation's most successful theaters for new work development with more than 100 world premieres. He has served as an Associate Director at the National Theatre and Old Vic, and his extensive film and television credits include The Heist Before Christmas, Blithe Spirit starring Dame Judi Dench, multiple HBO and BBC series, and the Downton Abbey season four finale. He is a member of the Arts Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago.

The creative team also includes Music Supervisor Elliott Ware, Choreographer Adam Cooper, Set and Costume Designer Miriam Buether, Lighting Designer Rick Fisher, Sound Designer Matt McKenzie, Music Director Mason Moss, Associate Director Christopher Chase Carter, Fight and Intimacy Choreographer Max Fabian, Dialect and Vocal Coach Marie Ramirez Downing, Assistant Choreographer Emily Goodenough, Associate Scenic Designer Milo Blue, Associate Sound Designer Ken Hampton, Directing Apprentice Jo Hoagland, Production Stage Manager Christine D. Freeburg, Assistant Stage Manager Danny Fender, Production Assistant Anna Vu, and Instrument Tech Nat Treloar.

The press opening for Sunny Afternoon is scheduled for Friday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m.

More information at www.chicagoshakes.com/sunnyafternoon or on social media at @chicagoshakes. 

Sunny Afternoon

by Joe Penhall
Original story, music, and lyrics by Ray Davies
Directed by Edward Hall
March 21–April 27, 2025 
The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare

By special arrangement with WestBeth Entertainment and Seattle Theatre Group

PERFORMANCE LISTING 

  • Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
  •  Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (no matinee on March 26)
  • Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
  • Fridays at 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (no matinee on March 22)
  • Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced performances include:

  • Audio-described performance with optional touch tour – Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of a play's key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Touch Tours provide patrons the opportunity to experience, firsthand, a production's design elements

  • Open captioned performance – Wednesday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

  • ASL interpreted performance – Friday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. 

All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters.

CREATIVE TEAM

 

Ray Davies - Music, Lyrics, and Original Story
Joe Penhall - Book
Edward Hall - Director 
Elliott Ware - Music Supervisor
Adam Cooper - Choreographer
Miriam Buether - Set and Costume Designer
Rick Fisher - Lighting Designer
Matt McKenzie - Sound Designer
Mason Moss - Music Director
Bob Mason - Chicago Casting
Casting By Them - New York Casting
Christopher Chase Carter - Associate Director
Max Fabian - Fight and Intimacy Choreographer 
Marie Ramirez Downing - Dialect and Vocal Coach
Emily Goodenough - Assistant Choreographer
Milo Blue - Associate Scenic Designer 
Ken Hampton - Associate Sound Designer 
Jo Hoagland - Directing Apprentice 
Christine D. Freeburg - Production Stage Manager
Danny Fender - Assistant Stage Manager
Anna Vu - Production Assistant
Nat Treloar - Instrument Tech

CAST

 

Emma Grace Bailey - Peggy / Ensemble
Joy Campbell - Joyce / Ensemble
John Carlin - Fred Davies / Allen Klein / Ensemble
Sean Fortunato - Larry Page / Ensemble
Marya Grandy - Annie Davies / Marsha / Ensemble
Jared D.M. Grant - Gregory Piven / Ensemble
Oliver Hoare - Dave Davies
Danny Horn - Ray Davies
Will Leonard - Grenville Collins / Ensemble
Michael Lepore - Peter Quaife / Ensemble
Ana Margaret Marcu - Rasa / Sister / Ensemble
Ben Mayne - Robert Wace / Ensemble
Kieran McCabe - Mick Avory / Ensemble
Joseph Papke - Kassner / Ensemble
Kayla Shipman - Rosie / Ensemble
Grant Alexander Brown - Understudy
Joey Chelius - Understudy
Matthew Benenson Cruz - Understudy
Laura Nelson - Understudy
Ashton Norris – Understudy

BAND

Elliott Ware - Keyboard / Conductor (through March 28)
Mason Moss - Keyboard / Conductor (beginning March 29)
Daniel Peters - Guitar
Heather Boehm - Musicians Contractor

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season that includes Shakespeare, original plays, musicals, family programming, and international theatrical events. CST is committed to serving as a cultural center across its three stages—the 700+ seat Yard, 500 seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, and the 200 seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Theater Upstairs as well as in classrooms, neighborhoods, and venues around the world. CST has a deep commitment to education and lifelong learning with robust programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and engagement with communities across the city. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted theater—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that illuminate the complexities, ambiguities, and wonders of our world. www.chicagoshakes.com

Chicago’s Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is proud to share its current 2025 season including two mainstage productions, Circus Quixote, January 30 – March 30, and Iraq, But Funny, May 29 – July 20; a wide variety of Circus Quixote accessibility, education and community events including juggling workshops, a Latine Night and talkbacks in collaboration with Teatro Vista and Instituto Cervantes; performances by Lookingglass Theatre’s Young Ensemble: The Portrait of Madame X, March 2 - 4: a dream inspired unGALA on March 20 and coming this summer, the latest edition of Sunset 1919 on July 27 and Summergglass Camps, August 4 – 15. Details are included below and may also be found at LookingglassTheatre.org.

The 2025 season includes the following programs, performances and special events:

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents

Circus Quixote

January 30 - March 30

Based on Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quijote of La Mancha”

Adapted and Directed by Kerry and David Catlin

Circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Produced in Association with Actors Gymnasium Circus School & Theatre Company

Featuring Michel Rodríguez Cintra, Micah Figueroa, Julian Hester, Laura Murillo Hart, Andrea San Miguel, Ayana Strutz and Eduardo Martinez

Previews: Thursday, Jan. 30 - Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb 5 - Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.

Performance schedule for February 9 - March 30: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m.

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E Pearson St. at Michigan Ave.

Tickets are $35 - $80

LookingglassTheatre.org

For more than 400 years, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote of La Mancha has inspired readers and cultures across the globe. Lookingglass’ production, first incubated at The Actors Gymnasium, brings this literary classic to life anew in 2025. Somewhere in La Mancha there lived a man who read so many books about chivalry that his brains dried up. In this world premiere, Lookingglass transports audiences tiltingly and acrobatically into the dreamy madness of Don Quixote and his impossible folly-filled quest to bring good-deed doing back into the world … whether the world wants it or not.  

 

Circus Quixote Accessible Programming

Accessibility Performances:.

  • Mask Required Performance: Friday, Feb, 21 at 7 p.m.
  • Open Caption Performance: Wednesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.
  • Audio Described/Touch Tour Performance: Saturday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m.
  • Masked Required Performance: Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m.
  • Sensory Friendly/Relaxed Performance: Sunday, March 16 at 1:30 p.m.

An accessible entrance to Lookingglass is located at Pearson Street directly to the west of the main entrance at 163 E. Pearson Street using the wooden double doors.

Patrons may access The Joan and Paul Theatre at Lookingglass using the elevator or ramp located in the newly renovated lobby. Lookingglass offers accessible seating for all performances on the ground floor and balcony. These seats are accessible for all patrons who use a wheelchair, a scooter, walkers, other mobility aids or cannot use stairs. Lookingglass also has a variety of aisle seating options available.

Assistive listening devices are available for every mainstage performance at the box office free of charge. Attendees may pick up the device at the box office upon arrival.

Sensory Bags are available for every mainstage performance at the box office free of charge. Attendees may pick up the bags at the box office upon arrival.

Large print programs are available in electronic form at the box office.

If assistance booking is needed, please call 312.337.0665 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More information on these performances atLookingglassTheatre.org/Accessibility.

 

Circus Quixote Education and Community Programming

NEW

A LookinggClass: Juggling 101

Wednesdays, Feb. 12 – Feb. 26 and Sundays, Feb. 23 and March 9 at 6 p.m. 

Recommended for ages 8 years old and older

Tickets: $15

LookingglassTheatre.org/event/juggling-101-a-lookingclass/

This season, go behind the scenes of every Lookingglass show with workshops and classes designed to spark curiosity. During Circus Quixote, join Lookingglass and The Actors Gymnasium before select performances for a juggling lesson that will lift audiences’ spirits and get them ready to show off new party tricks.

Teen Takeover

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1:30 p.m.

RSVP here to reserve your  $5 ticket

 

Theatre loving, Chicago area teens are invited for pre-show pizza and Circus Quixote artist chat before heading into the theatre for the performance. Tickets are LIMITED.

Reflect Panel Discussion Series in partnership with Teatro Vista

“Chasing the Dream: Reclaiming Cultural Narratives”

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m.

Free with Circus Quixote ticket, following the show

The REFLECT Panel Discussion Series draws on a theme or social issue inherent in the current production and gives space to speak on them and with each other.

Lookingglass Ensemble Member and Teatro Vista Producing Artistic Director Wendy Mateo and Teatro Vista Managing Director Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel examine Cervantes’ text as a tool for cultural colonialism and speak about their personal intersections as Latinas with “Don Quixote.” Lookingglass Ensemble Member and Creative Producer Kareem Bandealy hosts/moderates.

REFLECT takes place following the Sunday matinees and is held, after a short break, in the Joan & Paul Theatre.

 

Latine Night

Friday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m.

Free with Circus Quixote ticket

Latine culture is the world. And the world is here in our Chicago.

The fiesta begins at 5:30 p.m. with a pre-show mixer featuring full bar service and a vast curation of Latine Music spun by a surprise guest DJ. The evening continues with the main event – the night’s performance of Circus Quixote. and concludes with a tri-lingual (Spanish, Portuguese, English) post-show discussion featuring the cast and hosted by Lookingglass Artistic Associate J. Salomé Martinez, Lookingglass Assistant Director of Development Carlos García León and Circus Quixote Dramaturg Gabriela Furtado Coutinho.

Reflect Panel Discussion Series in partnership with Instituto Cervantes 

Dawn of Quixote: Iberia Pre & Post Reconquista

Sunday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m.

Free with Circus Quixote  ticket, following the show

The REFLECT Panel Discussion Series draws on a theme or social issue inherent in our current production and gives us a space to speak on them and with each other.

Teresa Hernando Rojo (Gestora Cultural at Instituto Cervantes) and public media personality Narimon Safavi engage in a fascinating discussion on Iberia pre- and post- Reconquista and the diverse cultural influences that would have been a part of Cervantes’ Spain. Lookingglass Ensemble Member and Creative Producer Kareem Bandealy hosts/moderates.

REFLECT takes place following the Sunday matinees and is held, after a short break, in the Joan & Paul Theatre.

Young Ensemble Returns with The Portrait of Madame X

Lookingglass Young Ensemble

The Portrait of Madame X

Written by Ensemble Member Phil Smith based on an adaptation of Alexander Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades” by Tommy Rapley and Dennis Watkins

Directed by Ensemble Members Louise Lamson and Phil Smith 

Sunday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $35 (General Admission) and $10 (students)

LookingglassTheatre.org/young-ensemble/

 

Who is really holding the cards at Madame X’s high stakes Gaming Parlor? Find out as the one and only Lookingglass Young Ensemble unspools their feverish take of Alexander Pushkin’s unrivaled tale of gambling and the supernatural, “The Queen of Spades.” 

Now in its 26th year, The Lookingglass Young Ensemble is a group of Chicago-area young adults, ages 13-18, committed to building their theater skills, lifting their voices and developing their creativity through collaborative creation. The 2024/25 Young Ensemble is composed of 16 teens from all over Chicago.  

“There’s always something new I can learn and I have a very different understanding of what theatre meant,” said Young Ensemble Member Natasha Friedman. “Lookingglass is a place where everyone wants to learn and are so ready to put their whole selves in the process and that’s an important tool for growing your craft.” 

The annual Young Ensemble production weaves together language, visual spectacle, music and the unique talents and contributions of the ensemble. Inclusive, rigorous, playful and endlessly creative, the Young Ensemble builds not only better artists, but better collaborators, thinkers, and leaders.

 

unGALA: DREAM

Thursday, Mar. 20 at 5:30 p.m.

The Casino Club, 195 E. Delaware Place, Chicago, IL

Tickets: $750 (Sponsorships begin at $2500)

LookingglassTheatre.org/event/ungala-dream/

Join Lookingglass for an unforgettable experience that takes guests on a dream-like journey through the first night of spring—featuring an epic pajama party.

This year’s unGALA invites all to join the Lookingglass Board of DirectorsEnsembleArtistic Associates and guest artists for an evening that pushes boundaries and defies expectations—celebrating creativity, artistic innovation and the shared experience of dreaming beyond the ordinary.

WORLD PREMIERE

Iraq, But Funny

May 29 – July 20

Written by Atra Asdou

Directed Dalia Ashurina

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave.

Tickets: $30 - $80

LookingglassTheatre.org/event/iraq-but-funny/

A raucous satire about five generations of Assyrian women reclaiming their stories, as narrated by a British guy. Making its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, Ensemble Member Atra Asdou’s original dark comedy jauntily marches through the Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. exploring history, family and dysfunction.

Sunset 1919

Sunday, July 27 at 7 p.m.

Eugene Williams Memorial Marker

125 Fort Dearborn Drive, Chicago 60615

1/4 mile north of 31st Street Beach

Free

LookingglassTheatre.org/event/sunset-1919-2024/

Sunset 1919 is an annual community art ritual performed in honor of Eugene Williams, a Black teenager who was killed for crossing an imaginary racial line on the waves of Mishigami (from Ojibwa “Great Water”). Sunset 1919 was first curated and coordinated in 2020 by Ensemble Member and Creative Producer Kareem Bandealy and Ensemble Member and Mellon Playwright in Residence J. Nicole Brooks and it offers a communal moment to acknowledge our Indigenous roots and for Black artists to merge movement, music and word in a free, spirit-guided ritual.

 

Youth Ensemble Summergglass Camps

August 4 - 8 and August 11 - 15

Lookingglass Theatre, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave.

Enrollment: $450

Early bird enrollment begins Monday, Feb. 3

LookingglassTheatre.org/summergglass-camp-2025/

Through drama and creative play, the experienced teaching artists of Summergglass will focus camp days to explore creative problem solving, collaboration, story structure, speaking directly to the audience and all the inventive visual storytelling that makes Lookingglass so special.

Mornings are spent working with teaching artists to learn many of the same theatre techniques and skills used to create Lookingglass shows. During the afternoons, campers will work on their drama skills as they create and adapt original stories to share on the final day of camp. 

Paper Magic:  Shadow Puppet Camp

August 4 – 8 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Ages: 6 – 10

Lights. Paper. Magic! Create epic adventures with shadow puppets as campers design, build and bring puppets to life using storytelling traditions from around the world.  

Through creative drama and movement games, this camp explores folk tales from around the world, inventing original heroes and villains and building magical stories to share! Learn the fundamentals of Lookingglass playmaking techniques, explore design and story structure and go to the park each day for lunch. By the end of the session, friends and family are invited to join campers on a magical adventure into, and out of, the shadows.

Mysterious City: Chicago Scavenger Hunt Camp

August 11 – 15 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Ages 8 – 14

The Mysterious City Society needs your help! Together, campers will build a summer adventure demanding all of their creativity and daring-do. The mission: report to the historic Lookingglass Water Tower theatre for a scavenger hunt camp that will take campers through the Lookingglass, beyond the pumping station pipes and back in time through the pop culture, music and movements and milestones of Chicago’s not-so-distant past. Young adventurers will learn the fundamentals of Lookingglass playmaking techniques, explore the structure of scavenger hunts and choose “your own adventure” stories, search for clues on walking field trips and work with Lookingglass teaching artists to create an original scavenger hunt play to share with family and friends.

ABOUT LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered.

Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation. Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer’s adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin’s circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice​​, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers.Looking Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and dozens of cities throughout the United States.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2025/26 with the thrilling Chicago Regional Premiere of The Da Vinci Codebased on the novel by Dan Brown, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, and directed by Elizabeth Margolius. Witness the action-packed novel live on stage as Professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu race against the clock to unlock the secrets of Da Vinci, April 9 – June 1, 2025 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.  

Based on the best-selling novel of the century, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code transforms into a thrilling new immersive experience in this Chicago Regional Premiere. Innovative staging and dynamic effects plunge you into a world where renowned professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu race through a labyrinth of ancient clues and modern dangers. As shadows hold secrets, surveillance lurks at every turn, and centuries-old conspiracies emerge in real time, you'll discover The Da Vinci Code as you've never encountered it before. What truths hide behind sacred walls? What deadly traps await those who dare to seek answers? Experience the theatrical event of the year that transforms one of the most provocative thrillers ever told into a pulse-pounding journey of revelation.

The creative team includes Elizabeth Margolius (director-last directed Drury Lane's groundbreaking production of The Fiddler on The Roof), Scott Penner (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Lee Fiskness (lighting designer), Joshua Schmidt (sound designer and composer), Anthony Churchill (co-projection designer), Mike Tutaj (co-projection designer), Bridget Rzymski (wig and hair designer), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), Darren Leonard (associate director), and Larry Baker (production stage manager). 

The Da Vinci Code will be presented at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace, April 9 – June 1, 2025. Single tickets go on January 17, 2025 at 10 a.m. and will be available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or online at www.drurylanetheatre.com. Groups of 10 or more can receive special group pricing. 

 

Fact Sheet / The Da Vinci Code

Title:                                              The Da Vinci Code

Adapted by:                                 Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Based on the novel by:             Dan Brown

Content Advisory:                      The Da Vinci Code contains simulated gunshots and violence.

 

Directed by:                                    Elizabeth Margolius

 

Creatives:                                           

Elizabeth Margolius (director), Scott Penner (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Lee Fiskness (lighting designer), Joshua Schmidt (sound designer and composer), Anthony Churchill (co-projection designer), and Mike Tutaj (co-projection designer). Bridget Rzymski (wig and hair designer), Eva Breneman (dialect designer), Darren Leonard (associate director), and Larry Baker (production stage manager).

 

Dates:                                              April 9 – June 1, 2025

Press Opening:                          Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 7pm

Schedule:                                      Wednesdays: 1:30 p.m.

                                                           Thursdays: 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

                                                           Fridays: 7:00 p.m.

                                                           Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

                                                           Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.                               

Location:                                       Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

 

Tickets:                                              

Tickets range from $75 - $150

Group discounts available to groups of 10 or more

Dining and show packages available

Senior discounts available

 

Box Office:                                         

100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

(630) 530-0111

Monday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm

or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

Season and Membership Information

Concluding the 2024/25 season is the inspiring true story Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (January 29, 2025 – March 23, 2025). The 2025/2026 season opens with the Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code (April 9 – June 1, 2025), followed by a love letter to a country music icon in Always...Patsy Cline (June 11 - August 3, 2025); the riveting thriller Dial M for Murder (September 3 - October 26, 2025); the divine feel-good musical comedy Sister Act (November 12, 2025 - January 11, 2026) and the exhilarating music of the Miami Sound Machine in On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan (January 28 - March 22, 2026).

Drury Lane Theatre's performance schedule for the 2025/2026 season is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Lock in your seats for a season of spectacular theatre with Drury Lane's new Membership Program! Members have exclusive access to uniquely tailored benefits designed to enrich their Drury Lane experience, all at a cost savings of more than 50% off single ticket prices. Membership includes Tier One seating for all five Drury Lane Theatre productions, free ticket exchanges, dedicated dining credits at Lucille Restaurant, exclusive event invitations, Member pre-sales and unlimited single ticket discounts. Membership prices range from $229.25 - $260.75. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

Group tickets start at $45 and Student group tickets start at just $35. On-site dining is available at Lucille Restaurant with convenient pre-show or post-show prix fixe menus. To book a group of 10 people or more, call Group Services at 630-570-7272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Gift certificates to Drury Lane can be purchased in any denomination, never expire, and can be used for performances, at Lucille Restaurant or for Drury Lane Events. Gift certificates can be purchased online at drurylanetheatre.com/gift-certificates or by calling the box office.

Dining and Special Events

Excellence isn't limited to the stage at Drury Lane! Before or after the show, theatergoers can indulge in delicious onsite dining at Lucille Restaurant featuring seasonal pre-fixe menus and an elevated atmosphere to complete their experience. Boasting over a century of collective expertise in hospitality, the dedicated team ensures that you will be cared for with freshly prepared meals, handcrafted cocktails, and exceptional service. At Drury Lane, everything is in one place, so you will never be late for your performance.

About Drury Lane Theatre  

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you. 

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 70 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports our artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form. 

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting.

This winter, The Joffrey Ballet presents Golden Hour, a radiant mixed repertoire program of warmth and splendor. Featuring world premieres by Yuri Possokhov and Dani Rowe, the return of Cathy Marston, and an audience favorite by Nicolas Blanc, the curated program welcomes audiences in from the cold to experience the light of these four immersive works. Golden Hour will be presented at the historic Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, in ten performances only, from February 20 to March 2, 2025. 

Yuri Possokhov, frequent choreographer at the Joffrey whose most recent productions include the highly praised adaptation of Anna Karenina, in addition to The Miraculous Mandarin and Don Quixote, returns with Andante, an intimate world premiere created for three dancers, set to a score by Dmitri Shostakovich. Inspired by the word “andante,” which describes slow, evenly paced music, Possokhov creates a moving meditation on the intricacies of human relationships, from tension to elation.

In her first-ever collaboration with The Joffrey Ballet, Australian choreographer Dani Rowe will present an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairy tale, Princess and the Pea, in a dynamic and modern re-envisioning. Set to a new score by Jim Stephenson, the work follows the young Penelopea as she embarks on a daring quest for justice in the authoritarian world of Pea Town. As she battles the oppressive Master Pea to regain her fathers’ freedom, Penelopea discovers the power of individuality and growth, leading to a revolution that transforms Pea Town into something no one could have ever expected.

The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE said, "Dani's reimagining of the Princess and the Pea carries wisdom from one generation to the next, broadening our perspectives of the human experience. Providing a platform for new works and retelling classic tales to resonate with contemporary themes is what the Joffrey does best." He added, "We are thrilled to welcome back frequent Joffrey collaborator Yuri Possokhov for the world premiere of Andante, a moving new work reflecting on the complexity of relationships and our yearning for connection."  

"On the heels of the most-attended season of The Nutcracker in Joffrey history, Golden Hour will meet our audiences' growing demand while remaining authentic to Robert Joffrey's founding mission to communicate life through dance," said President and CEO Greg Cameron. "Dani Rowe's world premiere of Princess and the Pea reminds us to stand up for our beliefs in the face of adversity. Meanwhile, works by Yuri Possokhov, Cathy Marston, and Nicolas Blanc invite us to consider the power of the arts to bring us together. There is a story for everyone."


Golden Hour continues with Cathy Marston’s Heimat, a dance interpretation of the glorious symphonic poem Seigfried Idyll. Composed by Richard Wagner in Switzerland after the birth of his son, Heimat paints a halcyon picture of a family in the Swiss countryside. Marston defines the German word “heimat” as the feeling of home, which is not necessarily where one lives or was born, but rather a place of spiritual and creative familiarity. Following the critically acclaimed US premiere of her feature-length ballet Atonement in October, Marston said that “heimat” is a tender description of her personal feelings about Chicago and The Joffrey Ballet.

Lastly, Nicolas Blanc’s Under the Trees’ Voices examines the persistence of community and connection in the age of distance and isolation. Set to Bosso’s Symphony No. 2, Blanc’s choreography arose from his observations of the nuances of people’s temperaments during the spring of 2020 as the weather became warmer and the chill of pandemic restrictions thawed. In four distinct sections, Under the Trees’ Voices imagines a future of hope and unity, reminding us that we are better together than alone.

Golden Hour features live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

Tickets and Schedule
The Joffrey Ballet presents Golden Hour from Thursday, February 20 to Sunday, March 2, 2025; the full performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, February 20 at 7:30PM; Friday, February 21 at 7:30PM; Saturday, February 22 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM; Sunday, February 23 at 2:00PM; Thursday, February 27 at 7:30PM; Friday, February 28 at 7:30PM; Saturday, March 1 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM; and Sunday, March 2 at 2:00PM.

Single tickets start at $36 and are available for purchase at Lyric Opera Box Office located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. and by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

About The Joffrey Ballet 
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for 69 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works.  

Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron. 

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of its 2024-2025 Season Sponsors: Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Florian Fund, Gallagher, Anne L. Kaplan, and Live Music Sponsors: Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. The Joffrey also acknowledges Season Partners: Chicago Athletic Clubs, and Athletico Physical Therapy, official provider of physical therapy for The Joffrey Ballet. 

Special thanks to Princess and the Pea Commissioning Sponsors Courtney C. Shea and Mary Jo and Doug Basler, an Anonymous Princess and the Pea Commissioned Score Sponsor, and Under the Trees’ Voices Sponsor Mary Jo and Doug Basler.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on FacebookInstagram, and LinkedIn

Chicagoland's longest running musical theatre, Marriott Theatre, officially kicks off its spectacular 50th Anniversary Season with one of the most enduring and beloved musicals of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, previewing on Wednesday, February 5, opening on Wednesday, February 12 at 7pm and running through March 30. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Award nominee Amber Mak (Marriott Theatre: Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story; Paramount: The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast), this vibrant reimagining of the biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, eleven brothers, and the iconic coat of many colors is set to captivate audiences of all ages. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's beloved score is packed with pop and musical theatre classics, including "Any Dream Will Do," "Close Every Door," "There's One More Angel in Heaven" and "Go, Go, Go Joseph."

"I am absolutely thrilled to be helming and collaborating with the Marriott team on this fresh interpretation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for their 50th Anniversary Season," said director Amber Mak. "This production aims to be a joyous celebration of the power of storytelling as we explore this infectious score and story through the boundless imagination of a child's perspective. Joseph is a musical that has captivated audiences worldwide and I can't wait to share this vibrant new production and all-star cast of talent with the Marriott audience."

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat stars Devin DeSantis as "Joseph" (Marriott Theatre: Honeymoon in Vegas, Godspell; MUNY: Waitress; Goodman Theatre: Matchbox Magic Flute); Kaitlyn Davis as "Narrator" (Marriott/National: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Jeff Award); National: The Phantom of the Opera);  Lorenzo Rush Jr. as "Pharaoh" (Marriott Theatre: A Christmas Story, The Wizard of Oz, Holiday Inn; 3 Time Jeff Award Winner); and George Keating (Marriott Theatre: Hello, Dolly!, The Producers, Guys & Dolls) with Lillian Castillo, Avelyn Lena Choi, Sophie Liu David, Christopher Kale Jones, Kayla Kennedy, Ron King, Michael Earvin Martin, Teah Kiang Mirabelli, Leah Morrow, Justin Payton Nelson, Juwon Tyrel Perry, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Maxel Schingen, Lena Soszynski,  Elizabeth Telford, Amanda Walker, J Tyler Whitmer,  Margot Frank, Kevin Kuska, Jordan Radis, and Savannah Sinclair.

The artistic team features Associate Director Elizabeth Romero, Associate Choreographer Nich O'Neil, Scenic Designer Jeff Kmiec, Costume Designer Theresa Ham, Wig Designer Miguel Armstrong, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Michael Daly, Props Designer Sally Zack, Stage Manager Colt Luedtke and Conductor Rick Bertone.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – featuring NEW WEEKNIGHT PERFORMANCE TIMES is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Call for group, dinner-theatre, student, senior, and military discounts. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets or become a Marriott Theatre subscriber during the 50th Anniversary season, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.tickets.marriotttheatre.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

Broadway In Chicago and Starvox Touring are excited to announce individual tickets for XAVIER MORTIMER: MASTER OF MAGIC are now on sale. XAVIER MORTIMER: MASTER OF MAGIC will play the CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited engagement, March 21-23.

Xavier Mortimer, the illusionist who starred in Cirque du Soleil’s production – MICHAEL JACKSON ONE, has enchanted Las Vegas with his solo shows and captivated millions of fans on social media, will be coming to Chicago for the very first time! He will perform at the CIBC Theatre Chicago starting on March 21, 2025, for a breathtaking series of shows. After dazzling thousands of spectators around the world, Xavier Mortimer will present MASTER OF MAGIC, a unique and grandiose show that promises to amaze audiences of all ages.

A true social media phenomenon with over 30 million followers and videos amassing over 15 billion views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, Xavier Mortimer is one of the most groundbreaking magicians of his generation. He is the most followed magician in the world, and his popularity continues to soar. A 5-time winner of Best Magic Show in Las Vegas, Xavier Mortimer also gained fame through his appearances on America’s Got Talent (Seasons 10 & 12) and Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Seasons 5, 7 & 9). His innovative approach to magic has captivated audiences worldwide.

We are absolutely thrilled to bring Xavier Mortimer's extraordinary show to Chicago. His unique blend of magic, humor, and creativity has captivated audiences around the world, and we’re excited for Chicagoans to experience this incredible journey. This city is the perfect setting for Xavier’s magical artistry, and we can’t wait to see the audience’s reaction!”
– Corey Ross, Starvox Touring

A Phenomenal Success in Las Vegas
Famous for his poetic illusion, Xavier Mortimer quickly became a Las Vegas sensation, with over 1,500 performances to his credit. Known for his innovative approach, he blends music, mime, and illusion to create an immersive and visually stunning experience like no other. His award-winning show, The Dream Maker, has captivated audiences and critics alike, solidifying Mortimer's place among the most innovative magicians of his generation.

Xavier Mortimer has been described as “a show with winning doses of pantomime and personality” by Splash Magazines. His act has received rave reviews, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal calling it “Genius Magic!” and Howie Mandel, from America’s Got Talent, hailed it as “Phenomenal!”

A Unique Opportunity to See Xavier Mortimer Live
For the first time, Chicago audiences will have the chance to experience this internationally acclaimed artist live on stage. This appearance promises to be an unforgettable event. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to dive into Xavier Mortimer’s magical and enchanting world, a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

For more information, visitxaviermagic.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for XAVIER MORTIMER: MASTER OF MAGIC are on sale now to the public and range from $40.00 - $115.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT XAVIER MORTIMER
Born in the South of France, Xavier Mortimer started performing at a young age as a street performer. He studied Music and Dance in La Rochelle and Acting and Mime at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris and London. Over the years, Mortimer has collected numerous awards for his work, including 1st place in Italy in 2001 and 3rd place in France in 2002. In 2006, he gained recognition in France with his show L’Ombre Orchestre (The Shadow Orchestra), which he performed more than 1,000 times worldwide. Xavier Mortimer is also the creator and performer of various visual shows, composing music for his productions as well as for other shows alongside his friend Maxime Rodriguez. In 2012, he created the character Sneaky for Cirque du Soleil’s MICHAEL JACKSON ONE, performing in Las Vegas. Between 2013 and 2018, Mortimer appeared on numerous international television shows. He debuted his new show, Magical Dream, at Planet Hollywood in 2016, which later moved to Bally’s due to its overwhelming success. Between 2018 and 2022, Xavier was voted Best Magic Show in Las Vegas four years in a row by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and Best Family-Friendly Show for three consecutive years. His social media success skyrocketed in 2020, amassing billions of views and millions of followers. Today, Mortimer holds the record for the most viewed magic video on YouTube with over 576 million views.

ABOUT STARVOX TOURING
Starvox Touring has been producing and delivering exciting and ground-breaking shows and live entertainment experiences throughout North America and globally since 2003. Founded in Toronto by Corey RossStarvox Touring has ranked in Profit Magazine’s Fastest growing Canadian companies for five years in a row. Starvox produces, manes, represents, and promotes crossover performing arts shows and exhibitions that tour Canada, the United States, and internationally. Mr. Ross has produced multiple theatrical shows and exhibits in the US, including the Harry Potter parody Potted Potter and Champions of Magic, and is a producer of the world-renowned blockbuster Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. In Las Vegas, Mr. Ross produces three shows for Caesars Entertainment – WowRouge, and Potted Potter. In the world of art exhibitions, Mr. Ross produces Immersive Van GoghImmersive Disney Animation, and more.  For more information, please visit www.starvoxent.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the  Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway  Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Drury Lane Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, a heartwarming journey through Carole King's inspirational life story, where her music shines as a beacon of hope and personal growth, playing January 29 – March 23, 2025. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features a book by Douglas McGrath, words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. At the helm of Drury Lane Theatre's production is director Jane Lanier, who most recently directed and choreographed Drury Lane's hit production A Chorus Line. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7pm.

Witness the captivating story of Carole King's meteoric rise to stardom, from humble beginnings to her undeniable status as one of the most celebrated voices in popular music. With melodies such as "I Feel the Earth Move" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," this production weaves an emotional tapestry rich with nostalgia. Beautiful isn't just a musical, it's an immersive celebration of resilience, creativity, and the authentic spirit of a music legend.

The cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is led by Samantha Gershman (Broadway's Water for Elephants and A Beautiful Noise) in the role of Carole King and features Alex Benoit (Gerry Goffin), Andrew MacNaughton (Barry Mann), Alexandra Palkovic (Cynthia Weil), Michael Lawrence Brown (Donny Kirshner), and Rebekah Ward (Genie Klein), along with Averis AndersonRyan Michael ArmstrongAnna Louise BramlettLydia BurkeRaeven CarrolMaxwell J. DeTongeAlley EllisIan GeersEmily GoldbergMackenzy JenkinsAlanna LovelyChamaya MoodyAustin Nelson Jr.Nataki RennieMitzi SmithMichael Turrentine, and Rico Velazquez

The creative team includes Jane Lanier (director), Gerry McIntyre (choreographer), Carolyn Brady (musical director), Misha Kachman (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Julie Mack (lighting designer), Stephanie Farina (co-sound designer), Sarah Ramos (co-sound designer), Anthony Churchill (projection designer), Kevin Foster (wig designer), Cassy Schillo (properties designer), Larry Baker (production stage manager).

All events take place at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Single tickets for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical are on sale now and available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or online at www.drurylanetheatre.com. Groups of 10 or more can receive special group pricing.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is rated PG-13.

Fact Sheet / Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Title:                                                    Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Book by:                                              Douglas McGrath

Words and Music by:                      Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

Music by Arrangement with:      Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Orchestrations, Vocal and

Incidental Music

Arrangements by:     Steve Sidwell

Originally Produced on

Broadway by: Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing

 

Directed by:                                     Jane Lanier

 

Cast:                                                   

Samantha Gershman (Carole), Alex Benoit (Gerry Goffin), Andrew MacNaughton (Barry Mann), Alexandra Palkovic (Cynthia Weil), Michael Lawrence Brown (Donny Kirshner), and Rebekah Ward (Genie Klein) with Averis AndersonRyan Michael ArmstrongAnna Louise BramlettLydia BurkeRaeven CarrolMaxwell J. DeTongeAlley EllisIan GeersEmily GoldbergMackenzy JenkinsAlanna LovelyChamaya MoodyAustin Nelson Jr.Nataki Rennie, Mitzi SmithMichael Turrentine, and Rico Velazquez

Creatives:                                          

Jane Lanier (director), Gerry McIntyre (choreographer), Carolyn Brady (musical director), Misha Kachman (scenic designer), Nicole Boylan (costume designer), Julie Mack (lighting designer), Stephanie Farina (co-sound designer), Sarah Ramos (co-sound designer), Anthony Churchill (projection designer), Kevin Foster (wig designer), Cassy Schillo (properties designer), Larry Baker (production stage manager).

 

Dates:                                                 January 29 – March 23, 2025

Press Opening:                              Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7pm

Schedule:                                         Wednesdays and Thursdays: 1:30 p.m.

                                                            Thursdays: 7:00 p.m.

                                                            Fridays: 7:00 p.m.

                                                            Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

                                                            Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.                               

Location:                                            Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

Tickets:                                              Tickets range from $53.00 - $125

Group discounts available to groups of 10 or more

Dining and show packages available

Senior discounts available

Box Office:       100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace; (630) 530-0111; Monday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm

or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

Season and Membership Information

Currently on stage is the spellbinding Disney's The Little Mermaid (November 6, 2024 – January 12, 2025); and the inspiring true story Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (January 29, 2025 – March 23, 2025) will close out the 2024/25 season.

The 2025/2026 season includes the Chicago premiere of The Da Vinci Code (April 9 – June 1, 2025), a love letter to a country music icon in Always...Patsy Cline (June 11 - August 3, 2025); the riveting thriller Dial M for Murder (September 3 - October 26, 2025); the divine feel-good musical comedy Sister Act (November 12, 2025 - January 11, 2026) and the exhilarating music of the Miami Sound Machine in On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan (January 28 - March 22, 2026).

Drury Lane Theatre's performance schedule for the 2025/2026 season is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Five-show Memberships for the 2025/2026 season are now on sale with packages starting at $229.25 - over 50% savings compared to single ticket prices. This includes priority theatre seating, dining credits at Lucille Restaurant, exclusive presale opportunities, and much more. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com/Subscribe.

Group tickets start at $45 and Student group tickets start at just $35.35. On-site dining is available at Lucille Restaurant with convenient pre-show or post-show prix fixe menus. To book a group of 10 people or more, call Group Services at 630-570-7272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Give the gift of Drury Lane! Gift certificates to Drury Lane can be purchased in any denomination, never expire, and can be used for performances, at Lucille Restaurant or for Drury Lane Events. Gift certificates can be purchased online at drurylanetheatre.com/gift-certificates or by calling the box office.

Dining and Special Events

Excellence isn't limited to the stage at Drury Lane! Before or after the show, theatergoers can indulge in delicious onsite dining at Lucille Restaurant featuring seasonal pre-fixe menus and an elevated atmosphere to complete their experience. Boasting over a century of collective expertise in hospitality, the dedicated team ensures that you will be cared for with freshly prepared meals, handcrafted cocktails, and exceptional service. At Drury Lane, everything is in one place, so you will never be late for your performance.

Special Drury Lane holiday offerings include Holiday Afternoon Tea, Breakfast, Brunch and Dinner with Santa, and special New Year's Eve packages to ring in 2025 in style. Special event packages in conjunction with Disney's The Little Mermaid will also be available. All dining events are on sale at lucillerestaurant.com.

About Drury Lane Theatre  

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you. 

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 70 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports our artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form. 

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's most popular dance companies, returns to The Auditorium, Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E Ida B. Wells Drive, in four performances only, Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, 2025 as part of a coast-to-coast 2025 United States tour in a season celebrating the life and legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024). Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, the passionate spirit and extraordinary technique of Ailey's dancers will be showcased in two exciting programs featuring a trio of Chicago premieres alongside compelling new productions and beloved Ailey Classics including Alvin Ailey's must-see signature masterpiece Revelations. Tickets start at $39.00 and are now available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium's Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.

"Auditorium audiences welcome Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with great enthusiasm each Spring, knowing a joyful experience awaits, and this year's programming will be no exception. In this, the Company's 56th visit to The Auditorium, we are saddened by the recent passing of the legendary Ailey dancer and Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, with whom we collaborated many times, but are pleased to pay tribute with a special opening night performance featuring an excerpt of Cry, the exuberant Ailey work that became her signature," said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan. "And in addition to our public programming, we are proud to be offering two student performances by the Company this year, enabling The Auditorium to introduce thousands of students to this inspiring, dynamic company."

Chicago's own Vernard J. Gilmore will celebrate his farewell hometown engagement with Ailey, taking his final bow after 28 seasons with the Company. Currently the longest tenured Company member, the Englewood native began his professional dance training at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School before receiving a scholarship to The Ailey School, performing with Ailey II, and joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1997.

 

In addition to the inspiring finale of Revelations for all performances, the programs for the 2025 Chicago engagement of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are as follows:   

Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

  • Grace(1999, Chicago Premiere of 25th anniversary production) Set to Duke Ellington's classic "Come Sunday," Peven Everett's hit "Gabriel," and the irresistible pulse of Fela Kuti's Afro-Pop, Ronald K. Brown's spellbinding work depicts individuals on a journey to the promised land, expanding from a single angel-like figure in white to the fireball intensity of 12 powerful dancers. Here, the secular and sacred meet in a tour-de-force connecting African and American dance.
  • Finding Free(2024, Chicago Premiere) by former Company member Hope Boykin who returns to explore personal freedoms in this collaboration with pianist Matthew Whitaker who is composing an original score. This insightful work uses Boykin's movement-language and Whitaker's jazz- and gospel-influenced music to examine the challenges and restrictions throughout life's peaks and valleys that propel the journey forward.

*Friday only: Special Opening Night excerpt of Cry as a tribute to Ms. Jamison.  

  • Cryexcerpt (1971) Alvin Ailey choreographed the solo ballet, Cry, as a birthday present for his mother; it went on to become an enduring work of American art. First danced by the legendary Judith Jamison, an excerpt of this powerful work dedicated to "all black women everywhere - especially our mothers" will be performed on the opening night program (Friday, March 7) as a tribute to Ms. Judith Jamison, the beloved Company dancer and Artistic Director Emerita who passed away in late 2024.

Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

  • Sacred Songs(2024, Chicago Premiere) by Matthew Rushing features music used in the original 1960 premiere of Alvin Ailey's seminal Revelations but later omitted when the piece was edited into the current version that has captivated audiences for decades. Drawing inspiration from the roots of Mr. Ailey's most venerated and consummate creation, this stirring new work will resurrect and reimagine those spirituals—with the collaboration of musical director Du'Bois A'Keen—as an offering to our present need for lamentation, faith, and joy.
  • Treading(1979, Chicago Premiere of new production) by Elisa Monte is a sculptural, mesmerizing duet featuring fluid, intricate movements that combine with Steve Reich's evocative music to create an aura of mystery and sensuality.
  • Many Angels(2024, Chicago Premiere) by Lar Lubovitch in his first premiere for the Company, features the native Chicago choreographer's renowned lush choreography and musicality set to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5.  Many Angels is inspired by a question posed by 13th century theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?," illustrating that some questions have no logical response but are understood as a question of faith.

Culminating each program will be Alvin Ailey's must-see American masterpiece Revelations, acclaimed around the world for sending hearts soaring and lifting audiences to their feet with its perfect blend of reverent grace and spiritual elation. Since its debut in 1960, Revelations has been moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music, evoking timeless themes of determination, hope, and transcendence. An intimate reflection of Mr. Ailey's childhood memories of growing up in the South and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African American community and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition. 

 

2025 Chicago program & performance schedule

 

Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

Grace, Finding Free, Cry* (excerpt)Revelations 

*Friday only: Special Opening Night excerpt of Cry as a tribute to Ms. Jamison.  

Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

Sacred Songs, Treading, Many Angels, Revelations

In addition to these four public performances, the Company will present two student matinees at The Auditorium, reaching thousands of youths with an inspiring program of Ailey Classics on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 at 11am. 

 

About Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, the Company was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Founded by Alvin Ailey, the posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation's highest civilian honor. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she led the Company to unprecedented success. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents—as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms—promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at The Auditorium; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; The Fox Theatre in Atlanta; Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate, and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people of all ages; and Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey's permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world—named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit ailey.org.

The compelling story of the life, work, and legacy of Alvin Ailey is the subject of Portrait of Ailey, a new eight-part documentary series available for free on PBS LearningMedia. Created by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia WatersPortrait of Ailey uses rare historical film and still images as well as contemporary footage to create a sweeping narrative of Mr. Ailey as a performer, choreographer, celebrity, teacher, social activist, arts advocate, and the creator of an enduring institution. All eight chapters are currently available online.

 

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. The Auditorium's 2024-25 performance season features a dynamic mix of cultural events from ballet to rock and roll and everything in between. For more information on The Auditorium and a complete listing of events at The Auditorium, please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

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